Wednesday, April 4, 2012

LA Friday '75

One of my many pet peeves I have is with people wearing T-shirts with the Stones tongue logo on 'em, just because they're cool and stuff, when you know most of them are either vaguely or not familiar with the music. For starters, I think you only deserve to fucking wear a Stones top if you physically own every record or CD from 1962 to 1978, and that definitely includes the three officially released live recordings from the Archives store, and you must have read Keith Richard's autobiography. This third and latest bootleg release comes only two months after the second, Hampton '81. To my ears, LA Friday is very much on par with Brussels Affair, though Ronnie Wood still can't match Mick Taylor's guitar chops.

There are quite a number of 'repeat' songs from Brussels Affair, but trust me, you'll never ever get bored listening to both versions (although I think this Midnight Rambler absolutely trumps the one from Brussels). The chemistry you have with Keith & Ron and Keith & Taylor are worlds apart; the chords may be the same, but they always play them differently. Same goes for the rhythm section of Bill and Charlie, the spontaneity of Ian Stewart's piano, and of course Mick's singing. Put this together with the ragged, ultra-raw style of playing, and you get a quintessential Rolling Stones live document. The band usually plays faster live, just like Pearl Jam, who clearly got their inspiration from the Stones. At that time, their latest album was It's Only Rock & Roll, and you can be sure these shit-hot versions of the title track, If You Can't Rock Me, Ain't To Proud To Beg and Fingerprint File are worth the price of the whole set. For me, Wild Horses may just be the single best thing about this show. And the stellar remastered sound from Bob Clearmountain makes listening more fun.

1. Honky Tonk Women
2. All Down The Line
3. If You Can't Rock Me/ Get Off Of My Cloud
4. Star Star
5. Gimme Shelter
6. Ain't Too Proud To Beg
7. You Gotta Move
8. You Can’t Always Get What You Want
9. Happy
10. Tumbling Dice
11. Band intros
12 It's Only Rock N Roll
13. Heartbreaker
14. Fingerprint File
15. Angie
16. Wild Horses
17. That's Life (feat. Billy Preston)
18. Outta Space (feat. Billy Preston)
19. Brown Sugar
20. Midnight Rambler
21. Rip This Joint
22. Street Fighting Man
23. Jumping Jack Flash
24. Sympathy For The Devil

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