THE ROLLING STONES : GET BACK TO LOS ANGELES 1989

 

Disc One (66:55)

  1. Continental Drift
  2. Start Me Up
  3. Bitch
  4. Sad Sad Sad
  5. Undercover Of The Night
  6. Harlem Shuffle
  7. Tumbling Dice
  8. Miss You
  9. Ruby Tuesday
  10. Angie
  11. Rock And A Hard Place
  12. Mixed Emotions
  13. Honky Tonk Women
  14. Midnight Rambler

Disc Two (72:10)

  1. You Can't Always Get What You Want
  2. Little Red Rooster
  3. Before They Make Me Run
  4. Happy
  5. Paint It Black
  6. 2000 Light Years From Home
  7. Sympathy For The Devil
  8. Gimme Shelter
  9. Band Introductions
  10. It's Only Rock'n Roll (But I Like It)
  11. Brown Sugar
  12. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
  13. Jumping Jack Flash

Label : Vinyl Gang

Venue : Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California, USA

Release Date : 1996

Recording Date : October 19, 1989

Quality : Soundboard Recording (A+)

Concert Review (Los Angeles Times) : After the emotional high-wire act of Guns N' Roses, the Stones seemed almost quaintly tame. The show moved as smoothly as a Broadway revue--but what a revue. The stage set is a futuristic construction site that, through use of lighting, shifts during the evening to serve as either an unsettling display of urban decay or a more optimistic statement of social and urban renewal. The lighting, too, is dazzling as it changes from red-hell alarm (during "Sympathy for the Devil") to a comforting blue ("You Can't Always Get What You Want"). There's also a sense of humor as 50-foot high balloons in the shape of bar girls brighten "Honky Tonk Women." Wearing the same sporty green leather tails he wore at the start of the tour on Aug. 31 in Philadelphia, 46-year-old Mick Jagger set a fast opening pace as he skipped around the stage with the energy of a man half his age. Guitarists Keith Richards and Ron Wood, drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman have been joined by keyboardists Chuck Leavell and Matt Clifford, saxophonist Bobby Keys, three backup singers and a three-piece horn section. These musicians have all been woven into the Stones' traditional blues-based rock sound without making it appear either unnecessarily fancy or uptown. Richards has always said that he doesn't worry about growing old because he's seen his treasured bluesmen play into their 60s and 70s. That gives him and the Stones a long time to go. The question on recent tours was whether they would still be accepted by young audiences. The response of the young fans on this tour--and about two-thirds of the crowd on most tour stops is under 21--is that the Stones hold up well. Even those fans predicting a Guns N' Roses victory in Wednesday's showdown expressed admiration for the Stones. Their fondness for Guns was based on matters of generational pride. "This is my band," said Robert Sanchez, 20, of Hollywood. "The Stones are my dad's band." After the concert, Martin Miller, 36, of La Habra had a comment that appeared more typical of the older Stones fans on hand. "Guns N' Roses," he said sarcastically, "may be a great band--let's see in 10 years." Living Colour, the opening act, was in the difficult position of beginning its set at 6 p.m., when only about 5,000 people were in their seats and it was still daylight. But the New York group, led by guitarist-songwriter Vernon Reid, put on a crowd-pleasing mix of almost metal-ish force and songs with substance and social relevance. The only weak link is the stiffness of lead singer Corey Glover. The lesson of Wednesday's show is that it's doubtful that any band can step on stage with enough good-to-great familiar songs and with enough historical mystique to take the rock crown away from the Stones. The Stones can only be upstaged when they no longer play their music with the energy and commitment it deserves. Don't expect it to happen soon.