The Rolling Stones
From The Vault: No Security – San Jose β99
Universal Music Group
Hot off the heels of their recent European No Filter tour, The Rolling Stones, one of the greatest rock βnβ roll bands to ever grace a stage, have turned their attention to their From The Vault series which, in the past, has brought concerts from the bandβs illustrious career into modern accessibility, most notably including their infamous 1981 concert at the Hampton Coliseum, a show from The Marquee Club in 1971, as well as the Sticky Fingers anniversary show at The Fonda Theater in 2015. True to form, From The Vault: No Security β San Jose β99 is an excellent live album β and one of the few official releases β from that era of The Stones career. With a twenty song track listing, consisting of major hits and a handful of deep cuts, that runs a near two hours in length, From The Vault: No Security – San Jose β99 is a must listen to for any Stones fan whose excitement for the band goes beyond their recorded discography.
From The Vault: No Security – San Jose β99 opens the high energy βJumpinβ Jack Flashβ β a quintessential hit from the late β60s β followed by a Sticky Fingers B-side that is unfortunately often overlooked and horn driven, βBitchβ. The pair of songs prove to be a perfect introduction before the band dives into βYou Got Me Rockingβ, the lead single from 1994βs Voodoo Lounge. Say what you will about The Stonesβ catalogue of recorded work from the decade, but three songs in and itβs still clear that at no point in their career did The Stones ever refuse to not pull out all the stops in concert.
While hits like βPaint It Blackβ, βHonky Tonk Womenβ, and βStart Me Upβ have lasted the test of time into β99 β and more importantly to today β it is always impressive to listen to how The Stones improvise over their most well-known material to give the impression that a spark of something truly special is happening at the moment through their spontaneous nature. As a diehard fan who has listened to their live work from all eras, it is also refreshing to see how the band evolves through their performances on each tour. While the bandβs high energy is always admirable, when they slow it down and really indulge in the blues is always a highlight. Their performance of βI Got The Bluesβ and the Keith Richards led βYou Got The Silverβ are no exception β with the later signifying a shift in tone that feels far more intimate as Richardsβ gravelly voice croons over the soulful twang of Wood’s guitar with an overall air of utter coolness.
Despite the curious absence of βSatisfactionβ, From The Vault: No Security – San Jose β99 comes to a thrilling close with βSympathy For The Devilβ. The song is as exciting as ever as the band rips through an array of pianos, percussion, and additional interwoven lead lines from the guitars while Jaggerβs ageless vocals and Keithβs classic solo take the center stage β perfectly embodying duality of the glitz and darkness that flows through not only the song but also the bandβs career and furthermore, the essential difference between The Glimmer Twins. If From The Vault: No Security – San Jose β99 is any indication, even when it was cool to rip on The Stones for hanging on to a genre that had seemingly evolved past them β when they were thought to be well past their prime β The Rolling Stones were still the greatest rock βnβ roll band around.
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SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE ROLLING STONES – FROM THE VAULT: NO SECURITY – SAN JOSE β99
Gerrod Harris