Monday, May 6, 2013
And Just Like That...
I'm back.
First I'd like to thank Jeff for a truly remarkable job in keeping everyone entertained. I'm a bit underconfident about his actual retirement from Burning Wood and the relinquishing of his administrative privileges, but that's quite alright. Even I was happy not reading about Todd Rundgren for a week. Thank you Jeff. Hope you'll stay on board if you're occasionally inspired to share something.
Speaking of Todd Rundgren...
(Just kidding.)
I need to regroup so I will be easing back into things. But I thought the video above was a good place to start.
I mean, this is crap, right?
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20 comments:
RIGHT!
That's a promo clip, right? It's supposed to make the Stones look good and the tour worth shelling $$$$ out for? If so it fails miserably. It's worse than crap. Watching it just gets worse and worse. I'm pretty sure I heard Keith drop a clam one of the few times he's shown actually playing. If that's the world's greatest rock and roll band, the music has surely died.
That made me sad.
And I wish Gwen Stefani would just go away already.
Gwen is def the low point in the video. Clueless.
The thing about them is they've always been about money. They started writing songs because they realized they could make money for publishing,not because they ever really had anything to say. They certainly became better at it, but there was never a Springsteen-like need to make a contribution to anything other than their wallets, so clearly they're just continuing that trend. This is the way they perceive to make their maximum dollar by overcharging for an oldies show, so they'll do it. Would they be more interesting playing country blues in a small setting? You bet. Will they, not unless they could turn that into gold.
I'm not saying the readers here do this but so many people have made them into something they weren't and never were: rebels, voices of a generation, whatever. They certainly reflected a lot of what was popular but while they were an undeniably great band, they never were or will be more than that, as musicians and certainly as human beings. They'll cut anyone's throat for a dollar, always did, always will.
And as long as somebody writes a check, Mick will be happy to do his moves from a wheel chair with Keith up there on a portable oxygen machine and Charlie as an automated robot, keeping perfect time, never a wrong tap, which is pretty much what he is now.
Pretty much crap. The Deadstring Brothers newest Cannery Row is a better Stones record than anything they have done in the past 30 or so years. And that one is just a good record...not a great one.
I think people who paid a ton to experience this show get some kind of mind f%&# while they are there so that they can justify the cost and tell their friends how amazing it was.
To me it just sound pathetic which is sad because I have been a fan most of my "music life" (which is a lot of years now). Sad.
No one from the Stones camp--not Mick or Keith up top or the guy in charge of selling merch at the bottom--saw this video and thought, "We can't release this." How is that possible? How did no one hear how horrible it is? Is it that they just don't give a shit?
Well, to be fair -- there are worse performances of "Satisfaction." The one they did on Ed Sullivan back in the day comes to mind.
But yeah -- this is pretty dismal.
and apparently if the news about unsold seats is correct, the promo isn't doing much good.
I know I'm paraphrasing someone or something here but calling this crap is really being crappy to crap. Where is Neil Young when you need him.
I couldn't watch the whole thing but I hope they didn't include any of the song they did with Keith Urban in that clip that might have made it crappier (and I like Keith Urban).
Ugh. No surprise that the Merch tent appears at the 0:05 mark. The busty blonde at 0:22 was the highlight of the video for me. Keith is terrible. Who would buy a ticket after seeing this?
I'd be interested in hearing from...as Soundsource just said to me...the "kool-aid drinkers."
I have a dozen friends armed and ready to defend this video, the setlists and the ticket prices.
If I had a choice between seeing the bloated pants-ripping zonked-out Elvis of 1977 or never seeing Elvis at all, I'd be in the front row watching him mumble his way through "See See Rider".
If I had a choice between seeing the raspy and senile Frank Sinatra of 1994 or never seeing Frank Sinatra at all, I'd be there in a heartbeat, watching him croak his way through "My Way."
If I had a choice between seeing the 70 year old Rolling Stones or never seeing them at all, you bet your ass I'd pay what it takes to see them wheeze and stumble their way through their greatest hits for a whole bunch of money.
I never got to see Elvis or Frank. I've seen the Stones a few times, some good and some not so good. But for Pete's sake Sal, stop beating up on the poor old geezers. 70 year old Stones are better than no Stones at all. Enjoy your memories of 1989 or 2002 or 1975 or whenever you saw them, and let the kids get one more shot at witnessing the legend in the (wrinkled) flesh. They'll all be dead soon enough and you won't have them to beat up anymore.
Sorry Anon. I just don't feel the way you do. While I have never seen Elvis, I have seen Frank close to 20 times, starting with The Main Event in 1974, right on up to some of the last shows. It wasn't pretty at the end. I see no joy in watching a senile man, stumble through a repertoire that was once brilliant. Is he a singer or a circus act?
Every live video I've seen from this current Stones run has been awful. Every friend who defends those videos, does so with disclaimers.
And even if they sounded like it was 1972, $600 is still $400 more than McCartney, who is older, changes his setlist,plays an hour longer and still sounds amazing.
I am not comparing the two, I'm just saying the money makes it even more painful.
The live album from this tour will be called "The Rolling Stones Jump the Shark!"
ROTP(lumber)
Jesus, where to start...
The biggest problem for me is that they just don't seem to CARE that they sound like crap. It's just so obvious that they're just going through the motions now.
Pro Tip:If you're gonna charge people $600 for your show, you really should give a damn and maybe rehearse for a few days.
What a contrast with the '02 Arena Zeppelin reunion show! You could tell that they really cared about the show they put on. Granted, it was a one-off, but they rehearsed for weeks for that one show.
If the Stones rehearsed for this one, it doesn't show.
Jeff was right on. I want to read his blog, if there one. Very succinct and on the money.
Agree with Sal, McCartney is the other side of this coin. It can be done with care and taste if you want to try hard enough.
I saw John Lee Hooker at the end, they lead him out to his chair, he did a few solo boogie things that frankly sounded the same as ever, weird and raggedy. Then a 6-piece band comprised of his nephews and sons and what have you came out, and just pounded out crap blues for an hour at John Lee's back, completely obliterating anything he sang or played, and then they lead him offstage. Fun for the kids, and profitable i'm sure.
Saw BB King a couple weeks ago, got off maybe 2 decent licks in a 90 minute show, which was mostly talking anyway. Can't really play any more.
I guess they got Glen Campbell off the road though...again, it can be done properly.
I was listening to the 1978 bootleg "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others the other day, and "Shattered" is just about as bad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCqMOokL_YA&feature=youtu.be
The audio and video are what they are, but you'll get the idea--speaking of how it can still be done with care and taste. Plus, look at this setlist:
01 - Audience
02 - Eight days a week
03 - Junior Farm
04 - All my loving
05 - Listen to what the man said
06 - Let me roll it
07 - Paperback writer
08 - My valentine
09 - 1985
10 - Long and winding road
11 - Maybe I´m amazed
12 - Hope of deliverance
13 - We can work it out
14 - Another day
15 - And I love her
16 - Blackbird
17 - Here today
18 - Mother should know
19 - Lady Madonna
20 - All together now
21 - Mrs Vanderbilt
22 - Eleanor Rigby
23 - Mr. Kite
24 - Something
25 - Obla di obla da
26 - Band on the run [Technical problems on the PA]
27 - Hi hi hi
28 - Back in the USSR
29 - Let it be
30 - Live and let die
31- Hey Jude
1st Encore
32 - Encore audience
33 - Day tripper
34 - Lovely Rita
35 - Get back
2nd Encore
36 - Yesterday (fade in)
37 - Helter Skelter
38 - Golden Slumbers > Carry that weight > The end.
Oy. When I saw the posted video I thought you were saying the Stones were just phoning it in. If only.... This is barely telegraphing it in. Stop. Just sad. Stop. They were so great. Stop. Stop. Stop!
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