Steve Harnell gives his verdict on The Rolling Stones’ three-disc set re-released by Eagle Rock…
The Stones’ 1999 No Security tour of North America and Europe was a concerted effort to get back to basics. Gone were the excesses of the stadium gigs of their global Bridges To Babylon jaunt, in favour of the relative intimacy of arenas. This 3LP, 20-track show culled from their appearance in San José is – with very few exceptions – a peerless spin through the highlights of their back catalogue. Jagger is better when dialling down the stadium histrionics, and the band sprints out of the blocks with Jumpin’ Jack Flash and Bitch’s horn-packed riffage. The witty You Got Me Rocking boasts tasty slide from Ronnie Wood, while Chuck Leavell shines on a loose and lively Honky Tonk Women. There’s an abrupt stylistic shift for Paint It Black, although this full-tilt version sacrifices the dark menace of its studio counterpart.
The home straight on Disc 3 is stunning. The band achieve lift-off on a lascivious Midnight Rambler before a triple whammy of Start Me Up, an extended Brown Sugar and Sympathy For The Devil. Even when you can see the flaws, their status as the world’s finest rock ’n’ roll band has never really been in jeopardy.
