Stripped Titusville FL

Stripped

The Rolling Stones

Virgin Records, 1995

http://www.rollingstones.com

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 08/05/1997

For most of their 30-plus year career,the Rolling Stones havehad problems translating their power in the studio to liverecordings. They always tend to go into "hyperdrive," speeding upthe performances and leaving the listener tired, confused andunsatisfied.

Their 1996 release Stripped, however, features some of the best live work thisband has ever done - if only it were really a live album.

Mick Jagger and crew find themselves captured on stage inHolland and France,banging out some old favorites as well as somesongs I'm not accustomed hearing the band perform. However, a goodportion of the album is taken from rehearsals at other locations onthe tour - and this is what leaves me quite disappointed.

The foursome (c'mon, guys, why don't you recognize Darryl Jonesand make him a full-fledged member of the band?) open up with apowerful acoustic version of "Street Fighting Man," a song whichhas never sounded more relaxed or powerful. The guitar work ofKeith Richards and Ron Wood is at its crispest since Tattoo You, and the acoustic setting of the album may beexactly the atmosphere the Stones have been looking for throughoutthe '80s. Their cover of "Like A Rolling Stone" is energetic and adefinite change for the Stones - maybe they should turn to covers alittle more often.