No Security - Rolling Stones (The) (CD 1998)

Great, great CD !
A blast from beginning to end !

SOUND is quite good on this CD, and that's important.

It took a little while, but I got used to the 'new' Stones style.

I'll run it down:

YOU GOT ME ROCKIN' ....... Good (not great) song. Stones do an excellent job.

GIMME SHELTER .... Great song, but not one of my favorites. Excellent work by the Stones. Different vibe from the studio version- maybe not as dark. Nice.

FLIP THE SWITCH .... Song is just good, but this version is VERY well done.

MEMORY MOTEL .... Song doesn't impress me. Performance is decent.

Taj Mahal with Stones doing his version of the standard Corrine,Corrina. Nice job and nice change of style.

SAINT OF ME .... Great song: Live not quite as good as the original.

SISTER MORPHINE .... Drug song is a bit of a drag; but they play it very well.

LIVE WITH ME .... Mediocre, throwaway song with cheesy lyrics - the Stones are such a good band that they make it interesting. Maybe better than the Let It Bleed original.

RESPECTABLE .... Never liked the decadent lyrics (yes, I know I'm listening to the Rolling Stones); and the music is not very original; but I always liked it.

THIEF IN THE NIGHT .... A weird song written by a drunk guy (with a weird vibe) about his trying to steal someone else's woman.... >ahem<. Music is excellent, though. Keith Richard really has an amazing talent for Rock/Pop music- playing and writing. Almost everything he touches turns to gold.

I could never get tired of listening to THE LAST TIME; and it's great to have this live version. One of the greatest Stones songs ever; and one of the cornerstones of their legendary status. They should record this song for EVERY live release! What, you don't agree?

OUT OF CONTROL is a great song. I loved the studio version on Bridges; and this live version is just as good if not better.

No band is perfect, but the thing about the Stones is that they're all masters of their instruments- every single band member. Given good material (which they usually have); they just cannot be stopped. They take weak songs and make them sound average. Average songs they make into something good. Someone else's good song becomes great in their hands; and a truly great Stones song, recorded when they're inspired, is the stuff of legend. For example Honky Tonk Women, Jumpin' Jack Flash or Tumbling Dice among others.

And yes, Ron Wood was the perfect choice for Mick Taylor's successor. That becomes more obvious all the time.

I've listened to a few of the Stone's live albums, and you can tell there is a difference in each one. Especially in Mick Jagger's vocals. You can tell he's older, but he holds up well with his age. And the music is still there. No wonder why people shell out $300+ for tickets to see these guys. They still have it, and they don't seem to be slowing down any. There are some guest appearances on this CD, including Dave Matthews who sings a nice duet with Mick on Memory Motel, Taj Mahal who sings on Corrina (I actually mistook him for Joe Cocker when I first heard the song, my bad), and Josh Redman who plays an overpowering sax on Waiting on a Friend. There are some blasts from the past with The Last Time and Live with Me. There are some cool Southern fried finger picking on Respectable, which shows their versatility. People may wonder why these guys keep doing what they're doing, but when you listen to tunes on this set like Gimme Shelter, You Got Me Rocking, and Saint of Me (my personal favorite on this CD), you realize it's because they still got it. If they can play and sing this well (or anywhere even close), they should play 'til they physically can't anymore. After hearing Get Your Ya-Ya's Out and Love You Live, and now No Security, I enjoy listening to the evolution of the Stone's songs. All their sets sound different, but are all equally enjoyable.