If you haven’t already
been aware, The Rolling Stones have been celebrating fifty years together as a
band this year and in celebration have been playing gigs throughout the US,
Canada and the UK. This weekend they will also be headlining Glastonbury for
the first time, one of the few things they have not done in their half century
together as the so called “greatest rock & roll band in the world”. I have
been a fan of the Stones for about eight years, have listened to most of their ‘classic’
material between 1965 and 1980, and appreciate significantly their
contributions to music and society. But I can’t help but feel this party should
have ended years ago, decades in fact, and unfortunately their prolonged existence
has ensured they have become somewhat of a parody of themselves.
Musically speaking
The Stones went downhill during the 1980s, Tattoo
You from 1981 was probably their last half decent album. Part of the reason for this was their
decision to indulge musically with the then current music trends e.g. dance
music, but their decline can also be put down to the almost decade long highly
fractious relationship between Jagger and Richards, which ultimately had a
damaging affect on the harmony in the group, not to mention the quality of the
music. So for me the early eighties would have been a good time to call it a
day, even if it would not have been in the form of a the glorified exit. But
they didn’t call it a day, instead they have kept soldiering on with a line of
mediocre albums, Dirty Works anyone?
And a formulaic existence which sees them now disappear for five years between
albums or tours before coming back with a new world tour where they simply rehash
the same songs, go through the same routines, on the same scale. How many times
does one really need to see Mick Jagger prance around on stage shouting “give
me a yeah”, I guess one can be thankful he no longer does it in full leotard.
As for their
set-list on tour, they pretty much have not changed their set in twenty-five
years, a set that mostly contains the same revolving door of about twenty songs
mixed in with the odd cover, or rare number. They seem to have been trying to
remedy this slightly on their current tour by inviting star guests to perform
with them, while allowing fans to vote for a song to appear in the set-list, a
nice enough gesture from Sir Mick if it means a rarely played number from their
extensive back catalogue will be played. I guess that’s what happens when you
have been around for fifty years, you have so many songs you can’t play them
all, but the easy option with The Stones has been to just play mainly hits and
play them on every tour they do. Don’t get me wrong “Jumping Jack Flash”, “Brown
Sugar” and “Satisfaction” are all great songs, but how many times does one need
to hear them especially when you think of some of the other great songs The
Stones have up their sleeve which never get played. As a band if you have such
a vast catalogue of music to pick from you may as well use it, and their
current tour would have been a perfect chance to vary their set a bit more and
air some of their older sixties tracks, or rare studio gems.
Then there is the
question of their musical validity, does anyone know any of their material since
say about 1983? I know several songs
which are pretty good, but on the whole their albums have been pretty average.
Average to the point they hardly play any of the material from them live, which
either says they also don’t think much of the material from their more recent
releases, or are simply pre-empting what the fans think of which in that
materials absence suggests the fans don’t think much of the Bridges of Babylon
album, or Voodoo Lounge either. So in terms of producing new material, The
Stones have not been musically valid for many years, and have only really
gotten by on the continuous touring of their classic hits and reputation they
built up over many years. They are not alone then in this regard as the live
nostalgia market of acts from the 60s, 70s and even 80s is booming. I guess one
positive of this is at least some of the original members are still involved
unlike some acts (without naming names) that carry on with a different line-up,
or with one egotistical member left living off past glories.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love The Stones and their music, if they came to New Zealand I would definitely attempt to see them just to have that opportunity before they definitely retire for good, but it is time that they wrapped it up once and for all. Every time I see Mick Jagger I just think he has become too business orientated with this group and how it seems to have become all about making the most money out of this brand for as long as possible. Hence the reason the prices for some of the tickets for their current tour have come in at $900 a pop. Yes Ronny and Keith look like they are having a good time and good on them, yes fifty years is a great achievement considering the amount of times they were written off by critics not to mention how many bands don’t even last ten years. But the cold harshness of reality tells me it shouldn’t have lasted this long and Jagger and company are now just going through the motions whilst picking up a giant pay check at the same time. I hope this is the last tour and the band decides to exist left of stage gracefully, but I have my doubts, especially if Jagger continues to see dollar signs. Just imagine ten years from now a 60th anniversary tour? The thought is too much to bear.
- Sam
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