For all their live material and ongoing stage success, there are few examples of The Rolling Stones’ quality from official releases. Sure, the mountain of bootlegs is always a treat to listen to, but for those wanting a verified album from the band, it’s slim pickings. Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! is likely the best of the bunch. Nothing before or after that is all too bad, though none of it is going to rekindle the flame of love for the Mick Jagger-fronted group. Those seeking that are better served by bootlegs of recent shows or iconic performances which have been embedded into the ever-growing mystique and legacy of the band. Their actual output, be it at the behest of the label or otherwise, comes up short on quality. Love You Live is solid enough but it sounds sluggish, a symptom of the times and the touring schedule. Considering the hits embedded in this show, listeners should, quite rightly, expect more in the way of quality. It never comes on Love You Live.
A lacklustre Honky Tonk Women opens the show, the guitar work from Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood sounds as though it’s fighting Jagger. He sounds out of it, anyway, hardly giving his best. This is not the band in honed and impressive form; this is the group staggering on through a tour at the height of their success. Crucially, too, is the erratic nature which comes from these live shows. The legend of the band’s days on the road is reflected on the stage, and what must have been a real thrill to attend is, in practice, very shoddy to listen to. Pretty flat, but never bad. Part of the problem is the mix. It’s a miracle the songs were pieced together at all, but Jagger sounds a beat ahead of everyone else, rushing through lyrics which are garbled worse than the work Bob Dylan would provide in the late 1980s. Slurred lyrics are not a deal breaker, but they do reduce the appeal of the message. Early songs in the set like Get Off of My Cloud and Happy are nice surprises to hear but are garbled beyond recognition.
Those lesser-known tracks being below par are fair game, it’s not as though anyone is desperate for a pumped-up, live version of Star Star, after all. But they get it here, before a rendition of Tumbling Dice that leaves a lot to be desired. Sluggish to say the least and feeling more improvised than anything, the tone of Love You Live is one of a burnt-out band plugging away because they’re no closer to the end. Jagger eventually warms to the show, though it takes him far longer than it should. He still sounds a little off the mark with You Can’t Always Get What You Want but at least that improvised style, the focus on piano and stripped-back appeal is alive and well. Songs which should bring the album crashing down are the best bits, the swagger from Jagger on Mannish Boy is a thrill, though at the detriment of other songs trying to figure out a way through this similar tone.
Between Jagger asking the crowd to stroke him to suggesting they may be more relaxed more than halfway through the show, Love You Live is messy hedonism and buys into the image of the band as sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll advocates. But their performance is never quite up to scratch. It’s a blowout of the image, rather than the incredible sound the band would bring about on future shows, in times spent in the studio after this. Love You Live is still worth a listen, even if it’s a consistently disappointing live album with lots of sluggish moments to it. The Rolling Stones find themselves overpowered by the crowd, underwhelmed by the instrumental flow, and it all falls apart by the time they get onto Around and Around. Awkwardly, consistently flat, but worth a listen to those who want a refined, official example of the band at what should be the peak of their powers.
