The Rolling Stones were keener than most to tip out their archives and release what they could. Not quite as deep an interest in this as, say the Bob Dylan backlog, because that’s where listeners go to learn about their favourite songs. The Mick Jagger-fronted group opted for a release style similar to Cheap Trick and The Who. Live recordings, which are otherwise unnecessary, but of interest to those who want to relive a particular moment or time for the band. They’ve gone through more iterations and instrumental changes than most, so it makes sense to offer a lion’s share of live versions. GRR Live! is just that. It’ll be of interest to those wanting to hear how the decade-long victory lap ran by The Rolling Stones took shape. Everyone from Lady Gaga to Bruce Springsteen makes an appearance on this show. Even Mick Taylor returns to perform with the band. Staggering work from Jagger and the boys here, mainly because they sound as youthful as they did during their heyday.
Stick GRR Live! on without the context of when it was recorded and you may be fooled into thinking it’s a collection of old tapes. The quality is about as strong as a mid-1970s bootleg, anyway. At least this show was recorded, and what a staggering event it is. Opening with Get Off of My Cloud is a bold choice, and it works well. This is as close to a greatest hits showcase as you could want. Where El Mocambo 1977 offers some contemporary thrills, this is a clear case of The Rolling Stones playing their biggest and best pieces. A run of It’s Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It), Paint it Black, Gimme Shelter, and Wild Horses to open the show is nothing short of insanity. Forget how great it sounds, the staggering guitar work from Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards throughout nothing short of miraculous, but it’s a masterstroke from the band. All that lets it down is the backing vocalists, which feel like surplus to requirement.
By no means is it bad, but the power Jagger has as a vocalist means he doesn’t need support. A little slower and softer here or there, but still strong enough to carry many of these songs. Paint it Black is where he struggles just a tad, not in tone, but in tempo. Slowing the song with age is only fair, though, you would be hard-pressed to find any musician who has not chosen to change the track to suit their new vocal range. The thing about Jagger, though, is he has hardly lost a step when it comes to his vocal quality – that much you can hear across GRR Live!. Hard to argue with the line-up of tracks, but they’re lacking that instrumental push to that next level. Quality performances, but not mesmerising. Instrumentally explosive moments feature on many of the songs within, particularly the John Mayer and Gary Clark Jr.-featuring Going Down, but not frequently or wildly enough.
Not even The Black Keys can turn this performance into a dud. Consistency is key here, and for two hours, The Rolling Stones are in exceptional form. Never perfect, but never dipping beneath that expected, high bar. Once the band finds their groove, right around Miss You, is the make-or-break moment. Neither, is the option. GRR Live! stands as a great test of the live waters for The Rolling Stones. What should be a killer show can never quite muster the energy to be such a performance, though what it offers is still staggering and well above par compared to other live albums. As with the strong start, The Rolling Stones end GRR Live! on a hits-laden collection of all-time greats. It’s a testament to their strength as a group that even the covers they offer are as entertaining as the likes of Sympathy for the Devil and You Can’t Always Get What You Want.
