The Rolling Stones: From the Vault – L.A. Forum, 1975 DVD

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Videos by American Songwriter

The Rolling Stones
From the Vault-L.A. Forum 1975
(Eagle Rock)
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Only the most forgiving Rolling Stones fan will get satisfaction from this grueling to watch 2 ½ hour video recorded on the band’s LA July, 1975 tour stop. The 23 selection set (including two Billy Preston tunes, more on them later) coincided with the then recent Made in the Shade compilation. Eight of the 10 tunes on that album appear here.

The problem isn’t with song choices that stick primarily to 70 hits and well known album tracks like “Gimme Shelter” and “Sympathy for the Devil,” but with the frontman’s sloppy, near slovenly performance. Mick Jagger at times abandons singing lyrics, preferring to grunt, groan, mumble, and stutter syllables turning them to gibberish. While this can be attributed to his established slurring “style,” when he sings “ain’t to proud to beg,” it becomes “ein oo prou a baag.” It’s like he forgot the words or can’t be bothered to sing them.   His “dancing” has seldom been more than flailing and jumping around, yet sinks to new lows as he seems lost and desperate.

Ronnie Wood acquits himself well enough for his first Stones tour on music he never played on in the studio but there is a sloppiness and carelessness to the show that is not the endearing kind. And Keith is just Keith, all reliably rocking attitude. For all Jagger’s frantic running, prancing and mugging, this is not the Stones as we’d like to remember them. They are trying too hard to be the world’s greatest rock and roll band, going through the motions in all but a few instances such as a comparatively emotional “Wild Horses.”

The “from the vault” video is dated yet relatively well shot. But, even cleaned up for this DVD, is about as clear as a good VHS tape.  The audio has likewise been remastered however still sounds compressed and lifeless. That may have as much to do with the band as the mix though, since nothing really gels on stage despite, or perhaps because of, the presence of a huge blow up dildo that makes a brief appearance as Jagger rides it during “Star Star.” It returns with a dragon’s head to shoot confetti into the crowd later. Tunes are extended past their breaking points with “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and “Midnight Rambler” pushed to the 15 minute range and interesting for about half that. Only a closing “Sympathy…” where about a dozen women are invited on stage to dance and play percussion generates any real excitement.

The five Stones are enhanced by percussionist Ollie E. Brown from Stevie Wonder’s band, a three piece horn section on a few tunes and organ/piano from Billy Preston, sporting the world’s biggest afro, whose 10 minute mini-set is better, tighter and more exciting than much of the rest of the show.

Otherwise there isn’t anything most will want to sit through twice. Contrasted with the terrific 1981 performance released earlier this month on DVD that justifies the Stones’ reputation, this one is for collectors only and should have stayed in whatever vault it was extricated from.

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