Rolling Stones / OH, USA 07.11.1972 Complete Upgrade

Among the audience recordings from the Rolling Stones’ 1972 US tour, the Akron Rubber Bowl recording is extremely popular with collectors due to its stereo sound and close-up soundstage, making it very easy to listen to. The 2020 release of “RUBBER BOWL 1972 REVISITED,” supervised by “GRAF ZEPPELIN,” was the definitive version that eliminated the shortcomings of previous releases. Then, in 2023, “GRAF ZEPPELIN” re-examined the audio again and released “RUBBER BOWL 1972 REVISED EDITION.” The Rubber Bowl recording has sold out every time it’s been released, but the original recording quality was particularly easy to listen to even among the 1972 tour audience recordings. The appeal of the previous two releases was that they recaptured the original analog sound. So now, a third re-release is coming, but it was already perfected by the time of the 2023 version. So the content itself is the same as “RUBBER BOWL 1972 REVISED EDITION”. What’s more, the fact that “GRAF ZEPPELIN” brilliantly restored the original analog feel in the 2020 version was a big plus. It’s not the same crystal-clear texture as “CHARLOTTE 1972”, another famous stereo audience recording from the same ’72 tour, but the charm of the Rubber Bowl recording lies in the power you feel because the sound image is so close. On the other hand, from the middle of the live performance onwards, the excitement of the surrounding audience is picked up with a fair balance, which is also interesting. The clapping from around “Midnight Rambler” onwards is quite synchronized, isn’t it? It’s rare to hear such synchronized clapping in America, isn’t it? (laughs) It’s interesting how it’s so synchronized, almost like a Japanese live performance, and it’s clearly different from the excitement at MSG or LA Forum, even though they’re both in America. Then there’s the famous incident from that day, a PA problem where the sound from the venue cuts out during “Tumbling Dice”. This was an unexpected event that the Stones on stage had no way of knowing about, which is why the audience recording so vividly conveys the turmoil in the venue. And above all, the performance that day was superb. When you think about it, Rubber Bowl was a week after Charlotte and ten days before Phil Spells, so the timing couldn’t have been bad. In particular, Taylor’s rendition of “Gimme Shelter” during the interlude was enough to foreshadow the explosion at Phil Spells. Moreover, his phrases are captured in such detail that it makes it even more so. Another charm of the Rubber Bowl recording is that it captures Nicky Hopkins’ brilliant piano playing with a realistic sound image. His playing, which tends to be mixed in a bit off-key on recordings like Phil Spells and Lady Gen, is clearly audible. Moreover, it’s not just that he stands out, but you can feel how much he was trying to enhance the song, which is what’s great about the Rubber Bowl recording. The ease of listening to “Rubber Bowl” is appealing because it conveys that the Stones’ performance had already reached its peak even before the latter half of the tour, including shows like Philharmonic and MSG. The work of “GRAF ZEPPELIN,” which thoroughly adjusted the naturalness and stability of the sound that captured that intensely passionate performance, is truly superb. And now, “Rubber Bowl” makes its third appearance. The 2020 version had a blue cover, and the 2023 version had a black cover, but this time it’s a cover with a mid-1980s analog bootleg feel, reminiscent of “OAKLAND 69”! Overall bandwidth review and correction. Flutter (rotational unevenness) corrected as much as possible. Occasional crackling distortion in the right channel removed. Slight reduction in low-frequency hum noise. Live at Rubber Bowl, Akron, Ohio, USA 11th July 1972 PERFECT SOUND (78:54) 01. Introduction 02. Brown Sugar 03. Bitch 04. Rocks Off 05. Gimme Shelter 06. Happy 07. Tumbling Dice 08. Love In Vain 09. Sweet Virginia 10. You Can’t Always Get What You Want 11. All Down The Line 12. Midnight Rambler 13. Band Introductions 14. Bye Bye Johnny 15. Rip This Joint 16. Jumping Jack Flash 17. Street Fighting Man Mick Jagger – Vocals, Harmonica Keith Richards – Guitar, Vocals Mick Taylor – Guitar Bill Wyman – Bass Charlie Watts – Drums Nicky Hopkins – Piano Bobby Keys – Saxophone Jim Price – Trumpet, Trombone