Rolling Stones/Berlin, Germany 2018

Looking back, last fall’s “NO FILTER” tour was a high level in terms of the quality of the audience recording, contrary to the suspense of the performance. After all, the now legendary Hamburg performance on the first day ended up documenting that spectacular show with the finest sound quality. Furthermore, audience recordings of excellent sound quality such as Lucca and “DEFINITIVE MUNICH” appeared, documenting the Stones’ gradually regaining their form. In that respect, it is true that no audience recordings approaching the quality of these sound sources have appeared on this “NO FILTER” tour. Of course, the level is high, but there is still nothing that can be called “exceptional” like last year’s sound source mentioned above. For example, the taper “CL” sound source, which recorded a series of British itineraries and put up on the Internet, is a typical example, and for some performances, our shop added equalization to raise the quality to a level sufficient for release. Among them, “MANCHESTER 2018” can be called the best in both recording quality and performance. In fact, it is ironic that the sound quality of the performance does not reach some of the outstanding sound sources from last year, while the sense of suspense that was there last fall has been wiped away from the performance. As for this year’s tour, after the UK leg was completed, the stage moved to Europe and is still ongoing. Here, a phenomenon reminiscent of last year occurred. The first day of the European leg was Berlin, but as soon as we reached the German area, an audience recording of exceptional quality finally appeared from this tour. It was recorded by that taper that made enthusiasts say “ONE ON ONE IN BERLIN”, the highest sound quality item of Paul McCartney’s 2016 tour. That’s why the Stones’ Berlin performance this time was also caught with the best quality. The on sound pressure and above all the clarity are wonderful. The texture makes you want to say “I’ve been waiting for this”. What’s more, it’s worth mentioning that the surrounding noise is surprisingly not felt because it was a large venue live, which was a dilemma of the 2018 tour sound sources so far. This is thought to be the result of using high-quality microphones from the OKM brand, and this is probably what has made the quality of the recording on a different level from the “CL” recording in the UK possible. However, there was a fatal error in the first two parts of “Start Me Up” where the sound skipped. In fact, the sound source that this taper puts on the net has been mixed with such errors since last year, and it is speculated that the recording equipment continued to be a problem. The first skip in “Start Me Up” was during the repeated chorus (1:47), so it was possible to fix it without any discomfort, but the other skip (2:03) occurred during the lyrics of the 1st verse. So, it was transplanted from the 3rd verse, which had a similar phrasing. However, the skipping could not be eliminated, so it was a heartbreaking decision to release it. Even so, it boasts such high sound quality… so I redid the transplant work again, and finally managed to repair it to an inconspicuous level. It probably won’t be noticeable if you listen to it normally. However, as soon as the performance visited Germany again, the day turned into one where the situation was reminiscent of last year. The first half was very light and lively, as is typical of this tour. On the other hand, there were some suspicious moments in “Just Your Fool,” which is usually performed with a strong performance. But the first half was good throughout. “She’s A Rainbow,” which was performed for the second time on this tour, was also good, and if you can hear it with this superb sound quality, it will be an attractive point for enthusiasts. What’s interesting is “Sympathy for the Devil” in the middle. Keith’s guitar solo, which is featured in the second half, is struggling to play a different solo than usual. However, it seems that the phrase he had in mind and his fingertips are not meshing, so he is not able to play it. Still, it is noteworthy that he tried to play a different development so far. The problem is that the voltage of the performance begins to drop from “Miss You,” which he had been playing steadily every day. The next song, “Midnight Rambler,” was a great performance, but the momentum started to drop. Perhaps because he sensed this, it was interesting to see Mick taking the reins of the song on this day. After stopping Charlie’s roll technique or repeatedly calling out “yo-yo-yo,” Mick seemed to be trying to change the development again, but he must have been whipping the band again. However, bad things continue to happen, and this time, Mick’s voice began to show signs of fatigue in “Start Me Up.” The tension is not yet as low as it was on the second day in London, but it is undeniable that the strength has faded. And in the last song, “Satisfaction,” Mick’s painful scenes were scattered here and there. Fortunately, thanks to the current relaxed schedule, it was not enough to affect the next gig, but it was a nerve-wracking scene. Unlike last year’s tour, where the first half of the show was lackluster, the first half was good, but in the second half, it seemed as if Mick’s “fatigue” had appeared in the performance. There’s nothing we can do about this, but the sound quality is still superb, so it’s definitely an enjoyable album. This is the best quality recording of this tour so far! Live at Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany 22nd June 2018 TRULY PERFECT/ULTIMATE SOUND Disc 1 (61:36) 1. Intro. 2. Street Fighting Man 3. It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll 4. Tumbling Dice 5. Just Your Fool 6. Like A Rolling Stone 7. She’s A Rainbow 8. You Can’t Always Get What You Want 9. Paint It Black 10. Honky Tonk Women 11. Band Introductions 12. Slipping Away 13. Before They Make Me Run Disc 2 (66:01) 1. Sympathy for the Devil 2. Miss You 3. Midnight Rambler 4. Start Me Up 5. Jumping Jack Flash 6. Brown Sugar 7. Gimme Shelter 8. Satisfaction