Rolling Stones/Hawaii,USA 1.23.1998

The Stones’ Hawaii performances are strongly remembered from 1966 and 1973, but exactly 24 years ago, they performed in Hawaii for the third time. Not only was it their first Hawaii performance in a long time, but it is also fondly remembered that many Japanese people attended because it is a very easy place to get to. For Japanese fans who had to give up on the MSG performance, which was the first live performance and a big topic on the 1998 Babylon Tour schedule, due to the high ticket prices (at the time), the Hawaii performance that followed was a true savior. At that time, information had leaked out before the performance that a secret gig would be held in Hawaii, and a gig was actually held before the two regular performances, and there was a phantom night where even the details of the performance, let alone the sound source, have not been revealed to this day. The two performances in Hawaii that followed were held in a warm environment, unlike the MSG performance in New York in the middle of winter and the subsequent performances in Japan, and the Stones’ lively performances were heard on both days. In 1998, the VGP label released audience recordings of both shows on CD, and although the sound quality was aimed at enthusiasts, there were probably many enthusiasts who loved the quality of the performances. The best sound quality of the two days was “INSIDE THE RAINBOW,” recorded on January 23rd, but in 2018, exactly 20 years after this performance (how time flies!), another audience recording suddenly appeared. This time’s sound source was recorded on DAT, so the mid-low range was not picked up very much, and the sound quality was quite high-pitched. Furthermore, there were some parts where the positioning was unstable, as the audience near the taper made strange noises or perhaps moved to get away from them. It was a blessing in disguise that both of them became calm and easy to hear from around “Gimme Shelter.” Furthermore, there is a slight loss in the first half of “Tumbling Dice”, and there is also a slight skip at 4:10 in “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. Of these problems, the former has been fixed by transplanting other parts of the performance so that it can be heard throughout. There is also a muffled sound in the middle of “Like A Rolling Stone”, as if the microphone had been pointed downward. And from “Start Me Up” onwards, noise such as crackling due to the aging of the DAT master occurs mainly in the right channel. For this release, a thorough overhaul was carried out to alleviate these problems. Not only was the previously mentioned “Tumbling Dice” edited, but the sound quality itself was equalized to a balance where the treble stands out, resulting in a warmer and much more pleasant sound quality. If you are a maniac who has already obtained the original sound source, you will surely be surprised at how it has evolved into an upper version that is so easy to listen to that you will no longer want to listen to it. Thus, the first negative point of this sound source was mentioned, but the biggest factor that made the limited press CD release possible was that it had a big advantage over the existing sound source. That is, the performance is captured with a larger sound image than “INSIDE THE RAINBOW” (hereinafter referred to as the existing version). The sound quality that makes you feel the calmness of the existing version was also attractive, but on the other hand, the sound image of the performance played by the Stones had a sense of distance and a strong hall echo. It is very attractive that this sound source is much easier to hear, and it is also wonderful that the sound of Keith and Ronnie’s guitars are captured with a surprisingly realistic sound image after “All Down The Line”. It is particularly fresh to hear Ronnie’s obbligato handling in “Angie”, which was premiered on this day on the Babylon tour. It’s also really fun to see the cheerful realism that is unique to Hawaii throughout the show, and it’s interesting to see everyone singing along to the aforementioned “All Down The Line” and “Little Queenie” on the B stage, which is an American-like excitement. Even the new song “Flip The Switch” at the time was a sight unique to the Stones concert in 1998, with everyone singing “Oh yeah, oh yeah”. That was the norm at the time, but the fact that they were able to get excited about the new songs from the new album is a feeling of being active that is unique to the Babylon tour. It seems that the live performance of “Flip The Switch” was in season from the live broadcast of St. Louis, which was the last show of the previous year, to the Japanese performance after Hawaii. In fact, the performance here is very exciting, and it’s only natural that you would want to sing along when you see such a performance. The song suddenly loses momentum around the time the Babylon tour reaches Europe in the summer, so the speed of the performance here in Hawaii stands out even more. Also, Mick is in top form throughout the show. The fact that the MSG concert was rescheduled because he caught a cold early in the new year is a nostalgic memory, but that’s why Mick’s energetic singing is so clear, as if to show off his comeback. In the B stage, there was a moment when the timing of the song “Like A Rolling Stone” seemed questionable, and it was rather a pleasant surprise to see that Mick had too much energy. As with the old “INSIDE THE RAINBOW,” this one may be of a quality that is generally for enthusiasts. However, there must be many Japanese Stones enthusiasts who will be reminded of their memories when they hear this new recording of the 1998 Hawaii concert, which will bring back a lot of nostalgia! Live at Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii 23rd January 1998 Disc 1 (75:08) 1. Intro 2. Satisfaction 3. Let’s Spend The Night Together 4. Flip The Switch 5. Gimme Shelter 6. All Down The Line 7. Angie 8. Saint Of Me 9. Out Of Control 10. She’s A Rainbow 11. Miss You 12. Band Introductions 13. Thief In The Night 14. Wanna Hold You Disc 2 (62:08) 1. B-Stage SE 2. Little Queenie 3. The Last Time 4. Like A Rolling Stone 5. Sympathy For The Devil 6. Tumbling Dice 7. Honky Tonk Women 8. Start Me Up 9. Jumping Jack Flash 10. You Can’t Always Get What You Want 11. Brown Sugar