Rolling Stones/MA,USA 10.21.1997 Upgrade

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Babylon tour. I thought it was just a recent tour, but time flies by so quickly. For us, since the Stones’ third album release and live performance after their revival in 1989, we felt that the Stones would be fine. Perhaps because of this, the topic of the album release and tour start did not get much attention from non-enthusiasts. It was also true that “BRIDGES TO BABYLON” was not properly evaluated because it was the third album since their revival, rather than the content of the album itself. The same can be said for the items from the tour that accompanied this album. Not only were audience recordings using DAT widespread, but many live performances were released. In particular, most of the performances from the 1997 US tour were released, so much so that it seems like it. However, as soon as the Babylon tour ended, the decline in the evaluation among enthusiasts was so fast. Thanks to this, many of the items produced were quickly treated as bargain items. It can only be said that it was a sad time. However, around 2007, ten years after the tour, the Babylon tour began to be reevaluated among enthusiasts, and above all, Keith’s love for the album in his autobiography spurred the reevaluation. In response to this momentum, our shop has released soundboards from Chicago on the first day of the tour and Fort Worth in November in the United States in 1997, but this time it is the first appearance audience recording from the October 1997 itinerary, which belongs to the middle. The Foxboro Stadium in Boston, which took place this month, was held twice, but the only item that existed until now was the performance on the first day, October 20th. There was also a sound source on the 21st the next day, but it was a literal B-class audience recording, with a muffled sound and even a cut between songs. Therefore, it was a performance that had no items at all in the last 20 years, but the new audience recording that has appeared recently has turned around and boasts the best sound quality, so it’s surprising. The power of the on sound image is overwhelming, and it is surprising that such a quality sound source has been sleeping for so long. On the contrary, it is undoubtedly the best audience recording of the 1997 tour. In the first half and the end of the show, the edge of the sound is distorted, and when it comes to the last “Brown Sugar”, it becomes an overpeak that the limiter is subtly activated. Furthermore, it is regrettable that the recording of “Jumping Jack Flash” ends at the end, but even if you take that into account, the amazing high sound quality is of a quality that can be said to be essential for a CD release. Therefore, this time such distortion is mitigated as much as possible by equalization (although the problem of the last two songs is impossible to fix). Furthermore, the sound duplication that occurred at 4:18 of “Start Me Up” when the sound source appeared was adjusted and corrected to a state that was not strange at all. This has made it even easier to listen to. The best part of this recording is that the excellent sound quality fully conveys the Stones’ rugged performance. The biggest attraction of the Babylon Tour, which was overlooked at the time, was that it produced a wild rock sound that was characteristic of the Stones, even with the increased number of support members from 1989. The Babylon Tour brought back the Stones’ uniqueness that was missing from the systemized large-venue live sound of the previous two tours. In October, the Stones’ uniqueness finally came into its own, with the introduction of the repertoire of “Flip The Switch,” which opened the album, and the introduction of the Babylon Bridge set on the B stage. In fact, the performance of “Flip The?” on this day was also very impressive. It was especially great to see Mick and the band running at full throttle after the interlude. Similarly, listening to the performance of “Anybody Seen My Baby?”, which was also included in the new album and was the first single, makes me smile every day, but that is simply because of the rapping by Mick and Bernard, which is rather poor compared to the album version. It will also feel nostalgic now. During the Babylon tour, what surprised the enthusiasts, especially in 1997, was the introduction of a large number of 60’s Stones classics. This day was also a luxurious combination of “19th Nervous Breakdown” and “Under My Thumb”, but the latter performance in particular was a powerful performance. Also, since it was a performance from 20 years ago, it feels fresh and young… because time has passed. Another big attraction of this audience recording is that there is almost no change in the sound image even after entering the B stage. Not only after the 2002 tour, but in 1997 when the B stage was first introduced, recording that section was a complete barrier for Taper. That’s why I can’t help but be surprised at this sense of stability. The fact that “Crazy Mama” is being played there is also a point that makes enthusiasts go crazy. A new sound source that captures the stage when the Babylon tour was just starting to get on track with powerful sound quality. It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s now the new standard that represents the audience recording of the tour in 1997! Live at Foxboro Stadium, Foxboro, MA. USA 21st October 1997 TRULY PERFECT SOUND Disc 1 (66:06) 1. Intro. 2. Satisfaction 3. It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll 4. Let’s Spend The Night Together 5. Flip The Switch 6. Gimme Shelter 7. Sister Morphine 8. Anybody Seen My Baby? 9. 19th Nervous Breakdown 1 0. Out Of Control 11. Under My Thumb 12. Miss You Disc 2 (63:53) 1. Band Introductions 2. All About You 3. Wanna Hold You 4. Little Queenie 5. Crazy Mama 6. You Got Me Rocking 7. Sympathy For The Devil 8. Tumbling Dice 9. Honky Tonk Women 10. Start Me Up 11. Jumping Jack Flash 12. Brown Sugar