Rolling Stones/OR,USA 1998 2Days

1998, the second year of the Babylon tour, was a turbulent start for the Stones. Despite Mick catching a cold early in the year, they performed their first gig of the year in Quebec, but his condition worsened. This led to the cancellation of several performances, and the Stones’ first gig of the year, a gig at Madison Square Garden, was the highlight of the year. It is nostalgic to remember that the subsequent Hawaii performances, which were also a hot topic in Japan at the time, were a hot topic in Japan at the time. After these special gigs in January, the Stones’ tour returned to the regular US tour at the end of January with a performance in Portland. There were two performances in Portland. Audience recording items were released for these two performances in 1998. However, the release of this limited press CD set is a new audience recording that has only recently appeared. It was recorded by a taper who participated in both performances using a high-position cassette. Both performances are very high quality sound sources, and it is surprising that they have appeared now. First of all, on the first day in Portland, Mick’s vocals felt distant, but the on-sound image of the performance itself was well worth listening to. In addition, since it was a cassette recording, the analog-like sound quality is completely different from the audience recordings using DAT, which were already mainstream among tapers in 1998. In addition, on this day, the set list included the topic of the live performance of “Already Over Me”, which was the first since the second day of MSG. It is the first ballad on the album “BRIDGES TO BABYLON” and, above all, it is a song in which Mick sang with emotion. Although “Already Over Me” was not promoted to the regular repertoire in the end, Mick must have been thinking about how to make it into something, and three live performances were realized. However, since both MSG and the third and final performance in Las Vegas in February were only heard on sound sources that were not so good (especially Vegas), this sound source, which can be enjoyed with such stable sound quality, will attract the attention of enthusiasts all over the world. However, the audience’s indifference during the performance was quite strong (bitter smile). The melody, which was originally slow and not suitable for live performances, was caught as a complete backfire. This scene felt real even in the past recordings, so I can only say that it was not well received. I wish they would do it at least in Japan… Also, the recordings this time captured the B stage with a powerful sound pressure, and the opening song “Little Queenie” was a spectacular one. The slow arrangement of “I Just Want To Make Love To You” that was played next was a regular one that had been performed occasionally since 1990, but now that I listen to it, the atmosphere is worthy of being called a precursor to the blues cover album “BLUE & LONESOME” released last year. However, there was also an incident where Mick seemed to lose track of the timing to move to the development section. On the other hand, the second day did not feature rare repertoire like the previous day, and the overall performance was stable and impressive, with high tension. However, as was pointed out in specialist books on this day, after the SE that resounded at the opening was over, Keith would normally start playing the intro to “Satisfaction” without any pause, but after a strange gap, he started playing, which was an interesting opening. Furthermore, at the end of the show, when “Jumping Jack Flash” reached the second verse, Mick and the band no longer meshed, and there were also scenes where the performance seemed to be about to go astray. This was an unexpected happening, as the performance was suddenly stable overall. And compared to the previous releases, this is an audience recording with a prominent upper feeling of sound quality, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is the highlight of this release. Although the sound quality of past items was quite good, this time it is the best sound quality that easily surpasses it. Among them, the degree of on sound image stands out. Regarding the first US tour in 1998, there was a famous sound source and famous title “SWEET HOME NEW YORK CITY” on the third day of MSG, but it is no exaggeration to say that the second day of Portland can reign as a sound source boasting a more natural and warm sound quality. From the first US tour of 1998, which would have been completely overlooked, the new master of the Portland performance, both days of sound quality and performance are plenty to listen to! Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon, USA 30th & 31st January 1998 Live at Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon, USA 30th January 1998 Disc 1 (57:54) 1. Intro. 2. Satisfaction 3. Let’s Spend The Night Together 4. Flip The Switch 5. Gimme Shelter 6. You Got Me Rocking 7. Already Over Me 8. Bitch 9. Saint Of Me 10 Out Of Control 11. Miss You Disc 2 (67:27) 1. Band introductions 2. Thief In The Night 3. Wanna Hold You 4. Little Queenie 5. I Just Want To Make Love To You 6. Like A Rolling Stone 7. Sympathy For The Devil 8. Tumbling Dice 9. Honky Tonk Women 10. Start Me Up 11. Jumping Jack Flash 12. Brown Sugar Live at Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon, USA 31st January 1998 Disc 3 (59:59) 1. Intro. 2. Satisfaction 3. Let’s Spend The Night Together 4. Flip The Switch 5. Gimme Shelter 6. It’s Only Rock’n Roll 7. Sister Morphine 8. Bitch 9. Saint Of Me 10. Out Of Control 11. Miss You Disc 4 (65:07) 1. Band Introduction s 2. You Don’t Have To Mean It 3. Wanna Hold You 4. Little Queenie 5. The Last Time 6. Like A Rolling Stone 7. Sympathy For The Devil 8. Tumbling Dice 9. Honky Tonk Women 10. Start Me Up 11. Jumping Jack Flash 12. Brown Sugar