Rolling Stones/TX, USA 2019

The Stones’ latest tour release, the second show will be in Houston on July 27th. Yes, it’s the next show after the Philadelphia show. The two performances to be released this time both have unique sound quality that is attractive, but the Houston performance has a different texture from Philadelphia. Upon its release, the audience recording that became the base was significantly equalized. The sound source that appeared on the internet was surrounded by echoes, and although that in itself was not a big problem, the lack of balance made it feel stressful to listen to. Therefore, we not only suppressed the echo by equalizing, but also balanced the overall sound quality of the recording, resulting in a rebirth that was much easier to listen to than the original. The audio of the video of this day on YouTube is also surrounded by echoes, and it is assumed that the acoustics of NRG Stadium, which was the venue, have such characteristics. The roof of this venue is closed not only when it rains, but also during seasons like the current one to keep the air conditioner running, which is probably what creates the unique echo feeling. However, the fact that the outline of the performance does not become blurry is typical of the 2019 audience recording, and as a result of adding equalization here, the result is a finish that literally looks like it has been peeled off. Another advantage is that it doesn’t pick up on the loudness that is common among American audiences. It is certainly not a sound image that can be described as “just like a sound board,” but the echo feeling that was immediately improved by equalization is not unpleasant, and you may even feel a certain comfort when listening to it. Only in the two songs on the B stage, the outline of Mick’s vocals becomes sweet, but other than that, it is also attractive that both the vocals and the performance maintain sufficient clarity. I think there are many enthusiasts who have already obtained the original sound source, but when you compare it with that, you can definitely say that there is a huge difference in ease of listening. As is typical of this tour, the performance went well from the opening with solid performances. The first song that caught my eye was “Out Of Control.” This is a repertoire that has been played frequently on recent tours, but it surprisingly appears for the first time on this tour. However, it is a song that has been played frequently on stage recently, so the performance is dignified. If things continue like this, will this be treated as the only performance on this tour? The voting song of the day that was played next was “Heartbreaker”. Not only is it a selection that hits you like a mania, but the performance also starts with a good momentum. However, just as the first humming began, Ronnie started playing a guitar solo (the solo should have been performed after the humming), resulting in a shortened version. Of course, the chorus was humming along as per the original song, and the video from the same day showed that Mick, who was caught between them and Ronnie, had a troubled expression on his face. Speaking of mistakes with this song, there is the take on the 1975 LA Forum, which is familiar from the video, but I think it’s a rare occurrence these days. The best part of the day was the introduction of the members. Mick introduces the band in the usual flow, and before he introduces the song, he tells the audience that the previous day was Mick’s birthday, if you think he will rush into Keith Corner. This caused a huge cheer, and Mick, who had retreated once, reappeared and bowed to the audience and members. It’s a shame that the timing was right before Keith’s Corner, so the whole venue couldn’t sing “happy birthday” in chorus, but the peaceful and emotional excitement was clear from the audio. It’s coming through. As this scene shows, there is a very peaceful atmosphere throughout the show, which seems to be further enhanced by the unique echo-like sound quality. If Philadelphia is Keith’s day, Houston is Mick’s day. In addition, it is also an audience album with a different sound quality from other sound sources on this tour. Enjoy Mick’s birthday show with this unique taste! NRG Stadium, Houston, TX, USA July 27 2019 Disc 1 (73:18) 1. Intro 2. Jumping Jack Flash 3. Let’s Spend the Night Together 4. Tumbling Dice 5. Out of Control 6. Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo 7 You Can’t Always Get What You Want 8. B-stage S.E. 9. Sweet Virginia 10. Dead Flowers 11. Sympathy for the Devil 12. Honky Tonk Women 13. Band Introductions 14. Slipping Away 15. Before They Make Me Run Disc 2 (54:03) 1. Miss You 2. Midnight Rambler 3. Paint It Black 4. Start Me Up 5. Brown Sugar 6. Gimme Shelter 7. Satisfaction