Tuesday, September 27, 2016
ALBUM REVIEW: Bootleg Series #16: The Rolling Stones – Leeds University, Leeds, England // 13th March 1971
by Tom Caswell: https://tomcaswell.net/2016/09/12/bootleg-series-16-the-rolling-stones-leeds-university-leeds-england-13th-march-1971/
The UK tour of 1971 saw The Rolling
Stones stage their first at home since 1966. The band played to sold out
venues across the country between the 4th and 26th March, with most of
those dates featuring two shows from the band per night. On the 13th
however, they were in Leeds playing at the University and we are well
and truly blessed to have an exceptional quality bootleg that exists
from the one show they played that day.
The band open with Dead Flowers which is a song that featured on their 1971 classic Sticky Fingers, which wouldn’t be released until over a month later on the 23rd April. Along with the other songs on Sticky Fingers, Dead Flowers
sees the Rolling Stones take their music in a new direction after the
death of founding member Brian Jones nearly two years earlier. Keith
Richards at this point was friends with Gram Parsons which definitely
influenced his songwriting, hence the country tones throughout the song.
Mick Taylor plays a gorgeous solo during the third verse, showing you
exactly why he was added to the band in the first place.
Stray Cat Blues comes next which is from their 1968 album Beggars Banquet. Compared
to an early live version played in Hyde Park in July 1969 which was
lacking in many ways, this version is far superior with the band on top
form and together musically. Jagger is a man possessed on lead vocals
who has every single person in the audience in the palm of his hand.
Taylor again plays a tasteful guitar solo.
It’s followed by the Robert
Johnson number Love In Vain which takes the show in a slower
direction. The band sound fantastic as a unit here and deliver a
cracking rendition of this blues classic.
The great Midnight Rambler from their 1969 album Let It Bleed
follows and immediately shifts the gig into top gear. During this
period of the band it was one of their best live songs and this
performance is no different. The roaring guitar playing paired with
Jagger’s sublime harmonica work make it one of the highlights of the
entire show. The band start the song by jamming until they find that
driving groove that makes the song so infectious, cemented of course by
Keith Richards on rhythm guitar. The looseness of this song is what
makes it so appealing and at just short of 13 minutes in length it’s the
longest song of the set.
It’s followed by another new song in Bitch
which is played so beautifully that it could well be the studio
version. The horn section is another element of the music they were
making at this time which showed what direction the band were heading in
and they sound fantastic as a result.
- Dead Flowers
- Stray Cat Blues
- Love In Vain
- Midnight Rambler
- Bitch
- Honky Tonk Women
- Satisfaction
- Little Queenie
- Brown Sugar
- Street Fighting Man
- Let It Rock
After a short band intro, the 1969 single Honky Tonk Women follows Bitch
and Keith Richards is right at the forefront on this track. On the
studio version it’s Charlie Watts who starts the song with a cowbell but
it’s Keith Richards who goes straight into that guitar riff during this
live version. When you think of the most legendary guitar riffs of all
time, Honky Tonk Women is right up there with the best of them
all, surrounded by many more classic Keith Richards guitar riffs from
this period. The live version adds even more energy to an already
energetic song.
The Stones then move on to Satisfaction which,
in the beginning at least, sounds a lot different to the original studio
version recorded six years earlier in 1965. The opening riff sounds
less definitive and more soul like in many ways, again highlighting
their evolution as a band since the recording of the original. The
addition of horns in the outro only confirms a more soulful direction
which is wonderful to listen to.
The Chuck Berry classic Little Queenie follows immediately after Satisfaction
although it lacks any of the high tempo featured in the original
version. However it’s still enjoyable to listen to, even though the band
take a more relaxed and laid back approach to it. The piano playing in
particular is an exciting highlight and Jagger owns the song from the
front of the stage. Keith Richards replicates Berry’s world famous
guitar lines to make the song more reminiscent of the original version.
The great Brown Sugar comes next, debuting for many that
incredible opening guitar riff from Keith Richards, after all it wouldn’t
be released as a single until over a month later on the 16th April.
Sadly the guitars sound a little out of tune but apart from that it’s a
great rendition even though it does lack the incredible sax solo from
Bobby Keys which features on the studio version.
Street Fighting Man and Let It Rock are the two final songs and sadly the out of tune instruments remain on the former. Thankfully things are righted on Let It Rock
which sees Keith Richards laying down some more incredible Chuck Berry
riffs. Watts and Wyman keep the song locked in, enabling the rest of the
band to do their thing so well.
Overall the bootleg is one of the finest
featuring The Rolling Stones out there. The quality is second to none
and the band are on top form from beginning to end. Hearing the band at
during this particular musical period is fantastic because with Taylor
having been on board for two years already they sound as tight as they
ever did and have since.
With a number of the songs you’re also able to
hear the direction they were going musically, a direction which would
ultimately lead to the recording and release of their 1972 classic Exile On Main Street,
an album that is today widely seen as their all time best. Hard to
argue with that. But this show is a must for all bootleg lovers out
there, it’s incredible.
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