NOT an SACD
Maestro | 06/29/2009
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Amazon needs to update their listing of their Stones discs. This and the others like it are NOT SACDs (Amazon states they are hybrid SACDs). Not true. They are DSD remasters on CD. Big difference. I'm only keeping it because I didn't own the disc anyway. Buyer beware.
Two stars is for the deceptive description, not the music."
Great Live Release
Pat Lamorgese | New Jersey | 04/21/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This disk captures the Rolling Stones at their absolute peak live in Madison Square Garden in 1969. The crowd raises to a fever pitch, the Stones play like their lives depend upon it, and the song selection is perfect. Better than the earlier live release, "Got Live If You Want It", the Stones tear through "Jumping Jack Flash" then Mick Taylor and Keith kill on Chuck Berry's "Carol". Listen to the guitar interplay on the second verse closely and you will hear the live Stones at their best. "Stray Cat Blues" and "Love In Vain" are great blues versions, where Taylor shines. "Midnight Rambler" is an absolute masterpiece as well, from the opening vocal rave up by Mick, through his whining harmonica and the crunching guitar chords. The arrangement starts with a standard time, then slows to a powerful yet sparse middle, and then concludes with a powerful finale. "Sympathy For the Devil" starts with Keith's guitar, and is much looser than the studio release, but swings more than previous versions. One of the absolute gems is "Live With Me", off Let It Bleed, where Keith's riff tears through the speakers. The harmonies are tight, yet never smooth and quite urgent. "Little Queenie" is the second Chuck Berry tune, which also suits the Stones perfectly. The version of "Honky Tonk Woman" is unbelievable, as Keith thunders the opening riff a few times to build the mood before breaking into the tune. The disk concludes with "Street Fighting Man" which is performed uptempo from the original. In all this is, by far, the best of many live Rolling Stones releases, and one of the classic live albums of all time."