Stones still packing some flash
BY JIM DEROGATIS Pop Music Critic
September 12, 2005

Of the 10 times I've seen the Rolling Stones in the last 15 years, Saturday's sold-out show at Soldier Field didn't measure up to Shea Stadium in 1989, when they dug deep for golden nuggets such as "Happy," "2000 Light Years From Home," "Dead Flowers" and "Play With Fire," or their intimate gig at the Aragon in 2002, when they cut loose on a set full of choice covers and highlights from "Exile on Main Street."

Yet surprisingly -- given the mostly pedestrian set list, yet another mediocre new album, a barely there Keith Richards and the ugly, antiseptic setting of the new Soldier Field (which both Richards and Mick Jagger praised several times, making them the only people in the world who seem to like the redesigned enormodome) -- the self-proclaimed "world's greatest rock 'n' roll band" was better than any other time I've seen it: more fiery, more passionate and seemingly more inspired.

Much of the credit was due, as always, to Charlie Watts, who at age 64 remains the Zen master of the simple but undeniable stadium-shaking backbeat, and, unexpectedly, to Ron Wood, who displayed a sharper edge and a more fluid groove than on any tour I've witnessed. Woody tore through one explosive solo after another, elevating songs such as "Start Me Up" (the too-predictable opener), "Shattered" and the classic "Tumbling Dice" (which was marred by the under-amplified horn section), and covering for the mostly M.I.A. Richards

With the exception of some silly fireworks, an even sillier paisley-adorned, giant inflatable tongue and a cool B stage that moved across the field toward the end of the show, the Stones wisely kept the focus on the music, with no overdone spectacles to distract from the power of "Ruby Tuesday," "Shattered," "She's So Cold" or "Bitch," the high points of the night.

To be sure, there were problems. The out-of-it Richards dragged things down on his two-song spotlight turn with a beyond-hammy version of "The Worst" and the poor choice of "Infamy," his awful track from "A Bigger Bang." At 90 minutes and 21 songs, the show was short and skimpy; for those in the $450 seats, that was $5 a minute or $21.43 per tune. And with the exceptions mentioned above, the set once again pandered to casual fans who only own "Hot Rocks" by delivering many of the most tired hits: "Miss You," "Honky Tonk Women," "Satisfaction" and "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll."

It must also be said that in the city that Buddy Guy, Otis Clay, Junior Wells and so many other giants of the blues call home, the Stones should be ashamed of themselves for inviting Jim Belushi and Dan Aykroyd to open with a pathetic, shtick-filled, third-rate imitation of the once-great Blues Brothers routine.

But don't take my word for it

Of course, while the history I bring to a Stones show carries the benefit of perspective, I'm aware that I have long since become immune to the power of simply seeing these rock giants in the flesh.

To counteract that, I went to Soldier Field accompanied by an assistant reviewer.

Rachel Good, 23, is a passionate, extremely knowledgeable, hard-core Stones fan whose favorite albums are "Between the Buttons" and "Flowers." In 2002, she camped out in front of the Aragon just to get a glimpse of their limo.

Young fan's view

Then as now, the aspiring music critic, who is waiting tables before returning to college, couldn't afford the ticket price but desperately wanted to see the show.

"I've never had the experience of seeing them, so I don't have anything to compare it to," Good said after the concert. "I was just so excited to be in the vicinity." Nevertheless, her critique is spot-on.

"Early on, when they did those three in a row of 'Ruby Tuesday,' 'Shattered' and 'Bitch,' I thought that was the highlight of the show. Those are songs I actually wanted to hear, the crowd was the most excited during them and the band seemed so much more energetic and excited to be playing those than they were at the end, when they did that run of 'Satisfaction' and 'Jumping Jack Flash.' Those just seemed phoned in."

The worst parts of the night? "That giant inflatable tongue; it was just stupid and awful, summing up the Stones at their worst," Good said. "And I love Keith so much -- he's my favorite Stone -- so I don't even really want to go here. But I don't know why he dragged out 'The Worst,' which was aptly titled, and it just seemed like a lot of his genius has been eroded. Also, he went through more costume changes than Mick, which I thought was surprising."

Ah, yes, Mick. At 62, Jagger is 39 years older than Good -- old enough to be her grandfather. Nevertheless, the craggy frontman won her affections. "I love the way he moved onstage: He looked like he was moving just because he was having fun," she said. "There were hollows in his face like I've never seen, and he does look like Frankenstein. But he was a sexy Frankenstein."

Adding it up

The bottom line: "I definitely think that show was worth $100. I would have paid that, and that's a quarter of my rent. But $450 is crazy, and as much as I love them and really wanted to see them, I could have never done it."

I've asked this question before, but it's always worth posing again: Who would you rather play for, Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ron: A huge stadium full of wealthy people who don't know any of your music beyond the classic-rock play list, or a slightly smaller, marginally less lucrative venue full of Rachel Goods -- whether they're 23 or 63 -- to whom your amazing catalog is as vibrant as it was when you were recording it?

I keep hoping that maybe, just maybe, some day before they're finally gone, the Stones will give us the answer so many fans want and deserve.