Took out the Scorcese DVD from our local library.  Great sound, great technical presentation.  A few historical clips. Scorcese really knows how to do this.  The Last Waltz may still be the best concert film every made.  Shine a Light was lots of fun actually.

The music?  There are plenty of people who, regardless of advanced or advancing age, still put on killer shows.  Jeff Beck, Pink Floyd, AD/DC, the Allmans (whoever is in the band from night to night), Springteen...to name a few.  The problem with the Rolling Stones is that back in the 60's and early 70's, they were the best live band because they had the best rhythm section in the business.  They still have Charlie, and whoever is playing bass does fine.  The problem is Keith Richards, who doesn't play rhythm anymore.  Keith Richards wanders about and fucks around.  And its not half the band it was for it.  Ron Wood is putting down more rhythm than Keith.

Its fun but its not what it could be:



If they had a dedicated rhythm guitarist, the quality of the material could make them not much different from what they once were.  I sometimes imagine, if the Stones had somebody like Malcolm Young on rhythm, holy cats...transported back to the 1969 tour, the Get Your Ya Ya's out tour.  When Keith Richards played the best driving rhythm in the business.  Now Malcolm's the best, and has been for years.  Standing back there, crushing it through every bar of the music.

Take a look at this...(sorry 'bout the brassiere and Angus half-undressed and having oral sex with the fretboard).  Listen to Malcolm, particularly from 2:00 on, churning it out in the background...oh man.   Sure, its 1991, but Malcolm is still doing it the same today, just like he always has.  Best live rhythm section in the business.



So now, I guess my Rollings Stones post, has become and AC/DC post, but jeez-o-pete, if Keith Richards would just play like this...he knows how.