--
THE genius of the Rolling Stones' Licks tour - which celebrates the band's four
decades in rock - is that the package is simple and uncomplicated.
At Madison Square Garden last night, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood
and Charlie Watts knew it was only rock 'n' roll - but they like it, and in turn,
they made the sold-out house love it.
From guitarist Richards' opening slash 'n' burn chord change-ups for
"Street Fighting Man" through the encore, the band pulled tight the
string of original and cover songs - and never let up the tension.
The band is too old to sweat over the music, but still young enough at heart
to pump blood into ancient songs.
As you might or might not expect, these Brits played a pounding rock show
that cemented their title as the greatest rock band in the world.
The band played hits such as "Honky Tonk Woman," "It's Only
Rock 'n' Roll" and their much-loved ballad "Wild Horses" with
enough edge to make up for the lack of freshness.
The tunes kept rolling for two hours and held the house in velvet chains.
After the music started, hardly anyone left their seat for beers, dogs or even
pit stops.
Sure, there were occasional signs that time isn't always on their side - such
as when the band played a cover of the O'Jay's "Love Train," complete
with Mick in pimpadelic glory. But the stumbles were few.
Ignore when Richards and Wood stepped on Jagger's vocals during "Rocks
Off." Forget that Watts' backbeat was too powerful in the sonic mix on
"Honky Tonk."
Those slight missteps were acceptable. In fact, it made the show seem like it
was crafted for New York rather than a high-polish choreographed concert that
plays like a carbon copy at every tour stop.
For New York, the Stones snatched familiar favorites, but as it was at the
Boston opener earlier this month, the mini-set from the band's masterpiece
"Exile on Main Street" featuring "Lovin' Cup," "Rock
Off," "Wreck the Joint" and "Tumblin' Dice" was the
heart of this concert. It was in this quartet of songs that each band member
best showed off their stuff.
Do they still have stuff to show off?
Yes, they do.
Although the show Saturday at Giants Stadium and Monday at Roseland are sold
out, there's still a couple more chances to check out the Stones' licks when the
band returns to the Garden Jan. 17 and 18.