The Rolling Stones – No Security

Artist: The Rolling Stones

Title: No Security

Label: Virgin

Rating: 4/10

The Rolling Stones’ new live disc, No Security, left me lost and looking for answers to questions like, “What in the hell was Mick thinking when he decided that the public would want to pay good money to hear this shit?” I have been a Stones fan forever and when I put this on and heard the way that my old time favorite, “Gimme Shelter,” was completely butchered, I felt like my mother had slapped me. I found the introduction and the first four songs (Intro, You Got Me Rocking, Gimme Shelter, Flip the Switch, and the deplorable Memory Motel) to be completely inexcusable. It’s like the first time that you saw something truly grotesque: you wanted to look away, but your curiosity wouldn’t let you.

I kept on listening and was rewarded with two beauties named “Corinna” and “Sister Morphine”. “Corinna,” graced by the talented Taj Majal, was beautifully performed in every aspect while “Sister Morphine” pulled me in as I longed for her, too. “Waiting on a Friend,” another of my favorites, was good, but would have been better if the female back-up singers would have laid off and let my legendary sweetheart do his deed. However, guest Joshua Redman playing saxophone on this one was really something to behold. I commend Keith Richards and the women whose vocals complimented his on “Thief in the Night.” This song is one of the album’s few assets.

“Saint of Me” is fair and “Out of Control” is worth listening to again, but as with most of this album, these songs aren’t going to win any new fans for these guys. I won’t name the rest of the songs because now that I have heard them, I would rather forget them. I had hoped that Dave Matthews would work it out on “Memory Motel,” but I was disappointed. I am hopeful that the poor sound quality is a defect only on the disc I received. I’ve seen them live twice and they rocked me out each time. If you like The Rolling Stones, wait until you can get this disc out of the bargain bin because the few good songs are worth it, but if you’re not sure, buy Tattoo You. If this doesn’t win your undying love, then stick with Oasis and don’t play in the road.

+ alissa shugats