13 August 2010

Rock n Roll Oldies: Rolling Stones- 1969

The free concert in London's Hyde Park in 1969 was eagerly anticipated as the public debut of the Rolling Stones' freshly-recruited guitar virtuoso Mick Taylor, which it was- but unfortunately, the man he replaced -the talented, yet hapless Brian Jones- was found dead in his swimming pool two days earlier, casting a pall over the show as it became more a memorial event.

This live performance of the then-just-released single Honky Tonk Women is a real gem nonetheless, and the freshened lineup was a great boost to morale... due to drug abuse and personality flaws, Jones had become a major drag on the band's creative talents and performances.

The addition of 20-yr-old phenom Taylor from John Mayall and the Blues Breakers really brought Kieth Richards to life, as he prefers to collaborate onstage, and needed someone to jam with... and Jones just wasn't there anymore in 1967-68. You knew you had a problem when you're too drugged out for Kieth Richards in 1969, lol... but sadly Jones was just that. 

 As Mick Jagger was quoted as sayinig later, in the 80s: "We never before had a truly melodic guitar player before Mick Taylor... and we haven't since". To this day, Richards says he "never understood" why Taylor left... calling him "amazing".

However, it's a delight to watch the Mick Taylor playing lead guitar on stage with the Stones for the very first time here, especially to those of us that consider his 69-74 era the best incarnation of the band... myself surely included: