Re: Greatest Rock & Roll Band? Why, the Stones, of course.

["T. Andrew Finn" <afinn@xxxxxxx>]

ok, Scott, I'll bite . . .

At 09:35 AM 10/16/2002, you wrote:

  The Rolling Stones' latest tour blew through Cleveland
  two nights ago.  My friend Curtis reports it was a fan-
  tastic show. 

A second hand report? Check back if you actually see them!

  They played a brand new song.  They played quite a few
  rarities (emphasis on EXILE ON MAIN STREET).  They were
  loud.  They were energetic.  Better than their last few
  tours, Curtis reported.

All true - I saw them indoors in Philly a few weeks ago. Another thing
they did was vary the set list from night to night.

  My local paper had a big picture of Mick Jagger on the
  front page the day after the show.  Glowing review.

  No complaints of tinnitus from Keith Richards.  And app-
  arently Mick & Keith are still able to actually write
  rock songs for the band.

No one in the Stones has written vital music in many years. They have
mastered a great rock style and continue to demonstrate that they can
keep doing the same thing.

Richards and Ron Wood TOGETHER didn't match the power of Townshend's
guitar on this summer's tour. It's not really fair to compare them.

And by the third song (AAA - a simple "throw-away" single from the 60s),
the Who was cranking up its sound to high-energy peaks that the Stones'
approached only a couple times near the end of the show.

The Stones were entertaining and very solid. The Who's sound ASTOUNDED me
at various times during the show.

  Goodnight, Who.  Long live the Rolling Stones.  The bat-
  tle's over.

I never thought of it as a battle. In terms of popular appeal, the Stones
are undeniably the greater band. But by that standard, Rush Limbaugh is
the greatest talk show host, Howard Stern is the greatest morning drive
radio personality, etc.

But the Stones are amoral (singing "Gimme Shelter" and "Sympathy for the
Devil" with equal conviction) and their music is dated
(sex-an'-drugs-an'-rock and roll? in their late 50s?).

There's no heart, no soul, and no meaning. I'm too old to get very fired
up about 'em. After all, it's only rock and roll. :)

Andy