Brussels Affair (Live 1973)
Brussels Affair (Live 1973) is a live album by the Rolling Stones, released in 2011. It is compiled from two shows recorded in Brussels at the Forest National Arena on 17 October 1973, during their European Tour. The album was released exclusively as a digital download through Google Play Music on 18 October 2011 in the US and through The Rolling Stones Archive website for the rest of the world in both lossy MP3 and lossless FLAC format. The 2011 digital edition has been bootlegged on physical CD. On 29 August 2012,[1] an official announcement was made, stating its physical release as a high-priced boxset (from $750 to $1,500 depending on the edition). All three releases include a triple LP and double CD. Brussels Affair (Live 1973) was officially released on 2 CD in Japan in 2015 as a bonus of the CD/DVD Set "Marquee Club (live 1971)" (Deluxe limited edition, Ward Records / Eagle Vision).
| Brussels Affair (Live 1973) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | 18 October 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 17 October 1973 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 79:33 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Promotone BV | |||
| The Rolling Stones Live chronology | ||||
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The title of the release is the same as that of several famous and widely known bootleg recordings. The most famous iteration consists principally of the early show as broadcast by the King Biscuit Flower Hour (with "Starfucker" omitted due to its lyrical content) and several bonus tracks ("Gimme Shelter", "Happy", "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" and "Street Fighting Man") added from the 9 September 1973 London show. The official 2011 release is mainly culled from the late show; however, "Brown Sugar", "Midnight Rambler" and a transposed guitar solo on "All Down the Line" were taken from the early show.
Overview
The album was recorded during their 1973 European Tour,[2] promoting their latest album Goats Head Soup.
In 1973, the Rolling Stones were banned from entering France due to pending drug cases against Keith Richards, Bobby Keys and Anita Pallenberg. The band decided to organise a concert in Brussels for the French audience; RTL Radio chartered a train for French fans.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Uncut |  |
| Vice (Expert Witness) |  |
Reviewing for Vice, Robert Christgau cited "Starfucker" and "Happy" as highlights, and wrote of the album, "The rare arena-rock recording that does justice to the subgenre's power dwarfs their 1971 Marquee Club vault-pull while making a case for the excision of 'Midnight Rambler' and 'Brown Sugar' from their A list".[4] John Harris was more enthusiastic about the release, writing in The Guardian that it is "unimpeachably great: a beautifully recorded, often unhinged 70 minutes during which the Stones manage to sound like the Platonic ideal of a rock band: simultaneously tight, unhinged, absolutely convincing, and gloriously ludicrous."[5]
Track list
All tracks are written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards[6].
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Brown Sugar" | 3:54 |
| 2. | "Gimme Shelter" | 5:31 |
| 3. | "Happy" | 3:13 |
| 4. | "Tumbling Dice" | 5:02 |
| 5. | "Star Star" | 4:15 |
| 6. | "Dancing with Mr. D." | 4:36 |
| 7. | "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" | 5:01 |
| 8. | "Angie" | 5:13 |
| 9. | "You Can't Always Get What You Want" | 10:57 |
| 10. | "Midnight Rambler" | 12:49 |
| 11. | "Honky Tonk Women" | 3:10 |
| 12. | "All Down the Line" | 4:19 |
| 13. | "Rip This Joint" | 2:24 |
| 14. | "Jumpin' Jack Flash" | 3:26 |
| 15. | "Street Fighting Man" | 5:13 |
| Total length: | 79:33 | |
Personnel
- The Rolling Stones
- Mick Jagger – lead vocals, harmonica
- Keith Richards – guitar, vocals
- Mick Taylor – guitar, slide guitar
- Bill Wyman – bass guitar
- Charlie Watts – drums
- Additional musicians
- Billy Preston – piano, organ, clavinet, vocals
- Steve Madaio – trumpet, flugelhorn[7]
- Trevor Lawrence – saxophone[8]
- Technical personnel
References
- "Pre-order The Brussels Affair box set". rollingstones.com. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
- "Brussels '73 Now Available From Google Music". Keithrichards.com. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- "The Brussels Affair". Uncut. 177: 98. February 2012.
- Christgau, Robert (29 January 2016). "Box Set Bonanza: Expert Witness with Robert Christgau". Vice. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
- Harris, John (22 November 2011). "Why a Rolling Stones bootleg is one of my albums of the year". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
- "Rolling Stones Officially Release 'The Brussels Affair' Bootleg". Ultimateclassicrock.com. 17 November 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- http://www.rollingstones.com/2013/09/05/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-and-museum-will-honor-the-rolling-stones-for-the-18th-annual-music-masters-series-this-october-in-cleveland/
- http://www.rollingstones.com/2013/09/05/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-and-museum-will-honor-the-rolling-stones-for-the-18th-annual-music-masters-series-this-october-in-cleveland/
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