Stripped (Live)

Released in 1995 when "MTV Unplugged" collections had been quite the rage for several years. Stripped was a half-hearted attempt by the Rolling Stones to present themselves in modest fashion. However,with Mick Jagger's grand theatrics and Keith Richards' prototypical rock guitar hero poses at the center, there simply is no such thing as a modest approach for these natural-born stadium-to-arena stars. Smaller clubs may reign them in slightly, just as a ballad may subdue their wilder sides, but their flash and fury is always lurking and leaks out no matter how cautious they initially appear. Blues harmonica sparks "Not Fade Away," but it's pure electricity that surges through Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" and "Street Fighting Man." "The Spider and the Fly," a welcomed obscurity, shows their age, since the temptress is updated from "thirty" to 'fifty." "Wild Horses" aches with its initial wistfulness and the gospel-influenced "Shine A Light" and country-based "Sweet Virginia," "Let It Bleed," and "Dead Flowers" are well-suited for this milder climate. But this is hardly the four remaining members jamming in a room quietly. It's still full-on rock n' roll.