The Rolling Stones release famed Atlantic City show from 1989
When the Rolling Stones announced their return to the road in the summer of 1989, it was the guaranteed to be the hottest ticket in town as the band had been absent for an excruciatingly long seven years.
The run to support the album ‘Steel Wheels’ was filled with local tie-ins — it kicked off right here at the since demolished Veterans Stadium and now one of the highlights has come to Bluray and DVD under the banner ‘Steel Wheels Live.’
The final three shows of the Steel Wheels Tour in 1989 took place December 17, 19 and 20 at Atlantic City’s Convention Center, a location now known as Boardwalk Hall. It was the middle show that had people talking though, due to a slew of high-profile guests including members of a then white-hot Guns N’ Roses, along with two guitar legends from different generations.
Guns N’ Roses’ frontman Axl Rose and guitarist Izzy Stradlin accompanied the Stones in A.C. for the first-ever live performance of “Salt of The Earth” from their 1968 ‘Beggars Banquet’ album. Eric Clapton brought his slow blues burn to a cover of Willie Dixon’s “Little Red Rooster” and then joined in to back up one of their collective idols, blues legend John Lee Hooker on “Boogie Chillen.”
Having been the first tour hitting the US since 1981, the Steel Wheels Tour was famous for one of the group’s longest and most ambitious setlists at some two and a half hours. The Stones not only rolled out their expected hits, but dared to drop several new songs from the then-newly released ‘ Steel Wheels’ album with renditions of “Terrifying,” “Sad Sad Sad,” “Mixed Emotions,” “Rock and a Hard Place” and “Can’t Be Seen.” Time hasn’t been that kind to most of them, with the overly opulent vestiges of the 80s in the air, but what a time capsule to witness.
Still, it was on the verge of a new decade, one which saw the jaunt stretch into the summer of 1990 ending up with 115 dates in total, showing the Stones were not going to enter into the rock and roll graveyard as gracefully as so many had been predicting for years. Seeing Mick Jagger and Keith Richards muscle their way through the familiar “Brown Sugar” and “Paint It Black” put to rest any talk of them disappearing.
‘Steel Wheels Live’ has been restored, remixed and remastered and is available as a limited 180gram 4 LP set on colored vinyl, DVD + 2CD, SD Blu-ray, 2CD and digital formats. Additionally, the set can be found as a special limited 6-disc version, which includes the Atlantic City performance on DVD, SD-Blu-ray, 2CD, a DVD of their Steel Wheels Tour performance at the famed Tokyo Dome in Japan, as well as ‘Steel Wheels Rare Reels,’ a CD featuring tracks which didn’t show up on the core tour setlist.
VINYL OF THE WEEK
Keep an eye on this spot as each week we’ll be looking at new or soon-to-be-released vinyl from a variety of artists. It might be a re-pressing of a landmark recording, special edition or new collection from a legendary act. This week, it’s the United States breakthrough from a revered Britpop outfit perhaps best known for the squabbling brothers.
OASIS: ‘(WHAT’S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY? — 25TH ANNIVERSARY’
Like so many other bands who, despite changing the landscape of music in their homeland of Britain, Oasis were never quite able to break big in the United States. Their second effort, however, gave them the best chance and is what everyone on these shores remembers them for most. Turning 25 years old this Friday, the Britpop classic ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’ is getting a limited-edition release on vinyl.
Buoyed by the smash singles “Champagne Supernova” and “Wonderwall,” not to mention the brash and cocksure attitude of the Gallagher brothers — Liam on vocals and songwriter/guitarist Noel — ‘What’s the Story’ deftly avoided the sophomore slump following up ‘Definitely Maybe,’ the 1994 LP which was the fastest-ever selling debut in the UK when it was released. ‘Morning Glory’ is still the fifth best selling album of all time in the country and best selling of the 90s there.
The album entered the UK Official Album Chart at No. 1 with 269,000 sales and a total of 10 weeks in the spot and almost eight and a half years in the UK charts cumulatively. Worldwide, it went Top 10 in every major market in the world and is considered the band’s breakthrough album in the States, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with over five million sales, and a global total now in excess of 22 million.
‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’ is now available on a double silver colored LP and picture disc on heavyweight vinyl, with remastered audio to mark the 25th anniversary. An undeniably untouchable rock record, it includes several of Oasis’ biggest selling UK singles. In addition to the aforementioned hits, it also features “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” “Roll with It,” “Some Might Say” and the title track.
The 25th anniversary edition of ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’ can be purchased online and in stores from all respectable retailers who carry vinyl.