The Rolling Stones
Live in Havana 2016

The Rolling Stones’ Live in Havana 2016 showcases this band of mature rockers still going strong, playing for a crowd of 500,000 in Havana. This historic show (how many rock bands play Cuba?) features an amazing energy from both the Stones and the crowd. “Out Of Control” fares the best of the earlier stuff (Mr. Jagger and the boys open with a jangly “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” into “It’s Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It)” and “Tumbling Dice”), the crowd singing along on the “oh oh oh’s” on this slow, slinky tune from Bridges to Babylon. Leave it to the Stones to still be playing obscure songs and changing up show set lists all the time.

All Keith Richards has to do is hit the opening riff to tunes like “Paint It Black,” “Satisfaction,” and “Miss You” and to get the crowd (which you can hear very well here, better than the band, actually) going crazy. Though when Mick plays the signature riff to “Midnight Rambler,” the crowd goes just as crazy. This is still one of the best live tunes the Stones manage, Jagger playing his harp to Richards’ and Ron Wood’s “ancient art of weaving,” Charlie Watts managing to keep the stuttering time in check throughout the full 16-plus minutes of halts and plodding, which could easily fall apart at any moment.

“Angie,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” and “Brown Sugar” as well as other gems like a slide, jangly Richards solo on “You Got the Silver” and “Before They Make Me Run” are featured, as is the spooky “Gimmie Shelter,” which, like “Midnight Rambler,” is still one of the best live (or studio) cuts The Rolling Stones ever managed.

If you want to hear what great live rock and roll sounds like, grab The Rolling Stones, Live In Havana 2016.