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Jan 20, 2012 Web Exclusive By Frank Valish

By 1978 and the release of the band’s classic Some Girls, The Rolling Stones were already seasoned veterans, the biggest band in the world, and road warriors that had toured for the better part of the previous two decades. And with Some Girls, the band continued to assert its relevance within mainstream music fads with its disco-smash “Miss You,” while somehow still retaining definitive ownership over the rock and roll territory it helped define since the early 1960s. Live in Texas 1978, a wonderful complement to the recent deluxe reissue of Some Girls, finds the Stones stripped down to its essential rock elements. Opening with Chuck Berry’s “Let It Rock,” the band rages through a handful of Berry-inspired classics before launching into “When the Whip Comes Down” and “Beast of Burden,” the first two of seven straight Some Girls tracks the band would play on this July night in Fort Worth. Mick Jagger’s charisma is as undeniable as ever, howling the lines of “Beast of Burden” and sharing a mic with mate Keith Richards to profoundly raucous effect. Classics like the revved up “Shattered” and the Richards’ led “Happy” are essential versions, and “Far Away Eyes,” performed here with violin player Doug Kershaw, is simply sublime.

The cinematography is up-close and personal, highlighting the familial vibe present in the band at the time (watch Jagger blow kisses in close quarter with Ron Wood during “Imagination”). And there’s only a hint of the caricature that the Stones would become, namely the 1980s-foreshadowing shiny black pants, yellow sport coat, and garish red hat that Jagger dons to start the show. The bonus content serves to enhance the overall experience, with historical insight from Jagger in a 2011 interview, a TV sopt with the band from 1978, and a few Saturday Night Live performances from the era. It’s all proof that, some 30-odd years later, Some Girls continues to be one of The Rolling Stones’ best albums. And don’t let the disco song fool you. This is rock and roll at its most vital. (www.rollingstones.com)

Author rating: 7/10