This release
presents again the Stones 1972 Akron stop, this concert was released at first
on tape as Akron ’72 on silver disc at first as Akron Rubber Bowl 72 (IMP 029)
which was incomplete lacking Street Fighting Man and on cdr as Akron 72, later
a better version came out as part of Alabama Jubilee (VGP 306) and then another
release called Rubber Bowl 1972 (Sweet Records 71172) which was a good one
showing a great improvement over the VGP one, offering an audience high
fidelity stereo recording of the show, as advertised on the back cover. Other
releases of this concert were Touring Party Vol.3 (DAC 126) in 2013 and then
came out Exiles In Rubber City (Tarantura TCDRS-13) from the original master (Freezer
recording) with the sound very clear and Nicky Hopkins piano hat could be heard
throughout, even the opening number did not have a lower volume than the rest
of the set as on the Sweet Records release. Lately in 2021 came out Akron, July
11th 1972 on cdr, an unprocessed recording as proudly written on the
back cover. Then in 2020 was issued Rubber Bowl 1972 Revised Edition (No Label)
that had the original Freezer tape without equalization that was applied to all
the previous versions, it was actually re-released in 2023 and here we are with
the 2026 revision which has nothing different from the 2023 revision, except
for the artwork. However, this is a peculiar recording because it allows
listening to Nicky Hopkins piano, greatly upfront, a rarity.
Some PA problems happened at the beginning of
Tumbling Dice with the sound that disappears on the first verses of the song with
the disappointment of the attending fans, here minimized as far as possible.
The cut right before the beginning of You Can’t Always Get What You Want is here
less evident than before and there is also Jagger’s introduction of the song.
There is no edit right before All Down The Line where Jagger’s and some
audience member comments were repeated twice in the Sweet Records release, unnoticed
is also the cut at 5.19 minutes through Midnight Rambler but still present
though: at the end of the song a male voice close to the taper shouts “Paint It
Black, You Devil”. Packaging is excellent, including a tasty red label for the
disc.
