The Rolling Stones / THE COMPLETE HAMBURG TAPES 1973 (2CD) DAC-193

This release pairs two performances from Hamburg, Germany, on October 2, 1973—shows that have rarely seen official or semi-official CD releases. Aside from two tracks appearing in high quality on the classic vinyl bootleg *The Stars in the Sky*, these performances have had very little exposure. Most recordings circulating among tape traders suffered from poor sound quality, making these shows rare finds in the CD era. For this release, we secured a source recording superior to those previously traded, aiming to create the definitive edition of these two Hamburg shows.

The first show (Disc 1) features a setlist that includes "Dancing with Mr. D." as the rotating song; the recording is an audience source that captures some of the hall's natural echo. The sound quality is similar to *Greatest Dane* (VGP-045), which documents the Copenhagen show from the same tour. While the rhythm section (Bill and Charlie) sounds a bit muddy, the lead lines played by Mick Taylor—likely on a Les Paul—come through clearly.

Disc 2 features the second show, another performance rarely released on CD, with "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" included as the rotating track. Compared to Disc 1, the recording position seems much closer to the stage, resulting in a very distinct sound image. Of course, as this is an amateur audience recording from nearly 50 years ago, the frequency range is limited and it cannot be described as high-fidelity; however, the intensity of the performance is exceptional—rivaling even the legendary *Brussels Affair*. There are cuts at the beginning of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and the end of "Street Fighting Man," but otherwise, there are no major omissions. Compared to previously circulating sources, there are fewer cuts between songs, making for a vastly more enjoyable listening experience. There is also a "fake" version of this second show's recording—marketed as the "complete" version—in which the setlist from "You Can't Always Get What You Want" onwards was swapped with audio from the Bern, Switzerland concert held that same September; silver-pressed CDs based on this fake version even exist. While the sound quality is perhaps geared more towards hardcore collectors than the general listener, this release serves as a high-quality document of the Hamburg concert, adding to the existing lineup of DAC and VGP titles that have chronicled the major 1973 German tour—such as Munich on September 28 (*Munich At Least*, DAC-066), Frankfurt on September 30 (*Guten Abend Frankfurt*, VGP-266), and the Essen shows from October 7–9 (*Brown Sugar & White Snow*, DAC-174; *Grugahalle*, DAC-191; *The Stars in the Sky*, DAC-100). Incidentally, the venue for this recording is the Ernst-Merck-Halle, which was also used during the 1970 European tour.