This my absolute favorite Keith lead vocal. I love when Mick comes in with "sky fall down again". This song is awesome. If they tour next year I hope Keith brings this out as he can't really sing the rocker's anymore. This would be great live and if they could have Jagger come out and do the backing vocals that would be special!

I don't want them to try to do this song live nowadays; it's imposible to get that atmosphere on vocals, guitars.............. maybe Keith's voice could kill the magic gem

It's one of my favourites as well, glad they haven't performed it live - it might have ruined the magic

THE song that I think most people on this site would love on the next tour.

Love it...great song from a far too underrated album.

the shoot 'em dead, brainbell jangler!

I just listened to this tonight and my feelings are the same as they have been since I first heard it: Brilliant, musically and lyrically. Richards was exposing his soul on this one. How long has it been since either of the Glimmers has gone this deep? I accept the heroin/Brian/Anita allusions. Pretty obvious to me. The sax is gorgeous. Another Taylor solo on GHS would have been redundant, but MT's bass playing on this is melodic and carries the song. Jagger supports Keith vocally and the stereo pan of their voices brings chills. Charlie's lazy snare downbeat also fits the song like a glove. I would love to hear them do this live in some smoky club.

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71Tele
I would love to hear them do this live in some smoky club.

I can think of about 4 hours of songs I'd love to hear them do in some smokey club.

the shoot 'em dead, brainbell jangler!

Please!!!!!!!!!!! Don't do it live, it's such a wonderful song, and you are not playing and singing at your best.............. magic will be lost (as in Sway...........)

How will the magic be lost forever?? The track is terrific wether they mangle the live version or not!

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RobertJohnson
One of my favorite songs on GHS. It has somewhat of grandness, I'don't know how to describe it better. I'm not a friend of sax-solos on Stones titles, but here it fits really. The harmony of Keith's guitar and Nicky Hopkins' piano is fascinating (I guess it was Nicky Hopkins).

It sure sounds like a trademark Nicky Hopkins building piano track. And it is one of the highlights of the song.

How is it that no one has mentioned Nicky's nod to "Piece of My Heart" when the track begins to take off?

J

This Keith-track is one of my favorite. More soul and passion than other Keith's songs. I love "Happy" and other stuff, but "Coming Down Again" is more music and less macho BS on stage.
Listen to his voice. Just pain and soul, dudes! ;-)

I think it's a great song. Love it!
Keith's best vocals, in my opinion, are probably on "The Worst" or "You Got the Silver."
I also agree that the song refers to Keith's "stealing" Anita from Brian, and has nothing to do with his affair with Uschi Obermaier, which I've read on various boards in the past.

Contrary to some opinions here, I think Keith could do justice to this song if he will give it a try. He did amazing job with "You Got The Silver" - not even tried to sing like he did it in the original - there were few marlboros smoked since cutting it - but instead uses his current, strong interpretation skills. I could see it happening with "Coming Down Again" too; Keith is extremily good pushing soul to ballads.

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-11-23 05:49 by Doxa.

A stunningly perfect, shimmeringly beautiful track, at once ethereal and devastating. Heart-wrenching vocals from Keith (and Mick) and a sax solo that brings tears to my eyes. This song is like a friend who knows exactly how to comfort you when you are at your lowest.

Without a doubt, one of my favorite Stones ballads.

Drew

Got the Virgin remaster of GHS recently to re-evaluate the album. Agree with John R about Dancing with Mr. D being better live '73, and Silver Train is lame. But Coming Down Again stood out in a new way. It sounds like the 'Aftermath' of the whole 1968-72 party, and having to come to grips with the Brian/Anita thing and the hopelessness of addiction.

Love the sax and Mick's singing at the end

Great song should be performed live.

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Midnight Toker
Great song should be performed live.

Yes, put a Grand Piano (Steinway) on stage and let Keith play and sing, Mick T and Ronnie on guitar, Bill on bass, Charlie drums and Mick back-up voc and nobody else.

Anybody here ever had that 5am feeling of "where are all my friends, coming down again"? This and Shine A Light, especially the line about "and yourlate night friends leave you, in the cold grey dawn". Really captures the post party chill out vibe superbly.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-09-14 23:24 by Silver Dagger.

still not a fan of the sax. Or the panned double tracks of mick's voice into each speaker. Those two elements always throw me off the mood that the beginning creates. I don't know why the song couldn't have been about 3 minutes.

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cc
still not a fan of the sax. Or the panned double tracks of mick's voice into each speaker. Those two elements always throw me off the mood that the beginning creates. I don't know why the song couldn't have been about 3 minutes.

I think Mick coming in with "sky fall down again" is one of the most tender moments on a Stones record, and the sax solo is magical. Takes the song to another place. Is it a little long? Sure, but you say it like it's a bad thing!

Great track, great vocals, might be a little too long, yeah, but the atmosphere´s marvelous.

Question though: How long did the selfimposed exile after moving to France really last? For some reason I always assumed RS recorded in Jamaica, Rotterdam, Paris +++ for the same "tax-exiled" purpose as on EOMS. However, according to the info above, during the GHS sessions they were back in London working in 1973. Thoughts on that?

The song is pretty dark pitched, so I can't see any reason why Keith couldn't pull this one off today.

Beautiful song. I love the double sax solo.

Did a little re-listen to the UMG remaster and must say - WOW - with attention to details on this track it really gives back in amounts!

The exquisite basslines - Paul McCartney would have been proud.
The really soft saxes during the second chorus (1.58 ->) that´s mixed so low they sounds like flutes. They re-occur around 04.30. That´s some nice arranging!

BTW, by doing the sacrilegious, and edit down the track, I managed to get it down to 04.34 without loosing the tiredness and "aftermath" feeling. It got tighter of course, but it was only some of the double-choruses that had to go.

Does anyone know what this instrument is that you can hear as at the very end of the song, making long mournful sounds? Probably a keyboard of some sort.

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WeLoveYou
Does anyone know what this instrument is that you can hear as at the very end of the song, making long mournful sounds? Probably a keyboard of some sort.

I assumed they were saxes, just as in the chorus I mentioned. Had not heard them that early in the song before, but with headphones they sure sound like flute or some kind of keyboard with flute sound. Soft soprano or alt sax?

Doesn't really sound like sax to me (although I could be wrong).....you can hear it best as the track fades.

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WeLoveYou
Doesn't really sound like sax to me (although I could be wrong).....you can hear it best as the track fades.

I agree. However, as there was no credit I guess I interpreted the possibilities of the sax rather generously

Keyboard?

Hard to say......it certainaly sounds like a keyboard by today's standards, but I wonder what keyboard sounds were available in 1972?

There's another distinctive swirly keyboard sound played during the verses in Time Waits For No-one.

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WeLoveYou
Hard to say......it certainaly sounds like a keyboard by today's standards, but I wonder what keyboard sounds were available in 1972?

There's another distinctive swirly keyboard sound played during the verses in Time Waits For No-one.

The 'flute' type sound seems to have a few pitch bends at certain points, almost like a whammy bar being gently lowered, there were quite a few organs and synths available even in 1972.

It seems as if the sound doesn't sustain for that long, perhaps it's a very well executed, gentle volume pedal guitar part!? I'd always just assumed it was an organ, but the pitch bend thing makes me wonder.

Whoever did that part added a really subtle, but great contribution.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-09-15 16:12 by His Majesty.