Well, I just saw the Stones 4 Times in 76 in Germany ( Frankfurt--Münster-- Dortmund--Kiel).I am not a "fan" of Black and Blue, even it has some good tracks like "Hand of Fate, Memory motel, Crazy Mama and "Hey, Negrita, THe Shows were not bad at all, but I felt a little dissapointed after those concerts. Maybe, cause I like the period 63-72 most. my one and only Show in 1978 was the gig in Anaheim.they started, I think, with "let it Rock". It was just a great party.Stones played very "dirty", but they took the audience by storm with a lot of "some girls"-stuff. I prefer 78-tour.

under the boardwalk---down by the sea

78, but 75/76 had a great setlist.

'78....they were amped up and touring behing a great lp....had a sense of purpose....still like the '75-'76 tour

1978 was a very good tour whereas 1976 most certainly wasn't.

gimme a solid 78 show over a solid 76 show - pound for pound, 78 was perhaps their best of the ronnie years

The 1978 tour was absolutely the best/freshest/ruffest/tuffest they did after 1973!!

I think the people of this board will prefer the '78 tour in a landslide over '76. The '76 tour is generally regarded as their worst tour of the '70's and some will say their worst tour ever.

...75/76 was the worst comppared to what???....near genius performances in the 70's???...having said that....78 was awesome

To me it's like: 78 was like when you have had one drink to lube you, and then race out and play; 76 was like you might have gotten the very best drugs and booze but you've done way too much and you really should just burp, and go to sleep.
78 was the best ever rockin free-ass tour. It might have been the sleaziest Stones ever. The album was great, and the vibe was great. The band was in top shape; on fire.
While 76 has the great setlists, and also a top album; there was a whole other tired feeling of excess that permeated the tour.

78 Tour was cool and rough. And Some Girls was better album then B&B. Anyway i think Mick's voice was really sharp, very rock n roll. Handsome Girls boot shows it all

I prefer the '78 Tour-especially the indoor shows. Based on what I've listened to of the outdoor shows and having been to the Oakland show to end the tour, they just didn't pull off the energy, anger and urgency that the indoors environment tended to generate.

76 was really mediocre. some groovy shows, some cool new tunes, some interesting ideas... yep... but that wasn't *this* for me.

78 was one of the three definitive Stones tours, it was their back-to-basics masterpiece.

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76 was really mediocre. some groovy shows, some cool new tunes, some interesting ideas... yep... but that wasn't *this* for me.

78 was one of the three definitive Stones tours, it was their back-to-basics masterpiece.

As in 69 - 72/73 - 78?

1978! Thankfully, we have "Handsome Girls" to provide the proof. For '76, well, we have "Love You Live". Compare the two back-to-back, and there's no contest. 1976 comes off as lazy, forced, and an engine running out of gas. In 1978 the band was reinvigorated, coming off a strong album, and they felt as if they had something to prove.

76 complacent.
78 purposeful.

78 over 76 both sloppy at times but 78 had one of the best albums ever behind it so it gets the nod IMO

78 was more rough but 76 more grrovy.



I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

Quite a strong cohesion of opinions here. And I agree.

1976 tour was maybe their most decadent tour ever and I think the band sounded a bit uninspired and unfocused. Without a purpose one could say. BLACK&BLUE, even though it is reviewed nicely these days, was not such a strong effort after all, and the band didn't sound very comfortable with a new material. They just took few new numbers but otherwise continued with their 1975 tour concept. Well, it was the same with 1973 tour and GOATS HEAD SOAP - not very inspired album either -but the band performanwise still found a new gear for that 1973 tour that gave it an identity of its own. In 1976 that had just seemingly degenerated from their inspired 1975 shape with Ronnie onboard, and Jagger finding his decadent, self-parodic stage persona. Of course, those performances - AUX ABATTOIRS specifically - are wonderful, because they are still quite young and energetic (from today's point of view); they couldn't do much wrong then: they breathed rock&roll, and it is unique in any form it.

But in 1978 they had the purpose again; they had an album that was as importnat for their career as BEGGARS BANQUET was a decade before, and they knew it. One can hear how proud they are of their new material, and they play it as self-certain as they once played BEGGARS/LET IT BLEED material in their 1969 American tour. Of course, some of their shows (especially the early ones) were quite messy ones, but that is a part of the charm, right? The point was being rough, and, yes they were... Musically I think the 1981/82 tour was a kind enlargement, bigger version of their 1978 tour - the sound created in 1978 was the base for that tour, too - now with bigger schemes - the phase of SOME GIRLS/EMOTIONAL RESCUE/TATTOO YOU, and the tours of '78, '81-'82 was a kind of package of its own.

- Doxa



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 2009-10-07 12:13 by Doxa.

Early 75

I prefer 76. Great blues tunes like "You gotta move", inspired and surprising interpretations of old songs (Get of off my Cloud in the medley together with If You can't Rock Me), great version of YCAGWYW without the sometimes annoying sax, more accurate guitar work of Ronnie especially. In 78 they sound often like a messy punk band, Jagger wasn't in his best voice, in 76 he was only shouting though unfortunately. Ronnies solos were getting worse in 78.

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...75/76 was the worst comppared to what???....near genius performances in the 70's???...having said that....78 was awesome

You're putting words in my mouth. I didn't say the '75/'76 tour was the worst of the '70's, I singled out the '76 tour. I think the '75 Tour of the America's was alot better than the '76 tour. Take a poll on this site. I guarantee the consensus will be that the '76 European tour was the weakest tour of the '70's. They still played some great shows on that tour though.

78 by far!!! The 75-76 tour is the worst live Stones for ME.

Huh? Are we talking about the Rolling Stones?
You must be joking!
'78 was by far the worst show I've seen. Almost didn't go in '81 because of it. (Thank god I didn't listen to myself.)
The set list was good, but the band sounded horrible! At least that was the case at Anaheim Stadium.

1978
and I was at the notorious Philly show!

1978, I was at Philly too, spent the night before the show in the parking lot.
I was close enough to throw oranges at Foreigner as no one was there to see them.
Mick was sick but they played a fast 90 minute show and threw in 'Satisfaction' to boot.

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Doctor Dear!
1978
and I was at the notorious Philly show!

me too , my first show

I love both tours! And it depends on my state of mind which one I like better. However, having said that, I inch towards 78. Like many have posted, they were touring behind an incredible album, they were revived, feeling hungry and angry. I have Handsome Girls and it does portray a band that is firing on all five cylinders. Tight and fast arrangements and no frills rock and roll. The circus is gone and they are just reverting back to their basics. Having said that, I do know there were a lot of "bad" shows on that tour.
75/76 has its moments too! And I am in the minority saying that I think LYL is great! It is a different Stones though isn't it. Drugged out, in the middle of the disco craze in the US and their "new" guitarist. Some great interesting interpritations, If You Can't Rock Me/Get Off My Cloud is stunning! I don't they had ever done that type of jam meld before. And it works very well. Star Star is full on with anger and vengance. Fingerprint File, which they have never done since was fantastic and very different from IORR. And I also love YCAGWYW! Great funk version with some heavy percussion that in parts sound like Slave. And the stage was brilliant.... two very different animals. The bloated circus act that became the brunt of the Punk movement's ire, to the lean mean fighting machine backing Some Girls.

Did not see either tour. Too young.

78, some great energy and playing. When the Whip Comes Down is fantastic!

Can we include 75? SFTD was awesome the few times they played it.

I missed the 78 tour because I got robbed. Was gonna go to Chicago, was very pissed off to say the least. But in 81 saw them 3 times.

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tippy2toes
I missed the 78 tour because I got robbed. Was gonna go to Chicago, was very pissed off to say the least. But in 81 saw them 3 times.

ah that blows. Chicago '78 was a really good one