I grew up listening to Love You Live and still love the album. No doubt it's due to the sentimentality of my formative years rather than any objective criticism.

Having said that - '78 just plain rocked.

While I like the set list of 75 & 76 (Fingerprint File in particular) it always sounded to me like the band was still trying to find it's live voice after Taylor's departure. They had it going on in '78 with a return to the straight ahead, 3 chord rock 'n' roll better suited to Keith and Ron. Although I think Ron's playing was much better and featured more in '76.

78' may have been the last time well 81' they did it too but the really promoted Some Girls which was awesome. they don't do that anymore.

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Tumblin_Dice_07
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.

I'd take 76 over anything post 1981. Between 76 and 78, I'd go with 78, until I listen to a few bootlegs (same damn setlists so i'd get bored easily) then I would switch over to 76 (same damn setlists so i'd get bored easily) ahhhhh curse the stones for not mixing up the setlists back then . . .

The 78 tour by far. I saw them at the Superdome in New Orleans. Opening act Van Halen, followed by the Doobie Brothers and then the ROLLING STONES. At the time, it was a record crowd for an indoor concert.

Mike

Although I didn't see any of the shows on both tours, it seems to me that the 78 American Tour was more exciting than the 76 European Tour. In 1976, the Rolling Stones appeared somewhat "tired".Billy Preston stepping up musically and physically during the show and Mick doing his "tarzan" moves demonstrates that the Stones tried too hard to find other ways, beside playing music, to entertain their audiences. The result was that the music was not 100% the focus of a show. In 1978 , the music returned center stage. It was raw,uneven, and some nights fantastic. From what I ear on bootlegs(handsome Girls for example) and what I see on videos, 1978 was better. But there is the 1977 mini-mini tour, the 2 gigs at El Mocambo and that was pretty good too. The guitars sound awesome during those 2 shows!
Rock and Roll,
mops

Hands down, 1978 Kiel Opra House.

CBII

"78" without a doubt!!!

I didn't see '76 or '78 - they were no where near where I was, and as a poor teenager, I couldn't just fly off to see them.

But when you listen to the boots, '78 is a revitalized band with a great new album to show off. Probably the best sounding tour ever.

1978 as far as the bootlegs prove. 1976 messy and slightly lazy. 1978 ballsy, as far away from the latter day Stones one "could possibly imagine"! 75 fr better than 76, though I love much of the B&B stuff, on record!