Last great album. Real classics; they took it on the road, and played them every night. Solid guitar work all over the album, and strong songwriting throughout; i.e. No embarrassments (like Voodoo). Lyrics are good too.

Fantastic album and I much prefer it over VL. More sophisticated and reeks of the tension between the Glimmers that gives it that edge. A big production too, with lots of time spent mixing, which gives it a great full sound. The studio to live treatment sometimes were hit or miss. Anybody Seen My Baby didn't quite catch the eerie funk groove of the studio version, but a few nights it worked. Saint of Me was their return to writing great stadium rockers that felt like a bar room. I wish I could have seen them on that tour, I did get the follow up of No Security. They were really into playing and stretched out that tour, which was fantastic. Keith's stuff on BTB is great. Very layered and a lot of care. And him ending with the last two songs is great! How Can You Stop is a great soul slow burner, with some great backing vocals. Very gospel like as well. All in all my favorite of the "new" stones.

The last album with mysterious atmosphere and groove from first notes of Flip the Switch to How Can I stop last cymbal....The best production since Tatoo You.

>> first notes of Flip the Switch to How Can I stop last cymbal <<

Charlie opens and closes the album ... which is a wonderfully strong and beautiful one, for sure

It`s great when we all together got our own favorites, that`s why all realeses are importen

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DeliveranceStraightwayHoliness
Last great album. Real classics; they took it on the road, and played them every night. Solid guitar work all over the album, and strong songwriting throughout; i.e. No embarrassments (like Voodoo). Lyrics are good too.

I think it's a good album, but not their last great album.

IMHO the BTB tour was the last where Kef and Ronnie were on just about every night. Their playing has gone down every tour since then..........

...and they nearly played lots of songs live....

flip the switch
anybody seen my baby
low down
already over me
you don´t have to mean it
saint of me
out of control
might as well get juiced
thief in the night
how can i stop


10 from 13
..much more than on voodoo lounge, steel wheels or a bigger bang..only to mention the last four records with big tours behind!!

Yes Yes . This album is great . It's one of those that I kept buying copies of because I'd lose them and then remember a song I liked and have to purchase a new copy . I love LOWDOWN with the background harmonies . SAINT OF ME with Billy Preston chiming in . And the slinky groove of ANYBODY SEEN . And then Keiths THEIF IN THE NIGHT . It was like 69 all over again .

I disagree when it comes to comparing Bridges to VL. I think Voodoo Lounge was a better album and tour. In my mind, Bridges tour clearly was the first time the Stones seemed a little older, a little slower, and a little less energy. Voodoo Lounge was still high energy, like the Steel Wheels tour, but not too polished like the Steel Wheels tour. Voodoo Lounge was the last tour Ronnie was still awsome, a HUGE contributer. And Keith's fingers moved like a different person than today. On Voodoo Lounge, Keith still carried so much of the sound (unlike today). Charlie really stood out on the Voodoo Lounge tour too. He swung hard! And Mick was like a kid. The band was GREAT in 1994. VL is the last tour they really looked young and really a lot stronger pyhsically. To me, the Bridges To Babylon tour was a step down. Furthermore, they have never returned to that level of VL. I'll go as far as to say that Voodoo Lounge was one of their best tours and that they were in top form.

I also want to note how tight they were on the VL tour. Maybe the 4 of them really made a point of tightened up the 4 of them, because they had to break in a new bass player???

"You'll be studying history and you'll be down the gym. And I'll be down the pub, probably playing pool and drinking."

That's funny. I found the Bridges touring Stones to play and sound much better than the Voodoo touring Stones.

+1 Skip...... I saw multiple shows on each tour and have many boot videos from both and I thought the playing on the BtB tour had much more energy and the shows were much tighter...Just an opinion.........

I think bridges to babylon is a great album, and when I saw them live during that tour was one of the best tours theyve ever done..

I agree that Bridges was one of their best tours ever. I like the album as well.

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mickjagger1009
I disagree when it comes to comparing Bridges to VL. I think Voodoo Lounge was a better album and tour. In my mind, Bridges tour clearly was the first time the Stones seemed a little older, a little slower, and a little less energy. Voodoo Lounge was still high energy, like the Steel Wheels tour, but not too polished like the Steel Wheels tour. Voodoo Lounge was the last tour Ronnie was still awsome, a HUGE contributer. And Keith's fingers moved like a different person than today. On Voodoo Lounge, Keith still carried so much of the sound (unlike today). Charlie really stood out on the Voodoo Lounge tour too. He swung hard! And Mick was like a kid. The band was GREAT in 1994. VL is the last tour they really looked young and really a lot stronger pyhsically. To me, the Bridges To Babylon tour was a step down. Furthermore, they have never returned to that level of VL. I'll go as far as to say that Voodoo Lounge was one of their best tours and that they were in top form.

I also want to note how tight they were on the VL tour. Maybe the 4 of them really made a point of tightened up the 4 of them, because they had to break in a new bass player???

Good post; don't agree with your opinions, but good stance.

Loved the tour - the album definitely had its moments, but I never felt it was strong enough to be considered 'classic'. It had some wonderful tracks for sure - OOC and SOM are obvious classics, and 'How Can I Stop' is one of my favorite Keith tracks of all time. But tracks like 'Always Suffering' feel unfinished, and 'Lowdown' and 'Juiced' are really just heavily-produced filler.

I do have great memories associated with this album though - it came out during my first year of college. Good times!!

"Juiced" sound much better live. I thought it was excellent when they played it during the 1/17/98 MSG show. It sounds great on the "Sweet Home New York City" Crystal Cat CD...sounds like it scould have been from an album fromm the 70's.....

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oldschool
IMHO the BTB tour was the last where Kef and Ronnie were on just about every night. Their playing has gone down every tour since then..........

When Ronnie talks about doing tours that he cant remember, its generally the BTB/NO SECURITY era he's referring to.

He was utterly AWOL for most of it, showing a return to form when he got sober for the 2002 shows.

Keith's last truly great tour, part of which was because he carried the band's guitar sound for most of it while Ronnie spent most of the shows posing and waving.

As for the album - an underrated gem IMO. The best Stones album since Tattoo You.

Gazza just hit the nail on the head!!!

Keith was definitely great on the tour. I loved his guitar sound - a lot heavier than Voodoo (waaay too clean, that one). Ronnie had his moments, check out 'Wanna Hold You' from St. Louis - he pulls out a classic Ronnie solo at the end. But generally, yeah, he was just kind of lost in the woods, whereas he was in fine form on the Voodoo tour.

Back to the album, I think it genuinely STRIVES for something a little different, but it just lacks focus. I've heard stories of a rift between Keith and Mick during the recording, that Mick was disappointed with VL and wanted something more modern and progressive, while Keith (as usual) wanted a more classic sound. The result was pretty inconsistent, I thought. But the real weakness of the album lies in limp songwriting: Always Suffering, Lowdown, Gunface - they're just not very good songs, lyrically or musically. Don Was and all the guests producers did their best to dress them up real pretty, but at their core they're quite hollow. Same goes for 'Flip the Switch', except it stands high above those thanks to a strong Mick vocal, some hot licks from Keith and a groovy bassline.

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oldschool
"Juiced" sound much better live. I thought it was excellent when they played it during the 1/17/98 MSG show. It sounds great on the "Sweet Home New York City" Crystal Cat CD...sounds like it scould have been from an album fromm the 70's.....

I totally agree. The live version is really outstanding. Awesome slide guitar work from Keith.

The Bridges To Babylon album is surely in my top 5.

Gazza, I've always understood Ronnie's talk about ALL the tours, ESPECIALLY the first 3 (75-82). Not denying any of the others but he does go one about those tours in general, "back in the day" kind of talk.

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skipstone
Gazza, I've always understood Ronnie's talk about ALL the tours, ESPECIALLY the first 3 (75-82). Not denying any of the others but he does go one about those tours in general, "back in the day" kind of talk.

I think the 40 licks tour was the first he ever played sober in his carrer wasn't it?? The 4 shows I saw during the BtB tour I thought Ronnie played pretty good and he sounds o.k on all the boots I have and I have many from that tour.....I also agree Keef was really on that tour

great cd still rocking to the music.PLAY IT LOUD AND ROCK-ROLL WILL HIT THE FLOOR.

Wayne Shorter played on it. it's just 1 minute of saxophone soloing but makes the whole record special for me

I think kish be touched.

I still like this one, there are a couple of great moments i always remember Keith singing "you just dont move me anymore" in 1988 I always got the feeling he got over that on this record, Mick was really trying.

Bridges does have some brilliant tunes and various licks, riffs, etc on it. I still love Flip The Switch, I still think Anybody Seen My Baby is brilliant. I love Low Down. Already Over Me is the song they should have released as a single. You Don't Have To Mean It is brilliant. Out Of Control is pretty good. I've always liked Too Tight - even if it is just pedestrian Stones - it has some energy to it that is lacking on Voodoo, for one...Thief In The Night is excellent and How Can I Stop is an amazing song.

The rest of the tunes, the ones I didn't mention, are terrible. Lose those and it's a pretty damn good album.

horribly produced. should have been much better.

Yes, great tour. It did seem Keith was on and into the music more. Good album. Probably more of the more played album's I play on a regular basis. First introduction of the bridge and the boys playing in the middle. Wild.