Last night I watched a 1982 interview with Bill Wyman in which he claimed the live album Still Life was the best sounding live album the Stones had ever done. I recall how dissappointed I was in the "sound" of the album. Compared to Ya Yas, it hardly sounded like the same band. I realize he was promoting their new product; but the best live sound they ever captured? Any other thoughts on the sound of Still Life?

I loved it from the first minute. And still do.
My journey started there. Great sound!

I know it´s been edited, but so are all the
others, even YaYa´s.

I still love Going To Go Go. That's the one I always play when have the cd in hand.

Bill Wymans playing sounds really good on Still Life's Imagination even thought the song is butchered.

You gotta remember that this was the 80s. It was a modern sound, listen to Charlie´s drums! I´m not too crazy about the sound either, but it was probably hot at the time...

Interview from 1982 ? That's not hard to believe - their last product is always "the best one", and that's not strange...if one have been working on something for months - one easily get carried away by the importance and result of that thing
I like the boots from 81, 10 times better than Still Life



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-07-05 22:50 by Erik_Snow.

All of their live albums have been edited, that's for certain. My specific gripe about Still Life was the muddy sound of the guitars. Compared to the crisp guitar sound of Ya Yas....it just seemed like a strange departure for a guitar band.

my problem with Still Life was always the song selection, so i haven't listened to it in 20 years!! i have some '81 boots, the movie, and went to the 2nd show of the tour, but i'm sure the official release always sounds different. maybe bill thought LYL wasn't as good sounding to his ears.

Love You Live gets knocked around these days, but I recall loving how that album sounded when it came out in 1977. It wasn't nearly as focused as Ya Yas, but I still loved the sound.

I have listened to Still Life more times than any other Stones live album, I have always loved it.

I worked as a courier the summer after it was released. I listened to that tape everyday at top volume in the car for months.

Never understood why every critic hates this album after they tripped over themselves to praise the tour.

The only thing wrong with Still Life is that it isn't longer.

I'm tired, I'm tired of doing what I'm told.
Things are moving way too slow.

Shawn20 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> All of their live albums have been edited, that's
> for certain. My specific gripe about Still Life
> was the muddy sound of the guitars. Compared to
> the crisp guitar sound of Ya Yas....it just seemed
> like a strange departure for a guitar band.

This I don't understand actually. The Stones in '69 to '72 sounded much darker than in '78 to '82 due to the Ampeg/Gibson combination in the Taylor years compared to the Boogie/Fender Tele years of 81/82. The guitars on Ya-Ya's sound great, but not 'crisp' in my opinion.

I still think Keith's guitar sounded best from '77 to '81, with the Pathe Marconi sessions in '77 and the Hampton Roads December 18/19 concerts is absolute peaks. Keith's sound on Imagination from Still Life is still my favourite ever sound.

Mathijs

I loved Still Life too - before hearing full shows from that tour.
Same goes for Let's Spend The Night TOgether movie....it's a terrific film, but once you realize how much have been edited, you'd rather put on the Hampton or Seattle video

Mathijs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Shawn20 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > All of their live albums have been edited,
> that's
> > for certain. My specific gripe about Still
> Life
> > was the muddy sound of the guitars. Compared
> to
> > the crisp guitar sound of Ya Yas....it just
> seemed
> > like a strange departure for a guitar band.
>
> This I don't understand actually. The Stones in
> '69 to '72 sounded much darker than in '78 to '82
> due to the Ampeg/Gibson combination in the Taylor
> years compared to the Boogie/Fender Tele years of
> 81/82. The guitars on Ya-Ya's sound great, but not
> 'crisp' in my opinion.
>
> > Mathijs

Clear and muddy were probably not the best descriptive terms as they relate to guitar sounds. I'll admend clear and muddy to full and thin. The thin guitar sound annoyed me.

compared to the boots from the 81 tour still life is terrible

melillo Wrote:
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> compared to the boots from the 81 tour still life
> is terrible

Actually, I think that from the '81 tour there's only two true documents: Still Life and the Hampton Roads vid. All soundboard recordings we have basically sound like shit, as they're mostly dry mono mixes with bad guitar sound. There's a few audience tapes that are good, some KBFH recordings, but most sounboards sound very thin.

Mathijs

As winter said the song selection on STILL LIFE totally sucks, it doesn't do justice to the show at all (same with FLASHPOINT). I think the last live album the Stones cared about was LOVE YOU LIVE which better reflected the 76 European tour. Still some songs missing (as does Ya-Ya's) but STILL LIFE has many essential songs missing which makes it feel so "last-minute-thrown-together". The first song they should have pulled was the filler LET ME GO... should have been a double FOR SURE..

BTW AMAZON has a legit - boot DVD of the '81 Seattle Show, anybody know anything about it? How's the sound on it?

Nothing beats Ya ya's in my opinion

__________________________

Mathijs wrote :

-----------------------------------------------------

>Actually, I think that from the '81 tour there's only two true documents: Still Life and the Hampton Roads vid. All soundboard recordings we have basically sound like shit, as they're mostly dry mono mixes with bad guitar sound. There's a few audience tapes that are good, some KBFH recordings, but most sounboards sound very thin.

Mathijs


Agree, and now we have the excellent sounding Pontiac shows we can listen to. Makes you appreciate what a great sounding team the Stones were in 81.

I agree it's not ya-yas, but I still do have a soft spot for that album.
Cool cheezy cover too!!!

Helter - I know what you mean about Let Me Go on SL. The band's sound and approach then wasn't kind to that sort of number - conversely, look how their then new sound makes Under My Thumb such a different (but positive) experience from the original. If you go back to EM album and listen to Let Me Go it's a great little rockabilly tune.

Sorry - EM should be ER (Emotional Rescue)!

Still Life starts splendidly and goes rapidly downhill after Under My Thumb.

It was the number one party album back then. It was my second Stones album I think. Album favourites changes from time to time. Right now its very much Goats head soup.

The record was good for that time, another double live album was too much (Love You Live was still fresh), a short and strong album was the way to go and that's Still Life, it covers the last 3 studio albums, some 60's hits and some covers. It sold very well for a live album.

Bill on "Still Life" from "Rolling With the Stones," page 476:

"As a live album it pales against 'Get Yer Ya-Yas Out' and doesn't come close to 'Love You Live.' It is best remembered as the 27th US and 23rd UK release, and not a lot else."

Seems that Bill has had a change of heart over the years.

Yes, but as Erik pointed out....he is no longer pushing "product". I actually remember that interview because I was freakin stunned when he said it (and '81 was my first Stones Tour and I loved every second of the 3 shows I saw).

If I remeber correctly (and I think I do) that was the same 1/2 hr MTV Special that ends with Mick looking at the camera and saying "See you next year", which of course was only 7 years off. lol

Still Life captures the best Stones. i think the sound in 70's is better and diffrent, but in 1981 they rocks...imagination, 20flight, going to a gogo...and the masterpiece UNdER MY THUMB, the best recording ever,(and i love the altamont's), the best live song for the guys.

I LOVE STILL LIFE, IT MADE ME LOVE THE STONES IN THE FAR EIGHTIS...IN THAT WAY I BECOME A STONE FAN.

Good grief, "Let Me Go" is a highlight for me. SL has a great sound (the guitars in particular) and wonderful setlist aimed at fans (they obviously went to great care not to duplicate too much that had already been released). Pearls before swine yet again.

1982 i saw the Stones for the fist time live, but i didn´t really like SL - though there are 2 big exceptions: the version of Under my Thumb is great, and i also loved Goin´to a go-go! Let me go i don´t like - neither the version on ER nor on SL, a rather boring song for me, sorry....