I have been watching listening to some of Urban Steels video posts and I just can't take Mick's singing it is down right awful and ruining for a great performance by the band. I like his live vocals today better. Other perspectives on this????

I have to admit, outta ALL the tours 75-76 seems to be the absolute lowpoint(imo)as far as Micks vocals go. Dont know why. Of course his voice seems to sound better since the 89 tour( advances in equipment?) But my favorite time period for vocals is 64-73!

scottkeef - I would agree with 64-73 and I like 78 to present. Its those two years i can't listen to him. He did not sing like that in the El Mocambo Club. Maybe he was coked out I don't know.

you can't draw any conclusions by listening to the poorest performance of the whole 1975 tour - July 11th 1975...I wish this video never did circulate - the whole band is out of it...unlike almost all other gigs this year
1975 featured some of the most gutsy and brilliant Jagger vocals ever....while 1976 did NOT



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-04-03 02:37 by Erik_Snow.

I don't really mind his TOTA vocal approach. In fact I think it fits the whole sloppy, raunchy, dirty feel of that tour very well. Sure he took the slurring, growling and whatnot too far at times - good TOTA Angie vocal deliveries can be counted on just a few fingers, other songs were very much hit or misses due to Jagger as well - but there are some incredible Jagger performances also imo, especially on the last third of TOTA.

I noticed LOTS of people dislike Jagger vocals during 75-76 tours. must admit that i did never notice/think they were so bad, can u post links to clips where you think this is particularly clear?

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farawayeyes2
can u post links to clips where you think this is particularly clear?

If somebody posts "July 11th clips"...then good grief. There's hardly any footage from 75, except this "off-night" of 07/11
Here's the audio from 2 days later - far superior...posted by Ringo






Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-04-03 02:45 by Erik_Snow.

I think you can count on one hand how many shows he Didnt mangle "Angie" on the 75-76 tour!

Yeah Scott - Angie wasn't among the highlights that year - worked better in 1973; same thing can be said about Street Fighting Man IMO

75/76 and the 81/82 tour legs he "sang" quite horrific. Grunts, growls, low barking, etc... almost like the laid back slumber lumbering performance of the band was his part in it. That kind of 'HUHHH' voice, which he did so well on the Tattoo You tour. He didn't sound like Mick again until 89. 78 he did. And before 75 he did. But those two tours...WTFK!

You had to have been there..... ALL the Stones shows from 1989 on (Michael Cohl's traveling Las Vegas-ish Bonanza !!!) can't touch anything they did from 69 to 82. Cohl brought a whole new big business vibe with the whole packaged "Super Group Super Tour" (excluding 1999's "NO SECURITY" ). The very late 60's and 70's can't be touched but if you weren't there you'll never get it - it goes way beyond Jagger's vocals, WAY BEYOND....

Thanks for the clip Erik, went to that show (and opening night also) at the Forum - The GREATEST ROCK AND ROLL BAND IN THE WORLD, IN DEED, THERE WAS NO DOUBT ON THOSE NIGHTS......

I was at all the Garden shows in 75,and to me his vocals were fine,yeah it was raunchy and sometimes sloopy,but l will take some mistakes, over the polished bullshit we being getting in the last few tours,with all the back up singers, teleprompters,and computerized stuff,imho..

"No dope smoking no beer sold after 12 o'clock"

Love the raunchy Jaggger vocals of 75-81 the best.

Too polished today, but better polished than not at all.

I like the 75/76 vocals of Jagger. He is trying something new, different phrasing, and affect. There are times it is a bit forced, but exciting none the less. He sings some of their warhorses with a different take, and again, sometimes it works great (Honky Tonk), and other times a bit forced (Sympathy). I love his vocal work on Get Off My Cloud, and You Gotta Move....great! And YCAGWYW is fantastic as well. A lot of passion for a song he has sang thousands of times.
81 for me is his low point. He just constantly sounds out of breath and like he has a bad cold. Not a lot of range, other than barking the lyrics.

You might have a point with the Mick's vocals by 'not being there' but it's more about...how bad it was, not whether or not anyone was there or not (which says a lot about THAT). Even his overdubs for LYL are as bad as his live performance.

So basically - 1975-77: Bad Mick vox.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-04-03 06:43 by skipstone.

I personally like the way Mick uses his voice in 1975/76. Like mentioned here, he trues to do something different, and still, in a way he uses his voice as he has always done from the early days: as one more instrument of the band. In EXILE ON MAIN STREET the effect is captured the best way ever in record, but I think the 1975/76 is the most explicit of it on stage. Sometimes he, of course, sounds over the top (that happens when one takes riskies and don't play it safe), but over-all I think he is really pushing his vocals into extreme. Maybe too extreme in some places, and he would never be this "dirty" again (or to use a horrible word: "so deconstructive"). His decadence is just so charmingly presented in his singing. Extreme rock and roll singing, in deed.., I just love it!

Of course, it would have been horrible if he had sang like this ever since - no, he (gladly) did not, and kept on changing his tone and approach. But THAT capturing unique phase in their career, is part of its (Mick's vocals) efficency now. He was a vital, living and breathing rock and roll singer who was still in the process of going somewhere. And TAKING RISKIES!

- Doxa



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2009-04-03 10:01 by Doxa.

I go on, sorry...

I have tried to claim somewhere that BLACK&BLUE is the most "matured" album Jagger had done. Listening his lyrics, voice and approach in songs like "Fool to Cry", "Hanmd of Fate", "Memory Motel", etc. - you just don't hear that kind of Jagger very often.

In a way, I think this "matured" Jagger - perhaps a sort of age crisis of getting old, and thinking can I really act young guy's game forever - is to be heard in his carnivalism and raunchý way of singing in 1975/76 tour. I can hear HIM having difficulties to approach (any longer) his own songs and hits. He seemingly does not have ANY real connection to young, angry rebel of "Get off of my Cloud", and even also the big hits of their superb era (late-60's-early 70's) are getting too obvious and jukebox-like - they were reaching out of that era, and Jagger seems to get tired and bored of singing them, too (just listen "Sympathy" or "Jumping Jack" or whatever). I think at this time of his career, he HATED being repitive. It is very difficult to understand it now when they play all these hits in autopilot, but the things were very different then, and they weren't this nostalgic jukebox band yet.

So, the way I hear Jagger singing those "war horses" (to be called some day)is like getting rid of them. The songs are just sketches to him, and he knows the audience knows them thru and thru; so he gives just some references to their original form - sings the expectations of the audience in his mind. In this way also having quite more "sophisticated" crowd in his mind tahn what he nowadays does. (Funny, I find his approach being like the modern-era Dylan's! Trying to find a new angle into old songs, and sometimes almost ruins them).

There is that strange feeling in Jagger's decadent, wild performances in that 1975/76 of "getting old and knowing this is ridiculous, and we we cannot do this much longer - so let's rock and roll one more time and do as we we like!". I find the whole 1975/76, perhaps 1977 included, very fascinating and interesting phase in their incredible story.

By the next tour and SOME GIRLS Jagger did found a mew "persona", and found out this forever young, boyish Mick and another version of his irony. But that is another story.

- Doxa



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2009-04-03 10:33 by Doxa.

I think Jagger's voice was a bit messy during the 75 tour because he tooks drugs, booze and various substances.I forgot where I read it,but I remember Mick talked about the Jack Daniel he was drinking and that he was smoking a lot.
Just by seeing his eyes in the pictures of this tour....
It's obvious on MR for exemple.



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

jagger`s voice 75-81 - very exciting and raunchy - oposition to nowadays boring and artificial.

I like his singing on the 75 tour. True, he doesn't get all the words right and sometimes he ignores or changes the melody. Also, his pronunciation is hilarious, dropping consonants and creating new, howling dipthongs,, but...

He's very expressive and he's doing a great rock show as well as singing. I much prefer it to the more mannered approach.

Mick sounds drunk on many of the shows but overall I love these tours.

to me, kinda sloppy and shouting. Others have said it was by design or his style at that time. I really don't know.


p

i must be a gluttton for punishment - i love mick's vox on the '75 tour. perfect fit for the times....

Let me tell you, if you had actually BEEN THERE, you wouldn't have noticed Micks' vocals one jot. The music was transcendent. I was lucky to be at Seattle, but even Memphis, Atlanta, LA #1. I am beginning to develop a respect and reverence for this tour out of my past look down my nose at it.

"The wonder of Jimi Hendrix was that he could stand up at all he was so pumped full of drugs." Patsy, Patsy Stone

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whitem8
I like the 75/76 vocals of Jagger. He is trying something new, different phrasing, and affect. There are times it is a bit forced, but exciting none the less. He sings some of their warhorses with a different take, and again, sometimes it works great (Honky Tonk), and other times a bit forced (Sympathy). I love his vocal work on Get Off My Cloud, and You Gotta Move....great! And YCAGWYW is fantastic as well. A lot of passion for a song he has sang thousands of times.
81 for me is his low point. He just constantly sounds out of breath and like he has a bad cold. Not a lot of range, other than barking the lyrics.

I seem to agree with whitem8 alot these days (even choosing SE Asia as home (I haven't but could see doing it someday) - always one of my favorite areas for travel). What I hear in (and remember) about 75 was Jagger was doing a lot of slight reggae accented things throughout the entire shows (first and last nights - out of a 5 night stand - at the LA Forum). He also acted like a big clown on stage, not taking himself serious at all (I always felt there was an over kill seriousness on the 72 Tour - watch LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, doesn't feel loose or spontaneous - 1969 was SPONTANEOUS (but MUCH Darker)

I have to agree with whitem8 once again about 1981. Really a disappointing tour to me when looking back (and having gone to both LA shows). The stage and colors (stage design and what the band wore - especially Mick) make me think of Jane Fonda's Workout Tapes from the 80's. If you noticed, all the "dark songs" (GIMME SHELTER, PAINT IT BLACK, SYMPATHY, RAMBLER, etc) were kept off the set list but yet mediocre throw aways like HANG FIRE and LET ME GO stayed in... a weird 80's tour for a weird decade full of big hair (see Bono's at 85's Live Aid show)...

He sounds drunk as a rat on most of the '75 shows I've heard.

I'm amused that people think 7/11/75 is such a bad show. That was the show that was the subject of Jann Wenner's fawning review. L.A. Friday Night, in Rolling Stone. And it took place on my 15th birthday.

My problems with the '75 tour are: 1) Jagger's usually drunk; 2) Wood doesn't quite fit in yet; 3) Keef's scarily out of it; 4) Billy Preston gets in the way; and 5) Ollie Brown is just unnecessary. Stu, Wyman, and Watts, however, are generally fabbo!

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HelterSkelter

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whitem8
I like the 75/76 vocals of Jagger. He is trying something new, different phrasing, and affect. There are times it is a bit forced, but exciting none the less. He sings some of their warhorses with a different take, and again, sometimes it works great (Honky Tonk), and other times a bit forced (Sympathy). I love his vocal work on Get Off My Cloud, and You Gotta Move....great! And YCAGWYW is fantastic as well. A lot of passion for a song he has sang thousands of times.
81 for me is his low point. He just constantly sounds out of breath and like he has a bad cold. Not a lot of range, other than barking the lyrics.

I seem to agree with whitem8 alot these days (even choosing SE Asia as home (I haven't but could see doing it someday) - always one of my favorite areas for travel). What I hear in (and remember) about 75 was Jagger was doing a lot of slight reggae accented things throughout the entire shows (first and last nights - out of a 5 night stand - at the LA Forum). He also acted like a big clown on stage, not taking himself serious at all (I always felt there was an over kill seriousness on the 72 Tour - watch LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, doesn't feel loose or spontaneous - 1969 was SPONTANEOUS (but MUCH Darker)

I have to agree with whitem8 once again about 1981. Really a disappointing tour to me when looking back (and having gone to both LA shows). The stage and colors (stage design and what the band wore - especially Mick) make me think of Jane Fonda's Workout Tapes from the 80's. If you noticed, all the "dark songs" (GIMME SHELTER, PAINT IT BLACK, SYMPATHY, RAMBLER, etc) were kept off the set list but yet mediocre throw aways like HANG FIRE and LET ME GO stayed in... a weird 80's tour for a weird decade full of big hair (see Bono's at 85's Live Aid show)...

Thanks Helter, and I often agree with you as well!
I remember the 81 tour as my first live Stones experience, so I was really entranced and caught up in the moment. And loved it when I was there seeing them live. However, I also remember that feeling fading quite quickly, and being somewhat embarrassed by there look, yeah Jane Fonda workout tape indeed. Jagger prancing around in a members only jacket with those dreadful football tights. To this day I try avoiding showing those shows to friends who want to understand why I love the stones so much... Yeah there are great musical moments, I love Going to A Go Go, and Under My Thumb, but for me that tour was their nadir of modern live performances.

A fantastic tour, the raunchiest tour in true '70's drug glammer style they ever did, and to date Charlie's best tour. He didn't play better before or after.

Mathijs

I agree, Charlie is on fire, and I think Ollie Brown inspired him to stretch out and experiment more with his fills, and use of symbols. My favorite Charlie tour!

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Mathijs
A fantastic tour, the raunchiest tour in true '70's drug glammer style they ever did, and to date Charlie's best tour. He didn't play better before or after.

Mathijs

Although I love the '75 tour to death (and '78),
I think Charlie's best tour was 1978.
That would be an interesting thread in itself, comparing the drumming
from '75 and '78.
I also like Jagger's vocals on the '78 tour the best.
Lots of attitude that year which '75 and '76 didn't have.
But no slings and arrows at me, please. I love the '75 tour.