Thanks for puttin up such a thread. Again
I have seen the Stones live since 1976 on all Tours in Europe and Bigger Bang in the US.
The big change of Rock and Roll happened in Knebworth 1976 when the Stones said Goodbye to Arenas and took over the Stadiums at least on most tours in Europe until 2003 (only for a few occassions)
On all Tours the Stones had just wonderful concerts and nights to remember and on all Tours the Stones had just awful concerts and nights you better forget but kept them in memories because you're a fan.
For me the peak performances have been
2nd concert in Frankfurt, June 30th 1982 (a trilogy like 02 in 2007)
Basel 1990
Basel 1995 2nd Concert
Circus Stockholm 2003
Wembley Arena 1st concert in arena 2003
Hollywood Bowl 2005 2nd concert
San Diego 2005
There have been good tunes in 06 and 07 but I cannot recall the night of nights.
Anyway everybody has a different oppinion.
But to my understanding the Stones are much firmer today than in the early 70ies. Then again you might have had concerts which just blew your brain away. But that I can't tell. I can only tell that' we're all getting older, but for that reason the past is not always the best.

A RE VISIT TO THE EARLY 60s Thats a new??? direction, include some hits + some of the Chess Sessions

I'd say Mick's vocals today live are as good as they have ever been.

His voice is just in great shape, and I'd gladly trade the mannerisms of today for the annoying growls of the mid to late 70's.

Musically, the Stones were just a tighter, more swinging little combo in the early 70's than...well then ever since.

That's not to say they don't still rock out on a given song or on a given night...but overall......

I miss Hopkins, Wyman, Stew.....

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Grison
Thanks for puttin up such a thread. Again
I have seen the Stones live since 1976 on all Tours in Europe and Bigger Bang in the US.
The big change of Rock and Roll happened in Knebworth 1976 when the Stones said Goodbye to Arenas and took over the Stadiums at least on most tours in Europe until 2003 (only for a few occassions)
On all Tours the Stones had just wonderful concerts and nights to remember and on all Tours the Stones had just awful concerts and nights you better forget but kept them in memories because you're a fan.
For me the peak performances have been
2nd concert in Frankfurt, June 30th 1982 (a trilogy like 02 in 2007)
Basel 1990
Basel 1995 2nd Concert
Circus Stockholm 2003
Wembley Arena 1st concert in arena 2003
Hollywood Bowl 2005 2nd concert
San Diego 2005
There have been good tunes in 06 and 07 but I cannot recall the night of nights.
Anyway everybody has a different oppinion.
But to my understanding the Stones are much firmer today than in the early 70ies. Then again you might have had concerts which just blew your brain away. But that I can't tell. I can only tell that' we're all getting older, but for that reason the past is not always the best.

My recent ears tell me that the past (before 1975, so you were a bit too late in fact) was the best. Listen to this, from about 17:00. Says it all. Nothing to add.

[www.wordmagazine.co.uk]

I just like their sound better with Mick Taylor and Bill Wyman. They had off nights like any group, but when they were in a groove it created a magic. Rock and rollers are just like elite athletes there is about a 15 year window when they are at their peak. Notice I said rock and rollers, not bluesman, not country singers. I will take a 30 year old Mick Jagger over a 60 year old Mick Jagger in a rock and roll performance any day. The Stones in the the past two decades can be very good, but it it not the energy of youth.

Yes, mckalk, the Mick Taylor years were the best by a very long distance. However, the 78 tour sounded good at times also. I haven't enjoyed the Stones as a live experience at all since 89, and find it hard to understand how anyone could make the case that they are better. There is nothing the Stones do better now than they did in their 60s-70s prime, unless professionalism is your argument, and that really isn't very rock 'n' roll.

The Albums and guitar solos were certainly superior in the 70's, but when the band is on their game live, then does it matter what the calendar says. I have been to about dozen shows in the last twenty one years that were superb, and to say the seventies were way better, well that is more nostalgia than what the Stones are doing lately.

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Beelyboy
yes really.

really really. really really really.

honestly.
and really. realistically in context yes. really. mostly. really.\

not dissing GREAT ass shows on licks tour and that's kinda recent!!
not just sloughing off great performances along the way and yes they've probably always been kinda 'uneven' night to night; part of the charm; part of the frustration....i love em in sixties too oh yeah sixties... and seventies....
really

after bill left whole nother dealio....
sometimes catching sometimes not; always hyper super 'staged' but not necessarily "Played" in dedicated fashion. ok they human. their contribution so immense. they deserve whatever plunder...i starting to get to used to the idea that they are kinda really 'gone'.... ya know? and not cause of age. cause of sloth...

I may not be Beely's #1 music fan but when the man writes an opinion piece step back Jack and get out of the effing way cause NO ONE does it better than "The Boy" and if you don't agree we'll have you run over by our giant Writer's Steamroller and we'll have you flatter than the lead Singer chick in DEAD WEATHER. Now Beely Boy is totally correct here. The 70's was about the music.... and A LOT more.

"The Show" Was coming to town and if you didn't have a clue as to what EXACTLY show it was than my friend it was time for you to "GET BACK TO YOUR CAVE IN THE WOODS". "The Magic Circus" was coming to town and you could feel it and taste it and smell it. It was an EVENT, a giant event - no such thing happens anymore, not even Macca (who's first outing in a long time in 1989 was an event, but a different sort than our own Rockers). I was lucky enough to see EVERY 1970's Southern Cal area (LA /San Diego) show - that's (69),72,73,75,78,79 (New Barbs),(81) and you can see the whole thing start to fall apart at the 1981 shows (LET ME GO? but no SUMMER ROMANCE. TWENTY FLIGHT ROCK but no SHELTER, or SYMPATHY, or RAMBLER??) The bright pastel colors were so bright and goofy that you were waiting for Jane Fonda or Richard Simmons come out and give you a "Rolling Stones Rock 'N' Roll Workout".

Yep, Cartoon colors, the worst stage outfits since Liberace (or Elvis rejects) and EVERY dark-ish Stones song keep off the set list and you just knew the era of HAIRCUT 100 was around the corner. In all honestly, the first half of the 70's had the best shows. Jagger was hanging around a lot with Andy Warhol and it showed the Circus of the 70's, never again, the shows were more than magic, just amazing !!!

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StonesTod
only a heretic or a fool would suggest the 70's weren't better than the 00's.

Or perhaps the occasional rogue.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-06-04 22:19 by ryanpow.

How can anyone say Jagger's vox are as good today as they have ever been? He barely moves in the register; if he can avoid going too high he will. Bernard carries all that. I am aware of all the ins and outs of stadium rock; he is an ageing man who is doing a hard physical task: running, performing and singing. But maybe the solution is to get off those damn stadium stages.

I cannot think of any RnR band that reached its creative peak later in its career. With Exile the Stones were pushing the limits of peak time for most bands, that record being released during the band's 9th or 10th year. If you think the band reached its peak after Exile, well, they certainly beat some very long odds. A singular achievement, indeed.

I think the biggest swing in the quality of the band is from the 1972 and 1973 live boots to the next tour - 1975-76. That's the same band? Amazingly not. Forget the changing of one guitar player. The whole band is on quaaludes. The energy is gone. The intensity only comes through here and there and even then it's very much so a mess. They were on some kind of barbitual slow ride on that tour compared to the fast lightning cracking version of the band for the previous two tours.

And then you have the 1978 tour - again, a totally different band to the previous tour. An amazing difference. 1981/82 tour to 78? Bubblegum pop rock almost. And Mick sounding like he's taking a shit the entire time.

Of course the gigantic glacial lull may have helped because in 1989-90 they sounded like a whole other band yet again, almost what many might consider a live karaoke version of the band with Mick actually singing for the most part. 1994-95 they sounded like a somewhat sober version of the 1975-76 band - still a bit grunty and sloppy and slow but not as much to the 75-76 yet maybe a bit more together if that makes sense.

Aside from the boots of 1972 and 73 my favourite live version of the band has been the Bridges and Licks tours.

"And Mick sounding like he's taking a shit the entire time."

Classic.

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theimposter
"And Mick sounding like he's taking a shit the entire time."

Classic.

Actually the whole band was taking a crap during those tours. Couldn't stand that semi punk lets play these songs as as fast as we can tours. Mick with his red outfits and knee pads. HAH! I thought the band played best during The Voodoo Longe Tour. Can you imagine them attemting Monkey Man or Midnight Rambler during 78 and 81? I shudder to think about it.

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More Hot Rocks

Quote
theimposter
"And Mick sounding like he's taking a shit the entire time."

Classic.

Actually the whole band was taking a crap during those tours. Couldn't stand that semi punk lets play these songs as as fast as we can tours. Mick with his red outfits and knee pads. HAH! I thought the band played best during The Voodoo Longe Tour. Can you imagine them attemting Monkey Man or Midnight Rambler during 78 and 81? I shudder to think about it.

Like you, I have imagined it. And like you, I have shuddered at the thought. Personally I thought the attempts to sound "punk" were a little desperate and self-conscious. But at least they sounded like they had a fire up their asses. The only tours where I think they sounded truly uninspired and non-essential were the 75/76 and Bigger Bang tours. On those outings, they had nothing to challenge them, and they refused to challenge themselves.

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StonesTod
only a heretic or a fool would suggest the 70's weren't better than the 00's.

some people also prefer kenny g over miles davis lol.

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Slick

Quote
StonesTod
only a heretic or a fool would suggest the 70's weren't better than the 00's.

some people also prefer kenny g over miles davis lol.

Not well thought out, guys. To Slick, we're talking about live performance here. Nothing more. And even in passing or jest, to bring up the great Miles Davis here overlooks the fact that he himself was a questionable live performer in his later years. The man was famous for leaving shows long before they were over. Stones never did that. And I won't even respond to the horrid Kenny G reference.

Stonestod, I may be a heretic AND a fool in more ways than one, but I never said the Stones were better in the 00s. I really was only saying that I think the Stones from the 70s/80s could be overrated, as the band from 89-til now (NOT just the 00s) is often underrated in live performance.

Quote
theimposter

Quote
Slick

Quote
StonesTod
only a heretic or a fool would suggest the 70's weren't better than the 00's.

some people also prefer kenny g over miles davis lol.

Not well thought out, guys. To Slick, we're talking about live performance here. Nothing more. And even in passing or jest, to bring up the great Miles Davis here overlooks the fact that he himself was a questionable live performer in his later years. The man was famous for leaving shows long before they were over. Stones never did that. And I won't even respond to the horrid Kenny G reference.

Stonestod, I may be a heretic AND a fool in more ways than one, but I never said the Stones were better in the 00s. I really was only saying that I think the Stones from the 70s/80s could be overrated, as the band from 89-til now (NOT just the 00s) is often underrated in live performance.

ok, here are some more examples
some people also prefer:
johnny cougar over bruce springsteen
neil diamond over bob dylan
green day over sex pistols
macca solo over the beatles
vegas stones over rolling stones

whatever turns you on, but those who prefer vegas stones to rolling stones will be labeled accordingly lol.

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HelterSkelter

Quote
Beelyboy
yes really.

really really. really really really.

honestly.
and really. realistically in context yes. really. mostly. really.\

not dissing GREAT ass shows on licks tour and that's kinda recent!!
not just sloughing off great performances along the way and yes they've probably always been kinda 'uneven' night to night; part of the charm; part of the frustration....i love em in sixties too oh yeah sixties... and seventies....
really

after bill left whole nother dealio....
sometimes catching sometimes not; always hyper super 'staged' but not necessarily "Played" in dedicated fashion. ok they human. their contribution so immense. they deserve whatever plunder...i starting to get to used to the idea that they are kinda really 'gone'.... ya know? and not cause of age. cause of sloth...

I may not be Beely's #1 music fan but when the man writes an opinion piece step back Jack and get out of the effing way cause NO ONE does it better than "The Boy" and if you don't agree we'll have you run over by our giant Writer's Steamroller and we'll have you flatter than the lead Singer chick in DEAD WEATHER. Now Beely Boy is totally correct here. The 70's was about the music.... and A LOT more.

"The Show" Was coming to town and if you didn't have a clue as to what EXACTLY show it was than my friend it was time for you to "GET BACK TO YOUR CAVE IN THE WOODS". "The Magic Circus" was coming to town and you could feel it and taste it and smell it. It was an EVENT, a giant event - no such thing happens anymore, not even Macca (who's first outing in a long time in 1989 was an event, but a different sort than our own Rockers). I was lucky enough to see EVERY 1970's Southern Cal area (LA /San Diego) show - that's (69),72,73,75,78,79 (New Barbs),(81) and you can see the whole thing start to fall apart at the 1981 shows (LET ME GO? but no SUMMER ROMANCE. TWENTY FLIGHT ROCK but no SHELTER, or SYMPATHY, or RAMBLER??) The bright pastel colors were so bright and goofy that you were waiting for Jane Fonda or Richard Simmons come out and give you a "Rolling Stones Rock 'N' Roll Workout".

Yep, Cartoon colors, the worst stage outfits since Liberace (or Elvis rejects) and EVERY dark-ish Stones song keep off the set list and you just knew the era of HAIRCUT 100 was around the corner. In all honestly, the first half of the 70's had the best shows. Jagger was hanging around a lot with Andy Warhol and it showed the Circus of the 70's, never again, the shows were more than magic, just amazing !!!

Well, they did open with the Altamont murder song, so not EVERY dark song was kept out.

FYI, UNDER MY THUMB isn't a mid 60's dark "PAINT IT BLACK/SYMPATHY" end of the world type song - it's a 60's flower power light weight pop song - like I said, NO Dark Songs in 1981/82 - All Jane Fonda workout songs and sh*t .

Oh, genius, BTW, you usually use a knife,bat, or gun when a loaded pistol is being waved around and pointed at the main talent (Jagger). Ever hear of Mark David Chapman? Yes? No? The end of a pure Genius Talent (LENNON) (by a pure genius ZERO. I'm sure you're much too young to know who JOHN LENNON was so no need to fret.......

TO REPEAT - caught almost every Southern Cal 1970's show, 81 BY FAR was the worse, no question. Jagger in a football outfit, give me a break !!! Where was Pee Wee's Play House???

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HelterSkelter
FYI, UNDER MY THUMB isn't a mid 60's dark "PAINT IT BLACK/SYMPATHY" end of the world type song - it's a 60's flower power light weight pop song - like I said, NO Dark Songs in 1981/82 - All Jane Fonda workout songs and sh*t .

Oh, genius, BTW, you usually use a knife,bat, or gun when a loaded pistol is being waved around and pointed at the main talent (Jagger). Ever hear of Mark David Chapman? Yes? No? The end of a pure Genius Talent (LENNON) (by a pure genius ZERO. I'm sure you're much too young to know who JOHN LENNON was so no need to fret.......

TO REPEAT - caught almost every Southern Cal 1970's show, 81 BY FAR was the worse, no question. Jagger in a football outfit, give me a break !!! Where was Pee Wee's Play House???

Can I ask you something? WHAT THE FVCK BROUGHT ON YOUR RAMPAGE OF NONSENSE? I was joking for one thing. I am plenty old enough to know Lennon, for another (not that I understand what that has to do with anything).

Try to get a hold of yourself, please.

And Under My Thumb is indeed lightweight pop, but a flower power song? Really? Have you heard the lyrics?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-06-05 08:54 by 71Tele.