The tremolo'd guitar, with the lead guitar playing those licks on top. Man, just great!!!







Love Mick's whoo after Merry's singing.

To me there is not one song that is their greatest. But "Gimme Shelter" is one of a rather large minority of songs that can claim to be a candidate.

I give a link to page 1 of one thread about "Paint It Black", where perspectives, raised in most inspiring posts by Silver Dagger and Doxa, have relevance here as well.
[www.iorr.org]


In the light of those perspectives, something of the greatness of "Gimme Shelter" to me has to do with how musical and non-musical aspects of the song fuse. The studio version "Gimme Shelter" has got an emotional edge and tension that vitally enhance the song. At the same time it touches discretely and slightly on an ecstatic string in an almost strange kind of way for this type of song.

Some live versions have got this emotional tension as well, for instance on the bootleg LIVER THAN YOU'LL EVER BE. But even musically very good versions in the Taylor period, then started very recently, versions satisfying in their own way, have not got that emotional tension and edge to the same degree. That is, for this listener.

I made a mess of the link. In this fourth edit, hopefully right



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2013-10-27 15:45 by Witness.

About "mad bull lost its way"
Does he talk about a rocket launcher?

I love the studio version.

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Christian
About "mad bull has lost its way"
Does he talk about a rocket launcher?

I think it's a metaphor for violence in general, rampaging where there's no need or reason for it.

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with sssoul

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Christian
About "mad bull has lost its way"
Does he talk about a rocket launcher?

I think it's a metaphor for violence in general, rampaging where there's no need or reason for it.

Just curious: why would it be a rocket launcher?

Yes, a mad bull is uncontrolled violence incarnate: in English there is also the expression "a bull in a china shop" for something mindlessly destructive.

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Green Lady

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with sssoul

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Christian
About "mad bull has lost its way"
Does he talk about a rocket launcher?

I think it's a metaphor for violence in general, rampaging where there's no need or reason for it.

Just curious: why would it be a rocket launcher?

Yes, a mad bull is uncontrolled violence incarnate: in English there is also the expression "a bull in a china shop" for something mindlessly destructive.

I believe Christian is referring to Madbull Airsoft, a company that sells rocket launchers.

.....

Olly.

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Olly

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Green Lady

Quote
with sssoul

Quote
Christian
About "mad bull has lost its way"
Does he talk about a rocket launcher?

I think it's a metaphor for violence in general, rampaging where there's no need or reason for it.

Just curious: why would it be a rocket launcher?

Yes, a mad bull is uncontrolled violence incarnate: in English there is also the expression "a bull in a china shop" for something mindlessly destructive.

I believe Christian is referring to Madbull Airsoft, a company that sells rocket launchers.

MAD BULL Airsoft, established in 2004!
[madbull.com]


"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"

Thanks - another gap in my General Ignorance dealt with.

Just found this discussion of the song, very interesting analysis including guesses as to what would have been done differently in today's studio, as well as some track isolations.

[www.onstagemagazine.com]

Jimmy Miller - percussion


I think percussion here are very very important because they produce this dark e rough sound that is fantastic with the drummin' of Charlie.
This is their masterpiece, imo.

Darker than SFTD with a fantastic guitar work (one guitar sounds like an alarm) and Jagger is a devil as always. I don't think it is a 'rock' track in the pure meaning of the word. I mean, when I listened to Let It Bleed at the beginning it gave me the impression of an album that was very acoustic and it is aggressive also because of this element.

I don't know if this video is already posted somewhere else, but in any case, I think it deserves all the attention it could get:

[www.youtube.com]

Absolutely an emotional bomb, hearing her voice all on its own. Wow, what power and depth and pure heaven.

For the rest, about the song, I think it's the best recording they ever did. However, I never heard a good version live, I think it might work better if they would try playing it more like a soul/gospel song instead of a rock song.

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Turner68
Just found this discussion of the song, very interesting analysis including guesses as to what would have been done differently in today's studio, as well as some track isolations.

[www.onstagemagazine.com]

Wow, great link! Thanks!

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Turner68
Just found this discussion of the song, very interesting analysis including guesses as to what would have been done differently in today's studio, as well as some track isolations.

[www.onstagemagazine.com]

Nice, they make an error, there's only one rhythm guitar, but it has a split signal with different tones.

The isolated tracks video up on that onstagemagazine site is pretty awesome, deserves to be posted here.

Love the Whoo! by someone listening to Merry's vocal and hearing her giving 110% on the line "murder" he just can't help but make an exclamation. Jagger?

[www.youtube.com]

We've reached the zenith of Glimmer out put. Words cannot descirbe the true essence of this song, it is an experience. From the shimmering strains of the intro to the orgasmic peak of Merry Clayton's backing...the perfect notes and timing of the guitar solo...simply perfection. The best rock song of all time and a song that never fails to move me.

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Naturalust
The isolated tracks video up on that onstagemagazine site is pretty awesome, deserves to be posted here.

Love the Whoo! by someone listening to Merry's vocal and hearing her giving 110% on the line "murder" he just can't help but make an exclamation. Jagger?

[www.youtube.com]

yep, it's mick.

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matxil

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Turner68
Just found this discussion of the song, very interesting analysis including guesses as to what would have been done differently in today's studio, as well as some track isolations.

[www.onstagemagazine.com]

Wow, great link! Thanks!

Yes, great article, thanks for posting! "Also, notice how low the vocals sit in the mix." Can you imagine if Mick's vocal had been recorded way-up-front-and-center like on (to use a recent example) "Too Tight"? It would have bloody-well destroyed the track!

Drew

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crumbling_mice
We've reached the zenith of Glimmer out put. Words cannot descirbe the true essence of this song, it is an experience. From the shimmering strains of the intro to the orgasmic peak of Merry Clayton's backing...the perfect notes and timing of the guitar solo...simply perfection. The best rock song of all time and a song that never fails to move me.

I agree with this 100%. So many great live versions and the studio version gives chills every time. The all-time #1.

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marko
Best rock song ever written.period.

yes!!

As a stones fan and supporter, I feel invalid knowing I didn't give this song the credit it was due.

Listened to it 100 times but it didn't get into my top 5 for the majority of my fanhood then one day...boom to the top.

Now I think of it as a theatrical production...opening, main scenes, then crescendo....it's got all of that.

Sorry Glimmers, I hadn't grown up yet.

On a side note, "Lovin Cup" has also dramatically climbed on my rating chart.

I think this must be a record on IORR - we all agree

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snorton
As a stones fan and supporter, I feel invalid knowing I didn't give this song the credit it was due.

Listened to it 100 times but it didn't get into my top 5 for the majority of my fanhood then one day...boom to the top.

Now I think of it as a theatrical production...opening, main scenes, then crescendo....it's got all of that.

Sorry Glimmers, I hadn't grown up yet.

On a side note, "Lovin Cup" has also dramatically climbed on my rating chart.

i used to skip over it consistently on hot rocks. i just didn't understand it. when i started high school something clicked for me as well and it's been my favorite song ever since.

Best song on a great album from an era when the Stones seemed to keep getting better and better with every album and every single...
Jumpin' Jack Flash ... Street Fighting Man ... Beggars Banquet ... Sympathy For The Devil ... Honky Tonk Women... YCAGWYW ... Let It Bleed ...

GIMME SHELTER

Definitely Stones still on a roll in 1969 ...

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drewmaster
Yes, great article, thanks for posting! "Also, notice how low the vocals sit in the mix." Can you imagine if Mick's vocal had been recorded way-up-front-and-center like on (to use a recent example) "Too Tight"? It would have bloody-well destroyed the track!

Drew

Excellent point, and imo one of the main reasons so many tracks of modern Stones music don't hold up to the classics. I think this way of mixing Mick's vocal started sometime around Some Girls and while it worked for that record the process (and the records) from that point on were never quite the same.

The greatest opening seductive splash of notes - white voodoo.

play the guitar boy.

Fan-bloody-tastic! Perfection! This goes atop the list! Numero Uno. Above all others. Not sure if I am making my point...

Keith at the very peak of his powers.
Perfect.
I don't think there is a better rock song.

Studio version is their greatest song.

The live versions today don't appeal to me.

Why doesn't Keith do it live in open tuning?

It loses it's nuance when played in standard tuning, at least to my ear.

Best Stones studio recording ever?
Yes.

Best Rock and Roll song ever recorded?
Could be.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......