The song/single, yet alone some other tracks on Undercover, has excellent playing on it, with that fantastic tone of the main riffing guitar and the running lead track. There are some interesting chugga rhythmic elements that go great with the overall bulldozing rhythm of the track within the song, along with whatever bends and noodles, a Bigsby bar on one track, that make the song work guitar wise; crossing melody lines as well as lead playing, noisy runs, etc.

A good example is at 2:11 on the Virgin issue, right after Mick sings 'ah people whisper people double talk' is a great example. There's all kinds of things going on within the mix; when it goes to the chorus you can sort of hear Mick in the background howling.

For some reason I think it's more Woody than Keith but who knows, I don't. It just seems more Woody playing than Keith for some reason. Anyone?

Don't have an answer, but just want to reiterate your point...the guitar playing is excellent.

This album sometimes gets lumped with Dirty Work and the only relationship it shares with it, is that it was recorded in the 80s.

Last truly great album of new material from my favourite band.

For me it was the last inventive album they did, as a band, as artists, as The Rolling Stones. The true follow up to Emotional Rescue too.

Undercover is a solid underrated album that, in terms of production values, has certainly aged better than Dirty Work. The songs have lots of live energy as they recorded it straight after a successful world tour, so there was plenty of momentum going into the studio. The Stones still had some of their classic 70s elements in their playing, as they were just turning 40 at the time, and the closing track of Undercover [It Must Be Hell] borrows the rhythm riff from the closing track from Exile [Soul Survivor]. If they released Undercover today as a new album, we'd all be falling over ourselves in praise of the power and forcefulness that runs through these tracks from start to finish.

Yes, I agree there is some great guitar work on Undercover. She Was Hot is a great Chuck Berry type rocker with some really good interplay with Keith and Ronnie and I've always liked All the Way Down, It Must be Hell, Tie You Up (The guitar work in that one reminds me of Stray Cat Blues), Too Tough, Undercover and Wanna Hold You. Those songs all have some good playing. Too Much Blood was different and I think is a terrfic song. Pretty Beat up and Feel On Baby I don't care for. The outtakes are better than the finished album as well!

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WeLoveToPlayTheBlues
The song/single, yet alone some other tracks on Undercover, has excellent playing on it, with that fantastic tone of the main riffing guitar and the running lead track. There are some interesting chugga rhythmic elements that go great with the overall bulldozing rhythm of the track within the song, along with whatever bends and noodles, a Bigsby bar on one track, that make the song work guitar wise; crossing melody lines as well as lead playing, noisy runs, etc.

A good example is at 2:11 on the Virgin issue, right after Mick sings 'ah people whisper people double talk' is a great example. There's all kinds of things going on within the mix; when it goes to the chorus you can sort of hear Mick in the background howling.

For some reason I think it's more Woody than Keith but who knows, I don't. It just seems more Woody playing than Keith for some reason. Anyone?

It's indeed Wood on the title track, and one of his better performances, too, imo.

He had a whammy bar-period in the early 80s. He started dabbling with it on Some Girls. I'm not sure whether the open G-guitar is Keith or Mick, though.

Keith plays fantastically (both guitar and bass) on Tie You Up. One of his better solos, and perhaps the only one where he's using the whammy bar as well?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-10-04 09:32 by DandelionPowderman.

Keith used whammy on his Casino and Les Paul for a few tracks during 1964 - 1965.

I agree with almost everything...............KR's work on tie you up is superb, one of his best ever solos; too tough is a rough rocker with a strong riff and a killer solo by Mr Honest Wood.
I hav always wondered about the whamy bar at the end of the tie you up solo, it is KR, but sometimes he did great things like this.
And i strongly agree that this album is the right follow after ER, tatoo you was another thing. The real trilogy is SG + ER + UC

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His Majesty
Keith used whammy on his Casino and Les Paul for a few tracks during 1964 - 1965.

What A Shame comes to mind?

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KeithNacho
I agree with almost everything...............KR's work on tie you up is superb, one of his best ever solos; too tough is a rough rocker with a strong riff and a killer solo by Mr Honest Wood.
I hav always wondered about the whamy bar at the end of the tie you up solo, it is KR, but sometimes he did great things like this.
And i strongly agree that this album is the right follow after ER, tatoo you was another thing. The real trilogy is SG + ER + UC

Well..........you must add Tattoo You. It's mainly outtakes from the Paris sessions

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DandelionPowderman
I'm not sure whether the open G-guitar is Keith or Mick, though.

Richards, done as a late overdub.

Mathijs

I'll admit this is a stretch, and it's certainly because I've been listening to it so much lately because I only recently learned of its existence weeks ago and certainly never heard it before: but the peculiar official "promo" instrumental single of DANCE has some "sound effects" in spots and echo (at 2:45 below) that remind me a little of the echo used in UNDERCOVER. I just wonder if they were thinking a little bit of what they did with the Dance instrumental when they made UNDERCOVER. (Did they use blatant echo before this promo single?) As I say, this is a stretch, but I have been listening to this DANCE (Instrumental) a ton lately, because it's sort of a "new" single to me:





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-10-04 21:25 by Title5Take1.

Undercover of the night was the last Stones single that I was excited about. I thought "Where are they going from here?". It was never a real hit though and is seldom played live due to the fact that they can't handle it.
Back then you still had high hopes for the band. Some great guitarwork though.

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Stoneage
Undercover of the night was the last Stones single that I was excited about. I thought "Where are they going from here?". It was never a real hit though and is seldom played live due to the fact that they can't handle it.
Back then you still had high hopes for the band. Some great guitarwork though.

That's wrong

They pulled it off thanks to pre-recorded (Skippy will lecture me for this) tracks. Vegas style.

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Stoneage
They pulled it off thanks to pre-recorded (Skippy will lecture me for this) tracks. Vegas style.

That's wrong too

Listen carefully. Where is the syntesized drum sound coming from? Certainly not from Charlie...

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Stoneage
Listen carefully. Where is the syntesized drum sound coming from? Certainly not from Charlie...

It's coming from the very same source as when they recorded it for the album, just like with other Stones-songs played live. It has nothing to do with the Stones being able to pull it off or not, it's all about what suits the song the most.

And in this case, it suits the song wonderfully! The band is on fire in this video, and it is probably one of the best live recordings they ever made, hence they had no problems pulling this song off

It's a percussive element which is important for the song. They could have had a drummer hitting "da-da-da-da", but it's cooler this way, imo.

It's rough and tough like on the album, no Vegas

I don't hear recorded trax on the Undercover played on SAL (one of the highlights of the set, by the way).


C

I agree, this is probably one of the best tracks from SAL:







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-10-05 13:00 by DandelionPowderman.

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Cafaro

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KeithNacho
I agree with almost everything...............KR's work on tie you up is superb, one of his best ever solos; too tough is a rough rocker with a strong riff and a killer solo by Mr Honest Wood.
I hav always wondered about the whamy bar at the end of the tie you up solo, it is KR, but sometimes he did great things like this.
And i strongly agree that this album is the right follow after ER, tatoo you was another thing. The real trilogy is SG + ER + UC

Well..........you must add Tattoo You. It's mainly outtakes from the Paris sessions

In terms of actual band input, Undercover is the true follow up to ER. TY was a detour (and a awesome one at that).

I love this version. Go Ronnie Go!

Wow! Never heard that one - totally ace

It is indeed the guitar track Ronnie kept for the studio version, btw. Awesome

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DandelionPowderman

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Stoneage
They pulled it off thanks to pre-recorded (Skippy will lecture me for this) tracks. Vegas style.

That's wrong too

They used samples of their own recordings.

That Atlantic City version was the B-side. Funny how the in/out jang guitar that's on the studio version wasn't ever done live until they overdubbed it for Flashpoint.