"....taken over their entire career, perhaps 'Midnight Rambler' is the Stones most consistently played number. However, i have always also had a soft spot for the original version...."

No, this can not be correct. MR was not played in '78, 81-82 and not to a large extent during 97-99.

I don't have a favorite, but the way Keith is hitting his guitar during Jumpin'Jack Flash is
worth those 9 dollars alone! Please, do yourself a favor and enjoy it!

Just as long as the guitar plays, let it steal your heart away

YCAGWYW

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MadMax
"....taken over their entire career, perhaps 'Midnight Rambler' is the Stones most consistently played number. However, i have always also had a soft spot for the original version...."

No, this can not be correct. MR was not played in '78, 81-82 and not to a large extent during 97-99.

I actually meant consistently well played. Thanks for noticing my mistake. I have edited it now in my original post.

I think you are spot on with your analysis, Doxa. 'Jumping Jack Flash', 'Street Fighting Man', and perhaps 'Honky Tonk Women' actually do work better within their more formal live versions from 69, because i think back then the Stones message was still of primary importance. The Stones songs were still era defining (perhaps for the last time), where the Stones still maintained a level of social relevance, and i think their interpretation of the songs from the 69 tour, reflect this. By 73, the emphasis had shifted somewhat, and as great as the Stones may have played those songs on that tour, it was really more about putting on a really great rock 'n' roll show, than having anything important to say. That's not to say the later versions aren't great, because they are, but the emphasis rather seemed to shift, from a more important social/era defining relevance, where the more formal arrangements tend to respect this, to almost a brutally raw and decadent rock 'n' roll explosion. Mick Taylor's dominance, for example, in addition to Jagger's wildly exaggerated vocal on 'Street Fighting Man', proves this to a large degree. To call the 73 european tour pure pantomine, is perhaps greatly misleading, because the Stones were playing some of the greatest music of their lives on this tour, yet perhaps pantomine does to a degree sum up the differences in their approach between 69 and late 73. Your estimation of the role of the EXILE ON MAIN STREET songs and the GOATS HEAD SOUP songs, in some ways also perhaps proves the point. Not that there is anything wrong with good old rock 'n' roll, mind. I still love those live EXILE and GOATS HEAD SOUP songs though, and they are some of my favourites.

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whitem8
I have to agree with Tele71 about Tumbling Dice. Simply stunning! Jagger is on fire, especially at the end...

I've never heard him sing so soulful. amazing.

yep Jagger is the stand-out in my opinion here...

Ya know, it's pretty near impossible to make this call; the whole thing is great. The new version of 'StarF**' here is fabulous, and such an upgrade soundwise from the previous boots IMO; same for Heartbreaker. Keith's Chuck Berry solo in Star is in your face loud and just rips ! As for YCAGWYW I'd prefer a longer MT guitar solo and shorter sax solo, but there is interesting rhythm guitar under it courtesy Keith that to me is more interesting than the actual sax solo; the piece de resistance I suppose is MR; for me its surely the definitive version of this song. In all these songs you can hear both guitars louder, better and clearer, Charlie's drums are in your face, stuff that used to me muted (backing vocals, call and response etc) are brought more to the fore. I mean, this is crazy good.