stop it!

T&A we can live vicariously through their stories. Its much better than thinking about the current state of affairs. Only the Stones could go from being the greatest rocknroll band in the world (and extremely anti-establishment), to the single most expensive band in history.. "What can a poor boy do, except sing in a rocknroll band" Ha!

A better question might be "what was the sound like in 1965 ?"

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flacnvinyl
T&A we can live vicariously through their stories. Its much better than thinking about the current state of affairs. Only the Stones could go from being the greatest rocknroll band in the world (and extremely anti-establishment), to the single most expensive band in history.. "What can a poor boy do, except sing in a rocknroll band" Ha!

i don't wanna live vicariously. next thing you know, i'll be posting vicariously. i wouldn't mind dying vicariously...not sure if that's been tried before...

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tornnfrayed
Best sound ever Madison Square Garden 1981. Unbelievable sound

Worst sound ever Carrier Dome 1989. You literally could not tell what song they were playing. It was the worst concert I have ever been to and I have not been to a concert since.

I was at the Carrier Dome in 1989. I moved around a bit. Depending on where we snuck, we either heard pristine sound of total mud...like you were listening thru water. Terrible place for acoustics, much like the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Of the 8 times I have seen the band, and all were stadiums, some indoor, some outdoor, the sound sucked at 4 - really horrible. I was not around in 1972, but would have been fun to see them as a 12 yr old.

Great photos flacnvinyl, I haven't seen the bottom five before, are they all from Louisville?

T&A, don't be such a party pooper, I like all the stories.

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T&A
raise your hand if you are sick and tired of hearing from fans who got to see the stones in their prime in '72.

Why would you be tired of fans who heard them in their prime - treat it as an education with respect.

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latebloomer
Great photos flacnvinyl, I haven't seen the bottom five before, are they all from Louisville?

T&A, don't be such a party pooper, I like all the stories.

I found those on Google Image search. I think they are from Wisconsin, Boston and Charlotte but I would need to recheck to verify. My signature is just my home town.

I was always curious about the sound back in 69/72. Those primitive PAs had to be a major pain to work with. I have read bits and pieces about the sound guy who worked the Greatful Dead shows... The guy had to put up with so much stuff that we now take for granted. Having to run something through a compressor (if you had one), vs having a Yamaha LS9 and doing whatever your want!

Was at the KC show in 72 - as my buddy put it - 'you could feel the wind coming off their amps' - no shit - loud but good. There was a point in Gimme Shelter after the lead that the guitars both hit the rhythm hard and the intensity was beyond belief.

The difference back then was that they really blew thru the songs for maximum impact - 72 was Keith's top moment as a rhythm player - no 'weaving' going on - just full-scale, all out 5-string slamming - hugh slabs of rhythm driving the songs with Taylor blowing leads over the top. I love the Wood years, but for pure intensity, there was nothing like 72-73 for all-out rhythmic impact.

This is a great topic with interesting posts!!!

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flacnvinyl

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latebloomer
Great photos flacnvinyl, I haven't seen the bottom five before, are they all from Louisville?

T&A, don't be such a party pooper, I like all the stories.

I found those on Google Image search. I think they are from Wisconsin, Boston and Charlotte but I would need to recheck to verify. My signature is just my home town.

I was always curious about the sound back in 69/72. Those primitive PAs had to be a major pain to work with. I have read bits and pieces about the sound guy who worked the Greatful Dead shows... The guy had to put up with so much stuff that we now take for granted. Having to run something through a compressor (if you had one), vs having a Yamaha LS9 and doing whatever your want!

Argh...I see that now. Never saw the Stones back then, but I did see the Grateful Dead in 72 in Baltimore, it was my first big concert. Don't remember much about it, but I do remember it was really loud.

I have a FB friend who did the sound on the STP tour, plus Hawaii and down under in early 1973...

Here's a clip he suggests watching, to get a FEEL of what it sounded like in 1972

Yup, lots of their tempos were faster in '72. They spent (and transmitted) more energy in a 75 minute show then they did in the 2 hour+ shows in later decades.

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bam
Yup, lots of their tempos were faster in '72. They spent (and transmitted) more energy in a 75 minute show then they did in the 2 hour+ shows in later decades.

Odd - I HAD and TRANSMITTED more energy 41 years ago than I do now too!

Doh......

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teleblaster
My first show was 76. The sound was clear, pretty load and I could identify each number before the vocals started.

I can confirm that for the stadium show at Stuttgart attended by probably 50.000 people, Neckarstadion, 19 June 1976. The audience recordings (a fried of mine recorded the show on a cheap cassette recorder) do actually represent the sound back then.

Sorry, T&A, but for those of us who got to see them in '72 - we're old now!

Anyhow, July 4th, RFK Stadium, Washington DC - Typical stadium sound ; not the greatest and of course, very loud.

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Tonstone

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T&A
raise your hand if you are sick and tired of hearing from fans who got to see the stones in their prime in '72.

Why would you be tired of fans who heard them in their prime - treat it as an education with respect.

i don't need no education and i certainly will not treat anyone with the respect they deserve. i dwell in self-pity, envy and jealousy. you should try it sometime.

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latebloomer

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flacnvinyl

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latebloomer
Great photos flacnvinyl, I haven't seen the bottom five before, are they all from Louisville?

T&A, don't be such a party pooper, I like all the stories.

I found those on Google Image search. I think they are from Wisconsin, Boston and Charlotte but I would need to recheck to verify. My signature is just my home town.

I was always curious about the sound back in 69/72. Those primitive PAs had to be a major pain to work with. I have read bits and pieces about the sound guy who worked the Greatful Dead shows... The guy had to put up with so much stuff that we now take for granted. Having to run something through a compressor (if you had one), vs having a Yamaha LS9 and doing whatever your want!

Argh...I see that now. Never saw the Stones back then, but I did see the Grateful Dead in 72 in Baltimore, it was my first big concert. Don't remember much about it, but I do remember it was really loud.

interesting tidbit about the stones and the dead....many fans consider their respective '72 and '78 tours as their zeniths as live bands. i just don't think you can consider that a mere coincidence. something deeper at work here.

Was standing 5 back from stage, dead center for opening night in Vancouver. Compared to bands I had seen previously (Savoy Brown, Fleetwood Mac, John Baldry, CCR......) they sounded very loud and distorted.

A couple of things to consider. Bands back then rented the PA, in this case the local Kelly Deyong system which was OK for the day. It was opening night after several years. More importantly it was the freekin stones, folks expected some mayhem. The reviews cover the rest, Keith blowing up equipment.

Seeing how long ago it was, probably not very loud and now a very distant sound.

June of 1972 at Boston Garden was my first Stones concert; I agree with the person who said they blew through the songs, especially " Rip This Joint" but it was magnificant! Not tooloud, very aggressive playing, " Rambler" was a spectacle!! Mick on his knees beating the stage with his rhinestone belt! Amazing! It was just like the movie " Ladies & Gentlemen--the Rolling Stones". The electricity was palpable! Wish I could go back there to that night!

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gripweed
I have a FB friend who did the sound on the STP tour, plus Hawaii and down under in early 1973...

Here's a clip he suggests watching, to get a FEEL of what it sounded like in 1972

Tell your friend that his clip was most appreciated. I agree that a certain feel of the sound was transmitted to my computer room.

You'd be surprised, Gaslight, it was great sound, especially considering the year!! Over 45 years ago, and Ido recall being impressed with the sound, and I wsd up a level at the old Boston Garden.

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mstmst
Was at the KC show in 72 - as my buddy put it - 'you could feel the wind coming off their amps' - no shit - loud but good. There was a point in Gimme Shelter after the lead that the guitars both hit the rhythm hard and the intensity was beyond belief.

The difference back then was that they really blew thru the songs for maximum impact - 72 was Keith's top moment as a rhythm player - no 'weaving' going on - just full-scale, all out 5-string slamming - hugh slabs of rhythm driving the songs with Taylor blowing leads over the top. I love the Wood years, but for pure intensity, there was nothing like 72-73 for all-out rhythmic impact.

Please allow me to elaborate on my earlier terse comments.

IMO "what was their sound like" in part has to do with where one sits relative to stage/speakers. As I was in row 8 right of stage, speakers directly over my right ear the sound was extremely loud, maybe "brittle" would describe it compared with today sound which is a bit "warmer & fuller".

Definitly agree with above statement as to their performance.

I do not believe there was a great difference in the quality of their sound from 69-72 whereas the difference in their sound from 65-72 was a quantum change

In 1972 they were a product of that point in time, having spent their time IN Exile in France, a true outlaw rock n roll band. M&K age 29 & 28, they were their songs. Now age 69 they are a Rock n Roll Brand performing their songs. In many ways they sound better now but its just impossible for the energy to be the same.

RB

Lucky enough to be at the Les Abbatoirs - was stood about half back in the room (more like a shed) but on the right hand side. It was loud although not so loud that you couldn't tell which song was being played. Sound came in and out all night in terms of volume but in a way the event kind of upstaged the sound!

I don't know about '72 but in '73 it was loud(1) but not as loud as after 2000

(1) actually it was a normal sound

__________________________

I was directly (10-15 feet?) in front of the stage at LA Coliseum in 1981 and the sound was amazing! It was the first time I'd ever heard the sound from the amps coming off the stage, instead of just through the PA. Even Mick's Ovation guitar sounded great.

I was in Rotterdam 13 Oct. 1973. It was certainly very loud, but also a clear sound. Fantastic show, Taylor being the star of the evening. The Stones at their very best, even better than in 1972.

Three years later in The Hague it wasn't loud at all in that little stadium, but a very clear sound when you, like me, were standing in the field. But boy, the quality of the music was disappointing compared to my exciting 1973 Stones experience.

Heard them live for the last time in 1982. Well, stadium sound, stadium atmosphere. By far the worst show of the three I attended. Not loud, bad sound, bad performance.

In 1973 the RS were rolling into Europe. I attended 1 of the 3 sold out shows in Rotterdam, one week before The Brussels Affair. Taylor was a RS Guitarist since 1969 so I'd say that in 1973 the RS sound evolved to a higher level. Some tracks from Exile-Sticky and Let It Bleed came blasting out of the Ampeg gear.
This RS concert knocked me out-Great show

Kleermaker, how do you know the Stones sounded BETTER in Europe/1973 unless you saw them live in the USA?