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DandelionPowderman
Mick singing You Don't Move Me would have been hilarious
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DandelionPowderman
Mick singing You Don't Move Me would have been hilarious
No, I'm not thinking of my preferred performance. For me, Broken Hands is second rate Stones, in terms of writing, singing and playing. IMO, he should have avoided that on his first solo album. It's not bad, but it's nothing special, either.
The song I posted above (Never Fall In Love Again) has something special, imo, both in terms of writing and playing.
There is good stuff on his debut album, but it's fragmented, rushed (even though it took ages to make) and a pretty sterile recording, imo. So, yes, I still mean that quality-wise it's not up there with the best 15 RS studio albums. I could say that about Main Offender and Primitive Cool as well, btw.
Are there really people on here that never have heard of Sweet Thing?
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DandelionPowderman
Btw, I like the Stones's version of Leather Jacket.
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TravelinMan
Are you telling me Brown Sugar or Bitch or Dead Flowers are luminous masterpieces of the songwriting craft?
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TravelinManQuote
DandelionPowderman
Mick singing You Don't Move Me would have been hilarious
No, I'm not thinking of my preferred performance. For me, Broken Hands is second rate Stones, in terms of writing, singing and playing. IMO, he should have avoided that on his first solo album. It's not bad, but it's nothing special, either.
The song I posted above (Never Fall In Love Again) has something special, imo, both in terms of writing and playing.
There is good stuff on his debut album, but it's fragmented, rushed (even though it took ages to make) and a pretty sterile recording, imo. So, yes, I still mean that quality-wise it's not up there with the best 15 RS studio albums. I could say that about Main Offender and Primitive Cool as well, btw.
Are there really people on here that never have heard of Sweet Thing?
Songs like Turd on the Run or even Rip this Joint and others are on my favorite Stones album, but considering the songwriting… nothing special. That’s why people pale in comparison when they cover the Stones. Are you telling me Brown Sugar or Bitch or Dead Flowers are luminous masterpieces of the songwriting craft? No they’re fun rock songs… It’s Only RnR was the name of a song and album for a reason.
The Stones wrote good to great rock and roll songs (I don’t think rock n roll is “great songwriting” in the grand scheme) but elevated them with their attitude and performance to the point where another artist could never capture the songs they way they did.
Taylor wasn’t a bad songwriter by any means. He definitely should have hired a producer and a band for his debut album instead of shouldering all the burden onto himself. It stretched him into more roles than he needed to be, especially back in the 70’s when the technology wasn’t nearly as easy to self produce.
And no, I never got into any of the other Stones solo records. I don’t fancy Richards or Wood as singers and Jagger always sounded weak without the band. Taylor’s albums have excellent improvisational guitar parts over good rock songs.
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DandelionPowdermanQuote
TravelinManQuote
DandelionPowderman
Mick singing You Don't Move Me would have been hilarious
No, I'm not thinking of my preferred performance. For me, Broken Hands is second rate Stones, in terms of writing, singing and playing. IMO, he should have avoided that on his first solo album. It's not bad, but it's nothing special, either.
The song I posted above (Never Fall In Love Again) has something special, imo, both in terms of writing and playing.
There is good stuff on his debut album, but it's fragmented, rushed (even though it took ages to make) and a pretty sterile recording, imo. So, yes, I still mean that quality-wise it's not up there with the best 15 RS studio albums. I could say that about Main Offender and Primitive Cool as well, btw.
Are there really people on here that never have heard of Sweet Thing?
Songs like Turd on the Run or even Rip this Joint and others are on my favorite Stones album, but considering the songwriting… nothing special. That’s why people pale in comparison when they cover the Stones. Are you telling me Brown Sugar or Bitch or Dead Flowers are luminous masterpieces of the songwriting craft? No they’re fun rock songs… It’s Only RnR was the name of a song and album for a reason.
The Stones wrote good to great rock and roll songs (I don’t think rock n roll is “great songwriting” in the grand scheme) but elevated them with their attitude and performance to the point where another artist could never capture the songs they way they did.
Taylor wasn’t a bad songwriter by any means. He definitely should have hired a producer and a band for his debut album instead of shouldering all the burden onto himself. It stretched him into more roles than he needed to be, especially back in the 70’s when the technology wasn’t nearly as easy to self produce.
And no, I never got into any of the other Stones solo records. I don’t fancy Richards or Wood as singers and Jagger always sounded weak without the band. Taylor’s albums have excellent improvisational guitar parts over good rock songs.
It's true that sometimes it's the energy and sound of it all that makes a song great - especially in rock'n'roll.
Other times, though, like with Paint It, Black, Miss You, Shine A Light and others it's the melodies that make the songs. Other times it might be the combination of lyrics and rhythm (SFTD) - and there are more examples of different angles of good songwriting, also by the Stones.
I don't think Mick and Keith's songwriting deserves to be categorised only within the former group.
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DoxaQuote
TravelinMan
Are you telling me Brown Sugar or Bitch or Dead Flowers are luminous masterpieces of the songwriting craft?
I don't know what Dandie tells, but I tell that those three tunes are exactly luminous masterpieces of the songwriting craft. Even genius ones as far as rock and roll song-writing goes. If there is a basic course on rock song writing, those three could be used as examples of the craft at its best. Basically pretty simple songs if analyzed into elements, but here lies the genius - what sort of idiosyncratic intuition one needs to make those elements so wonderfully work together. The grasp of the whole that is always more than the sum of its parts. 'Kids, do not try this at home'.
- Doxa
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roryfaninva
Fun fact- k.d. lang has as many songwriting credits with the Rolling Stones as Mick Taylor. Strange how things worked out....
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TravelinManQuote
DandelionPowdermanQuote
TravelinManQuote
DandelionPowderman
Mick singing You Don't Move Me would have been hilarious
No, I'm not thinking of my preferred performance. For me, Broken Hands is second rate Stones, in terms of writing, singing and playing. IMO, he should have avoided that on his first solo album. It's not bad, but it's nothing special, either.
The song I posted above (Never Fall In Love Again) has something special, imo, both in terms of writing and playing.
There is good stuff on his debut album, but it's fragmented, rushed (even though it took ages to make) and a pretty sterile recording, imo. So, yes, I still mean that quality-wise it's not up there with the best 15 RS studio albums. I could say that about Main Offender and Primitive Cool as well, btw.
Are there really people on here that never have heard of Sweet Thing?
Songs like Turd on the Run or even Rip this Joint and others are on my favorite Stones album, but considering the songwriting… nothing special. That’s why people pale in comparison when they cover the Stones. Are you telling me Brown Sugar or Bitch or Dead Flowers are luminous masterpieces of the songwriting craft? No they’re fun rock songs… It’s Only RnR was the name of a song and album for a reason.
The Stones wrote good to great rock and roll songs (I don’t think rock n roll is “great songwriting” in the grand scheme) but elevated them with their attitude and performance to the point where another artist could never capture the songs they way they did.
Taylor wasn’t a bad songwriter by any means. He definitely should have hired a producer and a band for his debut album instead of shouldering all the burden onto himself. It stretched him into more roles than he needed to be, especially back in the 70’s when the technology wasn’t nearly as easy to self produce.
And no, I never got into any of the other Stones solo records. I don’t fancy Richards or Wood as singers and Jagger always sounded weak without the band. Taylor’s albums have excellent improvisational guitar parts over good rock songs.
It's true that sometimes it's the energy and sound of it all that makes a song great - especially in rock'n'roll.
Other times, though, like with Paint It, Black, Miss You, Shine A Light and others it's the melodies that make the songs. Other times it might be the combination of lyrics and rhythm (SFTD) - and there are more examples of different angles of good songwriting, also by the Stones.
I don't think Mick and Keith's songwriting deserves to be categorised only within the former group.
I guess I take exception with your statement regarding no Taylor song would make a top 15 Stones record.
First issue, Taylor wouldn't have even been writing during the 60's, where many great Stones albums and songs were released, so that's not even a fair comparison. Their 60's songwriting was very poppy until Beggars — Let's Spend the Night Together for example is a great pop song, but it's not going to be canonized as a life changing piece of art. Satisfaction on the other hand are what happens when the Stones write something that bridges the best of multiple worlds with introspective lyrics. Sympathy came later, but is another example of an excellent all around song with captivating lyrics.
To fairly compare Taylor songs one must look at the records they would have been considered for. Goats Head Soup is both during that era and a top 15 Stones record. You mean to tell me that Can You Hear the Music couldn't have been dumped from that album and people would notice? C'mon now. Leather Jacket would have elevated that album being in place of that nonsensical throwaway. Looking at IORR, it's even easier to plug a Taylor song in for Dance Little Sister, Luxury, or the terrible Short & Curlies. Remember, the Stones would be playing the Taylor song so you have to envision that. Black and Blue is an inconsistent sideman mess with no vision. It gets much easier to plug a Taylor song in and add some roots back into their music.
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TheflyingDutchmanQuote
exilestones
I author in the above article, Paul Sexton, highlighted "Snowy Wood," Mick Taylor with John Mayall (1967).
What favorite tracks do you think are particularly great that Mick Taylor plays on outside the Rolling Stones? Officially released of not, it doesn't matter.
Thanks for your input.
Taylor did some great prog rock stuff in the eighties/early nineties sometimes even reminding me of Jeff Beck. Tracks like "Red Shoes". Some recordings with Dylan are outstanding -Masters of War, Wembley 1984, and his work with John Mayall 1983 was very good. There's a crazy concert floating on YouTube with Roger Troy on bass, 1986, where Taylor proved that he can carry a band, even being the only guitarist.
Trough his entire career he has proven to be an excellent blues/slide player, and always had very good melodic ideas.
His work with the Stones from 2012 and onwards -in my humble opinion- is as mediocre as the rest of the guitar section. Charlie Watts in 2013, praising Taylor, referred to the days when Taylor was still a member of the band. He must have noticed the difference. The rest is history. Uch.
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TheflyingDutchman
Taylor did some great prog rock stuff in the eighties/early nineties sometimes even reminding me of Jeff Beck. Tracks like "Red Shoes".
Thank you. I found "Red Shoes."
Some recordings with Dylan are outstanding -Masters of War, Wembley 1984,
Thanks again!
Masters of War (Live at Wembley Stadium, London, UK - July 1984)
and his work with John Mayall 1983 was very good.
I'll have to search what is out there with John Mayall 1983. Are there any great official or unofficial recordings I should look for?
I saw Mick Taylor with Alvin Lee opening for Black Sabbith. I think it was 1982. I could never find an excellent recording of that tour
There's a crazy concert floating on YouTube with Roger Troy on bass, 1986, where Taylor proved that he can carry a band, even being the only guitarist.
I'll look for a link.
Trough his entire career he has proven to be an excellent blues/slide player, and always had very good melodic ideas.
Yes. I saw Mick Taylor every chance I could.
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roryfaninva
One of the weaker tracks from Reg King's 1971 LP, more like an extended jam, but plenty of Mick Taylor guitar, which is never a bad thing...
Yes!
Also playing slide on a BB Blunder track from around the same time.
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The Worst.
Mick's playing on Real Live with Bob Dylan is superb.
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Taylor1
I don’t think his playing suited Dylan at all. I do love his CYHMK at Glastonbury.
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exilestonesQuote
The Worst.
Mick's playing on Real Live with Bob Dylan is superb.
"Highway 61 Revisited" is one of my favorites!
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TheflyingDutchman
Like Bill Wyman said: "Never go back to your ex. It doesn't work"
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Iggyrichards
I love his playing the Dylan album Infidels and "Real live". Infidels has some nice leads and fun interplay with Mark Knopfler and on real live his lead work is great.
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Rocky DijonQuote
TheflyingDutchman
Like Bill Wyman said: "Never go back to your ex. It doesn't work"
And yet, he returned to the studio for HACKNEY DIAMONDS...
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TravellinMan
Stranger in Your Town is a nice live album.
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frenki09
All you need is (not love) but A Stone's Throw Japan edition.
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maidenlaneQuote
exilestones
* * *
Also, do you have any favorite tracks, live Mick Taylor played on with the Stones in 2012, 2013, & 2014?
Shortcut: To save an enormous amount of time, consider the handful of performances of Sway and CYHMK, and also the version of Satisfaction from San Jose (2013) where he played a rare lead.
Then decide on the best of the 54 Midnight Ramblers (one way into that is the 40 that have been reviewed (so far) here: [gimmemt.com]). There are embedded links there to videos for most of the songs for easy reference.
For MR, a good start would be all four 2012 shows with MT, and also Glastonbury and the Hyde Parks.
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DandelionPowderman
I've always liked this one. However, the production on this album is not up to par, imo.
[www.youtube.com]
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Palace Revolution 2000
The 1st solo album was promising. But, like many other great players, he showed himself as not much of a writer.
Some of his best, most lyrical playing is with Carla Olsen.
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roryfaninva
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Mathijs
I always liked his Stranger in This Town live album. And that is just about it, unfortunately.
Mathijs
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Taylor1
Broken Hands, Giddy Up, Leather Jacket and Spanish A Minor are good songs