Hello friends!

I haven't been on in a while. Today I have a question. 100 Years Ago is one of my favourite Stones songs, but is one that I've always thought never lived up to its potential. The first half is good, SO GOOD, but once it comes to the sped-up jam to the end I think it loses its whimsical freshness and becomes what is actually pretty alright for an outro, but for another song. So are there out there any demos or rehearsal recordings of it stripped down? Kind of like the acoustic version of All Down the Line somewhere out there.

Cheers.......

You got the Sun, You got the Moon,
and you've got
The Rolling Stones

You hit the nail on the head. Starting with this album the stones stopped properly finishing songs and pushing themselves to make good songs great and toss away incomplete/average songs. As a result you get a lot of songs like 100 years ago where there are glimmers of greatness and yet fatal flaws in each.

Sorry for that diatribe. I don't know of any early/alternate versions.

Always liked the outro more than the song actually. Everytime I play GHS I cant wait till they get to the second half of the song, always cranking up the volume.

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HMS
Always liked the outro more than the song actually. Everytime I play GHS I cant wait till they get to the second half of the song, always cranking up the volume.

I agree.

I like the beginning, middle AND end. :^)

A great song from Goats Head Soup!

I love it as well.

One of the best songs the Stones have ever done.
Right up there with Sway & Hand of Fate for me!

It´s perfect from start to finish.
The snare sound is not my taste,
unfortunately on the whole album.

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Tate
I like the beginning, middle AND end. :^)

Right on. My favorite track on GHS/IORR/B&B.

It is like three different songs jammed into one, but I love them all.

Interesting Mick song, goes a bit too many places possibly...Supposed to have been started in 1970, not that there's been any documented evidence of that unfortunately.

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IORR Links : Essential Studio Outtakes CDs : Audio - History of Rarest Outtakes : Audio

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hot stuff
I love it as well.

One of the best songs the Stones have ever done.
Right up there with Sway & Hand of Fate for me!

3 great choices

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gotdablouse
Interesting Mick song, goes a bit too many places possibly...Supposed to have been started in 1970, not that there's been any documented evidence of that unfortunately.

Unless you consider the quote from Mick Taylor in 1973 that says Mick has written it two years earlier and hey just hadn't gotten around to recording it until the GHS sessions.

It was Billy Preston driving the groove on this song that probably turned it from a simple ballad that Mick had into the amazingly evocative and cool tune it turned out to be.

When I listen to the vocal treatment it had on say the second verse where Mick starts with the doubled "Mary and I...." it just feels so good. That is the classic Stones sound that is missing from so much of their later work, imo.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-12-19 02:17 by Naturalust.

Great song. There's nothing bad about it at all. It encompasses the sound of the album as well as the vibe.

100% great song from start to finish.

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

It's too bad they gave up on it on the 1973 tour.

It's a medium-deep cut. A song for a Stones connoisseur.

Love it. One of my favorites. Excellant guitar here! Fits perfect in the album.

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yorkey
Hello friends!

I haven't been on in a while. Today I have a question. 100 Years Ago is one of my favourite Stones songs, but is one that I've always thought never lived up to its potential. The first half is good, SO GOOD, but once it comes to the sped-up jam to the end I think it loses its whimsical freshness and becomes what is actually pretty alright for an outro, but for another song. So are there out there any demos or rehearsal recordings of it stripped down? Kind of like the acoustic version of All Down the Line somewhere out there.

Cheers.......

Maybe have a listen to the Mannheim '73 live version to see if that grows on you? [www.youtube.com]

Thank you kindly! Thats a mighty fine song

I found this too, more the kind of thing I was after:

video: [www.youtube.com]

You got the Sun, You got the Moon,
and you've got
The Rolling Stones

Me good ole mate Lou always thought Jagger was singing ...

Call me lizard balls instead of Call me lazy bones ..........



ROCKMAN

yorkey - I believe there exists an outtake with the exact opposite to what you are wishing for: it has a longer outro before it ends/fades.

It's the fade out on the album version that bothers me a bit. It seems little Mick
is picking up steam mighty fine there and then they turned him away.
I love the Vienna live version, though Billy's rhythm on the keys is not as tense as the
album version.

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

I like the whole song and recording (track).

I agree with yorkey...first 3 quarters brilliant...last bit a drag.
But still an excellent song...

Fantastic track. Mick Taylor has got something of Peter Green here.
And yes they needed to play its more during the 1973 tour.

I realize I am in the minority, but the Billy Preston era was the low point of the Stones in the studio. I chalk it up to Keith being chemically elsewhere.

well there's worse things to be called than lizard balls.

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Kennedy
I realize I am in the minority, but the Billy Preston era was the low point of the Stones in the studio. I chalk it up to Keith being chemically elsewhere.

You're not in the minority at all. This period is widely considered by many to be one of their low points, and rightly so in my opinion.

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Turner68

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Kennedy
I realize I am in the minority, but the Billy Preston era was the low point of the Stones in the studio. I chalk it up to Keith being chemically elsewhere.

You're not in the minority at all. This period is widely considered by many to be one of their low points, and rightly so in my opinion.

Considering Billy played on Sticky Fingers, EOMS, GHS, IORR, Black and Blue, Tattoo You and Love You Live I'd say that's a pretty fertile period to be considering a low point.

My feeling is that it was Keith's addiction problems that were most responsible for the decline in the studio magic that was obviously quite intact during Billy's initial appearances with the Stones. It's obviously subjective but on studio songs such as 100 Years Ago and Heartbreaker and others where he was allowed to shine his parts were the the best of anyone and he carried the band, imo.

He did not to my ears audibly impact their sound in a meaningful way until GHS and that is where the period starts in my mind, and I am guessing Kennedy's too. Since you mention two tracks from GHS perhaps you also agree. I don't think either song should have ever been released.

Saying this does not mean that Preston is to blame. The blame lies with the stones. Mick's addiction to fame and Keith's to heroin are leading suspects.