What is you favorite and least favorite live version of Gimme Shelter?
I listened to the 1997 pay-per-view concert the other day and it struck me how powerful Gimme Shelter was, just the amazing overall drive. Then I listened to Gimme Shelter from Havana Moon and felt the exact opposite.

Best: St. Louis 1997 or Paradiso 1995
Worst: Havana Moon 2016



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2017-04-10 00:34 by EasterMan.

Eeeh. No? The best live versions are all from 1972-73 and at least the intros from 1975.

The one form that MTV show in 97 was ripping

The Rolling Stones played the live versions of that song in 2 different ways basically:

1-The two guitar approach, which were most powerful with Mick Taylor, to my taste.

2-The Lisa Fischer/ background singers Let it bleed interpretations.

I prefer the fast almost hard rock-style Philly 1972 version best, the Stones were a 2- guitar band then, and at their musical peak, imo.

As for the LIB approach there's a lot to choose from, but to me they all sound too theatrical and often shaky compared to the original Let it Bleed version, and during the recent tour versions they reached an absolute low point.

The new stripped album version....and the Atlantic City 1989 pay-per-view rank as the best live versions I have ever witnessed...both in vocals emotionally really,
I mean Jagger at his absolute best....and the Atlantic City version slightly better in guitar inter-play in my opinion.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-04-10 01:26 by onestep.

Best version is the original on LIB

Bill Wyman (Isolated!) Gimme Shelter Bass Work Rolling Stones 1969
[www.youtube.com]
always a kick for me because the Wobbly one working some incredibly original magic on clusters of notes and runs and etc...studio version i believe...

Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones (Oakland 1969, Live'r Than You'll Ever Be)
[www.youtube.com]
a classic in it's way for a lot of reasons; maybe not the very best; tho with a few years with taylor in the band it matured and grew in power imo.

The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter - 1973 Brussels Affair version
[www.youtube.com]
not bad...heh heh...no nicky tho so there's gonna be an asterisk on it for me but that might be a personal problem haha

The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter (Live) - OFFICIAL (2006)
[www.youtube.com]
well, there ya go...not even meant as an insult but this should be vegas show room gig two shows a night for this kind of thing...imo...yet this is "official" and it's nice I guess...i don't mean to put it down or nitpick but somehow not the very best i do not think.

i also went back to that atlantic city 89 because the energy's good and peeps like it but was not particuarly impressed; nor do i care to put it down or be particularly critical. at least Bill's still on board. let's not talk about the piano, which also might be my own personal problem...

The Rolling Stones: all songs from the American 1972 Tour
[www.youtube.com]
Doesn't say which particular show & the audio not great but this performance among the very best at least i would think....i have better audio versions somewhere...
and we're getting nicky, the original guys who worked it up in the classic studio cut are all throughout every version this tour...

so wth i don't really know...
as much as i love mickey tee. probably that studio version is always gonna be my personal #1. yep. Keith taking care of business on the lonesome as far as the six strings...percussion perfect, piano, bg vokes, drums, everything; in your face perfect; accept no substitutes. Keith a model of taste; sparse but deadly...classic Keith doing the best of what Keith Richards can do to a song imo. and those drums slamming like that. and if u listen to the isolated bill up there you'll see, or at least I see, the little elements that come together to make this the very best, most classic and totally unbeatable version imo.

The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter - NYC 1972-07-25 (2nd show)
[www.youtube.com]
again not the best mix or anything; but this would have to be in the running for one of the very best versions...i know the version i heard at msg that year nailed me to the wall; still not completely over it; hope i never am.

Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter (Merry Clayton Version, Original & Best)
[www.youtube.com]
special mention to jimmy miller on guiro...charlie is so great here...

Naked voice from Merry Clayton in gimme shelter (a sorta quick 3 minute mini doc with Mick and Merry interviews, and also some isolated studio cuts of Merry doing that incredible thing; this is a must imo.
[www.youtube.com]

as for worst, well i'm sure a lot of times it maybe didn't make the grade; i'd rather not search for them and point them out. i'm sure there might be now quite a number of sorta 'color by number' live versions out there sometimes maybe not so strong guitars, sometimes maybe some nice gits, i just don't know enough about all of that.

i know to me it's an imporant song. it meant a lot at the time. i kind of hate in a small way to see what i perceive almost as a cheapening of it's lyrical impact and important thrust as an overwhelming, well not statement, but sort of reportage, on the culture burning itself down in various ways....i don't know if that's due to endless repetition and making it more of a spectable showcase than the deep hurting rockin' bluesy unique thing it is...dunno....seems to mean less when we need it most....i dunno about this...maybe they should retire it for a bit; but at this stage u know...?? the whole showcase merry clayton approximation, the lisa spectacle was fun and all that but i like the grit; i like the dirt and the hurt; this is a serious song about serious things to me; which doesn't mean i'm all somber and solemn about a great rock song but maybe someone can catch a glint of what i'm trying to say about maybe they lessen it's impact in a way sometimes....

...and if you look at the news this morning, there's a lot of missiles launching reactively without confirmation about the initial incident and without congressional approval and rape, murder it's just a shot away. shelter is a big thing in the u.s.a. these last decades. a lot of people don't have any...
nuff outta me...great song.

I guess if push came to shove I'd take the version from "Ladies & Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones" above all maybe. w studio cut being def in the running for it's unique brilliance. still, all in all and everything said i'd rather hear a version of ANYTHING off of LADIES & GENTS then most other versions of anything else they've done live. just one guys opinion.
revision; maybe i'd rather actually hear the isolated Bill track!! haha...i mean it really is magically fabulous what that cat just casually pulls out of the hat there. just incredible. i always laugh out loud on a couple of poly note runs out of nowhere...building a little stair-case and running up it;
bill creates a world within a world yet bolster pushes propels and punctuates all at the same time. a big big part of this number for me is Bill Wyman. Keith's obvious brilliant creation. Charlie on the studio version is SLAMMING those toms...everybody is very intentional here. it's beyond magic. it's the stuff of deserved legacy.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2017-04-10 05:26 by hopkins.

Paradiso '95 has always been my favorite. I know it's the "Vegas" arrangement, but Keith and Ronnie are SO keyed in to each other with their weaving. This song may the best example of what Keith refers to when he mentions weaving.

And Lisa? Wow. Chills every time.

Quote
keefriff99
Paradiso '95 has always been my favorite. I know it's the "Vegas" arrangement, but Keith and Ronnie are SO keyed in to each other with their weaving. This song may the best example of what Keith refers to when he mentions weaving.

And Lisa? Wow. Chills every time.

is that the '95 Amsterdam version?
i just looked into it and it IS really great. outstanding. ty.

Best: The studio version
Worst: Perth (but I love Charlie's mistakes, Keith on acid and Taylor doing something new with it. A lovely ramshackle)

The best: the studio version
The worst: some lame version by U2, partly sang by Jagger.

Best: Wembley, September 9, 1973. Second best: July 13, 1975 LA Friday. Worst: any version after 1997.

Mathijs

Any 1972-1973 version with Mick Taylor.
Period.
As Sympathy don't like GS live song since 2007.
Worst versions in 2015-2016.

***
I'm just a Bad Boy Boogie



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2017-04-10 16:31 by powerage78.

Altamont was an insanely awesome version

Quote
Mathijs
Best: Wembley, September 9, 1973. Second best: July 13, 1975 LA Friday. Worst: any version after 1997.

Mathijs

Best after 1997, all which you played on Mathijs in the band Flip The Switch?

Quote
EasterMan
What is you favorite and least favorite live version of Gimme Shelter?
I listened to the 1997 pay-per-view concert the other day and it struck me how powerful Gimme Shelter was, just the amazing overall drive. Then I listened to Gimme Shelter from Havana Moon and felt the exact opposite.

Best: St. Louis 1997 or Paradiso 1995
Worst: Havana Moon 2016

I would say the Havana Moon version is better than a lot of recent ones. The one on No Security was great.

"Gonna find my way to heaven ..."

Quote
HonkeyTonkFlash

Quote
EasterMan
What is you favorite and least favorite live version of Gimme Shelter?
I listened to the 1997 pay-per-view concert the other day and it struck me how powerful Gimme Shelter was, just the amazing overall drive. Then I listened to Gimme Shelter from Havana Moon and felt the exact opposite.

Best: St. Louis 1997 or Paradiso 1995
Worst: Havana Moon 2016

I would say the Havana Moon version is better than a lot of recent ones. The one on No Security was great.

Yea it probably is but I can't be bothered with listening to bootlegs from 2016. The No Security version is from the MTV show at Capitol Theater, it was a nice 11-song set:

Honky Tonk Women
Let's Spend the Night Together
Tumbling Dice
Anybody Seen My Baby?
Sister Morphine (Marianne Faithfull cover)
Out of Control
Gimme Shelter
Little Queenie (Chuck Berry cover)
Start Me Up
Jumpin' Jack Flash
Encore:
Brown Sugar

this one ain't too shabby:
Recorded live in Fort Worth Philadelphia 1972
[www.youtube.com]

i don't know about 'best' or 'worst' really.
there are so very many; some so sublime.
i'd say Charlie and well everybody here, the guitars are pretty ferocious; K is as outstanding as MickT.
they've done it about a million times live so there's got to be some losers and some just outstanding brilliant.
i guess in the final analysis personally I"m always gonna opt for the original studio cut. i mean every single time that comes on it captures me immediately and holds me throughout. just brilliant. just brilliant and perfect and original and unique. the top band doing one of their top songs on one of their top albums and this is just amazing and eternal. the immediacy still rings true and hits hard.

The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter Live Pop Go The Sixites 1969
[www.youtube.com]

Mick is live here and imo just brilliant; at the top of his game.
haha this could be the 'best' because it's got the outstandingly great studio track PLUS a really great live vocal, as great as the original some would say.

well..
This a close one between Mick Taylor and ronnie wood era's

[www.youtube.com]

Taylor playing this live on the recent tours is one of the biggest what if's for me

2:10 - hear the emotion and push/pull dynamics from Taylor and Richards. Musical Orgasm Moment

For THIS song, i love the amps/guitars used in this youtube version. Primal!!!!

Best: 1972.

On a side note, I really like the Perth '73 version despite Watts fumbling through the intro; that doesn't ruin it for me. It's incredibly unique amongst all of the versions, as is the 1970 Euro Tour version where Richards, Keys, and Taylor all take short solos. It's really cool to hear how each individual approached the song.

I'm not a huge fan of the '75 versions (not saying they were bad). I don't think Wood quite developed his own unique identity within the band yet. I understand trying to be consistent with the previous versions, but I much prefer the later versions with him that were more akin to the original.

Charlie sounds like he's having a stroke on the Perth '73 version.

Quote
Koen
Best version is the original on LIB

Yup. Been played countless great times live, but nothing has ever matched the brilliance of that studio take. Don't know why. Lightning in a bottle maybe. But just that studio version is flawless and great live versions have moved me but never topped that.

Quote
EasterMan

Quote
HonkeyTonkFlash

Quote
EasterMan
What is you favorite and least favorite live version of Gimme Shelter?
I listened to the 1997 pay-per-view concert the other day and it struck me how powerful Gimme Shelter was, just the amazing overall drive. Then I listened to Gimme Shelter from Havana Moon and felt the exact opposite.

Best: St. Louis 1997 or Paradiso 1995
Worst: Havana Moon 2016

I would say the Havana Moon version is better than a lot of recent ones. The one on No Security was great.

Yea it probably is but I can't be bothered with listening to bootlegs from 2016. The No Security version is from the MTV show at Capitol Theater, it was a nice 11-song set:

Honky Tonk Women
Let's Spend the Night Together
Tumbling Dice
Anybody Seen My Baby?
Sister Morphine (Marianne Faithfull cover)
Out of Control
Gimme Shelter
Little Queenie (Chuck Berry cover)
Start Me Up
Jumpin' Jack Flash
Encore:
Brown Sugar

<Marianne Faithfull cover>

That's funny

Yes maybe Bobby on a güiro messing it up for Charlie but what a great version. video: [www.youtube.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-04-11 09:53 by Redhotcarpet.

For me:

Philadelphia July 21st, 1972

breakfast show!

Best: Altamont
Worst: any version from 89/90

Quote
Redhotcarpet
Yes maybe Bobby on a güiro messing it up for Charlie but what a great version. video: [www.youtube.com]

Who was it, Jagger?

Best: Studio version; Live: lots of great versions, most in the early 70s, a couple in the mid/late 90s.

Worst: most of the live versions during the ABB tour.

video: [www.youtube.com]

Do not forget the solo cover by Keith.It's probably not the best version, but for those who have attended one of the winos shows during 1992-1993, they will got my point, I mean you're at a winos shows during 4 tracks and then you hear the first notes of Gimme Shelter which are already in your brain, strong and loud version, lots of emotions in it, and sometimes that's enuff.

HMN

Quote
Honestman
video: [www.youtube.com]

Do not forget the solo cover by Keith.It's probably not the best version, but for those who have attended one of the winos shows during 1992-1993, they will got my point, I mean you're at a winos shows during 4 tracks and then you hear the first notes of Gimme Shelter which are already in your brain, strong and loud version, lots of emotions in it, and sometimes that's enuff.

Yeah this is a very spirited version with the Wino's , what a band.

I got this bootleg at home and on my CD (jointrip) Keith's guitar is so loud compared to this. Is it some kind of conspiracy that all there is on you tube is Keith so low in the mix you can't hear his guitar. very strange.
I found this version but its still no where near as loud as mine.
[www.youtube.com]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2017-04-11 23:32 by stone4ever.