Mow that I've listened to ABB several times I must conclude that Oh No, Not You Again is the only song on the album which was badly mixed and recorded.

I don't understand why Keith's solo guitar playing fills and the solo part is so loud during the vocals. I don't understand why thry didn't check if Keith had played the right tune. The end of the solo parts is a quite different tune as the opening chord of the third verse. So it sounds just false.
And the end of the song is chaos. It sounds as if they recorded the song during rehearsals and didn't check the recordings. I dunno but, for me, it's the weakest song on ABB!

You can't be serious.

You can't be serious. ONNYA is a ragged, sloppy mess, and it is just great. I would love to see the Stones open their shows with Rough Justice and ONNYA, just to show everyone that they still kick ass. I hate it when Mick announces "we're gonna do a new one", which immediately drops the energy level as thousands head for the bar or the restroom.

I think I have to agree. I had quite big expecations for the song beforehand. I mean, from the basis of the press conference gig. I thought the whole song will have a more clear and distinct, proper and finished form in a studio; for example, Jagger will find the right cliches and nuances (to finish the melody) not to mention the right key to make it sound great. But the result is almost as chaotic and untuned than the version heard in NYC. One take demo, badly mixed. Okay, perhaps that 'philosophy' is teh thing that is great in ABB but I think ONNYA does not success very well. It is just a sketch for a song, but I can hear a great potential there. A lost opportunity I guess.

But I have to remind to myself, maybe this song, and it's production, will later grown on me (the same old cliche.. )

- Doxa

I think it is one of the the best songs on the album...rough, gritty, raunchy, ..all the adjectives ever used to describe Stones music.......pure Rolling Stones

Everything in that song is loose - and that's great! Keith plays wrong notes (nothing new...), but I bet they have other more perfect versions that didn't come close to present this kind of energy. This is really a marvellous rocker - as bad as it gets!

It's rocker - right! It has pure energy - right! But to me as a musician it sounds odd. I suppose they shortened Keith's solo in the middle and forgot the last tone, which is just false. Sorry guys, but I agree with Doxa that this song is lost opportunity. They should have let Ronnie play the solo part in the middle ...

For musicians (as myself), a lot of choices made by the stones may sound odd. But their strenght has always been the wholeness of the song; the feel, the energy, the mystique, the "danger".

Some other examlples of great studio-songs where Keith plays licks or leads out of tune/in the wrong key:

Miss Amanda Jones
Dead Flowers
Stray Cat Blues
Casino Boogie
Miss You
Fight
Sad Sad Sad

When I first heard the album I was kind of weak on this song but it gets better with every listen. What ever it is they did or didn't do it works. I can't think of anything I'd change on this album, nothing.

I love the idea of them opening their shows with RJ and ONNYA, maybe they'll play one of them for the Super Bowl gig.

I ain't stupid, I'm just guitarded.

It's a punkrocker including all the rough edges which it should have!
The 'chaos' at the end is one of my favorite parts of the album actually, great produced by Don.

DandelionPowderman, you have some interesting songs on your list where Keith plays out of tune. Can you help me with Miss You, Miss Amanda Jones and Sad Sad Sad?

Cheers,
Wuudy

shedooby Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's a punkrocker including all the rough edges
> which it should have!


More like Jagger rhythm guitar or the Faces than punk.

The chorus seems to be played in cut time, which creates a nice tension. For me, the chorus is the most inspired portion of the whole album.

ONNYA is only song on the album that I can listen to twice in a row.

Still, those verse lyrics can be cringe inducing ("the moon was yellow, I'm like jello . . .") and even some chorus stuff is questionable (if Ian Hunter doesn't have a rock-and-roll-song copyright on "once bitten twice shy," then ASCAP and BMI should give it to him so no other rock song can ever use that tired cliche).

The chorus on Biggest Mistake is my favorite and backup vocals

I agree that the mix on this song was different than what I was expecting based on what we heard at the press conference and from the rehearsal video at RS.com. It is a great song live though and sounds better I think in that environment. I would be interested to hear other early mixes of this song since I liked it in its basic form a little better. Not that it sounds bad on the album, but the mix was not what i was expecting. I just hope they keep it in the setlists. Keith just cooks on this one. Looking forward to hearing it tonight!

i agree - something doesn't quite sound right here...i definitely like the pc version better (mix-wise, anyway).

Mesie

I agree with Mesie about the Mix, the guitars during the verse are mixed and muffled beneath the bass.

I still like this song awhole lot and don't get me wrong I love raw and sloppy music, shit I listen to the clash, Ramones and johnny thunders.

I cant understand your piss poor grammar, or the concept that the song is poorly mixed/recorded. If you have excellent stereo equipment this song sounds kickass, as does the whole album. Seriously. The album is one of the best MIXED recordings of all time. EQ your system to Rough Justice or ONNYA and then put in Exile/SF/LIB and you'll realize the leaps and bounds that have been made. I whole-heartedly disagree.

drake is another among us with "shit attitude." i like it.

oh no, not you again is a great rocker....ragged & loose (appealing trademark of the stones).....crank it up and let loose!!!!...in my opinion, thinking too much can ruin listening.....best wishes

Grammar??

I'm with Drake (content, not form).

DandelionPowderman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For musicians (as myself), a lot of choices made
> by the stones may sound odd. But their strenght
> has always been the wholeness of the song; the
> feel, the energy, the mystique, the "danger".
>
> Some other examples of great studio-songs where
> Keith plays licks or leads out of tune/in the
> wrong key:
>
> Miss Amanda Jones
> Dead Flowers
> Stray Cat Blues
> Casino Boogie
> Miss You
> Fight
> Sad Sad Sad

- Very interesting indeed.
I sense there are a few more songs to the list; but I can´t come up with´em
now on the spot. For sure Gimme Shelter as a dissonance between the
the fingerpluckin intro and the wooh-hooh, saw--fiddlin-like choir.

- I believe we´re approaching the very Essence of the Stones´ Soul here........

I really like it's edge!

the guy that started this thread has no clue obviously....they really should start a show(s) on this tour with rough justice or onnya in my humble opinion

Is it even possible to play the wrong notes on the original version of an original song?

A great song, one of the best and most memorable in the album! There is nothing more for me to say by now ... oh - and also the message was great - "DON`T @#$%& MY LIFE, LADIES!!!!!" ))

i agree 200 percent drake

john scialfa

<Is it even possible to play the wrong notes on the original version of an original song?>

For licks and solos - yes! When you play solo on, for instance, Miss you, which is in A minor, and stretch the g-string too far - you get out of tune. When you play improvised licks in Sad Sad Sad, and use a different scale than the "blues" or "country"-scale (as Keith does), the chance of hitting bum notes are high - and he does. But: Some of Keith's "bum" notes actually do the song better - that's the point...

You can't be serious.

The last 20-30 seconds of "chaos" IS the song. Charlie's going off, Keith is GONE and it's just fantastically shambolic.

An ABSOLUTE highlight of the record!!!!

Rod

i like the chaotic ending...but i also hear(in my head) the end chorus fading out