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keefriff99
The quality of the guitar playing diminished radically between SW/UJ and VL.
However, I think SW/UJ was far too polished and mechanical. VL was a bit dirtier and looser. It would have been interesting to hear that vibe coupled with the flashier guitar playing from '89-'90.
I do wonder if the change in guitar wizardry had more to do with how the music scene changed between '89 and '94. In the late '80s, guitar heroes were all the rage in hard rock and heavy metal. Although the Stones were never about that, Keith and Ronnie did play longer solos with faster, flashier runs in an effort to keep up with the scene at the time.
By '94, guitar pyrotechnics were considered cheesy and outdated. The whole grunge/alternative scene put the focus back on the song, and solos became more about servicing the song, not just as a perfunctory place holder for showing off your chops.
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Rocky Dijon
I believe "One Hit (to the Body) " was played once on VOODOO LOUNGE.
I must admit, I look forward to your inevitable "unfortunately they didn't include tracks from DIRTY WORK" posts. You must have felt the same when FORTY LICKS was released and when perusing nearly every Stones setlist for the past 23 years.
I agree with that.Quote
The Worst.
I think Stripped/Totally Stripped demonstrate just how good they were in 1995. The sound and playing is better and far more interesting than anything I've heard from 1989/90.
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Monsoon RagoonQuote
Rocky Dijon
I believe "One Hit (to the Body) " was played once on VOODOO LOUNGE.
Maybe in Buenos Aires, but no tape exists. At least there was a comment by Karnbach, but his book is full of errors.
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HMS
VL-setlists were better and the playing less clean. The costumes were less awful than those from SW/UJ. Jagger´s hairdo made him finally look like Jagger again. Unfortunately they didn´t include some of DW´s tracks.
The ridicilous inflateable dolls were gone, weren´t they?
And thank God they removed most of Steel Wheel´s songs from the setlist.
Overall VL was more stonesy than SW/UJ.
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TeddyB1018
SW tour proved they could be top-of-the-heap slick. VL was leaning into more varied setlisrs and sloppier bandplay. The semi-acoustic Stripped shows were great because the small venues were a turn on for the band, and they couldn't hide. The best live performances of the post-Taylor era for me. They reached back for this approach for theatre gigs in '99 and '02 with stellar results as well.
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Rocky Dijon
For your sake only, GasLightStreet, before all is said and done, I hope there's a one-night only DIRTY WORK live at The Fonda Theatre.
I think that's exactly right. SW was the first time out for the "new" corporate Stones, and you can see some trepidation getting used to this new, tightly-run ship.Quote
HonkeyTonkFlash
My impression was that given their new habit of trying to replicate their studio albums, some of the Steel Wheels shows were a bit stiff; technically perfect but lacking some soul. By 1994 it seemed to me that they had gotten comfortable enough with their new methods to put some more feeling back into their playing...but that's just my opinion.
Everything about the Voodoo Lounge marketing was darker and more menacing.Quote
stevecardi
Thanks for all the responses!
I might be biased in favor of 1989/1990 since I'm one of the few fans that genuinely loves the Steel Wheels album, the two tours' killer stages, and the fact their playing had a tightness to it that we hadn't heard from them since the Taylor years.
But on the VL tour, there was something rough and arrogant about the Stones: a sense of danger had returned to their sound they didn't have in 1989/1990 (or, for that matter, 1981/1982). But it wasn't the 1960s/1970s menacing Stones; it was something new entirely.
Or, stated in another way:
1989/1990 = "We're back and we're better than ever!"
1994/1995 = "Try to string us up! I dare you (I double dare you!): we ain't dead yet, and we're still better than everyone else!"
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Rockman
mmmmm yeah those menacing Love Is Strong lyrics .... LD