As much as I adore the Stones and would easily choose at least two-three of their studio albums for my all time personal top 10, they've never done anything for me live. Even in the Taylor years and the legendary bootlegs from that era, I just don't like the way the band sounds and find Jagger's vocals a real turn-off. Keith and Ronnie's "weaving" sounds clunky and uncoordinated to me, and often Charlie sounds like he's playing a different song to everyone else.

I saw them live once on the Voodoo Lounge tour and found the experience to be mostly grim. Very corporate, family friendly and about as far away from Rock and Roll as I could imagine.

Like I said, the records slay me and there's something to love on all of their albums for me, but live they almost sound like a completely different band.

Anyone else not get it live?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020-02-14 22:16 by WorriedAboutYou.

Nice nickname, I do get worried about you
Get well soon

Nice April Fools' Day joke (if a tad too early)!
Well done!

The music comes in to a life of its’ own live. Ya Yas and Brussels Affair are within my top ten albums of all time.

I actually feel the exact opposite. The live show is the BEST part of the Stones. Meeting other fans at the shows is always fun.

They were the best... with Mick Taylor.

***
I'm just a Bad Boy Boogie

I think you must have had too much KOOL AID! LOL!!>< The excitement of a LIVE Stones concert is up there with TRUE NIRVANA! If you don't feel it, I feel bad for you..it is truly one of life's BEST EXPERIENCES...in my humble opinion!

This post has got to be an attempt at humor or worse, simply a troll. Me? I'd rather look at old classic Playboy magazines than make love to a beautiful woman.

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Rollin92
The music comes in to a life of its’ own live. Ya Yas and Brussels Affair are within my top ten albums of all time.

It's really interesting to hear this. Ya Yas was so disappointing to me, I thought the guitar sounded awful, the timing was all over the place and in general the sound was amateurish and the production was a mess. Just a horrible album for me that made the songs sound so much worse than the studio versions. Can anyone really say they prefer the Ya Yas versions of Jumpin' Jack Flash, Sympathy, Honky Tonk Women etc over the sublime studio versions?

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HouseBoyKnows
This post has got to be an attempt at humor or worse, simply a troll. Me? I'd rather look at old classic Playboy magazines than make love to a beautiful woman.

It's just a different opinion. I love the Stones on record but live they don't do it for me. I hope that makes it clear for you.

I guess that anybody that misspells "else" just doesn't get it

That's because the songs are something else on the records. They're tailored, worked on, overdubbed and very carefully constructed. They don't have the same resources to duplicate every single note on stage---nor do they have the ability/want to duplicate the song exactly note for note. So in essence yes the live sound is significantly different. You either admire that or you don't. Sounds like you don't. Sorry to say that is how it always has been with the Stones. Seeing Paul McCartney might be better for you where every note is duplicated to every detail.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2020-02-14 22:16 by Justin.

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Cooltoplady
I guess that anybody that misspells "else" just doesn't get it

Thanks for pointing out my error. English isn't my first language but I hope it's improving all the time.

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Justin
That's because the songs are something else on the records. They're tailored, worked on, overdubbed and very carefully constructed. They don't have the same resources to duplicate every single note on stage---nor do they have the ability/want to duplicate the song exactly note for note. So in essence yes the live sound is significantly different. You either admire that or you don't. Sounds like you don't. Sorry to say that is how it always has been with the Stones. Seeing Paul McCartney might be better for you where every note is duplicated to every detail.

I loathe Paul McCartney and think the Beatles are the most overrated band in history, but I do enjoy other bands live. Nick Cave is incredible in concert, as is PJ Harvey, Radiohead and newer artists like Anna Calvi.

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WorriedAboutYou

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Rollin92
The music comes in to a life of its’ own live. Ya Yas and Brussels Affair are within my top ten albums of all time.

It's really interesting to hear this. Ya Yas was so disappointing to me, I thought the guitar sounded awful, the timing was all over the place and in general the sound was amateurish and the production was a mess. Just a horrible album for me that made the songs sound so much worse than the studio versions. Can anyone really say they prefer the Ya Yas versions of Jumpin' Jack Flash, Sympathy, Honky Tonk Women etc over the sublime studio versions?

Not those you listed but Midnight Rambler, Stray Cat Blues and Love In Vain are superior on GYYYO.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2020-02-15 00:18 by TornAndFried.

IMO, you can't top the magic they created in the studio. But...

You would be missing out a lot if you never heard the live albums and bootlegs.
It's almost like comparing apples to oranges. They're both enjoyable in different ways.

Also, I don't think it can be overstated that one cannot fully appreciate the rhythm section of Watts and Wyman by only listening to the albums.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2020-02-14 22:28 by ryanpow.

I much prefer their recorded output.
I guess I do understand your opinions although I don't share it. There are years in which their shows weren't very good, imo, but there were other times when they were brilliant.
I'm curious as to how you feel about live music in general?
Most acts now seem to try to re-create their recorded sound. The Stones have never done that. (Well, I guess recently they try to make their live sound rehearsed and consistent.)

Did you post that just o get people in a tizzy?

I do not not get it live.

No comment

__________________________

Maybe the best way to start loving the Rolling Stones live is not to approach by the live music of the Mick Taylor era, but rather of the Brian Jones era. The ecstatic dimension about their music that you may experience from then.

They are one of the best Live bands ever.

Got live if you want it?

jb

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Palace Revolution 2000
They are one of the best Live bands ever.

or this...

ROCKMAN

you lost me at "saw them once"

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WorriedAboutYou

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HouseBoyKnows
This post has got to be an attempt at humor or worse, simply a troll. Me? I'd rather look at old classic Playboy magazines than make love to a beautiful woman.

It's just a different opinion. I love the Stones on record but live they don't do it for me. I hope that makes it clear for you.

There may be an element to what you're saying that is unknowingly misleading to yourself:

a lot of what the Stones do in the studio is live. The bottoms are live - 2 guitars, bass, drums and piano (yeah I know, not every song). At times very little is added or done to the songs, with exception being the vocals.

What gets me about the Stones live, sometimes, is how bad they perform a song. Some songs just never sound good live - like Heartbreaker, Rocks Off, Love Is Strong, She Was Hot, Anybody Seen My Baby, Undercover Of The Night, Sway, She's So Cold, Neighbours and loads of others, yet there are times when they play something that's damn near as good as the original (Monkey Man is a great example) or even better (Midnight Rambler, Dancing With Mr D, When The Whip Comes Down on SUCKING IN THE SEVENTIES) but there are a lot of times when they play something really good or great for a little while, not necessarily better than the original but just different, and then just never get it again (Jumpin' Jack Flash, Sympathy For The Devil, Start Me Up, Honky Tonk Women, Shattered).

I love Shattered but I prefer the 1994-95 live version. I love Jumpin' Jack Flash but I prefer the 1969 version from GIMME SHELTER and then GYYYO!. I love Honky Tonk Women but I prefer the LOVE YOU LIVE version, 1978 and even 1981-82 versions. I love Start Me Up but the only live version I like is from 1989-90 - the rest stink.

Monkey Man is an outstanding song. It was pretty damn cool that they performed it in 1994 but it was even better on the LICKS tour, and it's stellar, really, but it's not as good as the original. Close but not as good. And what got me about that is, they can do that but they can't play Respectable or She Was Hot or She's So Cold with the nuances of their dynamics? That is really frustrating.

I’ve got it in a few places...

I can understand that many folks don't get the glorious, chaotic noise that is the Rolling Stones on stage ...but It's odd from someone who loves them on record.

That tense timing and looseness is there on record too ...different day, different sounds & arrangement ...but just the same unique energy.

Anybody could play the notes, live or on records, but not quite like them.

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WorriedAboutYou
...they've never done anything for me live...

It's like if you say on a Beatles Board that they've never done anything for you in the studio.

HMN