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Big Al

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Paddy
It must piss McCartney off that no matter the band he was in, The Stones beat them for cool hands down.

The Stones have multiple albums I can listen to, start to finish and enjoy. There’s no Beatles album for me that’s killer start to finish.

Okay! For a bit of fun :-

The Rolling Stones VS Please Please Me - The Rolling Stones; just.
The Rolling Stones No.2 VS With The Beatles - With The Beatles; just.
Out of Our Heads VS Rubber Soul - Rubber Soul
Aftermath VS Revolver - Revolver
Between the Buttons VS Sgt. Pepper - Between the Buttons
Their Satanic Majesty’s VS Magical Mystery Tour - Magical Mystery Tour
Beggars Banquet VS The Beatles (White Album) - Beggars Banquet
Let it Bleed VS Abbey Road - Let it Bleed

If I were going by time-frames, the albums going head-to-head would be different, I think. Anyway, tough choices! My head tells me The White Album is better than Beggars, but, you know, I think I enjoy listening to the latter a tad more. The only no-brainier for me was Aftermath VS Revolver and Out Of Our Heads VS Rubber Soul.

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bitusa2012

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treaclefingers

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Paddy
It must piss McCartney off that no matter the band he was in, The Stones beat them for cool hands down.

The Stones have multiple albums I can listen to, start to finish and enjoy. There’s no Beatles album for me that’s killer start to finish.

I would generally agree but think that Abbey Road and maybe Sgt. Pepper would be exceptions to that.

Can’t stand the vaudeville of Sgt Peppers. Can’t stand side 2 of Abbey Road. The only Beatles records I can listen to start to finish are Let it Be and The Beatles (though on the latter, I DO have to grit my teeth to get thru Revolution #9).

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vibrolux
OK, we've heard Paul McCartney and Roger Daltrey dump on the Stones recently. I love this band (don't we all), and I love going to the shows (ditto).

There has been some criticism of the virtuosity of the playing. Sure. But if you want to see virtuoso guitar playing, go see Joe Bonamassa or Tommy Emmanuel. They do good shows and play circles around Richards and Wood. But that's not the point of going to a Rolling Stones show. And they key word there is "show."

But, OK, let the critics say what they will. Here is my personal evaluation of the Stones in 2021 on a scale from 1 to 10:

Songs - 10. Every show is a passionate singalong. Say what you will about the warhorses, but every one of them is a pure rock and roll classic.
Showmanship - 10. Two words, Mick Jagger.
Virtuosity - 7. Let's be honest, you don't go a stones show and be mesmerized by pure virtuosity. Actually, the playing by Jones, Jordan, and the horns pulls this score up.
Singing - 9. Jagger burns a lot of energy running all over the place, so he can't stand still to sing with perfect pitch and precision.
Sound Quality - 10. The Stones sound is absolutely amazing. There can be challenges in playing in places with roofs, but at least at the Cotton Bowl, every voice and every instrument could be heard perfectly.
Staging/Lights - 10. They Stones always set up their staging so that everyone gets a great experience. The catwalk brings them right out into the pit and the four big screens let everyone see the band close up. And the lighting is always perfect.
The Sheer Thrill - 10. It begins with the words "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones. Even my sister, who is far from a big fan was jumping up and down and screaming. And when they sprinkle in a gem like All Down The Line or Monkey Man, every fan's heart skips a beat.

Overall Composite Score - 9.4

For comparison, I had just seen the Eagles show. Sat in the 4th row right in front of the guitars. A perfect spot.

The songs - 9. They have a bunch of great hits, but only some of them have been as significant as the Stones' catalog.
Showmanship - 3. They just stand there and sing.
Virtuosity - 7. Though the show is highly precise, a solid cover band could easily recreate every note.
Singing - 10. They stand still and nail it. Especially Don Henley
Sound Quality - 10. Top notch crew.
Staging/Lights - 7. It's a clean, but low key show by design.
Sheer Thrill - 6. It's always great to hear your favorites, but it's not an exciting show.

Overall Composite Score - 7.4

Last but not least Paul McCartney. Saw him up close just a few years ago.

Songs - 9. The Beatles songs are a 10, but he plays a bunch of his other less iconic songs as well.
Showmanship - 5. He makes an effort, but he ain't no MJ.
Virtuosity - 7. They play clean, but again, it's kind of a Beatles cover band.
Singing - 9. It's that great Paul McCartney voice, but the years have added a rough edge or two.
Sound Quality - 10. He also has a top notch crew.
Staging/Lights - 7. Again, a relatively simple production.
The Sheer Thrill - 8. Hearing those Beatles songs is awesome. If he came out and played a whole Beatles show, it could be a 10.

Overall Composite Score - 7.9

Bottom line... The Stones will always have critics, but they still deliver one hell of a show.