Quote
drewmaster
There seems to be a lot more love on this board for Tell Me Straight than for what I consider to be its closest cousin - Losing My Touch.

Maybe I'm missing something, but they seem awfully similar to me, melodically and overall-quality-wise.

Can someone tell me straight why TMS is superior (if it is), before I lose my touch completely?

Drew

So true...I hated Losing My Touch, and all the other 'bonus tracks' off of 40 Licks. I didn't think they deserved to be on the first compilation album that included ABKCO with RSR releases.

I don't have an answer for you, but will admit I love Tell Me Straight where I doubt I'll even give another listen to LMT.

LMT is more maudlin, musically and lyrically, while TMS has that lovely chord shape and the lyrics are a lot better, I think, loaded with more interesting meanings, and it's midtempo.

Quote
MrForeverMusicFan
Here's the Rolling Stones songs Keith Richard sings lead or shared vocals on.

‘Something Happened to Me Yesterday’ (with Jagger)
‘Connection’ (with Jagger)
‘Salt Of The Earth’ (with Jagger)
‘You Got The Silver’
‘Happy’
‘Coming Down Again’
‘Memory Motel’ (with Jagger)
‘Before They Make Me Run’
‘All About You’
‘Little T & A’
‘Wanna Hold You’
‘Too Rude’
‘Sleep Tonight’
‘Can’t Be Seen’
‘Slipping Away’
‘The Worst’
‘Thru & Thru’
‘You Don’t Have To Mean It’
‘Thief in the Night’
‘How Can I Stop’
‘Losing My Touch’
‘The Nearness of You’ (live)
‘This Place Is Empty’
‘Infamy’
‘Tell Me Straight’

Live with the X-Pensive Winos

'Gimme Shelter' (lead vocal)

Another one live: Sure The One You Need.

KEEF, I can feel him on this song, its beautifully sung and played, iconic and amazing.

Is my future all in the past? Lifes moving too fast.

Keef did say he caught Mick singing it and he said ‘nah that’s mine pal’ or something similar
Love the song and love to hear an out take with Mick on vocals if it exists

Quote
MrForeverMusicFan
Here's the Rolling Stones songs Keith Richard sings lead or shared vocals on.

‘Something Happened to Me Yesterday’ (with Jagger)
‘Connection’ (with Jagger)
‘Salt Of The Earth’ (with Jagger)
‘You Got The Silver’
‘Happy’
‘Coming Down Again’
‘Memory Motel’ (with Jagger)
‘Before They Make Me Run’
‘All About You’
‘Little T & A’
‘Wanna Hold You’
‘Too Rude’
‘Sleep Tonight’
‘Can’t Be Seen’
‘Slipping Away’
‘The Worst’
‘Thru & Thru’
‘You Don’t Have To Mean It’
‘Thief in the Night’
‘How Can I Stop’
‘Losing My Touch’
‘The Nearness of You’ (live)
‘This Place Is Empty’
‘Infamy’
‘Tell Me Straight’

Live with the X-Pensive Winos

'Gimme Shelter' (lead vocal)

Anyway You Look At It should count too I think.

Quote
Barkerboy2

Quote
MrForeverMusicFan
Here's the Rolling Stones songs Keith Richard sings lead or shared vocals on.

‘Something Happened to Me Yesterday’ (with Jagger)
‘Connection’ (with Jagger)
‘Salt Of The Earth’ (with Jagger)
‘You Got The Silver’
‘Happy’
‘Coming Down Again’
‘Memory Motel’ (with Jagger)
‘Before They Make Me Run’
‘All About You’
‘Little T & A’
‘Wanna Hold You’
‘Too Rude’
‘Sleep Tonight’
‘Can’t Be Seen’
‘Slipping Away’
‘The Worst’
‘Thru & Thru’
‘You Don’t Have To Mean It’
‘Thief in the Night’
‘How Can I Stop’
‘Losing My Touch’
‘The Nearness of You’ (live)
‘This Place Is Empty’
‘Infamy’
‘Tell Me Straight’

Live with the X-Pensive Winos

'Gimme Shelter' (lead vocal)

Anyway You Look At It should count too I think.

Feel On Baby, too.

And I'd remove Connection, Keith is just background on that one. I know he did it live w/ Winos, but I don't think he ever did it w/ the Stones live.

Quote
LeonidP
And I'd remove Connection, Keith is just background on that one. I know he did it live w/ Winos, but I don't think he ever did it w/ the Stones live.

He sang it at least twice with the stones: it's on the Shine a Light movie!

C

Quote
liddas

Quote
LeonidP
And I'd remove Connection, Keith is just background on that one. I know he did it live w/ Winos, but I don't think he ever did it w/ the Stones live.

He sang it at least twice with the stones: it's on the Shine a Light movie!

C

He's done it lots of times. A killer version in Hyde Park in 2022, for instance.

Quote
DandelionPowderman

Quote
liddas

Quote
LeonidP
And I'd remove Connection, Keith is just background on that one. I know he did it live w/ Winos, but I don't think he ever did it w/ the Stones live.

He sang it at least twice with the stones: it's on the Shine a Light movie!

C

He's done it lots of times. A killer version in Hyde Park in 2022, for instance.

Yep. Busted it out in Nashville in 2021 for the first time in 15 years and continued to play it often after Nashville 2021.

[www.setlist.fm]

Quote
drewmaster
There seems to be a lot more love on this board for Tell Me Straight than for what I consider to be its closest cousin - Losing My Touch.

Maybe I'm missing something, but they seem awfully similar to me, melodically and overall-quality-wise.

Can someone tell me straight why TMS is superior (if it is), before I lose my touch completely?

Drew

If you listen you'll hear some chunky rhythm playing that is typical Keith cut and slice etc playing yet subtle.

Aside from the intro, which is a B chord I have yet to figure out a name for, it's in D, and the C chords are full of knives, and finishes with the B chord that is borderline painful to play.

The chorus of Everyone is asking questions... both versions sit in an incredibly sweet pocket with a harmony vocal that is beyond any shower.

Keith's best ballad since All About You.

For example...

The Rolling Stones - Keith's THIEF IN THE NIGHT
Before They Make Me Run
Little T&A
Happy
Wanna Hold You
You Don't Have To Mean It
Tell Me Straight
Coming Down Again
Thru And Thru
The Worst
This Pace Is Empty
Slipping Away
Losing My Touch
Thief In The Night
All About You
How Can I Stop

What about Fingerprint File? It sounds like Keith singing the first verse.

Quote
Elmo Lewis
What about Fingerprint File? It sounds like Keith singing the first verse.

He certainly doesn’t. It’s Mick.

Quote
Elmo Lewis
What about Fingerprint File? It sounds like Keith singing the first verse.

The tape is sped up, so it sounds a bit strange. It's definitely Mick, though.

I'm not sure what it is about TMS that I'm just not getting. To me, Hackney Diamonds is ultimately a bit of a party - quite uplifting. Then TMS comes on and it just doesn't feel like it fits - I find myself skipping it sometimes in the car. The same with Dreamy Skies, though to a lesser extent.
Shame really, because Keith tracks on Stones albums are usually a highlight for me - I feel it would have fit onto Crosseyed Heart a bit better (which I love). I think I might be in the minority though.

Quote
Barkerboy2
I'm not sure what it is about TMS that I'm just not getting...

I think it's excellent. I especially love when Keith croons the "ohhhh" in his vocals, such as here around the 1min12sec mark. Fantastic!!

Quote
Elmo Lewis
What about Fingerprint File? It sounds like Keith singing the first verse.

No it doesn't.

Quote
Barkerboy2
I'm not sure what it is about TMS that I'm just not getting. To me, Hackney Diamonds is ultimately a bit of a party - quite uplifting. Then TMS comes on and it just doesn't feel like it fits - I find myself skipping it sometimes in the car. The same with Dreamy Skies, though to a lesser extent.
Shame really, because Keith tracks on Stones albums are usually a highlight for me - I feel it would have fit onto Crosseyed Heart a bit better (which I love). I think I might be in the minority though.

Some people love DIRTY WORK... some things just can't be explained beyond the obvious. It's all subjective.

Tell Me Straight is, in regards to The Stones, his best track since his trio on BRIDGES, which I realize isn't saying much discog wise...

I like Dirty Work, to be fair.
And the last two tracks on Bridges bore me to tears, so I guess we all just have different tastes/opinions. I do usually love the Keith tracks, so I am more disappointed in myself for not really getting TMS more than anything!
I would actually count Thru And Thru and Sleep Tonight as two of my fave Stones songs so I'm definitely not adverse to a Keith vocal.

I am assuming it will grow on me

Quote
LeonidP
And I'd remove Connection, Keith is just background on that one. I know he did it live w/ Winos, but I don't think he ever did it w/ the Stones live.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-01-23 19:55 by GasLightStreet.

Weakest song on the album for me. What savnes it a little bit is Mick.

Quote
LeonidP
And I'd remove Connection, Keith is just background on that one. I know he did it live w/ Winos, but I don't think he ever did it w/ the Stones live.

Saw it live two times in 2022...

Quote
Papo

Quote
LeonidP
And I'd remove Connection, Keith is just background on that one. I know he did it live w/ Winos, but I don't think he ever did it w/ the Stones live.

Saw it live two times in 2022...

LeonidP needs to catch up!

Quote
GasLightStreet

Quote
Papo

Quote
LeonidP
And I'd remove Connection, Keith is just background on that one. I know he did it live w/ Winos, but I don't think he ever did it w/ the Stones live.

Saw it live two times in 2022...

LeonidP needs to catch up!

Great clips, especially the first one! I haven't seen the Stones live since 2002 and I guess didn't pay attention much to the setlists of the last tour. However I am going this year - it would be amazing if Keith did Tell Me Straight.

If I recall, he did play This Place Is Empty a few times with the Bigger Bang tour - another that I always liked a lot, but I recall seeing many negative posts about that, I guess not well loved. But I would take this one too for the live show...

LOVE This Place Is Empty!

If you go back to TALK IS CHEAP and listen to Rockawhile and Locked Away, then VOODOO LOUNGE with Baby Break It Down and then CROSSEYED HEART's Illusion...

There's something Keith is working on, in a kind of solar system way, and as good as Illusion is on CROSSEYED HEART (essentially Baby Break It Down), or as beautiful as Locked Away is, Tell Me Straight is the top of them all.

For the Keith Stones song lovers, better than the three on BRIDGES?

As fantastic as those three are, yes: Tell Me Straight is the best (Stones solo) song he's done in a very long time.

It might be the best (solo) Stones song he's ever done.

That's out there: Happy, Before They Make Me Run, All About You, Little T&A... Slipping Away. The three on BRIDGES.

Age doesn't determine greatness. If it did then Picasso was already dead before he died.

It happens: just because one is 79 years old doesn't mean they can't top something from earlier - there are no rules. Musically, lyrically.

It's beautiful, it's sweet - and it's not too long.

Keith's nice piano rolls are a treat.

This has to be making a debut soon. It just has to.

I have the same feeling, but not about Tell Me Straight (which I like) but about Thief In The Night, which I think is brilliant. And I am still surprised that the live versions are very good too: it's a difficult song and Keith has a habit of messing things up live.

By the way, I think Picasso in the later years of his life was not as good as in the earlier years, a few exceptions aside.

It's by no means his best solo song, it's about in line with most of Crosseyed Heart but not as good as Locked Away or You Don't Move Me.

I'm sure he will play Tell Me Straight very soon and I'm looking forward to it, but like the rest of the album it might not work so well vocally live.