I was very disappointed that we were unable to see the Stones in concert, for the sixth time. For those of you who have been lucky to see them the last few weeks, live in concert, what do you think ? Are they performing at a very high level, in terms of singing, guitar playing, and overall energy.Are the crowds responding in a positive way. Tell me.

have you checked the reviews for the shows here on iorr?

here's houston
iorr

and seattle
iorr

A rhetorical question?

- Doxa

You only have to watch a few videos from last night's show at Metlife Stadium to see they still have talent, Keith and Ronnie are playing as well if not better than in recent years, Mick is slowing down as expected but still has it, yeah they still have great talent, especially with an energised Keith now, the first two shows were a wobble and i thought he was passed it but once again Keith is back and that is essential in my opinion for the Stones to justify touring.

Well, I guess one never loses talent as such, but they've lost the right circumstances and the need to push themselves to the limits. And probably also a bit of youthful energy and drive.
Of course, "considering their ages" (as everyone says), it's amazing that they can do this anyway, especially Jagger, at 80 years, still running around like that. And it's true, it's amazing.
But no, quality wise, it's not as strong as they were at the end of the 60s, and some parts of the 70s and early 80s. Especially the guitars are lacking dramatically. Partly, also because playing in stadiums, it's harder to get a good sound (although I have seen some parts of stadium shows at the beginning of the 80s that were still convincing: loud, rough, cool). You can see Keith struggling and making much less of a dent musically than even 20 years ago, and certainly 40 years ago or before.
The same goes for their albums: it lacks urgency.
In any case, to be honest, I can't think of much guitar-based bands nowadays that convince me, but I have to admit I'm a bit out of contact with what's going on anyway in new current music. I am open to suggestions. It would be nice to hear something new and fresh.

I like the Inhalers tbh...the voice of Eli Hewson and the weaving between the back up vox and his rhythym guitar and the lead guitarist is pleasing....

This is such a great question, and I am sure that the answers will run the entire gamut between "yes," "no," and everything in between.

Here is what I tell everyone, young and old, when they are trying to decide whether to buy tickets to see the Rolling Stones:

You will probably be surprised at how "off" they can seem at times. Original member Bill Wyman likened their playing to a house of cards, that could fall apart at any moment. Their own guitarist, Mick Taylor, said he couldn't believe what poor musicians they were and how bad they could sound at times. One of their harshest critics, Mick Jagger himself, admits that it has more to do with a certain explosive energy that the band has, which he deems critical to being able to play rock and roll really well.

But no matter what show you see, I GUARANTEE you that there will be --- at the very least --- a handful of moments when the three of them will be in mid-song and suddenly, without even trying, all three of them will be situated or lined-up in a familiar configuration that you have seen thousands of times in photographs that span decades.

And that very moment will happen at the exact second that they hit a chord or a beat that rings in that utterly unique and quintessential Rolling Stones sound. No other band sounds like that or (in that moment) looks like that. And you will be looking at and hearing the very people who wrote that song, which you have heard countless times throughout your entire life (whether you liked it or not).

You will at that moment in your bones be connected to the fans and the fellow musicians at the Marquee Club, and the millions of them since, who first witnessed that energy and magic and knew that something different and special was happening there.

And in those moments, you will have experienced with your own eyes and ears the one and only Rolling Stones. That energy and magic that shoots right through you, lifts you and the tens of thousands around you right off your feet and onto some exalted plane. It will come to you like a bolt of lightening, right there in that very moment..."OMG, there it is...Mount Rushmore! Now I've seen it, and felt it. Now I know what all the fuss has been about. Was it about 'talent?' Or was it more about a unique sound? Chemistry, energy...magic?"

Keith Richards understands better than anyone else that it all comes down to a single group of cats, playing music together. In that regard, there can be no two groups that are alike. Millions of such cats will be grouped together and playing music tonight, all over the world, from small rooms to stadiums. But there is only one group of guys this evening who can still call themselves the Rolling Stones. And if they are playing together anywhere in the world tonight, you really owe it to yourself to experience it first-hand.

And when they come out for their final bow, you will be spent. You won't really understand how they actually did it. Only after they disappear will you realize all that you had just experienced the last few hours. Hours filled with sights and sounds that are only generated by one particular group of musicians. Just as the greatest entertainers have always done, they will leave you wanting more. Just one more glimpse at the sight and sound of the Rolling Stones.

GUARANTEED.

DGee, a wonderful read. Thank you.

- Doxa

DGee, Magnificent text, all the more so because it expresses your love and passion for the Stones and a fan of any other band and artist could have used those same lovely words... Thank you.

***
I'm just a Bad Boy Boogie

yes

< what DGee said !

Great post, tho it’s still May, I’ll cast my vote for post of the year.

DGee, that was a superior answer to my original question. I think we would all agree that the Stones are at their very best when working in a studio and making the CD or vinyl, and having the ability to cut and paste to make each track perfect.This is true of all recording artists, I would think.

Only a small percentage of fans are able and willing to pay exorbitant prices to see the Stones in person. I will continue to judge the Stones songs mostly on the basis of their work in the studio. And this last CD is one of their very finest.

is this really a topic/question??

come on man

DGee..what a post.
That's truth.

Quote
flilflam
DGee, that was a superior answer to my original question. I think we would all agree that the Stones are at their very best when working in a studio and making the CD or vinyl, and having the ability to cut and paste to make each track perfect.This is true of all recording artists, I would think.

Only a small percentage of fans are able and willing to pay exorbitant prices to see the Stones in person. I will continue to judge the Stones songs mostly on the basis of their work in the studio. And this last CD is one of their very finest.

I got 2 tickets for Vancouver for $120. That’s the least exorbitant amount I’ll spend on a ticket this summer. I don’t get the shade thrown at the stones re ticket prices when they’ve been running the Lucky Dips for years at this stage. Is there any other band who do similar?

If you're going to judge them by the 1972/1973 juggernaut touring group then no. If you can accept them for what they are some 50 years later, then yes. If it's about energy, they can't possibly be expected to live up to men under thirty years of age. If you put on Hackney Diamonds, then yes, they still have the energy to make a great record. I think Keith is playing much better than he has the last few years. Ronnie is still consistently great. Mick comes across as way younger than his physical age.

It was interesting to see and hear Dwayne Dopsie kick things into high gear when he joined the Stones onstage in New Orleans for Let It Bleed. I hope the stones tour Europe next summer and I hope he opens some shows for them.

yes, they have , that's why we are here.

If you have talent you usually never lose it. The question is whether you still can exploit your talent and put it to good use. Maybe a farfetched example but anyway:
If you watch an exhibition game between Borg and McEnroe you can still see that they are talented albeit it's not the same as watching their Wimbledon encounters from the early 1980s...
So, there a more components involved than sheer talent...

There are many reports from each and every show on this tour, not only from IORR fans, but also from press, see the press links on the IORR reports pages.

Why would their talent suddenly vanish? Sure the talent is there, not just among Mick, Keith and Ronnie, but also in their management, their crew, and the supporting musicians they bring on to the shows.

Just an example: When Sasha Allen could not be on the tour, they hired Shanel Heynes. a great great talent on her own.

Each and every backing band musician is adding talent to the band. Then they have a talent in their own, by making sure they have the right set list at all times. Hard core fans may complain about not getting "Can't You Hear Me Knocing" or "She's A Rainbow", but Mick and the band are highly talented when it comeds to making the set list that is working for the crowd in each city.

There are 50,000 or so fans at every show on this tour. They come again and again. That isd what talent is about. You know it is there, you know you will not be disappointed, that is why so many come again and again, to see them live, and to listen to their music.

Bjornulf