1) 1972 STP
2) 1969
3) 2002 Licks
4) 1975
5) 1989
6) 1978
7) 1997 BTB
8) pre- 1966
9) 1981 Still a loser

??? ABB

some nights on the the top of the list,others somewhere in the middle.one thing is for certain,jaGGER is better than ever.

john scialfa

Of the tours I've personally seen:

1st) TIE: StickyFingers/Exile (72ish) and Forty Licks (2003)

2nd) I'm going out on a limb here and saying Voodoo Lounge. It was a "comeback tour" in a sense, the first without Wyman, and the Stones really made a statement that tour.

3rd) Steel Wheels (89ish)

4th) Bridges to Babylon

5th) A Bigger Bang

6th) No Security.

"It's just that demon life has got me in it's sway..."

I agree that Mick has never been more consistent live. I listen to all the boots from 75-81 where he is singing everything in a low register and I wonder how people could feel so strongly about those tours. He sounds so much better now.

78 was great tour. It's not so much about his register as it is about his attitude. That was a great tour.
What would the "setlist hater's" say if the Stones broke out that list the next show? They would freak, I imagine.

that's mine (it's soooooo hard!)

1.1972 (great songs, great outfits, great playin: in one word perfect!)
2.1969 (Rule! The first real rock tour)
3.1975 (First tour with Wood, great outfits, incredible jagger dancing, playing: sometimes happy sometimes blue)
4.1978 (Like it! Great album a punky playing but sometimes sloppy)
5.2005-2006 (I love it! this is my first stones concert: too young to be there earlier!)
6.1995 (They sounded great!!!)
7.1981 (don't know I Prefer the 70's Ampeg sound, don't like too much the setlist)
8.1997 (Fantastic setlists)
9.2002 (just nice, bad outfits)
10.1989-1990 (bad setlist, terible outfits, don't like guitars sound!)

Bad OUTFITS in 2002? You're joking, right??

no. keith and mick are dressed better now than in 2002 to me!

They're all great for different reasons. The relevancy of the band puts '72 and '69 as the two most important and best tours to date. From a professionalism of musicianship perspective, the latest tours have been very good for the simple reason they show up to play. I agree with all posters here, although prior to '89 the Stones had some bum shows '81 and '78 in Philly, for certain and some shows in '75 and even '72 lacked the energy. I am just considering the U.S. tours, but I think the '73 tour of Europe, although I did not see any shows, from the boots and setlist may have been the greatest of all. So here is my rank:

1. '72-73
2. '69-70
3. '89-90
4. '02-03
5. '05-06
6. '78
7. '94-95
8. '81
9. '75-76

72/73
69 (I'll tag 70/71 with these - haven't heard enuff of 70/71 to judge on own merits)
73 Europe
78
75
81
99
02/03
94/95
97/98
05/06
89/90

72
69
75
78
99
02/03
05/06
94/95
97/98
81
89/90

1.1972
2.1969
3.1975
4.2005
5.2002
6.1994
7.1978
8.1997
9.1999
10.1989-1990

1969-'70, 1972, 1973, 1971, 1966, 1978, 1975-76, 1981-82.......after that it's a blur



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-01-25 17:27 by Leonard Keringer.

Hard to say... As one of us has said, every tour was child of it's period...For example, i wouldn't like in the last years the (something like) "punk spirit" of the late 70s era...

But i try (my criteria is not the setlists, only my taste about the band's performing).

1. 1972-73 Top of the Tops.
2. 1981-82 Fast but not frivolous play.
3. 1994-95 The Stones mature in the new era (Bill, sorry, but they can do it without you!)
4. 1969.
5. 2005 Guitars high on mix again, marvellous Mick and, despite the nagging on this board, good "team spirit" between Keith and Ronnie.
6. 1975-76 Ronnie on fire, Mick often mediocre and out of tune.
7. 1989-90 The Stones immature in the new era.
8. 1978 I hate this so overrated tour. Frivolous and unstable.

Leonard Keringer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 1969-'70, 1972, 1973, 1971, 1966, 1978, 1975-76,
> 1981.......after that it's a blur

that's actually a very relevant point, Leonard. Each of the aforementioned tours had distinct characteristics and personalities...starting with the detailed "choreography" of the 89/90 tour, the similarities among the tours largely outweigh their relative differences - in a sense, it's just been a long 16 year tour interrupted by a couple of years here and there. Few personnel changes and virtually no discernible differences to the presentations of the warhorses and near-horses. In many cases if you were to take a "blindfold" test and listen to a given version of a warhorse, you'd not be able to tell which tour (89-05) it came from. Such was not the case with ALL the previous tours.

Leonard and T&A,

You both are right on the $...Steel Wheels thru today has really been one long corporate tour compliments of Michael Cohl...in a good way that he's kept the boys focused and motivated to play...in a bad way that outside of a couple of blow up balloons and shapes of the video screens, the tours seem similiar.

My vote of tours since 1989 has to be VOODOO LOUNGE...They looked the best...Jagger and Wood had long hair...there was a renewed sense of something to prove with Wyman gone and a new bass player...the stage was forward thinking in terms of the internet was about to break in a year or two...and the Stones really came together for the long hall after 3 solo albums by Mick and 2 by Keith. It also was the first introduction of the B stage which everyone loves.

MY question to all on this thread is why the beef with the 81 tour? How many actually seen it? That tour was groundbreaking in terms of dates, money, merchandise, Pay per view etc..and was behind there last #1 album and the closest thing they had to a #1 single Start Me Up.

Tattoo You Tour was the last tour Mick and Keith were single...They were all out of their minds and it was a great great time...it was the last tour that you see Mick drinking Heinekens on stage, the last tour that Keith is drinking Jack Daniels on Stage, the last tour that they smoked their brains out and did drugs and made it all happen.

To me that was the one of the best...I didn't see 72 which from what I read and hear was the best...no challenges from me...but 81 was awesome...

How could anyone put all these corporate tours of the last 16 years ahead of that? Yes, the playing has improved but the danger and the kids and what the Stones were all about are all gone.

PECMAN

78 was frivolous and unstable? Is this the Rolling Stones we are talking about?
That's what makes that tour so great.
They set out to promote their great record "Some Girls" and added a few intersting songs. Opening with "Let it Rock" let the crowd know that the band wanted to party and they didn't care. Some shows were good, some weren't. Name a band that doesn't have bad days.
Anyhow, I love the 78 tour. Drunk, Happy and Horny basically describes the boys back then. Keith was a free man and they had a hit record. What's not to like?

Pecman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Leonard and T&A,
>
> You both are right on the $...Steel Wheels thru
> today has really been one long corporate tour
> compliments of Michael Cohl...in a good way that
> he's kept the boys focused and motivated to
> play...in a bad way that outside of a couple of
> blow up balloons and shapes of the video screens,
> the tours seem similiar.
>
> My vote of tours since 1989 has to be VOODOO
> LOUNGE...They looked the best...Jagger and Wood
> had long hair...there was a renewed sense of
> something to prove with Wyman gone and a new bass
> player...the stage was forward thinking in terms
> of the internet was about to break in a year or
> two...and the Stones really came together for the
> long hall after 3 solo albums by Mick and 2 by
> Keith. It also was the first introduction of the B
> stage which everyone loves.
>
> MY question to all on this thread is why the beef
> with the 81 tour? How many actually seen it? That
> tour was groundbreaking in terms of dates, money,
> merchandise, Pay per view etc..and was behind
> there last #1 album and the closest thing they had
> to a #1 single Start Me Up.
>
> Tattoo You Tour was the last tour Mick and Keith
> were single...They were all out of their minds and
> it was a great great time...it was the last tour
> that you see Mick drinking Heinekens on stage, the
> last tour that Keith is drinking Jack Daniels on
> Stage, the last tour that they smoked their brains
> out and did drugs and made it all happen.
>
> To me that was the one of the best...I didn't see
> 72 which from what I read and hear was the
> best...no challenges from me...but 81 was
> awesome...
>
> How could anyone put all these corporate tours of
> the last 16 years ahead of that? Yes, the playing
> has improved but the danger and the kids and what
> the Stones were all about are all gone.
>
> PECMAN



Hey Peck. I saw three shows from 81. One from the 7th row dead center stage. He's my beef: The guitars sounded hollow. The set list was not all that great. Keef barely did any solos. Ronnie acted like a buffoon. Off the top of my head they didn't play ANYTHING from Beggars. Only played very liitle form Let it Bleed or Sticky. The Some Girls songs were nowhere near as good as 78.

1 - 1969 ... i.m.h.o. this is the tour that changed everything ... if you don't believe me, watch gimme shelter again -- the sound quality, the musicianship, the energy -- other bands spent the entire '70's trying to match it (but failed)

2 - 1972 ... it picked up where '69 left off ... mick taylor taken off the leash a little as compared to '69 ...

3 - 1975 ... must be ranked third only because venues were still smaller than international airports in '75 ... i recall coming home from '75 show at Forum (L.A.) and telling my roommate that the guitars were "feeble"

4 - 1991 Stones at the Max (Imax Theater production on huge screen) ... yes I know that it was recorded in Europe and not really a tour, so technically it's off-topic ... however, i saw it in an Imax theater in California ... much more exciting than seeing the Stones in a football stadium

5 - '78 & '81, tied ... each supporting a great album ... many new songs played ... last gasps of relevancy ... downside: the beginning of stadium show era: crappy sound and worse visuals

In my book they were never better than on the 95 shows of Voodoo Lounge.

JumpingKentFlash

JumpingKentFlash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In my book they were never better than on the 95
> shows of Voodoo Lounge.
>
>

Your book is missing a few chapters

T&A Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> JumpingKentFlash Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > In my book they were never better than on the
> 95
> > shows of Voodoo Lounge.
> >
> >
>
> Your book is missing a few chapters
>

For just "raw rocking" VooDoo Lounge was as strong or stronger than anything since, IMO. That was the tour when You Got Me Rocking really FIT... Thunderous bass...

Unlike 40 Licks with more intricate musicianship...

SO... I can identify with someone who thinks VooDoo Lounge was the bomb, if you like a straightforward hard-rocking gig that was the tour for you.


"It's just that demon life has got me in it's sway..."

good argument, Bayou - but, if you're gonna argue that VL was stronger than 69 or 72 (for instance) - your "book" needs the missing chapters...

1.'72
2.'73 Far east winter tour (fantastic laidback and cool playing!!)
3.'69
4.'70
5.'73 European tour
6.'75
7.'76
8.'78
9.'o2
10.'95

The Toronto shows in '77 ranks very high, though it's not a tour...

This is a top ten, all good:

1.'73- no doubt
2.'78
3.'72
4.'69
5.'81-'82 (They were the biggest and best-loved entertainment act on earth in this period)
6.'94
7.'99 (I missed it, DANG! Some Girls live!)
8.'75
9. 2005-06
10.1964- What would you give to time travel back and see some London club shows? Stand Brian Jones to a pint?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-01-26 21:13 by cbtaco19.