I've got GYYYO cranked right now, love it, missed it all these years since can't play vinyl anymore.

It's so good, and we've all seen it on this 'chat' thing that pretty much everyone rates it at the top of live stuff, but why exactly??

Why is a '69 live recording so full & rich sonically, Stones live stuff since doesn't compare, sonically?? Can someone explain?

Obviously it's the Stones arguably at their prime, and great songs but getting to the essence of the sound. Stripped is a great live album but doesn't have the full sonic sound of GYYYO - can someone explain? Is it enhanced or was the recording mechanisms plugged straight into their stuff that isn't now-a-days?

It just rocks solid musically (of course) and sonically - top to bottom sound!

And yes, just cool rock - loving it right now - JJF just is so complete, it makes you wonder why they would ever stray from that version??

I hope this doesn't get the MT debate going again, but that album is great for whatever reason?

What you all think?


Oh Don't do that, Oh don't do that, oh don't do that. . . .

I think it's the sound of the guitars.

Seriously, I dunno - that's the best reason I can come up with - the mix is just perfect. I think they were better over the next four years, and I'm not a big fan of the '69 tour boots that I have, but there's something about Ya-Yas that just kicks ass.

Plus, it's got the coolest cover ever.

Best setlist of any Stones live album IMO. Especially love the two Chuck Berry covers - god, i wish they would bust out Little Queenie more often.

the wall of Ampegs back then sure helped for a crankin' guitar sound.....the reel to reel tape instead of digital recording....and maybe a different mixing asthetic (nice loud guitar mix..drums not so prominent).......only a guess, probably alot more to it than that

I was 1969, one of the Stones' most perfect years.......musically!!
Imagination.

"Pass it on" (Keith talking about the music)

Real quick, who knows where GYYYO was recorded? MSG? 1969?

You can bleed on me. . . .

You answered all your own questions... it's just a crankin', fast-paced, super-rocky live album... WITHOUT ONE BAD TRACK

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

theboys Wrote:
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> Real quick, who knows where GYYYO was recorded?
> MSG? 1969?
>
> You can bleed on me. . . .


Over the 3 shows at MSG, 27-28 November 1969

although the album cover indicates that the songs are from New York, "Love in Vain" is actually from Baltimore on 26 November

Like "Love you Live", the sources of the songs as indicated on the sleevenotes are misleading

Isn't Stray Cat also from the Baltimore show?



ROCKMAN

Its all about the mix. Compare YaYas to Flashpoint, just as a glaring example. YaYa's has the perfect raw Stones sound. Nothing more to be said about that. Flashpoint on the other hand has much more separation between the instruments and the volume levels are completely different. Guitars are lower, vocals higher, etc. YaYas is the raw live sound as actually captured.

Compare any recording on Vinyl to its cd counterpart. You'll notice the difference. When vinyl is printed it engraves the actual sound into the grooves on the record. With cd its done digitally. Digital is great but it is still limiting on what it can catch. In particular listen to the cymbols of the drums on any record. Crashes will linger longer on vinyl simply because the detail gets lost in the digital translation. The only exception to this is the SACDs which did a damn near perfect job of translating it over.

Bands have good nights, bad nights, and nights where everything comes together. And if it's the Stones, then you have the best band in R&R history on a few nights in 69 where everything comes together. It has to be great.

On the other hand, Same lineup, same time period -- compare Hyde Park!

The reason is: Mick Taylor, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts & Bill Wyman!!
These guys and at the peak of their powers....
Combine that with Glyn Johns mixing/recording and you have the live power of the Stones.

Drake makes too excellent points: the importance of the mix and the deficiency of the digital process. Some people insist that the classical music they listen to must be on vinyl only.

The third consideration on the greatness of YaYa's as a live album is this: The live songs on the album are heavily overdubbed. It's more like a studio album with the first take being live.



"make up your mind, 'cause I gotta go"

BOBM Wrote:
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> The third consideration on the greatness of YaYa's
> as a live album is this: The live songs on the
> album are heavily overdubbed. It's more like a
> studio album with the first take being live.

It amazes me that this myth still holds on after so many years...Ya Ya's is NOT heavily overdubbed. There is not one single instrument overdubbed on any track -no guitars, bass, drums or whatever. All that was done in early 1970 was the rerecording of Jagger's vocals on half the songs, and they added Richards background vocals on most songs.

What makes Ya-ya's sound so great is what makes most albums until the late 70's so great: the primitive recording technology. It's in the microfones, the amps, the mixing desk etc. All was analog tube (valve) equipment, and the warmth and fattness just can't be achieved with digital technology. The best sounding source for Ya-ya's still is the old, thick DECCA vinyl release.

Mathijs

The Stones are playing in the classic form: guitars, bass, vocals, drums, piano, no additional musicians, the guitars are prominent in the mix, the set list is blues rooted, the mix of Rambler is perfect, the guitars are extremely loud particularly on this track. The tour was all over great. They should realize a complete concert of this tour with the acoustic ones like "Prodigal Son" or "You Gotta Move", the wonderful Taylor-solo on "I'm Free", the incredible melodious version of "Under My Thumb" etc.

Love GYYYO but the ultimate Stones live album for me is Brussels Affair.

Listening to Brussels Affair (BA) (my favourite rock album) made me understand better what makes Ya-Ya's so good. Ya-Ya's can't compete with the energy, the fantastic guitar work on BA. Regarding energy, the charm of Ya-Ya's is the opposite - it's so relaxed, and it swings, while BA is more frenetic. But still, Ya-Ya's oozes of "power". The two top positions on my list of all time official rock albums, are occupied by Exile and Ya-Ya's - can't make my mind up to which one is the best of these two!

Ya Yas is THE standard bearer in live performances.

It is unashamedly, a statement of unadulterated sheer raunch, remaining to this day, the blueprint for modern rock n' roll. I use the word modern becuause sadly, no bands since have been able to come anywhere near this benchmark within this particlular genre of music.

It is unlikely to be bettered, by anyone, ever.

Ringo Wrote:
>it swings,
and,
>Ya-Ya's oozes of "power".

In 1969 the stones made great songs, but what really made the band "the greatest rock'n roll band in the world", was that the band was swinging even more when playing live. They also rearranged the songs for live playing. Look at Midnight Rambler which actually was played so well at Ya Ya's that it made it's way to Hot Rocks instead of the studio version! In the Hyde Park movie Mick Jagger says that he sees the Beatles as a studio band , while the Stones as a live band. IMO, that's why they were such a great band...