Why is the 1973 Brussels recording so often considered to be the best? Keith is out of tune on some of the songs, and they played far better on other gigs such as the London recordings from the same year. Is it perhaps because it's the longest soundboard recording from that year?

The sound quality is one of the best.

I always think the 73 european tour more than anything is a showcase for Mick Taylor's guitar solos. It's the best illustration of the strengths Mick brought to the group and beind a Taylor fan i love it.
The best live bootlegs for me are from the Australian tour from early 73 and in particular Perth and Sydney. The sound quality isn't as clear as Brussels perhaps but that's really besides the point because the Stones are just a bundle of raw energy. They also play more cohesively as a band rather than a backdrop to Mick Taylor's wonderous solos.
I can understand why Brussels is rated so highly though because it is a fantastic listening experience. I'd still put it just behind those Australian bootlegs though.

I like some of the Aussie 73 shows better too.

The audience on Brussels rocks....

JumpingKentFlash

Midnight Rambler.

Yes, I don't know why Brussels is the fav boot for many of us. It is quite good, MT adds some great solos, but Mick it isn't in his best voice, some tracks like Gimme Shelter are lousy. Many boots before and after are better both in sound quality and interpretation.

Well, I think Keith works on what I would name the Fab Four of this marvel :
YCAGWYW, GS, TD & MR, are the momentum of his musical legacy. Mick Taylor is absolutely astonishing and prove how brilliant and talentuous he is. He too is at his peak during those 4 songs, in my own perspective. It's beyond the iron wall. Bobby Keyes surpasses himself in YCAGWYW also. It is a world of musicality The Stones have never reached since, adding that I would never miss a current Stones concert I can afford. The sound is also perfect and tense.

it's not Bobby Keys on YCAGWYW it's Trevor Lawrence

Yeaaaah. So I was wrong for 33 years. Thanks.

riffhard72 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Midnight Rambler.


I also think Midnight Rambler is a good reason, and Angie as well. Maybe the Brussels shows after all are the best. But IMO the band did probably their best version of Heartbreaker, Street Fighting Man and Gimme Shelter on sept. 9 in London. They did some shit hot versions of other songs as well, in Newcastle, Rotterdam and Essen too. But to me these shows seem to be forgotten at times.
I do also find the Far East Tour very interesting. There are moments in ex. Melburne where they sound like their playing for their lives Of course, Perth and Sydney are among the best shows the band has ever done...

S.T.P Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why is the 1973 Brussels recording so often
> considered to be the best? Keith is out of tune on
> some of the songs, and they played far better on
> other gigs such as the London recordings from the
> same year. Is it perhaps because it's the longest
> soundboard recording from that year?

On which songs is keith out of tune? The releases of Brussels had two versions of Gimme shelter: the Wembley version is the best ever version ever, and the Brussels version features an out of tune Keith. But what other songs?

Brussels simply s one of the two or three best ever gigs, as every member of the Stones has a best night ever, the band is at its peak, the sound is best ever, and the mix is excellent. There's isn't much not to like about this gig.

Mathijs

Yep, Keith is out of tune on GS from Brussels #1. It's hard to hear up there w/all that musical interaction. Maybe Keith's monitor wasn't loud enough, it was only the second song of the set, you know.

Was Dancing With Mr. D. from Brussels #1 out of tune? I seem to recall hearing a version that was, but it may not be Brussels.

"The wonder of Jimi Hendrix was that he could stand up at all he was so pumped full of drugs." Patsy, Patsy Stone

The Menace of Mayfair Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yep, Keith is out of tune on GS from Brussels #1.
> It's hard to hear up there w/all that musical
> interaction. Maybe Keith's monitor wasn't loud
> enough, it was only the second song of the set,
> you know.
>
> Was Dancing With Mr. D. from Brussels #1 out of
> tune? I seem to recall hearing a version that
> was, but it may not be Brussels.
>
> "Ik heb een thee beker in mijn haar".

Well, in '73 they only had monitors in front of Jagger, and two side-fills behind the piano. The guitars and bass only had the SVT's blazing behind them. Keith played out of tune quite often on the '73 tour, I remember especially the German shows being quite bad, but on Brussels, only on GS he's out of tune (and the intro to YCAGWYW, which is ALWAYS out if tune in 72/73!).

Mathijs

Brussels is GReat but I prefer Leeds 71. Really LOVE the semi x-rated version of Rambler from 71.

The audience on Brussels is amazing and the sound of the recording is
really really first rate. From a pure musical standpoint, this was imo
the highlight with everyone in peak form.

I prefer the '72 tour. I much prefer the guitar sound from that tour. I think they got a little effects happy in '73 and substituting Billy Preston for Nicky Hopkins also helped change the sound. They played better in '73 (generally speaking) but I think '72 was much rawer sounding, closer to Exile and Sticky Fingers while '73 to me was more in that GHS-IORR vain.

Ok--just listened to Brown Sugar from Brussels--not sure it is possible for a band to sound more locked in. And, great crowd!

S.T.P Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why is the 1973 Brussels recording so often
> considered to be the best? Keith is out of tune on
> some of the songs, and they played far better on
> other gigs such as the London recordings from the
> same year. Is it perhaps because it's the longest
> soundboard recording from that year?

Sound quality probably counts for a lot, but there are pieces of other shows in sbd or near sbd quality. Some actually prefer the Frankfurt 2d show SFM to the version from London that usually appears on the Brussels discs.

For me, the versions of various songs are the best: TD, Heartbreaker, Angie, MR, HTW, RTJ (MT did not play the second solo on this song elsewhere), ...

The Brussels album I lived with since the 70s tacked on LIV and ADTL from NYC '72, two other favorite versions of mine, along with the BBJ from that show, which still amazes me.

why does @#$%& sound so bad and all the other songs have great sound on
Brussels 73.

It's from the other show

No, it's not from the other show.
"Star Star" is from an audience source, as it wasn't broadcasted on the radio.

From what i`ve read in magazines, the rotterdam ahoy gig was even better, but i never had the chance to listen to that, is it on boot?

Mathijs Wrote:

> the Brussels version features an out of tune
> Keith. But what other songs?

Actually I'm not shure if there are any other songs from Brussels that are out of tune. Though on my copies of the LP's "Bedspring Symphony" and "Brussels Afair" Tumbling Dice is also out of tune, but I dont know whish show it is from. Your probably right Mathijs. Anyway, I rank Brussels as one of the best shows ever, a long with London, and probably a couple more from '73