Years ago I posted many threads in different forums that I'd like to hear Sway live. This year, I could hear it at least in Berlin (this was my third Stones-show). I was sitting in a very hot area in the middle of the stadium, and I must say that the people there were really great, they danced and sang very much. Generally, the whole stadium was very into the show and the atmosphere was very very good.
As Mick said that they'll play Sway now, I thought the people will burn down the stadium, but it wasn't...only some hands were flying up in the front of stage area for some moments. Not more!
When they played it, I thought.."hmmm, okay, nice to hear this rarely played song live, but..." in my opinion, this song doesn't fit into a large stadium. In my opinion, Sway didn't work well on stage and I can approve this judgement after hearing some other live-versions from other concerts.

What do you think?

it was very good in Twickenham and I think it's a standout on the Glasgow FM (next time it was done). Haven't heard it quite at that level since, but all the more recent versions blow away some of the more inept early performances.

every time i heard Sway in concert this summer it sounded just like
the Rolling Stones playing the freakin daylights out of that thing
which grooved me. a lot.

Sway was great in Stade de France.

Sway was great everywhere!

Sway was great in Berlin and Twick 20th.

I think it fits a stadiumconcert, it´s just that most of the people on that kind of gig don´t know the song, like in Berlin, so hands are not up......but it doesn´t mean the song don´t work on a stadium.....i think.

The ONE thing it's missing!!!!!

Mick Taylor on LEAD Guitar - damn!! he co-wrote the bloody song!!!

Keith wasn't even in the studio!!!

MLC

and, as Gazza would point out - if most people at a Stones concert don't know Sway (on one of their best selling albums of alltime) - you really have to wonder why they bothered to come out at all....

Yes how could anyone at a Stones show not know Sway? My god, it is the 2nd track on Sticky Fingers! Between BS and Wild Horses for gods sake!!

Did these people buy the record and never get past BS??

It's sandwiched between 2 of their biggest hits on one of thier most comercially succesfull albums.




WTF?

it didnt work well because they dont do it right, its better than colubus now ,
but not by much, its great to hear dont get me wrong , but can you imagine sway live from 71-73, oh man that would have been something

Its nice to hear them do it, but the groove is all wrong..Jagger should play guitar, as on the original....Maybe Blondie should do the Taylor part...Instead of a Keith set, maybe there should be a MICK set...

JR

its gr-reat right up there , msg 1-20 nice at giants.... !!!for real...saw it twice.....



right up there w/ streets of of rough justice and oh no not you agian.....lol....

It's the way the current Stones now play it. If you want the original, play the record. Stop whinging about Mick Taylor.

I LOVE IT!, ITS GREAT LIVE!!!, i dont want to hear it like on the record!!!, if you want it just play it...why it must be like original version?, NO WAY!!!!, SWAY IS GREAT LIVE, RONNIE IS DOING A GREAT JOB!!, every night gets better...

Question....

I've only heard two recordings of Sway this tour... the first one, and the one at MSG...

Has the guitar lead on this "lengthened" ? It seemed somewhat abbreviated on these other two versions.

<Keith wasn't even in the studio!!!>

Back up vocals

RSFan - What Mick & the boys surely not need, is a bunch of yes-sayers.
His own attitude was till some point along the autumn 2005 US leg of ABB Tour,
that Sway is an obscure song which never should be performed in any larger scale.

But with such an attitude, they will only play the warhorses, and these horses amount will decrease from day to day.

Its a crisp meatbone to the fans, let us enjoy that bone, yeah?

I think it got better every time.

phd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sway was great in Stade de France.


I was in Paris on July, 28th, but they didn't play Sway...or missed I something??

It sounds good, but Jagger's vocals can't match the intensity of the studio version

TombstoneShadow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Question....
>
> I've only heard two recordings of Sway this
> tour... the first one, and the one at MSG...
>
> Has the guitar lead on this "lengthened" ? It
> seemed somewhat abbreviated on these other two
> versions.


THen you have to get the Glasgow broadcast!

lettingitbleed Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes how could anyone at a Stones show not know
> Sway? My god, it is the 2nd track on Sticky
> Fingers! Between BS and Wild Horses for gods
> sake!!
>
> Did these people buy the record and never get past
> BS??
>
> It's sandwiched between 2 of their biggest hits on
> one of thier most comercially succesfull albums.
>
>
>
>
> WTF?


exactly - but Mick actually introduced it at one show (in Australia, I think) almost apologetically as "an obscurity"

It only shows the revisionist attitude to his own work from him these days - because he has now tailored his performance in the post 40 Licks era to an audience who he believes knows nothing else - that he would consider ANY song on the 3rd biggest selling studio album of his career as 'obscure'. He probably has a similar attitude to 'Worried about you' which is on an even bigger selling album.

This level of thinking has seeped into the minds of some fans as well, who would describe what would have been regarded on previous tours as a 'deep album cut' as an 'obscure' number. Had they played 'Sway' as part of the 'Sticky Fingers' mini-set on Licks, no one would have called it obscure. That category (IMO) belongs to non-album b-sides, long forgotten songs on early albums or a never played song on a poor selling album. It certainly doesnt apply to anything from Sticky Fingers, Tattoo You or Some Girls, to name three massive sellers.

In my mind they've turned Sway into a pop tune, and taken the dark, harshness from it. Glad to have heard it, but the live version has no bite. Jagger's intonations ruin it.

The Atlanta verison rocked!

"It's Good To Be Here, It's Good To Be Anywhere"-Keith Richards

"Halloween Is Every Night Of My Life"-Keith Richards

"I Got The Sticky Fingers, For Some Girls"

I also think they do a very nice job on Sway.

Ofcourse it does sound different because neither guitarist is on the original version.

I was thrilled to hear it live in Foxboro on Sept 20, the USA fall opener but Mick did mess up the lyrics a bit and he does flatten out the melody, no high notes or lows, just all sung monotone and I don't understand why. I know he CAN sing it more like the studio version . If Mick can sing " Worried About You" and nail it, he can sing " Sway" closer to the cd version. Ronnie did a pretty good job, I was pleasantly surprised with his performance. Do you think it's because Mick doesn't care to sing it so he just gets it over with?

Getting "Sway" live this year was like another dream come true - like "Can't you hear me knocking" in 2002/03. It's a wonderful piece of music!

I DONT WANT TO HEAR LIKE A STUDIO VERSION!, IF SO I JUST PLAY IT ON MY STEREO!!!...i dont understand

????

That's not what I meant! I just want the LIVE version to RESEMBLE the recorded version in melody line!