the stones best decision is an ongoing thing, to never stick to the same formula, to change things from one album to another, to change their sound from one year to the next, to never resting on thier laurels and deciding they had enough material to tour with for years, instead they kept making records, of varying standards, so now they have over 350 songs.

That's right! In this decade alone we have one whole album from them.

>> one whole album <<

which one do you mean - Four Flicks? Live Licks? or A Bigger Bang?

but back to the subject at hand - among the many many Best Decisions:
"I'm not doing it unless Keith's doing it"
- Mick Jagger, 1962, on being asked to join a band in the process of forming

bigbang Wrote:
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> One of the best... The Licks Tour. Rekindled the
> old flame for me.

that's my answer too - all those theater shows!

Perform a concert for the blindies.

mick and keith deciding to strike up a conversation at dartforth train station . . .

you can't catch me!

i'd say hiring jimmy miller and mick taylor.happened around same period of time.and its why we got their best music

i dont think they make any decicions,
they just go for the groove.

To start a band!

Asking Charlie to join.

MY FAVORTIE THING ABOUT THE ROLLING STONES IS:

THE WEAVE. Keith and Ronnie have something in common that NO ONE ELSE HAS: they make rhythm guitar interesting. Taylor never got it. He's a great player and did great things with the Stones, but he did not embody the weave. He riffed behind Keith and then solo'd. RONNIE, on the otherhand, plays WITH Keith, filling in where needed and contrasting to him with such greatness that I feel many live versions far surpass the studio versions.

When I was in 4th grade (yeah make fun, that was 92) I came across an 8track of Sucking in the 70s. Mind you we didnt have much money so my dad gave me his old 8track collection from back in the day. I had this routine of listening to a recording from start to finish and 8tracks were no exception. Imagine my surprise when after a killer version of Mannish Boy my speakers EXPLODED with the GREATEST GUITAR SOUND I HAD EVER HEARD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!! I remember this feeling of extacy as a shock/shiver shot through me and I turned around in disbelief staring at the 8track deck. What the hell had I just put in that tray?? How had I never heard this song??? Was this the same "Rolling Stones" I had loved all these years?!? I turned it up as loud as the speakers would go and sat down in the sweet spot of the room so that the frequencies hit my ears perfectly. I could hear the tone flawlessly and was absolutely blown away by this amazing version of When The Whip Comes Down.

When it ended I turned down my stereo and let the 8track keep playing so that it would cycle back through tracks so I could listen to it again. My dad came up to my room to see how I was doing. Ofcourse he had a sly grin on his face because he also 'gets it' as he bought the dang 8tracks. Safe to say that version of When The Whip Comes Down inspired me to go into mixing. I kid you not. To this day that is the song I play to anyone who has never heard the Stones, or only hits.

The point is, the weave NEVER had the potency that it has with Ron Wood. I'm so glad he quit the Faces to join the greatest rocknroll band in the world.

As you can imagine, Handsome Girls is my favorite Stones boot of all time. You can take your Brussels 72 and Oakland 69... I'll take the greatest rocknroll band in PERFECT sound, from 1978, with THE WEAVE. Infact, I'm gonna make new artwork for Handsome Girls!!! Its gonna be some cute girls WEAVING a tapestry which will be a design of the tongue...

-Drake

carrying it as far as they can, with the end still not clearly in sight. respecting the music that came before and passing it on.

FormerlyKnownAsFAH Wrote:
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> Not having Chris Kimsey anywhere near them when
> cutting an album.


Chris Kimsey helped produce Undercover and Steel Wheels, so that would be a shitheaded decision.


Best decision?


Sacking Brian Jones.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-12-10 05:01 by it's_all_wrong.

I remember when Some Girls came out. I was 17 and had just graduated/was passed thru - from high school. "Miss You" was everywhere and the coolest shit ever - the Stones for the rock fans and disco for the dumb asses - everybody dug it. On the 8-track "Whip" was next and tore the roof off. "Burden" the ultimate weave. Kicking the Temps (even Ruffin) ass with "Imagination". "Far Away", Shattered", "Some Girls" - it was the soundtrack for our senior trip and the summer of 78.

Other good stuff out then - The 1st Van Halen, Jackson Browne 'Running On Empty', "Baker Street" with that line "he's rolling, he's a rolling stone", "Hot Child In The City", "The Groove Line" and Mother's Finest 'Another Mother Further' - Funk/rock at it's best.

Elmo Lewis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I remember when Some Girls came out. I was 17 and
> had just graduated/was passed thru - from high
> school. "Miss You" was everywhere and the coolest
> shit ever - the Stones for the rock fans and disco
> for the dumb asses - everybody dug it. On the
> 8-track "Whip" was next and tore the roof off.
> "Burden" the ultimate weave. Kicking the Temps
> (even Ruffin) ass with "Imagination". "Far Away",
> Shattered", "Some Girls" - it was the soundtrack
> for our senior trip and the summer of 78.
>
> Other good stuff out then - The 1st Van Halen,
> Jackson Browne 'Running On Empty', "Baker Street"
> with that line "he's rolling, he's a rolling
> stone", "Hot Child In The City", "The Groove Line"
> and Mother's Finest 'Another Mother Further' -
> Funk/rock at it's best.

You're lucky Elmo, you were a teen when all that great stuff came out. Tho as a teen and the '80s my friends and I did a pretty good job of pretending that the '80s/MTV, etc. were not happening and bought all the '60s and '70s stuff, treating it like it was new. That's the beauty of it all, if you haven't heard it it's new to you. Somebody new discovers Exile On Main Street every day, those lucky buggers.

Best decision has to be all the behind-the-scenes things we'll never know, whatever they did to reinvent the band after Satanic Majesty's going into Beggars Banquet...no question...no offense to Stones fans, but if they hadn't gotten back on track in 1968, they'd be remembered today along the lines of Herman's Hermits, Moody Blues, Procul Harum, the Zombies...as a '60s nostalgia act with a few hits that didn't live past their initial spash. But of course they are so much more...But honestly, Between The Buttons was dodgy at best, Satanic Majesties was a mess...regrouping in 1968 made all the difference.

Turning To Gold Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
no question...no offense to
> Stones fans, but if they hadn't gotten back on
> track in 1968, they'd be remembered today along
> the lines of Herman's Hermits, Moody Blues, Procul
> Harum, the Zombies...as a '60s nostalgia act with
> a few hits that didn't live past their initial
> spash.

No way, if they'd quit in '68 they wouldn't be as highly regarded as they are now, but they would still be the '60s #2 group behind the Beatles and enormously influential.

As much as I hate to admit it, being a fan of Brian, they definitely did the right thing letting him go in 1969.

That's ONE of the many vital decisions they've made through the years.

3 out of 5 dated Anita if the folklore is correct. Would that be a best decision?

Continuing to play and bringing us a lot of 'satisfaction'.

Some spectacular songs during the past two tours (particularly- 'Can't you hear me knocking' and 'sway' just to mention my two favorites added)

Obviously getting Ron Wood was great- fit in well and helped keep the band intact over the past 30+ years.

And my number one Best Decision- Keith and Mick remaining together (putting up with one another)- the best duo ever!

Keith buying a guitar instead of an accordian.

Seriously....all of the previous mentions were great...but did you ever wonder how the Stones music may have been different had they NOT been heavily into drugs in the '60s and '70s? Maybe that mind-expanding stuff helped. I think an argument could be made that (at the time) the drugs helped produce some good tunes that we may not have heard had they been sober. Therefore DRUGS = Good Decision.

There's no way EXILE ON MAIN ST. (& others) is the same album if not for the drugs.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-12-10 22:17 by sweet neo con.

In common with so many others in this thread, I would have to point to them being realistic and ruthless enough to get rid of Brian.

Their transformation, from a pop group into a serious rock n' roll band, could not have been possible otherwise, and this pivotal decision enabled them to begin forging the very blueprint around which almost their entire career (not to mention their setlists) has since been centred around.

actually brian jones and keith started the whole weaving thing

to found the band and to stay together!

....>>>but did you ever wonder how the Stones music may have been different had they NOT been heavily into drugs in the '60s and '70s?<<<....



Guitar World - October 2002



ROCKMAN

"It's not like getting your leg blown off..."

What can you say?

Jelle

Nellcote 1971

Deciding to be the "bad boys" of rock, when the Beatles were on top as the "Fab Four" darlings of everyone.

"Take all the pain...It's yours anyway"

1cdog Wrote:
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> Possibly the hiring of Ronnie.
>
> I think this move may have kept Mick and Keith
> together which equals keeping the Stones together

I agree. Getting Ronnie into the band probably was the best thing they did in the 30 years since. The second best thing was for Mick and Keith to bury the hatchet and start recording and touring again in 1989. The third was to kick Brian out of the band. The couldn't have toured the States in '69 with him and that tour ranks as perhaps my favrorite. The fourth would have to be having Mick Taylor replace him. The right guy at the right time. Just as Ronnie was 5 years later.

There have been so many, of course. But getting Mick and Keith back together writing A Bigger Bang was great. They know exactly what they're doing.