I'm a big fan of Jumping jack & Sympathy but i think Gimme Shelter is the most complete song and best that the Stones have done.
Haunting, brilliant vocals & guitar work, but what I have also noticed is that the drums & bass are superb....and all-round 10/10 performance.

Brilliant.

Luke

... i don't do "ratings" or "favourites" but:

yes

yeah me too. It's perfect.

and you're not alone luke33!

In a way, I agree as well...nothing like the Mono studio version....

JR

Good to hear I am not alone!

I suppose there's never gonna be a No 1. but personally it's perfect!!

Mick must have wrote that.

No, Keith wrote it while Mick and Anita were filming Performance....

JR

Luke33 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm a big fan of Jumping jack & Sympathy but i
> think Gimme Shelter is the most complete song and
> best that the Stones have done.
> Haunting, brilliant vocals & guitar work, but what
> I have also noticed is that the drums & bass are
> superb....and all-round 10/10 performance.
>
> Brilliant.
>
> Luke

Its their greatest song ever

Gimme Shelter is their best song.
If you want to round out a top ten you'd have to include:
(This is real Stones fan stuff-not warhorses)

Midnight Rambler
Can't you hear me knocking
Sympathy
All Down the Line
JJF
Let it Bleed
Hand of Fate
Paint it, Black
Live with Me
Rocks Off

It always been one of my favorites, I've got so many version I can't eep track of them any more. I'sve seen them do it a couple of times and it has been an highlight of the concert for me.

the 10 best stones songs in no particular order are.

jumpin jack flash.
sympathy for the devil.
no expectations.
jigsaw puzzle.
paint it black.
rocks off.
silver train.
time waits for no one.
she,s a rainbow.
the last time.

Yeah it's one hell of a track!

Funny that it was recorded with a cheap guitar(for the rhythm) and, most likely, a solid state amp!!!

Gimmie Shelter is their best LIVE number. HTW, although I have never cared for the way they play it live, is, however, their best record, their best-ever three minutes on vinyl, so I guess that makes it their best song IMO.

COUSINLOU Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gimme Shelter is their best song.
> If you want to round out a top ten you'd have to
> include:
> (This is real Stones fan stuff-not warhorses)
>
> Midnight Rambler
> Can't you hear me knocking
> Sympathy
> All Down the Line
> JJF
> Let it Bleed
> Hand of Fate
> Paint it, Black
> Live with Me
> Rocks Off

hey cuz, you forgot a couple: Dead flowers being the most important!

you can't catch me!

Definately in my top 5.

shelter is in my (current) top 10 along with

loving cup
worried about you
winter
hand of fate
street fighting man
can't you hear me knocking
jumping jack flash
ycagwyw
torn and frayed

My feeling has always been that if I were given only one single Stones track to point to and use to explain the Stones' place in 20th century pop music, then "Gimme Shelter" is the one that I would pick.

It's perfect: Country blues themes and images brilliantly transposed into an apocalyptic chant for the late 60's and beyond. An object lesson in traditionalism and creativity--using one's sources so well that they are reinvigorated and made utterly new.

(Note the contrast to "When The Levee Breaks" which is Zeppelin just grabbing a blues out of the same vein and amping it up beyond belief. A great track, to be sure, but not the artistic accomplishment of "Gimme Shelter." Sums up the relative status of the two bands for me...)

"Jumpin' Jack Flash" would be a close runner-up to "Gimmer Shelter" for a lot of the same reasons.

But a personal favorite track? "Moonlight Mile?" "Love In Vain?" "Just My Imagination?" "@#$%&?" "Slave?" And so on...

Rev. Robert W. Wrote:

> It's perfect: Country blues themes and images
> brilliantly transposed into an apocalyptic chant
> for the late 60's and beyond. An object lesson in
> traditionalism and creativity--using one's sources
> so well that they are reinvigorated and made
> utterly new.

Excellent post!!!

Gimme Shelter (is/was) number one for me trough out the last 36 years, but it looks like that "Stray Cat Blues" is growing everyday, this song got it all tension , nasty (as the Stones are) blues etc.............................

But this song is discussed here before

One of my greatest souvenir was with this very song. I, 14 years old at that time, was listening under my bedsheets to a famous program on the french radio called " Le Pop Club" at 10:30 pm every working day instead of learning.They always began with the "pop song" of the week. That week it was obviously Let it Bleed as the choice. Instead of playing the same song all week, they chose to play one different song of the LP each day of the week. The first one was Midnight. After hearing it, I rushed to take the Metro / Tube to get and buy the precious vinyl on the Champs-Elysées in a wellknown Paris disc store called " Lido Musique". There you could find " under import from the US" 2-3 weeks in advance before sold nationally in France. In the store, proudly were there piles of Let It Bleed. Bought one LP, rushed back home. And then, listened for the first time those heavenly inspired intro by Keith. Top, top. Gooossshhhh

No argument here.

You're right, "Gimme Shelter" is a brilliant song, I love it very much.
Anyway, I don't have the courage to choose one special song to be the best.
Every week, I have a new "favourite", and this week it's a mixture between "Seh Was Hot" and "She's So Cold"

god, gimme shelter is definitely one of their very great tunes.
love it.

but there are a few compositions which are, in my opinion, even better.

01. Midnight Rambler
02. Sway
03. Jigsaw Puzzle
04. She's So Cold
05. Jumpin' Jack Flash
06. Monkey Man
07. Sister Morphine
08. Play With Fire
09. Stray Cat Blues
10. Street Fighting Man

those could be my top 10...

still i'd like to add:

Sympathy For The Devil
As Tears Go By
Bitch
Hand Of Fate
Heartbreaker
It's Only Rock 'N' Roll
If You Can't Rock Me
Let's Spend The Night Together
Out Of Control
... (the list goes on and on)

and i love You Got The Silver; i think it's the ultimate Keith tune, isn't it?

yes

"You got the Silver" must be written by Mick.

I played the song for my younger collegues the other day. They had seen the film "The Departed" and did not know what tune the had heard in the beginning. I can assure you The Stones have got new fans now.

... im wondering if there is anyone on the planet that after hearing it loud for the

very first time would not want to spin it right away again ???

its a song thats in mint condition.

tatters Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gimmie Shelter is their best LIVE number. HTW,
> although I have never cared for the way they play
> it live, is, however, their best record, their
> best-ever three minutes on vinyl, so I guess that
> makes it their best song IMO.


I'm surprised in all of the top ten lists written on this thread that no-one includes HTW. I agree with tatters, HTW I think is superb in it's simplicity, it has everything a good rock song should have, pounding drums, loud guitars, a killer guitar riff and dirty suggestive lyrics. Perfect!

Add to that JJF & Satisfaction, I think these tunes are as good as it gets.

I think I've bust a button on my trousers....

.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-18 12:47 by Beelyboy.