After a long time, I bought myself a copy of the 2002 ABKCO Remaster of "Got Live If You Want It!".

I always was delaying it 'cause everybody criticizes the album for it's bad recording, the muddy sound, the two studio songs as fake live, etc.

But I Loved it!

I love the album for the raw energy, the fast tempos, the almost punk attitude that emanates... IMO, an album to vindicate.

So let me hear you, people!

Am I the only one here that loves "Got Live If You Want It!"?

You're not the only who loves it! I love it, too.

It definitely sounds proto-punk. In fact, I've heard some supposedly punk bands that don't sound as agressive as the Stones sound on that record.

Cannot very enthusiastic about this album myself, I think it's one of their worst live offerings.

their rendition of "Get off of my cloud" on that album is a real killer version; as punk as punk can be.

I agree too! In some ways it's much better than Get Yer Ya Ya's Out (always hated the plodding tempos of the Berry tunes in '69!).

Its dreadful..the fact that two of the songs are actually 100% studio recordings speaks volumes (and one of them was never even performed live in the Stones' history)

Now, if you were talking about the 1965 EP of the same name, that would be a different thing entirely. A terrific little record. I'd actually argue that next to Ya Yas, it could well be the Stones best official live release.

'65 EP was recorded with just two mikes hanging from the balcony, right? Sound much better than the GLIYWI LP!!!! I prefer that "Route 66" to the studio version.

You would have thought that they could have cobbled together enough genuine live material to not to have to resort to using audience enhanced studio outtakes...

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Jesus Murphy
'65 EP was recorded with just two mikes hanging from the balcony, right? Sound much better than the GLIYWI LP!!!! I prefer that "Route 66" to the studio version.

Thank you, Jesus..

So do I. The intro is one of the GREAT Stones moments.

didn't the 2002 CD correct the atrocities of the original LP, or is it the same thing?

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cc
didn't the 2002 CD correct the atrocities of the original LP, or is it the same thing?

Supposedly, yes, but I think some edits are even worse (for instance the Satisfaction guitar intro to The Last Time sounded great on the LP but is a very obvious edit on the CD).

Another big fan of the EP here. Gets a spin on the turntable every now and then.

Absoloutly love the rendition of Route 66 and even the 'We Want The Stones' chant builds up some real excitement. America really missed out on this one.

Firstly, no, there is no way you could get that good a sound with just 2 mics hanging over the balcony - the screams would drown everything out. Definitely close-miced

Secondly, I agree that the EP is the best live recording ever, the sound of those overdriven amps is just awesome, to use a hackneyed contemporary adjective.

Thirdly, is there any cd version of the album that does NOT have the glitch @ the beginning of UMT - Charlie starts the drum beat, tap along with it, Keith starts the guitar intro, there is an immediate glitch & now you're not tapping with the snare drum. I've measured it with an audio editor & there's close to 1/2 a beat missing.

The vinyl is a different recording so there's not this prob...

I bought it when it came out in the '60's and loved it. I can get past the studio recordings and the second-rate quality of the project. But, what hooked me then and even now is the pure raw energy of the crowd and the excitement of the concert. I saw the Stones during that US tour, and the energy and excitement all around me was captured on the album. Although I haven't listened to the CD in a while, I never tire of hearing it.

I'm also a big fan of the (UK) EP version - absolutely one of the greatest Stones recordings ever. But I like the American LP version as well - it has those bad fake moments but the natural energy level is something they could never repeat after those crazy 'Stonesmania' years. Give me any time that true, hot, energetic, wild rock and roll band of GOT LIVE IF YOU WANT IT! over that horrible, lifeless, tiresome Las Vegas torso cover band of SHINE A LIGHT.

- Doxa

Charlie's drumming is unbelievable, especially on Get Off Of My Cloud...sounds like an M-16 on full automatic!

Clear something up here.
The introduction (on the LP) is said to be Long John Baldry.
But isn't Baldry English? The guy seems to have no "English" accent.
Or is that really Baldry?

Wasnt it actually recorded(other than the studio songs "faked in") somewhere other than Royal Albert Hall? Or did I dream reading it? Maybe! I havent heard the cd version. WHen I first heard my vinyl copy in the 70s I couldnt believe how horrible the sound was but it had so much raw energy it jus transcended the shortcomings. Then I heard the Paris and Hawaii boots and thought why couldnt a professional recording company produce something that sounded as good as that? Its a shame when the boots from that era are better than the official release.
Of course, like above opinions the Ep was much better-loved the live Route 66 and Movin On that wound up on the US Decembers Children.

i loved it; all i had access to was the LP, being an American teenager back then. I think i knew early on that two of the cuts were studio cuts with audience noise mixed in. i didn't care.
i found it stratospheric in it's excitement level and played it a thousand times all the way through, loving it each time. i still love it. it's a precious and priceless document, and most importantly, it truly rocks.

kudos also to the very primitively recorded TAMI show appearance where the guys, even this early on, are on total full power for the entire set, and it comes across brilliantly.

there's a Camden '64 verson of Rt. 66 that most of you have heard as well.
i really love the very early most primitive stuff in many ways, it's all there...
bill's melody and power, keith and brian jangling away with keith pulling out for incredibly intense leads here and there...mick's on full power, Charlie is the king of rhythm keeping all this down and firing it all up all at the same time. viva la Stones.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2008-08-31 05:58 by Beelyboy.

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tomk
Clear something up here.
The introduction (on the LP) is said to be Long John Baldry.
But isn't Baldry English? The guy seems to have no "English" accent.
Or is that really Baldry?

It is indeed Baldry. His accent sounds English enough to me.

I love it too - especially "Get Off Of My Cloud" (e.g. Charlie's intro!) and "I'm Alright".

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Gazza

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tomk
Clear something up here.
The introduction (on the LP) is said to be Long John Baldry.
But isn't Baldry English? The guy seems to have no "English" accent.
Or is that really Baldry?

It is indeed Baldry. His accent sounds English enough to me.

Really? The "Ladies and gentlemen, it's all about to happen..."
sounds like an English accent to you?
Is the CD reissue different that the original LP? I've been told it is.
I only have this on vinyl.

I don't listen that much to the GLIYWI Lp, prefer the Ep; that Ep and Get Yer Ya-Yas Out for me are what the Stones live are about!

For those interested in the differences between the Lp and and the cd versions ( most obvious being the stereo/mono difference and the other Under My Thumb version) look here:

[www.lukpac.org]

And no, I haven't found a cd without the glitch on UMT either!

And it wasn't recorded at the Royal Albert Hall, mostly in Newcastle and Bristol!

Being an Rock'n'Roll-live-album from 1965 which is early in that album- history, it's much better than 'Beatles in Italy'...

My favourite live-album with Stones is 'Love You Live'...

2 1 2 0

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milio77
After a long time, I bought myself a copy of the 2002 ABKCO Remaster of "Got Live If You Want It!".

I always was delaying it 'cause everybody criticizes the album for it's bad recording, the muddy sound, the two studio songs as fake live, etc.

But I Loved it!

I love the album for the raw energy, the fast tempos, the almost punk attitude that emanates... IMO, an album to vindicate.

So let me hear you, people!

Am I the only one here that loves "Got Live If You Want It!"?

Nope ... you are not alone. I first heard this album in April '68, while staying at a friend's house that Easter vacation. Her older brother had this album and Flowers. And my friend, knowing how much I loved the Stones, snuck into her brother's bedroom and snatched the two albums. She put it on her turntable, and that was it!! The only way to describe it ... the energy! The more the fans screamed, the more they rocked, is the impression I got even then as an almost 12 year old.

Now, even 40+ years later, when I hear it, I crank it up!!

Love it and Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl as documents from a special era.

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Elmo Lewis
Love it and Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl as documents from a special era.

Be sure to add The Kinks at Kelvin Hall to that list!

My favorite document of the Stones as a live act from this period is the bootleg combination of BBC sessions from 1963-65, Beeb Beeb Beeb.

IMO this album offers you a perfect balance between 'commercialism' (a nice pop song) and 'underground punkrock'

That balance is one of the attractive things about The Stones...

When they did lose that balance - somewhere around 1983-1989 - the MAGIC was gone

Another EP fan here, never liked the album , it was significantly not released in the UK during their time with Decca.
It was always available at festivals and fairs in the 60's and 70's as an import, but not in record shops till later on , speaks volumes really

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adotulipson
Another EP fan here, never liked the album , it was significantly not released in the UK during their time with Decca.
It was always available at festivals and fairs in the 60's and 70's as an import, but not in record shops till later on , speaks volumes really

How does it "speaks volumes" exactly?

The EP wasn't released in the USA, does that "speaks volumes" too?

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Sleepy City

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adotulipson
Another EP fan here, never liked the album , it was significantly not released in the UK during their time with Decca.
It was always available at festivals and fairs in the 60's and 70's as an import, but not in record shops till later on , speaks volumes really

How does it "speaks volumes" exactly?

The EP wasn't released in the USA, does that "speaks volumes" too?

Basically the Rolling Stones themselves did not think the the album was worth releasing in their home country, it was released elswhere as filler.
The EP was a very early release and probably not thought to be of interest to people outside their then home audience, it's a good EP but whether if would have sold in quantities in US I don't know ,there wasn't much demand for live EP's then ,I stress this my personal opinion not based on ant facts as such.
The odd thing is why they never used all the tracks off the EP on the LP