Like them all except Bridges To Babylon. That one is over produced. Also I believe Mick and Keith are very much apart on that one.

Voodoo Lounge
Stripped
The London Years (just scrapes in in 1989)

Don't know what we're allowed to include here: two "marginal" ones that I listen to a lot are Main Offender and Wingless Angels.

Quote
frankotero
Also I believe Mick and Keith are very much apart on that one.

thats not necessarily always a bad thing.

A Bigger Bang (more than I could have ever expected in 2005)
Bridges To Babylon (fresh and modern)

Steel Wheels
Stripped
Bridges Babylon

Haven't played any of them for a while, they all have their own charm,VL and BTB have been played a lot in their time, as has SW , Stripped is also a much played album, ABB not as much as the other studio albums, Flashpoint very rarely No Security a bit more, Live Licks and SAL once .
The last 2 mainly because I have better boots from those tours, same with Flashpoint after I bought Atantic City 89 there was no point in playing FP again, I also have alternative SW and VL that get a good listening to these days aswell

Wandering Spirit
Live Licks, Disc 2

[thepowergoats.com]

New albums :
ABB
and then VL

Lives :
Stripped
SAL
LL

Best Of
40L

---

Sorry for my english ; I'm a french little boy (but I like it)

it's A BIGGER BANG, and only because of ROUGH JUSTICE...

NOt easy to decide. To me Voodoo Lounge was geat, same position fer ABB, little less - just a few Bridge to Babylon.
LIve , I think the best is liCKS liVE .
Anyway, when you appreciate a band, it's uneasy to leave out something
Cheers

1 - Voodoo lounge
2 - SAL
3 - Stripped
4 - A Bigger Bang
5 - Steel Wheels
6 - Flashpoint
7 - No Security
8 - Bridges to Babylon
9 - Licks Live

A Bigger Bang
Bridges To Babylon
No Security
Stripped
Voodoo Lounge
Live Licks
Jump Back
Forty Licks
Flashpoint
Steel Wheels

I always thought that Steel Wheels got a bad rap (although I now prefer the recent collection of outtake/monitor mixes). From this fan's perspective, Steel Wheels has four great songs to recommend it: Mixed Emotions, Rock and a Hard Place, Slipping Away, and Almost Hear You Sigh which are stand out tunes that are just as good as anything found on the Stones' later efforts. I would rate Voodoo Lounge as my second favorite (later day) Stones record...

I will see your comment and raise you three better songs:

"From this fan's perspective, Steel Wheels has four great songs to recommend it: Sad Sad Sad, Mixed Emotions, Almost Hear You Sigh and Break The Spell, which are stand out tunes that are just as good as anything found on the Stones' later efforts."

Voodoo Lounge
Stripped/Stripped Companion
Bridges To Babylon

A fine run, in my opinion.

Stripped is one of my favourites period. Right up there, well almost, with their best studio work. I actually prefer the versions of Let it bleed and Dead flowers to the original recordings.

A Bigger Bang
Bridges To Babylon
Flashpoint

From best to worst:

01) Voodoo Lounge (Mainly because of Love Is Strong, their last great single?)
02) Stripped (Better than their other live albums except GYYYO.)
03) A Bigger Bang (Back Of My Hand is a great blues song.)
04) Shine A light (They can still do it, but the Aquilera duet almost spoils it.)
05) Flashpoint (Not great, not bad either.)
06) No Security (Some nice live versions, but terrible cover.)
07) Licks Live (So so live album, nothing special.)
08) Steel Wheels (Hate the production.)
09) Bridges to Babylon (Haven't played it in ten years.)
10) 40 Licks (The new songs are really lame.)

The Stones did many groovy and some wonderful songs in these years, they are underrating that period in their setlists. Even if these albums were not as perfect as the golden four(1968-1972) they are really enjoyable.

Stripped
ABB
BtB (sometimes you just got to listen this; Lowdown, Might as well get juiced)
No Security
SW
VL (the best songs in this period, btw, LIS!)

Steel Wheels - Terrifying and Almost Hear You Sigh are decent, but by in large it's insincere filler.

Flashpoint - liked it at the time, but so much better stuff was left off of the album, and the over-reverbish 'Q-sound' craze of the late 80's ruins it. Too many Steel Wheels songs. Paint It Black sounds terrible in that lower key. I never throw this one on anymore. Highwire has a good sound, but lame dated akward lyrics.

Voodoo Lounge - I loved it back in '94, but it hasn't really held up. There are some good tracks on it (Baby Break It Down, Thru and Thru, Moon Is Up) but it's suprising hiw much of it comes across as filler. It's in the better end of things.

Stripped is okay. It's non-offensive, but it's not thrilling.
It's pleasant, but the so-called 'intimate intricacies' are rather tame.
It's a good listen, but better versions of all material is found elsewhere.

Bridges to Babylon sounds like the sessions for an excellent follow-up to Wandering Spitir were sabotaged by Waddy & the Winos. And from what I've read, this isn't entirely an inacurrate ascertation. We've got some Mick tracks, some Winos tracks (why the @#$% is Waddy Watchell on everthing here?) and the rest comes across like Dirty Work (Keith's by-the-numbers self derividation with Mick throwing half-assed, thoughtless lyrical cliches overtop). I love the tunes that were supposed to be Micks (Saint of Me, Out of Control, Gunface). The rest... not so much.

No Security, like Flashpoint, has too much from it's previous album on it. And I'd just gotten my Wild Horses CD single with better versions of Shelter and Live with me on it. Dave Matthews ruins Memory Motel, not to mention Mick not singing...

I got to fly today on down to Baton Rouge
My nerves are shot already
The road ain't all that smooth
Across in Texas is the rose of San Antone
I keep on a feeling that's gnawing in my bones

The rest just doesn't flow that well.

The new songs on 40 Licks range from forgettable filler to embarassingly bad.

Live Licks, disc 1, is completely unnecessary and only offers versions of stuff we already have. Weaker, creakier versions. Mick's overdubbs on Street Figting man stick out like a sore thumb!

A Bigger Bang, well I've said enough here about it. I don't bother with it at all.

Shine a Light, the movie is okay. It's touching to see the old guys give it their all, and they look sincere. It would be a nice way to view this as their swan-song. A tasteful way to ack it in and call it a wonderful 46 years together. If they go for another 4 years, I really, really hope they stop trying to squeeze out the 'high energy' rockers, and slow down and do something they can handle better at their age without finally desrving the comments from the general press than pangs us more and more to read each time (since the truth is harder and harder to deny each time). I say this out of genuine love and respect for them.

[thepowergoats.com]

I love how what I consider as "Side 1" of Voodoo Lounge flows. It starts off with the tough, tight "Love Is Strong," followed by the rough "You Got Me Rocking" and then the catchy "Sparks Will Fly." Then you get a sweet ballad by Mick, a tender slice of Keith and the raw and mysterious "Moon Is up." "Out of Tears" is the big cherry on the top of the sundae.

Voodoo's "Side 2" is off to a promising start with "I Go Wild" but I don't think that the rest of the album flows as well as the first half. "Brand New Car," "Suck on the Jugular" and "Baby Break It Down," fall a little short of excellence, to my ears, though I like them all better now than I did when the album was new.

Nobodie´s mentioning so-called "Rarities" (incl. me) I now admit it got
it´s rounds in my player,from time to time.

I like the time line/comment thing better:

Steel Wheels - I was just 19 and elated that the Stones were not only putting out a new record but touring as well. And I actually got to see them. Very exciting time for me as a fan. Loved Mixed Emotions - hated, to this day, Rock And A Hard Place. Loved Sad Sad Sad, thought Terrifying was funky and odd, loved Hearts For Sale, Almost Hear You Sigh, Blinded By Love and Break The Spell. The rest of it is crap. Too bad Fancyman and Wish I'd Never Met You weren't on the album.

Flashpoint - At the time I thought it was excellent and their best sounding live album with their best performances of previous released tunes. Now I have a different thought about it. But still the best version of Start Me Up ever found. Love Sad Sad Sad, they should have put Mixed Emotions on instead of Rock. Keith - well, what are they gonna do, put Happy on again? Ha ha. Yeah - they should have actually. Thought for sure they'd pounce on the 2000 Light Years/SFTD bit from hype of the shows with this but they failed on that front. Wished they'd put the non-LP B-sides on the album instead of forgetful versions of JJF and Brown Sugar and Rooster. Glad they left UOTN off though. Still, I think Tumbling Dice and IORR should have been included.

Jump Back - With Virgin giving their catalog a boost, I found this comp to be a bit loaded and somewhat odd. Then I read it and it's a UK release only. Then it made sense. It didn't have what it says on it - 1971-1993. Ya think they might have put Highwire and Sexdrive on it to be somewhat time accurate. UK mix of Miss You and UOTN again. Rewind was still better but JB could have been better as well.

Voodoo Lounge - Of course it harkens back to Exile they said. That's what Don Was wanted. So what. When is that kind of crap going to end? Excellent Love Is Strong and Out Of Tears and I Go Wild as well as Suck On The Jugular. Some good B-sides this go 'round. Love Brand New Car. Some fluff (Sweethearts Together, New Faces) and some interesting things going on (Baby Break It Down, Moon Is Up).

Stripped - I'm Free? Angie? Dead Flowers? There are about 200 other songs I could come up with that could have been done instead of those damn things. The blues returns, somewhat. Spider And The Fly is excellent, as is Honest I Do even though it didn't make the album. Who the hell decides what makes the album for them? Because they need to be FIRED. Great version of Not Fade Away. The non-LP B-sides are excellent, especially Black Limo. Never did figure out how to watch the video on the record. The Tumbling Dice B-side is awesome but how come that didn't make the LP? And where's a good version of Shattered? Dammit the tunes they leave off. Where are some Voodoo tunes?

Bridges To Babylon - So soon? Seemed a bit odd that they put out an album so quickly. Their freshest sounding LP in eons. I really like this one even though it's got some pretty rough moments on it. Love Flip The Switch, Lowdown, Out Of Control, Too Tight and all of Keith's tunes and oddly enough ASMB? is nice. Gunface, Saint and Juiced are just them trying too hard to be different.

No Security - I love this album. Best version of Gimme Shelter, the 4 new songs sound fantastic and I'm glad they put those on instead of the usual boring tracks. Was a bit pleased when I read that only 2 of the tracks had been previously released, even though those two tracks are not very good versions. Was still hoping for a good version of Tumbling Dice. Stupid 'guest spot' ruined a perfectly good tune. Morons. No matter the overdubs, I love this album and it's their best since GYYYO and nothing has topped it since.

Forty Licks - Well since I haven't bought any of the ABKCO Remasters at least I have this one and disc 1 sounds pretty good. Disc 2 - they could have left off Stealing My Heart and whatever the other one is and put two other hits on (Heartbreaker and She's So Cold? Something good like those anyway) and just had Don't Stop and Losing My Touch. UOTN got on another hits comp instead of something better? Still amazes me.

Live Licks - Remove disc 1 (Brown Sugar and Street Fighting Man are the only good things on disc 1) and this is probably their second best live album. But it's not. Disc 2 is worth it though. Love it. Monkey Man is outstanding. Still, no Tumbling Dice.

A Bigger Bang - When this came out I was floored - they've gotten back to just recording the songs, to just playing the songs, and they have the snarl of Some Girls. Find the lyrics to be funny. Musically it's a fantastic album. She Saw Me Coming, Rough Justice, It Won't Take Long, Dangerous Beauty and Laugh, I Nearly Died are outstanding. At least they put a song on this record that makes Rock And A Hard Place a little better - Streets Of Love is the worst Stones song ever. And Sweet Neo Con is right down there as well.

Shine A Light - Soundtrack or live album? To me, it's a live album. Seemed like a great idea at the time. At least it's got some different tunes on it. But the expanded edition has the awful terrible Connection. Why this (and I'm Free) was allowed to be included on here I'll never understand. Tumbling Dice is on the deluxe edition and...it's not very good. Shattered is good but for some reason they totally bomb the bridge. Would have worked better as an EP. Too many of the same old songs again. The movie was fun though. At least it was this and not another stadium hits filled live album from the tour. Although that probably would have worked fine, it would have been just as predictable as far as the warhorses go.

VL

Oops. Right - where is Rarities? Perhaps most of us have...forgotten about it? Ha ha.

1] A Bigger Bang
2] Shine A Light Soundtrack
3] Bridges To Babylon

Babylon by a mile. Stripped is great too; IMO it is the alsy Stones album with that feels fun. B2B is great but it doesn't sound 'fun'.
SW used to be my least fave Stones album, until the Alternates surfaced. I never listen to the official anymore, and SW has completely changed in my viewer.
VL is now my least favorite. I will take DW over VL. Drop "Sparks", "New Faces", "Sweethearts", "Jugular" and "Baby break it down"; sub "The Syrom" and "Jump on top of me", and it would be a different matter. Does anyone ever consider "Mean Disposition" the official closer of VL? Doesn't it feel like Thru & Thru is the closer?

I like the Chrono style too!...so

Steel Wheels: At the time it was great...but that was because they were back...still I like a few tunes...Break The Spell, Terrifying, and every now and then Continental Dirft gets played.

Flashpoint: I loved it when I first got it, I remember listening to it with headphones on!...the versions are alittle too fast Start Me Up, Miss You (although we may never hear Mick howl like that again)...love the Ya-Ya's stuff they slipped in...I thought this was a good representation of their triumphant return to touring....hell I still do, but over time the slickness of the production grated on me, I hardly ever listen to it...stand out trackfor me, Factory Girl.

Voodoo Lounge: Got it the day it was released, liked it but it I didn't buy the Exile hype...too much filler on this...stand out tracks, Love is Strong, Sparks Will Fly (much better live), I Go Wild & Brand New Car...the omission of Jump On Top of Me is a sin!

Stripped: Didn't buy into the 'must have live album' marketing campaign...it's got it's moments. In the end though that's all it has...the Stripped companion has much better tracks...as well as the Wild Horses CD.
Standouts...Little Baby, Not Fad Away, Street Fighting Man (much meaner than expected acustic version), The Spider and the Fly.

Bridges To Babylon: Now this one gets bashed quite a bit, but like Undercover of the 80's I've always liked this one. I'm not saying they were not trying too hard in places, they were...but they were trying, and that did produce some good stuff. Unforturnately the production sounds dated, which is odd since it is only 11 years old and well after the CD mastering techniques finally got it right...standouts for me; Flip the Switch (snarling), Anybody Seen My Baby, Gunface, Out of Control (much better live), Saint of Me, and Too Tight.

No Security: Ugh...it has it's bright moments...Sister Morphine & The Last Time.

Forty Licks: Too many re-issued, repackaged hits...the three new songs are forgetable, and I assert that many would have trouble recalling all three of their titles when put on the absolute spot.

Live Licks: butchered Rocks Off (unforgivable) the live version of CYHMK is 30 years to late...but I agree with the previous poster Monkey Man is outstanding.

A Bigger Bang: would have made a stunningly great EP....Rough Justice, Back of My Hand, She Saw Me Coming, Oh No Not You Again, Laugh I Nearly Died, and Driving Too Fast...the rest...filler.

Shine A Light: After Live Licks I thought I'd never get another Stones post-Tour offical release on CD...I picked up the Biggest Bang DVD because I was at the Austin Show...(still talked about in Austin by the way)...The Movie was outstanding at the IMAX, and although it lost some of it's luster on my home television I'm still glad I own it...the CD is decent, not great, but not butchered...as far as the guests, well I like Jack White, and my daughters used to listen to Christine Agulaira (sp?)...and at least she can sing, unlike Dave Matthews.

the shoot 'em dead, brainbell jangler!

Stripped and Steel Wheels