Rolling Stones: Classic or Dud

And another thing is that they still very much into 'promoting the new album', hence all the real estate given to Black & Blue.

Even on the Some Girls tour of 1978 it looks like they only played "Satisfaction" occasionally and no other pre-'68 originals

Also one song that wouldn't show up on record until Tattoo You.

Which was that?

"Worried About You", apparently a Black and Blue outtake!

Live at the El Mocambo sounds great!

I'll have to give it a full try. I sampled a couple of tracks that were officially uploaded on YouTube ("Hand of Fate" and "Luxury") and I was disappointed with Mick's singing. It reminded me how much I did't like Love You Live and I thought this release might be more of the same. Amazing a year later they'd film Live in Texas - I have that Blu-ray and Mick is incredible through that entire show. It may be possible his singing isn't much different and it's simply helped by the sight of him running around stage (I'm sure enunciation bothers me less when I can clearly see that the guy is doing high-level cardio throughout the entire set), but that was a great show regardless.

I've listened to some of it. The set list is mildly interesting, but the execution is...well, let's just say the world really didn't need a fake reggae version of Bo Diddley's "Crackin' Up."

- Bob Marley

The 1972 shows (the Ladies and Gentlemen film in particular) and certain 1978 shows (the Live in Texas film) are GREAT, flat out essential IMHO, but I'm surprised how much of what came in-between has been uneven or disappointing, at least to me. The 1973 shows are still good and both versions of Brussels Affair (the bootlegged KBFH broadcast and the recent official release) are great, but after that, the shows sound more and more uneven to me. Some numbers are better than others but certain parts will become disappointing like Mick's singing or Keith himself, who can still be good but not at the same level as before. (In fact, he's kind of the "weak" link in Live in Texas - compared to Ladies and Gentlemen, you can see he's physically not at the same level, but it's not a factor because he's still fine and their show's dynamics has changed, with Mick being more center stage and Ronnie having a bigger role and becoming a better fit with the Some Girls material.)

Lol, seem to recall that El Mocambo “Crackin’ Up” getting a lot of airplay at the time.

I haven't listened to the covers, but I sampled a handful of originals - paying less attention to Mick, the band does sound great. Charlie especially - he's always amazing.

I think inconsistency has kind of been the thing with the Stones throughout their career. I recall that bit Jim Dickinson talking about them recording at Muscle Shoals saying they flat out sucked for a few hours worst bar band ever getting nothing done and then out of nowhere they cut the track for "Wild Horses" as it is on the record.

I need to check out that El Mocambo show. I wish Zep, Sabbath and Floyd had as many good live recordings in the can, but it looks like they don't.

Wish they’d release that Brussels Affair show as a stand-alone thing, don’t want to buy the $100+ super deluxe Goat Heads Soup just to get it.

I got a bootleg of it. This is the one I got, it was not expensive.

https://www.amazon.com/Brussels-Affair-Rolling-Stones/dp/B0055LMEPI/ref=sr_1_2?crid=H4JNNDEXBZZD&keywords=brussels+affair+stones&qid=1652662150&sprefix=brussels+affair+stones%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-2

xp It really should get a standalone release. It's weird it hasn't since so many lesser shows were.

FWIW, it was released years ago as a lossless download, and it was reasonably priced - I think $10? - so I got it and burned it on to a CD-R, which I still have. The CD in the box set uses the exact same mastering.

xp - been keeping my eye out for that bootleg version, but it's unavailable everywhere atm.

Meanwhile, this El Mocambo release really does live up to the hype.

This new 4 part BBC series "My Life As A Rolling Stone" sometimes feels like a glorified EPK. I don't care what Lars Ulrich, Sheryl Crow or Chrissie Hynde think of The Stones (sorry?). But the old codgers are enjoyable to watch and listen to. The Ronnie Wood episode is especially good though the overall feeling is that these guys, who I love with all my heart, are the coolest of relics from a time when sex, drugs n' rock n' roll held a lot more meaning than today.

i will seek this iut

out

This is the best version of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" I've ever seen/heard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_ylZvdk3VU

That was pretty awesome! Great-looking restoration - IIRC they restored all of their short films for their 50th anniversary (partly for that Crossfire Hurricane doc as well). I kind of wish they'd put them on a Blu-ray like the Beatles did with 1+, but at least they're streaming.

The 'Micky Stardust & The Spiders From Dartford' clip!

Charlie weirdly the only one dripping with sweat and looking like he's about to pass out in that clip.

So who else sitting in adding percussion and organ?

Hmm, I guess the recording is some combination of the recorded track and ... live vocals?

Bonham was so much better at sweating and almost passing out, it's not even close.

Charlie: ("OK, just breathe ... 1,2,3,4, kick, snare, kick, snare ... breathe ... 1,2,3,4 ... gosh, are all the lights pointed right at me? ... 1,2,3,4 ... what did I have for dinner, didn't everyone eat the same thing? ... not even Mick is sweating, what is wrong with me? ... ")

I don’t think those are live vocals - for one thing, there are backing vocals but nobody else there is singing

I kind of wish they'd put them on a Blu-ray like the Beatles did with 1+, but at least they're streaming.

This probably won't happen...or if it does, it'll be an Abkco release that doesn't need the Stones' approval. Given Abkco's track record of such things (like the wan Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! box), they'll probably fuck it up somehow.

There are extra hoots and whoops and stuff, too, that are not on the recording, so I dunno what's going on. Kind of like a Peel Session?

The "Miss You" clip has some visual similarities, and also uses an alternate vocal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hic-dnps6MU

Wait, I've been talking about this JJF clip, not the one unperson posted (the non-makeup/glam one)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGd7SkdETro

Bonham was so much better at sweating and almost passing out, it's not even close.

✓

god, just thinking about how bonham died makes me want to throw up

i love the little improvisations mick throws in throughout the clip unperson posted. he's always doing that (often to the song's detriment, as their career goes on, imo) but the way he did it in the 60s was so perfect.

yeah (ma ma yeah?) there's also that extra high keith harmony on "all right now." or it's more pronounced or something.

Charlie’s tempo acceleration on Honky Toni Women is without parallel

“Oh, he meant to do it like that”

Abkco has just up the original 'Drag' version of the "Have You Seen Your Mother..." promo film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HARY3-RYy90

...and here's the clip that would replace it, featuring insane footage of their '66 Royal Albert Hall shows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVY9I0XP-g8

Get a real job, Jagger … pic.twitter.com/qB6CLQ4wGt

— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) March 15, 2023

all this time i've been thinking they're a rock'n'roll outfit.

it's only rock'n'roll (but Mick hopes people don't think they're a rock'n'roll outfit)

I don’t know what the heck Mick’s stylist was on, but love this iteration of the tune

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyyoaWjVXYM

He could bring back the kneepads but this time they’d be primarily preventative aids