Since we had a best album poll in the Ronnie era, I'm wondering how many people prefer which guitarist in which era, I always got the impression Mick Taylor is prefered over Ronnie, also there's the 60's Brian era, which some of us oldtimers prefer, let's see how this poll goes.

Gazza wrote on Nov 25^th, 2009 at 6:34am:


I corrected that Gazza, it was kind of hard to come up with a way of wording this, Brian was more then a guitarist, he played every other instrument, but everybody's got the idea what I mean.

sweetcharmedlife wrote on Nov 25^th, 2009 at 9:10am:

It looks like MT is going win by a mile after all, 7 votes already.

Mick T.
but.. BTW is your Birthday FG? You're as a fairy.

              

Happy Birthday Factory Girl

Mick Taylor is the best guitarist.   But this poll is for era, and I'm an old timer who prefers the Brian era.

Brian was a versatile musician, who added a great deal to the Stone's songs of his era.  And, he was a pretty good slide guitarist.  Damn good on the harmonica as well.

My second favorite era would be the Mick Taylor era.

AngieBlue wrote on Nov 25^th, 2009 at 3:13pm:


Well said. I was sixteen when Brian died. Brian's musical innovations were one of several significant factors that resulted in the Stone's pulling ahead of The Beatles.

uncleson wrote on Nov 25^th, 2009 at 1:33pm:



I pretty much totally agree with this.

Gotta dissagree with you Gazza, but only slightly.
While its true that Jimmy Miller was instrumental to that era's greatness, he came along right when the Jagger/Richard writing team was really evolving and becoming a thing all its own and Keith was becoming more confident as a musician.
They were growing as songwriters and musicians and whoever the hell produces the Stones, it always comes down to Mick and Keef and quality of their work.
MT brought pretty notes, but he also brought his own brand of bluesy riffing, but something original and not derivative of standard blues scaling.
Like the slide in Soul Survivor - he plays through the whole song and throws in these little flourishes that reel you in even after almost 40 years…. or in Shine a Light, where the guitar is subtly gospel during the verses and then just tears into a scorching solo in the break …..or in Winter, the way MT follows and seems to answer Jagger’s singing, like he’s feeling Mick’s gentle and romantic mood….priceless.
And those pretty notes added a certain elegance to the Stones music, which meshed beautifully with the ragged edges, and he had a technical virtuosity that was rooted in a soulfulness and rhythm, which is why he complimented Keith.
That two-guitar attack of Taylor/Richards is a big part of what makes Exile so distinct and definitive because while MT could fly over the songs with his simultaneously sharp-edged and delicate fingering, Keef was freed to just do what he does better than anybody: which is lay down a solid and relentless groove as a rhythm machine. And it was pure magic.
Can anyone hear Moonlight Mile without MT? or All Down the Line…..?
Jimmy Miller recorded the Stones, made the right choices in the booth, played great drums and turned the right knobs...he  captured the magic, and that is not to be diminished - but its MT who was part of that magic and who Stones fans still respond to so nostalgically.

texile wrote on Nov 25^th, 2009 at 8:15pm:


The ironic and sad thing about the last comment is that most 'Stones fans' would hardly know Mick Taylor if he walked past them on the street. Thats a sign of not only how badly his own career post 1974 has been managed, but of the revisionism within the Stones organisation in recent years.

I'm not for a second trying to nullify Mick T's musicianship or contribition. He was a major part of the band's sound in that era (and was a huge reason as to why from 1969-73 they were the greatest live band in the world). The songs would still have been there had he not been in the band, though - they would have just largely sounded a bit different. Maybe better, maybe worse - but certainly different. Without Mick and Keith writing them, they wouldnt have been there to begin with. I dont think its a coincidence that the Stones by the end of 1967 sounded like a bit of a spent force, riding on the coat tails of the Summer of Love with Satanic Majesties and then within months had hit a zenith with Jumpin Jack Flash and Beggars Banquet. Neither do I think its a coincidence that when Miller's creativity began to wane, the quality of their work dipped at the same time.

Taylor was in the band from June 1969 - December 1974. The Stones high point as a recording band runs from May 1968 to 1972. The two periods certainly overlap, but my point was they dont fit in together as exactly as some like to believe. Of the four great, timeless albums from that period from 1968 to 1972, Taylor is on two and a half of them. They also made two albums with him which dont fall into that category IMO, so they'd hit their creative stride before he joined (and admittedly helped add to it and develop their sound) and had deteriorated while he was still in the band.

I just think that there's a bit more to the argument as to why the Stones were so great for that 1968-72 and maybe declined somewhat afterwards, and the importance of circumstances Mick and Keith found themselves in plus the effectiveness (or otherwise) of the producer they employed were factors which were every bit if not more important than their choice of lead guitarist - great though he undoubtedly was.

Heart Of Stone wrote on Nov 26^th, 2009 at 2:23pm:



How do you know that, HOS? I thought the results were hidden until the final vote...

Time to show the poll results.  I believe everybody's committed their sins.

"I know I've dreamed you
A sin and a lie..."

If you think that you can close it, how you want Heart.
But why so soon?
People dont vote?