Obviously subjective, but I figured it would be a fun discussion nonetheless. For whatever reason, name a song or several that you felt never translated well to the stage.

A couple of my picks:

- "Sway" (obvious pick, I think. I've never heard a version that came close to the raw power and passion of the original, and the solo is always feels lacking, whether it be Ron or even Mick T back in 2013)
- "One Hit (To the Body)" (they never managed to replicate the razor sharp guitar sound or the general sense of tension that makes the Dirty Work version go good)
- "Mixed Emotions" (always sounded busy and cluttered to me. The 2016 version at Desert Trip flat out sucks)
- "Anybody Seen My Baby" (it just sounds so awkward to me, especially the rap part. Mick also dodged the lower notes that enhance the moodiness of the original. Too fast, as well.)

Additionally, I don't like the live versions of "IORR"; the slow burning chug driven by the acoustic guitar of the studio version gives it a character that is lacking when they turn it into a generic Chuck Berry rocker. I also do not like the pre-1989 live versions of "Gimme Shelter"; yes, there is some incredible guitar work on the Mick T versions, but hearing Mick sing it with the subtlety of a sledgehammer as he just snarls his way through it with no dynamics ruins the song for me, especially when he sings the "rape, murder..." bridge.

Rain fall down, anybody seen my baby and I go wild

Also, there’s a lot of songs that work live well but never have the magic of the original studio version, some are JJF, Rocks Off, Gimme Shelter, Rough Justice

Anybody Seen My Baby was played pretty much every night on the BTB tour and went down as well as a fart in a spacesuit on every occasion. Mick couldnt get to grips with it at all.

By contrast, Saint of Me and Out of Control were showstoppers every time.

They're on record as saying they had trouble with Mixed Emotions. They still persisted with it and didnt do a bad job on it.

How can I Stop was a lovely song on record, but the one night they played it at MSG it seemed to have absolutely cleared out the entire arena, going by the audio recording.

Surprised to see 'I Go Wild' listed. I thought it was pretty good and exciting on the VL shows I saw.  They did have a bit of trouble with 'Love is Strong' though.

'Rocks Off' just doesnt work at all for me live in recent years. I've no idea what the hell Mick id trying to do with it.

I definitely agree about "Start Me Up"; while it gets the job done live, the tight groove of the studio version has never been duplicated properly.

Also I agree that while there are many exciting versions of "Jumpin' Jack Flash," the studio take still reigns supreme. The windup before the opening riff kicks in is essential to the song.

"Undercover" is another one that never sounded as tight as the record, and I can't believe I neglected to mention "Love is Strong." For me, "LIS" is the strongest post-Wyman tune the band has done, but they played it too fast and Mick dodged most of the lower notes that give it that sort of seedy feel.

"Rocks Off," being one of my top 3 favorites, I agree was inconsistent. Musically the Voodoo Lounge versions are the tightest, but I didn't like how Mick didn't modulate his voice in the buildups and the chorus and had the backup singers handle it instead. In that regard, the Licks and even some Bang versions are very strong, but at the end of the day I always go for the studio version.

Another one that didn't work for a long time for me was "Bitch." The Mick Taylor versions are fine, but for a long time they had the horns playing over the opening riff to the point where the song sounded kind of cheesy. They eventually got it right, and I actually think the song sounded best on the Zip Code tour. However, it's another one where the studio take is impossible to beat.

The Wick wrote on Apr 1^st, 2020 at 2:09am:



LOL Keithfucius is back again

This is a great thread.

I've never heard a live version of "Bitch", even in M. Taylor's days, that comes any close to the punchiness and tightness of the studio version. To be fair, the one in Sticky Fingers is basically perfect.

"Love Is Strong" is another studio gem that has never sounded right onstage. Mick gets too excited, he sings too loud when it's precisely his self-control that gives the studio version that attractive mood.

"She's So Cold" is awful live. Too fast. It only works at the pace of the record.

And, judging by how it has sounded in the last 15 years or so, I'd scrap "Happy" for good.

"Silver Train" a disaster when resurrected (after its few tryouts in Europe, 1973).

Bruno wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2020 at 1:53pm:



'Let Me Go' and 'She's So Cold' were two of the most enjoyable tracks on 'Emotional Rescue' but were both reduced to a noisy shouty thrash on the tour the following year. Both competed for the prize of the low point of those shows

Rocks Off is awful live;
Play With Fire & One Hit in 89
I Go Wild 94-95
ABSMB was embarrassing 97-98
Let It Bleed is generally too fast