What does it sound like?:
What a difference 20 years makes. Back in the mid-90s the Unplugged craze was in full swing and the Stones were already the butt of threadbare old geezer jokes in the dad mags. Yet here they are as 50-somethings, suspiciously black of hair and (relatively) youthful of countenance running through semi-unplugged versions of their early and mid-period material.
Recorded in 1995 at studios in Tokyo and Lisbon and small live venues in Amsterdam, Paris and London during breaks in the Voodoo Lounge tour, Totally Stripped showcases the band at their bluesy, rustic best. Since Ronnie and Keith play their electric guitars for much of the show, it’s not a true unplugged performance by any means, but with acoustics always at hand, it’s probably as close as we’ll ever see. Freed from the theatricals required by the giant stadium stages and without the need to run around so much, Mick delivers a fine, focussed performance, although he still does that annoying Kermit the Frog flapping hands routine almost throughout.
The original Stripped CD arrived like a breath of fresh air in late 1995 and it’s still my favourite, ahem, “recent” Stones album. That’s probably because it’s the only one I own released beyond what is undisputedly their last truly great studio record, 1978’s Some Girls (other opinions are also available). The DVD features most of the live performances from the CD together with interviews and studio/backstage footage.
Watching the Stones at work is a fascinating experience. A band doesn’t survive this long without good reason and despite some less than great recent studio albums, the Stones can usually turn on the magic in a live setting, especially a small theatre. Ronnie and Keith’s guitars blend so well together it’s often hard to tell who is playing what and the overall effect is greater than the sum of its parts.
Old favourites such as Not Fade Away, Street Fighting Man and Love In Vain are dusted off to great effect, while mid-period gems Angie, Sweet Virginia and Wild Horses sound better than ever. The jewel in the crown here though is Like A Rolling Stone. “We’d always wanted to record it, explains Keith, “but because of the name, the time never seemed right”. In 1995 the time was right, the name had always been perfect and Dylan’s song provided the best possible ending to the proceedings.
What does it all *mean*?
In 1995 Ronnie Wood had the best haircut in rock. Fact.
Goes well with…
It’s slightly less polished, but this could be a warm-up for 2008’s Shine A Light movie
Release Date:
Might suit people who like…
Great ensemble playing and a mesmeric front man
Got to scrape the shit right off your shoes…
Does it have the thrilling version of Gimme Shelter? The Stripped version was originally the B side of the Saint of Me single, but is also on an expanded ‘Completely Stripped’ download I acquired this year?
It doesn’t have the full version, but there are excerpts of most tracks from the CD, plus full versions of others
The Completely Stripped is a selection of, bar one, different recordings to the original, I think. Yet to listen to it, but in my pile…. I, um, don’t recall whether it is/was (ever?) a strictly legitimate, um, acquisition, mind, but seemed too good to pass on. File under ROIO or whatever the new word for boot is.
I love The Stones more than (almost) any other band but I despise their version of Like A Rolling Stone. Completely pointless, especially with their back catalogue. Sadly it remained in their live set for a few years.
I got this when it came out – I really like the new CD and the fact that it is totally different to the original release and therefore adds to the collection rather than simply remaster the old one. My disappointment was in the blu-ray video quality – perfectly watchable but not as great as I expected.
Is it not listed as SD video quality? But of much higher audio quality?
I can’t really see the point of the blu-ray either. No extra material and the quality is only average DVD level.
I forgot to mention that the studio material was co-produced by Don Was. He makes a few appearances looking a little ridiculous with his comedy haircut and creepy painted toenails worn with thongs (flip-flops).
Fans of the original will find plenty of different, unreleased songs on the deluxe version down a certain Wormhole (including that fabulous Gimme Shelter I mentioned). If that’s too cryptic pm me for details.
As mentioned in the OP the playing is quite superb, to the point where I was looking out for overdubs.
Guitar fans will love this, as Ron and Keith use an armoury of lovely vintage instruments. Ronnie’ s reverse body Gibson Firebird is much in evidence for example
But unfortunately it’s Ron and Keith using them.
This sounds good, will need to have a look. I’ve only just got back into their satanic majesties after the recent blues album.
I’m with @dai. I positively cringed with the version of LARS on Still Life. Thought Jagger butchered the phrasing – just barreling through the song. Be interested if this is any better.
Glad you agree. But it’s not on Still Life!
It’s only ever appeared on the Stripped album I think
Jagger deliberately butchered the phrasing of everything for a good few years after punk. It was his way of being down with the kids. Made deciphering Still Life pretty challenging back in the day.
Nice one Johnny. Good album, especially the (non-legit) expanded version.
Cheers, Bart. I always think the Stones are pretty poor in a huge stadium setting where they are often standing 20 yards away from each other and Mick is out of breath with all that running up and down ramps.
In a small club it’s a different matter though. Although the word “small” is relative, some of the Stripped venues were 2,000 seaters which is about as big as most bands ever get.
its probably no coincidence that the Stones were at their very best live when they were still standing no more than 3 feet away from each other on stage and Mick still used a mikestand.
(All Down The Line, Texas 1972)
Best live year 72? As much as I love Mick T, he was just soloing all over everything by 73. You can have too much of a good thing.
I enjoyed that clip even though it was their Vegas jumpsuit period with shirts open to the waist
I have had the good fortune of seeing the Stones live in many small venues. Shepherds Bush Empire, Orpheum theatre Boston, Stockholm Cirkus, Vredenburg and the Astoria *
All were very memorable gigs except Astoria where they were actually much better a few days earlier in Twickenham!
* 2003 was an expensive year…
Great stuff Dai. I haven’t seen them live since Hyde Park 1969
Neither have I, oddly enough.
Our orbits seemed to cross fairly often back then, Mike
Was going to put a question mark after that reference to LARS HMM Perhaps a bootleg ?
Sorry Junior, I’m pretty sure they didn’t play LARS on that tour. Wikipedia would tend to confirm. I’m not sure they played it at all until the Voodoo Lounge tour from which Stripped emerged.
Yes, that’s true. And on the DVD reviewed here Mick and Keith explain at length how they always loved LARS but felt they couldn’t cover until 1994/95 it simply because of the name clash.
“Ronnie and Keith’s guitars blend so well together…”
ancient art of weaving, innit?
Here’s that controversial version of Like A Rolling Stone with Ronnie playing the Gibson Firebird mentioned above. It sounds just great to me.
The video cuts off Keith’s chirpy “Thanks Bob!” at the end, but I’m fairly sure it’s the Stripped version.
I always wanted a Gibson Firebird, tobacco sunburst, two pickups, reversed of course…then last year my local music shop had a few in so I resolved to have one at last. I spend an hour playing Johnny Winter licks and posing in the reflection of the demo booth but try as I might, I just couldn’t love it. It was staggeringly beautiful and a dream to play but we just didn’t click. On the same day I tried a second hand Flying Vee which was fantastic but I had to admit looked ridiculous on an old geezer. So I went home empty handed. 😢
I had a mate who had an original 1964 Firebird (along with several other vintage Gibsons and Fenders) which I used to love playing at his house. But they are very neck heavy with the banjo tuners so you have to stand up to play them, so they aren’t very practical unless you’re in a gigging band.
Flying Vs are even more ridiculous and are impossible to play sitting down. Then there’s the Dave Davies method, of course.
http://i.imgur.com/XKNxjYG.png
That hairy young reprobate is pointing an offensive weapon at a Knight of the Realm.
I shall write to the Telegraph about this.
The most irritating problem with Flying Vs is when the first time you sit down to play one, it slides sideways off your lap onto the floor. Seated playing with said instrument can only be relatively comfortably achieved by resting the V on one leg and pointing the neck upward Bill-Wyman-stylee.
“sit down to play one, it slides sideways off your lap onto the floor”
They even had a rubber strip along the bottom edge to stop that happening, but it didn’t seem to work very well.
I always think it’s a wonderful thing that in 1958 Gibson issued two guitars that were so futuristic they wouldn’t be fully appreciated until 20-30 years hence,
http://i.imgur.com/yvvQMzo.jpg