Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

The Rolling Stones are a band who have probably been viewed by the public as "The World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band", but when do you think was the peak of their career?

I really am a big fan of the Brian Jones era, which is 1963-1969. Some great songs came out of that pile: "Satisfaction", "Get Off of My Cloud", "Not Fade Away", "It's All Over Now", "Time Is On My Side", "The Last Time", "Paint It, Black", "Let's Spend the Night Together", "Ruby Tuesday", "She's a Rainbow", "Jumpin' Jack Flash", "Can't Always Get What You Want". Probably my favorite era of the Stones. Brian was the soul of the band that held everything together.

I also enjoy the Mick Taylor era, 1969-1974. My favorite tracks from that era are, "Honky Tonk Women", "Gimme Shelter", "Let It Bleed", "Brown Sugar", "Wild Horses", "Tumbling Dice", "Happy", "Angie", "It's Only Rock and Roll", "Ain't Too Proud to Beg". I recently picked up the new deluxe version of "Exile on Main St.", I have only listened to a few tracks, but what I've listened to, I've liked. Mick Taylor was the best lead guitarist the band ever hand. He had a Clapton-style vibe that made it all work. Towards the end of it all, Keith might not have liked it, but a lot of Stones fans did.

From the albums after Mick Taylor left the band, I stop listening, although I do enjoy "Start Me Up," "Miss You", "Waiting on a Friend" and "Beast of Burden". When Bill Wyman left, it got even worse, for me. I've said it before, I give them credit for still being able to host sold out shows.

What is your favorite period of Rolling Stones?

Beggars -> Exile.

Satanic Majesty's -> Goat's Head Soup

Let it Bleed - Goat's Head Soup.

I like all of their transitions for different reasons, but the Brian Jones era is my all time fave. I grew up listening to those boys.

Easy -- the Mick Taylor era. Some of the greatest sides ever recorded by the Stones were between 1969 and 1974. Taylor brought an extra lift to the musicality of the band and was easily the best lead guitarist they've ever had. My personal favorite era of the Stones. I also like "Black & Blue" quite alot; just a great effort and Ronnie Wood was the only logical choice to fill Taylor's void. IMHO, the last real Rock & Roll record they made was 1978's "Some Girls".

Gotta agree that post "Some Girls" the Stones lapsed into self-parody, and also have to agree on the early '70s as being their golden age, followed by the Brian Jones years. They suffered from occasional poor material selection even throughout these periods though....

Beggar's Banquet-Aftermath

I might have to go with Sticky Fingers era (and Exile...).

I love the Brian Jones era too, but I just don't like the recording quality on a lot of those early songs. They didn't do the band justice, I think.

collin wrote:I love the Brian Jones era too, but I just don't like the recording quality on a lot of those early songs. They didn't do the band justice, I think.

I haven't heard the Brian Jones era prior to 2002 (such as the '86 ABKCO CDs or vinyl), but from what I hear, the '02 HDCD/SACD/DSD reissues of the '64-'68 albums did not do the band justice at all. While there were stereo masters of "The Last Time", "Satisfaction," "Get Off of My Cloud" and "19th Nervous Breakdown", they did not make any of the CDs, and were only presented in their original mono format, while "Sympathy for the Devil", "Get Off of My Cloud" and a few others contained pitch-altering.

The '02 Stones remasters were not like the '09 Beatles remasters, which did The Beatles justice.

The Brian Jones era, for certain. Look at the extraordinary variety of styles ... Ruby Tuesday and As Tears Go By with their string section accompaniment, Paint It Black with a sitar part ... IMO the Stones were much more creative then.

Without hesitation my favourite Rolling Stoners period is the early days of the "London Years." Fresh vibrant material with a raw edge that the later material did not have in my view.

Everything before 1980 was good.

Best Era - Mick Taylor

I like a little something from all the eras but if I had to pick just one era, it would be the Mick Taylor one with the Brian Jones one coming in a very close second. That being said, my favorite non-compilation album is "Some Girls" (it's a time and place thing) and my favorite single, although changeable, is usually "Let's Spend the Night Together" both of which fall outside the Mick Taylor era but their overall level of consistency with him was higher.

Beggar's --> Goats Head Soup