Mick Taylor - post Stones

Any career highlights post Stones, or did he just crash and burn?

 

Can we include Midnight Rambler on Sweet Summer Sun ?

Seriously, I love Mick Taylor's appearances with Bob Dylan on Infidels, and Real Live. He is a wonderful counterpoint to Mark Knopfler's work on Infidels, and really creates a bluesy vibe on the tracks from Real Live. I love the full-blown electric Masters of War from Real Live, which does have some great work from Mick Taylor. Indeed, I prefer Taylor's electric work on Masters to Billy Cross attempting to electrify It's Alright Ma from Budokan.

 

How are his solo albums?

 

Yep, the epitome of tasteful playing by Taylor & Knopfler.

 

His 1979 solo album "Mick Taylor" is a wonderful record.

 

His debut solo record has it's moments, but one listens only because there is a will to accept him on the grounds that he in the past was part of The Stones. It is by no means a masterpiece. After that, it became visible that he was bound to be a supporter. A songwriter per se, he isn't.

 

Stranger In This Town is a really good live album by Mick Taylor.

The 1982 Reunion Concert with the Bluesbreakers is also good and features former Bluesbreakers John McVie and Colin Allen as well.

Too Hot For Snakes is a live album with Carla Olson that is good.

He also provides some good session work on Herbie Mann's jazz fusion albums London Underground and Reggae.

He provides some nice work on Billy Preston's Live European Tour. He sat in with Billy Preston's God Squad when they opened for the Stones on their 1973 European tour.

 

Quick and dirty thoughts.

Mick Tayor and Bob Dylan

Blind Willie McTell the electric outtake where Bob bumps the mic at the beginning. Mick plays killer slide guitar.

I & I from Real Live. I love Mick's guitar on it

Mick Taylor and Little Feat

Check out Lowell George and Mick playing together on Apolitical Blues on Waiting For Columbus.

Mick Taylor and Albert King

Albert King joined John Mayall's Blues breakers fot in concert cable TV Special released on DVD as John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers - Jammin' With The Blues Greats.

My favorite part is Albert King and Mick Taylor playing Call It Stormy Monday.

There are many more out there.

 

The Little Feat track is great but that is the only song that features Taylor on the album. The album itself is good though as I am a fan of Little Feat.

 

Godstar, I am a real fan of Mick Taylor's playing, so what I am about to say gives me no pleasure at all.

His playing with the Stones was often exemplary - for me the solo on Winter is a great example, and there are plenty of others.

After he left the Stones he didn't 'crash and burn'. It wasn't anything as dramatic as that. He just never really achieved much. Which is a shame, because he had the talent to.

The LP Mick Taylor took 4 years or more to deliver. It is ok but nothing more. Stranger in This Town was a live record. I have it and saw him on that tour, and subsequently, in small clubs in the UK. The gigs were, well......ok, but nothing more. Less maybe, if it hadn't been 'him'.

I also love the band Gong, and he played a few sessions for them (see his discography) and the solos he did were, well.....ok. Alan Holdsworth also plays on one of the Gong records, and blows Mick out of the water.

I wish it wasn't so, but if you want to hear good Mick Taylor stuff outside of the Stones, you need to go backwards into his time with John Mayall. Listen to Bare Wires, Crusade, and Blues from Laurel Canyon, and you will be pleased. He appeared on Wake Up Call from 1994 too. That is a top record by the way, do hear it. But even there he is much less good than other guests. But there is a lovely 'telephone call' between Mick and Mayall which is great to hear.

That's how I see it, and I wish I didn't.

 

Blues From Laurel Canyon and Crusade with John Mayall are both great.

 

Some of the work he did with Jack Bruce is pretty cool. Love his solo on Smiles and Grins off the Live at the Manchester Free Trade Hall cd. It's more jazz oriented material though, nothing like his blazing solos on Brussels.

 

I've seen Taylor on several occasions and he usually put on a good show. As mentioned, the 82 reunion with mayall was quite good. Here's a photo I took at a free concert in NYC in the spring of 88. You had Mick, phoebe snow, Lester chambers and willy Deville. Lou Marini was there too but you can't see him in the photo.

 

Yeah, I'm glad that they finally issued that performance. At first, Taylor didn't shine through as much to me as much as I was hoping, but when you get the second disc, particularly the extended "Smiles & Grins", he really shines through. It's too bad that he never did a studio album with Jack.

 

Yes! That's a terrific set.

 

In all fairness, Allan Holdsworth would blow anyone out of the water, especially in a rock-fusion context like that.

 

YES IT IS...

 

I have a vinyl copy of his 1979 solo album which I like. Its a good listen.

 

I love Mick Taylor's playing. I had high hopes for him, and have listened to most of what he did pre- and post-Stones. But, really, the Stones were the high point of Mick Taylor's career.

Mick Taylor's 1979 solo album is enjoyable, and I play it, but it's not memorable. When I hear his transcendent work on so many Stones tracks, it underscores how underwhelming most of his work since then has been.

 

There is a video of the Little Feat show at the Rainbow Theatre in London with Mick Taylor playing Apolitical Blues with Little Feat. I believe that it is a different take on the Waiting For Columbus LP. The show was professionally filmed, I wish it would get a legitimate release. It is really good.

 

Yes, the video on Youtube is longer. I am not sure if the version on the album was edited or a totally different version but I like the version with the video on Youtube better.

 

MICK TAYLOR is excellent.
STRANGER IN THIS TOWN is okay.
A STONE'S THROW is disappointing.
I don't count any other post-Rolling Stors albums for two reasons: He is no more than a guest on the rest, and they are all really bad, unfortunately. Really bad.
Get MICK TAYLOR.

 

His second solo on Too Hot For Snakes' "Sway" is possibly the greatest guitar playing I've ever heard.

It starts at around 2:49.

 

Mick Taylor himself stated the Stones brought out the best in him as a guitar player (25x5) and I find that to be true. His work outside of the Stones has overall been pretty average. His self titled debut from 1979 has its moments but that's about it.

For a guy who once stated the Stones' music bored him he sure spent quite a bit of time trying to sound like them on that record, although he does stretch out on a few cuts.

 

I don't know if this is really his best solo ever but it blows me away.