"Midnight Rambler" (live) - the Stones' finest moment?

Not necessarily their best song (although it's right up there). Rather, the totality of the performance on Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out -- the frenzied crowd, the way the band locks into a groove, Richards' and Taylor's slashing guitars, the tempo changes, the menacing lyrics, Jagger's harmonica playing and the way he delivers vocals -- is mesmerizing, a distillation of everything that makes the Stones great. On this song, on this night, the Rolling Stones could legitimately lay claim to being the Greatest Rock'n'Roll Band in the World.* No?




* an honorific Jagger hated BTW.

 

Ya, they are locked in on that one, fer sure.

 

I love that version of Midnight Rambler, the best ever. The whole album works for me.

 

Definitely one of my favorite Stones' performances.

 

Jeez, I hope not. It's a throwaway tune, though it does groove and shows the Stones having some grit, but they are no Allmans.

 

Quite possibly my least favorite thing they released while Wyman was in the band. The runner up is the studio version.

Dull as dirt chord progression, unappealing lyrics, not even a hint of a melody, and it just drags on and on.

 

With the Stones, I generally prefer the studio versions. I have all of the officially released Stones live albums and I'm thinking there's a MR live I like better than Ya Ya's.
Not sure which album it is--any Tier 1 Stones guys have a favorite live version over GYYYO?

 

I was there at MSG for one of the concerts -- an absolutely stunning show. I was in my freshman year of college in 1969, and my father got tickets for my girlfriend and me to see the Stones at MSG. I've seen the Stones many times since, but none of the later performances even approaches that concert.

I married the girlfriend in 1972, and we are still together.

 

Well, let's put it this way. The middle section, where Jagger tells the story accompanied by the bluesy guitar licks, is the epitome of rock and roll gravitas. Or let's just call it brass balls. It's been iconic since forever, but it could've easily failed. Very powerful times.

When I first heard it, about age 15, it explained to me why the Stones were significant. I had Ya-Yas and Hot Rocks. I was disappointed when I finally heard the studio version. But even that has grown on me over time.

 

Certainly one of my favorite Stones moments.

 

A supreme example of the dynamics of music; tension and release.

 

thank god for that.

 

The performance of Midnight Rambler captured on Ya Yas is one of the iconic performances in rock history!!! The band was locked in.

And there are zero overdubs on the Ya Yas version!!!

 

Reminds me of a bumper sticker from the 70s: 'Who the $&)! are the Rolling Stones? -Lynyrd Skynyrd"

 

I usually hate live versions of songs stuck on hits collections, but I make an exception for this version of "Midnight Rambler" on Hot Rocks. Love it.

 

I like it, I love the version from Leeds '71

 

When this starts up in their 19 song concerts I think about what four other songs they could have played in the same time frame instead.

 

Rather keen on Gimme Shelter from original KBFH Brussels Afair myself, if we are talking Live.

 

Nothing will ever supplant Gimme Shelter for me - but I reckon this is a close second.

 

Midnight Rambler being on most, if not all, of the Rolling Stones concerts I've ever heard has kind of dulled the impact - but I used to love hearing this on Hot Rocks and if I had to pick a version it's probably what I'd go to.

My pick for finest moment is the studio take of Street-Fighting Man. From kickoff to fade it just absolutely stuns me.

 

You know how you can be at a movie and you're looking at your watch half way through? Then you're at another movie, it ends and you look at your watch and can't believe it was 2 1/2 hours long? It seemed half that long! Well if you grew up with the Stones and saw them live or were listening to GYYYO Midnight Rambler, the last thing you were doing was thinking what other 3 or 4 songs you were missing.

If you did, you were listening to/watching the wrong band.

 

i agree, great version of the song, the studio version is quite limp, so the ya'ya's version really elevates the song. as for midnight rambler, itself, it remains the only song i can stand to watch them play in their current form, they don't play it the same way twice.

 

A shame it couldn't have been included in Gimme Shelter. Or on the 40th deluxe edition. A complete filmed version of the Ya Ya's version would be the Holy Grail for me!!

My understanding is that, due to the length of the song, no complete performance from MSG 69 is available. I believe I remember reading an interview with one of the Maysles that they had to change film every 5 minutes or so.

Can anybody verify this?

 

This version epitomizes everything that the Rolling Stones are about, rawness, power, and most of all, liveliness.

 

Let's take a look at "Midnight Rambler" from the 1971 Leeds show. The song begins with Charlie playing a staccato beat, but the rest of the band is not almost off the rails, they are off the freakin' rails. There are squeaks, feedback, false starts, and ragged rhythms. Then, after a minute of this mess, Bill's bass kicks in with an other-wordly rumble, sounding as if his amp valves are on their last legs. After that, it's all tight and groovy with a sinew emanating straight from the Great Dismal Swamp off of Rt. 17 in VA. Keith's strokes pummel and Mick's harp pleads. Your mind weaves in and out of the shimmery swamp like a bootleggers nighttime trip and just when you cannot take it anymore, Mick Taylor's lysergic leads have you flying above it all only to be brought back down to earth and Hades below when the band slows to a sultry crawl and Mick is, without a doubt, the Midnight Rambler.