In Praise Of... Mick Taylor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL2Ee12HrCU

MJ: "I think he had a big contribution. He made it very musical. He was a very fluent, melodic player, which we never had, and we don't have now. Neither Keith nor [Ronnie Wood] plays that kind of style. It was very good for me working with him ... Mick Taylor would play very fluid lines against my vocals. He was exciting, and he was very pretty, and it gave me something to follow, to bang off. Some people think that's the best version of the band that existed".[3] Asked if he agreed with that assessment, Jagger said: "I obviously can't say if I think Mick Taylor was the best, because it sort of trashes the period the band is in now."[3]

CW: "I think we chose the right man for the job at that time just as Ronnie was the right man for the job later on. I still think Mick is great. I haven't heard or seen him play in a few years. But certainly what came out of playing with him are musically some of the best things we've ever done".[11]

KR: "Mick Taylor is a great guitarist, but he found out the hard way that that's all he is".[12]

discus

"some people think that's the best version of the band that existed"

^^^true

I love how Jagger ducks the next question -- he's asked if HE feels that way, and he, of course, demurs.

Also: he wrote "Moonlight Mile" and "Sway," for which he got no credit.

what exactly does keef mean?

Also: he wrote "Moonlight Mile" and "Sway," for which he got no credit.
Really? Those are two of my fave Stones songs! Anyway, yeah, Mick Taylor is great -- listen to Stones boots from his tenure, he is on fire.

what's his best post-stones work?

What's next? TS: Bill Wyman v. Doug Wimbish?

Yeah -- Keef and Jagger have both admitted that the former was nowhere near the studio (and in no condition) to record "Sway" and "Moonlight Mile."

xxxxpost http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keef

xpost, yeah i think i knew that keef didn't play on those tracks, but just figured Mick J wrote 'em alone. he can play guitar too ...

Yeah, Jagger plays rhythm on both tracks.

Jimmy Miller was WAY more of a positive contributor to the 1968-1972 Stones than Mick Taylor.

http://www.rollingstonesnet.com/images/MickTaylor1968.jpg

http://image57.webshots.com/757/7/93/92/2502793920039519518JYZLpd_ph.jpg

His Sticky Fingers solos are his greatest stuff to my ears, esp. Can't You Hear me Knocking and Sway. In comparison to the roughness of the music, he was all sugar...great to hear the tension between the two.

Another gem is Time Waits for No One...

Jimmy Miller was WAY more of a positive contributor to the 1968-1972 Stones than Mick Taylor.

yeah, can you explain that elvis?

Jimmy Miller was WAY more of a positive contributor to the 1968-1972 Stones than Mick Taylor.

take it to the In Praise Of.....Jimmy Miller thread

srsly come on now

Jimmy Miller was WAY more of a positive contributor to the 1968-1972 Stones than Mick Taylor.

There's some smoke there, but also some fire.

http://www.jimmymillerconstruction.com/construction%20logo.jpg

What, James Taylor?

Sway is the best thing the Stones ever did that's not Gimme Shelter,

Winter is about as sweet as blooz licks get,

And what Keef meant is that Taylor couldn't take the Jason Newsted treatment any better than Jason Newsted

fuckin sway, man

yeah, can you explain that elvis?

I think that Miller was a positive force in keeping out the Stones' own worst tendencies in the studios. Charlie in particular never sounded better than on the four albums Miller produced.

"listen to Stones boots from his tenure, he is on fire"

i'd love to hear some recommendations - any that are particular stand-outs?

i never considered the jimmy miller element before...

'liver than you'll ever be' ('69 US tour)!!

thanks hairch - i'm on it

Another gem is Time Waits for No One...
― calstars, Wednesday, July 8, 2009 5:59 PM (1 hour ago)

<3<3<3 OTMx100000

All that keeps me from preferring Mick Taylor to Ronnie is that the Stones recorded Goat's Head Soup and It's Only Rock and Roll with him.

I mean, the least essential of the 1977-1986 almost-decace is Undercover, so...

Mick Taylor >> Brian Jones >>> Ronnie Wood (Stones-era, not Faces)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZCmJw1JHEo

i feel like Bimble, is that so wrong?

awful video sorry, just listen to Mick Taylor rule your world.

great thread. favorite stones era.

as far as taylor era boots go, yeah the LiveR Than You'll Ever Be is great, the Leeds 1971 is killer and a 1972 or 73 show in Brussels is worth seeking out ...

dunno if the download link still works but http://stonestocry.blogspot.com/2007/07/rolling-stones-nasty-music.html

All that keeps me from preferring Mick Taylor to Ronnie is that the Stones recorded Goat's Head Soup and It's Only Rock and Roll with him.

― My name is Kenny! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, July 8, 2009 8:03 PM

If Goats Head Soup hadn't come on the heels of that crazy epic run, it would be a lot less slept on.

I'm usually with you on the whole challopsy Emotional Rescue-through-Steel Wheels thing but Taylor's lead work starting around 2:20 is worth any one of those records, and maybe all of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwu0MQrk_ec

That said, Keith's jab is douchey but I respect it. Mick Taylor is a tremendous guitar player, but the 24/7 rolling stones rock star circus did not agree with him.

heard an awesome boot from the perth show of the '73 tour on the radio one day, they were slamming through the tracks like a punk band, but never was able to find it unfortunately.

fuckin sway, man

a 1972 or 73 show in Brussels is worth seeking out ...

i got me a nice little list to work with - thanks!

Didn't Jimmy Miller play drums on lots of "Exile," or at least some of it?

I know he played on "Happy."

perth: http://www.iorr.org/talk/read.php?2,694283

here's something mick taylor did before the stones (video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLzYBTIDYO0

jesus, none of these links (for nasty music or perth) work anymore. anyone fancy taking it over to the Leandro Music Journal?

google blog search dawg

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LCE5DCWB

(which one is that, the Perth? I don't have that one.)

I've got two separate boots which claim to be Brussels shows from that era xp - there's a 'Gimme Shelter' on one of them where Taylor is just incredible

I was flicking through a book about Exile recently and learned that not only did MT not enjoy being a Stone, but he didn't really want to join them in the first place and did so against his better judgement

is that the robert greenfield book? i wanna read that...

That classic albums series of books also informs us that Jagger flirted non-stop with Taylor.

I think it was, yeah. It looked pretty good, but when I went to order it off Amazon the reviews pretty much trashed it and I got cold feet

I would've made a bad Stone too

yeah it is a weird set-up that doesn't really appear many other places -- the awesome lead guitarist who musically is a huge presence, but is completely overshadowed in terms of the other band members. are there other bands like that?

it seems like lots of folks i know are kinda blah on Mayall's propensity for formalism, but Bare Wires (showcasing a young Mick taylor) is pretty dope & highly recommended

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_elCAjJC38T0/RuF2GHZ9FZI/AAAAAAAAArw/XqSQbPlyhnM/s400/John_Mayall_-_Bare_Wires_-_Front.jpg

All that keeps me from preferring Mick Taylor to Ronnie is that the Stones recorded Goat's Head Soup and It's Only Rock and Roll with him.

― My name is Kenny! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, July 8, 2009 8:03 PM

lol man i totally adore it's only rock & roll

goat's head and B&B are the ones I can go a while without hearing.

Big ups for the link, Steve Shasta! Never heard this one before - sounds great.

I think it was, yeah. It looked pretty good, but when I went to order it off Amazon the reviews pretty much trashed it and I got cold feet

amazon reviewers otm

who here remembers "Leather Jackets"?

{url=http://www.megaupload.com/?d=M0EVSQ4O]here's the 'Gimme Shelter' I was talking 'bout earlier[/url]

ugh

oh hi http://www.guitars101.com/forums/f90/rolling-stones-unreleased-decca-live-album-1972-a-58734.html

i forgot he was on bare wires. i love that album.

xpost gtr5101 is a treasure trove of musica

Thanks for that link Tyler, listened to that live '72 album on the commute this morning. It's fantastic.

Mick Taylor speaks!

the ravages of time : (

poor guy

I'd like to think that somehow that is not as clear cut a case of theft as it sounds. If he really hasn't gotten any checks in all these years, it's contemptible.

what shit.

In the words of the old song THATS LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- minnie, midlands, 13/9/2009 10:05

That's bullshit

how is this even possible? that is a sad story...

Taylor's retracting the original story: http://www.nme.com/news/the-rolling-stones/47326

The Daily Mail tell fibs? Shocking.

Can you imagine joining the biggest band in the world at the time, at age 20?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ1CRKiwdho

ffwd to the epic outro (~2:30): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ1CRKiwdho

Keith is in open-G capo 4 (open B) and Mick is in standard but listen to (aside from a few throwaway lead lines 2:58-3:16, looks like Keith tells him to stop) how absolutely locked in he is with Keith & the rhythm section, you get nice video at 3:33-3:39.

So I am dumb and don't know anything at all about music or instruments. Would it be possible to explain to me, in words I could understand, what I'm hearing here and which part Mick Taylor is playing? I ask because I love the outro to Tumbling Dice and I've been wondering for years what exactly is happening in it that makes it sound so good.

The outro is a simple repetitive riff by Keith who is the heart of this song, he really drives every aspect of it. Mick Taylor is just a kid, fresh out of Mayall's Blues band (he replaced Peter Green who replaced Eric Clapton), so he has a tendency to want to do these wanky leads which are just unnecessary, but Keith is like: "Just surrender to this groove man" and when they are in-step/sync, it's just about heaven.

The more complicated way to describe what's happening is that Keith plays a very particular tuning that was not common outside of blues & some folk (he only uses 5-strings in open-G but capo'd on the 4th fret = BF#BD#F#) whereas Mick Taylor is playing standard (EADGBE) but despite the different tunings, they are playing the exact same notes for most of the outro. Some strings Keith plays ring open at times, and most of the time Mick's playing gives more depth & body to the repetitive groove. It's the stylistic differences of the two of them being forced to do the same thing that is rather magical to my ears. And not to discount the rest of the band, the keys & the brass is also great. But sometimes I hear why Mick Taylor was such a key figure in this era of the Stones and I try to put my finger on it.

Beautifully put. And it's enlightening to catch Keith playing boss/bandleader (maybe a bit territorial?) in that clip. Never noticed it before.

Always enjoy trying to parse the lyrics to TD. I seem to hear “fever in the pork house, now” when it goes to the fourth and fifth

Thank you, that's a great explanation.

Big Taylor fan, but in hindsight he was a really weird choice for the Stones. I mean those guys could barely play…

I don't know if I would say he ever overplayed on the studio albums, though. Maybe on "Time Waits For No-One".

KR: "Mick Taylor is a great guitarist, but he found out the hard way that that's all he is"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuzC_3ai1ek

I mean wasn't Mick Taylor stuffed by the Stones for songwriting royalties or am I misremembering something?

Yeah. He legit wrote the music for "Moonlight Mile" and "Sway," for example.

upthread there's a claimed update to the gold-records story, where taylor apparently told NME that actually the daily mail version of the story was scurrilously exaggerated gossip and that he was still on good terms with the band

Taylor's retracting the original story: http://www.nme.com/news/the-rolling-stones/47326

― dad a, Wednesday, 16 September 2009 02:55 (twelve years ago) bookmarkflaglink

unfortunately linkrot and the NME's usual digital incompetence means the story isn't there any more so who knows where things stand (daily mail never a good source tho)

Yeah. He legit wrote the music for "Moonlight Mile" and "Sway," for example.

― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, August 15, 2022 5:00 PM (forty minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

two of the best Stones songs imo

also "time waits for no one"

That one absolute leapt out at me on a recent replay of the IORNR LP

two of the best Stones songs imo

― politics is about vibes and the vibes are off (stevie

top tem for me

What do we think of Leather Jacket?