See I'm like that with the Beatles, I don't deny their genius but they don't rock me never have.

Stones are a fanatics band tbh although most people like yourself like certain tracks.

I don't expect everyone to like them, Jagger's voice alone is a put off for some. But that's what I like they are the ultimate garage band done good yet some of there work is exceptional.

Due to Richards habits and Jagger's libido I think they get trivialised in this country, in the states they are idolised yet we get giddy about Elton John. 24 proper albums of which 6 are genuine classics to me that says it all for me - the British public will take note when there dead I suppose

Obviously I'm a fanatic but there are others who fit in this catagory. I always preferred Blur to Oasis who were actually just a Beatles/ Stones hybrid. I preferred Spandau Ballet to the limp Duran Duran but then I did plump for Betamax over VHS

Uninteresting fact of the day, My uncle was roadie for iron maiden at the time of the unity gig and coincidentally years later he was John entwhistles window cleaner in oxfordshire. My mum tells so.e good tales about unity hall as she worked there as a cleaner and bar staff, she walked in on Bob geldof in the dressing room in his Urine stained Keck's and little else, still has nightmares about it now.

I'm with you all the way regarding the Beatles, I can appreciate their talent and they undoubtedly change the face of music but I can't listen to them all, they actually leave me empty. Regarding voices Springsteen does it to me, all my mates love him but I can 't listen to him at all, never played a track by him.

The Stones I've only seen once, that was at Glastonbury 2013 I think.
I'd never got off my booty to see them before, they played for an hour and I thought it was all a bit meh, it was then that it seemed that someone decided they were gonna play, the sound seemed better, clearer, louder and they just played a "best of" set. That second hour was incredible, I've watched it back since and the earlier part of the concert was stuff I didn't know or particularly like.
Got a say though, what a voice Jagger's got for an old man.

Glastonbury was the Stones out of their depth in a way. I couldn't agree more as regards the best of which is what they should have done all along. The Stones like U2 and a select group of bands can fill statdiums, hence they don't do festivels, the last time they did was in the very early 1970's I think plus a few charity things maybe. They are used to audiences who know and adore ALL or MOST of there 170+ songs. I don't think they realised at first what a diverse an audience they were in front of and got it a bit wrong.

When on tour they get it all their own way and are far better than Glastonbury though as you say they did eventually save the day. Just how it is I suppose when you've been insulated from real life for 50 years then this is what happens, think Jagger who's super bright always shy'd away from Glastonbury for this very reason. Richards is the romantic but despite what he says the Stones are not a band of the people and never were, there the ultimate headonists and that's how I like my rock'n'roll and they would be the last people on earth I'd seek moral gudence from - Glastonbury is not there natural arena.

If you ever read Richards autobiography and frankly it would be the same for most of he 60'/70's rock royalty he states - the last purchace everyday purchase he ever made with his own money when he still knew the real value of the product was a bottle of milk and that was in 1964! That really stuck with me, reminds me a lot of Belly

On a similar note Springstiens voice is a bit jarring but not as jarring as his man of the people act - I don't doubt he was once but there comes a point where you have to step aside. Never really been a fan of messages in rock music but if you are looking for some then the early stuff is usually the best whilst they still have problems and at least one foot still in the real world.

That said they still offered far more than the vacuous rubbish people like Jay-Z and Beyonce pump out, if anyone can explain that to me I'd be obliged - I'd rather listen to Billy Bragg JUST

Best `Gig` experience i have had was the Electric Light Orchestra back in 82 in Munich, tried to replicate the experience a few years back when i went to see `Jeff Lynne`s ELO` at the new Leeds Arena a few years back, sadly it wasn't a patch on the original experience for me.

If there is one musician i wish I would of made the effort to go and see it would of had to have been Johnny Cash.

A bit of trivia here.

Jinger, on an earlier post, you mentioned Bill Nelson of Be Bop Deluxe.

I have just recently read the Stuart Adamson biography (Skids and Big Country), quite a good read.

Bill Nelson was a big influence on Stuart Adamson's career

Another underrated guy is Red noise album sound on sound was great

Anyone with an interest in electronic music would be wise to invest an hour in a BBC4 documentary called "Synth Brittania" - I watched it again last week, and it's a brilliant story of the origin and emergence of electronica in the UK - dating right back to Kraftwerk and the Sheffield scene that emerged in the late 70's. Well worth a watch if you have even a passing interest in the genre.

Yeah it a good documentary about the rise of synthesisers from the post Punk scene.It's quite a few years since I've seen it mind. ago