The Rolling Stones – Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! (The Rolling Stones In Concert)

The Rolling Stones – Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! captures two Madison Square Garden shows from November 1969, at the point where the Stones' late-60s run was turning into something tougher and more expansive on stage. It was originally released in 1970 and became the first live album by any artist to reach number one on the UK chart. Just as importantly, it serves as an official snapshot of the band during the Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed era, with Mick Taylor newly in the lineup on guitar.

What keeps this set enduring is how clearly it differs from the studio records. The performances are lean but volatile: Jumpin' Jack Flash and Street Fighting Man hit with real concert force, while Midnight Rambler stretches out into one of the album's defining performances, with extended harmonica and a dramatic slow-down that gives the song a very different shape from its studio version. The raw drive of Sympathy For The Devil and Honky Tonk Women also helps explain why this album has long been treated as the Stones' key live document.

There is some useful history behind it, too: sources note that the album was issued partly in response to the bootleg Live'r Than You'll Ever Be, making it not just a great concert record but a revealing example of how major rock bands began to answer the demand for serious live recordings. For many listeners, it remains the Stones' best official live album.

Genre: Pop & Rock