A weird album becomes a weirder reissue...

Perhaps even more than "Their Satanic Majesties Request," "Got Live If you Want It" is *the* hated-by-fans 60s Stones catalogue title. It shares its name with a British EP of the same name (which was itself recently reissued in the expensive "Singles 1963-65" boxed-set), but does not duplicate its content; while that British EP was a short, live burst of the Stones at their prime, the LP is an odd mish-mash of live, demo, and studio tracks, many with overdubs and overlaid with a chorus of screaming teenagers. It isn't a bad album, per se, but it isn't what it presents itself as, and its sloppy, poorly-thought-out aura can be either endearing or maddening. Strangely, however, this inconsequential throwaway of an album has had a fairly storied history on CD.

When the first Stones albums came out on CD in the late eighties, "Got Live if you Want It" was present in two very different configurations. The CD released on West German/Japanese London Records was of the LP's stereo mix (albeit with a few oddly-inserted segues), a nice, wide, listenable affair which certainly accentuates the record's blatant artificially--those lead vocals sound re-recorded in the studio--but at least presents the album in an enjoyable context. In the states, however, Stones label ABKCO decided for reasons clear only to them that "Got Live if You Want It" was due for an overhaul. They remixed the album into muddy-sounding mono--in the process grabbing a few alternates takes of songs, most noticably a different mix of "Fortune Teller" which later appeared sans crowd-noise on ABKCO's original "More Hot Rocks" CD--layering on tons of artificial-sounding, 80's digital echo in the process, and then added insult to injury by adding another layer of crowd noise over the proceedings. Thus, "Got Live"'s reputation has, in the intervening years, gotten even worse, as the only disc commonly available was ABKCO's poorly-produced remix.

So does ABKCO's reissue of "Got Live If You Want It" restore the album to its former...well, uh, its relative former glory? Not exactly. What we have here is the same mono remix presented on ABKCO's old CD. However, this transfer seems to be of an earlier stage of preparation, and on many songs it sounds like the extra crowd noise had not yet been added. Additionally, the album's epilogue--the crowd noise and announcements after the last track--is also MIA in part. The entire programme sounds much less artificial, however; there's actual frequency response this time around!

So yes, "Got Live if You Want It" is an upgrade from ABKCO's previous disc. That said, this is really a case of a mediocre, yet enjoyable album made worse by a lot of ex-post-facto tampering. Its continued existence in the Stones catalogue is more justifiable than, say, Flowers's desperate attempt to stay relevant, but not in this form! Do yourselves a favor: if you want to listen to "Got Live," track down an original mono or stereo London vinyl. You'll pay a lot less, and you might actually find the thing (fake "live" cuts and all) to be quite listenable.

Exciting

Live album from the early times of the Rolling Stones, when they evoked storms of excitement and of other kinds. The sound quality as well as the energy correspond about to the in the meantime widely appreciated punk rock standard. My favorite songs on this album are „The Last Time", „Get Off Of My Cloud" and finally the unbelievable version of „(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". The Rolling Stones are always a good occasion to go wild and crazy.

Great music, but severely flawed

I agree that this album is a true relic of the works of the Roling Stones. The songs "Under My Thumb" and "Get Under My Cloud" were played beautifully-as if they were played in one setting and time.

Of course, "Lady Jane" is a true classic that is etched in my mind for years to come. Here,g uitarist Keith Richards played a gentle lead-accompanied by one of the greatest instrumentalists of rock history-Brian Jones (may he rest in peace), using a dulcimer that was audiable even while playing live.Let us not forget the R&B classic "Not Fade Away";of course Mick Jaggar played his heart out(as usual).Throughout the rest of the CD, bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts(banging the cymbals as always)did their parts quite well throughout the entire Cd-as well as Richards,Jagger, and Jones.And who can forget "Satisfaction" and "Time is on My Side"-considering being performed circa 1966.

This is all of the good points that I can find while listening to this relic. With the exception of the first two tracks, ALL of the other songs were fragmented together. This "fragmentation" job of editing was pathetic.If one could piece together several tracks of different authenticity, he could had done a better job-even to the 1960s standards.

Also, the "opening drum sequence(7 seconds)" before "The Last Time" is what I am talking about. That drumming sequence,before the first three chords of "The Last Time" sounded like the opening sequence of "I Ca't Get No Satisfaction" instead of the latter.

I also share my fellow reviewers'comments on tracks four and five. I thought that this was suposed to be a TOTALLY LIVE album.What a dissapointment.

Personally, despite the numerous flaws in the production, this CD is still a fine relic that you can capture the Roling Stones while they were still getting started in their fine career.I hope that other Rolling Stones fans will concur.

Not from any live performance

As per original Rolling Stone Magazine review: This is a compilation of "Live" tracks, studio recording, aka fake.

>Got Live (If You Want It!) is a 06/11/65 U.K. EP DFE-8620 mono DECCA U.K. only EP. Germany DECCA/Telefunken created the 12 track LP. The original concert in 1964 was at the Royal Albert Hall, not the 12 track vinyl or CD audio. The genuine DFE-8620 mono EP is reproduced in the new 12 CD 1963-1965 abkco Box set.

Germany DECCA (only) 6.22429 "Got Live" was created in-studio with cleverly added canned applauses. It's a fake item, nice pictures, but the performance never happened. It was 1964 original, but has "Under My Thumb", from the 1966 After-Math, and 1967 "Get Off Of My Cloud." Check with Rolling Stone Magazine, their 'poor' review is correct. The CD and LP are from many "LIVE" venues, not all are from The Royal Albert Hall!

>Suggest: buy the new 1963-1965 abkco 'singles/EPs box set.

The Music Is Not That Bad!!!!!!!!!!

Most of the complaints coming from people are about the quality. And I admit the quality isn't great, either are the studio ABKO albums that ABKO says are really good. And even the case was ripped at the spine. But the music is rather nice to listen too. The Stones take some songs a little to fast and rush it sometimes, but overall it's a great live album. The guy who said the songs weren't reall,he's wrong. The Stones just added parts like organs and more guitars, but the music was taken from a live preformance, with just added overdubs in the studio after. This album is quite good!

Unnecessary

There was never any need to release this nor own it,nor re-master it on CD. I believe that initially it was only a US release that never came out in Britain. Only 5 songs were actually recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall show that the credits claim it's from. The rest are demos with dubbed in crowd noise,sometimes louder than the music itself.The version of "Fortune Teller" is really good though, and you can turn off one channel and here it minus the screaming girls.The actual live cuts were recorded by someone who had no clue how to record a live rock band at all;and at times most of the instruments are inaudible, and all we here are Mick and Keith's vocals. Obviously this was a record label cash in attempt, and maybe one of the worst live albums ever made.