"Still Life" (American Concert 1981) is a live album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1982. Recorded during the band's American Tour 1981 in the latter portion of that year, it was released in time for their European Tour 1982 continuation the following summer.
The album cover is a painting by Japanese artist Kazuhide Yamazaki, whose work inspired the tour's stage design.
Contents[]
[hide] *1 Release and reception
Release and reception[edit][]
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | link |
| Robert Christgau | B− link |
| Rolling Stone | link |
The album was preceded by their cover of The Miracles' "Going to a Go-Go", which became a Top 30 hit in the United Kingdom and United States, while follow-up single, "Time Is on My Side" managed to reach the lower part of the UK charts.
"Still Life" (American Concert 1981) was a commercial success, reaching #4 in the UK and #5 in the US, going platinum there, but was not critically well-received, being admonished for sounding too slick and lacking any rough edges expected in a Rolling Stones performance. Former Stones bassist Bill Wymanmay agree; the album received only a brief and dismissive mention in the otherwise heavily detailed chronicle of his life with the band, Rolling with the Stones. Of particular chagrin to Stones fans was the fact that nearly half of the Hampton Coliseum rendition of "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" was edited out for the release. (An unedited version was subsequently made available on the album Hampton Coliseum
In 1998, "Still Life" (American Concert 1981) was remastered and reissued by Virgin Records, and again in 2010 by Universal Music. It was released on SHM-SACD in 2011 by Universal Music Japan.
Track listing[edit][]
All songs by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, except where noted.
- Side one
- Intro: "Take the 'A' Train" (Billy Strayhorn) – 0:27 (Performed by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra)
- "Under My Thumb" – 4:18
- "Let's Spend the Night Together" – 3:51
- "Shattered" – 4:11
- "Twenty Flight Rock" (Eddie Cochran/Ned Fairchild) – 1:48
- "Going to a Go-Go" (William Robinson/Warren Moore/Robert Rogers/Marvin Tarplin) – 3:21
- Side two
- "Let Me Go" – 3:37
- "Time Is on My Side" (Norman Meade) – 3:39
- "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" (Norman Whitfield/Barrett Strong) – 5:23
- "Start Me Up" – 4:21
- "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" – 4:24
- Outro: "Star Spangled Banner" (Trad) – 0:48 (arranged and performed by Jimi Hendrix)
Personnel[edit][]
- The Rolling Stones
- Mick Jagger – lead vocals, guitar
- Keith Richards – guitar, backing vocals
- Ronnie Wood – guitar, backing vocals
- Charlie Watts – drums
- Bill Wyman – bass guitar
- Additional personnel
- Ian McLagan – keyboards
- Ian Stewart – piano
- Ernie Watts – saxophone
- Recorded by Bob Clearmountain and David Hewitt with the Record Plant Remote (New York)
- Mixed by Bob Clearmountain at Power Station Studios
- Front cover painting by Kazuhide Yamazaki
Chart positions[edit][]
- Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | UK Albums Chart[1] | 4 |
| 1982 | Billboard Pop Albums[2] | 5 |
- Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "Going to a Go-Go" | The Billboard Hot 100[2] | 25 |
| 1982 | "Going to a Go-Go" | Mainstream Rock Tracks[2] | 5 |
| 1982 | "Going to a Go-Go" | UK Top 100 Singles[1] | 26 |
| 1982 | "Time Is on My Side" | UK Top 100 Singles[1] | 62 |
Certification[edit][]
| Country | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Platinum | 1,000,000 |
| United Kingdom | Gold | 100,000 |