Regarding this particular album: the Stones recorded it over the course of a few performances in Madison Square Garden, and one in Baltimore, right before Let It Bleed was released. What one hears as far as Ya Ya's is concerned is a band in the midst of celebration, and who could blame them? Freed from the confines of the studio, what was formerly an edge-of-your-seat drama extraordinaire ("Midnight Rambler") turns into a non-stop happy rager with the fans clapping beat for beat. Obviously, these are shows I would have loved to have been at, but compare them to the studio versions, and it's no contest. I miss the little touches, additions, and other tidbits from all the studio recordings - things which the live presentation cannot compensate for.