The Rolling Stones

Totally Stripped (2016)

 


  1. Not Fade Away
  2. Honky Tonk Women
  3. Dead Flowers
  4. Faraway Eyes
  5. Shine a Light
  6. I Go Wild
  7. Miss You
  8. Like a Rolling Stone
  9. Brown Sugar
  10.Midnight Rambler
  11.Jumpin' Jack Flash
  12.Gimme Shelter
  13.Rip This Join
  14.Street Fighting Man
  

  

This one’s a bit of an oddity. Totally Stripped is essentially a redo of 1995’s Stripped—only this time, done properly. The original album had a promising concept: scale everything back and let the Stones play in smaller, more intimate venues. A refreshing idea, considering most of their shows since the ‘80s had been high-production spectacles played in stadiums built to hold football matches and firework displays.

And sure enough, the original Stripped did deliver on some of that promise—sort of. The issue was that a good chunk of the album wasn’t recorded in front of an audience at all. Instead, several tracks were taken from studio rehearsals or stripped-down run-throughs, giving the whole thing an uneven feel. Some songs roared. Others felt half-asleep.

That’s where Totally Stripped steps in. This time, every performance is live—multiple venues, multiple nights, but you’d never know it. The edits are seamless, and the crowd presence adds a layer of energy the original lacked. Even better, they didn’t just stick with the same track list. Only a handful of songs overlap with the ‘95 release. The rest is a welcome reshuffling: a mix of deeper cuts, fan favorites, and just enough hits to keep the casual listener from drifting.

And really, you end up wondering why they didn’t just release this version in the first place. It’s sharper, more alive, and somehow more focused—even if it technically spans more cities. If you’re picking between the two, there’s no contest. This is the one to get. That said, the original does have a couple of songs you won’t find here, so completists might still want both. But that’s another story.

One more thing worth clearing up—despite what the title might suggest, “Stripped” doesn’t mean “Unplugged.” This isn’t some quiet acoustic detour. It’s the Rolling Stones without the smoke machines, cherry pickers, inflatable lips, and pyrotechnics. No costume changes, no stadium choreography. Just five guys on a modest stage, doing what they’ve always done best.

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