The Circus never ends

We went to see the new Scorsese Stones film, Shine a Light, which we saw in IMAX format. That's the best way to see it, I think. My $0.25 review is that the Stones put on one hell of a show. Scorsese tries to keep you up on the stage as though the viewer is part of the band, and there are pros and cons to that -- you don't get the audience view that much, and since it was IMAX you see HUUUGE people in extreme closeups. That part bothered MrB more than it did me. My nitpick is that Scorsese chose a Bill Clinton fundraiser event for the filming, so the audience seemed almost "planted" -- maybe not the diehards that would normally be in the house -- front rows full of pretty young women, the Clintons plus all the VIPs and high-rollers, I thought they were less enthusiastic than regular fans would have been -- just my impression. Do it with a real audience. Anyway, that part bothered me more than it did MrB. Scorsese himself is in this, and he is an absolute hoot!

The guest appearances were great! Buddy Guy and Christina Aguilera!! Wow!! Jack White too. I liked all of them with this band much better than a few of the other guest stars I've seen with the Stones, people who will not be named here (I hate being torched for naming names).

We hadn't had enough, so we went over to Waterloo Records for their sale, and picked up the Rock and Roll Circus DVD. Now, if you are a fan of music circa 1968, don't miss this one. You can see a lot of it on YouTube if you look for it. It was not released until 1996, and part of it was reportedly rescued from a trash can. Arguably, it shows many of the bands during their prime, but for some reason the Stones blocked the release. Either Mick didn't like his performance or thought the Who was better than they were... who knows... (no pun intended). It was a TV show with an invited audience and incredible lineup -- it was a party. There was Jethro Tull, Taj Mahal and a stunning Marianne Faithfull. The Who were just pre-Tommy and put on an amazing performance. Just classic. The DVD extras include a modern interview with Townshend.

There was a super-group (called "Dirty Mac" made up of John Lennon, Eric Clapton (wearing a nice sweater that looks that his grandma knitted it for him), Keith Richards (on bass) and Mitch Mitchell (of Jimi Hendrix Experience) playing Yer Blues (from the brand-new White Album)! [Bootleg linkage: The Dirty Mac Sessions]

The Stones were promoting their new release, Beggar's Banquet (jeez, I am feeling old), and I loved their performances. Mick seemed a little more stoned than usual, but absolutely electrifying -- and he does writhe on the floor of the catwalk and pulls off his shirt during "Sympathy". mmmm. It was also the last appearance of Brian Jones before his death. In fact, there are so many folks in this that are no longer with us, it makes me sad.


Tags: Rolling Stones - Lennon