DVD Review: The Rolling Stones Shine a Light
Martin Scorsese's Concert Film About British Blues-Rock Band
Martin Scorsese loves classic rock and blues. With 1978's The Last Waltz, he made the definitive concert film. Producing the 2003 documentary, The Blues, he traced the music's history and highlighted some of its greatest performers. With 2005's No Direction Home, Scorsese portrayed Bob Dylan at the crossroads, caught between his folk roots and blues-based rock.
With Shine a Light, Scorsese points his lens at the Rolling Stones. Filmed at New York's Beacon Theatre during a pair of concerts on October 29th and November 1, 2006, he shows the band ripping it up.
The Rolling Stones at New York's Beacon Theatre
Mick Jagger at age 63 is an aerobic marvel, working the audience like he's still in his twenties. But he's become a caricature of himself, prancing and pouting to convince everyone that he's still the stud of 1967. The showmanship energizes the sold-out crowd, but Jagger's singing and guitar playing suffer for it.
The other Stones have improved with age. Drummer Charlie Watts lays it down like the old pro he is, and guitarist Ron Wood is clearly at the top of his game.
But it's still Keith Richards, whose churning guitar rhythms truly power the Stones' mojo. Unlike Mick's self-conscious preening, Keef owns the stage just by being his bad self, grinning like an amiable ghoul whenever a classic groove kicks into gear. It's effortless old-school cool.
Jack White, Buddy Guy, Christina Aguilera Join The Rolling Stones
Jack White guests on "Loving Cup," while Christina Aguilera belts out "Live With Me" while bumping and grinding with Mick. They're both clearly thrilled to be there, and Aguilera shows that she's capable of more than pop-tart fluff.
But it's Buddy Guy who takes the Stones back to school. The blues master upstages Mick while trading vocals on Muddy Waters' "Champagne and Reefer," and spars with Keef during the guitar solo. Small wonder that Keef, at the end of the song, pays homage by passing Guy his Guild Starfire IV and saying, "Take it. It's yours."
Extra features include several songs that didn't make it into the original film (such as "Paint It Black"), and backstage action with the band. Highlights include Buddy Guy telling the Stones how he earned his nick-name of "M*th*rf****r" while playing with Muddy Waters.
But the standout is a lone cameraman filming Keef while he plays a Martin acoustic. The cameraman slowly stalks Richards, the guitarist's seamed face serene and smiling as he plays for himself, ignoring the obvious drama of Bill Clinton chatting up the other Stones on the other side of the stage. Beautiful.
The Final Analysis
Long-time fans will feel burned by the fact that the majority of the tunes come from the Stones' 60's and 70's heyday, but how could they not include classics like "Start Me Up," "Shattered," "Jumpin' Jack Flash," "As Tears Go By," "Sympathy for the Devil," "Satisfaction," and "Brown Sugar" in their set?
Shine a Light is still a fascinating look at a legendary band that's still at the top of its game. While Mick's emphasis on showmanship hurts the music, the Stones rock the house like few other acts can.
One detail that sets it apart from other concert films is how Scorsese boosts each musician in the mix whenever the camera is on them. Those who want to dissect Keef and Wood's stellar guitar interplay will really appreciate that feature.
Hard-core fans will have seen these songs performed before on other DVDs, but Scorsese's visual sense and direction add an extra element to Shine a Light. It's well worth recommending for all music fans.
Fun Fact: This story is too good to fact-check. One day, when the Stones were touring in the 1970's, one of Mick's assistants woke Charlie Watts from his afternoon nap.
"Mick's really drunk and he's demanding to see his drummer," the visibly nervous assistant said.
"Is that so?" Watts replied. "I guess I'd better get up there then."
So Charlie got up and took a shower. After showering, he shaved, brushed his hair, shined his shoes, and put on his best suit, taking over an hour to do so.
Walking into Mick's room, he found Jagger still rip-roaring drunk. Sending Mick flying with a single punch, Charlie said, "I'm not your drummer. You're my singer."
