My review.
I saw it last night in Aarhus. The theater wasn't full. I think about 100 people in the not-very-big cinema. The sound was OK, but not turned up enough. I mean: It was high, but I'd had turned it up another few clicks.
I'll start with commenting on a song-by-song basis.
1. Jumping Jack Flash.
- Great one. It sounded much better here than on the soundtrack CD. I loved the way the sound went up when they were filming Keith for example. That was a great feature throughout the movie, although sometimes it sounded a bit weird when they turned it back down. Flash is (As always) a strong opener.
Shattered.
- Like someone on here said "Starts in a high tempo and never looks back". I loved it. It's a great version. Really upbeat and Jagger is amazing.
She Was Hot.
- Superb. Very nice to see this.
All Down The Line.
- Great version. They sound a bit knackered on it, and it's not as good as the Stripped b-side. That said: It rocks. Keef and Ronnie are great here.
Loving Cup.
- This one I was really looking forward to see. I've read multiple reviews saying that Jack White was like a little schoolboy who couldn't believe he was on stage with The Stones. I didn't think so. This is just the way Jack is on stage when he's having a good time. Watch the White Stripes DVD "Under Blackpool Lights" and you'll know what I mean (Especially the last song). He brings a lot of country twang to it. For me this is a duet ranking alongside the great Robert Cray and Bo Diddley duets from Miami, 1994. The band does a great job here.
As Tears Go By.
- Magic. A very calm Jagger. I didn't know he was able to stand still during a song. This one got me thinking about the similar great version from Milano 2006.
Some Girls.
- I'd seen this one already on the Amazon website. Twas better in the context of the film though. It works out well. Again the entire band owns up. But it was a bit of a shame that they didn't include the harp, like we hear it when they're rehearsing it early in the film.
Just My Imagination.
- To me, this is one of the highlights. The version is as good as the magic Hampton 1981 version, though different.
Far Away Eyes.
- Again a magic moment (Especially Mick 'n Keef sharing the mic). Ronnie is doing great stuff on the pedal steel guitar, and he seems to have a driver's license for it.
Champagne & Reefer.
- Even though I loved the Jack White duet, this one is better. The Stones doing blues is always a treat. Buddy has an awesome moment when he's just staring at the camera for a long time without singing. He doesn't upstage anyone though. It wouldn't have been as great as it turned out, if he didn't have THAT backing group. But what a voice he carries. Stellar harp solo by Mick, and Keith doing a great job on the guitar.
Tumbling Dice.
- Cool version, but as expected. Keith is turned down after the intro. I saw him doing the usual licks after the intro, but couldn't hear them. It's a shame because TD was mighty fine, because of Keef especially, on the ABB Tour. Nice one though.
Band Introductions.
- This is the way to do it on future DVD releases I think. The usual wankery was skipped and it worked very well with the fades.
You Got The Silver.
- Anyone saying that Keith can't sing must shut up. He does a great job on here. Ronnie mighty fine too. Keith is such a cool weirdo.
Connection.
- I'll be slayed for saying this, but the interview cuts in this one ENHANCED it. It's not a great version. On the CD it's the worst one. I like that the bad parts of it, and there are many on the CD, was skipped and the interviews that were cut into it, was much fun.
Sympathy For The Devil.
- Also cool. Charlie is great on it. There's an amazing camera shot when the first chorus kicks in. It's taken from the side and the whole place is lit up with white light (And white heat). The special Jagger intro, manufactured by Scorsese, is cool (Where Mick comes in through the back door). All in all this version is pulled up high by Charlie's drumming, but pulled down by Keith's solo. He doesn't come through here. He doesn't think, but feels. That's cool, and I saw many great examples of that on the ABB Tour. But here he just feels it wrong IMO. Not the best version of this song at all.
Live With Me.
- Even though the Xtina duet is the least of my favourites of the three, it's not bad at all. She can hold her own. She has a great voice. The big shame is that she uses it on crap music. The band is kicking major butt here BTW (Keith's licks).
Start Me Up.
- As expected. This was probably meant to be the start of the home stretch, but even though I like it, it was better in Olympia 2003 (FF disc 4). Sounded better on the CD too.
Brown Sugar.
- This is where the home stretch really begins. What a version! Everything is in it's right place here. Kick-ass version.
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.
- Before watching it on film I didn't think it would be good to close the show. The CD version was the next worst thing to Connection. But it was much better to watch on film. Only bitch about this is the way Keith plays the riff. It's just not a good idea. It's better than the Toronto SARS version though (But then again - Almost every version is). The show ends on a high note, but not as high as expected.
Martin Scorsese has made a great film. Let me say that to begin with. I've read quite a few critiques that there isn't enough documentary in it. I don't think that. It's not made like a documentary at all. It's a concert film, and it must be judged on the merits of that, rather than as a documentary.
The quick camera jumps works like they should. It's pretty MTV, but with the Marty twist. The point of the quick jumps is made to fit the fast songs. The slower the song, the slower the cam jumps. It works well.
The idea of turning up the person who we see on the screen is original and good. I liked that very much. Shows that the Stones are individuals, but also a group. As I said before, there was some moments where it sounded weird when it was turned back down. There was a moment when they turned up Keith during JJF where it was very noticable.
BTW: This idea of turning up the individual sound is also seen in The Biggest Bang on Midnight Rambler, ending the tour documentary. It's just taken to the extreme there. I like it.
The hired blondes (Of whom I'd love to pork every single one) seemed like a big thing for most people on here. Of course I saw them, but I didn't really notice them. In almost every shot they were in, there was a Stone in. And how can you not look at the Stone? I'd even play the devil's advocate here: The blondes were instructed to do waves and raise their arms and such. When Brown Sugar goes into the "Yeah yeah yeah whoooo" part, they do just that. But the real fans on the rafters should do it too right? Only about half of them does it. I know that they were hired because they "look better" and because Mick has something to play up to (The horny goat probably had all of them in his room afterwards). I just think that it wouldn't be the best to have real fans who don't do all the waving. Of course I could be wrong, because it's also a different experience to stand in the FOS area. Perhaps they'd do a lot of waving if they were there. And don't think I prefer hired blondes in the front row. I prefer fans, and most people I know from the Stones community would deserve a front seat. For a movie it's just different though.
The start of the movie is much fun. It doesn't add as much as the interview clips during the show though. It's just a nice novelty. And how fun is Keith? He seems like a dude you'd wanna hang out with (Check him out making fun of Mick and Charlie behind their backs during the stage model talk). I loved where Marty gets the setlist in hand and doesn't even end his sentence before The Stones rips into Jumping Jack Flash. Though it was most likely edited, it was very funny to watch.
The best interview clips in the movie were, for me, the one with the half 'n half screen of Jagger and Keith, where they answer the same question. The difference of the Glimmer Twins is shown right there. It reminded me of the pre-release A Bigger Bang interviews. When asked about the new album Mick goes into a long svada about "It's contempory, yet classic yada yada yada", whereas Keith goes "It kicks some ass". Also the interviews with Ronnie and Keith seperately during Connection was much fun. (Ronnie) "He (Keith) KNOWS that I'm the best guitar player". (Keith) "I knew he'd say that".
Another favourite segment is when they end Satisfaction. Keith is on his knees clutching his guitar and is taking deep breaths. How can you not love that man?
There's ups and downs during the concert, but mostly ups. As a whole it's very good. Killer show. It's one of the best filmed (If not THE best filmed) concerts they've released I think. The close-ups were great and I didn't think it was a Mick only show. He just got the majority of the screen time. Like Keith said: "I don't think when I'm on stage. I feel". Well, I don't need to look at Keith all the time. I FEEL him. Same goes for the rest of the band. The Mick close-ups are good because we love the vain front man. He's like that, whereas Keith, Ronnie and certainly Charlie aren't. They are felt when Mick is seen. And the "study" of Mick's movements is a great aspect in the film.
The ending with the dedication to Ahmed Ertegun is lovely. May the good Lord shine a light on him.
It's a film mostly for fans I think. For a normal person (We're not ) it would be a bit too long. Of course I was craving more afterwards, but I'm not sure that other people were. A mainstream audience would probably find it too long, and since it's not a documentary (I.e. It doesn't take you from a point and enlighten you on the way) it's most likely a too long film. Instead it leaves the question it asks, hanging in the air, because what's more to say after a concert like that? It's a good way of doing it, and I wouldn't mind Martin Scorsese doing an actual documentary spanning their whole career at some point. Actually I'd very much like it to be him.
I'd rate it 5 out of 6 stars. 4 is way too low, and 6 is a bit too high. So a big 5 is the way to go.
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