Films/DVD Asylum

Shine A Light....

64.12.116.195

This Post Has Been Edited by the Author

...Kind of a disappointment. I'm a HUGE Stones fan and I must say it's a shame this movie may be viewed as their legacy.
They were in particularly poor form that night at the Beacon Theater and their play list was beyond abysmal.
The most shocking ommission was their failure to play their unquestionably all time greatest song Gimme Shelter. The fact that Scorcese coulndn't impose upon them to do this killer song (my favorite rock song of all time) was stunning in it's absence. And the walk-on acts were particularly insipid. Christina Aguilera deserves special mention here. She was beyond awful and had no business up there on stage with Mick and the boys. Buddy Guy was the only walk-on who was good....really good.
Which brings up another unfortunate reality. They are old....very old and all the closups didn't do them or the film any favors. They are an amazing group but they were technically ragged that night and really didn't sound good on a lot of the songs they played.
I also think Scorcese would have done better filming them in a stadium venue instead of the relatively intimate confines of the Beacon Theater. They're a big band and they show up better in a large venue on a huge stage.
Mick is simply a miracle of nature and his energy is astounding. What most people don't realize is how truly great his voice is. The guy's still as good today as he was 40 years ago. Woody and Keith need to take their guitaring a bit more seriously....especially Woody. Charlie Watts continues to be solid as a rock on drums. He doesn't look like he's doing much and his drum kit looks simple beyond words but man o' man, can that dude play. Lisa Fischer, their incredibly talented back-up singer was wasted. Gimme Shelter (of course) is where she really shines but for some unknown reason they chose not to perform that, playing a bunch of truly mediocre cuts instead.
Only recommended for diehard Stones fans (like me).
Scorcese could have (and should have) done better!

Edits: 04/04/08

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