comment #1

sweet_billy says ...

yeah, so they are not supposed to play any of their hits...songs that defined them as a band and a mover of popular culture?

newsflash: the stones can't just go out and play side two of "exile" and get away with it. people wouldn't go, and we know the stones are all about the $$$

get over yourself, wells.

comment #2

cjKennedy says ...

Just to clarify, did you actually see it in both formats? I'm not saying you're wrong, but I gotta know if I'm going to haul my ass up to the soulless hell that is Universal City Walk for IMAX.

comment #3

MikeSchaeferSF says ...

dude, no one's suggesting that they play "side 2 of 'exile'"... but their lesser-known songs are often more interesting and there's a kick (if you're a true fan) to hearing something you haven't heard 3 million times. Last time I saw them, 5 years ago, they seemed to be striving to balance the big hits with some lost gems and it was pretty swell.

comment #4

Jeffrey Kunze says ...

Ouch:

http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/reviews/Shine-a-Light

comment #5

Devin Faraci says ...

I can't recommend this soulless parade of geriatrics to anybody. The film's an embarrassment to the band that was once a vital force of rock, but who have been irrelevant for almost thirty years now.

comment #6

Discman says ...

Devin: "Soulless"? There are a lot of ways to criticize this movie if you're so inclined, but that's not a term I'd choose.

I wouldn't choose ANY critical term, other than "maybe a little too long," to characterize this outstanding film. I really loved it and saw it in 35 mm.

Jeff: I'm not with you on "As Tears Go By," but "She Was Hot" is the film's highlight, IMHO. I'd forgotten how much I liked that song when I bought the otherwise pretty lame "Undercover of the Night" on vinyl when it was a new release.

comment #7

twicks says ...

Devin, from everything I've read (haven't seen it yet), the point of this movie is not to prove their current relevance but to marvel at their sheer longevity as performers.

They've turned into their old blues heroes: somewhat musically diminished, but still magnetic and 100% authentic.

comment #8

actionman says ...

off to the soulless hell that is Universal City tomorrow for the 2:30pm IMAX showing.

Very, very excited. Marty is my hero.

comment #9

Rich S. says ...

Love the Stones. Love Marty.

But that scene with Aguilera grinding her ass into Jagger's crotch is just plain creepy.

comment #10

Glenn Kenny says ...

I dunno, Jeff, I think this might be a classic "to each his/her own" scenario; I thought "Shattered" sounded just fine, while "Live With Me" clearly suffers by dint of the fact that Christina Aguilera clearly has no idea of the meaning of any of the words she's pronouncing as she sings them.

Also, anyone who gets really worked up about the Stones' lack of "relevance" needs to smoke a joint, or go buy some Fugazi albums. The Stones haven't been truly "relevant"—in the sense that the earnest brokers among us mean it— since the needle came off side two of "Let it Bleed" the first time. And so what. Their growing irrelevance is in fact the primary theme of "Exile," which is part of what makes that album great.

comment #11

Devin Faraci says ...

There's no authenticity on display, besides some occasional joy between Ron Wood and Keith. Mick Jagger is like an animatronic version of himself from the 70s - all these years later doing the same vamps, the same moves, the same expressions. It's paint by numbers.

comment #12

berg says ...

saw it in IMAX, see it that way ... the song that was crazy beautiful was Far Away Eyes, excellent version ... talk about: Hillary is in it; break the fourth wall with the shots of Buddy Guy and Charlie Watts looking directly at the camera; Scorsese does the Goodfellas tracking shot at the end of the film; the CGI effect at the end; did Eddie Murphy copy the coy way Mick smiles at the Japanese television lady?

comment #13

T. Holly says ...

Best part was when Mick said "these lights are burning my ass." These decrepit men are like exquisite fosilized mummies brought to life. Aguilara remains a joke with her disembodied vocal gymnastics, but Micks voice is surprisingly clear and their stamina would put men a quarter their age to shame. There's nothing better than a man on his knees with a smile on his face and a guitar around his neck. A truly spectacular movie; anyone of them can die now, complete. And the sound editing and mixing are to die for, everything is dug out and mixed to stunning effect, I say give it the Oscar in those categories now.

comment #14

twicks says ...

Mick doesn't display joy onstage very often. Yeah, he's totally calculated and doesn't really seem to lose himself in the music. He seems as ruthless in his training and discipline as he does in his dealmaking...still, I think the guy is fascinating, and far from an animatronic version of his old self. If anything, he goes even crazier nowadays than he did back then. I kind of miss the "stand in one place and dance" Mick from Gimme Shelter.

comment #15

twicks says ...

And you're right, T. Holly, this does seem like a perfect capper on their career. Probably not much chance of that, though.

comment #16

Arizona Joe says ...

The Stones play the hits not to pander to the audience for money, but to accommodate them. Some veteran fans (Wells, myself) get tired of the big hits, but I think the band truly enjoys playing them.

I don't think Jagger gets enough thanks for putting together an audience friendly presentation. The Stones try to make sure everyone in every seat has a good time. Now they are less the bad boys of rock 'n roll, and more like Costco. They give you very good value for your entertainment dollar. But with Keith and Ronnie's smoking and other habits, they are still very much bohemians. The Stephen Holden review in the NY Times I think says it all. They're still very good musicians.

I never cared for "Shattered" live that much, and preferred the studio version. They used some production technique or phasing on the rhythm guitar that they never quite duplicated live.

Nonetheless, there is still enough seldom heard material in "Shine a Light," e.g., "You Got the Silver," to satisfy people with a taste for something different, gutty, and arty.

As a college kid thirty years ago, I exchanged correspondence with Ahmet Ertegun, urging him to bundle all the Stones' country-tinged songs into an album for the country charts, e.g. "Faraway Eyes, " Sweet Virginia," "Factory Girl."

You'd think if Jagger wanted to maximize revenue, he would market their known and unproduced song catalog to country artists. The way the copyright laws are written, the big money is in songwriting, not performing (at least prior to the internet.) Most country artists are starved for good material, anyway. That's why so much of it is sucky.

I mean, couldn't Gretchen Wilson do "Torn and Frayed" ? Or Alan Jackson, "Waiting on a Friend."

comment #17

Wrecktum says ...

I've always gotten a whiff of nausea from the unctous pronouncements of Devin Ferengi, but didn't actually dislike the guy until I read his comments on this film and his naive misunderstanding of the Rolling Stones and their place in pop culture.

comment #18

cjKennedy says ...

I don't share your distaste of Mr. Faraci, Wrecktum, but I have to agree his comment is pointless and tiresome.

The Stones are no less relevant than most of what passes for rock and roll these days and they're a bit beyond the recommendation of this or that critic.

They're a nostalgia act that appeals to a lot of people. Those people will see this movie and most of them will love it. No one is billing this as cutting edge which is something they haven't been for a lot longer than 30 years.

comment #19

T. Holly says ...

Berg, the Buddy Guy attenuated moment was the best part, mea culpa; there are lots of little wonderments throughout, I can't wait to own it on special DVD, if you're going to plop down the money to see it and you have IMAX nearby, just go the extra mile and do it. As always, bring those squwshy orange adjustable earplugs, so you're not cupping your ear in your 30's. For some reason I was also wearing Madonna gloves, so I got to clap after a few songs without anyone hearing me. Mick does dance like a white boy, but that's why it's so much fun watching him make the best of it. Anyone who says this movie isn't a lot of fun must have an agenda.

comment #20

Wrecktum says ...

Art and entertainment doesn't have to be cutting edge. "Relevance" has no real meaning in this context. B.B. King is no longer relevant (if he ever was) but it's still a vital and emotional experience when you see him play. Watching Brando ape his Corleone creation in The Freshman was a joy. It wasn't relevant to his craft and didn't move his art in any new directions, but it was great fun watching an old master riff on his classic image.

The Stones aren't at the forefront of today's musical trends (who would want to be?) but that doesn't make them any less entertaining or exciting to watch, nor does it make their newest CD any less fun to listen to. The Stones are hardly a nostalgia act. They're not playing the Pala Casino in front of a few swaying blue-hairs. They are legendary entertainers who appeal to multiple generations. Their art may not be relevant, but their fans' devotion certainly still is, and isn't that enough?

comment #21

Arizona Joe says ...

I don't think any pop/ rock music act is relevant today, as in the old sense of the word, nor can it be called counterculture.

It's for the same reason that albums or CDs are no longer relevant. Digital delivery and ubiquitousness have changed the perception of music. Availability and familiarity have bred contempt. The market is too fragmented for a societal experience.

Rock music is an effete medium of protest and social change. It's being used to sell consumer goods on television. And rap/ hip hop is not far behind. A lot of that is just a bunch of preening and talking about luxury goods. What kind of youth culture is that?

The closest act to relevant I can think of is Juanes, because he has successfully merged rock music with Spanish lyrics, and we live in an increasingly Latino country. I like Juanes, but he's not up to the level of the old guys, or even some of the grunge acts.

comment #22

cjKennedy says ...

Wrecktum, just be clear, we're on the same side in this.

comment #23

Wrecktum says ...

"Wrecktum, just be clear, we're on the same side in this."

Thanks. Glad you agree. My musings weren't directed at anyone in particular, by the way.

comment #24

T. Holly says ...

Devin, read Glenn and vice versa. I think it's healthy that people don't look to critics to decide, when it's just about communicating their sense of the movie in a bigger universe, large like Glenn, or wishing it were a different film, like Devin's.

It's all ok, it's not important to be right, just have a point of view and make it well in a reasonable amount of space. Expanded, Devin's points aren't nearly as bad as they telegraph here, but it could been shorter. I think forced short writing for print is a good exercise.

comment #25

christian says ...

"Now they are less the bad boys of rock 'n roll, and more like Costco. "

Ouch.