Shine a Light

Smashing!!!!!!! Scorcese & Stones: A Perfect Match
Set List:

1) Jumpin' Jack Flash
2) Shattered
3) She Was Hot
4) All Down the Line
5) Loving Cup (w/ Jack White)
6) As Tears Go By
7) Some Girls
8) Just My Imagination
9) Faraway Eyes
10) Champagne and Reefer (w/ Buddy Guy)
11) Tumbling Dice
12) You Got the Silver
13) Connection
14) Sympathy for the Devil
15) Live With Me (w/ Christina Aguilera)
16) Start Me Up
17) Brown Sugar
18) Satisfaction

Though the actual track 'Shine a Light' from Exile on Main Street is not played during the (film version of this) set, it is an excellent title for this rock documentary as Martin Scorcese is shining a light so to speak on the Stones themselves, and this light shines mighty bright and mighty close. But Scorcese is not as invasive as you might expect. And this documentary/concert film does not feel like an expose as much as a celebration of a band that still has some kick left in it...

Nothing wrong with nostalgia
If you are a Stones fan, then just buy it and enjoy; the negative reviewers miss the point. Towards the end of a long and fantastic career it's all about the band having fun; for the viewer its all about watching them experience that joy. And if you feel the need to quibble about the price or production values, then you shouldn't be buying such a DVD in the first place. The BluRay looks wonderful and the concert is nice and 'up close'. One of the most interesting aspects is watching how MJ tries to control the band with a raised eyebrow or nod here and there, or moving to gently push KR back to center when he goes 'off the plot'. It beats me why anyone would quibble on little details that aren't relevant to the central theme - its a celebration of one of the world's true entertainment super-groups. Relax.

Mick and Martin
Going to see a concert nowadays takes all one's resources. Ticket prices often go up to three digits, and most likely the best view is watching the band perform on a video screen. Sometimes people (myself included) are willing to travel long distances to see one's favorite acts perform onstage. Getting to see the biggest bands, like Paul McCartney, U2, and The Dave Matthews Band is difficult at best. Ironically, the cost of a ticket to see The Rolling Stones play in Martin Scorsese's documentary/concert film 'Shine a Light' is about the same as it would cost to see a live concert when many of their featured songs were popular. It ain't like it used to be.

However, the sheer power and able musicianship haven't gone stale nor retro, so the film is a real treat for those of us who have all but given up on seeing them in person.

It is a testament to Scorsese's directing abilities that the prologue, the intermittent vintage vignettes, and the conclusion are...

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