(Shocking Entertainment)

One of rock’s greatest tales turned into a bedtime story.

The role of a bedtime story, of course, is not to teach children an important lesson about chivalry or sharing. No, you tell them something relaxing but ultimately uninteresting in soft, dulcet tones, so they can nod off and you can have a momentary reprieve from their daily onslaught. Somehow, the creative forces behind Stones In Exile have managed to take all the necessary ingredients for a tremendous story – made all the more special because it’s non-fiction – and turned it into a cure for insomnia. Just under forty years ago, The Rolling Stones claimed the mantle of the greatest rock & roll band in the world (given The Beatles had recently imploded and therefore no longer qualified), and took up residence in France for several reasons related to the price of fame. Regrouping in Keith Richards’ exquisite and ancient villa, the band slowly made the sprawling Exile On Main Street, an amphetamine-fuelled double album that re-energised the band, if somewhat confounding listeners at the time. If Stones In Exile focussed on this in greater detail, it may have truly been a worthy documentary. Instead, it’s a who’s who of interviewees (Martin Scorsese, Benicio Del Toro, Jack White to name a few) reflecting on how difficult the recording process would have been, with band members and others present during the period all nodding in agreement. Snippets of unreleased material aside, the film is neither a historian’s delight or an entrance point for the inquisitive. The real gold is available on the recently remastered album, complete with a whole disc of unreleased songs, but The Rolling Stones were never ones to pass up a merchandising opportunity, where they?

**½

MITCH ALEXANDER

Be first to comment on this article

Write Comment
Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Poster's IP addresses are logged.
Name:
Comment:
Code:*