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 (Eagle Vision)
A dirty, honest vision of the Stones
Dusted off and liberated from the vault, the Rolling Stones’ Ladies & Gentlemen finally receives its worldwide, small screen release 38 years after its inception. The film is a raw documentation of an ever-so-cool Stones in peak form at the pinnacle of their popularity. Shot over a hazy four nights in Denver the tour was effectively a promotion for Exile On Main Street, yet of the 14 tracks on show only four derive from the record, effectively making the film a greatest hits display from a stunning period. While Scorsese’s recent Shine A Light was rich, polished and pre-meditated Ladies & Gentlemen is quite the opposite. Tarnished in a muddy, haphazard fashion the shabby, intimate mood of such a massive spectacle works emphatically in the band’s favour. Shot on wobbly handheld cameras from a number of different, tight onstage angles, every bead of sweat is splashed all over the grainy film. The eccentric outfits are fantastic, Jagger dances around in wonderful, vibrant jumpsuits, while Richards is swathed elegantly in oriental fabric, both donning post-‘60s mullets and early glam make-up. Musically, the pair are a supreme pleasure to watch, affectingly sharing a microphone on Dead Flowers; the ebbing chemistry of two of rock’s greatest co-writers vivacious throughout. The often-forgotten Mick Taylor is also incendiary, raining powerful blues hail all over classics Love In Vain and You Can’t Always Get What You Want. Jagger leering and jeering at the crowd between tracks is hilarious at one point he teases, “Why aren’t you at church?”, before launching into Sweet Virginia – a tune, fittingly, about getting wasted. The now business-savvy Sir Mick ushers in the release with a cheeky interview, which is accompanied by an even cheekier interview from the period. The live rehearsal footage included also makes this release an all-round winner.
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NOLAN GILES
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