The Rolling Stones and Martin Scorsese – it had to happen eventually given the director’s legendary love of the blues and, on ‘Shine a light’, Scorsese gets what he wants: unlimited access to an intimate Stones show with all of the attendant hassle and chaos that comes with trying to get the Stones to do anything other than play rock ‘n’ roll. The candid intro to the film, artily shot in black and white, does a grand job of capturing the difficulty of tying the stones down to set lists, stage choice and the aggravation of having cameras swooping around the place without actually saying anything before the viewer is plunged into the dazzling world of a Stones meet ‘n’ greet that is conducted with none other than the Clintons and their thirty-plus entourage.
Once the show starts, however, the blistering intensity of the Stones is laid bare for all to see in startling HD. Blu-ray is undoubtedly the format to see this strikingly filmed concert in all its glory, thanks to the sparkling DTS HD master audio (alongside Dolby TruHD and 5.1 DD options) sound mix and cinema quality visuals (how many other bands apart from Neil Young can boast of having an Oscar winning film director take on a live show?) Technical details aside, the transformation that takes place amongst the Stones themselves – baffled, bemused, polite and charming off-stage; raging rock ‘n’ roll monsters form whom Axl Rose should be taking note on-stage – is the revelation here. For sure the band look creased, age-worn and rumpled – a fact that is made all the more painfully clear by the wonderful archival footage that, amazingly, is interspersed throughout the film without ever seeming to break the flow of the concert. It takes a director of Scorsese’s talent to pull off an editing trick of such magnitude.
The set-list is more or less a Stones fan’s dream, opening with ‘jumping jack flash’ and maintaining the pace from there. The true treasures of the performance, however, include ‘Champagne and reefer’ (a Muddy Waters cover) that sees Buddy Guy walk onto, and promptly own, the stage. This is band that comprehensively demolish both Jack White (who guests on ‘Loving cup’ with an attitude that borders on the overawed in the presence of Jagger) and Christina Aguilera (who demonstrates she has far more talent as a singer than her own mediocre music would suggest), mind, but whom find themselves utterly upstaged by a rampant Buddy who stalks the stage, his eyes blazing a challenge to anyone foolish enough to allow his gaze to fall upon them as he howls and wails the lyrics in a voice that summons the very ghost of Waters to the stage as the band fall back under a squall of guitar that makes the very air sparkle with electricity. Buddy’s glorious performance aside, the Stones themselves shine brightly on evergreen classics such as ‘Sympathy for the devil’ (which sees “Her Majesty” Mick appear from a door in the crowd back lit with blazing orange light and make an entrance worthy of Satan himself, while ‘brown sugar’ and ‘I can’t get no satisfaction’ raise the roof in suitable style. It’s an irrepressible performance and from the looks on the band’s faces you can clearly see the simple love they have for doing what they do, no matter how alluring the glisten of the lights and the adulation of the crowd might be. It’s a stunningly filmed set that stands as a testament to the skills of the band and Scorsese alike and it is an essential concert film for anyone with an interest in hard rock / blues played live and raw.
In this competition crazed world such a release was never likely to be found wanting in terms of extras. The Blu-ray comes complete with four non-film tracks (sadly not edited back into the film itself) in the form of ‘undercover of the night’, ‘little t&a’, ‘I’m free’ and a majestic ‘paint it black’, a song which has lost none of its demonic power over the years. You also get a 15 minute behind the scenes piece which is not much more interesting than the clips already used in the film, four multi-angel songs (an idea that promised much at the outset of DVD and still fails to deliver on the notion of choosing the view to suit your own taste) and a rather naff trivia challenge that will please neither fans nor the casual observer. It’s not a bad haul, to be sure, although extended versions of the fascinating clips intermingled with the concert footage would have been a most welcome as well.
Overall ‘shine a light’ is one of those rare concert films that should be obligatory for all rock fans irrespective of a love for the Stones or not. It shows four aging musicians demonstrating that passion for what one does outstrips all other concerns, and it also highlights the supreme confidence that has typified the Stones throughout their career. When asked about who is the best guitar player in the band, Keith says presciently that neither he nor Ronnie Wood are particularly good guitarists, but together they’re better than ten others… that sums the Stones up perfectly – they’re a band who need each other and know it, and their interaction on stage is a joy to behold. The show itself, in terms of presentation, also does a grand job of showcasing the power of the Blu-ray format and there are few concert films better presented and edited than this one. ‘Shine a light’ is, then, an essential document of a band who refuse to go quietly into the night… and why should they when they’re having this much fun? A brilliant reminder of the power of the Stones and far more rewarding than any number of super-deluxe edition packages the record label keep churning out ‘shine a light’ is a genuine treasure.
