The Rolling Stones - Crossfire Hurricane Blu-ray Review

Written by General Jabbo

Few performers have had the longevity of The Rolling Stones. In 50 years, they've gone from being the dangerous, anti-Beatles to being the elder statesmen of rock. In the band's own words, they went from being the group everyone hated to being the group everyone loves. In honor of their 50th anniversary, director Brett Morgen sat down with the individual members of the band, past and present, to hear them tell their remarkable story. That story is preserved on the new Blu-ray, The Rolling Stones -- Crossfire Hurricane.

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Muddy Waters & The Rolling Stones: Live At The Checkerboard Lounge Chicago 1981 DVD/LP Review

Written by General Jabbo

Seeing the late, great Muddy Waters in person was always a treat for fans. Seeing him live at Buddy Guy’s Checkerboard Lounge in Chicago was even better. An intimate venue, it served as the perfect environment for Waters’ songs. In November 1981, fans not only got to see Waters in this setting, some very special guests also joined him. Seems The Rolling Stones were in town in support of their album, Tattoo You and Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and pianist Ian Stewart decided to take in the show. It didn’t take much persuading from their hero to join him on stage, making a memorable evening even better. Fortunately, the cameras were rolling and the results make up the new DVD/LP set, Muddy Waters & The Rolling Stones: Live At The Checkerboard Lounge Chicago 1981.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

The Rolling Stones: Some Girls Live In Texas '78 DVD/LP Review

Written by General Jabbo

The Rolling Stones’ tour for their 1978 album, Some Girls, is considered to be one of their very best. In a response to the aggression of punk and the bloated excess of disco, the album of the same name finds the band at their stripped down best. While the punks labeled many bands from the Stones’ generation dinosaurs, the Stones ended up showing the punks a thing or two about who pioneered snarling rock and roll. For the tour, the band played stadiums, arenas and small theaters. Fans in Forth Worth, TX, were treated to a small show at the Will Rogers Auditorium, which fortunately for us, was captured live on audio and video. The results make up the new DVD/LP collection, The Rolling Stones – Some Girls Live in Texas ’78.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Muddy Waters & The Rolling Stones: Live At The Checkerboard Lounge Chicago 1981 DVD/CD Review

Written by General Jabbo

In November 1981, fans attending the Muddy Waters show at Buddy Guy’s old club, the Checkerboard Lounge, were in for a treat. It’s not often one can catch one of the architects of the blues playing in an environment as intimate as the Checkerboard. What they may not have realized was, the Rolling Stones were in town that week, and several of them decided to check out the show. Not only that, all of them ended up on stage with Waters. Fortunately this historic event was captured on video, and is now available as the DVD/CD Muddy Waters & The Rolling Stones: Live At The Checkerboard Lounge Chicago 1981.

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The ABC and D Of Boogie Woogie - Live in Paris CD Review

Written by General Jabbo

Charlie Watts is known the world over as the legendary drummer of the Rolling Stones, currently celebrating their 50th anniversary. What many people do not know is that his first love is jazz and he has an affinity for the nearly forgotten boogie woogie. Fortunately for music fans, he has managed to team with like-minded musicians, who also happen to be virtuosos on their respective instruments to form the A, B, C & D of Boogie Woogie. Named for the initials of its members, the band is made up of Axel Zwingenberger on piano, Ben Waters on piano and vocals, Watts on drums and Dave Green on bass.

In September 2010, they were captured live at the Duc Des Lombards jazz club in Paris, the results of which make up their debut album, The A, B, C & D Of Boogie Woogie – Live In Paris.

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The Rolling Stones - Some Girls Live In Texas '78 Blu-ray Review

Written by General Jabbo

The late 1970s offered a stark contrast in terms of popular music styles. There was the bloated excess of disco – arguably at the height of its powers – dominating the charts and the club scene, especially in places such as Studio 54 in New York. Tipping the scales in the other direction was the punk scene, which stripped rock ‘n’ roll back to its most pure elements – high energy, guitar, drums, bass, snarling vocals. Punk helped put the danger back into rock music. The Rolling Stones managed to embrace both on their seminal release, Some Girls, with a country song added in for good measure.

“Miss You” was full-on disco, but with a Stones edge and came as a result of Mick Jagger’s frequenting of the New York club scene. The rest of the album while not punk certainly shared its raw nature and energy. Gone were the backup singers and horn sections and, in their place, was the World’s Greatest Rock ‘n Roll Band doing what it does best – playing stripped down, powerful music. The band took this attitude on the road with them for the ensuing tour, which is captured on the Blu-ray The Rolling Stones – Some Girls Live In Texas ’78.

read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings - Collector's Edition Box Set CD Review

Written by General Jabbo

The World’s Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll band had just completed their incredibly successful comeback tour for Steel Wheels. It was the first Rolling Stones tour since the 1981-82 tour for Tattoo You and, in 1991, the band was primed to sign a megabucks deal with Virgin Records. Well, most of the band that is. Weary of touring and the rigors that come with being in a major band, original bassist Bill Wyman decided he had had enough and did the unthinkable – he quit the Rolling Stones. The band kept the door open until it was time to hit the road again in 1994, but Wyman was serious, he was done with the band. He wasn’t done with music, however.

Wyman put in calls to some of his musician friends, including Andy Fairweather-Low, Graham Broad and pianist Dave Hartley. The group hit the studio and Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings was born. The Rhythm Kings have gone on to produce five studio albums and one live album. The first four of those studio albums are collected on Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings – Collector’s Edition Box Set.

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Ben Waters - Boogie 4 Stu: A Tribute To Ian Stewart CD Review

Written by General Jabbo

Ian Stewart was one of the unsung heroes of rock 'n' roll. A founding member of The Rolling Stones, he was dismissed from the touring lineup by manager Andrew Loog Oldham for not looking the part. Undeterred, Stewart continued to play on the band's albums and serve as their road manager. Later, with Oldham no longer the band's manager, Stewart returned to the concert stage for various tours between 1969 and 1982 as one of the group's pianists. Stewart died in 1985 and the band paid tribute to him by insisting on his inclusion when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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Ladies and Gentlemen - The Rolling Stones DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

The year 1972 was a pivotal one for The Rolling Stones. They spent the summer as tax exiles in France, emerging from their drug-fueled haze to release arguably their greatest album, Exile on Main Street, and the resulting tour is considered one of their best. While on tour in America that year, the band filmed four nights in Texas for the theatrical release Ladies & Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones. Largely unseen since the mid 1970s, the film finally makes its official DVD debut in 2010 and is essential viewing not only for fans of the band, but fans of the genre in general.

From the opening “Brown Sugar” to the closing “Street Fighting Man,” this is a relentless, no-frills show. There’s no big production and the stage is dimly lit, adding an air of mystery to the proceedings. While the Stones may be about the big show these days, in 1972 it was all about the music, from the laid-back country of “Dead Flowers” and “Sweet Virginia” to classic rock staples such as “Gimme Shelter” and a rollicking “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” The band pays tribute to Chuck Berry with an authentic “Bye Bye Johnny” and Keith Richards takes the lead on his signature tune, “Happy,” sharing a microphone with Mick Jagger on the choruses. These days, when the band performs the song, Jagger isn’t even on stage.

Fans used to the Richards/Ron Wood version of the band will find an entirely different animal in the Mick Taylor lineup. While Wood is no slouch himself, he and Richards “practice the art of weaving” as they are fond to say, where the listener doesn’t know who is playing what. This is in stark contrast to 1972, with Richards laying a rock-solid rhythm for virtuoso Taylor’s melodic leads. Taylor shows he is equally adept at slide guitar as his bluesy licks on Robert Johnson’s “Love in Vain” and blistering leads on “All Down the Line” demonstrate. “Midnight Rambler” is the real highlight of the disc though. From the lock-tight rhythm of Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts to the breakneck tempos to the guitar interplay between Richards and Taylor, it shows why the Stones earned their title as greatest rock and roll band in the world.

Ladies & Gentlemen has been available on the black market for years, but never in this quality. The new DVD features restored video as well as Dolby Digital DTS 5.1 sound for both a great viewing and listening experience. The DVD also includes rehearsal footage for the tour, including “Shake Your Hips,” which is not played in the concert and interviews with Jagger from both 1972 and 2010.

For fans wondering what all the hype was about, Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones is essential viewing.

Article first published as Music DVD Review: Ladies & Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones on Blogcritics.