Shine A Light

It's a classic. You'll realize this about 10 minutes into Martin Scorsese's outstanding documentary on The Rolling Stones. I was lucky enough to be there for the 2nd show filmed at New York City's Beacon Theater and to relive this on the big screen with all the extra footage reinforced the Stones' position as the world's greatest rock-n-roll band. You don't want to miss seeing this in theaters.

The star of the film is of course the band and the tunes, but its the photography here that puts this over the top. Stunningly gorgeous shots of the band, venue and crowd that at times pop you right in the front row. This film wasn't shot in 3D but somehow Scorsese achieves that effect anyway. It's really exceptional.

As far as the performance, it's all about the energy. Although some say the Stones have become caricatures of their former selves in the last 10 years, their fans support has never faltered. The reason why is that they keep delivering and this essential aspect is plain to see all throughout the film. Mick is positively incredible. 63 years old when the show was filmed, he tears through the set with electric vigor and affirms his place as rock's greatest showman. It's truly incredible and I don't see how anyone won't be moved and awed by his performance here.

The best songs? Not the ones you might suspect. After a full set of Stones classics the one that stood out most was a stripped down version of "You Got The Silver" with Keith steering the ship. Wow. Keith's persona has overshadowed his musicality for a long time but this one goes back to basics and shows why he became the legend he is. His delivery is all charisma, all soul, and incredibly powerful. Ronnie Wood's steel-guitar backing is priceless as well.

There's a ton of other ace moments too, especially the behind the scenes and specially selected archive footage included throughout that take a look back on the band's extraordinary career with humor and irony. A great night out for you here - don't miss it.