Great to finally see this almost legendary "fly on the wall" documentary on the Stones, before the booze, drugs and other excesses kicked in. Caught in mid '65 somewhere between "Satisfaction" and "Get Off Of My Cloud", we see at first hand the mayhem which often beset their gigs at the time with stage invasions seemingly the norm, interestingly with apparently more guys than girls as the main offenders.
Off-stage, the band are relaxed and irreverent with no signs of the tensions which would befall them later. All are well-spoken, Jagger, unsurprisingly, given the most to say, which he does perceptively and intelligently, Brian Jones discusses the transience of fame, Bill Wyman deprecates his own musicianship, Keith, as you'd expect, is seriously into the music, while the darling of the title would simply rather be at home with his wife.
There's interesting footage of Jagger, Richard and manager at the time Andrew Loog-Oldham goofing around a piano, spoofing the Beatles and Presley and other backstage glimpses as well as the obligatory fan interviews with young and old, some for and some against the band. On the whole the band we see here is well-behaved and orderly with none of the crazy over-the-top madness which later overtook them, indeed at one point Oldham and Jagger even irreverently gate-crash a young couple's wedding.
The music scenes are excellent, even with the frenzied screaming of the fans, the band sound great with Jagger in top, elastic form.
Even though it often looks like a vintage home-movie, this short film is a lively curio, with none of the pretensions of say Bob Dylan's "Don't Look Back" from a year or so later.
Off-stage, the band are relaxed and irreverent with no signs of the tensions which would befall them later. All are well-spoken, Jagger, unsurprisingly, given the most to say, which he does perceptively and intelligently, Brian Jones discusses the transience of fame, Bill Wyman deprecates his own musicianship, Keith, as you'd expect, is seriously into the music, while the darling of the title would simply rather be at home with his wife.
There's interesting footage of Jagger, Richard and manager at the time Andrew Loog-Oldham goofing around a piano, spoofing the Beatles and Presley and other backstage glimpses as well as the obligatory fan interviews with young and old, some for and some against the band. On the whole the band we see here is well-behaved and orderly with none of the crazy over-the-top madness which later overtook them, indeed at one point Oldham and Jagger even irreverently gate-crash a young couple's wedding.
The music scenes are excellent, even with the frenzied screaming of the fans, the band sound great with Jagger in top, elastic form.
Even though it often looks like a vintage home-movie, this short film is a lively curio, with none of the pretensions of say Bob Dylan's "Don't Look Back" from a year or so later.
