The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus (1996)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Michael Lindsay-Hogg

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Tagline:

For a brief moment, it seemed Rock & Roll would INHERIT THE EARTH.

Plot:

Originally filmed in December 1968, "The Rock and Roll Circus" was originally intended to be released as a television special...

Plot Keywords:

John Lennon | Circus | Rock 'n' Roll | Musician | 1960s

Cast

Ian Anderson	...	Himself - Jethro Tull
Glenn Cornick	...	Himself - Jethro Tull
Clive Bunker	...	Himself - Jethro Tull
Tony Iommi	...	Himself - Jethro Tull
Pete Townshend	...	Himself - The Who
Roger Daltrey	...	Himself - The Who
Keith Moon	...	Himself - The Who
John Entwistle	...	Himself - The Who
Taj Mahal	...	Himself
Jesse Ed Davis	...	Himself - Taj Mahal's Guitarist
Gary Gilmore	...	Himself - Taj Mahal's Bassist
Chuck Blackwell	...	Himself - Taj Mahal's Drummer
Marianne Faithfull	...	Herself
John Lennon	...	Himself - The Dirty Mac
Eric Clapton	...	Himself - The Dirty Mac

Runtime:

65 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Intertel Studios, Stonebridge House, Wembley, London, England, UK

Trivia:

For a fortnight in 1968, future Black Sabbath founder Tony Iommi briefly joined Jethro Tull as lead guitarist. This was his only public appearance with the band, but the performance was mimed - he never played live with Jethro Tull.

Quotes:

Mick Jagger: You've heard of Oxford Circus, you've heard of Piccadilly Circus, and this is the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, and we've got sights and sounds and marvels to delight your eyes and ears, and you'll be able to see the very first one of those in a few moments.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Kids Are Alright (1979)

Soundtrack:

Sympathy For The Devil

Stones fans will dig it.

Filmed live in 1968 as an intended television special but kept from the public eye due to the Rolling Stones' own dissatisfaction with their performance over a span of two nights, "Rock N' Roll Circus" showcases the Stones at the height of their game. Although I admit they have performed better in terms of musical companionship and melody, there is no denying the amount of energy they exude here.

The standout for me is the reggae-infused "Sympathy for the Devil" which sounds like the drunken plea of society's virus. The original came across as a taunt, and this rendition of the song is helpless and a desperate outcry - in a good way, of course.

Mick Jagger's vocals have been better and his voice is a bit off - I guess the guys were totally wasted and stoned out of their minds around this time. But watching them on stage, it's hard to deny they were one of the great rock n' roll bands. They're really not given enough credit for their fusion of blues and mainstream rock - at the time of their emergence, a lot of critics compared them to The Beatles - a comparison both understandable and equally unfair. They did write a few Britpop songs early on, but they always had a bluesy edge that the Beatles - despite their superiority in musical influence and range - never had.

If you're into the Stones, this is a must-see. If you're *really* into the Stones, it's probably a must-own. And if you aren't into the Stones at all, I'd recommend starting off with their double-album Forty Licks (a Greatest Hits compilation).