The Rolling Stones - Rock And Roll Circus 1968 (2004) Repost

Unavailable at all for nearly three decades, then issued in a VHS edition in 1996, the Rolling Stones' legendary Rock and Roll Circus finally gets the full treatment with this DVD release documenting the 1968 event. The Stones were reportedly unhappy with their performance (hence the long delay), and it isn't their finest moment; performing "Jumping Jack Flash" and a variety of songs from their then-new Beggars Banquet album, Keith Richards is game, but Jagger's preening (especially on "Sympathy for the Devil") is over the top, and guitarist Brian Jones looks dissolute and well on his way to his death the following year. A certain weirdness permeates some of the other musical acts as well: Jethro Tull lip-syncs unconvincingly, Taj Mahal and band were obliged to perform before the circus set was completed and the audience had arrived, and John Lennon's outing with impromptu supergroup the Dirty Mac (with Richards, Eric Clapton, and drummer Mitch Mitchell) is hampered by Yoko Ono's caterwauling, although their version of the Beatles' "Yer Blues" is cool. Still, the Who are brilliant, Marianne Faithfull is beautiful, the various circus acts are fun, and the crowd clearly loves it.

The DVD comes with some fascinating bonus features, including three extra songs by Mahal, some lovely classical piano by Julius Katchen, and a "quad split-screen" version of "Yer Blues." Best of all are a new interview with the Who's Pete Townshend and the various commentary tracks added for the DVD–especially those by Tull's Ian Anderson, director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, and Stones Jagger, Richards, and Bill Wyman (who dryly attributes Jagger's reluctance to issue the show to his dissatisfaction with his own performance, not the band's). Flaws notwithstanding, this is a treat. –Sam Graham

Tracklist:

1. David Dalton's written historic introduction (0:33)

2. "Entry of the Gladiators" (Julius Fučík) - Orchester /
The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus Parade /
Mick Jagger's introduction of Rock and Roll Circus (2:10)

3. Mick Jagger's introduction of Jethro Tull /
"Song for Jeffrey" (Ian Anderson) - Jethro Tull (3:43)

4. Keith Richards's introduction of The Who /
"A Quick One While He's Away (Pete Townshend) - The Who (7:40)

5. "Over the Waves" (Juventino Rosas) - Orchester (1:20)

6. "Ain't That a Lot of Love" (Willia Dean Parker, Homer Banks) - Taj Mahal (3:52)

7. Charlie Watts' introduction of Marianne Faithfull /
"Something Better" (Barry Mann, Gerry Goffin) - Marianne Faithfull (2:37)

8. Keith Richards's introduction of Danny Camara /
"Fire Eater and Luna (Donyale Luna)"(1:28)

9. Mick Jagger and John Lennon's introduction of The Dirty Mac (1:05)

10. "Yer Blues" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - The Dirty Mac (4:26)

11. "Whole Lotta Yoko" (Yoko Ono) - Yoko Ono, Ivry Gitlis, The Dirty Mac (5:03)

12. John Lennon's introduction of The Rolling Stones/
"Jumping Jack Flash" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) - The Rolling Stones (3:38)

13. "Parachute Woman" (Jagger, Richards) - The Rolling Stones (2:57)

14. "No Expectations" (Jagger, Richards) - The Rolling Stones (4:07)

15. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (Jagger, Richards) - The Rolling Stones (4:27)

16. "Sympathy for the Devil" (Jagger, Richards) - The Rolling Stones (8:52)

17. "Salt of the Earth" (Jagger, Richards) - The Rolling Stones (4:56)

18. Credits, to the sound of "Salt of the Earth" (2:45)

DVD Extras:

* Interview - Pete Townshend (18:26)

* "Checkin' Up on My Baby" (Sonny Boy Williamson) - Taj Mahal (5:39)

* "Leavin Trunk" (Sleepy John Estes) - Taj Mahal (6:28)

* "Corinna" (Taj Mahal, Jesse Ed Davis) - Taj Mahal (3:51)

* Brian Jones' introduction of Julius Katchen /
"Ritual Fire Dance" - Julius Katchen (4:21)

* "Sonata in C 1st Movement" - Julius Katchen (2:11)

* "Yer Blues" TK2 Quad Split - The Dirty Mac (4:35)

* Bill Wyman's introduction of The Clowns /
"The Clowns" (2:01)

* "Close, But No Cigar" - John Lennon and Mick Jagger (0:43)

* "Sympathy for the Devil" (Fatboy Slim Remix Video) - The Rolling Stones (4:29)








All thanks go to mick65