The Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus[Blu-ray]

THE ROLLING STONES ROCK AND ROLL CIRCUS was originally intended to be a Christmas '68 TV special that promoted the new album  BEGGAR'S BANQUET , but the band was unhappy with their multi-song performance. This reviewer thinks they're just fabulous in a unique concert that was finally released in 1996.Filmed in front of a wraparound audience of friends in a small studio draped with canvas, the show mixes mostly great rock performances with a couple of odd circus acts. Audio engineer Glyn Johns did a fine job; the video is also top shelf.PROGRAM--Jethro Tull and guest lead guitarist Tony Iommi open with "A Song For Jeffrey" from their debut LP,  THIS WAS .The Who are excellent on "A Quick One (While He's Away"). Lead vocalist Roger Daltrey wears a buckskin jacket open from neck to waist that reveals part of his bare chest. Legendary drummer Keith Moon sparkles in a skintight black and gold sequined outfit as he furiously pounds the skins.A comic "Over the Waves" is heard as a couple of aging acrobats perform briefly.Taj Mahal, sharp in a western dude get-up, channels Otis Redding on his soulfully energetic "Ain't That a Lot of Love."For a pace-changer, Marianne Faithfull croons "Something Better" in her uniquely irregular vibrato. She lounges in a floor-length dark purple gown, her short blonde hair a Vidal Sassoon ad.Danny Camara singes himself with two torches and then swallows the flames, as assistant Donyale Luna strikes a few poses.Mick Jagger and John Lennon (as "Winston Legthigh") share a bowl of rice and chat suggestively (John: "I wanna hold your man") during intro to The Dirty Mac's "Yer Blues." The band, John, Mitch Mitchell (of Jimi Hendrix Experience), Eric Clapton and Keith Richards, sound very much like this classic  WHITE ALBUM  track.Definite low point is the Dirty Mac's noisy improv behind Yoko Ono's "Whole Lotta Yoko." Violinist Ivry Gitlis looks embarrassed as Ono's otherworldly wails drown him out.Lennon uses odd sign language to bring out the evening's star act.Mick's eyes, touched with a hint of liner, are gorgeous as he stares into the camera and sings "Jumping Jack Flash." Two lines of poncho-clad audience members do a high-kickin' lockstep. "Parachute Woman" features widespread dancing among viewers and recording crew. "No Expectations" is just wonderful! The mellow mood continues on the first verse of "You Can't Always Get What You Want," as Mick leans forward and sings right to us. Then the Stones crank it up. A spirited "Sympathy For the Devil" is the highlight. During an instrumental break, Jagger removes his reddish pullover shirt to reveal body art apropos to the lyrics. The show-closer, a partly pre-recorded "Salt of the Earth," has the boys seated among audience and other musicians.

I've seen bits and pieces of the Circus performances several years ago, but not in its entirety until I recently purchased the blu-ray. I have read reasons why the film wasn't released for years. Two of those reasons: the Stones not performing well and the Who upstaging the Stones is HS/BS. Someone even commented that Brian Jones was performing poorly- BS!. There's only one reason why the Circus was kept in the vaults and that has to be because it was Brian Jones last performance. He performed just fine and was having a good time. To see Brian Jones performing and promoting Beggars Banquet songs is something everyone must appreciate. Jones is having a good time and it's very sad what happened to him. To this day there is talk that his passing still has questions. I am not by any means saying that the Stones are only the Stones with Jones. Not that at all. The Stones became legends with or without Jones, but I am saying the Circus needs to be judged in a good way and not just for the sake of Brian Jones R.I.P. but because we get the Stones with Jones as his last performance and we get John Lennon with Yoko and Clapton and we get the Who with Moon and we get Jethro Tull with Tony Iommi which I never even knew until I watched and read about Iommi playing with Tull B.T.W. Mick Abraham had never been video recorded playing with Tull, and we get Taj Mahal with Native American Jesse Ed Davis who played with Harrison at Bangladesh. Marianne Faithful sings nicely. I read that Zeppelin might play the Circus. That would have been awesome had they been included. Including Sandy Denny and Fairport Convention would have been very cool. All in all, we can't judge the R & R Circus with any kind of disdain based on that all the performances are good, music video production was in its early stages and that there aren't many moments captured of Brian Jones w/Stones, John & Yoko performing and backstage, Taj Mahal & Jesse Ed Davis. It's not a crime if you don't see the R & R Circus, but it is a crime to judge it harshly.

a must have for any Music fan of the 60's and 70's

vhs was recorded over, they refunded ! they were great would and will order again

Great entertainment..stands the test of time.

The Rolling Stones, The Who, John Lennon and Eric Clapton: you can smell the weed and see the heroin coursing through the musicians' veins. The spirit of 1968 London pop music is captured in all its multi-colored psychedelic splendor. Some is good (Taj Mahal), some is mannered (Marianne Faithfull), some is pre-recorded (Jethro Tull), some is fascinatingly dreadful (the circus elements). However, The Who and The Stones blow off the roof and take this from a tacky period piece to a timeless rock and roll classic. This belongs in the collection of anyone with serious interest in late 60's rock music or The Rolling Stones in particular.

I have had the original DVD for years. The look of that was just okay, with many artifacts that distracted me.The blu ray is fantastic!Not only did they restore the film to look amazing, it also has a 5.1 surround sound experience!So, it looks and sounds stunning.I stand by this excellent blu ray version 100 %!

The media could not be loaded.  Me llegó 24 hrs después de pedirlo. Una edición que había estado deseando tener en mi colección y que por fin adquirí por un excelente precio. Esta remasterización se ve increíble. El sonido también es muy bueno. Sin duda, una adquisición que debes tener si eres fan de los Stones, o de la historia del rock.

Os Stones em 1969 cheio d bons amigos fazendo maravilhosa festa.

Fantastic!

Gute Qualität. Ton sowie Bild.Für Stonesfans ein Musthave.

A very cool video done perfectly of The Stones in the late 60’s along with a number of special guests including John & Yoko! A must have foe the diehard Stones fan!