shiny toy guns

Caught Shine A Light on the weekend and I have to say I was quite impressed with the overall production both in terms of the performances and Martin Scorsese's A-level documentation of the band's 2-night stint at the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan back in late '06.

Quality seems to be the order of the day with this, with what appears to be no expense spared in a lavish set, combined with a number of top-tier artists both behind and in front of the cameras. Scorsese splices in vintage interview footage of the band (presumably in part to ease continuity in what were most likely longish stoppages between songs while filming), and leans towards the front row centre position more often than not (highly reminiscent of his work on the legendary Woodstock Doc).

Seeing the Stones 5 stories tall on IMAX is at times startling-everyone is of course aware of the band's age, but Jagger's continuing rampant mobility onstage remains a Master Class in stage presence and showmanship. Guest performances by Jack White and Buddy Guy also prove to be a showcase of fine blues-related guitar work, with White really coming across as THE heir apparent of his generation in terms of being able to segue seamlessly between rock, country, and blues as the Stones do.