The Hunt For New Music: It’s hard to remember a time when The Rolling Stones were not on our playlists. They broke through in the mid 1960s, the anti-Beatles, slightly dangerous, a band against the man, the revolution with some blues-oriented chops, and then they really dug their heels into the culture: scandal, arrests, tax flight, banishment, diplomatic PNG status, drug charges, high profile marriages, affairs, and divorces and became really, truly, culturally dangerous, the band your family warned you about, the band that was without “Satisfaction”, the band that put “Street Fighting Man” and “Sympathy for the Devil” on the charts. With one exception (we shall not mention it here), they stayed true to what they did best: blues-based rock & roll. And they also stayed true to being The Rolling Stones, which meant no messy breakups of the type that plagued so many great British (and American )bands, constant touring and a consistent production of albums. Through it all, Mick and Keith never lost sight of the fact the Rolling Stones are a very, very, very, profitable international business and you can still be yourself–away from the band–but you damn sure better show up for rehearsals and bring it when the band’s on stage. They’ve survived mysterious deaths (Brian Jones), retirements(Bill Wyman), replacements (Mick Taylor, Ian Stewart) but the show goes on–on time, with power and passion. It’s Mick and Keith and the man Keith credits as being the glue who holds it all together–Drummer Charlie Watts–and Guitarist Ronnie Wood, who came over from Faces to join the Stones, who’ve always been the band he was most perfectly suited to play with.
It all started in the last century, and in the documentary film The Second Wave presented here, for your education and enjoyment, the development of the Rolling Stones from a British band into an international legend is examined–complete with interviews, rare concert footage, and behind the scenes coverage that shows the difficult, thrilling, agonizing intoxicating development of the world’s best rock & roll band. This is powerful, very well done, insightful, and compelling. As with all music documentaries, shows, and videos, bump it to the flat screen and run it through the stereo. And play it loud.
The Fine Print: Embed courtesy of YouTube (thank you) posted by Treble Clef (thank you for sharing). All rights belong to their respective artists. This installment of the Weekend Concert Series dedicated to the biggest Stones fan I know, Dr. Robert O “Bullet Bob” McAlister (PhD, Rice University…) who is intensely sharp on any subject you would like to discuss, but, please note, you’d best be prepared to take it down to the molecular level if you take it up with the Bullet, because that’s where he rolls….