Rolling Stones: Forty Licks World Tour Live at Madison Square Garden

As a Rolling Stones fan, I'm obliged to try and report on how the Stones sound and perform on stage on their 40-year anniversary tour, to point out the good along with the bad, as they are in their sixties, and surely a band that has outlasted them all has lost its edge. I'm glad to report that they haven't, however I don't have much of a reference point to compare; the only real footage I've seen of them perform in their prime 60's/70's glory was in the documentary Gimme Shelter (which isn't the best comparison to give, as half of their performances in the film were from the doomed Altamont concert). I suppose compared to the 'old' days as it were, they don't have that sort of fresh look to them, of just coming out into the rock and roll landscape ready to take prisoners as the anti-Beatles. And yet, along with seeing this concert on television, I also was blessed with seeing them live on their tour in 2002, and that like this special doesn't disappoint.

Sure Mick Jagger is not quite the singer he once was, but he puts himself into his performance and presence on stage with a lot more energy than in the performances I've seen from the 'old' days (in fact sometimes he is very funny, maybe unintentionally). Keith is Keith as always, giving the audience two great renditions of "Thru and Thru" and "Happy". Charlie Watts is also, like Jagger, unintentionally funny, as he his job has the least and most amount of energy required in the performance (as Jack Nicholson once said, that right foot of his made them a lot of money). So basically what you'd expect from the hardest working rock and roll band around is what you get, and you get many solid, awesome 'best-of' songs, many my favorites ("Monkey Man", "Midnight Rambler", "Can't You Hear me Knocking", "Jumping Jack Flash"). In fact, over the course of two hours, there is barely a song that they don't play that you haven't heard, and it has a very good variety.

And in case the special doesn't have what you were looking for, it is included (last time I checked) as part of a 4-disc DVD set of concerts, one of the Garden show, one of a stadium show in Britain, and a provocative, mind-blowing theater show in Paris with many rarities (a documentary disc is also included). This, overall, is the best of the three; Sheryl Crow makes a wonderful guest appearance on one of the songs.

This isn't listed as such here since this was only available at a national electronics chain store, but it was a four-disc compilation of three major concerts the group did in their 2002 tour. The first concert filmed, at New York City's Madison Square Garden, is the best of the three, in my opinion, so it's appropriate it's mentioned here under its IMDb title.

As many times as I watch these guys (the Stones) , and I've probably seen a half dozen of their concerts on either DVD or tape, I am constantly amazed at their energy level, and the good shape these performers are in to do this. They make look like hell facially, and I wouldn't want to guess all the chemicals and other bad stuff they've put in their bodies over the years, but they've obviously worked out a lot, have no fat on them, and have super endurance. Like the Energizer bunny, they just keep going!

Mick Jagger is the male version of Tina Turner, or she's the female version of him. Both are incredible to be dancing around stage as they do despite being 60-plus years old. Turner has finally retired from live performances but Jagger keeps going. So does Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts. The latter, the drummer, is the only guy who doesn't look like a degenerate. It's hard to say who's the scuzziest looking between Richards, Jagger and Wood. At least Jagger doesn't smoke on stage as the other two guys do in every concert.

Anyway, the group has always been smart enough and rich enough to afford excellent supporting help. The best here might be keyboardist Chuck Leavell, who has been with them for a number of years. Bobby Keyes and the brass section is still top-notch as are the singers and new bassist Darryl Jones, who replaced the legendary Bill Wyman.

Their songs may not be as diverse and well-done as the Beatles, but after watching this collection of three concerts on DVD, I have to think these guys must be the greatest rock band in history. They sound better 40 years later than when they were "kids" in the early '60s. Modern technology as given the band access to big screen, split images and all kinds of background entertainment that also helps these concerts become fun to watch as well as listen.

The highlight of the Arena (MSG) show, to me, was the 11-minute version of "Midnight Rambler."

The "Stadium Show" also was very good, much of the same stuff as in the New York City concert with several other classics added such as "Gimme Shelter," "Sympathy For The Devil," and "Paint It Black."

You can't go wrong watching either concert. The third disc, "The Theater Show," filmed in Paris, is weak with songs that weren't that good, too slow and without the normal Stones energy.

There is a fourth disc with documentary material but I haven't checked it out yet. Overall, this is a worthwhile purchase. Too bad it's only available in one place.