Crossfire Hurricane

1/15/18. This was a little above average for a rockumentary about the Rolling Stones. They are not my favorite band, but I did like their really early, early hits (Get off of my cloud, Satisfaction, etc.) But, if you are a millennial, then this may be an educational look at why those old men strutting around on stage STILL these days did have their day some 50 years ago. And, they were big. During the British Invasion of the '60s, there were many British rock and roll bands just starting up and looking for fans. And, they starting crossing the Atlantic for a potentially bigger fan base in the U.S. There were so many "boy bands" at the time, but the cream of the crop were The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. It was interesting that The Beatles were originally demonized by the press for their unruly moptops and adults were so afraid that they would be such a bad influence on us kids (at the time). Then for some reason, the Beatles went mainstream and the Rolling Stones took up the mantle of the Bad Boys of Rock and Roll. I am sure that "Sympathy for the Devil" solidified their reputation. So, that's just a little background from a baby boomer who missed those days.

Yet another assemblage of vintage clips of the Stones, this time celebrating their 50th anniversary together. For some reason, it starts with footage of the "I-want-to-be-trendy" talk-show host Dick Cavett hanging with the band during their access-all-excess 1972 American tour, itself recently the feature of a film all to itself. From there, it works backwards to the band's origin, then taking us back up to 1978, when they temporarily rejuvenated themselves for the "Some Girls" album, actually an apt place to stop as their music hasn't progressed, far less excited, any since, like in their glory days. More than that the film signs off by tellingly making the point that having started out as a blues-covers band, then become deliberately moulded into the anti-Beatles by manager Andrew Loog-Oldham, they progressed from counter-cultural anti-heroes to fully fledged members of the establishment (arise Sir Mick!) and become everybody's favourite rock and roll band/brand, a title they've never relinquished but equally the irony of which appears to escape them.

I am a big fan of the band and enjoyed seeing some footage I'd not seen before, particularly impromptu or backstage stuff, but most of it I had, while the band interviews, none apparently latter-day revisionist, similarly don't tell us much we didn't know already. Jagger certainly comes across as the most intelligent and loquacious, with Keith playing up to his bad boy persona, leaving Charlie and Bill not giving a damn about the fame and celebrity that goes with the gig. Mick Taylor sensibly explains that he left for the good of his health and Ron Wood was apparently brought in as much for his peace-making irreverence as his musical ability. Brian Jones gets mentioned in dispatches in the first hour, but probably less than he deserved.

All the band's major events are chronicled with contemporary film footage, like deliberately choosing their "black-hat" marketing image, the breakthrough of learning to write their own songs, their first US mass-popularity in 1965, the Redlands drug-bust in 1967 which saw Mick and Keith controversially sentenced to jail for drug possession, Brian Jones' exit and soon-afterwards death-by-drowning in 1969 and to close out the decade on a low, the disastrous free concert at Altamont.

There's less of interest in the second part, unless you count their new tax-exile status as a major event, eventually leading up, from a long-way out, to Keith's drugs bust in Toronto in 1978. One doubts if the producer could have filled another two hours on the years from 1978 until now, for which I suppose we should be grateful. However this interesting document, filled with attitude and great music is definitely a watchable tribute to the best-surviving band of the 60's.

Crossfire Hurricane (2012)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

When I heard that director Brett Morgan was going to try and capture fifty-years of The Rolling Stones into a 111-minute running time I thought it would be impossible and I was pretty much right. CROSSFIRE HURRICANE is an impossible attempt at a documentary but I think it's about as good as we could hope for. The documentary features interviews with all the surviving members of the Stones but we never see them. Instead we hear their thoughts while seeing various pieces of footage from throughout their career. This could be TV appearances, movies, concert films, bootleg material and other formats. Again, trying to put fifty-years into such a short running time is impossible and there seems to be a lot missing here. I mean, the 60s and 70s are the main focus here and we really don't get anything from the more recent times. I'm sure some might argue that the bands greatest period was this era and it's a great point but at the same time they do have something that has kept them together all these years. With that said, it's hard to be too disappointed with what's not here because what we do get is great. Being able to see all of this footage and have it together in one place is clearly the best thing here. It also doesn't hurt that it appears all the band members are being honest and open with their feelings. This includes the music they've made, issues like drugs, Brian's death and of course the Altamont concert. Fans of the band will certainly want to check this out.

A seemingly Inconclusive attempt at Summarizing some Things that are Obvious about the Stones and some things that remain Elusive. It emerges as perhaps one of those heavy Magazine Tributes or could possibly be called a Coffee Table Audio-Video Presentation.

Die Hard Fans will Try Desperately to find a Thing or two they didn't know or see a Clip or two they haven't Seen, but there is Precious Little here other than vaguely Interesting Insights and Less Than Brilliant Footage.

Of course, "The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World", Deserves any kind of Tribute. Especially one that has full Production in the Hands of the Band itself.

However, one could say that Total Control is not the best way to go. As is apparent many times in the Film, they were so Involved and Close to it all that They really didn't have Time to Absorb much of what was going on as They were being Elevated and Revered Year after Year. Almost every Band Member mentions Oblivious (or a synonym) as an Adjective to it all.

This could well be an Introduction for New Fans or a Mild, Emotional, and Superficial Tribute for Stalwarts. One Thing we have Learned in Modern Times is that these Type of Things are only Great when given Hours of Running Time where some of the Vintage Concert Clips and Appearances are only truly Effective if You let the Songs Play out.

Sadly, that does not happen here, not once. That would truly Benefit Newbies and Delight Boomer Fans. But the Film does One Thing if nothing else, it Reminds and Reinforces this Simple Fact...

"I know it's only Rock n Roll, But I like it."

This documentary really surprised me. From the off I'll admit I'm not really into the Rolling Stones but like everyone else there are a bunch of their tunes I do adore (e.g. Sympathy for the Devil, Gimme Shelter etc). It's been shown again due to the sad recent passing of their drummer Charlie Watts.

What we have is a tour through their careers from year one to present, so quite a lot to condense, but the director does so. A soundtrack already given, it is the monologues from band members providing a commentary over the years, mostly concentrating upto the early 1970s, and it works!

I was surprised, this could have been a hagiography, or just some whitewash, but actually the director provides a fair warts & all overview of the band which is welcome, and you end up intrigued. There's egos but also honesty, and the moments overlooking the finals times with Brian Jones is quite poignant.

You'll be surprised, the general fans are also as great a part of this documentary as the main act, and great to see the old fashions and styles. There's dark moments too (e.g. Hell's Angels etc) but there's a lot of positive to take too.

It's a crazy, very well put together documentary that thankfully veered away from a simple paint-by-numbers outlook.

Informative and entertaining. Give it a view, at least in memory of Charlie Watts (RIP) who for me comes out of that band as the most likeable of the lot. A real treasure of the music world sadly now gone.