Continued from page 46
A platter of outtakes clear the vaults.“ Rise Up” is a promising but uncharacteristically optimistic exploration that was ultimately abandoned for The Joshua Tree. The Eno-esque“ Drunk Chicken” with beat poet Allen Ginsberg’ s recitation of his“ America” is an oddity and curiosity for the completist. An early run through“ Silver and Gold,” however, is sparse and feral. Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn’ s iconic images of the Mojave Desert is distributed throughout the package, and exalted in a folio of color prints featuring the band in collected and individual poses. A shot of drummer Larry Mullen Jr. is reflective of Ansel Adams’ 1941 photograph Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. Corbijn’ s photos echo the band’ s characterization of America as a mythologized landscape that is beautiful and full of wide-open potential, but also mysterious, brutal and stark.
Other features include expanded liner notes for the album and a hardbound book of The Edge’ s own photography. Often shot over Corbijn’ s shoulder, Edge’ s photos reveal a different side of U2’ s sojourn into the California wasteland. Images of the expanded traveling party suggest a family affair. Smiles and laughter are also captured, suggesting the band’ s mood wasn’ t fully represented by Corbijn’ s“ studied asceticism.”
– Jeff Elbel
10
THE ROLLING STONES Ole, Ole, Ole, ATrip Across Latin America
( Eagle Vision DVD)
Olé Olé Olé! serves as a companion to last fall’ s Havana Moon concert film. The documentary is another document of a busy 2016 for the Rolling Stones, crowned by the December release of Blue and Lonesome. As its extended title suggests, Olé Olé Olé! describes the rockers’ early 2016 tour of ten Latin American cities.
Director Paul Dugdale’ s film follows the Stones from their final day of rehearsals in Los Angeles onward to dates in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Mexico. All of the action depicted in the film leads toward the major and unprecedented challenge of mounting the Cuban show, requiring coordination to the very top levels of government. Guitarist Keith Richards describes the drive to visit new places, even after 50 years on the job.“ It’ s the explorer in us, I think,” he says.“ The Christopher Columbus in all of us that wants to see what’ s‘ round the corner, and is it round or is it flat?” Shows in front of massive stadium crowds performing reliable shouters like“ Start Me Up” find Mick Jagger and company comfortably inhabiting the role of being the World’ s Greatest Rock and Roll Band. Dugdale includes Jagger and Richards’ observations on the reception the band received in many of these territories during the ' 60s, when its music was often banned for being seditious. Interviews on the streets of Argentina describe the Stones’ music as a religion unto itself, and the foundation for an urban tribe known as Rolingas. Charlie Watts describes the setting with overwhelmed fans, police escorts and frenzied shows.“ It’ s like a circus,” he says.“ It’ s a circus we’ ve made, by the way.” Ronnie Wood cites the well of emotional power provided by the audience that the band taps directly. The camera follows Jagger and Watts during difficult but inherently valuable excursions, getting into their surroundings during off-hours.
Fans of Havana Moon will particularly enjoy the bonus feature of concert performances of seven songs captured in Buenos Aires, Sao Paolo and Lima. All of the songs are present in the Havana set list, but“ Miss You” was only present on the audio CDs. The Lima, Peru film of“ Miss You” fills that song’ s void in the visual department. Jagger shimmies and spars with bassist Daryl Jones before leading a singalong with tens of thousands. With music, there is no language barrier to be found.
– Jeff Elbel
7
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