DVD Review: Stones in Exile
by Warren Curry
6/21/2010
To coincide with the much anticipated re-release of The Rolling Stones’ landmark 1972 double album “Exile on Main Street,” it seems that over the past few months just about every music magazine has run a piece about the making of the record. “Stones in Exile,” a new 60-minute documentary, can be seen as the visual accompaniment to the deluge of articles (or a visual CliffsNotes, if you’d rather not read any of the articles). Primarily for Rolling Stones’ aficionados, the documentary succeeds in informing and entertaining, but is more a novelty item than anything essential.
I can’t imagine “Stones in Exile” would exist if not for the re-release of the record it documents. And to be honest, the story of this record’s creation isn’t all that earth shattering. On the run from the taxman, the Stones fled England and temporarily settled in the South of France where, in the spring of 1971, they began recording their magnum opus in the basement of the opulent home shared by guitar player Keith Richards and his then girlfriend, Anita Pallenberg.
During the time they recorded, Richards and Pallenberg’s residence became a home for the Stones’ “tribe,” which included the band’s main five members, their significant others and children, additional musicians who played on the album, photographers and more. Work on “Exile” consisted of marathon recording sessions, a constant stream of diverse ideas and lots of drugs. The album was eventually completed in Los Angeles and released to critical scorn. But the critical community that initially dismissed the record as being, among other things, unfocused, would later do a collective double take, and subsequently sing its praises far and wide.
“Exile on Main Street” is now probably seen as the band’s best album, which seems strange considering that, with the exception of “Tumbling Dice,” it doesn’t contain any of the Stones’ well known hits. The record saw the band return to its roots, as they reexamined the American blues influences that served as the foundation for their early sound.
The film, directed by Stephen Kijak, contains present day interviews with all the Stones, including ex-lead guitarist Mick Taylor who parted ways with the band two years after the album’s release. Also included is footage from the little seen, provocatively titled Rolling Stones’ documentary “Cocksucker Blues,” along with predictably fawning comments from such celebrity fans as producer Don Was, musicians Sheryl Crow, will.i.am and Jack White, director Martin Scorsese and actor Benicio Del Toro. Unfortunately, no music journalists are interviewed, as it would have been interesting to hear from one of the critics who had a reversal of opinion about this album.
The point of this documentary is essentially to serve as a celebration of what many rock music critics and fans agree is a superlative album, perhaps one of the genre’s best ever. If one thinks of this film as a promotional piece, it does its job well, as I’m sure some will be enticed to buy the record after a viewing. But it’s doubtful “Stones in Exile” will captivate anyone who’s not an existing fan of the band, unlike “Gimme Shelter,” a startling documentary that one needn’t even be a rock music fan, let alone a Rolling Stones fan, to appreciate (admittedly, the comparison is not entirely fair given the films’ different goals).
DVD Comments:
The disc contains well over an hour of bonus material, including extended interviews with all the celebrity fans mentioned above. Listening to these people pontificate in depth about their love for “Exile on Main Street” is substantially more interesting than hearing their short sound bytes in the actual film. There are also interviews with the band members (including Ron Wood, who replaced Mick Taylor), minus Mick Jagger, and Anita Pallenberg, which yield recollections of some entertaining memories.
The only available audio is an English Dolby 2.0 track, which does a serviceable job. Much of the footage is shot in black and white, adding a nostalgic quality to the film. A cardboard cover houses the plastic case and there’s an insert with a few photos — simple but tasteful packaging.
“Stones in Exile” complements “Exile on Main Street” fairly well, but make no mistake that the enthralling story isn’t how the album was made, but the album itself. If you haven’t heard it, consider that your starting point before watching this film.
contact: wcurry718@yahoo.com
STONES IN EXILE (2010)
Not Rated, 145 minutes (all content)
(Available on DVD June 22, 2010 from Eagle Rock Entertainment)
DVD Features:
16:9 Screen Format
English Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Bonus Material:
- Extended Interviews
- Return to Stargroves and Olympic Studios
- Exile Fans