Re: lets spend the night together,(the movie)
Date: February 23, 2005 11:34
After avoiding for some time, I need to add my cents here.
Like to some other people here the movie has a very special place in my own personal Rolling Stones fan history. I catched it when it was in a theatre circuit (82-83?), and I went to see as it might be the only way to 'see' the band in concert, and have something of the experience (I was too young to saw them in Europe 1982 and nothing indicated that there would be any further tours - I think that there seemed to be over-all consensus of that). The movie was an experience, the Stones looked very cool and so near, the venues and big crowds looked fantastic; only problems was that the volume was so low and the sound very muddy; it was very difficult get into the feeling musically.
Afterwards, a year later or something, I got a second generation copy of it on VHS and I kept looking it constantly, although the problem of the lousy sound was even more annoying, and I get know the strange editing decisions (like dropping out the intro of "Brown Sugar", etc.) - well, at least I could play it as loud as my TV set allowed me to do... Later I have got better copys (though not in DVD yet) but nothing seems to save the lousy sound mixation. It makes the band sound so gaddamn lame, though the intensity of playing some songs, and the over all great and over-whelming guitar playing of Keith and Ron is thrilling, fresh and exciting (especially when I looked the film for first time for some ten years and compared it to Four Licks). Jagger sounds too exhausted and sloppy here and then, but with the screen it really doesn't matter. The band just so naturally and loosely rocks and rolls.
I really hope that something could be done to rescue this treasure in soundwise, like Kahoosier guessed. Is it possible to somehow mix it to sound like the material of Still Life? Just think the thrilling opening of the album: The Duke Ellington intro, then the tremendous increase of the noise of audience, the voice "Ladyys, and Gentlemen.. The Rolling Stones!!" and the majestic opening riffs of "Under My Thumb", then the drums, and finally comes in energetic Jagger "Oh yeah!"... Now compare that to opening of the film that basically has the same elements in use PLUS the visual effect. The guitar riffs are almost non-audible, over-all sound is very lame and undistinctive, almost boring... The Stones sound like half--heartedly playing, non-inspirated autopilot rockers..
The same goes on with "Let's Spend The Night Together", "Shattered" and so on..
- Doxa
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2005-02-23 11:37 by Rorty.