Re: yt - "Die ersten 20 Jahre" RARE DOCUMENTARY AUSTRIAN TV 1982
Date: February 1, 2022 00:47
That was a nice watch! My German had some difficulties occasionally, but that's alright. Pretty impressive how much different footage and clips they were able to gather together. Surely almost every bit is familiar now, but at the time that must been a thrill to see. Still there were bits I never seen before (like that long footage of young Mick climbing in his father's tv show), and, of course, almost all the interviews.
There was an English documentary 20 YEARS ON (or something called like that) from the same year, shorter but otherwise pretty similar. I guess that was the time when these kind of 'capturing the whole tale' documents started to pop up (you know, having all those Beatles vs. Stones things, 1967 busts, Brian's death, Altamont, EXILE, etc. in one package). Seemingly those were the only items the band contributed to notice "20th Anniversary", otherwise it was business as usual: the band touring, a new live album, and "Start Me Up" and TATTOO YOU still fresh in mind. That's it.
But oh boy, what a moment in their career that was. The history - even the legendary 60's - was not that far yet, and the band still I think the document pretty well captures how the Stones were seen at the time: they were like winners of history, and there still had a certain magical, mythical aura over them. The 80's hadn't really happened yet, and they were still somehow musically relevant.
It is odd to think that it's been 40 years and the band still exists. But if we are honest, probably the tale - what makes the Stones da Stones - was already told by then - both musically and culturally - and there's not been much to add. Since then they have lived off from what they had achieved in those fisrt 20 years, and rightly so. In CROSSFIRE HURRICANE 20 years they later told the same story as DIE ERSTEN 20 JAHRE but from 'inside'. For 25X5 they added the 80's WW3 to emphasize and promote the big come back of 1989. Since then what? Huge tours one after other playing mostly songs from the first 20 years, the difference between them that the dudes just gradually start looking more and more senior-like. Bill's departure, finally Charlie's passing, both replaced by faceless side men. Some Mick-Keith drama (the todgergate, oh please...). A few albums with no memorable songs in them to compare anything to the first 20 years. I wouldn't mind seeing one, but I think what makes this kind of document just a deep hardcore fan item is that : (a) a total irrelevance to the zeitgeist, (b) lack of great, memorable songs together with no musical evolotion and variance; (c) a gradual transformation into some sort of nostalgia act (the last ten years). I think to make an interesting document of the years since 'WW3' - all those Cohlian huge tours, then 50th Anniversary that took the next 10 years - that I think would ask a whole different approach to the subject than just list the events (a tour after tour).
But back to DIE ERSTEN 20 JAHRE: the most memorable moment is the one Keith discussing Brian, trying to say something critical, but keeping a little pause, like not really finding right words, and end ups saying, with a smile and eyes full of empathy, "he was a nice guy".