Exile On Main Street is a rip-off

I love the Stones and rank Exile On Main Street as one of the greatest rock albums made by anyone, but the newly remastered Super Deluxe CD/book/DVD package of Exile and now this DVD documentary (released today) amounts to pure greed by The Rolling Stones.

For $141 (all Canadian retail figures) you get the remastered CD, another CD of outtakes, a DVD (we'll talk about that) and a hardcover book of photos. The remastered album sounds marvellous. It's warm and bright, though Mick's vocals remained buried in the mix (just what is he singing?). The outtakes however could've been better. It barely tops 40 minutes and misses key tracks such as the acoustic version of "All Down The Line." You're better off seeking a bootleg like this:
Now, the DVD: This barely tops a full hour, and consists of several scenes from the unreleased Robert Frank film of the 1972 tour, Cocksucker Blues, and a few live songs from Ladies and Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones, a traditional concert doc that Eagle Vision will release later this year. The Blues footage is presented in the best condition I've ever seen, compared to numerous bootleg versions. You see the R-rated clips, not the naked-groupies-on-the-private-jet stuff that may never ever see the light of day. However, these are merely tastings, not the entire course.

The third element on the DVD are yet more samples from a new 61-minute doc about the making of Exile. So, this begs the question: Why didn't the Stones release the entire film in this expensive package?

This is a good film, but not as great as it could've been. Not every song is explored. Apart from Mick and Charlie, there is no contemporary footage of any other Stones or their associates like Anita Pallenberg, Keith's ex. The doc isn't exhaustive, though it paints a vivid picture of decadence and a slack creative process that somehow yielded an amazing album. I don't blame the filmmaker who had to work within the restrictions imposed by the Stones who paid for the film, nor was he given much time. (See my full review here.)

So, for the poor souls for shelled out nearly $150 for the super deluxe limited editon whatever, you gotta pay another $20 for a DVD you should've received already. Do the Stones need the money?

What worries me is that behaviour like this only encourages bootleggers to assemble their own "super deluxe" packages which they'll then offer free online. To be honest, the fans often do a better job of assembling these packages, because they know the material inside out and they love it. Music keeps these guys alive and they don't care for the money.

I love buying packages like this, but I don't like feeling screwed when I'm shelling out $150 for an incomplete, inferior product. Oh well, it's only rock 'n' roll.

STONES IN EXILE [NXNE]

The NXNE film series closed last night with the Canadian premiere of Stephen Kijak's doc about the making of Exile On Main Street, which has just been remastered and re-released. Stones in Exile itself will be released on DVD on Tuesday. Unfortunately, Exile was scheduled against the free Iggy Pop and Stooges show, and the screening suffered from a muddy mono sound at the newly opened The Underground Cinema, a beautiful 700-seat former Chinese movie palace.

However, this doesn't detract from a good film. At 61 minutes, Stones in Exile packs as much information and impression as it can in a stylish and entertaining manner. The Stones hired Kijak to tell the story behind the chaotic sessions which took place in a humid basement in Keith Richard's mansion located in the south of France. It's spring 1971 and Mick Jagger just got married. His new wife, Bianca, was about to have a baby in Paris, so Mick was distracted as he shuttled back and forth. Meanwhile, the extended band (horn section, singers, pianist) hung around the house with their wives and kids, giving the Nellcote mansion a communal feel (this was the afterglow of the 60s after all).

There was lots of jamming and yes, there were drugs, but that's only part of the story [see the Q&A below]. Somehow, despite the lacksadasical recording sessions and fragmented schedule, a great album was made, one that regularly shows up in Top 10 lists and is often hailed as the band's finest achievement.

Kijak tells the story through stills by photographer Dominique Tarle and most tantalizingly with footage and outtakes from Robert Frank's unreleased doc of the 1972 tour, Cocksucker Blues. Long bootlegged, those clips have never looked so clear and beautiful. There's a magnificent, never-seen snippet of Mick and Keith spinning an impromptu blues number on acoustic guitars. At times, Kijak throws in concert clips from the soon-to-be-released doc, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones.

Kijak also relies heavily on vintage and recent audio interviews with the Stones and their associates. Unfortunately we don't see those people on camera, like Keith's ex-wife Anita Pallenberg, and their former (and best) guitarist Mick Taylor. Instead we get unnecessary talking heads of Jack White and Sheryl Crow praising the album.

Some tidbits:

* "Tumbling Dice" was inspired by the housekeeper of the mansion who used to gamble at the nearby casino, recalls Jagger.



* "Casino Boogie" was written by Jagger a la William Burroughs by stringing random phrases together scribbled on strips of paper.

* Keith explains his smack habit, "to hide from the world." Meanwhile, Mick warns that at some point "you control the lifestyle, but then the lifestyle controls you."

* Charlie Watts, who would've been an art director had he not become a Stone, fingered photographer Robert Frank to design the cover.

We hear snippets of outtakes (such as a lovely demo of "Loving Cup") and studio chatter that only begs for more. Kijak does a good job of establishing the world from which Exile sprung, one of post-sixties decadence and bohemianism. You walk away from this film amazed that an album was finished under these difficult circumstances, especially one as great. However, I wish each song was discussed, a la the "Classic Albums" series, the interviews took place on camera, the film was longer, and a few more voices were included, such as a Jann Wenner or a rock critic.

Of all the guest interviews, the most observant comes from Jake Weber who was only eight-years-old at the time. He recalls rolling joints for his old man, who was a dealer and guest of Keith and Anita. "At this point, this was the moment of grace. This was before the darkness," he says mindful of Richards' subsequent heroin addition which almost destroyed the band. "This was the sunrise before the sunset."



What follows is a distillation of Kijak's post-screening Q&A, answering questions from myself and the audience:

1) Was your film tied in with the recent remaster release of Exile On Main Street?

Oh yeah. In an ideal world, I would've spent three years making a three-hour version. It was a work for hire--I was hired by the Stones. It was very fast. We started production and post [editing] the same day. It was all for the [reissue] deadline.


2) You had rare access to Robert Frank's footage [from Cocksucker Blues]. What footage did you not include in the film?

Drugs! [laughter] Mountains of cocaine. The famous groupie scene where she was [quote sign with his hands] gang-raped on the plane. Those reasons why Cocksucker Blues is suppressed. We do address drugs, which you can't separate from the story....Then there was the extended sequence of The Stones pulling up to this suburban home in Atlanta I think, of the family of one of the roadies or back-up singers. This big black family has cooked a Sunday brunch. The Stones pull up in station wagons and hang out. Grandma is at the stove literally cooking. It was great footage, but I had only an hour [for the film]....The challenge was, Was this applicable to the story? The film was intended for network television.


3) How does Stones In Exile compare to other accounts about the making of Exile On Main Street?

Robert Greenfield's A Season In Hell is the sex, sex, sex, drugs, drugs, drugs, rock 'n' roll story version of the story. It's great. We all love that kind of stuff, but we had to make a choice. Do we do all that or flip it. They did make a really great album. We wanted to get inside that process. Greenfield's book is really salacious, but it's a really good read. Bill Janovitz wrote one of the 33-and-a-third books [Continuum Books 33 1/3 Music Series] and that's the exact opposite--for music geeks extreme. He writes about every influence of every song.


4) Why didn't you include any of the songs found on the bonus CD found on the remastered Exile On Main Street?

Like I said I could've gone three hours on Exile alone. It's a good, little extra disc, but I didn't think why edge out some of this material for the extra disc.


5) Why didn't you film inside of the Nellcote mansion where the Stones recorded Exile?

We couldn't. A Russian billionaire now owns the house and doesn't give a shit about its legacy. We almost got arrested trying to run with the gate as it was closing. We went there with a 16mm camera. All those shots of the house, we rented a boat and zoomed up. The house is right there in the bay....It's a shame. It should be a museum.

Mudhoney @ NXNE 2010 (June 19)

Seattle grunge legends Mudhoney hit the stage at a few minutes before 2 am earlier today and with the first drum snap the crowd began moshing. It's been a decade since I've seen an audience shoving and bouncing with such maniacal glee, and sure enough bodies began surfing above heads.


Mudhoney roared through a solid and consistently powerful set that lasted nearly 80 minutes. "Touch Me I'm Sick" elicited the most cheers. Even the most casual observer was pumping her fist or pounding his head. A memorable show for all and an NXNE highlight.

NXNE 2010 Film Series: picks & pans

Toronto's annual showcase of live rock music includes an ever-growing film showcase. This year it plays at several venues downtown, from the Royal Cinema in Little Italy to the AMC next to Dundas Square where Iggy Pop and the Stooges will play a free gig. Here's a round-up of this year's film series (ratings based on four **** stars) with the schedule found here:


Opening night (June 18) starts with Carnival (***), Don Letts' fine new documentary tracing the rise of the Notting Hill Caribbean carnival (like Toronto's Caribana). The evolution of that festival from pariah to mainstream mirrors the growth of the Caribbean community in England. Following that is Sounds Like A Revolution (***) made by hometown filmmakers Summer Preney and Jane Michener. It's a detailed look at protest music in the Bush age where corporate censorship and political pressure rule. The Dixie Chicks, Michael Franti and Steve Earle are just some of the outspoken musicians interviewed here.

The long-awaited Broken Social Scene film, This Movie Is Broken (**), is disappointing. Band fan, Bruce McDonald, spins a fictitious tale about a young couple who go to a real BSS gig and quarrel. The story is pointless, but the concert footage is electrifying. Better on that day (June 17) is Superstonic Sound: The Rebel Dread (***) which is a straightforward bio-doc about director Letts, who basks in a director's spotlight this year.
Letts is credited for bringing reggae and punk musicians together in mid-70s London, and for filming Bob Marley, The Clash and The Sex Pistols in their prime. On the flipside, Strummerville (*) looks just like a corporate video, elevating Joe Strummer to the role of saint and casting the charity established in his name--to get troubled people making music--as nirvana. Fake.
Closer to home is You Left Me Blue: The Handsome Ned Story (***). This is a 79-minute labour of love, detailing the life of country music cult favourite Handsome Ned, whose residency at the Cameron House in the early-80s helped establish this venerable Queen Street live house. Bandmates, family and admirers recall a talented guy who died too young to achieve stardom.
As mentioned, Iggy takes the stage on June 19. Earlier that day, Search and Destroy: Iggy Pop and The Stooges' Raw Power (***1/2) screens, telling the story behind the making of this great, LOUD rock record from 1973. The doc is told much like a Classic Albums episode with many modern reminisces by the band, old concert footage and a peek at the session tapes.

Closing the film series is the Canadian premiere of Stones in Exile, about the making of The Rolling Stones' Exile On Main Street, which has just been remastered and re-released. This film played at Cannes and being a Stones' fan I'm eager to see it, but alas no press screenings were held before NXNE.