Review by Guido Henkel

If there has ever been a band totally deserving of the title of “bad boys of rock & roll,” it is the Rolling Stones. Amazingly, this band is still going strong in their 35th year. It seems as if all the drug and alcohol excess that consumed the band hardly slowed it down, instead strengthening the members’ wills and, more importantly, their song writing skills. Their latest release “Bridges To Babylon” contained a number of interesting compositions and arrangements that prove that the Stones are far from being senile or outdated. Warner Home Video have now released the “Bridges To Babylon” video on DVD. It is a packed 120-minute live concert recording of the band, featuring 20 fiery songs in what was one of the most spectacular rock shows of the year.

effect. It has been a long time since the band first played this song, and the boys have come a long way since their time as a wild, angry, and rebellious group of youngsters ready to conquer the world. Despite their age, the band and their now-classic songs still have a furious energy that can hardly be held in check. The sheer dimension of the “Bridges To Babylon” stage set-up quickly proves that the Rolling Stones have achieved everything you can possibly achieve as a rock and roll band. The Stones have, in fact, conquered the world, and they have captured the hearts of three generations with their music. It doesn’t come as a surprise that the audience is immediately off their seats when Mick Jagger dances his way to the front of the stage to intone the first notes of what will become a truly memorable concert.

this concert. Songs like “Honky Tonk Woman”, “Brown Sugar”, and especially “Jumping Jack Flash” have never seen such strong renditions, defying their age with an energy that belies the truth that the band has played these songs countless times. They burst with energy and clarity that I have never heard before. At times, I used to wonder what keeps the Stones going, but watching this concert pretty much tells it all. It is clearly the fun and the enjoyment Ron Wood and Charlie Watts have playing with each other, as well as the undeniable chemistry between Jagger and Richards. Then, when Woods and Richards start bombarding each other with the riffs and solos of their songs, the smiles on their faces say more than a thousand words and make you wish the Rolling Stones could be around for yet another 30 years.

The disc features a 5.1 channel Dolby Digital soundtrack as well as a Stereo Dolby Digital track. Both are very well mixed and sound extremely lively. The 5.1 channel mix breathes and reproduces the very fine spatial integration of the show’s mix. The concert itself was well mixed and balanced, although Keef’s guitar seems to be a tad too dominant at times. That, however, makes for an even better listening experience, as it allows you to dissect his signature playing style and sound, a style filled with country licks and lead fills, that has become the most recognizable part of the Stones’ music, ever since the band showed these country influences in the early ‘70s. Keith Richards has reduced these elements and various influences to a very simple formula that defines the music of the Rolling Stones. He boils it down to feel  emotion, raw and simple!

December 1998