Rolling Stones: Four Flicks

Most of the press related to Rolling Stones: Four Flicks has centered on the outrage from retailers over the fact that it's only available from Best Buy (either in-store or online), with many of the shutout music stores pulling all Rolling Stones product from their shelves in protest. Behind-the-scenes distribution issues aside, however, the real question is whether the Rolling Stones, now in their fifth decade as the bad boy (old men?) kings of rock ‘n' roll, can still bring it? The answer is: yes, they can, and they do in this four-disc set featuring three concerts (at New York's Madison Square Garden, London's Twickenham Stadium, and Paris's Olympia Theatre) filmed during the 2002/2003 world “Licks” tour, backed with an original (and excellent) 51-minute documentary “Tip of the Tongue,” and numerous extras. On the eve of his 60th birthday, hyperkinetic singer Mick Jagger proves, once again, to have more athletic stage presence and charisma then entertainers one-third his age, while an admittedly ghastly-looking Keith Richards and chain-smoking Ron Wood lay down a wall of guitar sound, with gentlemanly Charlie Watts keeping up a steady beat on drums. With a solid array of backup instrumental and vocal help (including former Sea Level frontman Chuck Leavell on keyboards), the band plays over 50 songs (there's some overlapping of big hits--such as “Brown Sugar,” “Jumpin' Jack Flash,” and “Honky Tonk Women”--in all three shows), with highlights including extended versions of “Midnight Rambler” and “Can't You Hear Me Knocking” (New York); “Wild Horses,” “You Can't Always Get What You Want,” “Tumbling Dice,” and “Sympathy for the Devil” (London); and “Start Me Up,” “No Expectations” (with nice three-part guitar work including Jagger), and a cover of “Love Train” (Paris). Lowlights include every solo vocal number by Keith Richards, particularly “Thru and Thru,” which features the added attraction (not!) of Watts pointedly (and rather industriously) picking his nose behind Richards on the giant video screen wall--and the quick-cut MTV-style editing on the London and Paris concerts, which never stays on a shot for longer than two seconds. Overall, Rolling Stones: Four Flicks--presented in room-shaking Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM stereo--is well worth making the dogleg over to Best Buy's brick and mortar or online site to pick up. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)