Opening with the camera panning up and around the body of a nude woman painted with the call signs of rock radio stations that play the Rolling Stones, this history-making 1981 concert—notable for being the first-ever music pay-per-view event—finds Britain's legendary bad boys delivering an epic 25-song set before an appreciative Virginia crowd at the Hampton Coliseum. Quintessential rock ‘n' roll peripatetic frontman Mick Jagger delivers his usual full Jane Fonda-workout level funky-chicken-choreography moves while running around a massive track, backed by guitar heroes Keith Richards and Ron Wood, stone-faced Bill Wyman on bass, and Charlie Watts's blues rock drumbeat. Joining the band are Ian Stewart on piano, Ian McLagan on keyboards, and sax legends Ernie Watts and the late great Bobby Keys (whose signature horn work on “Brown Sugar” is a highlight here). Filmed on December 18 (Richards's birthday—briefly celebrated here), the band serves up a mix of ‘60s, ‘70s, and early ‘80s hits, including “Under My Thumb,” “Shattered,” “Beast of Burden,” “Miss You,” “Tumbling Dice,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “Start Me Up,” “Jumpin' Jack Flash,” and the show closer “(I Can't Get No (Satisfaction).” Also featured are two wonderful covers: The Temptations' “Just My Imagination” and Smokey Robinson and The Miracles' “Going to a Go-Go.” Directed by Hal Ashby, the visuals here suffer from the ‘80s shot-on-video look (complete with the usual lighting flare arcs and fuzzy image), but the audio—newly mixed by sound engineer extraordinaire Bob Clearmountain—is amazingly rich. Presented in DTS-5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, this is recommended. (R. Pitman)
Rolling Stones from the Vault: Hampton Coliseum (Live in 1981)
(1981) 150 min. DVD: $14.98, Blu-ray: $17.98. Eagle Rock Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Volume 30, Issue 1
Rolling Stones from the Vault: Hampton Coliseum (Live in 1981)
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