The Rolling Stones: Charlie is My Darling, Ireland 1965

Rolling Stones devotees have every reason to celebrate the release of this chronicle of the band's 1965 tour of Ireland. Directed by Peter Whitehead and overseen by then-Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, the hour-plus titular documentary adopts a format similar to The First U.S. Visit, the Maysles brothers' film about the Beatles' 1964 trip to America. The camera follows the Stones in the limo and on the train; mucking about in hotel rooms (where Keith Richards, who always has an acoustic guitar at hand, and Mick Jagger work on new Stones songs, as well as amusing, ad hoc renditions of “Eight Days a Week,” ”I've Just Seen a Face,” and other Fabs faves); in interviews (dominated by the always self-conscious, camera-aware Jagger); and tuning up backstage. Best by far are the roughly half dozen songs performed live on stage, which—thanks to an impressive restoration effort—sound fantastic: “The Last Time,” “Time Is on My Side,” “Around and Around,” “I'm Alright,” and their then-smash hit “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.” The performances are viscerally exciting, as fans storm the stage. With the Stones marking their 50th anniversary, it's a pleasure to see the band in the days before drugs, arrests, and general depravity set in. Presented in Dolby Digital stereo on DVD and DTS-HD 5.1 and stereo on Blu-ray, extras include both the director's and the producer's cuts of the film, bonus interview clips, and a featurette on the restoration process. Considering how little footage exists from this era of the Stones' career (appearances on The T.A.M.I. Show and Ed Sullivan are about it, officially), this is highly recommended. (S. Graham)