Uh oh! Somebody poured absinthe into the champagne bowl again.

THE ROLLING STONES - LADIES AND GENTLEMEN (DVD)

Well it seems as if Mick and the boys have figured out how to come up with some good stuff for the fans here in the dismal 21st century. Instead of trying to stay at the top of the current trends they have opted for what I consider to be a great idea. They have decided to trudge back into the past and re-release some of the stuff from what many consider to be the bands best period, the early 70's. Now I don't know if I'll come out and say that the early 70's were when the Stones were at there best, but depending on the day, I may nod my head in the affirmative if somebody were making such a claim. Of course, the next day I may be giving the approving thumbs up to that guy who says that the Stones during the 60's were at the top of their game, and turns his head in disgust at the bloated,corporate zombie superstar machine that they were starting to become. I just happen to like both and I'm sure that we can agree that whichever way you go, 60's or 70's, that period of the rolling ones is certainly better than the stuff they were foisting on us in the 80's (although I like a few of those records), 90's, and forevermore. I mean is there anybody out there who's favorite Stones records is Bridges To Babylon? I would certainly hope not.
Well we've recently seen the re-release of Exile On Main Street with some unreleased goodies added on, a documentary of the stonely ones making said record, and the release of LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...THE ROLLING STONES on DVD. I haven't gotten the other two things but I did plunck down a couple a bucks and picked up the latter. I used to have this on a bootleg video tape that I got at some record swap. Its nice to have this DVD where the picture is clear and clean, instead of fuzzy and distorted like when you were a kid and trying to watch the porn channel that your dad may have wanted to get but wasn't gonna 'cause he knew you were already a no good punk, and wasn't about to add fuel to the fire.

Anyway this was a movie shot during the 1972 tour, during I think three different nights, and shown in limited release in theaters. Maybe it made the Midnight Movie circuit in some places, I have no idea, but it would have been good in that kind of package. The film itself is the Stones laying it down live, with a kind of desperate, electric energy, going full throttle down the tracks.

You've got Mick Taylor laying down some nice leads, Bill Wyman whose body is playing bass while he may be sleeping; Charlie bashing the drums, smiling and cool as ever; Keith crunching out those great riffs we all know and love; and of course Mick, belting out the vocals with a calculated reckless abandon, and prancing around in that cocksure rooster strut swagger of his.

Say what you want about it but this is a pretty fine showing of the Stones, maybe a little bloated, maybe suffering from 60's hangover, possibly stumbling in some kind of 70's haze and miasma, but they still had some kind of line to that primal voodoo and they come off sounding great as far as I'm concerned. This is the Stones reaching for the brass ring and getting it. You can forget the Scorsese directed Shine A Light stuff get this instead.

The bonus features alone will make it worth the money. The rehearsal footage is maybe even more raw and powerful than the concert footage. The Teenage Head and Flamingo era Flaming Groovies were definitely on the same page here. Then there's the Mick interviews, one from '72 which is ok and one from recent which shows Mick to be an old man basically. So now that you've wasted all this time reading this piece of crap review you might as well do something a little better with your time, such as get a case of beer and rent or buy this DVD and watch it. Or even better yet, go out and start your own band and try to top these guys. The world could really use such an endeavour right now.

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

Isn't it great to live in a world where to real he -men types like Henry Rollins and Glen Danzig can find themselves in a deeply committed and loving relationship. Well, whether it is, or it isn't we don't live in that world, however; the artist collective known as Igloo Tornado have imagined just such a reality. And for there troubles I would think that maybe these guys might want to start going armed and with a security detail when they go out in public. I don't really know how mister Rollins or Danzig feel about this little comic that's been put out, but I would be hoping that those guys have some sense of humor. Henry Rollins seems like maybe he has some, but Danzig has always seemed like he takes himself very seriously and would find nothing funny in the book. Who knows fer sure, but if you can't laugh at your idols, the only thing left to do is kill them (Glen may prefer this), but that's probably for another comic down the road.

The book is a bunch of one panel comics that are based on a premise; the premise being that Henry and Glen live together, they are in love, Daryl Hall and John Oats are their next door neighbors, and Hall and Oats are in a devil worship cult.

This thing is funny, but you do have to know a little bit about Rollins and Danzig to really get it. It is kind of cool seeing Danzig as a sort of Ernie Bushmiller type character, and Henry's Diary pages were pretty funny too. If you can still get this you do so at your own risk. Glen and Henry may come find you and kick your ass. They may want to kick my ass just for talking about it. Don't kill the messenger boys, I still think Black Flag and the Misfits are nifty, and I like Samhain and early Danzig too, so don't crush my skull. OK?

ROKY ERICKSON with OKKERVIL RIVER -TRUE LOVE CAST OUT ALL EVIL (ANTI RECORDS)

I picked this up in April when it first came out and it has not been far away from my stereo since. When I first heard that Roky was working on a new record I was happy to hear the news on one hand, and then a little worried on the other. I mean how many times has an old favorite come out with something new after a lengthy hiatus and you wish they never bothered. Thus, the time waiting for the new record is often filled with as much apprehension as anticipation. Will it be a disappointment? Will they still have it in them? All these questions were rambling around in my head as I waited for the release date to come.

Well I shouldn't have worried, because what we've got here is a real solid record. The songs on here were written by Roky at different times and stages of his life, and the result is basically Roky's autobiography, and for those who know the story, what a tale it is.

Now if your expecting the "horror rock" like his stuff with the Aliens, Evil Hook Wildlife E.T., or some of the others, you won't find it here. What you will find though; is a record with a ragged purity and resilient spirit that can only come from someone who has weathered the worst of storms and come out the other end, Maybe battered and beaten, but still standing and possessing a kind of insight that only comes at a high cost.

Buy this record, or cd, or whatever. Don't burn it from a friends copy, don't get from some free download, but buy it. I would like to live in a world where Roky Erickson gets some money for his efforts and turds like Lady GAGA have to struggle to pay the bills.