A great addition to the collection of The Rolling Stones' live albums

Probably none of the rock collective has released so many compilations and live albums as veteran The Rolling Stones has throughout all the time of its existence. It has mainly been official and unofficial recordings of historic performances the most successful of them being records Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! of 1970 and Stripped of 1995 years. Yet what the band offers us this year is quite different from all the previously released live material for it practically presents an audio version of a documentary film by an Academy Award winning director Martin Scorsese Shine A Light. Not a single of the collections of the kind have yet been structured that well and throughout the whole album the unseen presence of a professional well aware how to tell the story of a legendary band in the right way is felt. A selection from two The Rolling Stones performances in New York is presented on Shine A Light and naturally the band has done its best to surprise the viewers with interesting versions of most well-known songs so certainly Shine A Light has become a great addition to the collection of one of the world's best rock teams' live albums.

Shine A Light has enough of surprises

One of The Rolling Stones' most loved hooks is to confuse the viewers by mixing the introductions of different songs so without reading the track list one can hardly say by the beginning of a composition which one it is going to be. Thus the band members make us remember how many recognizable hits they have behind their shoulders and at the same time let us know that they have not yet wasted the former fervor and are ready to improvise again and again. On the whole the album has enough of surprises the first of them being the version of song All Down The Line with harder guitars and a faster rhythm which is not at all worse than its original sound. Besides faithful to itself The Rolling Stones has made several collaborations and each of them has its advantages. First of all it is song Loving Cup featuring Jack White from The White Stripes, a great piece performed by the best rockers of the past and the present, and the participation of a blues singer Buddy Guy on track Champagne & Reefer. Also surprising is the variant of composition Tumbling Dice, initially quite a heavy one and one of the most relaxed and light on the album. Dedication to the famous director Martin Scorsese Intro has perfectly well became a part of the whole picture, and the most unpredicted is the appearance of pop star Christina Aguilera on song Live With Me, on which the singer easily performs the frank and far from ambiguous text without any problem so the duet was appreciated by the audience and the musicians themselves. Again giving the fans a chance to enjoy hits Brown Sugar and (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones revitalize less well-known songs Little T&A and I'm Free, and the album closer is not a less wanted composition Shine A Light, pleasing with each of the members' full delivery.

A crown to the musicians' creative work

Whatever you think of live albums for The Rolling Stones it has already become almost a tradition to release one from time to time. Yet Shine A Light has all the qualities of a first class album, a collection of prestige, that can happen only once in a band's history if it is lucky enough to work with such a talented director as Martin Scorsese. It goes without saying that any self-respecting music fan and moreover a fan of this outstanding band will consider an honor to have Shine A Light in his or her music collection for it has become a kind of a crown to the musicians' creative work. On these performances they have allowed themselves to relax and simply enjoy their own creations taking out all the potentials of each song and presenting it to the viewers. It is well-known that soon the career of The Rolling Stones will end its fifth decade and these artists forever young are not going to leave the stage which cannot but admire. Record Shine A Light gives a chance to touch once again this wonderful rock music, survive anew all the feelings a concert provides and appreciate the significance of The Rolling Stones' creative work in the world culture.

Alexandra Zachernovskaya
21.04.2008