Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones’ Some Girls tour of 1978 was done during a time of heavy upheaval. Keith Richards was facing jail time in Canada from a drug bust in 1977, Bianca Jagger had filed for divorce from Mick Jagger that spring, and the band was facing a bit of a crisis, what with the Punk revolution in the UK and hardcore Stones fans shrugging their shoulders as their Disco laden “Miss You” was the biggest hit from the then new “Some Girls” album. This was also the first tour where, as least the world thought, that Ron Wood was an official Rolling Stone. As we were to find out, he was not made an “official” member (in a business sense) as he was officially a “hired musician” until Bill Wyman absented himself from the band in the early 90’s.

While many bands would have wilted under all the chaos, the Stones are tenacious and amidst a myriad of issues, put on one of the best tours of their career. This DVD, “Rolling Stones: Some Girls Live In Texas '78” catches the band at a stop at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Forth Worth, Texas (the concert is also for sale as a live CD).

Opening with Chuck Berry’s “Let It Rock,” (the first Berry cover in the set, as “Sweet Little Sixteen” is performed later), the boys from London stick with their 70’s catalogue of tunes, as they only play two of their original songs from the 60’s (“Honky Tonk Woman” and “Jumpin' Jack Flash”), as the main focus was, or course “Some Girls.” The seven straight song set from ”Some Girls” contains most of the highlights of the DVD, with an especially hot take of “Shattered” that easily steals the set.

Some cool extras include performances from when the Stones hosted Saturday Night Live that same year, excerpts from a Geraldo Rivera interview (also from ’78), and a new interview with Jagger.

While “Some Girls Live In Texas '78” is essential for all to own, a view of the bands 60’s heyday has also come to DVD with, “6 Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Rolling Stones.” A self explanatory title, it captures all the full episodes when the Stones were guests on Sullivan’s iconic variety show.

To watch the progression of the band from their initial 1964 performance (when the band played "Around and Around" and "Time Is On My Side") when they still looked somewhat innocent, through their short-lived hippie phase ("Ruby Tuesday" and the legendary lyric changing "Let's Spend Some Time Together" as Sullivan thought “Night” was too risqué), to politically charged songs ("Gimme Shelter"). The change is amazing to watch, as seeing a band mature so much musically and socially is something we may never see again.

Add to this last years re-issue of “The Rolling Stones - Live at the Max” which captured the quintet on their 1989 Steel Wheels tour, and you have a pretty great overview of the still-kicking “Worlds Greatest Rock Rand.”