DVD: Rolling Stones , Rock & Roll Circus (3.00 Stars)

This might be something that you may have missed.

Rolling Stones' Rock & Roll Circus was a concert filmed in December 1968 but was never expected to be released because The Stones weren't happy with the quality. By 1996, the historical relevance of the performance outweighed the reluctance for release and the title made its way to CD and video. The concert featured performances from John and Yoko, The Who, Jethro Tull and Taj Mahal and the expanded DVD version is expected to include additional behind the scenes footage, additional songs from Taj Mahal and an alternate take on Lennon's 'Yer Blues'.

Another website sets Rock & Roll Circus up for you as follows:

For those who have yet to see Rock and Roll Circus and need a short primer on the film, it is simply this. Set in a circus atmosphere with live performances by Jethro Tull, The Who, the gorgeous Marianne Faithfull, Taj Mahal, The Dirty Mac (a convergence of talent featuring Eric Clapton (Cream), Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix), Keith Richards, and John Lennon), and, of course, The Rolling Stones and interspersed with trapeze acts and fire-eaters, this show embodied the emerging spirit of 70s rock.

Don't misinterpret the 3.00 Star Rating as a reason for you to rent this. The reason that I rented this (from Netflix, of course) was because I wanted to see a couple of things in it that I heard Jay Mohr discuss on Opie & Anthony a couple of weeks ago. The 3.00 rating is based solely on my opinion of what I saw and what I was looking for -- some Stones, some history, The Who's performance, and Yoko Ono's cat wailing.

I didn't dislike it, but I didn't like it as much as many of the discussions and reviews on the web. Obviously, this guy enjoyed the entire production more than I (but also provides some more explanation of what you will find in it):

The reappearance of The Rolling Stones' Rock and Roll Circus is a shining moment in our musical history. This live audience extravaganza, conceived by Mick Jagger and performed in 1968, was intended for TV broadcast. It never made it. Due to perceptions and bad judgement, this excellent film lanquished on shelves for years until 1995, when it finally made it to VHS.

In it you see a picture perfect performance by Jethro Tull with Ian Anderson's signature posturing and delivery as well as the band's play of "Song For Jeffrey." It is followed by a performance of The Who with their "A Quick One While He's Away", a smoking R&B performance by Taj Mahal of "Ain't That a Lot of Love", and a bewitching song by Marianne Faithfull, "Something Better."

In the next performance, John Lennon's Dirty Mac (hmmm...Dirty Mac) raises the bar and sets the stage for 70s rock by a free-styled blues-rock set that begins with "Yer Blues" and finishes with the avant garde styled "Whole Lotta Yoko" with Yoko Ono who rattles the stage with her vocals set to a jam for the ages by the assembled super-group.

Following are six Stones tunes that begin with "Jumping Jack Flash", includes a grand performance of "Sympathy For the Devil", fills with "Parachute Woman", a great acoustic and slide guitar performance of "No Expectations", "You Can't Always Get What You Want", and closed by "Salt of the Earth." All in all, this show runs 63 minutes.

On this DVD version of this essential title, the extras make this a set to be desired. The wealth of additions contained on this DVD make this title the gem that it already is but even more so on DVD. There is an 18-minute interview with present day Pete Townshend (who talks about Chip Monck's circus design. You'll remember Chip Monck largely for his involvement with Woodstock), 3 more performances of Taj Mahal that has never been seen, two Julius Katchen classical piano performances not included in the original film, a quad screen split of the "Yer Blues" performance by Dirty Mac, and a Wyman introduced Clowns slapstick sketch that brings to mind The 3 Stooges in several ways. There is also a brief camera moment with John and Mick with a little homo-erotica as they fun around.

Amazon.com has some more commentary for perusal.