The Biggest Bang

How much of the Rolling Stones is too much? If you're a fan, there's probably no such thing as too much. If you're not a fan, you're probably not reading this review anyway, so let's call it a moot question.

Suffice it to say that the seven hours worth of material on this four-DVD set is probably more than even the most dedicated fan could manage in one sitting, but it offers more depth and variety than I would have expected.

Sometimes it seemed like the Bigger Bang tour would never end. In fact, it started on August 21, 2005 and ended on August 26, 2007. The first performance was in Boston, the last, in London. In between, the highest grossing tour in the history of music played to sellout crowds throughout the world.

This would be a major feat for a young band. For a group whose members are all on the north side of 60, and who have been touring steadily for upwards of 40 years, it is nothing short of extraordinary.

That in itself makes The Biggest Bang historically significant, irrespective of its entertainment value.

The set includes two concerts in their entirety (or very nearly so) -- the one at Zilker Park in Austin, and the one on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. A third disc contains selected highlights of shows in Japan, China and Argentina. The fourth of four DVDs contains a tour documentary and some "bonus" performances.

The stage production and the video production are first rate. Of course, when your tour is generating hundreds of millions of dollars in ticket sales, you can afford to go first class. It takes that kind of money to be able to have a portion of the stage on a huge track that carries the band from the front of the audience to the back while they're performing.

Being one who likes to have the feel of the crowd dynamics in concert videos, I liked the generous use of crowd shots. As compelling as the fact that a band of senior citizens still performs on this scale is the fact that the audience is made up in roughly equal parts of baby boomers, young adults, and teenaged and younger kids. They jump to "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and they expose their chests with Mick Jagger during "Honky Tonk Women." The crowd energizes the band to the same degree that the band energizes the crowd.

For most any other band, all or parts of four concerts would tend to be somewhat repetitive. Such is the sheer volume of the Stones' catalog that the set lists for the chosen concerts are different enough that this isn't a problem.

Too, there are occasional surprises to keep things interesting, such as in Austin when the band suddenly launched into Waylon Jennings' "Bob Wills Is Still The King" complete with pedal steel and twangy nasal vocal by Jagger. When in Texas ...

I'll readily admit that I have never been a huge Stones fan, but I have tremendous respect for their durability, consistency, stage presence, and undeniable record of success. It's hard to imagine that there will eventually come a time when they aren't still working!

It might be a negative for some that The Biggest Bang is available only from Best Buy. Exclusive distribution deals like these are becoming pretty commonplace, and with availability on the Web, this isn't nearly as irritating as it might once have been.

Given the amount of money it took to produce these DVDs, I would have expected a somewhat more elaborate package. But, at 30 bucks, the price is right for four DVDs, probably due in large part to the fact that little was spent on the minimalist packaging.

For anyone who attended any of the included concerts, this is the ultimate souvenir. For casual fans like me, it is a nice (even if not essential) addition to the collection at a decent price. If you don't fall into either category, it would make a great gift for a Stones fan.