After viewing four DVDs dedicated to the Rolling Stones’ Licks 2002-03 World Tour, who could possibly care if they ever tour again? The Four Flicks box set you can only buy from Best Buy quite simply over satiates a thirst for all things Stones. There’s a stadium show (Twickenham Stadium in London), an arena show (Madison Square Garden in New York City), a theater show (Olympia Theatre in Paris), an obscenely detailed documentary called Tip Of The Tongue, a more concise documentary with an international flavor called Licks Around the World, and a bunch of other clips, profiles, random performances, interview segments and camera angles to put any and all arguments to rest. What could possibly be left? Brian Jones rising from the dead? The Stones have conquered every corner of the earth (except China where they’ve rescheduled and cancelled more shows than you can throw, uh, a Stone at). They’ve recorded their best records (Could they possibly top Exile On Main Street or Beggar’s Banquet?).
Their payroll has made them wise and wealthy, weathered and wrinkly. And after sharing the stage with Justin Timberlake, one has to wonder if the Stones are in serious danger of becoming courtside caricatures on the Branson circuit. Retailers may want Stones product off their shelves after being denied the privilege to carry Four Flicks; I just want them tucked away into a memory bank that used to relish the pageantry and hype surrounding a Rolling Stones tour. If it wasn’t for the fact that they can still play in key and attract a rare streak of fanaticism that is both fascinating and pathetic, I’d drop kick this sucker into the circular file. And why? Because I like it? What’s not to like. It’s the fricking Stones! But its immense bulk is a royal atrocity on so many levels. What the hell — we’re living in a world reared on 64-ounce soft drinks, jumbo-sized French fries, and the Alien Quadrilogy (!) box set and its 44 hours of bonus material. For the Rolling Stones where everything seems to take on a gargantuan life of its own, what would you expect? The new Britney Spears CD? At $29.99, Four Flicks is probably a better bang for the buck.
~ Shawn Perry
