The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. Is it in your collection and is it worth buying?

Not any of the music but I did get the book as a gift. I still have it.

 

Only a fully functioning musician could have perfectly played the slide guitar on "No Expectations".

And the Stones toured the year before the Rock and Roll Circus, not "two or three years".

No way. Brian's slide guitar playing is there for everybody to hear on the CD and the DVD.

The DVD extras include Brian Jones' introduction of pianist Julius Katchen; Brian was so polished and together that he appears to be a perfect professional announcer --- remember that the next time someone says that Brian was non functioning and "crying much of the day".

Ian Anderson's comments about Brian continue the same old pattern of scapegoating that Brian always gets. Based on his performances on "No Expectations", "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Sympathy for the Devil", we must assume that the reason he was suppressed on other tracks, lies elsewhere...

 

While our opinions of the Circus completely differ I respect your opinion! Hey, in the end, it's just the music we all love!

 

Yes, exactly!

 

Don't forget about Taj Mahal.

 

YES, you must have it.

 

His guitar is out of tune. Not gratingly, I stand corrected (like Dylan's guitar on Queen Jane Approximately for example) but it doesn't sound very good to me. I have no idea if his guitar went out of tune over the course of a few takes or if they chose that take because Jagger's vocal was his best that day and they had to just accept the out of tune guitar but out of tune it is.

When you say perfectly played I'm assuming your referring to the Beggars Banquet version. He's not at the level of perfection of Julius Katchen or Charlie Watts.

To say "Brian was so polished and together that he appears to be a perfect professional announcer" when all he does is introduce Julius Katchen only suggests he was more together than Syd Barrett or than my auto-spell-correct that insists he was called Julius Kitchen. Katchen died of cancer a couple of months before Brian died incidentally and I think he gave his last public performance on 12 December 1968. Very interesting choice of guest. I forget if he was in the main feature or a bonus (haven't watched the show for a while). It is a shame that Brian's intro is just a bonus on the DVD but I don't see how anyone can take a few seconds of unrevealing monologue and explain away what a number of people saw in Brian that day. He'd had a pretty **** time since the start of 1967 in some ways so I wouldn't be surprised if he was struggling. I know it's hard to compare different genres but take a look at Kitchen dammit Katchen's playing - that's what I'd call polished and together.

This is a quote from Pete Townshend from a 1999 MOJO -"When we played The Rolling Stones' Rock And Roll Circus I was very upset about Brian's condition. I was upset at Keith Richards' green complexion, too, but he seemed in good spirits. Brian was defeated. I took Mick and Keith aside and they were quite frank about it all; they said Brian had ceased to function, they were afraid he would slip away. They certainly were not hard nosed about him. But they were determined not to let him drag them down, that was clear. Brian certainly slipped away that evening. He died soon after."

So I take back Brian being green ! Based on his performance on Jumping Jack Flash (adequate), No Expectations (out of tune guitar), Sympathy For The Devil (maracas, Davy Jones could have done that) I can only say that his purple jacket rocks, he was almost certainly a better singer than Yoko Ono and I would really like to hear a mix of this show which pushes him up to an audible level. However, if the Stones ever decide to release the March 1964 Radio Luxembourg acetate in full I will stand and applaud the guy.
I mean what can you say about Brian , man.
"He was not the messiah, he was a very naughty boy."

 

Yeah and all these old coots have fed into this Brian Jones revisionism bull **** and spew it out when ever they can. I've played in bands, recorded, roadied, what ever a bunch of the last 25 years or so. That guitar is not out of tune, anyway if it was it's a roadie's job to tune it, not the guy on stage between TV takes

 

I agree, but that is the best version The Who ever did of that song, but, no it doesn't seal the deal for me. I really like everything. The Yoko jam is pretty dam cool too

 

This is in the days before guitar techs.
The Stones tuned their own guitars. See for example the backstage footage at Madison Square Garden or Hyde Park, 1969.
The first time the Stones had a guitar tech was around 1971 during the exile sessions when Ted Newman Jones came on board. The first tour he did with them was in 1972.

 

Completely agree. So Larry, what time can you get here to tune my guitar.

 

I know it was the days before guitar techs, don't start that crap. And I know they tuned their own, just chiming in to chime in and try to look like a big shot, gets no points with me. That's not why I am here. If you don't have anything substantive and just want to pick, go elsewhere

 

Pay my way there

 

Not trying to look like a big shot or score points.

You said it was the roadies job to tune the guitars. That's not how it happened.
If you're going to make a point, maybe get your facts right first.

Also, I don't take orders. I'll go where I like.

 

So what have we learnt ?
1. Don't let the Stones tune their own instruments.
2. Even if there's a piano in the room, Brian might ask for an E to counteract the downers while Keith wishes he could tune to H.
3. I'm gonna have to get another pizza delivery job and borrow some more money from my girlfriend so I can pay Larry to come and tune my guitar for me.

 

Brian was well in control that night.

 

Yes it is, and yes, it is. Get the DVD. The Who's performance is a highlight in rock & roll history.

 

Thank you--I love their performance too, a highlight of the disc. RnR Circus is a pretty incredible piece of history and a ton of fun to watch.

 

I'm listening to the 1969 Hyde Park memorial concert for Brian Jones, and holy **** Mick Taylor is wildly out of tune for the ENTIRE SHOW...Brian was delivering some karmic justice from above or below!

 

Yes and yes.

 

More important as a historical document than a concert video. As John notes, the Stones were very tired for their set and Brian was not up to par, notwithstanding his evident liaison with the lovely Luna.

 

Or maybe it's Keith?

 

I think that his dress suggests that Brian was about to invent the AC/DC concept.

 

That's a cool pic. Their look could easily be something from today. Anyone know who the woman is?

 

Donyale Luna