Rock & Roll Circus [Live]

The Rolling Stones | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 15, 1996)
• Original Release Date: October 15, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Abkco
• ASIN: B000003BD3
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,520 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Entry of the Gladiators

2. Song for Jeffrey

3. A Quick One, While He's Away

4. Over the Waves

5. Ain't That a Lot of Love

6. Something Better

7. Mick Jagger's and John Lennon's Introduction of the Dirty Mac

8. Yer Blues

9. Whole Lotta Yoko

10. John Lennon's Introduction of the Rolling Stones/Jumpin' Jack Flash

11. Parachute Woman

12. No Expectations

13. You Can't Always Get What You Want

14. Sympathy for the Devil

15. Salt of the Earth

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Conceived in late-'60s London, this literal three-ring would-be "television spectacular" featuring the Stones and a select cadre of friends and associates became (along with the Beach Boys' Smile album and Bob Dylan's Albert Hall concert) one of the era's greatest unreleased projects. When it finally surfaced in the late '90s, those overinflated expectations all but guaranteed it a tepid response. Legend has it that the Stones originally nixed it because they felt overshadowed by the Who, but it's likely the shelving had more to do with the band's then-unsettled state of affairs. The Stones' raw, powerful set here both bridges the first Stones era with what was essentially the swan song of band's ill-fated cofounder Brian Jones, who would be fired for ongoing substance-abuse problems. (That really took some doing in a band that also featured Keith Richards!) Also notable is the one-time-only teaming of John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Richards, and Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell (as "The Dirty Mac") for a long, loud, and lugubrious workout of Lennon's "White Album" standout "Yer Blues." --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

Rolling Stones Photos

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Past Life, October 19, 2002

By 

Richard R. Carlton (Ada, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rock & Roll Circus (Audio CD)

The Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus was released Oct 15, 1996. It is the long suppressed made-for-TV special recorded 28 years earlier on Dec 11-12, 1968 with The Who, John Lennon, Taj Mahal, Jethro Tull, Marianne Faithful, and Eric Clapton. The packaging is beautiful with a great 42 page glossy color booklet that has all the rare behind the scenes photos and a full account of things leading up to the event. The Who were red hot at the time and easily upstaged the Stones who were still struggling through their first major crisis after the removal of Brian (and his subsequent death) and attempting to figure out how to hold on to their status as the premier band. The Stones refused to release the recordings because their performances were not spectacular. Most reviewers agreed when they finally got to see the film themselves. However, what the film lacks in production (which was obviously amateurish) it makes up for in history. The Stones lackluster set of Jumpin' Jack Flash, Parachute Woman, No Expectations, You Can't Always Get What You Want, Sympathy For the Devil, and Salt Of The Earth are easily compensated by The Who's mini opera A Quick One While He's Away and Lennon and Clapton's Yer Blues. There are also dated period piece interviews with Mick and John and very amateurish introductions by the individual Stones, which when combined with the extremely amateurish set, acting, and cinematography amply demonstrate why this is one for Stones and rock history collectors. The Stones were right, it didn't work for them, and it is good that the release was delayed until it appealed to collectors and would not reflect on the reputation of the band.

Most people know the music, so in my reviews I try to give you data on the sessions and interesting facts connected with the songs and the album. Here we go:

Interesting notes include:
.....this CD and the companion DVD and VHS releases were the last time Brian Jones performed with the Stones
.....Brigitte Bardot was Mick's original choice for the ringmaster, when she declined, he did it himself
.....Keith wanted Johnny Cash, but he declined too
.....Mick refused to consider Jimmy Page's new band "The New Yardbirds" without hearing their tapes (which were released on their first album "Led Zeppelin")
.....Ivry Gitlis was a great classical violin virtuoso.....he accepted an invitation to perform because he respected Brian Jones
.....John Lennon's temporary supergroup (Clapton, Mitch Mitchel, and Keith) was named Dirty Mac in response to the hottest band of the day....Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac
.....the taping started around noon on Dec 11 and ran for 18 hours...when the specially chosen fan audience left at 6AM, Mick and Keith shook hands with most of them and thanked them for coming

Other songs from the same show that were recorded for the Circus but which have not yet been released are:
.....Route 66
.....Confessin' The Blues
.....Yonder Wall
.....Walkin' Blues

This information comes from "It's Only Rock And Roll: The Ultimate Guide To The Rolling Stones" by Karnbach and Bernson and from my own collection, with some of the notes from Davis' "Old Gods Almost Dead." Both books are available from Amazon.com.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth it just for "A Quick One", December 11, 2003

By 

Zach Everson (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rock & Roll Circus (Audio CD)

Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of the greatest rock n' roll shows of all time. The Who, The Stones, Jethro Tull, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, and The Dirty Mac - a super group comprised of Keith Richards, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Mitch Mitchell - rocked out while wearing clown suits and other circus garb. Jagger and a midget introduced Tull. The Stones kept this recording in the vault until 1996 because they thought The Who out performed them. They did - which says a lot, as The Stones set was great. Regardless, this CD contains the best performance of "A Quick One" I've ever heard.

After the opening ceremonies, the show kicks off with Jethro Tull playing one of their earliest hits - "A Song for Jeffrey." This version sounds a lot like their studio version of the song, however, leading me to believe it was lip-synched. Regardless, it's a great song.

The Who follow with a phenomenal version of Townshend's mini-opera, "A Quick One" (you my be familiar with this song from the movie "Rushmore"). It's one of The Who's best and this is easily the best version of it.

After ok songs by Taj Mahal and Marianne Faithfull, The Dirty Mac takes over for two songs. They do a great cover of The Beatles' "Yer Blues." Then they did "Whole Lotta Yoko," which is way too much Yoko for me. Her wailing obscures what is an otherwise incredible jam session featuring some of rock's all-time greats.

The Stones then take over and end the show with a five-song set featuring some classics. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is pretty good - I prefer it with the choir opening, however. "Sympathy for the Devil" is another highlight from their set. It sounds incredible.

The CD also comes with a thorough booklet with lots of pictures and a good write-up of the evening.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "You've heard of Picadilly Circus...", July 21, 2005

By 

A Hermit "J.Hamric" (Southwestern Pa.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rock & Roll Circus (Audio CD)

I don't feel the Stones are a consistently good live act, although the set they played here, isn't without merit. I have to give them credit, because Mick Jagger is still today what you see in this film. He's got a few lines on his face, and a few traces of grey in his hair now, but time hasn't been his enemy. Keith Richards, on the other hand, doesn't even look like the same person anymore; that's what hard living will do to you.

Their set wasn't bad, though it had that "garage band" feel to it, but that's always been one of their selling points. "Jumpin' Jack Flash," " Parachute Woman," "You Can't Always Get What You Want," and the others all sound up to snuff, although some back-up singers would've helped; they had a piano player, and a percussionist, why not back-up singers?

Taj Mahal's number was OK, but seemed to be a little lifeless, and Marianne Faithful has been correctly described as "lovely," her segment was a good off-set to everything else.

The Who's performance was definitely show-stopping, hard to believe Keith Moon and John Entwistle are gone. They were so "alive." They were just coming into their own when this event was held.

Depending on my mood, often my favorite segment was Jethro Tull's number. Isn't annoying when people call Ian Anderson "Jethro Tull?" Even though Anderson was the only musician with the band at every phase of its existence, "Jethro Tull" was, and is, the band's name. Apart from Anderson, none of the musicians here were with Anderson for that long. Drummer Clive Bunker was replaced by Barriemore Barlow, Bassist Glenn Cornik was replaced with Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, John Evan was added on piano, and Martin Barre replaced the man playing slide guitar here, Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi.

I thought The Dirty Mac was cool, Mitch Mitchell from the Jimi Hendrix Experience on drums, Keith Richards playing bass, when Bill Wyman could've sufficed. But Richards is, in his own way, as charismatic as Jagger, so I say good choice; it was a "super group" anyway; Eric Clapton on lead guitar (God he was young back then), and John Lennon as band leader. I thought their rendition of "Yer Blues" was as good as the version Lennon did with The Beatles. That other thing they did was thrown together at the last minute, obviously. Irvey Gitlis played a great solo on violin here, I don't even know who he is, but I can tell he's got a lot of talent. I've never understood Yoko Ono's contributions to these things; giving credit where it's due, she's a very creative woman, and she was the catalyst in Lennon's life for finding and redefining himself. She was good for him. But she has screamed into microphones in front of some of the most talented musicians in the world, and I'm tempted to ask, "why?" Call it a guilty pleasure, but listen to her songs on "Double Fantasy." These are great songs, and she is actually carrying a tune there. I really like it, and that's what's frustrating; she's got an unusual voice, and it is abused and squandered on things like "Whole Lotta Yoko," the number she sang at the R'n'R Circus. Did she have the first idea how much audiences hated her? The only real applause she ever got, as far as I could tell, was when she and John sat in with Zappa and the Mothers at the Fillmore. And that's because Zappa's fans, especially then, were open to almost anything.

In all, this is a good investment, if nothing else, to see what the big names were doing in December of 1968. The music was so much better long ago...