The Rolling Stones

For a DVD that bills itself as a critical study of the Rolling Stones' Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! album, it sure takes a long time to actually get to a discussion of the LP. Rather incredibly, it's not until 45 minutes into this 65-minute film that attention is finally focused on the record itself. Before that, the program is a general survey of the Stones' evolution over the course of the 1960s, going all the way back to their second single. For that reason alone, this DVD can't be wholeheartedly recommended. Additionally, the general survey of the Stones' career is patchy, focusing mostly on (and certainly not including all of their) specific classic singles. Plus, there aren't any interviews with people who actually worked relatively closely with the Stones or on the Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! album. The disc can't be panned outright because, despite such major shortcomings, it's actually a well-made combination of critical talking-head commentary and archival Rolling Stones performance footage from 1964-1969, even if only relatively brief snippets of those performances are used. The half-dozen "reviewers," Chris Welch being the most well-known, provide fairly insightful, if fairly general, assessments of various aspects of the group. It's a safe bet, however, that few viewers will recognize the singer/songwriter (Sam Blue), producers (Pip Williams and Les Davidson), and musician (Chris George) who are interviewed, though their comments are intelligent. It's a curious production that's not a full-bore look at either Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! or the Rolling Stones' early career, and thus not satisfying to viewers looking for either one of those things. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide