Album reviewFilmed in 1965 just as "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" was tearing up the charts and, in the process, sealing the fate of the Rolling Stones, Charlie Is My Darling remained unreleased until this 2012 deluxe set, which contains the first official release of the movie. It is a fascinating document of the Rolling Stones on the brink of superstardom -- and, in turn, the explosion of rock culture in general -- and it can be equally enjoyed as either the simple DVD or Blu-ray releases, or in this super-deluxe box set where it's supplemented by two CDs. The first is a straight soundtrack for the film, interspersing interviews from the film between live performances from the movie, plus well-known, well-loved oldies from the Stones ("Heart of Stone," "Play with Fire," "Tell Me") and a couple instrumental oddities from the Andrew Loog Oldham Orchestra. Of special interest is the next CD, a collection of live performances from the Stones in 1965, many of them almost drowned out by screaming audiences, all finding the band supercharged, limber, and alive, enjoying the Chess blues and R&B standards they're playing and laying into their originals with passion. It's raw and rough and reason enough to invest in this Super Deluxe set.
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Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo