The Rolling Stones - Live At The Max

20th anniversary of the big picture

The giant screens of IMAX cinemas were still very much a novelty when the Stones released the concert movie of their Steel Wheels tour at the tail-end of the 80s, long before Pixar, Batman and sundry horror franchises embraced the format. What was jaw-droppingly spectacular in theatres, however, can’t help but become diluted on a home telly.

The tour itself was a monster, Jagger and chums cavorting on a stage you could comfortably land a plane on, but the intimacy of last year’s Shine A Light film transfers better to the smaller screen. Tumbling Dice and Street Fighting Man still possess a cocky strut, though the band seem unsure when playing more “current” material such as Sad Sad Sad and Rock & A Hard Place.

As an illustration of the Stones at play and the sheer power of the band in front of an audience, it’s well worth investigating, as is the plethora of other newly-remastered live releases, such as the Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out box set (reviewed elsewhere in this issue) and later CDs Love You Live, Still Life, Flashpoint, Stripped and Live Licks.

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

Universal/S2BN | 2720015

Reviewed by Terry Staunton
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