Mick Vs. Keith-The Strange Case of Jagger & Richards, is actually a 2 DVD set that contains two separate documentaries, one on Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger and the other on their legendary guitarist & bad boy Keith Richards. So, forget about any thoughts of a 'celebrity death match' as the name of this DVD seems to imply. The Roaring 20s-Mick Jagger's Glory Years is the first part, and looks at the life of young Jagger growing up as a boy and massive blues fan (his penchant for collecting brand new, hot off the presses LPs & 45s, as well as rarities, is somewhat legendary, especially for a youngster), to sitting in with Alexis Corner and eventually forming the Rolling Stones alongside Richards, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, and Ian Stewart. As this purpose of this film is to look at Jagger's 20s, the focus is on the years 1963-1973, which were the years that Mick really came into his persona as a bona- fide rock star and exploited it for all its worth. The drug busts, the movies, and women, the albums, and the tours, are all looked at in-depth, with plenty of rare photos, live footage, and interview segments mixed in. Over on Keith Richards-Under Review, a similar approach is taken, though most of Keith's long career is talked about instead of just the early years. Featuring interview segments with many Rolling Stones experts, journalists, friends and colleagues, a thorough picture of rock's 'bad boy' is given, and there are even some old interviews with Keith mixed in for good measure, giving an even clearer picture of his life in and out of the band. The drugs, the women, the music...it's all covered. Fans of the Exile on Main St. album will love the old footage from the recording of that album in France and the extra coverage that time in the Stones' career is given in the film. I still don't understand the knock on both Goats Head Soup and It's Only Rock & Roll, two albums that came after Exile that still seem to be slagged by rock journalists, but that's an argument for another day.
It's all well done and informative, and while most longtime fans of The Rolling Stones probably won't find much here they haven't heard before through the many past documentaries, biographies and autobiographies, taken as a set these are both enjoyable films for what they are.
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