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Do you really need this? Yet another Rolling Stones concert release, this one (for the umpteenth time) a soundtrack? The answer would ordinarily be no; but yes, we need SHINE A LIGHT, the soundtrack to the “Martin Scorsese Picture,” yes indeed. I don’t think I’m telling tales out of school here when I say that The Rolling Stones, for roughly half of its career, hasn’t released anything of worth, and it’s not the fault of three-quarters of the line-up, heh heh. And up until now, you could see and hear great -- the best --- Stones’ footage on the T.A.M. I. Show video, Gimme Shelter (possibly the greatest concert film ever made), and Ladies and Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones. And on record? How about GOT LIVE IF YOU WANT IT, or GET YOUR YAS YAS OUT? So why do you need SHINE A LIGHT in your collection? Two words: Keith Richard.

While Jagger has been the front man for the Stones, it has been Richard who for five decades has been their heart and soul and attitude. It has been Richard who loves playing and recording and showing the younger generation how the job gets done. Jagger loves being the guy who has been the front man, but no longer seems to consistently love being the front man. This has been the cause of no small amount of friction between the Glimmer Twins; Keith wants to play; Jagger wants to…well, do whatever the heck eh does, which generally does not involve wiggling his ass on stage and making a half-hearted attempt to sing. when you have a fan named Martin Scorsese, however, that’s enough inspiration to get Mick dancing again, yes sir. Scorsese’s constant and consistent pleas to get this project done have finally born fruit, and the soundtrack is damn near perfectly captures the band in one last big and beautiful dying gasp.

Just about everything you could reasonably want is on SHINE A LIGHT. Of course there are obvious choices missing (“Not Fade Away,” “Miss You,” “Before They Make Me Run”) there’s not much to really quibble about, what with “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (arguably the best rock song ever), “Jumpin‘ Jack Flash,” and “Start Me Up.” Jagger is actually in good voice, really trying to sing rather than phoning in his vocals, but it is Keef’s work, with Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts keeping up with him every step of the way, that makes SHINE A LIGHT a buyer and a keeper. Richard remains phenomenal, even at this late date, a guy who loves playing guitar even more than he loves being a rock n’ roll star, and if you want your music to knock your ass across the room there is no one --- no one --- who does that as reliably and dependably as Keith Richard. And a word or thirty about Charlie Watts. Biographies notwithstanding, the guy has got to be close to 70 now, and he can still play rings around anyone and everyone on the drums or any other instrument you want to pick up. He’s the only guy who could conceivably keep up with Richard; it’s one thing to do it in the studio --- check out “Gimme Shelter” on LET IT BLEED, where he comes out of the instrumental break, under Merry Clayton, for but one example --- but to hear him keep things pumping throughout SHINE A LIGHT will bring tears to your eyes. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “All Down The Line,” even “Start Me Up”…if you want

Is SHINE A LIGHT perfect? No. The need was felt to bring some guest stars into the mix, those being Buddy Guy (who, interestingly enough, is at 71 a contemporary of the band’s), who is brought in for legitimacy on “Champagne & Reefer,” while Jack White and Christina Aguilera are included to bring, I suppose, relevancy to the project, on “Loving Cup” and “Live With Me,” respectively. Guy sounds like he is out of his element; it would have been nice to hear him in this setting in, say 1965, when the Stones were primarily a blues band (their appearance with Howlin’ Wolf on Shindig is unsurpassed), but it sounds awkward for the guest and the hosts here. And as for the youngsters? Jagger supposedly didn’t know who Aguilera was. So much for relevancy. Other than for these missteps, however, SHINE A LIGHT will complete your Stones’ collection, even at this late date. Play it loud, especially on those guitar breaks.