Cocksucker Blues

The über famous film of the '72 Exile on Main St. Tour by Robert Frank is by far
one of the rarest opportunitites to dig into the juicy, sexy, raw 70's decadence
- or perhaps better put as a free-range, all-in exploration of living in exile.

The film is often ordered taken down the minute it get's posted, so for as long
as it's here, watch and absorb this plundering soul of the Stones rip it all apart.

Perhaps more disturbing to the Stones when they saw the finished product, 
however, was the degree to which Frank faithfully captured the loneliness 
and despair of life on the road. 
     
Mick Jagger reportedly told Frank, "It's a fucking good film, Robert, 
but if it shows in America we'll never be allowed in the country again." 

  

La Différence Culturelle

Any 7-year-old Flemish schoolchild knows 100 times more about cycling 
than all Americans combined.

So says American former pro cyclist turned author and television sports
commentator; Bob Roll.

Hats off to Bob! A bit cheeky, then again completely true. And nowhere are the cultural differences more visible than during Le Tour de France. Here we see and hear more of American riders than during all season.

I'm sure "they" are as surprised about "Europeans" when they're asked to let us in on how they deal with a beautiful failure or a tragic time loss, out to puncture their team.

We expect to cry with them, cheer them on and show our deepest respect for their strength & courage. And certainly so if they're beaten up by the road, the race and
the loss.

But then we hear them talk in what sounds like PR terms: "we can do it", "we might be down but we'll get back up", "we'll show them". Huh? Sounds like pretending, like showmen reading from a script.

And not like the heroes we admire for crying, yelling, laughing and fighting on the bike
- for showing us their pain and pride, their suffering and their fighting, bloody and all.

As Keith says:
To me, the biggest thing America had done this century - apart from throwing its weight around - was its music.

Water Under The Bridge

Mick pouted a bit, as is his wont. I told him, 'It's water under
the bridge. I want to talk about the future. We're larger
than a little bitching'.

In Keith's words, that's what happend when he and Mick first
met up after the "Jagger willy jibe" in "Life".

And considering the evil warfare between The Glimmer Twins down through the years, this can only be seen as a tiny ripple. Well, maybe not if you're Mick Jagger.

But as Keith says on dealing with his evil twin: There's no possibility of divorce. We have to take care of the baby.

Somtimes you're stuck with a Brenda on your back, and no matter how pretentious
and overblown you might think they are, you still have to deal with them, work with
them, fight with them...and possibly even get to create with them.

Nevertheless, to put it like Keith:
With the Stones he's great. It's best to keep him on a short leash.