If anything, Altamont proved that you can't reproduce or manufacture a phenomenon. Superficially billed as 'Woodstock West', the concert turned destructive and violent with the presence of the Hells Angels purportedly providing security for the event. The flower power of the Sixties turned into a convoluted mix of dope, rock and roll and stoned out hippies tripping to the music of the Rolling Stones while all hell was breaking loose in front of the stage where a man was murdered and no one seemed capable of stopping it. The legacy of Altamont closed out a decade that had started out promising enough with the British Invasion, Motown, the surf sound and assorted other musical styles. The Rolling Stones were a big part of that era, and knowing of their antics back in the day, one wonders how they managed to stay in shape to be playing right up to the present. As a chronicle of the Altamont concert, "Gimme Shelter" is capable but largely unexceptional. There's not a Stones song you won't recognize if you're a fan, some done better than others, and a handful presented merely as background music for a contemplative Jagger and Charlie Watts as they review the events captured on film prior to this picture's release. Credit goes to Jagger and Grace Slick for trying to gain some control when things started to heat up with the crowd and the Hells Angels, but ultimately Jagger doesn't appear too shaken by what happened. He seems to show more surprise at the remarks of Sonny Barger dumping on the band and admonishing the concert goers - "When they jumped on an Angel, they got hurt".
Review of Gimme Shelter
