"Gimme Shelter" and the Death of the 60's Utopian Dream

If you haven’t seen the Maysles Brothers’ documentary from 1970, “Gimme Shelter”, do everything you can to see it now.  Even if you aren’t a fan of the Rolling Stones, concert films or rock and roll in general, it is a film of immense significance, invention and power.

First of all, “Gimme Shelter” stands as a cinematic symbol for the death of the ideals and dreams of the hippy generation of the 60‘s. In the 60’s, an entire generation collectively believed that they could change the world for the better and build a utopia.  Michael Wadleigh’s “Woodstock” (1970) as a documentary and event, is the antithesis of “Gimme Shelter” because it showed this idealism.  Woodstock was a concert held in the summer before Altamont, and succeeded as a testament to the peace, revolution and love ideals associated with the hippy movement in the 60‘s.  “Gimme Shelter” on the other hand, took place in early December of 1969.  In its final half hour, the Maysles brothers' documentary, shows the viewer death, confusion, and disillusionment on a grand scale.

At a massive concert held at the Altamont Speedway in San Francisco, top-tier bands of the time are booked, headlined by the Rolling Stones.  The performances are disrupted and disturbed by violence and ultimately murder at the hands of concert-goers and the intended security of the concert, The Hell’s Angels.  No other concert film in history bears witness to the cultural relevance of the proceedings at the end of the film.  This is the ultimate pro-filmic event.  Everything about the concert seems ill-fated: the viewer is witness to stoned hippies freaking out on bad acid, backstage/logistical chaos, and a proposed security system that is questionable from the start.

Another reason for the importance of “Gimme Shelter” is its stylistic inventiveness.  A conventional documentary would have shown the Rolling Stones in concert, performing and their backstage antics.  “Gimme Shelter” goes a step beyond this by showing members of the band watching footage of the unedited film and their North American tour after it has happened in the editing room.  The viewer witnesses the band’s reactions to and commentary on what they have already done and live performances that have already taken place.  No previous documentary had this complex playfulness and added dimension.

Finally, “Gimme Shelter” is a great document of the Rolling Stones at the height of their fame, youthfulness and skill.  The live performances leading up the final concert at Altamont are electrifying and engaging. The energy in the crowd of each concert is tangible and helps to demonstrate what made the Stones one of the most famous and adored rock bands in the world. The film is beautifully restored by the Criterion Collection and the video and sound is phenomenal. 

For anyone thirsting for a concert documentary that is culturally significant, original in its style and form, containing great music and performances, look no further than 1970’s “Gimme Shelter”.  In the end, the film shows just how naive and delusional the ideals of the 60’s generation were.  These events have shaped the trajectory of history and society in many ways.

The Forgotten Oasis Album

Oasis is a rock band that is known to most for their mid-90’s musical output, mainly their debut album, Definitely Maybe (1994) and their mega-successful follow-up, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (1995) which contained the hits “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger”. However, few critics or fans give as much attention to their early 21st century releases.  I would like to demonstrate that their 2005 release Don’t Believe the Truth is the most accomplished, concise, diverse and coherent album of the band’s entire career.

The reasons for the strength and accomplishment of Don’t Believe the Truth is as follows:  it gave the chance for more members of the group besides Noel Gallagher to contribute to the songwriting, making it more diverse and musically-interesting.  Secondly, the newer members of the group added a more technically-refined, musically-coherent, and refreshing sound to the album.  Finally, Noel Gallagher, the traditionally-acknowledged songsmith of all previous Oasis material, demonstrates an unparalleled maturity and growth as a songwriter and lead singer on a handful of songs.

Unlike the first few Oasis albums, on Don’t Believe the Truth, Noel Gallagher is not the sole songwriter.  Liam Gallagher, the brash lead singer of the band, as well as bassist Andy Bell (formerly of the band, Ride) and guitar-player Gem Archer all provide outstanding material.  Bell’s songs “Turn Up The Sun” and “Keep the Dream Alive” embody all of the energy, philosophy, and attitude of Noel Gallagher’s most popular Oasis songs.  Take these lyrics from the album’s opener, “Turn Up The Sun”:

I carry the madness
Everywhere I go
Over the border
and back through the snow.

So if you see me
And I look right through
You shouldn’t take it
As a reflection on you.

These lyrics really get at the essence of Oasis’s swaggering, hyper-confident persona as a band, especially coming from the mouth of lead singer, Liam Gallagher.  Archer’s “A Bell Will Ring” later in the album, adds buoyancy and catchiness with its searing guitar riff to open the song.  Of course, Liam Gallagher demonstrates increased maturity in his song-writing skills with his own offerings:  “Guess God Thinks I’m Abel” and “Meaning of Soul”.

The newer members of Oasis who have gradually replaced the founding members over the years add a stirring musical concoction to the milieu.  Zack Starkey (Ringo Starr’s son) drums on this album and there is something hypnotic about his sense of rhythm.  On the album’s single “Lyla”, for example, Starkey paradoxically sounds like he is free to embellish the rhythm while at the same time maintaining a rock-solid backbeat.  Similarly, the guitar solo that Andy Bell provides for “Keep the Dream Alive” is beautiful in its simplicity:  it maintains a bass note while slightly alternating a higher note in a droning, chiming manner that recalls Bell’s days with his shoe-gazer alumni in Ride back in the 90’s.

Of course, no Oasis album is complete without a number of tracks provided by the band’s chief songwriter, Noel Gallagher.  On Don’t Believe the Truth, the older Gallagher shows that he has grown a lot as a lyricist and songsmith.  He also shows that he is still able to “steal”, pay homage to, and re-appropriate songs from the classic Rock pantheon.  On “Mucky Fingers” he channels The Velvet Underground and on “Part of the Queue” he shows his long-held fascination with the songwriting of Burt Bacharach.  Where in in his earliest songs, Noel would limit his lyrical scope to such themes as partying, living the rock and roll lifestyle, and tributes to Beatles songs, on this album he demonstrates a poignant world-weariness, disillusionment, and unsteady precariousness within his lofty position in the world of rock music stardom.

Overall, Oasis’s second to last studio album is an under-rated gem.  It satisfies in its diversity and scope.  Although it has been virtually forgotten and overshadowed by the bands earlier recordings, it deserves credit and repeated listenings.