Rolling Stones: From The Vault: Sticky Fingers Live At The Fonda Theatre 2015, The

This latest addition to the From The Vault series captures a truly unique event in the storied history of The Rolling Stones. On May 25, 2015 at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, California, the band performed the entire Sticky Fingers album Live in concert for the first (and so far only time) in their career. The show celebrated the reissue of the Sticky Finger album and was the opening night of The Rolling Stones’ North American Zip Code Tour that would run over the next two months. The intimate setting of The Fonda Theatre was in contrast to the huge stadiums in which the band would perform for the rest of the tour and made this an incredibly special occasion for those fans lucky enough to get a ticket. This incredible release includes Stones’ classics like “Brown Sugar,” “Wild Horses,” “Start Me Up,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Bitch,” “Dead Flowers,” “When The Whip Comes Down” and more. (Gary Reber)

Special features include an interview with the band members intercut with full-length performances, tracks cut from the concert film: “All Down The Line,” “When The Whip Comes Down,” and “I Can’ Turn You Loose,” and a 16-page color pamphlet featuring pictures of the band members and credits. The release also comes with a CD of the concert.

The 2.42:1 1080i AVC picture, reviewed on a Sony Bravia Z9D 4K Ultra HD HDR display, upconverted to 2160p with greater resolution and luminance, was photographed digitally. The show starts off with aerial views of Los Angeles and end with similar aerial views of the neighborhood surrounding the Fonda Theatre, and as well shots of backstage goings-on. The concert itself is well staged and, as is typical, the spotlights cast hues of blue, purple, and red amidst a fogged stage, which at times results in unnatural fleshtones. Besides the color characteristics, the imagery is nicely sharp, clear, and detailed, especially during close-ups. Overall, this is a very bright and finely detailed small-staged presentation of The Rolling Stones in concert. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD MA 5.1-channel soundtrack delivers an enhanced sense of sonic dimensionality with the surounds supporting audience applause. But the band stays frontal. The sound is unfortunately strident and lacking deep bass and overall fullness. The segments with people talking are effectively intelligible. The singing gets a bit buried at times. Overall, fans will be thrilled to hear Sticky Fingers performed live, but fidelity could be better and the sound less compressed. (Gary Reber)