One of Thanksgiving's most cherished traditions involves diners retiring to the couch after a hearty holiday meal, loosening their trousers, reclining on the sofa, and watching a football game. And then five minutes later, finding them all dozing off in a collective heap, snoring loudly enough to wake the neighbors down the block.
Perhaps the problem lies with the activity itself. After
all, if you've see one football game, you've seen them all, basically. Here are our suggestions for some recent rock-music DVDs that might keep everyone awake, at least for a little while
longer.
1-4. There have been no fewer than four Rolling Stones releases in recent months. A recap of various 1972 concerts entitled Ladies and Gentlemen, the Rolling Stones, a pair of historical documentaries, 1969 - 1974 and Rare and Unseen, and the much ballyhooed Stones in Exile, which documents the making of their opus, Exile on Main Street.
We heartily recommend all. Besides, the way they look now in their
present-day interviews, they just might remind you of your aging
relatives for whom youth is a distant glory. As for Keith Richards --
he's kind of like old Uncle Ned. Damn, you might not be able to keep him
away from the booze, but he sure has a bunch of good stories.
Here's Mick in some pants that don't allow for a second helping of mashed potatoes, from Ladies and Gentlemen:
5. If you really want to keep everyone awake, slip in Heaven & Hell,
a classic concert featuring various Black Sabbath alums rocking in
tribute to the late Ronnie James Dio. The neighbors may not be very
appreciative, but they'll appreciate the fact you're trying to muffle
Uncle Ned's snoring.
6-7. If you want to opt for something a little more mellow, may we suggest another pair of recent entries, Phil Collins' Going Back, a concert in which he replays a set of Motown favorites, and the Bee Gees' In Our Own Time,
a fascinating look at the Brother Gibbs' trajectory from a cutesy
sibling singing group to international musical sensations. If the music
isn't enough to rouse you from your stupor, at least you and your guests
can attempt to outdo one another by proving you know the words to the
songs... or some of them anyway.
8. Finally, we'd like to recommend that recent Doors documentary When You're Strange.
Why? Because for one thing, it ties into current events and reminds us
why Charlie Crist has opted to pardon Jim Morrison. For another... heck,
you're hanging around with your family for a holiday meal. Doesn't the
title say it all?
