Rock & Roll Circus

Conceived in late-'60s London, this literal three-ring would-be "television spectacular" featuring the Stones and a select cadre of friends and associates became (along with the Beach Boys' Smile album and Bob Dylan's Albert Hall concert) one of the era's greatest unreleased projects. When it finally surfaced in the late '90s, those overinflated expectations all but guaranteed it a tepid response. Legend has it that the Stones originally nixed it because they felt overshadowed by the Who, but it's likely the shelving had more to do with the band's then-unsettled state of affairs. The Stones' raw, powerful set here both bridges the first Stones era with what was essentially the swan song of band's ill-fated cofounder Brian Jones, who would be fired for ongoing substance-abuse problems. (That really took some doing in a band that also featured Keith Richards!) Also notable is the one-time-only teaming of John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Richards, and Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell (as "The Dirty Mac") for a long, loud, and lugubrious workout of Lennon's "White Album" standout "Yer Blues." --Jerry McCulley