This film is not authorized by the Stones, their label or management but it offers an excellent overview of what was going on with the band during the approximate decade that it covers. The analysis, offered by folks like Uncut Magazine's Nigel Williamson, picks up around the release of the Black & Blue album and touches on how the addition of Ronnie Wood on guitar added a new energy to the band, especially in light of the fact that Keith Richards was almost completely incapacitated by his heroin addiction at the time.
The film reveals, in fact, that the band's Love You Live album was not planned; the concert discs were put out because Keith was so out of it he couldn't do any studio work.
Although subtitled The Ronnie Wood Years this film does not focus entirely on Woody; there's a look at everything including the evolution of the band's sound as they add funk and disco to the mix, an explanation for disappointing albums like Emotional Rescue, Mick Jagger's leadership of the band without Keith's input and ultimately the band coming back out on top with a big hit in Tattoo You's "Start Me Up."
The film also touches on the band's interaction with the likes of Billy Preston and Peter Tosh and in one very informative (and lengthy) segment, Sugar Blue, the harmonica player who added funky flavor to "Some Girls."
Because the film is not Stones-authorized there's no commentary from band members but there are plenty of performance and video snippets as well as footage of stills; all of which plus intelligent, in-the-know commentary makes this film good viewing for Stones fans of any era and a definite keeper for those who followed the band through this turbulent time span.
