Best Music Documentaries?

dainbramage said:
About Dig, I know it is sensationalist and that especially Anton hated it. But it is fucking funny nevertheless. I'm a big BJM fan and I really appreciated the scene at the Viper Room and there is a lot of great footage besides that. No matter how it was cut, the events happened. There is also a lot of live clips which I think many documentaries lack. The people being interviewed said the things we hear them say (of course in many cases completely out of context, but still). As long as you're aware of that, you can enjoy the documentary without thinking too much about whether or not it reveals a true image of the artists.
Click to expand...

Yeah I was a fan and saw 'em a couple times around 1997-98 before Jeff Davies, Joel and Matt Hollwood split (the first time). 'Twas prolly around the time many of those scenes were being filmed.

dainbramage said:
I liked It Might Get Loud much better than Bueno Vista Social Club, but that might be as a guitarist and a big fan of Jimmy Page and Jack White. The Edge, not so much, but it was really interesting to bring him in there as he has such a different approach to making sounds with the guitar. Brilliant stuff IMHO.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I haven't seen that one yet. I'll check it out if it ever comes up free on Netflix or something.
 
fat_fleet said:
Yeah I was a fan and saw 'em a couple times around 1997-98 before Jeff Davies, Joel and Matt Hollwood split (the first time). 'Twas prolly around the time many of those scenes were being filmed.
Click to expand...

That's awesome, I saw them in 2007. Joel was back and Anton told us to go fuck our sisters or something. Would definitely prefer seeing them in the 90s though.
 
fat_fleet said:
They were both in the original AFZ list. I mentioned them only because any music documentary list featuring those movies and SKOM, and not Buena Vista Social Club can't be trusted. Have you seen SKOM? Borderline unwatchable. Lars crying cuz Kirk got a birthday party and he didn't... Dave crying cuz Metallica got famous without him... Gross man-feelings all over the place, but supposedly more listworthy than BVSC.
Click to expand...

Jeez, that one sounds awful. I can't bear Metallica at the best of times, so I think I'll give that a miss I think.

Thinking of other additions to the list, I seem to remember the Scorsese Blues ones being good.

Jim White's Searching For The Wrong Eyed Jesus is pretty good, though the deep south mythologizing gets a bit hammy at times. Probably more so for anyone actually from the southern US states.

I enjoyed Pavement's doc by Lester Bangs, but probably only really one for indie rock geeks.

The Nick Drake doc A Skin Too Few is pretty great. Mainly because there's so little about him around and nothing in the way of film footage in existence - so any insight at all into his world is fascinating. Really nicely made film too. In fact, all on youtube

...also the John Martyn doc Johnny Too Bad as well. Complex guy and a bit of a shit by all accounts, what with all the wife-beatin' and cheatin' - but hard not to feel a little warmth towards someone so cheerfully accepting of the fact he's about to have his leg amputated as he downs a pint of Guinness.
 
robgreen said:
Jim White's Searching For The Wrong Eyed Jesus is pretty good, though the deep south mythologizing gets a bit hammy at times. Probably more so for anyone actually from the southern US states.
Click to expand...

My wife recently saw that and liked it...I've been avoiding it for that reason. Should I check it out?

robgreen said:
I enjoyed Pavement's doc by Lester Bangs, but probably only really one for indie rock geeks.
Click to expand...

Joke, right?
 
I keep referencing fictional stuff. But check out Treme. It's like a documentary of music in New Orleans cuz the guys they got to play for the series are guys playing music in N.O. What a concept. And guess what? It works.
 
There's a pathetic docudrama on TV in Oz as I type about INXS: Tear Us Apart. Much Ado About Nothing would've been a more appropriate title.
I bet they didn't mention their sappy codSka single about a children's show they did in a hope of having it played on the show..."Oh, oh, oh Simon...".
Oh, just so I don't confuse anyone with my ambiguity - I didn't like their music.
 
I have a few favourites that I watch quite a bit.

The Definitive Buddy Holly Story is fantastic. A real in depth study on his life and music, recording sessions, etc with recollections of people that were actually there.

The Hollies - Look Through Any Window 1963 – 1975 The thing I like most about this documentary is that it plays the whole song rather than a bit and then have people talking over it. All the chatter from the band comes in the bits between. It covers their single from the mentioned years and a few good album tracks and B-sides thrown in for good measure. Well worth watching for any fan of the band.

The Band - The Last Waltz Awesome!

Amazing Journey - The Story Of The Who A must see for any Who fan.

There are others, Sunshine Superman - The Donovan Story, the Classic Albums shows, The Story Of The Clash, The Filth & The Fury.....I could go on.
 
Mr Clean said:
The Band - The Last Waltz Awesome!
Click to expand...

Yeah, everything about that film is perfect - from The Band themselves sounding great throughout, to Neil Young being hilariously coked up on his guest slot, to Van Morrison high kicking his way through Caravan looking like an overgrown baby in that sensational purple jogging suit, to the brilliantly overwrought interviews with band members about life on the road chewing you up and spitting you out.

There's a good 'making of' documentary on the DVD extras too, including the point where the video cameras finally gave out after something like seven hours of straight recording.
 
dainbramage said:
Yeah, I got the context.

I've watched half of SKOM and couldn't take one more second of it.

About Dig, I know it is sensationalist and that especially Anton hated it. But it is fucking funny nevertheless. I'm a big BJM fan and I really appreciated the scene at the Viper Room and there is a lot of great footage besides that. No matter how it was cut, the events happened. There is also a lot of live clips which I think many documentaries lack. The people being interviewed said the things we hear them say (of course in many cases completely out of context, but still). As long as you're aware of that, you can enjoy the documentary without thinking too much about whether or not it reveals a true image of the artists.
Click to expand...

The Viper Room is one small place. I was there at a showcase for an artist and I couldn't believe how small it was. Maybe 100 people? The meeting room with the record exec was a small room inside the middle of the room.The people who worked there were real A-holes. Setting up was a disaster as there is no place to unload and load. No parking for the rig (van with a trailer). Terrible.
 
robgreen said:
Jim White's Searching For The Wrong Eyed Jesus is pretty good, though the deep south mythologizing gets a bit hammy at times. Probably more so for anyone actually from the southern US states.
Click to expand...

Gee, I hadn't heard about that one. I'll check it out. I love that album. Scary wonderful weird.
 
dobro said:
Gee, I hadn't heard about that one. I'll check it out. I love that album. Scary wonderful weird.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's a great album - all the layered vocals and counter-melodies really make it into something more than the sum of its parts.
 
They're not what make it that. It was more than the sum of its parts before the layered vocals and counter melodies even arrived. :D
 
Who_is_harry_nilsson.jpg
 
dainbramage said:
You don't really have to like the music to appreciate the documentary.
Click to expand...
That's for sure. The Doors do nothing for me but I've seen about 5 really good documentaries on them.
And though I love Pink Floyd up to and including "Meddle", I've never had any time for "Dark side of the moon" or "Wish you were here". But the documentaries on the making of both those albums are superb.
Another really good documentary I've seen recently is "The making of 'Tommy' ." I always find Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey so articulate, thoughtful and willing to give and dissect.
 
rayc said:
There's a pathetic docudrama on TV in Oz as I type about INXS: Tear Us Apart. Much Ado About Nothing would've been a more appropriate title.
Click to expand...
That docu was truly awful. I'd rather have watched rain rolling down a hill in the middle of an August night into a September morning.

Mr Clean said:
The Hollies - Look Through Any Window 1963 – 1975 . Well worth watching for any fan of the band.
Click to expand...
I like some of the Hollies stuff from both the 60s and the 70s. I don't know why, but I felt really touched by Graham Nash's devotion to Alan Clarke and the fact that despite going to America and hanging with all the hip dudes, he still considers him his best friend and missed him when he left the Hollies.
Alan Clarke's face is one of my defining memories of actually being alive in the 60s. I've got no idea why.
This documentary inspired me to actually buy "Stop stop stop" and "King Midas in reverse" and add it to my already long collection of singles from the 50s up to 2006. It's a very long documentary but it's one of the best put together I've ever seen.
Mr Clean said:
Amazing Journey - The Story Of The Who A must see for any Who fan.
Click to expand...
I was looking for some space on a tape to tape a Columbo movie a few days back when I came across this on the tape. I'd totally forgotten I had taped it. I think I missed the first 15 minutes but I got at least 2 hours of it. Just from the way the band talk on the few clips I looked at, I wouldn't be surprised if it were better than "The kids are alright."
Mr Clean said:
The Story Of The Clash,
Click to expand...
I still think some of the Clash were high up in the poseur and posturing stakes.
But this is a damn good documentary.
Mr Clean said:
Sunshine Superman - The Donovan Story
Click to expand...
Another really good one. But though this one is long, it does rather trail off after he talks about his breakdown.

Mr Clean said:
I recorded this off SkyArts the other night. Weekends viewing for me.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I saw it was on on Monday night. But I was taping "Damages". What a ridiculously great drama. The three other series have been gripping.
I'm sure the Nilsson one will be back.
I love the notion of endless repeats !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top