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ATM: choose me a music documentary

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I’m stuck at home with bronchitis this week and don’t feel like listening to music (or watching daytime telly). A kind soul sent me the recent Sky Arts documentary on Hansa studios, which was great. I have the XTC doc to watch today. All education is good education, after all.

I ask the massive to suggest a good music documentary to pass the time between coughing fits.

My telly does YouTube and iPlayer, 4OD etc but I don’t do Prime, Sky or Netflix or any of those subs jobbies.

Did someone mention one on Billy Mackenzie?

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Comments

  1. “Dig!” is terrific, following the respective career progressions of one-time pals the Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. It doesn’t matter if you know or even like either of those bands, this is all about two bands’ very different dynamics and experiences, with (spoiler alert) DW going on to commercial success and BJM self-imploding at every available opportunity, which provides moments of genuine hilarity. The source of one of the greatest music quotes of all time – “They broke my fucking sitar, motherfuckers”.

    On the other hand, and in case you hadn’t seen it and were tempted, avoid the George Harrison Living In The Material World one – sugar coated and surprisingly shallow given the rich depths of its subject matter.

    • Just finished watching “Dig!”. Dear Lord…

      As the narrator says, put eight junkies in a van, drive them across America with nothing but drink and drugs for weeks, don’t feed them, don’t let them sleep. What could possibly go wrong?

      I read recently that Anton is now clean, sober, happy, married and living in Europe. He’s been lucky to make it this far still alive.

  2. I’ve just recently started on the 8-part series Soundbreaking, which I was given on DVD a few months ago as a birthday gift. It’s a fascinating look at the history of recorded music and features lots of talking heads – not just the usual suspects either. I dare say the shots of huge mixing desks and suchlike will take your mind off your lurgi for a bit. It’s bound to be on YouTube in one form or another.
    http://soundbreaking.com
    Get well soon!

  4. Hi Fentonsteve, hope you’re feeling better soon.

    I was going to suggest Dig! too – a great look at rivalry and has many moments of unintentional hilarity.

    Can also recommend I Am Trying To Break Your Heart – a doc about how Wilco made Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and almost imploded along the way, but has a happy ending. Beautifully shot in b/w. Also Mistaken for Strangers, where the National’s singer’s younger brother fucks up at every turn when he’s taken on tour. Given that the other members of the National are two sets of brothers, it’s a great take on fraternal relationships – and again has its Spinal Tap moments.

    I’ll watch The Petty and Foo Fighters biopics anytime, but it depends on how much you like them. The Rush bio, Beyond The Lighted Stage is very good too, eh.

    • Yes, ‘Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage’ is lovely. They all seem to be genuinely nice guys. I hope they are.

      I wasn’t aware of the personal tragedy that Neil Peart suffered, which is dealt with here. That aside the mood is of 3 gentle blokes happy with what they’ve been able to maintain. All of them enjoy real silliness which bubbles up right at the end during the credits. They’re filmed at dinner getting daft on a few bottles of wine. it’s funny.

  5. Howard Goodall’s 4 part series How Music works is all on Youtube, though you will have to patch it together from segments. If you’re a musician it might be fairly basic stuff. If, like me, you have no musical ability it does exactly what it promises and explains all those points where you find yourself trying to explain music by saying, ‘You know that bit where it goes … ?’

  8. Not exactly a documentary, but ‘Fear of a black hat’ is worth 88 minutes of your time. Its a faux documentary about a late 80s hip hop group. I recently brought copies for my work colleagues who all agreed that its pretty darned funny. That may not be a good thing for your cough right now.

    • I love that film and have mentioned it on here on occasions to zero response. The parodies are great and it also features some great gags – what’s the difference between a bitch and a ho?

  10. Three from me:-

    Running down a Dream – Is a fantastic documentary about Tom Petty. I watched it before he passed – I am sure there would be an extra poignancy to it now.
    A documentary on Netflix about Muscle Shoals also very good.
    However the best of the bunch is Promises and Lies – the Story of UB40. In the eighties they were the biggest selling artist in the World – now they are bankrupt and the brothers hate the sight of each other. Compelling portrait of how to seriously screw up.

  12. In My Life – Ian Dury

    It’s on Youtube I think. Basically his life story. What a talent he was. It’s funny, poignant and interesting. I always end up with something in my eye at the end.

  15. If you like Scott Walker the documentary 30th Century Man is excellent. Contributions from Richard Hawley, Brian Eno, Alison Goldfrapp and David Bowie amongst others. Insights into his complex character and a great overview of his progression from the temple of teen hearthrobbery to the sonic cathedral of meat beating.

    Otherwise, watching classics like the Woodstock movie, Gimme Shelter, Monterey Pop and Jazz On A Summer’s Day is always diverting. Full of great music and the sight of history in the making.

    Get well

    • It’s a good ‘un.
      The Damned get the doco they deserve.
      They were just as committed (if not more) than their peers, and are still going strong(ish) today – new album due April.

      Cash From Chaos – they certainly had the Chaos, just never got much Cash

  20. The Clash are fairly well served by doco treatments.
    The best is probably Don Letts Westway To The World.
    But this does what all Clash histories does and expunges, or at least skirts over, what happened after Shea Stadium in 1982.
    There really isn’t too much “new” in the first half (The Rise (20 minutes or so)), but it does the job as a companion to WTTW (even if Robin Banks “decking Sandy Pearlman” story is re-told again).
    The remaing time focuses on telling the story that is rarely told (or spoken of).
    (redux warning!) Bernie Rhodes return in 1981, Topper getting sacked, breaking America, the break between Joe and Mick (was this to do with Bernie? there is a distinct possibility), Mick getting sacked, the Busking Tour, Joe’s loss of interest … the end).
    Mick is the only original member to contribute, but late period members Pete Howard and Nick Shepherd and Vince White finally get a voice – and Terry Chimes puts in an appearance.
    It wasn’t all sweetness and light, but they were all committed to the band (and so was Joe for a while).
    But ultimately one of the greatest rock n roll bands to emerge from the punk era exited with a whimper

    • Yes! That’s the one I thought of immediately when I saw this thread.

      Essential viewing if you are or ever have been a man in a band. Or just a man. Or just anyone wanting an insight into men. You don’t have to like Metallica (I don’t). Just brilliant.

      There’s such an embarrassing number of great scenes it’s hard to pick a favourite. Lars meeting his dad to play him tracks from the new album in progress? The band awkwardly trying to fire their therapist?

      • I think it helps if you have no relation to their music. I grew up with their music and I have to say it was kind of hard to watch them behaving like spoiled kids, acting like idiots. Kirk seems like a balanced guy, but the others?

        Being filmed while going through all that and being able to watch it later – not to mention during – must have been very humbling and sobering. Lars, apart from everything else, got divorced during the making of the movie (filming lasted for years). He wisely, I feel, decided to keep it away from the camers.

        Also, I found it very moving to watch James grow up. It probably saved his life.

        “I would say delete that.”

  23. Two recommendations from me, both originally shown on BBC4

    Still Bill – a fascinating and heartwarming portrait of Bill Withers.

    Home Again – A heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting account of Edwyn Collins recovery from his stroke. I found it more satisfying than the artier take of the Possibilities are Endless.

  24. Since you’re hopefully not going to be sick for too long, how about signing up for the free Netflix trial ? There’s a metric s**t ton (tonne?) of docos on there. And even if you pay for one month you aren’t locked in and you can stop it immediately.

    There’s the Petty one, a couple on Keef, Miss Sharon Jones, 20,000 days on earth, I called him Morgan, Joe Cocker, Mad Dog With Soul, Hired Gun, Bowie, George Harrison, Eagles, Foo Fighters, Sound City (a particular favourite), We Are Twisted F***king Sister, Gaga, Shot, The Other One (Bob Weir) and more.

  25. American Epic – 4 part doco on the history of recording in the US. FASCINATING, brilliantly done, and it’s on YouTube (well it is here in Australia)

    • Another up for American Epic. Jack White is the Man – see also It Might Get Loud.

      There are excellent docs on the Wrecking Crew, Muscle Shoals and Stax (on YT) kicking around.

      I know they’re not toppermost of the poppermost round here, but I really enjoyed that doc about the Eagles.

    • Prompted by Mousey and Mikethep’s recommendations, I finally got around to watching Part 1 of American Epic on YouTube last night. It was indeed superb, with some excellent interview material.

      Part 2 is also on YouTube, but as far as I can see, Parts 3 and 4 are not. Pity.

  29. Searching for Sugar Man. Though he faded into obscurity in the U.S., an early ’70s musician known as Rodriguez unwittingly became a huge hit in South Africa and was widely rumoured to have died. Two obsessed fans set out to learn the man’s true fate. What they discovered beggars belief.

  32. Just to chip in with Gimme Shelter, about the Stones’ fatal concert at Altamont in 69. Bad drugs, the Hells Angels, and Mick Jagger looking like a frightened rabbit. Fascinating stuff.

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