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?
“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.
Dig! is fantastic.
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.
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!
Trailer:
I was going to say exactly the same – excellent documentary
I’m sold – acquired it last night.
There’s a programme about Kraftwerk’s Computer World album on Radio 4 right now. GO!
Yes, I’m on it.
I had a laughing fit listening to the start of that programme whilst driving through Reading. It was the bit where the guy was talking about being in school in St. Helens and his classmate drawing on his, ahem, penis- “turned out he was a Kraftwerk fan.”
Get well soon
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.
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 … ?’
The superb The Burger & The King about Elvis’ appetite from cradle to grave is on iPlayer archive section
And “The Burger & The King” gets a bonus point for an excellent title!
A three-part series on BBC4 about the music biz, “Hits, Hype and Hustle” started last Friday. Part 1 is on the iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09mbfjx/hits-hype-hustle-an-insiders-guide-to-the-music-business-series-1-1-making-a-star
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?
Another thumbs up for Dig! I’d also recommend the excellent BBC2 Arena documentary on Joe Meek which is on Youtube too.
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.
Another vote for the Tom Petty doco. Fabulous stuff.
Up for UB40 – and both still touring using variants of the name, mainly on the cabaret/revival/toilet circuit.
More chance of a Davies or Gallagher re-union than a Campbell one
This is Spinal Tap: Riveting and revealing study of the legendary hard rock band.
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.
Sorry, that should be ‘On My Life’
There’s an entertaining Ziggy Stardust doc that was on bbc4 a few weeks back, good airtime for the surviving Spiders:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01k0y0n/david-bowie-and-the-story-of-ziggy-stardust
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09ksl9g/oasis-supersonic – oafish, entertaining and contains a lot of MCFC shirts so I’m happy.
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
I’m surprised no-one has mentioned “Oil City Confidential”
They have now – and a big seconding to that one
The Twisted Sister documentary is on You Tube – worth watching even if you don’t like the music . Great story, well told
Watching this trailer gets me all of a quiver
This looks amazing. Anyone seen it?
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
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
What’s the other one called @Rigid Digit ? ta
Just re_read what I wrote, and failed to mention the title of the doc I was getting excited about.
The Rise and Fall Of The Clash
Some Kind Of Monster. Hilarious, sad and very moving. And a happy ending (for most). It’s on Netflix.
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.”
Yes! That’s my favourite quote.
We should start a Torben Ulrich appreciation society. T-shirts, membership cards, the lot.
“He’s always stretching.”
The doc about Hansa Studios (on SkyArts last week) is worth a watch
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.
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.
A: Why isn´t Running Down A Dream on Swedish Netflix?
And B: How would you know?
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.
… and of course, given the news this evening, this one (although not available on iPlayer for some reason):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074r00
How about “Festival”?
Highlights of the Newport Folk Festival in the mid sixties. Including That Performance by Bob Dylan.
This is a good one on YouTube
1979 BBC doc about the mighty Jethro Tull
Follows them on an American tour and in the recording studio,plus individual profiles of the members
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.
Alan Yentob’s Arena film on The Everlys is an absolute classic.
Easy to forget that that name-dropping prick was once a first-rate filmmaker.
Hmm … yes. Didn’t Alan Yentob make that “Cracked Actor” programme about David Bowie in the mid-70’s? That was pretty good, as I recall…
Yep. He did loads of good Arenas in the 70s-80s. You can pretty much date the onset of his “prickness” from when he started appearing in front of the camera.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04w08p6/the-clash-new-years-day-77
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.