I spent yesterday having my kidney stones lasered, and today I am feeling a bit delicate. I’m not in the mood for music, but nerding out in front of the telly with a cup of tea is in order for the next few days.
I have Prime, and Offspring the Younger has loaned me her Netflix login while she’s at work.
DEVO, Quincy, and What Happened, Miss Simone? are in the list.
What else should I watch to distract me from the string and pipework hanging out of my [redacted]?
I Was A Teenage Sex Pistol is on Sky Art’s at 10.00pm tonight if that’s your thing.
Perfect! Thanks.
Pauline Black: A 2-Tone Story is on Sky Arts, 11pm tomorrow. I’ve been waiting to see that since it was first announced!
It fantastic, but I have to say The Selecter are my favourite 2-Tone band. Its a great portrait of her early life and journey into the music industry.
I’m always looking for stories I don’t already know… so… even if you hate Rush, the documentary that they did is rather good, not run of the mill stuff. It’s about friendship and dealing with adversity as much as anything. You’ll love them as people.
Also the Metallica one, will have the opposite effect. The Bros reunion documentary from 2018-ish is also hilarious. I think it’s good to be reminded how silly some music people are.
Not quite music, but the Fyre Festival doc is another one.
The doc about the revived Woodstock festival is on Netflix (or at last was a couple of weeks ago). It would make anyone glad to be at home recuperating rather than being there.
I’ll second the Rush one. There are actually two, which are both good, but the one Leffe is referring to is Beyond The Lighted Stage. The scene at the end with them getting mildly drunk in each other’s company while having dinner will make you feel a bit better about mankind (or at least Canadians).
Get well soon Fents!
Yep that’s the one!
The Rush documentary is well worth a watch. Neil Peart was a very shy man, it seems. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson adored and protected him. What great friends they were.
And yes, the final scenes at the restaurant table are very funny. Lifeson coming across as a warm, delightful goof.
The story of Anvil is the gold standard of the ‘band toiling in obscurity get a shot at redemption with many a disaster along the way’ rockdoc. At the start the lead singer and guitarist is a school dinners delivery driver…
Seconded. It’s a beautiful film.
Thirded. Must watch that again.
I very much enjoy the Classic Albums documentaries.
They work equally well whether it’s a favourite album or something you don’t know or think you don’t like.
And they standup to rewatching, especially if your resources are a bit depleted (voice of experience)…
I remember. Not much fun, is it? Pipework is coming out early next week, hopefully.
Something to aim for – as it were…
The Tom Petty one (its a long ‘un) is very good. Also, the Lewis Capaldi – How I’m Fereling Now on Netflix (I think) is excellent – he is very much not the shiny pop star and this is very much not that kind of documentary.
Seconded on the Tom Petty one.
Not sure if it’s online, but Tony Palmer’s All You Need is Love documentary series from the mid-70s is essential viewing if – only for the interviews of many (most?) of the seminal figures in 20th Century music’s main genres
Assuming that only a smidgeon of the filmed interviews ever made it onto screen, there must have been hours of outtakes – all probably chucked in the bin as seemed to be the practice at the time
Might be worth chasing down a DVD copy (I know It’s out there as I have the set)
That looks good. It’s on Prime as pay per episode, although it’s SD, and so cheaper on DVD.
I’ve recommended this elsewhere and while not strictly a music doc the music is integral to the story and brilliant, while the film itself is way beyond brilliant. Not the cheeriest of stories so maybe leave til the second day at least of your recovery? Not too many redemptive arcs on show here but well worth your time.
It’s not the finest picture of The Company, but probably not the worst either.
An Up for the (extremely lengthy) Tom Petty mentioned above and, if you can find it, David Crosby – Remember My Name is both moving and tragic.
Argh, this is annoying. I had a great music documentary come up on my computer’s YouTube for some algorithmic reason a few weeks ago that I really enjoyed. I can’t remember much else about it! (I have an appalling memory.) I’ve tried looking online to no avail. It was about a completely unsuccessful band, I think working class lads from the north of England in the 70s. I think. Or maybe London. Somewhere, anyway. I remember they fell out with their manager. I can’t even remember their name, or any useful details. Ffs, I sound just like my late mother recommending a film to me.
The Great Rock’n’Roll Swindle?
This is Spinal Tap?
@gary Could it have been the Kursaal Flyers documentary from the 70s. Although they are from Southend, the film shows them touring the North. It was a BBC documentary and very revealing.
Thanks for the suggestion, but no, I’ve heard of them and it was definitely an unsuccessful band I’ve never heard of. Plus just checked and that’s in black and white, this was in colour. I’ll persevere and if I manage to find it and let you know as it’s worth watching.
Found it! The Kursaal Flyers one led me to it, so thanks again, @kjwilly. This one, about the group The Span.
Do you mean this one Gary?
A band from Bradford called Punch from 1976 who jack their jobs in to go pro.
You’re right it;s great
I didn’t (see above), but that looks good too, I’ll watch it later. I love these kind of documentaries. A mix of nostalgia, schadenfreude and Spinal Tap-isms.
Is that the one where Paul Shuttleworth shaved his moustache off during a gig to mess up the continuity?
Well, that’s me ‘Spanning’ it this weekend, all I’ve gotta do is track down the CD… it’s here somewhere.
Interesting to note that the doc only actually came out in September 69 and so any advantage the 45 may have got from its broadcast had long gone.
Same thing happened to Simon Dupree and the Big Sound when they were featured on an episode of Man Alive… it made not a jot of difference to sales of Day Time, Night Time! Mind you, the follow up (Kites) did chart. I’m pretty sure the record industry disowned that programme as well.
When Bruce Springsteen Came to Britain is on the iPlayer. An enjoyable watch if you like the Boss.
Although I’m no fan, Promises and Lies, the UB40 story is well worth a watch to see how lucky they were and bewilder at how much money they lost without even realising where it was going.
I’ll tell you something that annoyed me in that documentary. One of them, Ali I think, dissed the debut album, saying they didn’t really know how to play and only had cheap instruments and could do it much better if they did it again. As a big reggae fan, I’m of the opinion that their debut is not only far better than everything that they followed it with (except the magnificent and sublime The Earth Dies Screaming 12″), but is actually one of the best reggae albums of all time.
Hmmm. Agree it is their best. But one of best of all time. Ok Top thirty maybe
Appeal to the governor of Louisiana, you may get an answer the process is slow. / King, where are your people now? Chained and pacified. / There are murders that we must account for, bloody deeds have been done in my name. / Ivory Madonna, dying in the dust, waiting for the manna coming from the west.
Such great songs! Mind you, I’m the type of reggae fan who thinks Exodus is Bob Marley’s (and reggae’s!) best album, and that The Earth Dies Screaming 12″ just wins over Natural Mystic as the greatest reggae song of all time. That’s not to say I’m a reggae “civilian” – I do know and love a lot of less well known, less “commercial” reggae songs and albums, but I nonetheless hereby unashamedly declare the high esteem in which I hold Signing Off, The Earth Dies Screaming 12″ and Exodus.
Correcting the OP, Offspring the Elder (note: I’m on Tramodol) it turns out also has Disney+, so I can watch the Fabs series on there when she gets back from work.
All the above look good, although I’ve already seen the Anvil and the Boss ones.
Keep ’em coming…
A Band Called Death is on YouTube, in case you’ve not seen it. Great documentary. “The first punk band”.
Summer of Soul is on Disney+ and is absolutely fantastic.
Disney+ also has Bluey. Not a music documentary, but if you haven’t seen it, you’ll thank me.
No suggestions, but get well soon, Sir.
On the plus side, Tramadol is a good way to lose a day or two in its own.
I hate Tramadol, and said so during the pre-op Q&A. They still dosed me up on it, though.
While Mrs F was driving me home at speed round the country lanes, in order to get home in time for a Teams call, I was groaning and feeling nauseous. “Either slow down, or be prepared to clean my vom from the inside of your car”.
Not a documentary, but 24 Hour Party People is always worth a rewatch. I’d avoid ‘Control’ if you want to keep your spirits up.
But Grant Gee’s Joy Division doc is definitely worth a watch.
There was a New Order doc around the time of Factory collapse and the Republic album
(which I actually quite like!).
Think it was ITV (South Bank Show), but found it recently on SkyArts (or was it Prime?)
Absolutely, the Grant Gee JD doc is terrific. Do you mean the NO one where Keith Allen is MCing as a sort of slightly demented quiz show host?
That’s the one
There was a long New Order documentary released in the 90s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Order_Story
I remember enjoying Heavy Load when I saw it.
Synopsis here, courtesy of The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/oct/03/documentary.music
Penelope Spheeris’ first coupleof Decline and Fall of Western
Civilzation films – the one about punk and heavy metal – are well worth a look
Still Bill a BBC documentary about Bill Withers was really good.
I’d also recommend the documentary Home Again about Edwyn Collins’s recovery from stroke. There’s a more arty film The Possibilities are Endless but I preferred the first one. Quite uplifting in the end
Sam Fender’s Alan Hull documentary is well worth a watch.
Another vote for the Tom Petty.
A thumbs down for one about The Anti Nowhere League which I watched one wet Saturday afternoon rather than make an effort to do absolutely anything else.
I recommend Dig! and As the Palaces Burn. The former documents the very different paths taken by The Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre in the early 2000s. While the latter band start off in chaos and deteriorate in drugs and violence, the Dandy Warhols break out internationally and reap the rewards. The film does have contributions from tedious art bore Genesis P Orridge, but otherwise it’s compelling, ridiculous and even moving. Don’t bother with the extended cut that was released last year: it’s just more of the same.
As the Palaces Burn starts out as a documentary about metal band Lamb of God. Dreadful music, but interesting people. It plays like a fan documentary until halfway through, when the singer is charged with manslaughter in the Czech Republic.
Dig! Is great.
Also the disco and funk docs on the iplayer both excellent
Another thumbs up for Dig!
Beatles Anthology (about 6 hours long)
25×5 Stones
The Kids Are Alright (Who)
No Direction Home (Dylan)
This Byrd has Flown (Gene Clark)
Feel better soon
To go up a notch, so hope you’ve got that sofa booked in for the next month, the Ken Burns 10-part documentary series called, and on, Jazz is stunning. Well over twenty hours of A1 documentary – and the first seven are pretty much the history of popular music up to dawn of rock and roll.
Not sure who it is streaming with, can see an ebay dvd boxset would not be extortionate. The first episode on New Orleans, blues, ragtime etc. is truly awesome.
His one on country music is also very good. It turns up in BBC4 every now and again, so might be on iPlayer.
Not available on iplayer at the moment but it is downloadable and also on YouTube.
4 DVD box purchased for 8 quid. Ta.
The Bros documentary elicited much sniggering, but I genuinely thought it was quite moving. I know there’s a lot to laugh at, but the bits about their sister dying – and the sibling rivalry – was rather affecting.
I forgot about the sad parts, but it’s been a while since I saw it. I’ll actually watch it again, being a twin myself…
I’ve seen so many I can’t remember them all. I find they can be worth seeing even if you’re not mad about the act in question.
Don’t Look Back is one of the best since it was early on and DA Pennebaker had full rein.
Get Back because Jackson knew more was more in terms of footage.
Miles Davis – Birth of the cool
1959 the year that changed everything (jazz)
Synth Britannia
The Rock Family Trees series, Fleetwood Mac is a good one
Classic Albums, most of these, particularly Screamadelica, The Doors, DSOTM, Aja
Message To Love: Isle of Wight festival
There’s a recent one on Woodstock 69 in which survivors talk about their experiences.
Echo in the canyon with Jakob Dylan about Laurel Canyon acts
Queen Days of our lives
The Bee Gees doc, not sure of name
Synth Britannia is terrific. IIRC, Andy McCluskey of OMD pops up criticising people who said of the early keyboard-based acts, “They just press a button and the synth does all the work.”
He says something like “If there was a button you could press to create a hit song, we would have been pressing it all the time. But there isn’t, so we had to do it ourselves.” Bravo!
The John Otway documentary is a hoot!
Funnily enough, I had coffee earlier with Dave McLarnon, whose band are supporting Otway tonight in Belfast, at a large pub that hasn’t put on music in years, which seems odd. I had assumed he must have retired years ago. Seemingly not.
I did like how he grafted his entrance at the premiere of the film in Leicester Square to the end of the film as it was showing at the premiere.
I was one of the “Producers” (crowdfunders) of the film and I really enjoyed seeing him arrive at the premiere and then seeing the arrival again on screen a couple of hours later. The version we saw in the cinema was, I think, rather longer than the official release. The bonus footage on the dvd is tremendously entertaining but I don’t imagine that is streamable.
Hope you’re recovering well @fentonsteve
Tis brilliant – an object lesson in how self-belief will pull you through no matter how mad your ideas
(and a healthy fanbase always helps)
This is Pop the XTC documentary is great as is Lawrence of Belgravia about the Felt/Denim/Go Kart Mozart frontman
Yes to both. I bought Lawrence of Belgravia cheap on Blu-ray earlier this year.
The Filth & The Fury – Julien Temple Sex Pistols doc re-writing the McLaren myth Great Rock n Rll Swindle
Oil City Confidential – Feelgood getting some overdue recognition and coverage
Wilko Johnson doc
BBC4 was once a treasure chest for relatively minor interest music docs.
Rough Trade and Postcard Records are 2 I have saved somewhere.
And the Brittania strand was always worth a watch (often with Nigel Planer narrating)
Amazon Prime Music docs – general rule: avoid
Especially if the production company is Shoreline Entertainment – tend to be a talking heads doc (usually featuring Chris Welch, Malcolm Dome, someone from Classic Rock magazine, and an Australian DJ). Strewn with errors, which just makes the experience annoying (example: The Jam split up in 1981. In 1983 however they had recorded and released That’s Entertainment)
Quite a lot free on YouTube, including episodes from Arena like this on Polystyrene.
Very touching. I look at punk these days and I find it quite sweet.
There’s also The Wonderful And Frightening World Of Mark E. Smith to see. A good watch.
Was never a big fan of The Style Council, but the doc Long Hot Summers: The Story of the Style Council had me scrabbling around listening again to what I’d ignored
(OK, not everything was a winner, but there’s some good stuff there I missed)
There was a 1986 Omnibus documentary on BBC2 called Video Jukebox, about the history of music videos. It was presented by John Peel and John Walters and was 6 hours long. Youtube has clips, but I’d love to see the whole programme again.
Granada also did a great doc in 1987 called ‘It was 20 Years Ago Today’, about Sgt Pepper and the 1960s. That one is easy to find online.
Alan G Parker * did an updated version of the Pepper doc – It was 50 Years Ago Today
* Not Alan Parker of Bugsy Malone, Fame, The Wall, The Commitments, etc – this is Alan G Parker, who looks like a cross between Mike Batt and a Womble
(but has done some good books and docs)
He also did Hello Quo which is worth a watch
This reminds me of a NY Eve telethon which I think was just titled ‘The 80s’ and screened Dec 31 1989. My sister and I taped it and would watch it obsessively. She recently found it on YouTube, or bits of it and we got a bit misty eyed one evening watching it again, laughing in recognition at the on-screen captions – funny how you remember things like that, years later!
And I remember that Pepper doc too, it was fantastic – especially when it covered the West Coast psych scene too interviewing Crosby, McGuinn, some bloke from the Diggers commune, Ginsberg etc etc
Couple from the Madness stable:
Before We Was We (originally broadcast on BTTV (or whatever it was called) found on SkyArts (I think?)
Suggs – My Story
Lee Thompson – One Man’s Madness
The Clash – Westway To The World
Fents wont watch this, they had no hits you know.
There’s a great documentary about the 808 drum machine, way more interesting than you might imagine.
“Everything – The Real Thing Story” was a good one.
This is well worth a watch
Looks good – 2025 and I think French made (ARTE) under the name Madness – Prince du ska, roi de la pop
Must seek it out and give it a watch (if it’s anywhere else but Youtube)
ARTE indeed but alas not on there at the moment.
One from Prime (and possibly other platforms?):
Andy Summers – Can’t Stand Losing You: Surviving the Police
The BBC series of Bowie docs – Five Years, The First…, The Last…
Also Beside Bowie -The Mick Ronson Story
Miss Americana (Taylor Swift)
Taylor (on Channel 4)
I thoroughly enjoyed this Australian documentary about Albert Productions, with lots of interesting stuff about AC DC, Vanda and Young, and the sad downfall of Stevie Wright.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuhyG9NDCOc
Get Back – Beatles. There’s a day gone, right there.
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart -Wilco
Dig – BJM & Dandy Wahols
Some Kind Of Monster – Metallica. No fan of their music, but good film.
When Bruce Springsteen Came to Britain
The Wilco documentary is up on YouTube at the moment
Jethro Tull from 1979 as part of the BBC’s “Lively Arts” series
This would have been perfect for inclusion as an extra on the “Stormwatch” box set a few years ago
I agree – but, for me, the video has been blocked by BBC Studios “on copyright grounds” – I’m guessing copyright difficulties worldwide is what stopped it being included.
The other one is called Slipstream which trailed Stormwatch and is excellent. I have it on a bonus DVD paired with the remaster of “A”.
I could always, ahem, save a backup of the Beeb thing on the IoM if you like Fitz.
I have Slipstream from the same source as you, @Twang.
Thanks for the offer on the Beeb thing: I’ll try to find it by another route myself and perhaps come back to you if I fail?
Sure dude.
A few on YouTube :
Glyn Johns – Recording The Beatles, Stones, Led Zeppelin etc.
Mike Oldfield Story
The Wrecking Crew
Piano Blues – Clint Eastwood documentary
The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson
The Charlie Parker Story
There was a really good 1-hour documentary about Nic Jones on YouTube a few years ago, called either “In Search of Nic Jones” or “The Nic Jones Story”.
The full version now seems to have disappeared.
All that’s left is this nine-minute excerpt:
Sheffield based Rutlander, Sam Carter, is doing a show of songs all from Nic Jones’ repertoire, at Celtic Connections in Jan. Sadly I am not there this year. Carter is just the right sort of singer/guitarist to do the catalogue proud.
That was a lovely doc. I remember Pencil and I chatting on twitter whist watching it in simultaneous floods when Nic came on stage to join his son’s band at the end.
It appears it’s ten years ago I saw them in Sowerby Bridge.
The Go-Betweens documentary “Right Here” is excellent. This includes the extra interviews on the DVD version, which are all worth watching.
I think I’ve seen this @duco01
I’ve certainly seen one Go- Betweens docu. Basically the premise is, we’ve made a great album but no-one has actually bought it.
Hmmm … I think you might be thinking of the other Go-Betweens documentary, Mr Steady. They made one in the “Classic Albums” series about 16 Lovers Lane. It was pretty good, and the main gist of the programme was “we made a great album but no one bought it”.
“Right Here”, on the other hand, is a full-length film telling the entire history of the band. It’s an essential watch for all Go-Betweens fans. The things that emerges most clearly was that Lindy and Grant LOATHED each other. How on earth did they stay in the same band for so long?
@duco01
Actually, pretty sure it was “Right Here” I watched a few years back. Really enjoyed it but I was sure the basic point was great albums, no sales.
Definitely some strange bedfellows in the band. And oh, Amanda..
I wasn’t aware there was a Classic Albums on 16 Lovers Lane but it certainly deserves that epithet…it’s one of my Top 10 albums ever of all time ever. Any idea if it’s watchable anywhere? Ta
Currently unavailable to stream in the UK, but I’ve asked a ‘moody’ post-punk pal for a rip.
Fred, the Classic Albums series seem to run at all hours on Sky Arts, so sit and wait and it will turn up. I now have a rip of Right Here, PM me for ‘help’ if you need a backup.
Thanks Fents. I’ll keep an eye out for that, it’s such a great and great sounding album.
I watched Right Here yesterday and it was excellent. I bought all of the 2CD GB sets years ago and admired rather than loved them. The doco makes me think I should give them another listen.
I really like the Go-betweens, have all the albums I believe and 16 Lovers Lane is in my top ten but…
….I think most of their albums have one or two absolute corkers and the rest is a bit so-so!
I bet they never played West Runton Pavilion and all
Look what I found, Fred:
Oh Lordy!
Thank you very much indeed!
It looks lush!
I watched it earlier. In the same series are episodes on The Triffids, The Saints, Crowded House and Nick Cave amongst others.
Replying to your last comment below
Ace…some good bands there. Will investigate when Frau Steady is absent
Mr Blue Sky , The Story of Jeff Lynne. A great look at the extremely talented Mr Lynne.
Everyone talks about Ozzy, but for me Jeff Lynne is the most supreme musical talent my hometown has produced.
Greatest pop/rock musician to have come out of Birmingham? Steve Winwood’s got to be in contention, surely?
Definitely in contention the boy from Handsworth, and again above Ozzy. IMO Definitely the winner of the born nearest the Greatest football teams stadium (The Hawthorns) although Phil Lynott runs close on that one. I’ll have to get my map out. And my coat.
Yebbut. Ozzy created a whole genre which lives today.
Not on his own he didn’t, he had a few other Sabbaths with him?
The Band – Once Were Brothers
No Direction Home – rewatched this recently and it is even better than I remembered.
Ones I’ve rewatched…
Classic Albums – Aja
ZZ Top – best little band band from Texas
Mike Oldfield story
Guns n Roses must dangerous band
Rush
Cocaine cowboys in the Hollywood Hills
… I’m sure there are more
The Tom Petty one is really good but somewhat sanitised – I think there’s a story to be told about TP outside the regular guy one. He had a pretty dark side and this is always airbrushed out.
The Graun’s Laura Barton has made an excellent 5-part radio documentary about Bruce Springsteen in the Legends series, currently available on BBC Sounds. Barton is a serious Springsteen fan and has the kind of mellifluous voice I could listen to all day long, but that’s another story….
The Beeb’s Legends doco about Joni Mitchell was also pretty good.
Yes, I’ve been listening to that – the kitchen radio is tuned to R4. Her series Notes on Music was excellent, too.
‘Everyone Stares’ by Stewart Copeland. The Police drummer’s assemblage of his own Super8 footage of the PoliceMania years. It’s excellent. They look exhausted all the time.
Similarly the BBC Arena documentary on Dire Straits made in 1980 just prior to the release of ‘Making Movies’. They’re filmed rehearsing in Greenwich and recording in New York. They all look skinny, knackered and still skint too. Shattered by the previous two years.
Never forget the Rockpile “Born Fighters” documentary.
I didn’t read the OP properly, but when I saw Quincy, I thought you were going to binge “the most fascinating sphere of police work: the world of forensic medicine”.
Stewart Lee’s documentary about the Nightingales, King Rocker, is terrific if you’ve not seen it.
The BBC doco series about Slim Gaillard is still available on YouTube. An amazing life, and endlessly entertaining.
Ever so slightly off topic, but I’ve just watched Sunday Best on Netflix, which is about Ed Sullivan who was a mainstay of late night tv in the U.S. for a couple of decades. He selected all the live acts for his show and promoted a great many black artists when he had to fight a lot of opposition to do it. Though not too deep, it’s well edited and whizzes along and features some terrific clips from many greats. (As with Summer Of Soul you just wish they were longer)
Some will object to the way they employ “A.I.” to reproduce his voice to speak words which were his in print.