Overall, tho: What makes a good music film? Which ones are worth going back to, and which should be forever binned?
― bucky wunderlick (bucky), Thursday, 1 May 2003 15:18 (twenty-one years ago) link
Instrument: Ten Years with the Band Fugazi
200 Motels
― christoff (christoff), Thursday, 1 May 2003 15:57 (twenty-one years ago) link
― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 1 May 2003 16:01 (twenty-one years ago) link
I hate concert films/videos.
― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Thursday, 1 May 2003 16:03 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Thursday, 1 May 2003 16:04 (twenty-one years ago) link
― gage o (gage o), Thursday, 1 May 2003 16:04 (twenty-one years ago) link
― christoff (christoff), Thursday, 1 May 2003 16:09 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Thursday, 1 May 2003 16:16 (twenty-one years ago) link
Popol Vuh - Sei still wisse ICH BIN (lots of people in white wander about the Sinai Desert following a Jesus-like "prophet" who is played by a woman in a beard - all to the accompaniment of Popol Vuh's weirdest album)
The Residents - Whatever Happened to Vileness Fats? ("...deals with the community of Vileness Flats, a town populated by round one-armed midgets")
― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 1 May 2003 16:21 (twenty-one years ago) link
― M.Slaughter, Thursday, 1 May 2003 16:29 (twenty-one years ago) link
― thomas de'aguirre (biteylove), Thursday, 1 May 2003 16:36 (twenty-one years ago) link
& don't sleep on the Led Zeppelin Danish TV special from 1969.
Bin that negatively creepy Radiohead movie, couldn't watch it.
I hear "the Osbournes" is a good show
― autovac (autovac), Thursday, 1 May 2003 17:40 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Joe (Joe), Thursday, 1 May 2003 19:12 (twenty-one years ago) link
A pretty good, quite recognizable example = I Am Trying to Break Your Heart...
an AMAZING, not-as-recognizable example = Genghis Blues
― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 1 May 2003 19:16 (twenty-one years ago) link
― M.Slaughter, Thursday, 1 May 2003 20:49 (twenty-one years ago) link
Beat Street, Wild Style and Krush Groove are all worth checking out.
Standing In The Shadows Of Motown was pretty decent too.
― Mil, Friday, 2 May 2003 00:41 (twenty-one years ago) link
I really enjoy 'Friends Forever'. Not the most popular band in the world, but I find the film terrific.
― Millar (Millar), Friday, 2 May 2003 00:58 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 2 May 2003 13:54 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 2 May 2003 14:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― harveyw (harveyw), Friday, 2 May 2003 14:21 (twenty-one years ago) link
(When is someone going to bring all the Comic Strip stuff out on DVD?!?)
― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 2 May 2003 15:08 (twenty-one years ago) link
― nickn (nickn), Friday, 2 May 2003 21:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
"Help!"
"Melodie Nelson" French TV Special
Can't wait for the Zeppelin Live DVD's.
― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 5 May 2003 20:25 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Monday, 5 May 2003 20:31 (twenty-one years ago) link
― piscesboy, Monday, 21 March 2005 16:02 (nineteen years ago) link
― Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 21 March 2005 16:14 (nineteen years ago) link
― Jena (JenaP), Monday, 21 March 2005 16:47 (nineteen years ago) link
― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Monday, 21 March 2005 17:49 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 21 March 2005 18:01 (nineteen years ago) link
― stew, Monday, 21 March 2005 18:18 (nineteen years ago) link
― john'n'chicago, Monday, 21 March 2005 18:22 (nineteen years ago) link
― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Monday, 21 March 2005 18:22 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 21 March 2005 18:25 (nineteen years ago) link
― Trip Maker (Sean Witzman), Monday, 21 March 2005 18:27 (nineteen years ago) link
― Will(iam), Monday, 21 March 2005 19:42 (nineteen years ago) link
― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Monday, 21 March 2005 22:46 (nineteen years ago) link
― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Monday, 21 March 2005 22:47 (nineteen years ago) link
Jena - Here you go. Anna , with Anna Karina and Jean Claude Brially singing Gainsbourg songs, is great, too.
I just watched the Electric Miles documentary and think it's outstanding.
― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 21 March 2005 22:57 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 21 March 2005 22:57 (nineteen years ago) link
― Jena (JenaP), Monday, 21 March 2005 23:03 (nineteen years ago) link
― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Monday, 21 March 2005 23:10 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 21 March 2005 23:18 (nineteen years ago) link
http://www.thelanguageofmusic.com/
― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 21 March 2005 23:22 (nineteen years ago) link
― tremendoid (tremendoid), Monday, 21 March 2005 23:37 (nineteen years ago) link
― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Tuesday, 22 March 2005 02:27 (nineteen years ago) link
― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 22 March 2005 02:48 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ken L (Ken L), Tuesday, 22 March 2005 02:58 (nineteen years ago) link
― Keith C (kcraw916), Tuesday, 22 March 2005 03:39 (nineteen years ago) link
― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Tuesday, 22 March 2005 04:14 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 22 March 2005 22:45 (nineteen years ago) link
opens in NYC today
http://filmforum.org/film/eat-that-question-frank-zappa-in-his-own-words-film
http://nypost.com/2016/06/23/zappa-doc-looks-back-at-a-lifetime-of-lousy-music/
― helpless before THRILLARY (Dr Morbius), Friday, 24 June 2016 19:46 (eight years ago) link
my friends jake and neil made a doc about milford graves. gonna be at film society of lincoln center this spring. you should go!
https://www.filmlinc.org/daily/lineup-announced-for-the-2018-edition-of-art-of-the-real/
geeta really liked it:
http://4columns.org/dayal-geeta/milford-graves-full-mantis
― scott seward, Thursday, 22 March 2018 19:37 (six years ago) link
If you look in the bowels of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video (in the UK at least) you'll find a fair few interesting documentaries, Of Montreal, Death, Tad, St Thomas, Lo Sound Desert (Kyuss etc:), Mudhoney, Pentagram, Colin Hay, Some nice Punk/Hardcore/SxE ones, Bad Brains/HR, tons really.
― MaresNest, Thursday, 22 March 2018 20:44 (six years ago) link
The Colin Hay one was nice enough. Also a surprisingly similar Tom Paxton one.
I watch all of these. I mean, ALL, even if I don't like the artist in question much.
Things US Netflix has that I've watched:
Ethan Hawke Chet Baker thing (interminable and overprecious)Bowie: Man Who Changed the World (okay though true heads scurry over to HBO for the Last Five Years thing)History of the Eagles (long and tedious of course, with moments of Walshian crazy that make it worth it)Now More than Ever: The History of Chicago (honestly you can skip this)Tom Petty: Runnin' Down a Dream (long but watchable)What Happened, Miss Simone (highly recommended)Mr. Dynamite: Rise of James Brown (okay but the biopic had more pizazz)The Wrecking Crew (quite good, a good companion piece to Shadows of Motown and Fred Armisen Standup for Drummers (nah, skip it)Long Time Running (Tragically Hip, pretty good)Anvil: Story of Anvil (highly regarded but a bit snoozy for me)Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me (meh)Miss Sharon Jones (good)We Are Twisted Fucking Sister (okay)It Might Get Loud (already discussed to death)Beware Mr. Baker (meh)Hired Gun (good)Jaco (okay)Danny Says (meh)The Winding Stream (non-bad Carter Family doc)
Things on Netflix that I haven't watched yet but will report back:
Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark Biggie & TupacCoach Snoop (the "Snoop Lion" Jamaica doc was entertaining) When You're StrangeParrot Heads (I may not get to this)
Amazon Prime right now has:
BOTH Sign O the Times and Graffiti Bridge. Also a bunch of good DC punk/hardcore stuff. And Stop Making Sense! And 808, a really nice documentary about the Roland drum machine of the same name. A reasonably charming thing about Pulp's last show in Sheffield. And the LCD Soundsystem doc "Shut Up and Play the Hits."
Frankly all the streaming services are doing a decent job with this lately.
― yamnesia (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 22 March 2018 21:12 (six years ago) link
I love Pulp and always will but that documentary put me off them for a good couple of years
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 22 March 2018 21:13 (six years ago) link
XP - The 808 Doc is great, really enjoyable
― MaresNest, Thursday, 22 March 2018 21:19 (six years ago) link
Fair enough, Camaraderie. As I say, I watch these regardless of my feelings about the artist, I find something to relate to in all of them. I watch them even when they're unpleasant and frankly terrible.
I liked the club kid interviewed by the river who said (more or less) that when you get mugged in London it's insulting and offputting, but when you get mugged at home it's kind of comforting, because you'll probably see the fuckers at the pub later and you can get back at them.
My favorite thing about the Jaco documentary was Joni Mitchell complaining about a bass player who quarreled with her about a note, saying, "that's not even in the chord!" And she said, "well, it WILL be, when you PLAY it."
Seriously these movies are like crack to me. There are dozens I forgot to list. Upside Down (the Creation Records one)! The Punk Singer. 20 Feet from Stardom.
― yamnesia (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 22 March 2018 21:20 (six years ago) link
I enjoyed the Lamb of God one on a recommendation from a friend, it has some unexpected twists and very little of their music in it, which was wise.
― MaresNest, Thursday, 22 March 2018 21:21 (six years ago) link
Thanks, MaresNest.
Also HBO has a dramatic, reasonably well-acted 2pac one right now (All Eyez on Me)
― yamnesia (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 22 March 2018 21:22 (six years ago) link
Omg guys, New on Netflix: a series called "once in a lifetime sessions."
Very nicely done. Great mix of live performance, interview, and studio footage. Vastly better than the usual hasty clip assemblage.
Currently watching the Nile Rodgers one and I'm in heaven.
There's also Moby and TLC and a Gallagher...
― devil's avocado (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 2 August 2018 23:14 (six years ago) link
I was about to ask if the Gallagher was the watermelon-smashing comedian or one of the schmoes from Oasis, and then I realized it didn't make any difference.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 2 August 2018 23:31 (six years ago) link
Hah, left it open that way on purpose because I don't care about any of the three of them. Pretty sure it's Noel and even though I don't care about him or Oasis, I will probably still watch it. I watch pretty much all music documentaries, regardless of my feelings for the artist.
― devil's avocado (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 2 August 2018 23:38 (six years ago) link
That's interesting... I go the other way. I've seen music docs that have resulted in me liking the artists less afterward. They're really hard to do well, IMO
― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Thursday, 2 August 2018 23:43 (six years ago) link
Some of the better music docs I've seen -- Dig! is one that springs to mind, and the Ginger Baker doc was great when the director stayed out of it -- are about artists I don't really care about/for.
And then there's something like 30th Century Man, about an artist I'm fanatical about, and I barely made it through one viewing.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 2 August 2018 23:46 (six years ago) link
What is particularly fresh about this Netflix series (so far) is that it focuses on the music to the exclusion of the personalities. These are new renditions, performed live, and you get to hear the whole song, interspersed with a discussion of its creation and meaning and structure.
I am a sucker for the "classic albums" series where the producer and the artist sit at a mixing board and solo / mute things and talk about them. But in those, it's mostly recorded music and old MTV or Rockpalast clips, not new in-studio recreations.
Of course I also like the "behind the music" stuff. Early struggles, touring to empty clubs, skyrocketing to fame and fortune, groupies, nightmare descent into drugs and alcohol, rehab, comeback, etc.
But I vastly prefer musk stuff about "yeah we had this little bit in D minor and I thought it was cool, then Eno said 'add a glockenspiel' and the rest is history.
― devil's avocado (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 3 August 2018 00:05 (six years ago) link
Musk? Muso. Muso stuff.
― devil's avocado (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 3 August 2018 00:06 (six years ago) link
Just wait for the Grimes doc with the Musk stuff.
― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Friday, 3 August 2018 00:17 (six years ago) link
Heh
― devil's avocado (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 3 August 2018 00:18 (six years ago) link
Just noticed the Grant Hart doc is up on Amazon Prime video.
― MaresNest, Friday, 3 August 2018 11:55 (six years ago) link
Yeah that's a top one. He's wistful and funny.
I guess that's a third category. cf. "The Punk Singer" (K. Hanna) and "Hit So Hard" (Patty Schemel).
― devil's avocado (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 3 August 2018 12:50 (six years ago) link
Evergreen:
https://www.theonion.com/ask-vh1-behind-the-music-host-kris-kristofferson-1819583574
― devil's avocado (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 3 August 2018 12:53 (six years ago) link
Yeah, my enjoyment of a documentary and performance videos is only very loosely coupled with how much I like particular records. With this past year's releases, I'm meh on the Khruangbin album, and love the Olden Yolk album. Yet I'm hypnotized by every gig video on youtube for the former, and couldn't make it through a session of the latter.
― Mungolian Jerryset (bendy), Friday, 3 August 2018 15:23 (six years ago) link
search
bjork live at royal opera houseroxy music (any live DVDs)dj shadow-cut chemist livepj harvey - please leave quietly (uh huh her tour with rob ellis and josh klinghoffer on drums)bjork volumen (complete music videos)goldfrapp - black cherry tour dvd
― eris (Ross), Friday, 3 August 2018 15:37 (six years ago) link
I liked parts of the PBS series "American Epic" on Amazon.
Much of it is historiography about early recording - blah blah Carter Family, Son House, etc.
The last episode is a bunch of recent and contemporary Americana ppl recording on reconstructed 1930s recording equipment, direct to vinyl.
Content/trigger warning: Jack White's fingerprints are all over it, but many bits shine in spite of his presence.
― devil's avocado (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 3 August 2018 15:51 (six years ago) link
the series on dre was really great
honestly i prefer youtube interviews with musicians like the rick rubin kendrick lamar extended interview, though the older i get the less i care about what a musician has to say outside of their music, it is like demystifying the experience..the lyrics can give me what i need. im probably just an asshole tho
― Ross, Friday, 3 August 2018 15:52 (six years ago) link
A very cuddly Quincy Jones doc is up on Netflix
― I've moped on a moped and cooed with a coed (Ye Mad Puffin), Saturday, 22 September 2018 18:49 (six years ago) link
There's a feature doc about ubiquitous NYC superfans/ merch couple Dennis and Lois (known to all local Mekons fans, for starters):
http://www.docnyc.net/film/dennis-and-lois/
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 23 October 2018 17:58 (six years ago) link
further:
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/legendary-nyc-superfans-dennis-lois-the-subject-of-a-new-documentary-watch-a-clip/
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 24 October 2018 16:44 (six years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DoBDSH_P9s
― Eighty Big Ham Tents (sic), Wednesday, 24 October 2018 17:25 (six years ago) link
Is there a general thread on early rock critics? Couldn't find one.
I don't have much sense of Ben Fong-Torres as a writer. I've never read any of his books, and though I've known his byline probably since I first started reading rock critics, he's not in Stranded and he's not in my edition of The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll (second, I think)--Charles Perry, who goes hand-in-hand with Fong-Torres in my mind, gets both California chapters--and those two books are largely my frame of reference for early American rock critics. He does have a list in Gambaccini's first Top 200 book, and he must be somewhere in The Rolling Stone Record Review Volume II, a book I consult all the time, but I scanned a couple of sections and couldn't find him.
So I spent the first half-hour of Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres wondering why the film was made: seemed like a nice guy who had lots of big names advocating for his importance, but there was a disconnect there for me. Gradually, it did become clear how central he was to the first few years of Rolling Stone, and I guess that in and of itself is historically important. (If this were a film on Brooklyn Dodgers '50 dynasty, he's not Jackie Robinson or Duke Snider or Roy Campanella--he's more like Carl Furillo.) Like Mikal Gilmore, but in a very different way, he has a brother who figures prominently in his life--that section was interesting. And while I imagine some people will recoil, I liked his scenes with Cameron Crowe. Crowe comes across like the 15-year-old version of himself in Almost Famous, still in awe of Fong-Torres.
The best parts are audio snippets from some of his '70s interviews: Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Jim Morrison. Morrison comes across as much more soft-spoken and thoughtful than I would have guessed.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 17 May 2022 02:42 (two years ago) link
I like your Brooklyn Dodgers comparison. Carl Furillo....
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 17 May 2022 13:01 (two years ago) link
I was watching it thinking, 'man, some of those interview cassettes look beat'
If they haven't already, I hope someone takes the initiative and digitizes them soon.
― Maresn3st, Tuesday, 17 May 2022 13:40 (two years ago) link
The Ray Charles excerpts were pretty pointed.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 17 May 2022 13:46 (two years ago) link
Got to see the forthcoming Aquarius Records documentary (still in festival only mode for the moment) -- a fun treat, and I have a nice little bit near the end (and an even smaller one in the opening credits).
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 17 May 2022 14:47 (two years ago) link
Author Ned S8blette showed the "Omara" film doc tonight that has just been at movie festivals. He publicized the Vimeo showing vis his email list. It's a doc on Cuban singer Omara Portuondo, who came to fame for many via her role in the Buena Vista Social Club. After the screening on Vimeo, Ned had a Q&A with filmmaker Hugo Perez. A knowledgeable interesting guy. Great doc w/ archival footage, plus recent tour footage of her in NY, NJ, Cuba, Mexico City, South Korea . I didn't know she was the daughter of a white Cuban mother and a black Cuban father. Her mother got excommunicated from her well-to-do White family in 1927 for marrying her Dad. Dad was a baseball player and sang at home with Mom and the kids
― curmudgeon, Friday, 22 December 2023 21:51 (one year ago) link
Director hasn’t been able to get a company to purchase rights to film to distribute it to theaters, plus while some of the footage in it is “fair use”, other clips require payments to record companies that director can’t yet afford
― curmudgeon, Friday, 22 December 2023 21:54 (one year ago) link
Omara is a really well done film
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 24 December 2023 05:05 (eleven months ago) link
‘Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg’ Filmmakers on Working With Her Son to Capture His Complicated Mother’s Life: ‘Marlon Encouraged Us to Go Deep and to Go Dark’
― dow, Saturday, 4 May 2024 19:51 (seven months ago) link
xpost Ned Sublette has done some incredible work for Afropop Worldwide:https://afropop.org/search-results?q=Ned+SubletteAnd I really enjoyed his album Kiss You Down South--looks like it might be OOP, but still on spotify.
― dow, Saturday, 4 May 2024 20:21 (seven months ago) link
This looks like it could be interesting, I really wish this mania for cheap animation in music docs would stop tho, it doesn't work at all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9cQSENpysQ
― Maresn3st, Sunday, 5 May 2024 13:19 (seven months ago) link
I really wish this mania for cheap animation in music docs would stop tho
That ain't workin'That's the way you do itGet your money for nothin' And your chicks for free
― Millennium Falco (Ye Mad Puffin), Sunday, 5 May 2024 17:57 (seven months ago) link
Billy was an odd duck and at almost every Boston gig I attended in the 90s. This should be a fascinating inside look into the whole scene.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Sunday, 5 May 2024 20:39 (seven months ago) link
I'm two episodes into Break it All: The History of Rock in Latin America and it's definitely worth checking out.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWprHs86xao
― Elvis Telecom, Wednesday, 8 May 2024 23:20 (seven months ago) link
Yeah, I watched Rompan Todo last year and really enjoyed it.
― Instead of create and send out, it pull back and consume (unperson), Thursday, 9 May 2024 04:51 (seven months ago) link
Even if you don't want to commit to the full six episodes, the first two are amazing in the amount of old footage uncovered. I had never heard of the Avandaro Festival before and certainly didn't know how important it was.
― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 9 May 2024 05:23 (seven months ago) link
"Catching Fire" was good!
― completely suited to the horny decadence (Capitaine Jay Vee), Friday, 10 May 2024 08:35 (seven months ago) link
Hadn't heard of this doc about Gary Young, Pavement's outlying drummer---"almost impossible to stream" sez previewer, so better get to Orlando:https://www.orlandoweekly.com/movies-tv/enzian-hosts-orlando-area-screening-of-louder-than-you-think-about-wildcard-pavement-drummer-gary-young-37089100?utm_source=newsshowcase&utm_medium=gnews&utm_campaign=CDAqKggAIhDzSAbhwaCkgQKJPs2BtmwzKhQICiIQ80gG4cGgpIECiT7NgbZsMzCZvoYD&utm_content=rundown
― dow, Tuesday, 18 June 2024 00:31 (six months ago) link
"illustrated with well-executed recreations of anecdotes using puppets""Malkmus (via Zoom)"
― encino morricone (majorairbro), Tuesday, 18 June 2024 03:37 (six months ago) link
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/swamp-dogg-gets-his-pool-painted-review-1235847189/
I saw "Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted" at a DC doc film fest and it was great. Swamp lives in a San Fernando valley home near LA with musicians Guitar Shorty and Moogstar. Some impressive archival footage and photos shown in an entertaining way. Plus Swamp hanging out with visitors near the pool while it gets painted.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 18 June 2024 15:48 (six months ago) link
https://artsfuse.org/302922/arts-feature-the-10-best-music-documentaries-of-2024-along-with-others-worth-watching-and-a-few-disappointments/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3Jxb26nASUZU6wzGa2uv-jJdm2Oj0R2YW4yHGdIiMGJO5vGmM8PmvkWUE_aem_Bf4Q5skoiNrpa16hd8ZPSA
Writer Noah S saw a lot of music docs in 2024
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 22 December 2024 17:16 (yesterday) link