Rock Band Documentaries
 

Define "rock" any way you want. If you think it's rock, it's rock.

There's a lot on YouTube, and today I checked out the one by the 70s band Kansas. I only knew a couple of songs, definitely not a fan, liked the overplayed "Dust In The Wind" for a while, but checked it out anyway and liked it. I've seen better and will think of more, but sometimes it's the story of how a band forms, possibly living together, achieving a goal, knowing they did it, and seeing the stories, interviews.

And hopefully we can talk about them. Recommendations, or something uploaded by someone from before. New or old documentaries.

And for those who don't even listen to rock, you still might enjoy the movie. Maybe it was the time, the infancy of the music business after WWII, sometimes the music reflecting an era, location, position, way of life, etc..

Kansas: Miracles Out of Nowhere
https://youtu.be/I53Y57OcRlo

Searching for Sugar Man 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDw7OqVBT-w

Here are some of my favorites. I put asterisks next to the few you can watch for free and where you can watch them.

Anvil: The Story of Anvil
Dream Deceivers (Judas Priest) * (YouTube)
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage
The Filth and the Fury (Sex Pistols)
The Sparks Brothers
We are X (X Japan) * (Tubi, Kanopy, Plex)
Wham!
Zappa * (Kanopy)

Does anyone know any good documentaries about Norwegian black metal? I watched Until the Light Takes Us, which I didn't like that much.

That's the only one I've seen. I did learn of this one, but haven't found it anywhere to stream. Just shy of 3 hours.

https://letterboxd.com/film/hell-the...n-black-metal/

Thanks, will try to find it.

Your mileage may vary with Until the Light Takes Us if anyone else is interested. In short, it flashes back to the '90s and the controversy surrounding Burzum and to the present day, where we see that the genre has been commodified and the rebellion it espouses not yielding any results. It's an interesting approach for sure, but the execution left much to be desired.

There is a bunch of stuff on YouTube, but sadly, many of these guys tend to goose step around their basements like the Nazi morons they are, so try to avoid the videos by idiots like Vikernes.

This is a section the the genre in Headbanger: A Metalhead's Journey by Sam Dunn, but that doc also covers a ton of other genres. That one is certainly worth a watch.

Ooh, forgot that one. That's a good one, as is his Metal Evolution series.

Re: Rock Band Documentaries
 

I highly recommend this one. A friend of mine from California stayed with me for a week, and despite being 70 years old, had no idea THIS was Chicago. He gave the usual, "I thought it was that band that did 'The Karate Kid' song"


Anyway, Terry Kath was a great guitarist/singer. Reading his interviews, a very principled man. When they did the Beachago tour (Beach Boys opening for Chicago in the mid-70s) he said it wasn't much fun. Too long, "and The Beach Boys did their teenybopper shit" and telling magazines he didn't want to be a human jukebox, and of course there's some fans who believe it was a suicide made to look like an accident so his daughter could get the insurance money. I'm not sure. But I'd also check out "More Than Ever", but Peter Cetera didn't participate in that, so it is incomplete, and at least he participated in this (funded it, too, Terry's daughter is friends with his daughters).. It's the ONLY thing he has done since he left 40 years ago.


https://youtu.be/f7egJTtz10E

Chicago: The Terry Kath Experience

My knowledge of (and interest in) that stuff is marginal at best so I felt like I learned some stuff but yeah, the doc could've been better. I see we both gave it the same Letterboxd rating in fact.
I've read that the 3-hour thing spends a higher-than-usual amount of time talking about the music itself, instead of just the extracurriculars. So I'd be into that.

Also highly recommend "Zappa". Very well made and informative. Good job Bill (Alex Winter). 👍

Re: Rock Band Documentaries
 

I'd also like to add that if you do a little research as to who is being interviewed, you might find something out you had no idea about, such as Jeff Lynne being interviewed for a Chicago documentary. Well, Terry's "baby momma" (she says they got married, but to her, marrying each other the beach with no other witnesses is enough, but not for US law) was married to Keifer Sutherland, and now, Jeff Lynne of ELO.

Re: Rock Band Documentaries
 

Nothing beats The Last Waltz.

Re: Rock Band Documentaries
 

Dig is the best one I've seen about bands. (The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Dandy Warhols)

Burn the place you hide is the best one about a solo artist (St Thomas)

The Devil and Daniel Johnston is also great.

Re: Rock Band Documentaries
 

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week was pretty good.

Re: Rock Band Documentaries
 

I saw Anvil with McChipmunk from the old RT boards. We enjoyed it.

Jandek on Corwood

Re: Rock Band Documentaries
 

I'm not seeing THE Jaco 2016 documentary, but there are a few, all good
Jaco Pastorious -- I respect Weather Report more than I like them. One of the greatest bass players ever, and a very unique person


https://youtu.be/MW6dYQnVyFc