Best Music Documentaries and

[Shawn@PRS]

I just watched the doc on Quincy Jones. He was a bad mofo! His work spans from conducting the Count Basie orchestra for Frank Sinatra to writing the score for and producing the film the Color Purple. The shot of him sitting on his couch with the Thriller platinum albums on the wall behind him alone, makes the movie worth watching.

This doesn't show the scale very well. keep in mind these are full sized LP records!

 

[CVS]

The documentary on Roy Buchanan on PBS is worth a watch - and its free.

 

[alantig]

I was reminded this morning that there's a Skynyrd doc that's been playing on Showtime. Great interviews with the then-surviving members (Ed King has died since this was filmed - not sure if anyone else has). A lot of good stuff, especially about the early band.

 

[DISTORT6]

Tom Dowd and the Language of Music.

Edit-Oops! Already mentioned! It is fantastic, though.

 

[alantig]

It merits being mentioned multiple times.

 

[László]

Not that I can recommend it yet, but have been helping a friend clear music rights for an absolutely beautiful music documentary (classical). It’ll be great when it’s released, and I’ll post links, assuming there are any!

 

[bodia]

I was reminded this morning that there's a Skynyrd doc that's been playing on Showtime. Great interviews with the then-surviving members (Ed King has died since this was filmed - not sure if anyone else has). A lot of good stuff, especially about the early band.

I've watched this a few times, along with the new Clapton one, and the new Jeff Beck one.

 

[Shawn@PRS]

A Tuba to Cuba is also worth watching. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band travels from New Orleans to Cuba. Even with the language and cultural barriers, they find commonality through music. I thought it was terrific.

 

[mad monk]

Documentary on Badfinger is a good one to show the bad side of the business. One of the most tragic stories in rock.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I also love Some Kind of Monster....I fast forward to the crying parts.

 

[Tosca]

I love “This is Spinal Tap”...what a great band, and a real gritty insider’s look at the dirty underbelly of a rock band on the road.

 

[matonanjin]

The Wrecking Crew has been mentioned but it is so good it should be 2nded and thirded! Finding out so many of my favorite songs of my youth, like a lot of the Beach Boys records, didn't have the actual band members on them was crushing. Not unlike finding out the truth about Santa Claus.

20 Feet From Stardom is about a group that doesn't, perhaps, get enough recognition, back up singers. Won an Academy Award.

I know that Beware of Mr. Baker has also been mentioned. RIP Mr. Baker. To say that he was "volatile" is probably charitable. But, then he did just pass away so I'll show respect. But I had no idea just how "interesting" he was.

Again, Life in 12 Bars, the documentary about Clapton, was also mentioned above. Maybe a little plodding at times. But if you are a Clapton fan, as I am, probably must viewing. Unfortunately, you have to have Showtime, or something like a HULU add-on to see it.

Netflix just remastered Devil at the Crossroads. It has "Keith Richards, Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’ and Bonnie Raitt, among others, weigh in on the Delta bluesman's musical impact" It was just excellent viewing. As I said about being a Clapton fan, if you are a blues fan, this is must see.

 

[matonanjin]

It is not a documentary, but a show, so to some degree I may be veering this thread off-topic? There is a show called "The Big Interview with Dan Rather". Mr.Rather does not always interview a musician but I would say most of the time he does. Recent examples of non-musicians would be Dan Akroyd and Carl and Rob Reiner. And some of the musical guests, had I watched them, probably would have left me wanting. A recent one was with Billy Ray Cyrus. Enuff said?

But I turned it on just now and thought of this thread. He was interviewing Buddy Guy. What an interesting interview and guy. He was talking about his move from Louisiana during the migration to Chicago and the early blues days. "I moved on September 25, 1957, and started going to the blues clubs and saw Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed." At one portion of the show he showed Dan Rather his guitar collection on the wall of his club in Chicago, Legends. The guitars are all gifts from the likes of Carlos Santana and Keith Richards.

Some of the recent shows I've seen include:

• Carlos Santana
• Billy Bob Thorton (I didn't know he is a guitarist)
  
• Keifer Sutherand (ditto)
• Ringo Starr
• Gregg Alman
• Roger Waters
• Neil Young
• Willie Nelson
• Steve Perry

Great Show. Your cable, satellite or streaming sevice will have to provide the AXS network.

 

[Tosca]

It is not a documentary, but a show, so to some degree I may be veering this thread off-topic? There is a show called "The Big Interview with Dan Rather". Mr.Rather does not always interview a musician but I would say most of the time he does. Recent examples of non-musicians would be Dan Akroyd and Carl and Rob Reiner. And some of the musical guests, had I watched them, probably would have left me wanting. A recent one was with Billy Ray Cyrus. Enuff said?

But I turned it on just now and thought of this thread. He was interviewing Buddy Guy. What an interesting interview and guy. He was talking about his move from Louisiana during the migration to Chicago and the early blues days. "I moved on September 25, 1957, and started going to the blues clubs and saw Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed." At one portion of the show he showed Dan Rather his guitar collection on the wall of his club in Chicago, Legends. The guitars are all gifts from the likes of Carlos Santana and Keith Richards.

Some of the recent shows I've seen include:

• Carlos Santana
• Billy Bob Thorton (I didn't know he is a guitarist)
  
• Keifer Sutherand (ditto)
• Ringo Starr
• Gregg Alman
• Roger Waters
• Neil Young
• Willie Nelson
• Steve Perry

Great Show. Your cable, satellite or streaming sevice will have to provide the AXS network.

Totally agree. Great show. The most compelling episodes I’ve seen were Greg Alman and John Fogerty (for very different reasons).

 

[bodia]

It is not a documentary, but a show, so to some degree I may be veering this thread off-topic? There is a show called "The Big Interview with Dan Rather". Mr.Rather does not always interview a musician but I would say most of the time he does. Recent examples of non-musicians would be Dan Akroyd and Carl and Rob Reiner. And some of the musical guests, had I watched them, probably would have left me wanting. A recent one was with Billy Ray Cyrus. Enuff said?

But I turned it on just now and thought of this thread. He was interviewing Buddy Guy. What an interesting interview and guy. He was talking about his move from Louisiana during the migration to Chicago and the early blues days. "I moved on September 25, 1957, and started going to the blues clubs and saw Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed." At one portion of the show he showed Dan Rather his guitar collection on the wall of his club in Chicago, Legends. The guitars are all gifts from the likes of Carlos Santana and Keith Richards.

Some of the recent shows I've seen include:

• Carlos Santana
• Billy Bob Thorton (I didn't know he is a guitarist)
  
• Keifer Sutherand (ditto)
• Ringo Starr
• Gregg Alman
• Roger Waters
• Neil Young
• Willie Nelson
• Steve Perry

Great Show. Your cable, satellite or streaming sevice will have to provide the AXS network.

Yep, I DVR every episode. Some are better than others, but all in all, it's a great show.

 

[Iceman101]

This.

One of the greats... imho

 

[matonanjin]

Totally agree. Great show. The most compelling episodes I’ve seen were Greg Alman and John Fogerty (for very different reasons).

I agree with your agreeing. That Gregg Alman episode had to be very near his passing. The Roger Waters one was very interesting.

Yep, I DVR every episode. Some are better than others, but all in all, it's a great show.

I also DVR every episode. We're switching from satellite tv to a streaming mode. One of the criteria of which streaming service we go with is whether or not it offers the AXS channel. (And Big10, of course)

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Keifer Sutherand (ditto)

I got drunk with him and we jammed at Sundance after one of my band’s shows.

This was between The Lost Boys and 24, so it was kind of during a dip in his acting career where he was taking music more seriously.

He was pretty good! And was a great hang because he brought his own alcohol (vodka) to supplement the 3.2% beers we all had to drink (Utah). He was improvising lyrics about Patagonia clothing.

This concludes Sergio Story Time for the year 2019.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Just watched Eric Clapton: Life in 12 bars

Man, he was/is a complicated dude!

 

[matonanjin]

And I just finished up Jeff Beck: Still on the Run. Really interesting, fascinating.
From the Showtime page: "Documentary following Jeff Beck from his earliest days growing up in Wallington, Surrey with his home made guitars, teenage friendship with Jimmy Page and the influences of guitarists such as Les Paul, Cliff Gallup and James Burton."

Interviews with:

• Eric Clapton
• Rod Stewart
• Jimmy Page
• Slash
• Ronnie Wood
  
• David Gilmour
• Lots more I'm forgetting.

An interesting part was when Clapton was describing his latter time in the Yardbirds. He was thinking of leaving and the group sent him to go check out Jeff Beck as his replacement. He said he saw Beck and said, "Man. I'm in the wrong business."
Again, unfortunately, you may need Showtime channel to watch this.