The 411 Music Top 5: Week 5
Posted by Brian Berry on 01.23.2007
411 staffers pick their Top 5 Music Documentaries of All-Time in the 5th edition of the Music Zone's Top 5. From Led Zeppelin and U2 live concerts to film biographies about The Ramones and Wilco, check which films made our lists!
Welcome to the 5th edition of 411 Music's Top 5!
In our last column 411 Mania staffers checked in with their Top 5 Best Tracks of 2006.
This was our opportunity to check in with our favorite guilty, and not-so-guilty, pleasures from the year that was. Tracks by TV On the Radio, Justin Timberlake, and The Killers surfaced on more than one list, but the 411 Music masterminds yet again pulled off lists that properfly displayed their unique tastes in music.Click here to check out the lists.
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READER MAIL
411 reader, Tanner Pruitt, hooks a brother up with his picks for the past two lists: Hey Brian,
Live Acts: Sorry I didn't write in earlier, I would have loved to have written on live acts. Rage Against the Machine was a great live act, and as you can assume, so is Audioslave. Velvet Revolver
is also a good live act, as is Wolfmother. At the top of my list of live acts would be the Motley Crue/Aerosmith joint shows that happened this year as well as the Rolling Stones.
As for singles of 06, both "Dani California" and "Snow (Hey Oh)" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers were great tracks off of a great album. "Dimension" by Wolfmother was a great track too. Pearl Jam released "Life Wasted" and "World Wide Suicide" both of which were great.
Well, there you go.
Keep it up,
Tanner
Thanks for the response Tanner. May the rawk be with you.
411 Music writers check in this week for a look at the best films that paint a picture of the bands we love in the …
TOP 5 Music Documentaries
Brian Berry [Music Editor/Reviewer/Wouldn't It Be Funny If He Named His Child "Dingle"]
Honorable Mention: From a Bachelor's Degree in Film Studies to a position as one of the Music Editors for this website, it's really hard to get this list down to just five. Music docs are one of my favorite movie genres and I've seen most of the big ones. These are the films that rounded out my list. (25) New York Doll (24) Pavement-Slow Century (23) My Morning Jacket-Okonokos (22) The Filth and the Fury-A Sex Pistols Film (21) The Who-Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 (20) Hype! (19) Nirvana Live! Tonight! Sold Out! (18) Radiohead-Meeting People Is Easy (17) Standing in the Shadows of Motown (16) The Last Waltz (15) Scratch (14) DiG! (13) Townes Van Zandt-Be Here To Love Me (12) We Jam Econo-The Story of The Minutemen (11) Heavy Metal Parking Lot (10) Message of Love-The Isle of Wight Fesival (9) Metallica-Some Kind of Monster (8) Bob Dylan-Don't Look Back (7) Gimme Shelter (6) The Devil and Daniel Johnston
5. Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music - Woodstock should've been a massive disaster. Fortunately, the folk-rock festival ended up being a success for those music fans lucky enough to see acts such as The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and many others on a farm in New York during the Summer of '69. What makes this film so special is the way it's shot; employing split screen imaging, a healthy balance of live performance & youth culture, excellent sound, and editing that doesn't have the choppy, ADD feel present in modern concert films. Highlights include Arlo Guthrie's "Coming Into Los Angeles" and Country Joe & The Fish's sing-along "I'm A-Fixin To Die Rag".
4. End of the Century: The Story of The Ramones - You'll learn more than you'll ever need to know about The Ramones by watching this overview of their career...and it's all incredibly engaging. So many variables nearly ruined their careers, from drug use to political differences to disagreements over the direction of their music, but it was ultimately Joey Ramone's death that ended this legendary pop-punk band. Great interviews with Johnny Ramone and others, as well as rare live performance footage make End of the Century a gem. Highlights include interviews about the frightening Phil Spector sessions.
3. Talking Heads-Stop Making Sense -
Jonathan Demme (Philadelphia, The Manchurian Candidate) directed the concert film to end all concert films in 1984. Whether it's the slick editing, the tireless performance by David Byrne & company, or the absolutely amazing sound, this movie captivates and entertains like no other concert film before or after. This is a truly cinematic concert film, containing well intentioned shots, careful lighting, and a brilliant stage set up.
2. The Decline of Western Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years - Ozzy Osbourne nearly burning his breakfast! Paul Stanley in bed with several groupies! Poison making complete asses of themselves in a drunken haze! Motorhead's Lemmy muttering indecipherably for an eternity!The tough road for a hopeful, Top Ramen eating, never-got-famous, LA metal band called Odin! All these laughably horrifying images and more are contained in Penelope Spheeris' (Wayne's World) long out of print cult classic. The film shows the dark side of the decadent '80s with several of the biggest stars of pop-metal. Catch it if you can on the Independent Film Channel (probably the only place you'll find this besides eBay where a VHS copy will run over $50).
1. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco - This is both my favorite music documentary and one of my favorite films of any genre, ever. Photographer Sam Jones shot this film in crisp b&w following Chicago's best band through one of their toughest career stretches. In-fighting, label woes, and substance abuse problems nearly destroyed the band before they released the masterpiece, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. All of the drama on stage, in the studio, and otherwise, is captured here. Check out the dvd extras for additional live performances, deleted scenes, and hilarious scenes with Saturday Night Live's Fred Armisen.
Mitch Michaels [Music Editor/Reviewer/Music Fast or Fiction Columnist]
Honorable Mention: The Last Waltz, Garth Brooks: To Ireland And Back
5. Aerosmith: The Making Of Pump - Though some of the best moments are only talked about on this movie and not shown, watching Aerosmith and their frame of mind as they make the album that would reignite their career makes an interesting two hours. Seeing the boys fight with their producer and struggle to make songs sober for the first time shows how much pressure there is to be a hit-making machine.
4. Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains The Same - If you've only heard Led Zep on record, you'll gain a whole new appreciation for the band with this barn burning live set. Sure, the weird theatrical clips interspersed can be downright annoying, but they give a hint of Zeppelin's crazy creative side, something you don't see on the recent How The West Was Won. If "Since I've Been Loving You" doesn't get you off here, you need to have your pipes checked.
3. Lucero: Dreaming In America - This movie could have been about any indie band who seemed just on the cusp of "making it", but it just happens to be about one of my favorites. The live clips are awesome, capturing the energy and fervency of Ben Nichols and Co. in concert, and the other stuff is golden too. You see a band conflicted, beaten down, but somehow persevering. The blue collar rock band has never looked more real.
2. Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster - Make no mistake about it: despite all the backlash, all the "sell-out" claims and all the illegal downloading opposition, Metallica are still MONSTERS of rock. They have a giant, rabid fan base that adores them. Making Some Kind Of Monster was a dangerous move for this band, showing cracks in the armor of a unit that has always put up a front of pissed off and ready to fuck the world up. Still, it's possible that no documentary before has offered as much stark insight as this one, and that makes it a classic.
1. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco - If you haven't seen this movie, see it now. Not only is it amazing that a documentary would be scheduled during the most pivotal moments in a band's career, but there are some great moments, both musical and non-musical, in this film. From Jeff Tweedy's headache to the triumphant moment when Yankee Hotel Foxtrot finally finds a home, this doc does more than break your heart – it gives you hope for good bands and good music everywhere.
Michael Melchor [Music Editor/Reviewer/Contributor To Most 411 Zones/The Hardest Working Dude On Planet Earth]
5. Slipknot - Voliminal: Inside The Nine- I just recently got this and expected an egomaniacal exhibition from director Shawn "Clown" Crahan and the rest of the band about how cool their life is on and off the stage cut up in an artsy "verite" style. Instead, what I got was a dizzying trip that takes you through their touring lives without so much of the cool and a little more of the grimy reality.
4. Faith No More – Live At Brixton Academy- This would be the first hint of what to expect from a vastly influential and greatly underrated band. Instead of treating this like a showcase of why the label would have you believe they're so cool, Patton badgers and taunts the audience, mars his own songs, and generally gives the viewers a taste of how dangerous the punk attitude could – and should – be while playing some of the greatest funk and metal of the modern era.
3. Lamb Of God – Killadelphia- This takes the "not all is roses in the world of metal" mindset to an all-time high. LoG traverse the country experiencing transportation problems and in-fighting, among many other trials. The fact that these problems are intercut with some of the fiercest performances in metal undercuts just how hungry this band is and how important this way of life and the music is to them.
2. Prince – Sign O' The Times- Many cite Purple Rain as Prince's finest moment. Obviously, not many cite Under The Cherry Moon or Grafitti Bridge (for obvious, over-indulgent reasons). Many, though, overlook Sign O' The Times – an exhilarating concert film capturing one of the world's most talented artists when he had discovered his performance legs proper and really started to dazzle in a live setting.
1. Woodstock: Three Days of Peace & Music- How do you top this? Some of that generation's – and indeed, rock and roll's – finest performances set dead in the middle of the scene that helped change music for good. Arguably the finest snapshot of life and music during this pivotal time.
James Munson [Album & Concert Reviews/Top 5 Legend]
Honorable Mention: The Dresden Dolls - In Paradise- Filmed at one of their performances at the Paradise in Boston, this film conveys the spontaneity and franticness of a Dresden Dolls live show. The band is in top form here, even speeding the tempo up on one of their songs so much that they have to restart it. The bonus music videos and Q & A with fans make it worth repeated viewings.
5. Oasis- Familiar To Millions - While this may not be the best Oasis concert out there (officially), it's absolutely amusing to watch. As the band begins their set with "Go Let It Out", Liam incorrectly greets fans with a "Hello Manchester!" to a round of boos. Elsewhere, he berates the crowd while they sing along to "Roll With It" and asks the girls in the audience to flash their breasts. The bonus video montage for "Live Forever" is pretty cool too. Highly entertaining.
4. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco - This film gave me a better appreciation for Wilco and the amount of crap they went through to get this album released (getting dropped, getting picked back up from their former label's subsidiary, losing Jay Bennett). It also shows that no matter how famous (and granted, we're talking about Wilco) some musicians are, they're normal people with problems just like everybody else.
3. U2- Elevation Live In Boston - Probably the best live U2 DVD to date (I even prefer it to the Vertigo tour DVD). One of the opening camera angles is from the perspective of Bono's shades as he walks out on stage, admires the crowd, and takes the mic to begin "Elevation". The setlist isn't bad either. Mixing up the old ("Sunday Bloody Sunday") with the new ("Walk On") in a stripped down stage set-up compared to former tours. This is the U2 concert to watch.
2. Led Zeppelin-How the West Was Won - Seeing these guys back in the day would have been incredible. While "Song Remains The Same" would have been an obvious choice on this list, this concert takes place at Royal Albert Hall and contains some killer bonus footage and interviews. Some of the shots on this deluxe concert opus are a little grainy, but it's the best representation of a Zeppelin show I've seen and the sound quality is more than excellent. Hearing Zeppelin rip into "The Immigrant Song" with thousands of fans going bonkers was definitely one of the highlights.
1. Talking Heads- Stop Making Sense - If you ask me, this is the essential concert film. David Byrne is a showman, no doubt. With frequent costume and background changes and stunning renditions of "Girlfriend Is Better", "In Heaven", and "Life During Wartime", this artifact further proves why the Talking Heads were truly punk-rock in ethic (even though many thought of them as art-school weirdos). Plus, there's a bonus Tom Tom Club cut, for those who care.
[Music Columnist, "The Savage Animal"/One-Third of the 411 MM Trifecta]
Honorable Mention: U2-Elevation Live In Boston
5. Jay Z-Fade To Black - Back before I realized that Jay Z is a swagger jacker and a phony, I was a huge fan. Before I realized that a lot of his lines were lifted and the "99 Problems" hook was jacked from an old Ice-T track, I loved The Black Album. When Hova-rated himself announced that he was retiring, he booked MSG and put on this show. Its production is awesome and if you're blind to his bullshit you'll enjoy the music. I did at the time.
4. Nine Inch Nails-All That You Could Have Been - Do you know how cool it is to relive your very first concert tour over and over again? My first concert was Nine Inch Nails in 2000 as part of the Fragility Tour. This DVD features that tour and has the best concert visuals I've seen to date. Some visuals at concerts are nonexistent, some are subtle, and some are boring. On the flip side the visuals can be extravagant to the point it dominates the show. I can talk about the visuals all day long and if you have any taste in music at all you already know the greatness of the music that is Nine Inch Nails. For the Fragility Tour it was the perfect blend of great visuals and even better music.
3. Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music - I've seen this feature many times over the years. I remember watching it on Encore back in grade school. I was and am a huge fan of that era's music, like many others out there; and I was specifically enthusiastic about Hendrix, again like many others out there. This is probably the "greatest" music movie of all time, but the following two make me mark out a little more.
2. Dresden Dolls-Paradise - This DVD was one of the rare ones that I just had to get the day it came out. I was not disappointed in the least bit with the hasty purchasing. After seeing The Dresden Dolls a few times in concert prior to this coming out, I knew what to expect. I knew it was going to feature artistic, emotional, and raw performances. My favorite part of this overall great DVD was the restarting of the "War Pigs" cover.
1. Nine Inch Nails-Closure - It's my favorite band of all time (duh), so of course I'm going to be partial to this mid-90s classic. It's not even on DVD yet due to label conflicts and other music business political nonsense. This two VHS tape set is by far my favorite music movie. On one tape we have every Nine Inch Nails video from "Down in It" to "The Perfect Drug", which is worth the price of purchase alone, but can only be considered a bonus in this argument. The other tape in this collection is from the Self Destruct Tour (from The Downward Spiral era). We pretty much follow Reznor and the gang as they destroy a lot of equipment, perform covered in mud at Woodstock ‘94, and put forth many great performances. Nine Inch Nails is much more than this era in time, but it's a definitive glance at part of their history.
Ian Wright [Music News Reporter, Dancing About Architecture/Will Proudly Take a Bullet For Joanna Newsom, The Arcade Fire, or The Wrens]
5. Flaming Lips-The Fearless Freaks - The Flaming Lips are a fascinating band. Single mindedly pursuing whatever musical direction they feel like without much thought for what people will like. Over the course of the last 20 plus years, but mainly the last 8, they've found themselves as one of the biggest bands in the world. Shot by a close friend of the band who was granted seemingly full access to the Lips, the film covers the whole career of the band, both their glorious madness and the harrowing insanity of what it is to be a Flaming Lip, none more so than when Steven Drozt discusses his long running heroin addiction on camera while shooting up.
4. Radiohead-Meeting People Is Easy - Some music documentaries attempt to tell the full story of a band's career, others just capture a moment in time. Both this film and the next one on the list are the latter sort. Radiohead had already made one of the best rock records of the 90's in 1995's The Bends, which seemed to have allowed them to shake off the "one hit wonder" tag bestowed on them following the success of "Creep" (the only major smash off their first album). They probably didn't realize it when they set out to record the follow up but their third album, OK Computer, was to be an era defining album that had the world's critics creaming themselves upon it's release. Meeting People Is Easy is the story of what happened next. Ostensibly a tour-doc the film shows what can happen to a group of musicians when the bandwagon starts to run away from them and life on the road begins to drag.
3. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco - Another capture the moment type film. I don't think any period of Wilco's history was better suited for filming. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart shows a band very much in a state of flux; trying to make an album much departed from their previous work against a backdrop of tension between main songwriter Jeff Tweedy and musical foil Jay Bennet. The result, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, was regarded as a modern day classic by many. Then their label decided to drop them. The film is a fascinating look at the day-to-day workings of one of the era's most important bands.
2. DiG! - This is the closest to sheer popcorn entertainment as music documentaries get. Focusing on 2 bands that I don't particularly care for, the saving grace of the film is the constant ability of The Brian Jonestown Massacre to self-destruct and the alternating genius/insanity of their leader Anton Newcomb. Oh and there's lots of footage of The Dandy Warhols being spectacularly average yet becoming huge stars.
1. The Devil and Daniel Johnston - Does madness go hand in hand with genius or are Daniel Johnston's huge mental problems just another part of who he is that exists separately from the beautifully ramshackle music that he makes? After seeing this film I'd tend to lean towards the former but this film for me wasn't so much about Johnston's struggles with illness or his music but rather the effect that he's had on those that he's come across; be it the humorous, like Sonic Youth being completely unable to deal with his eccentricities, or the tragic way that his family has existed since Johnston's problems emerged in the early 80's. I defy anyone to not be moved when his father speaks about his fears for Daniel's future when he's no longer able to look after his now 40-year old son. A touching film about endless love, which everyone should see even if they're not music fans.
Jes Tones [Album & Concert Reviews/Tougher Than Most of 411's Male Staffers]
Honorable Mention: Rage Against The Machine – The Battle Of Mexico City, The Clash – Westway To The World, End Of The Century – The Story Of The Ramones, Gimme Shelter, Bob Dylan – No Direction Home. Anyone seen Dave Chappelle's Block Party? [Editor's Note: I have and it has some of the best live hip-hop performances I've seen on film. Just missed my list by a hair] I've heard it's worth a view, and you'd think I'd have done so by now, being that the party was on my block (before I moved in). Of course, the people that actually live(d) on the block weren't invited to the party anyway…
5. Another State of Mind - The production on this film isn't anything to get worked up about, but it was 1982 and obviously low budget, so what do you want? The film follows a very young Social Distortion and Youth Brigade on an ambitious attempted U.S. tour, for a full six weeks and ten thousand miles, before they finally had to call it quits and head back to California – those still remaining literally crawling into the film crew's truck for the ride back. The final bus breakdown occurs in D.C., where they run into hardcore legends Minor Threat, who take them in and of course Ian MacKaye details the benefits of a straight edge lifestyle to a largely unconvinced audience. On one hand it's awesome to see these bands at such an early stage of their careers, but on the other hand I think the most interesting aspect of this film is the documentation of the still burgeoning punk subculture at that point in history.
4. Flogging Molly-Whiskey on a Sunday - I actually saw this film at an independent theatre with an Irish-American friend of mine who was piss-drunk from a detour to McSorley's on his way to the theatre, which, of course, was appropriate. I already loved this band, but this film does a fantastic job of documenting the fact that FM is not just a great band – they have become an institution worldwide. You also get an in-depth look at each member, the band's beginnings at Molly Malone's in Los Angeles, and the intimate friendships among the members, especially between lead singer Dave King and fiddle player Bridget Regan. The DVD release came packaged with an album of the same title with several acoustic and live performances.
3. The Filth and the Fury-A Sex Pistols Film - The story of the Sex Pistols, told by the Sex Pistols. This film depresses me, but it's damn good. Aside from the story of the Pistols themselves, the film does a good job of establishing the social context surrounding (igniting?) the punk movement in London during that time period, with John "Johnny Rotten" Lydon's commentary providing an appropriate guide. The other members contribute commentary as well, but it's Lydon who steals the show – in the past as the infamous Johnny Rotten and in the present documentary with thoughtful insight on the band, especially his friend Sid Vicious ("I can take on England, but I couldn't take on one heroin addict"), politics and punk rock ("…and then it became acceptable – absorbed back into the system…the shitstem").
2. Do You Remember?-Fifteen Years of The Bouncing Souls - It's no news that I love this band. But if it's possible, this hilarious DVD made me love these kids even more and for the first (and probably the only) time in my life made me wish I'd grown up in Jersey. Lucky for us the ‘Souls had the foresight to carry a video camera everywhere they went from the time they first got together, so you see them as kids forming a band (lead singer Greg Attonito was just hanging around all their early practices, so they told him to do something – sing), then moving to New Brunswick after high school into "the punk house" in the ghetto and playing their first shows (when they admittedly sucked), to their DIY approach to getting records out and touring, touring, touring -- this documentary somehow manages to give a full, insightful, often hilarious and at times emotional history of the band without ever coming off as cheesy. The extras and outtakes are worth more than a view as well.
1. Punk: Attitude - I just happened to come across this documentary on TV one day and was more than glad I taped it to watch again later. Directed by Don Letts (who also directed, among other things, Westway to the World), Attitude provides a miraculously thorough (for an hour and a half video) history of the punk rock movement in the U.S. and England, beginning with early 60s influences and progressing all the way to the modern(ish) hardcore scene. Riddled with commentary from the likes of Henry Rollins (Black Flag, Rollins Band), Jim Jarmusch (from outside the music scene), Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), David Johansen (New York Dolls), Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders), Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) and many others, it strives to illustrate that punk rock isn't just about music but rather, as the title implies, an attitude.
Think we missed one of the Top Music Documentaries? Let us know!
…and don't forget to click on each writer's name to see what else they've been writing at 411 Mania!
That's it for The Top 5 this week. Check us out this time next week for our TOP 5 COVER SONGS EVER!
P.S. Massive shout out to Mitch Michaels for the NEW Top 5 logo and layout!
5. Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music - Woodstock should've been a massive disaster. Fortunately, the folk-rock festival ended up being a success for those music fans lucky enough to see acts such as The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and many others on a farm in New York during the Summer of '69. What makes this film so special is the way it's shot; employing split screen imaging, a healthy balance of live performance & youth culture, excellent sound, and editing that doesn't have the choppy, ADD feel present in modern concert films. Highlights include Arlo Guthrie's "Coming Into Los Angeles" and Country Joe & The Fish's sing-along "I'm A-Fixin To Die Rag". 
5. Aerosmith: The Making Of Pump - Though some of the best moments are only talked about on this movie and not shown, watching Aerosmith and their frame of mind as they make the album that would reignite their career makes an interesting two hours. Seeing the boys fight with their producer and struggle to make songs sober for the first time shows how much pressure there is to be a hit-making machine.
5. Slipknot - Voliminal: Inside The Nine- I just recently got this and expected an egomaniacal exhibition from director Shawn "Clown" Crahan and the rest of the band about how cool their life is on and off the stage cut up in an artsy "verite" style. Instead, what I got was a dizzying trip that takes you through their touring lives without so much of the cool and a little more of the grimy reality. 
5. Oasis- Familiar To Millions - While this may not be the best Oasis concert out there (officially), it's absolutely amusing to watch. As the band begins their set with "Go Let It Out", Liam incorrectly greets fans with a "Hello Manchester!" to a round of boos. Elsewhere, he berates the crowd while they sing along to "Roll With It" and asks the girls in the audience to flash their breasts. The bonus video montage for "Live Forever" is pretty cool too. Highly entertaining.
5. Jay Z-Fade To Black - Back before I realized that Jay Z is a swagger jacker and a phony, I was a huge fan. Before I realized that a lot of his lines were lifted and the "99 Problems" hook was jacked from an old Ice-T track, I loved The Black Album. When Hova-rated himself announced that he was retiring, he booked MSG and put on this show. Its production is awesome and if you're blind to his bullshit you'll enjoy the music. I did at the time.
5. Flaming Lips-The Fearless Freaks - The Flaming Lips are a fascinating band. Single mindedly pursuing whatever musical direction they feel like without much thought for what people will like. Over the course of the last 20 plus years, but mainly the last 8, they've found themselves as one of the biggest bands in the world. Shot by a close friend of the band who was granted seemingly full access to the Lips, the film covers the whole career of the band, both their glorious madness and the harrowing insanity of what it is to be a Flaming Lip, none more so than when Steven Drozt discusses his long running heroin addiction on camera while shooting up.
5. Another State of Mind - The production on this film isn't anything to get worked up about, but it was 1982 and obviously low budget, so what do you want? The film follows a very young Social Distortion and Youth Brigade on an ambitious attempted U.S. tour, for a full six weeks and ten thousand miles, before they finally had to call it quits and head back to California – those still remaining literally crawling into the film crew's truck for the ride back. The final bus breakdown occurs in D.C., where they run into hardcore legends Minor Threat, who take them in and of course Ian MacKaye details the benefits of a straight edge lifestyle to a largely unconvinced audience. On one hand it's awesome to see these bands at such an early stage of their careers, but on the other hand I think the most interesting aspect of this film is the documentation of the still burgeoning punk subculture at that point in history.
