Your favorite music documentaries

spagthorpe

Power User
Sometimes when I'm home working on things, and don't feel like putting on a concert, I'll watch a music documentary instead. Just curious what what you guys like.

Here is a few of my favorites, in no particular order:

Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage (2010)
The Wrecking Crew! (2008)
Metal - A Headbanger's Journey (2005)
Flight 666
The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988)
 
A few recent ones that stand out in my memory...

Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me (2012)
Muscle Shoals (2013)
A Band Called Death (2012)
Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012)
It Might Get Loud (2008)
Sound City (2013)

There was like a 10 episode mini series PBS did back in the mid 90s called simply "Rock & Roll" that I always quite enjoyed

... if you have HBO the series they did with Foo Fighters a few years ago called "Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways" was really great. They basically went to a different city to write and record a song each episode, and then did an hour long documentary telling the history of that city's music and the producers and studios that put the city's sound on the map... never have been a huge fan of the band personally (though I've got nothing but respect for Dave Grohl), but that series was really well put together whether you're a fan or not, worth checking out.
 
If you liked Metal - A Headbanger's Journey you should watch Global Metal (2007) from the same maker.
 
I love music documentaries and biographies! These ought to keep you entertained:
  • Metal Evolution (and everything else from Sam Dunn)
  • A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica
  • Pantera home videos
  • Mastodon - The Workhorse Chronicles
  • Get Thrashed
  • Fearless Freaks (Flaming Lips)
  • Strange Powers (Magnetic Fields)
  • Such Hawks Such Hounds (Doom/Stoner/Sludge metal)
  • The Kate Bush Story (BBC)
  • Sound City
  • Rush Beyond the Lighted Stage
  • Pearl Jam 20
  • Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest
  • Beatles Anthology
  • Amy (Winehouse)
  • Anvil!
  • We Jam Econo (Minutemen)
  • Some Kind of Monster (Metallica)
  • The Story of Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)
  • Jaco
  • 1991 The Year Punk Broke
  • The Last Waltz
  • The Art Of Organized Noize (OutKast, Goodie Mob, Dungeon Family)
  • Beef
  • Rhyme & Reason
  • VH1's Behind the Music
  • Classic Albums series
  • Decline of Western Civilization series
 
Tom Dowd & the Language of Music
Foo Fighters Sonic Highways
The Rhythm of Life (George Martin)
 
A relatively new release is Still on the Run (the Jeff Beck Story), a Bio of obsession with guitars and cars, made with full cooperation with Beck and many of his famous friends and collaborators. Really enjoyable, if biased
 
We Are Twisted Fucking Sister!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Are_Twisted_Fucking_Sister!

Even if you don't like the band - or think you don't - this is fantastic story about dedication ... and a lot of bad luck. Perhaps the best rock documentary I ever saw.
I need to look for that one.

They got bashed a lot for some reason, but they had great music and put on a really good live show. As someone that grew up as a KISS fan, they were like the next coming...

I saw the open for Iron Maiden at The Cow Palace in San Francisco many years ago. Some guys in the crowd gave them a really hard time (booing, throwing rolls of toilet paper, etc). They soldiered on!

When Maiden came out, the first thing Bruce Dickinson did was to chastise those jerks :)
 
I love anything that gives you a look at the recording process. The Sgt Pepper doc from 1992 was great. Dark Side of the Moon from the Classic Albums is great as well.
 
Just watched 'If I leave here tomorrow' about Skynyrd. Made me a little sad...and a little less respectful of Ronny VZ. I've known too many mean drunks in my life.

But it did confirm to me how I felt when I was listening and playing their music...the flag was about where they were from and who they were (rebels), NOT about <other agenda>.
 
One year and half with life of Metallica
Some kind of Monster
everything that Sam Dunn does.
Flight 666
Chaos in progress
Classic Album series
and lots more that I can't think of right now :D
 
Recent ones i just watched are Jason Becker - Not Dead Yet and Eric Clapton - A Life in 12 Bars. Quite enjoyed them both
 
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