Recently I read a short Boston Globe piece on rock movies. Some of the best cited were “Stop Making Sense” (Talking Heads), “Gimme Shelter” (Stones) and “The Last Waltz,” which documented the last show ever by the band, um, The Band. Some of my favorites were not on the list.
Here’s my top 5 rock music movies:
5. Talking Heads “True Stories” – This quirky little story narrated by David Byrne is highlighted by a huge karaoke-like performance by a young john Goodman.
4. AC/DC “Let There Be Rock” – with the late Bon Scott and the Young brothers, Malcolm and Angus.
3. Pink Floyd: “The Wall” – Bob “I Don’t Like Monday’s” Geldof stars in this in this twisted montage of MTV visuals and a screaming soundtrack of Floyd at their commercial apex.
2. Spinal Tap: “This is Spinal Tap” – Rob Reiner directs and portrays a rock documentary filmmaker in this genre spoof. My favorite scene involves the guitar player explaining that he has the loudest amp because the dials, “go to 11.”
1. Led Zeppelin: “The Song Remains the Same” – The monster, featuring a 1973 show at Madison Square Garden. That film was in regular “midnight show” rotation when I was in college. It always brought a tear to my eye when Jimmy Page’s eyes turn psychedelic.
On my “to see” list are Wilco’s “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” which I DVR’d last night, Springsteen’s 1975 show at Hammersmith Odeon in London, and Zep’s “How the West Was Won.”
What do you recommend?
Best rockumentary: The Kids are Alright.