Feats First, The Life and Music of Lowell George, DVD

Guitarist Lowell George left this planet in 1979. Yet his music has an immediacy that never sounds dated. Not to me. Part of that has to do with the rootedness of virtually everything he did, but especially in the way he made over those roots into something very much his own.

There is a DVD now out that deals cohesively with his biography and musical development. I watched it several days ago and found it very absorbing. Feats First: The Life & Music of Lowell George (Pride PGDVD 179) gives us more than two hours of his story. It follows the usual format of this kind of video: narrative, interviews and footage of live music and music videos join together to give us a chronological picture.

The story begins with his emergence as a participant in the rapidly growing LA rock phenom in the mid-sixties--as guitarist in one of the bands that enriched the scene in those days. The group records a number of singles, some produced by Frank Zappa, and is the opening band for a number of appearances with the Doors and for Zappa's Mothers of Invention. They do not gain the attention/success they seek and the band breaks up. From there George becomes the lead singer, then rhythm guitarists for the Mothers after Elliot Ingber's departure. Going forward we get the formation of Little Feat, their struggle for recognition and the ongoing development of their sound.

George's slide guitar work, its originality and particularity is given attention as is his vocal excellence. What's nice about this bio-video is the revealing interview segments, from the likes of his collaborator and friend Van Dyke Parks, from band members and contemporaries, critics, producers and engineers who worked closely with him.

A picture emerges of George as musical force behind Little Feat, artistic director, incomparable songwriter, guitarist wunderkind and vocalist extraordinaire. His growing fascination with the studio and what could be done with it forms an absorbing part of it all. The band's struggle for commercial success, its ups and downs with their label and the pressure to be continually moving forward over those years takes its toll. The story looks frankly at George's substance abuse problems and his attempt to cope with it all. In the end he succumbs, dead at age 34. A sad tale yet one that makes you appreciate his original artistry all the more.

It is very well done. You will be captivated by it if you are a George/Little Feat fan, surely.

Blowing Fuses Left and Right, The Legendary Detroit Rock Interviews, DVD

Lest we forget (and there have been those who would rather we did) the '60s in America were times of great upheaval on both social and cultural levels. The struggle for Civil Rights, the attempt (in part successful) to redefine and/or rediscover an ethics and cultural outlook beyond what had become well-entrenched by the comparatively stolid '50s, the idea that all have an actively articulated role to play in a national debate of who we are and what we want to be, all became particularly pronounced by the late '60s.

With that came a flowering of rock (and soul) as art form. Two Detroit bands of the era, the Stooges and the MC5, made an impact on the music scene that was not initially huge but over time came to be seen as increasingly important for the music that came after, no matter how stutteringly sporadic that "after" became.

It was with this in mind, during the height of the Reagan years, that Gil Margulis, young student and enthusiast, set out with a video camera to interview some key members of both groups. Blowing Fuses Left and Right (O-Rama MVD DVD 5119D) captures three lengthy interviews made during that time.

So we have interviews of the late Ron Asheton, guitarist and co-founder of the Stooges, late MC5 singer Rob Tyner, and MC5 drummer Dennis Thompson.

These are rough-and-ready segments that gain by the informal, enthusiastically non-professional nature of the interactions to give you first-person insights into the politics and realities of Detroit and the country at large during the time, the playing situation of the famed Grande Ballroom, the struggle to establish a musical identity and the rather horrific results of national recognition and/or the lack of it.

Of course the Stooges and the MC5 were groups with a striking energy level, an in-your-face punkyness that was as innovative as it was considered then brazen. The interviews give you concrete insights into the different outlooks the two bands had, pronounced perhaps especially in the political realm, and the difficulties, traumas and relative triumphs each faced when national attention, enthusiasm and/or hostility was meted out to them during their period as recording artists and touring performers.

Anyone with an interest in these bands, the general rock scene and the cultural history of the '60s will find articulate spokesman and invaluable first-hand testimony as to what it was like! Whether you know the general story or you do not, these interviews are pretty near mind-blowing! Very much recommended.

Bob Dylan 1966-1978, After the Crash, DVD/CD

Herewith, a documentary about Bob Dylan during a critical period, a crises period, a reaffirmation period and then at the end of the time, a religious conversion. Bob Dylan After the Crash (Pride DVDCD 155) goes into some depth about it all and I suspect even the avid fan will learn something.

This is the time when Dylan plugged in and toured, found audience hostility and soaring popularity all a bit overwhelming, crashed his cycle, retired to Woodstock with the Band to experiment with a more directly rooted electric folk, ended up recording some country albums, seemed less political, was taken to task by A. J. Webermann, ended up finding a new more committed sound and took it on the road as the Rolling Thunder Review, and such.

The confrontational phone calls between Webermann and Dylan are proffered on the bonus CD and it gives you a glimpse of a time period and a side to Dylan we don't always get--a Dylan a little unsure of himself. The conversations give a candid insight into the personal meaning of his music (he was mostly addressing the lyrics to himself, he says) at the beginning and the transformations he went through, and there are moments that are rather funny to boot.

This is not the last word on Dylan, but it does a good job raising points and covering ground. Dylan fans will dig it for sure. Others with an interest in the period will be entertained and informed.

The Rolling Stones, Mick vs. Keith: The Strange Case of Jagger & Richards, 2-DVD Documentary Box Set

On tap today is a 2-DVD box set on the Rolling Stones: Mick vs. Keith: The Strange Case of Jagger & Richards (Chrome Dreams DVD-IS 035), which contains two complete documentaries: The Roaring '20s: Mick Jagger's Glory Years and Keith Richards Under Review. The latter covers Richards' career as whole, the former Jagger and the Stones when Mick was in his '20s.

Both DVDs take the form of review bios of this sort, covering the period of time in terms of salient events and recorded output. Because both DVDs come to grips with similar time periods at the intersection of the '60s through early '70s there is some overlap, but always from the perspective of either Richards or Jagger.

In the end the emphasis is on the development of the Stones as the premiere hard rock outfit of its day, especially from the advent of the hit single "Satisfaction" through Let it Bleed and a bit after. Most certainly from the perspective of Keith Richards, this was when his growing influence was key to the instrumental punch of the group sound. It was also when Jagger did some of his best work.

The DVDs take the form of chronological narrative with key critics commenting on the recordings and those who were witnesses to the period relating what they experienced.

The critics don't have much good to say about the music that did not follow the blues and r&b sides through to the hard rock breakthrough. The folk rock and psychological aspects of the band in the '60s are fairly roundly dismissed. That is probably how the mainstream of Stones fans feel who came to the band later in the history--especially as their fame and popularity as a live act spread. And the critics cited here have something to do with stressing that interpretation of the band in print.

Others (like myself) may feel that the less prototypical Stones work for that period has at least equal interest. No matter. Brian Jones's influence and input understandably gets less attention, given the subject matter of the DVDs. And that too is part of Stones orthodoxy.

Altamount, Richards' drug problems, Jagger's increasing infatuation with success and the glamour life are all given due consideration. The directly musical aspect of the Richards documentary is perhaps the most interesting, e.g., his way with a riff, his guitar tunings, etc.

It's all quite respectable entertainment, informative and rather insightful at points. In the end it is the sort of documentaries that Stones fans will find to their taste and anyone with an interest in the era.

Ultimately I was brought to wonder at the resilience of Richards in spite of personal difficulties, the balsiness of Jagger and the development of his stage persona, the fragile interaction of the two when the band was at its later best and the long run of great music they managed to produce.

This is not the last word or thoughts on the Stones, of course, but well worth seeing.

The Rolling Stones Under Review, 1975-1983, The Ronnie Wood Years (Pt. 1), DVD

For those into Stones history, there's a new DVD out called The Rolling Stones Under Review, 1975-83, the Ronnie Wood Years (Pt. 1) (Sexy Intellectual SIDVD 575). As the title makes clear it takes a chronological look at the band, its personal interactions, musical output, and general fate in years that were decidedly mixed ones for the band, but perhaps also the last period that the Stones had a direct influence on the rock world through "hit records" and high-charting songs.

It is the time when guitarist Ronnie Wood came on board, they scored a disco hit that somehow managed to be more Stones than disco, and they had perhaps the final prototypical rock success with "Wind Me Up" and the album it came out of. At the same time Keith Richard was in a low ebb, with a major drug bust and a serious addiction problem, while Mick Jagger lived the opulent life style of a posh rock star in NYC.

Through rock critic commentary, footage and a cohesive narrative, the era is given 115 minutes and the full treatment. I found it interesting and worthwhile to experience the summing up of the era. It is rather well done. This is something more for Stone fans than a general audience, but I suspect you can gather that by the title. Still, it's a piece of rock history and there are insights on the aging of rock that any student of the music should appreciate.

Brian Wilson, Songwriter 1969-1982, DVD

Brian Wilson is a complex character. He is not easily pigeonholed. Beach Boy leader, writer and producer of go-go teenage surf, sun, car and angst songs, art song composer-arranger of Pet Sounds and Smile, troubled soul...Brian Wilson: Songwriter 1969-82 (Sexy Intellectual SIDVD 574) documents the volatile period in Brian's career when after abandoning the album Smile uncompleted, Brian has a breakdown of sorts and draws within himself, then makes a series of comebacks and recording ventures with mixed success.

There are various forces at work, as the documentary shows rather clearly. Mike Love and the record label want more happy, breezy, early style hits and/or the endless re-presentation of past successes, the WIlson brothers are generally for broadening horizons and new creativity, and Brian himself bounces between the need to continue to innovate as an artist, total withdrawal and resigned moments where he reverts to old Beach Boy ways.

It's not an especially happy story in those years. He creates a few classic tracks that perhaps make up for it all but generally this is not his finest hour.

Nonetheless the documentary does a decent job juggling the various influences on his life and looks at his erratic output with critical honesty.

Recommended for all Brian Wilson fans.

New York Dolls: Lookin' Fine On Television, DVD

The New York Dolls in the early '70s took the raw power of the Velvets and the Stooges, then combined it with Jagger's ambivalent performance sexuality to create a "glam", cross-dressed stage show that had its visual as well as aural importance to the ensuing scene. In the course of their rising Nadja and Bob Gruen filmed interviews and live appearances in the clubs and on television.

The documentation can be had on the new 70-minute DVD Lookin' Fine on Television (MVD Visual 5272D). It captures the aura of the band in glorious black and white. The film makes quite clear the counterculture niche the band embodied. They were an eruption of a rather overtly flamboyant version of gay culture into the rock nightlife world, Liberace's of proto-punk if you like.

The club footage and tv spot cover much of the band's repertoire in raw sound. This is loud anarchic stuff and it recaptures the eccentric excitement the band generated. The sound is somewhat low-fi but in full keeping with the live ambiance of the band in full flight. One quibble--the filmakers continually synch multiple clips of the band performing on different occasions with the initial sound track, so that the band morphs minute-by-minute with the various outfits they wore on a different occasions. A little of this might have been enough--to give you the all-important visual impact of the band in full flower. As it is it tends to distract a little from the band-in-a-club actuality that the music portrays.

All-in-all, though, this is a very revealing documentary on a group that still sounds rootsy and strong. They used the elementality of their musical endowment to excellent advantage. They showed the punks to come that you could create real style out of a few chords, a lot of power and a big attitude.

"Robert Plant's Blue Note" DVD Traces A Long and Fruitful Career in Music

When Robert Plant hit the grooves and airwaves with Led Zeppelin as I was coming of age, I have to say that I took him for granted. A supercharged instrument at a time when so much was going on in rock, he stood out as coming out of the blues, but went beyond to forge a style tremendously influential in what eventually was known as metal. If I paid more attention at the time to what was happening instrumentally, it was to my temporary loss. Of course he was more than just a rock screamer. As a soon-to-be-released DVD Robert Plant's Blue Note (Sexy Intellectual SIDVD567) shows clearly, he was and is a complex character with diverse interests, influences and a long career of stylistic change and development.

The video documents the shifting scene around him from the early-mid sixties onwards and his engagement with it. There is a fairly detailed look at the British blues boom of the '60s, spawned by a tepid pop scene and the infusion through imported records and personal appearances in England of the great black artists with their iconic excitement and sheer power. The general scene and Plant's eventual involvement with it are covered with depth and insight. The DVD goes on to look at the formation of Plant's own band, the subsequent formation of Led Zeppelin and the dynamic Page-Plant dialog, the expansion of the band from a quasi-hard-blues to a metal and progressive outfit, and then Plant's long solo career and his flirtation with popular synth-based styles, his return to metal, his renewed involvement with the psychedelic sounds of the late '60s California world, and finally his growth through involvement in North African/Mideastern music styles and ultimately roots-folk and country.

This is a long and detailed DVD (155 minutes) allowing for lots of interview footage of Plant and his contemporaries along with select musical journalists. There's a very fair amount of concert footage of Plant and others in the course of the presentation. And there is an overarching narrative with a main theme, Plant's fascination and immersion in the "blue note," the intervals and bending tones of the blues.

There are many little assertions and details I might take exception to here. They are essentially about musical issues that would take us far beyond the scope of this review blurb, having to do with the roots of blues in Africa, the status of non-blues music in relation to the blues, and such like things. It's enough to say that I don't always completely agree with some of the points raised by the journalists on the DVD.

In the end though what matters is that you finish watching this longish DVD with a renewed appreciation of Plant as a musical force, his respect for the black music and world music roots he has engaged in various ways, and an appreciation for the open-ended nature of his musical quest. Mr. Plant is more than just an extraordinary vocalist. He has had an important musical stylistic influence on everything from metal to world-infused rock.

I don't think anyone with a serious interest in the history of rock and or Plant the artist will be disappointed in this DVD. It is well done.

Joni Mitchell's Blue, Rush's Feedback

Originally posted on December 5, 2007

“It’s coming on Christmas, They’re chopping down trees, something something something, And singin’ songs about love and peace.” OK, so I forget all the words. But I refer to a Joni Mitchell song. Classic Joni that Blue album. I had it on eight track and was playing it in my 1965 Ford Fairlane Station Wagon on my way to work at Bamberger’s around this time of year in 1972. I got into my first accident, thanks to the snow. I’ll never forget the sound of the damaged, leaking radiator hissing as the eight-track player continued, “Oh I wish I had a river, to skate away on.” She echoed my despair, as she often did. But if you haven’t checked out her earlier albums or have forgotten, go back and listen to the way she played acoustic. Tuned differently, capos, very much her own way to go about it. “All I Wan’t,” for example sounds like a crazy adaptation of delta blues techniques to Joni’s original sound.


But I am not listening to that right now. Do you know Rush? They’ve been around for eons and certainly have a big place in the history of the power trio. A while ago they did an EP of cover songs, their only foray into this area. They picked eight of their favorite ‘60s rock classics, songs that had influenced their style, and recorded them as a kind of looking back to their roots and reflecting on time passed. The CD is called Feedback and it’s on Atlantic. What good tunes: “Summertime Blues,” a la Blue Cheer, The Yardbirds’ “Heart Full of Soul,” Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” and one of my absolute favorites of my youth, “Seven and Seven Is” by Arthur Lee and Love. Gee whiz, what can I say? It is fun to hear these done again by a bunch of old duffers who still sound cool. That’s a real tribute to the staying power of Rush.