THE BEACH BOYS (2024, doc)

May 24, 2024

Greetings again from the darkness. Casual fans of The Beach Boys music are attracted to the light-hearted and fun songs that are always good for a burst of feel-good energy. More attuned fans remain in awe of the intricate vocal harmonies … rarely matched by other bands. Co-directors Frank Marshall and Thom Zimney have successfully presented the story of The Beach Boys without either over-the-top gushing or digging too deeply into the dirt.

By going all the way back to the childhood of the Wilson brothers, the film details how singing in the backseat of the family car began the transformation into a supergroup that changed pop music forever. Oldest brother Brian has always been accepted as the musical ‘genius’, while Carl was inspired to pick up a guitar after hearing Chuck Berry, and rebel Dennis played the drums almost out of necessity. Cousin Mike Love wrote many of the lyrics for Brian’s music and became the band’s lead singer, while good friend (and Brian’s football teammate) Al Jardine’s exceptional voice was a natural fit. We learn it was Al’s mother who fronted the boys $300 to rent instruments after hearing them sing together (smart lady). We also learn that Murry Wilson (the boys’ father) sold his business to manage the group towards gigs and their first record deal.

It’s really that history – the foundation of the band – that is the most interesting aspect of the film. For the most part, it tracks chronologically through the album releases and tours, while emphasizing the importance of the band bringing beach culture to the masses. Hearing about their musical influences: The Four Freshman, Dick Dale, The Ventures, and Phil Spector, allows us to understand exactly how things progressed so quickly.

The filmmakers (with impressive music doc and music video backgrounds) mention but opt not to dwell on the darker aspects of the band’s history. The commercial failure of “Pet Sounds” (now considered a masterpiece) played a significant role in Brian’s emotional fade. Father Murry’s inexplicable decision to sell off the band’s publishing rights prevented any of them from reaching the financial status they deserved. As was commonplace for the time, drugs were detrimental to individual band members as well as the band’s productivity. Deciding to pull out of the Monterrey Pop Festival (no real explanation given) resulted in the band becoming irrelevant for a few years. Mike Love sued the band for songwriting credits, creating a huge rift. These points, along with Dennis’ happenstance involvement with Charles Manson, are all mentioned yet given no real depth … which is fine for a documentary working so hard to stay positive.

As a conclusion, Capital Records’ release of the double-album “Endless Summer” injected new life and popularity into the band (getting them past that earlier ‘rivalry’ with The Beatles), and the finale is a shot of a recent reunion with surviving band members Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Bruce Johnston at Paradise Cove … with no insight into what was discussed.

The film begins streaming on DISNEY+ on May 24, 2024

WATCH THE TRAILER

3 Comments | Documentary | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

JAZZ FEST: A NEW ORLEANS STORY (SXSW 2022, doc)

March 23, 2022

SXSW 2022

Greetings again from the darkness. We are informed that the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival features 7000 musicians across 14 stages over 8 days. It’s a massive and popular event and co-directors Frank Marshall and Ryan Suffern set out to highlight the festival’s 50th anniversary in 2019, and ended up with a blend of music, history, and culture. Mr. Marshall, along with his wife Kathleen Kennedy, is a frequent producing partner of Steven Spielberg, and he also directed the 1990 favorite ARACHNOPHOBIA. Marshall and Suffern previously collaborated on music documentaries of Carole King-James Taylor, and The Bee Gees.

In New Orleans, “the air is thick with humidity and culture.” Music has long been a key element in the culture, and we see clips of late greats like Louis Armstrong, Mahalia Jackson, Fats Domino, and BB King. We also hear from festival co-founders George Wein and Quint Davis, and learn that despite the festival’s name, all types of music have been featured, including jazz, gospel, soul, blues, R&B, and whatever that is that Pitbull does. In this spirit, the filmmakers include clips of live performances from such artists as the Marsalis family, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Buffett, Earth Wind & Fire, Al Green (in a comeback), and the great Aaron Neville singing “Amazing Grace.”

Any conversation about New Orleans must also include the unique local cuisine, the craziness of Mardi Gras, and the tragedy and destruction of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The first festival held after the hurricane featured Bruce Springsteen, and we get the footage of him performing, “My City of Ruin.” The film isn’t really structured as a history of the festival, but there is plenty here to justify a viewing, especially the clips of festival performances. To cap it off, Marshall and Suffern show us 2022 as The Big Easy and the festival recover from two years of pandemic shutdown, and leaves us with … “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

Leave a Comment » | Documentary | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

THE BEE GEES: HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART (2020, doc)

December 12, 2020

 Greetings again from the darkness. “Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother, you’re stayin’ alive” … that instantly recognizable lyric is a bit ironic when it comes to the fascinating story of the Brothers Gibb – a story of love, ego, success, and tragedy. Director Frank Marshall delivers a heartfelt and quite detailed chronicle of the familial music group that experienced the highest highs and lowest lows. The foot-tapping “Stayin’ Alive” plays over the opening, but we soon cut to a 1979 concert in Oakland where the Bee Gees are performing the film’s title track. If somehow you are unfamiliar with their music, this beautiful performance will clue you in quickly.

Flash forward to 2019, and we hear from 73 year old Barry Gibb as he dolefully states, “my immediate family is gone”. Going back to their childhood, we see 5 year old twins Robin and Maurice joining with older (by 3 years) brother Barry to perform live shows. Contrary to popular belief, the boys were born on the Isle of Man, and only later did the family relocate to Australia. Robin’s tear-jerking voice perfectly blended with Barry’s power (and later falsetto), while Maurice was a natural harmonizer. Barry promised his younger siblings they were “going to be famous”. It’s a prediction that certainly came true.

Along the way, we hear recollections from musical luminaries such as Eric Clapton, Chris Martin, Nick Jonas, Justin Timberlake, and Noel Gallagher. Jonas and Gallagher both speak to performing with one’s brothers, and it’s Gallagher who nails it with, “Brothers singing is an instrument nobody can buy.” In comparison, Timberlake’s few comments seem to be included because of who he is rather than what he has to say. It’s noted that early work from the Bee Gees sounded very much like the Beatles, and it was music executive Robert Stigwood who truly recognized their talent and the possibilities of their stunning harmonies. Stigwood would guide them through their career peaks and valleys.

Much is made of how the brothers functioned as “one” while writing and singing, but as often happens, success brought out the egos, and in 1969 Robin quit the group due to his creative clashes with Barry … both wanted to sing lead. It’s interesting to note that Maurice married singer/actress Lulu, who most will remember as the singer on the smash hit “To Sir with Love” (she also appeared in the movie). Not surprisingly, the brothers’ first song after reconciling was “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?”, which provided some symmetry to their own situation.

The film closely tracks their career, including resorting to performing in small clubs, and their shift in musical styles with 1975’s “Jive Talkin’”, followed by “Nights on Broadway”. The Bee Gees went through a few producers in their career, which likely explains their numerous shifts in style. Arif Mardin was followed by “hippie” Albhy Galuten, who helped create the ‘Miami sound’ and then turn them (like it or not) into disco icons when Robert Stigwood included them in his film and music vision of a little magazine article entitled “Tribal Rights of the new Saturday Night”. The movie, of course, was SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, and the soundtrack exploded on the scene. Of particular interest here is Galuten’s explanation of how they built/wrote the song “Stayin’ Alive”. It was also around this time when the youngest Gibb brother, Andy, zoomed up the charts with three consecutive number one singles.

Of course all good things must come to end … even if by the end they aren’t so great (“Disco Duck”). Chicago DJ Steve Dahl organized “Disco Demolition Night” at Comiskey Park and the anti-disco movement was well underway. This is discussed from a historical and societal perspective with some particularly fascinating insight into what actually happened that night. Casualties of the movement and the collapse of disco, the brothers once again reinvented themselves – this time as songwriters for such performers as Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross, Celine Dion, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.

It may seem that the Brothers Gibb had more lives than a cat, but alas, tragedy struck numerous times. First to go was Andy at age 30, followed by Maurice in 2003, and Robin (cancer) in 2012. It’s a wonderful documentary for fans of the Bee Gees, as well as those just wanting to know more. I am especially grateful to director Marshall for including my favorite, “Massachusetts”. Mr. Marshall has had quite a career himself. He had a minor acting role in the classic THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971), has been a Producer on numerous Spielberg movies including RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981), directed ARACHNOPHOBIA (1990), and has been married to Hollywood power producer Kathleen Kennedy since 1987. Elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, the Bee Gees music can be described as: “Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive …”

HBO Documentary premieres December 12, 2020

watch the trailer

Leave a Comment » | Documentary | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson