The Best Music Documentaries So Far...
The best music documentaries i have seen giving an insight into the highs and lows of the creative process and the business.
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- DirectorOndi TimonerStarsAnton NewcombeCourtney Taylor-TaylorJoel GionA documentary on the once-promising American rock bands The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols, and the friendship/rivalry between their respective founders, Anton Newcombe and Courtney Taylor.
- DirectorScot BarbourStarsAndrew WoodDavid WoodMother Love BoneDocumentary film based on the life of the late Andrew Wood, Singer/Songwriter for the legendary Seattle based band Mother Love Bone, a band that would later become Pearl Jam.
- DirectorDon ArgottDemian FentonStarsBobby LieblingSean PelletierDiane LieblingDocumentary follows Bobby Liebling, lead singer of seminal hard rock/heavy metal band Pentagram, as he battles decades of hard drug addiction and personal demons to try and get his life back.
- DirectorJay BulgerStarsGinger BakerFemi KutiEric ClaptonGinger Baker looks back on his musical career with Cream and Blind Faith; his introduction to Fela Kuti; his self-destructive patterns and losses of fortune; and his current life inside a fortified South African compound.
- DirectorWim WendersStarsCompay SegundoIbrahim FerrerRubén GonzálezAging Cuban musicians whose talents had been virtually forgotten following Castro's takeover of Cuba, are brought out of retirement by Ry Cooder, who travelled to Havana in order to bring the musicians together, resulting in triumphant performances of extraordinary music, and resurrecting the musicians' careers.
- DirectorPaul JustmanStarsJoe HunterJack AshfordUriel JonesDocumentary about the Funk Brothers, a group of Detroit musicians who backed up dozens of Motown artists.
- DirectorCameron CroweStarsEddie VedderStone GossardJeff AmentA documentary on the band Pearl Jam that marks their 20th anniversary in the year 2011.
- DirectorDave GrohlStarsTrent ReznorTom PettyMick FleetwoodA documentary on the fabled recording studio that was located in Van Nuys, California.
- DirectorSteven CantorMatthew GalkinStarsFrank BlackKim DealDavid LoveringloudQUIETloud is the story of this unforseen plot twist. A deeply compelling portrait of four band members and their difficult, tense, and ultimately triumphant return.
- DirectorKeven McAlesterStarsByron ColeyPaul Drummond13th Floor ElevatorsDocumentary about rock pioneer Roky Erickson, detailing his rise as a psychedelic hero, his lengthy institutionalization, his descent into poverty and filth, and his brother's struggle with their religious mother to improve Roky's care.
- DirectorSacha GervasiStarsRobb ReinerSteve 'Lips' KudlowTiziana ArrigoniSince 1978, Anvil has become one of heavy metal's most influential yet commercially unsuccessful acts. In 2006, after a fledging European tour Anvil sets out to record their thirteenth album and continue to follow their dreams.
- DirectorDoug PrayStars7 Year BitchValerie M. AgnewCarrie AkreDocumentary covering the growth and subsequent overexposure of the Seattle "grunge" music scene in the early 90s
- DirectorMalik BendjelloulStarsRodriguezStephen 'Sugar' SegermanDennis CoffeyTwo South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsDavid ByrneBernie WorrellAlex WeirConsidered by critics as the greatest concert film of all time, the live performance was shot over the course of three nights at Hollywood's Pantages Theater in December of 1983 and features Talking Heads' most memorable songs.
- DirectorJeff FeuerzeigStarsDaniel JohnstonMabel JohnstonBill JohnstonDaniel Johnston, manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist is revealed in this portrait of madness, creativity and love.
- DirectorJoe BerlingerBruce SinofskyStarsJames HetfieldKirk HammettLars UlrichThe iconic metal band struggles for two years to create their album St. Anger, dealing with alcoholism, the loss of their bass player, and the challenge of working with a psychotherapist.
- DirectorJulien TempleStarsJoe StrummerSteve JonesMick JonesAs the front man of the Clash from 1977, Joe Strummer changed people's lives forever. Four years after his death, his influence reaches out around the world, more strongly now than ever before.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobbie RobertsonMuddy WatersNeil YoungA film account and presentation of the final concert of The Band.
- DirectorHanly BanksStarsBill CallahanA collection of live performances and a glimpse of the road from Bill Callahan's American leg of the 2011 Apocalypse tour.
- DirectorMark Christopher CovinoJeff HowlettStarsBobby HackneyDavid HackneyDannis HackneyA documentary on the 1970s punk trio Death, and their new-found popularity decades after they disbanded.
- DirectorGreg 'Freddy' CamalierStarsRick HallAretha FranklinKeith RichardsA documentary that celebrates Rick Hall, the founder of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and the signature sound he developed in songs such as "I'll Take You There", "Brown Sugar", and "When a Man Loves a Woman".
- DirectorMatt WolfStarsBob BlankErnie BrooksDavid ByrneDirector Matt Wolf's critically acclaimed documentary examines the life and work of Arthur Russell, an influential singer, songwriter, cello player and disco auteur who died tragically in 1992.
- DirectorDavis GuggenheimStarsJimmy PageThe EdgeJack WhiteA documentary on the electric guitar from the point of view of three significant rock musicians: The Edge, Jimmy Page, and Jack White.
- DirectorAdam PeaseRyan ShortStarsMark ArmChad ChanningCharles CrossSex, Drugs, and Rock N Roll with a side dish of lawsuits and in-band turmoil, Busted Circuits and Ringing Ears chronicles the band's rise and eventual disintegration. It contains archival footage spanning the band's entire career, from the club days to the arenas. The documentary also utilizes insightful interviews from some of Seattle's most respected musicians including Krist Novoselic (Nirvana), Chad Channing (Nirvana), Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Mark Arm (Mudhoney), Mark Felchtone (Zeke), and many others.
- DirectorKevin MacdonaldStarsBob MarleyZiggy MarleyRita MarleyA documentary on the life, music, and legacy of Bob Marley.
- DirectorJeremy MarreStarsThe AbyssiniansDennis BrownJimmy CliffRoots Rock Reggae depicts an unforgettable moment in Jamaica's history when music defined the island's struggles and immortalised its heroes.The best Reggae documentary to date...
- DirectorStephen KijakStarsSara KestelmanArnie PottsJarvis CockerA documentary on the influential musician Scott Walker.
- DirectorGrant GeeStarsRadioheadThom YorkeJonny GreenwoodAn entertaining "rockumentary" about Radiohead that shows some of the tedium of being a rock star, as well as some of the fun stuff.
- DirectorCeri LevyStarsDamon AlbarnJamie HewlettPhil CornwellA documentary on the cryptic cartoon band, Gorillaz.
- DirectorAlbert MayslesDavid MayslesCharlotte ZwerinStarsMick JaggerKeith RichardsMick TaylorWhen three hundred thousand members of the Love Generation collided with a few dozen Hells Angels at San Francisco's Altamont Speedway, the bloody slash that transformed a decade's dreams into disillusionment was immortalized on this film.
- DirectorMichael WadleighStarsJoan BaezRichie HavensRoger DaltreyOscar-winning musical chronicle that brilliantly captures the three-day rock concert and celebration of peace and love that became a capstone for the Sixties.
- DirectorJörg BundschuhStarsJ.J. CaleEric ClaptonRocky FriscoThere's not really a plot, since this is a Documentary. In my opinion, it's a very good, very entertaining, documentary of the second half of the 2004 JJ Cale Band tour. I'm Rocky, the piano player in the band. It's really accurate, factual and honest. Cale has somehow got a reputation as a recluse, which is undeserved. The fact is: he has always avoided fame, since he thinks, correctly, that fame gets in the way of freedom and friendship. For this film, he set that aside and stepped out for his fans and friends. The John Cale I have known since 1957 is the John Cale you will see in this film. Many of the mysteries people have been curious about are made plain, even the true story of where the nickname "JJ" came from (the story in the various "Histories of Rock" is inaccurate). There's plenty of really good concert footage and some charming episodes of just John, doodling on guitar and singing his songs, in parking lots and back rooms. You will get to know the supporting cast, from band members to sound guys and roadies, members of the management team and friends sitting in. This DVD is an absolute must for anybody who was ever curious about the man behind the music they love. I think the fact that the film crew came over from Munich added much to the effectiveness of the film, since they were obviously charmed by Americans and the American countryside. There's also footage from the 2004 Crossroads Festival, from the first half of the tour, and interviews with Eric Clapton, who sat in with us on the Saturday.
- DirectorVincent MoonStarsMatt BerningerAaron DessnerBryce DessnerSeeking the right lyrics, notes, sounds, instruments to express yourself is not easy. It's even harder if a whole group of artists is looking into a sea of good ideas. A communion with the spectator is going to appear. The National is a band from New York that runs away from everything to create a new album. This creation was shot by the French artist Vincent Moon in a film called A skin, A Night. The story of this band starts inside the studio. During the first steps the director follows The National as they create the new songs while searching for a new kind of sound. The film shows how one of New York's bands works also dark places in the artist's heart and soul. You will see the creative process: how they work, how it grows from a simple guitar riff to a whole song. A Skin, A Night is about music, creation and external things that an artist absorbs before he goes inside the studio also how it affects the result. Away from all distractions in order to leave the ideas coming together back and forward. A Skin, A night is a ticket to follow "The National" on a long journey that ends with the release of their last album "Boxer". It's about the questions they are asking themselves during these sessions. It was the first time they work this way, all together, in the same studio, with everybody giving ideas and opinions. You will see how they feel while recording this way. This film will make you see through the eyes of the band and understand what made them to create this album this way. But this is not only about The National, it's also about how difficult it is for any artist or any band to be themselves.