we jam econo
got my copy of the minutemen double dvd yesterday. because i'm cheap, i selected the lowball option when i preordered and so didn't expect to get it until after i got back from new joisey in july, but they musta upgraded it, so the package actually arrived at mi casa on the same day it did for other ppl who paid for the higher-priced spread. watched it _all_ last night -- both discs. so there.
the we jam econo documentary is great -- comparisons suck, but i gotta say 'twas better 'n the filth and the fury and from the westway to the world; dunno 'bout mc5: a true testimonial, but legal trials 'n' tribs mean we'll prolly never get to see thatun (which might be ok -- dunno if i wanna listen to wayne kramer talk fer an hour 'n' a half anyhoo).
the filmmakers strike just the right balance between ints 'n' music for optimal flow. the extreme brevity of most minutemen toonage means that they're able to give the diehard fan lotsa complete songs (always a plus where this kinda thing is concerned). interview-wise, the film's unifying thread is contempo footage of watt spielin' as he drives the boat around pedro. d. is present via snippets of a full-band int from their final tour in '85 (included in its hour-long entirety in da extra schitt, where you get to hear what a dickhead the college journo interviewer cat was). there are lotsa aging / greying / balding punkeroos -- a good cross-section of musos, friends 'n' fellow-travelers -- as well as watt's mom 'n' pedro neighborhood peeps and few irrelevant ones (richard hell was at least namechecked in "history lesson, part 2," and flea from the chili peppers seems genuine in his enthusiasm, but the wire cat is kind of a stretch).
in da extra schitt, you get complete sets (62 songs in toto!) from the starwood in l.a., '80 (d. breaks two strings while watt sings a lot and cracks back at hecklers who, in the manner of the time, insist on covering the band in loogies); the 9:30 club in d.c., '84 (can see the stupid slamdancing bullshit starting, but at least the perps look like suburban kids rather 'n skinhead nazi fucks); and an '85 acoustic set from an l.a. cable station (where d. 'n' watt are sitting in what have to be the most uncomfortable positions imaginable; you can almost feel their legs falling asleep as you watch them). deleted scenes on dvd's usually provide little more than validation for the original editing choices (in this case, the interminable interview with the cat who directed the minutemen's videos is particularly egregious in that regard) but there are a few gems here. (my fave: the one with minutemen producer spot in his backyard in austin. other bits i dug: saccharine trust gtrist joe baiza demonstrating how d. got his tone; watching d. leap around onstage 'n' realizing what a fuckin' great drummer george hurley is, playin' everything _but_ four-on-the-floor; watt singing an acoustic version of richard hell's "time.") you also get to see the vids for "this ain't no picnic" (which i actually remember seeing on mtv -- _once_), "ack ack ack" (reminiscent of the clip the who did for "happy jack" that was included in the kids are alright), and "king of the hill."
what comes through the most is the love between the cats in the band -- what else woulda kept watt touring for 20 yrs after his bro. d. perished in a stupid van accident (not dwelt on or oversentimentalized by the filmmakers, altho the inevitable "history lesson" will raise a lump in yr throat if you care about this stuff at all). to me, the best band stories are all about the same thing: a buncha ppl growing up together thru music. what makes thisun so evocative for me, beyond the liberating noise d., watt 'n' george made, is their honesty and d.i.y. work ethic, which still serves as a template for any bunch of kids who wanna make their statement without pandering to da star bullshit machine. required viewing.
the we jam econo documentary is great -- comparisons suck, but i gotta say 'twas better 'n the filth and the fury and from the westway to the world; dunno 'bout mc5: a true testimonial, but legal trials 'n' tribs mean we'll prolly never get to see thatun (which might be ok -- dunno if i wanna listen to wayne kramer talk fer an hour 'n' a half anyhoo).
the filmmakers strike just the right balance between ints 'n' music for optimal flow. the extreme brevity of most minutemen toonage means that they're able to give the diehard fan lotsa complete songs (always a plus where this kinda thing is concerned). interview-wise, the film's unifying thread is contempo footage of watt spielin' as he drives the boat around pedro. d. is present via snippets of a full-band int from their final tour in '85 (included in its hour-long entirety in da extra schitt, where you get to hear what a dickhead the college journo interviewer cat was). there are lotsa aging / greying / balding punkeroos -- a good cross-section of musos, friends 'n' fellow-travelers -- as well as watt's mom 'n' pedro neighborhood peeps and few irrelevant ones (richard hell was at least namechecked in "history lesson, part 2," and flea from the chili peppers seems genuine in his enthusiasm, but the wire cat is kind of a stretch).
in da extra schitt, you get complete sets (62 songs in toto!) from the starwood in l.a., '80 (d. breaks two strings while watt sings a lot and cracks back at hecklers who, in the manner of the time, insist on covering the band in loogies); the 9:30 club in d.c., '84 (can see the stupid slamdancing bullshit starting, but at least the perps look like suburban kids rather 'n skinhead nazi fucks); and an '85 acoustic set from an l.a. cable station (where d. 'n' watt are sitting in what have to be the most uncomfortable positions imaginable; you can almost feel their legs falling asleep as you watch them). deleted scenes on dvd's usually provide little more than validation for the original editing choices (in this case, the interminable interview with the cat who directed the minutemen's videos is particularly egregious in that regard) but there are a few gems here. (my fave: the one with minutemen producer spot in his backyard in austin. other bits i dug: saccharine trust gtrist joe baiza demonstrating how d. got his tone; watching d. leap around onstage 'n' realizing what a fuckin' great drummer george hurley is, playin' everything _but_ four-on-the-floor; watt singing an acoustic version of richard hell's "time.") you also get to see the vids for "this ain't no picnic" (which i actually remember seeing on mtv -- _once_), "ack ack ack" (reminiscent of the clip the who did for "happy jack" that was included in the kids are alright), and "king of the hill."
what comes through the most is the love between the cats in the band -- what else woulda kept watt touring for 20 yrs after his bro. d. perished in a stupid van accident (not dwelt on or oversentimentalized by the filmmakers, altho the inevitable "history lesson" will raise a lump in yr throat if you care about this stuff at all). to me, the best band stories are all about the same thing: a buncha ppl growing up together thru music. what makes thisun so evocative for me, beyond the liberating noise d., watt 'n' george made, is their honesty and d.i.y. work ethic, which still serves as a template for any bunch of kids who wanna make their statement without pandering to da star bullshit machine. required viewing.
posted by stashdauber at 8:05 AM
2 Comments:
Well ya beat me to it, and have just whetted my appetite.
Ken,
I never quite "got" either the Minutemen or any of Watt's work once D. Boone had his ticket punched, but this actually makes me want to track this one down.
Nice job!
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