For the last few xmases I’ve gotten my brother-in-law rock & roll dvd’s. For example: Stop Making Sense, Les Paul - Chasing Sound, This Is Spinal Tap, The Last Waltz, Heart of Gold, Hediwig and the Angry Inch.
For this xmas I’ve gotten him Ride, Rise Roar and The Blues Brothers (he’s from McHenry County where some of it was shot and it has some good musical performances).
I’m looking for recommendations for DVD #3. Any suggestions?
Brian Setzer Orchestra Live In Tokyo.
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We Jam Econo is a terrific movie about a band and about 2 best friends who grew up living their dreams, and how one of them has never forgotten his best friend despite a tragic early death. Great band, great movie, great music.
The Filth & The Fury is a great film about the Sex Pistols, including terrific interviews with Johnny Rotten that will make you see him and the band in a whole new way.
Westway to the World is probably the best summation and examination of The Clash’s career out there. Awesome interviews, great music.
The Story of The Ramones is also great.
And there’s no way you can possibly go wrong by giving someone Six String Samurai.
The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concerts has some great performances.
If he liked the Les Paul DVD, he might enjoy It Might Get Loud, which is a documentary about Jimmy Page, The Edge, and Jack White, talking about their guitar playing, and their backgrounds.
The Rush documentary Beyond the Lighted Stage is also very well done.
Alas that Martin Scorsese’s recent biography on George Harrison, Living in the Material World, hasn’t yet been released on DVD in the U.S.
I’m a big fan of What We Did Last Summer - Robbie Williams. It’s super entertaining, and quite a spectacle. Putting aside likes or dislikes of the man, he did put on quite a show. The songs are at the more interesting end of the pop spectrum, and performed well.
Justin Bieber: “Never Say Never”
KIDDING!!!
(It’s actually pretty good though. I went to see it as a joke and came away going “Whaaa???”)
How about George Harrison’s “Concert for Bangladesh”?
Oh, couldn’t make it in before the edit, but how about Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”? Or maybe the Who’s “Tommy”?
Just saw this recently, more than once, and I would put it top of my list.
Great choice but the right (;)) answer is Tom Dowd: The Language of Music. Brilliant doc about the engineer and producer on SO much good, important music it will make your head spin - from Ray Charles and Coltrane to Cream, the Allmans and Skynyrd. The best music doc I have seen.
Another one is The Ramones: End of the Century.
I’ve always enjoyed The Who’s The Kids Are Alright, which is full of archival footage plus some bonus silliness.
This really is a great documentary. Netflix used to stream it, but alas, no more…
Pulse by Pink Floyd. I have watched it 3 times and have enjoyed more with each viewing.
Jeff Beck, Live at Ronnie Scott’s. The tones from A Day in the Life and Joss Stone’s version of People Get Ready are well worth the price of admission.
This just came out last month: The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition
The Who At Kilburn: 1977 features their “first take” of the show they did for The Kids Are Alright. The “bonus” disc is from the 1969 London Coliseum, which is almost as good as having a video of *“Live At Leeds” *.
Peter Gabriel Growing Up Live opens with a incredible version “Here Comes The Flood” and just gets better from there.
Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten
A very moving and entertaining tribute to a true rock original. Highly recommended.
What about some Stevie Ray Vaughan?
Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002) is a great documentary about the Funk Brothers, the backing band that played on most of Motown’s records. It’s got archival footage as well as newer (in 2002) concert film. Joan Osborne does a killer version of Jimmy Ruffin’s “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” in it (link to YouTube clip).
Since the OP had a couple of fiction movies, I’ll also suggest The Commitments (1991), which is a little piece of comedic perfection about a group of young Dubliners who put together a soul band. The music sets in it are quite, quite powerful. It’s directed by Alan Parker, who also helmed the aforementioned Pink Floyd The Wall (1982) – except a grounding in music, they have very little in common.
Another classic: "Rust Never Sleeps"by Neil Young and Crazy Horse. A bit weird at the beginning, but nonetheless great.