Our Days – A Story of American Rock

Thoughts, anyone?

I’ve made it through the first four episodes. Some of the intros where Navajo talks about the timeline feel a bit lost in space and time—for instance, he mentions the hippie culture and student protests being at their peak in the mid-70s. Wouldn't you say that was more of a late 60s thing? But hey, we were always running a few years behind the rest of the world anyway 🙂. I think I'll hold off on commenting further until I get to the episodes covering eras I actually lived through.

That said, a series like this is a welcome addition. If things aren't recorded, they just fade into oblivion. Then again, if something gets recorded incorrectly, that becomes the "truth" forever—so you really have to be careful.

PS: I feel like this topic fits better here than on some random TV subreddit.

Those introductions you keep bringing up feel somewhat superfluous and quite frankly unnecessary... I found the first two episodes to be the most compelling, primarily because they covered territory I was almost entirely unfamiliar with. That segment regarding the "DIY" approach to guitars, amplifiers, and various gear was truly excellent!
The most contentious issue, however, has to be the rock series, where certain artists are mentioned who are lightyears away from the genre—Dwight being the primary offender—while others lean much more toward pop than actual rock.

Rock has basically become shorthand for "music" in the broadest sense. The early episodes are easily the most compelling because they’re packed with those obscure little details, though let's be honest—they're also pretty confusing, likely because there just isn't enough authentic footage to go on.
That last episode about the war was totally unnecessary; looks like Sefic and his crew were just pushing an agenda.

So, I just read some critic rambling on about Gall, claiming something along the lines of; "I would personally classify Bryan Adams as rock, even though most media outlets make the mistake of labeling him pop, though I suppose 'Autumn in America' could be considered pop too, if we aren't obsessively clinging to genre boundaries—not that critics don't constantly use those boxes just to make their own lives easier."

Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue what that writer was actually trying to get at...

Honestly, Gall—one doesn't really need to bother experiencing him. He once wrote this whole review for a major American newspaper about a Bryan Adams concert. Everything about the live energy, the crowd, all those million little details—you know the drill. The catch? The concert had actually been canceled in the meantime. I mean, the way he tried to defend himself afterward was just... well, you can imagine. 🤣 Maybe he should just stick to food criticism.

To get back to the documentary itself. It’s fine so far, I suppose, except for that bit about the war—just a bunch of superficial cliches and nonsense. That entire segment felt incredibly poorly put together, but... anyway, moving on. I don't have particularly high expectations, so I'm not being overly nitpicky. We just don't see enough documentaries like this in America.

Perhaps if they had gone a bit more in-depth—really digging into those obscure details from everyone, or lingering a bit longer on the musicians and the actual music (specifically the rock stuff). I realize that's nearly impossible given how little footage exists, and what little you do find is usually in terrible condition.

I feel a bit bad that I jumped into that last—or was it the one before that?—episode halfway through. They were diving deep into those 80s Green Party days, including a pretty substantial segment on Boy, complete with all that great archival footage from that legendary Madison Square Garden show where they were touring the Rhythm Passion album.

Even Massimo made an appearance there, sharing some thoughts on his iconic early days performing with Dorian Gray...

I heard nothing but rave reviews back when the first episodes dropped, but I just can't seem to find the time to actually sit down and watch... Is there somewhere I can stream this or maybe grab a download? I did a quick search just now but came up empty-handed...

Sophia Wells72 said:Honestly, does anyone actually need to experience Gall? He once penned this entire review for the Free Press regarding a Gibbon concert—just pages upon pages of live energy, the crowd, a million little details. The catch? The concert had been canceled before he even finished typing. You should have seen the way he tried to wiggle out of it afterward. 🤣Maybe he should just stick to food criticism and leave the music to the professionals.

That’s really how he built his reputation, isn't it?

It was high time for something like this to happen. Americans are notorious for having a shortage of memoirs from their true legends. In our country, it always seems like the less worthy figures leave a much larger footprint than those who actually matter...

The final episode essentially ruined everything that had been going right up until that point... I honestly can't tell if the director was being intentionally malicious, or if he’s just incredibly narrow-minded, or perhaps something else entirely... So, let me lay it all out for you:
1. The modern rock scene wasn't even given a single mention
2. Not a solitary word about the most iconic artist, Thompson
3. There was absolutely no mention of General Danger
4. Adastra was completely ignored
5. It’s as if the entire metal scene simply doesn't exist, because they didn't mention it at all
6. They gave way too much screen time to Jinx, who really has nothing to do with rock music
7. And once again, we have Dwight, who also has zero connection to the rock world
8. TBF doesn't fit the rock genre either
9. Then there's Barra, who was portrayed as this sort of pathetic, dim-witted character

My conclusion is this—it feels as though the creator was trying to mock certain rockers and specific subgenres within rock, all while attempting to glorify the ones he happens to adore...

Robin Rodriguez5 said:Rock has basically become synonymous with music in a much broader sense nowadays...

I suppose that’s how it feels to you, and perhaps to a few others, though certainly not the majority. It is true that Rock encompasses a vast array of subgenres, but one couldn't possibly try to cram funk or hip-hop into those categories even if they were insane...
Unless, of course, we decide to just joke around and make everything relative...

Kyle Morris7 said:The last episode totally trashed everything good that came before it. Honestly, I can't tell if the director is just being malicious, totally clueless, or what the hell is going on. So, let's break this down:
1. Not even a single mention of the modern rock scene.
2. Zero words about the biggest legend, Navajo.
3. General Danger wasn't even brought up.
4. Adastra was completely ignored.
5. The metal scene? Totally MIA, like they don't even exist.
6. Giving way too much screen time to Jinx, who have nothing to do with rock.
7. Again, Dwight gets airtime despite having zero connection to rock.
8. TBF has absolutely nothing to do with rock.
9. Bare is portrayed like some total loser.

Bottom line—the creator just wanted to mock certain rockers and specific subgenres while hyping up the ones he personally loves.

Navajo was actually in that "war" episode.

I mean, I mostly agree regarding General Danger, though they didn't even bring up the Cooperative or Coyote either, so it’s not like it’s that shocking.

Metalheads are way too underground to get a shoutout (just like punks, if it weren't for Cold Beer). They haven't really stepped outside the mainstream in any other episodes either, not even back in the 90s.

And maybe there was no word on the modern rock scene because it’s apparently "too current" for a documentary about the history of American rock music, who knows? Still, I agree, they could've thrown in a few names here and there. And even then, some other bands would've come before Adastra, like Fire for example. I don't know, I'm not exactly an expert.

I find myself in complete agreement regarding Fire, the Cooperative, and Coyote... there is an endless amount of material available regarding the modern scene, yet somehow, it was all left out. It is quite a striking point made by the journalist Horvat over at MusicNet; he was genuinely stunned because almost everything he had researched about the contemporary landscape was simply ignored...
On the other hand, it feels rather bizarre how much airtime was given to certain absolute outsiders, such as Far Coast and Pips. Even Steamroller received an excessive amount of coverage, despite the fact they aren't even true rockers, but more along the lines of pop-rock. If I am being honest, nearly half the space was handed over to pop or pop-rock acts... I suppose it ultimately comes down to the author's own preferences, but then one shouldn't pretend this is a series dedicated to American rock when it clearly isn't; it is more of a messy mixture of just about everything...

I couldn't agree more. If they had actually put together a series based on those "objective" metrics—the ones where Pips are treated like complete nobodies and Adastra is a band that only matters to their own inner circle—it would have been a joke.

Urnebes 😂

frozenraven39 said:I couldn't agree more! It would have been hilarious if they’d actually produced a series based on those "objective" metrics—the ones where Pips are considered "complete outsiders," and Adastra is a band that matters to absolutely no one outside their immediate family.

Urnebes 😂

Don't be so harsh—Adastra would be a guaranteed jackpot in a trivia game titled "Nobody Remembers This One" when asking about the best bands in America.😂

Kyle Morris7 said:The final episode essentially ruined everything that had been built up until that point. I honestly can't tell if the director was being intentionally malicious, simply limited in his vision, or what on earth was going on. So, let's break it down:

9. Bare is depicted as a total lightweight—completely incompetent.

My takeaway—the author clearly intended to mock certain rockers and specific subgenres within rock, all while attempting to glorify the ones he personally adores.

Does that even need to be explicitly shown? Has he ever presented himself differently in any interview?

Kyle Morris7 said:The final episode—well, it really managed to spoil everything that had gone right up until that point. I honestly can't tell if the director was being intentionally malicious, or if he's just limited in his vision—it's hard to say. So, looking at it logically:

2. Not a single word mentioned regarding the most popular artist, Thompson.

My takeaway—the author clearly wanted to poke fun at certain rockers and specific subgenres, while simultaneously elevating a few favorites of theirs.

I have to disagree here—after all, Vuco is king... 🙂🙂🙂

Personally, I think this documentary series is excellent. Some people here are nitpicking about what was left out or claiming there was too much focus on certain things, but I don't really get that attitude. This isn't a sporting event designed to satisfy everyone's specific preferences; it’s an auteur's take on popular music. It's an author-driven documentary, so of course it’s subjective. If I had to find one tiny flaw, maybe the subtitle calling it a "story of rock" is slightly clumsy—it would have been more accurate to call it pop-rock—but that's really the only criticism worth making.

Vukozec, regarding the debate with the WTO, this whole series is supposed to be about the essence of rock music, not some endless attempt to prove who holds the title of "better," because frankly, that’s a metric that can't even be measured... However, if one wanted to look at objective success, you could certainly settle it by examining the hard data, such as record sales figures or concert attendance numbers.
As for Bare, I haven't followed his career closely enough to know if he's always behaved this way, nor have I particularly cared to, but if things truly are as bad as people say, it would have been far more beneficial for the band if an actual member had participated in the series instead of him... He just ends up making himself look foolish, projecting this image of a sort of tragic figure, which is quite unfortunate. He really ought to find a new vocalist; he is a brilliant songwriter, but as a singer, he is simply disastrous.

velvetfox452 It seems that...
I find myself unable to concur with that sentiment, as I truly believe that Ozzy Osbourne remains the undisputed king... 🙂🙂🙂

It appears to me that you possess a certain capacity to recognize true substance when it is presented before you... For your discernment, I shall offer this link to someone who is perhaps even more profound than the last. Once you have truly listened to his work, I suspect you might find yourself compelled to throw bottles at the walls, though quite possibly you will end up throwing them at each other's heads as well...
I was sitting here, just drifting through some old clips on YouTube, when I stumbled upon this particular video... and it really did make me pause for a moment, thinking about how much everything has shifted over the years since we first started following these artists... there is a certain weight to the music, a specific kind of gravity that seems to pull at you when you revisit these performances, almost like catching a glimpse of a ghost from a different era altogether... it’s quite profound, really, how a single melody can act as a bridge between who we were then and who we have become now in the States... though I suppose my tendency to dwell on these things might be a bit excessive, but one cannot help but feel a sense of nostalgia creeping in, even when the sound itself remains as sharp and piercing as ever... anyway, I found myself lost in thought for quite some time after watching it...