Best movies about music?

Spinal Tap 🙂 🙂

🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

I'm actually getting my hands on 😉Spinal Tap
pretty soon.

Maybe Hedwig and the Angry Inch? I haven't actually sat down to watch that Film, but if my memory serves me right, there was some band featured in it somewhere.

...man, I spent the first half hour just sketching this out, but I never actually finished it... guess I better get back to work now—thanks for the nudge 😘 😁

That Film is absolutely insane

Rockumentary style The Year Punk Broke - 1991 about that shared tour featuring Sonic Youth and Nirvana (right after they dropped Goo and Nevermind), plus you get to see faces like Dinosaur Jr. and the wild Babes in Toyland popping up too.
🙂 🎉 🙂

vividmason5 said:The Rockumentary The Year Punk Broke covers that shared tour by Sonic Youth and Nirvana (right after they dropped Goo and Nevermind), featuring folks like Dinosaur Jr. and the wild Babes in Toyland. 🙂 🎉 🙂

Is that the part where Kurt pops a bottle of champagne and everyone loses their minds? 😁 😁...
...
Anyway, if I had to pick some favorites... and I actually want to... 😁they'd definitely be 'Spinal Tap' (hilarious and somehow true despite the madness) and 'Almost Famous' (which is really just a love letter to music)... though I could also throw in Crowe's 'Singles' because of Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and that whole 'Citizen Dick' vibe 🙏... just a bunch of good stuff 😁

Jose Miller17 said:Are you talking about that part where Kurt Cobain is sipping champagne and then everyone just loses their minds and starts tearing the place apart? 😁😁 ...

Yeah, honestly? Kurt was just out of this world—completely off the rails. I can’t even remember if he ever said anything that actually made sense, which is wild when you compare him to the Sonic Youth crew. Those guys were actually pretty cool, you know? Just a different kind of vibe entirely.😎 😎

And because... Singles I used to be absolutely obsessed with the Seattle scene—specifically Alice in Chains—but honestly, looking back at them today, I just don't find much that grabs me anymore. It’s funny how that works... maybe it was just a specific moment in time, but about ten years ago, they were everything to me. 🙏 🙏

Of all the music documentaries I've sat through lately, the absolute standout—the one that really hit me hardest—has to be... Instrument of legendary straightness You know, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about those legendary straight edge kids—those rebels who basically told the mainstream to shove it. They were the ones who swore they’d never waste their time filming flashy music videos for MTV, choosing instead to sell their DIY albums for a couple of bucks at a show. I'm talking about Fugazi... though, honestly, what am I even saying? Everyone knows them.🙏 🙏 🙏

Detroit Rock City by Kiss, Almost Famous set in Stillwater, Singles and all that grunge stuff from the Seattle scene... 😍 then there's also Crossroads, though I haven't gotten around to watching that one yet.

...101 - Not exactly the greatest Film ever made, but that band 😍 *blushing*

Roger Allen3 said:You've got Detroit Rock City covering KISS, Almost Famous about Stillwater, Singles and all those grunge guys in the Seattle scene... 😍 plus there's Crossroads, though I haven't sat down to watch that one yet!

The Film is awesome—even if it definitely leans into that whole 80s teen vibe, you know, like Karate Kid or Back to the Future, stuff like that. But hey, at least it’s actually about the Blues! The soundtrack is absolutely killer, there are some great scenes, and the story holds up. You just have to shake off the fact that the lead guy is none other than Maccio—yeah, the same Maccio from Karate Kid! Still, yeah, it's totally an 80s teen flick.

So, it’s definitely worth watching! 🙏 I think I caught the trailer for this Film... doesn't it end with Steve Vai and that little kid having some kind of guitar shredding contest? 😍 Everything seems to point toward 😍
being the winner.

Roger Allen3 said:So it’s worth watching 🙏 I think I saw the trailer for that Film... does that kid have some kind of guitar shredding contest with Steve Vai at the end?? 😍 Everything points to 😍

Aha! The kid plays the Blues—sort of a mashup of Ry Cooder, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Johnny Winter styles—while Vai brings his signature metal/Rock vibe. And yeah, the kid totally shreds on the Bach at the end (he was a classical guitar student).

The whole story is about Blues folklore, selling your soul to the devil at the crossroads, and all that good stuff. Joe Seneca is absolutely brilliant in the Film as Will Brown, even if Maccio is... well, you know. You can really feel those Karate Kid vibes in the movie. You definitely need to grab the Ry Cooder soundtrack, though. The only thing that bugs me is how Maccio clearly doesn't play the guitar—what his hands are doing doesn't match the sounds at all—but man, that soundtrack is one of the best ever made. It's so good that I actually started learning slide guitar just because of that "feeling bad" Blues solo he plays when the girl leaves him. Even today, that's still one of my favorite slide solos. Seriously, the soundtrack is so killer it's part of my "holy quartet" of Ry Cooder albums: Boomer's Story, Crossroads, Paris, Texas (another soundtrack, and honestly the best soundtrack in cinema history), and Jazz. By the way, the movie only shows a tiny snippet of that "feeling bad" Blues, and there are tons of other genius tracks just playing in the background.

If you're into the Blues, you've gotta get the Film, but the soundtrack is a total must-have. Also, there are a few songs in there from other albums. Like, when Will Brown and Lightnin' are waiting at the crossroads, he plays Vigilante Man from the Into the Purple Valley album, which is another masterpiece.

To get ready and understand the backstory, you should dig into some Blues folklore and early history. For a cool intro, check out this piece on Charley Patton:
http://www.celticguitarmusic.com/patton1.htm
Patton was a generation before Robert Johnson—basically, according to legend, Patton sold his soul to the devil to impress someone, and Patton himself was a student of Henry Sloan, whom Blues historians pretty much credit with inventing the Blues. Patton has the earliest recorded Blues recordings. The "Holy Trinity" of the Blues—the guys who really defined the genre—would be Sloan, Patton, and Robert Johnson. That lost Robert Johnson song from the '30s is the whole core of the Film. And don't forget, Rock was born out of the Blues; without those three guys, today's music would sound completely different.

I’d definitely recommend picking up as much Patton and Johnson as you can. Yazoo Records put out complete collections a few years back, so it's actually super easy to find them now.

Brian Moore67 said:The holy trinity of the Blues—you know, those folks who actually defined the genre—would have to be Sloan, Patton, and Robert Johnson.

I feel like I’ve finally had my chance to really dive into Johnson, so now I’m off to hunt down those other two. But wait, where does Skip James fit into all this? He's chronologically right there in the mix, even if I'm still pretty much a novice when it comes to the whole history of the Blues.
Despite its flaws (like including Steve Vai, for instance), I think it makes for a pretty compelling Film. There's just something fascinating about those showmen who basically sell their souls to the devil for the craft.

...staying on topic here... Scorsese's The Last Waltz featuring the farewell performance by The Bend, with guests like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell... honestly, it's an absolute treat of a concert.

I wouldn't say I'm exactly a huge Blues fan, it's just that I haven't really explored the genre yet🙏 I'm looking for someone to point me in the right direction on what to pick up first🙏 I'd download this soundtrack in a heartbeat, but I can't seem to find it on any torrent sites🙏

vividmason5 said:I think Johnson is a great listen, and now I’m off to hunt down those two guys. But wait—where does Skip James fit in? He’s somewhere in that timeline, right? Even though I’m definitely no expert when it comes to Blues history!
Even with all its flaws (like featuring Steve Vai, lol), I think it’s a really cool Film. I’ve always been fascinated by those show-offs who basically sell their souls to the devil.

Forget about Henry Sloan—there isn't a single recording of him out there. But you can find plenty of Charley Patton. Just a heads up, though: to dig this stuff, you gotta be ready for crappy audio quality—we're talking pops and crackles where you can barely hear the song sometimes. Patton passed away in 1929, so everything we have is ripped from ancient 78 RPM records. But hey, that's exactly where this music was born. Then you've got Robert Johnson, who died in 1938. He's the one who really shaped what the Blues became.

vividmason5 said:...staying on topic... Scorsese's The Last Waltz about The Band's farewell performance, featuring guests like Dylan, Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell... absolute candy of a concert.

If we’re gonna talk about concerts, Paul Simon’s Graceland tour in Africa was absolutely legendary too.

The Last Waltz is the Film (and album) that actually made me fall in love with the Blues. I remember being just a little kid in elementary school when I first saw Muddy Waters on TV. Honestly, seeing B.B. King perform at a massive arena totally sold me on the Blues. I've seen tons of huge names live—stuff like the Ramones, Dylan, Pink Floyd... but man, that old legend just blew them all out of the water.

Roger Allen3 said:It’s not even like I’m some massive Blues fanatic or anything—honestly, it’s just because I haven't really sat down and given it a proper listen yet! 🙏 Man, I am totally lost here—nobody's giving me any guidance on what I actually need to pick up! 🙏 Man, I would download this soundtrack in a heartbeat—I'm talking instant click—but for some reason, I'm having zero luck finding it on any of the torrent sites! It's like it just doesn't exist out there right now. 🙏

Honestly, if you aren't using Soulseek, what are you even doing with your life? It’s hands down the absolute best P2P out there for music—nothing else even comes close! http://www.slsknet.org/

Honestly, I blame Soulseek for my poor life choices—like the fact that I talked myself out of getting the 40GB MP3 player and settled for the measly 20GB one instead! Seriously, if I hadn't been spending all my time downloading everything on Soulseek, I probably would've made a much smarter call. Now I'm stuck playing musical chairs with my storage space! 😎

So, Skip James actually started recording about two years after Charley Patton passed away—he’s definitely from that next wave. And man, that generation? It was absolutely stacked with geniuses... we're talking Blind Willie Johnson, Bukka White, Fred McDowell, Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie McTell, you name it. I could probably rattle off a dozen more names if you want a heads-up on what to hunt for—strictly that pre-war Blues stuff. You've got Tommy Johnson, Son House, Johnny Shines, and then the women—Victoria Spivey is my absolute favorite, obviously, plus Ma Rainey and Memphis Minnie (who was also an incredible guitar player, by the way). A lot of these legends were still around in the '60s and got rediscovered once guys like Clapton and the Stones kicked off that whole Blues revival, so you can even find some of their later, high-quality recordings!

If you’re looking for the absolute foundation—the OG legends whose recordings actually survived to give us a chance to hear them—we're talking about the heavy hitters like Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, Tommy Johnson, Bukka White, and Son House. They are the bedrock! In my first post here, I already mentioned that if you have even a passing interest in the Blues, you seriously cannot skip the Scorsese documentaries, specifically Blues 1-8. Seriously, do yourself a favor and check them out! Check this out! If you haven't stumbled upon the PBS Blues site yet, you are seriously missing out—it’s like a gold mine for anyone obsessed with the roots of everything we love. Honestly, I could spend hours just scrolling through their archives. It’s such a massive resource for digging into the history of the genre, from the legends who started it all to the stuff that shaped modern music. Seriously, if you want to nerd out on some deep cuts, this is the spot!

Man, in those documentaries you get to see a ton of absolute legends from the Blues scene—it’s wild! And they even dive deep into that whole connection with Africa, too. It's such a trip!

Personally, I'm a fan of: "The Doors"

bluecobra9 said:I really dig "The Doors"

Of course! I can't believe I let that slip my mind. 🙏

Shame on you. It’s an excellent Film, and Val Kilmer is absolutely stellar in it. Plus, Oliver Stone really nailed the direction.