It has always puzzled me how a Nick Cave documentary hasn't yet been made. Although, with the amount of mainstream media acceptance and worship he's been receiving around here since that last record after nearly thirty years of snubbing by the Australian media, it's only a matter of time before someone throws something together...

I can't believe that The Decline of Western Civilation II is still not out on DVD. Must-see if you can find the VHS. Part I, of course, a great, essential music doc, but Part II is just a whole different kind of classic.

Anyway



These are all great. Can DVD is more fan fodder than a truly good doc, but, well, I'm a fan. The highlight of that for me is the live footage in "Free Concert". It's really badly edited, though.




Honestly wasn't too into these. I don't remember the Talking Heads one all that well, but I remember being vaguely disappointed by it.




Need to see these. I actually have a friend's copy of Gimme Shelter on VHS somewhere that I've still never watched.

Have you seen the Townes Van Zandt one Be Here to Love Me? What about the Ramones doc from a few years ago? Metallica: Some Kind of Monster? All 3: great.

Not a doc, but the On the Box live set has a brief interview after the show that gives a little insight into the band's more dominant personalities (Colin Newman & Graham Lewis).

i have not seen any of those, although the local library has a copy of that metallica film. ive been tempted to check it out many a time

also, this looks interesting

just added all three discs of The Old Grey Whistle Test

(not a doc, but some good performances by seminal bands when they still hadn't lost their baby fat)

I've seen all of these and they're all excellent.

You should add:
Moog - A Documentary Film
Monks: Transatlantic Feedback
Haack: King of Techno
Townes Van Zandt - Be Here to Love Me

Really more biopics, but both 24 Hour Party People and Control are great.

Yeah, I own this. The weird thing about is that it sometimes makes me really sleepy.

Also, an interesting sort of pseudo-music doc is that Jim White thing, Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus which is more about reviving and slightly reimagining a mythology of the South than it is about music, per se. It's got plenty of music in it, though, from White and Johnny Dowd. And even though I'm not a big fan of either, it made for a good watch.

I just remembered I bought Ashes of American Flags and haven't watched it. It's still in the shrinkwrap. DOH!

i have seen this, and it is great

I agree. Mark E. Smith cameo!

I didn't like Control at all, though. If anything, it made me like Ian Curtis even less (but didn't affect my opinion of Joy Division's music).

that Townes Van Zandt one is a must see.

added

I'll second these:

New York Doll
Be Here To Love Me (Townes Van Zandt)
Fallen Angel (Gram Parsons)
Gimme Shelter (Rolling Stones)
I'm Your Man (Leonard Cohen)
Stop Making Sense (Talking Heads)
The Last Waltz (The Band, et al)
End of the Century (Ramones)


Not mentioned yet and recommend w/o reservation:

Wattstax
Don't Look Back (Dylan)
Shakespeare Was a Big George Jones Fan (Cowboy Jack Clement's Home Movies)
The Filth & the Fury (Sex Pistols)
Whatever that recent Scorcese Stones Concert Doc was called

Not great but worth a look:

We Jam Econo (Minutemen)
A Skin too Few (Nick Drake)
Monterrey Pop
Atlantic Records: The House that Ahmet Built
Largo


Still need to get around to seeing:

Pardon Us for Living But the Graveyard is Full (The Fleshtones)
If It Ain't Stiff (Stiff Records)
Who is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him) ?
Shake! Otis at Monterrey (Otis Redding)
Love Story (Love)
Festival Express
that Joe Strummer one

I dug Clash: West Way to the World
Also, there's a Wesley Willis one on Netflix that's decent.

we jam econo (minutemen)
kill your idols (sonic youth, et al)
loudQUIETloud: a film about the pixies
afro-punk
american hardcore
woodstock: three days of peace and music
jazz: 10 pt series

these are all really good and I'd recommed any of them. My favorites on the list are the Jazz series (I've probably seen that at least 3 times in completion at this point) and American Hardcore.

If you can find them, I'd also highly recommend the following. Straight, No Chaser, an interesting look at Thelonious Monk and his family as well. Fearless Freaks is also top notch (plus you get to see BEAUTIFUL Oklahoma City!! haha). The Ramones doc End of the Century is also great. I'm also a fan of 1991...the year. Dig! wasn't bad but I thought it went on for a bit longer than it needed to , Beatles Anthology is good of course if you're in the mood for some..uh..Beatles. Hated (GG Allin) I thought was just depressing, but still interesting in it's own way.

I like music docs.

i've seen fearless freaks and hated. enjoyed both. im looking forward to seeing afro-punk. that blond girl from the pool-playin pic i posted in last months random is in it

and thanks for the reccs billyg

I would also highly recommend X's "The Unheard Music"!

Some of my other favorites have already been mentioned -- "Don't Look Back", "Be Here To Love Me", "Devil and Daniel Johnston"...

The Fela Kuti "Music is the Weapon" was pretty interesting.