Concert films

[Jones]

I've never done a poll before, so this is as much a trial run for my own sake as it is anything else.

What is the greatest rock concert movie of all time? I used the IMDb to compile a list of the top-rated such flicks (with the criteria being that at least 100 voters on that site had rated the film) and the results are the basis for this poll. Which is your favorite?

[Jones]

OK, making the poll was a little frustrating, not just because the software limited me to ten options, greatly reducing the range of films from which respondents can choose, but also because it never TOLD me what the limit was -- it would only tell me that I had exceeded it, forcing me to whittle down the options piecemeal until the system finally accepted it. Too much work.

For the record, the slightly lower-rated films that were whittled out of the list are: Year of the Horse (1997), Bring on the Night (1985), ABBA: The Movie (1977), 1991: The Year Punk Broke (1992), The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (1980), The Song Remains the Same (1976), Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1973), Urgh! A Music War (1981), U2: Rattle and Hum (1988), Let It Be (1970), Better Living Through Circuitry (1999), The Decline of Western Civilization (1981), Depeche Mode 101 (1988), and Monterey Pop (1968).

[Jones]

..and no one noticed?

[D. Phillips]

Well, Jones, now we're all back from turkey gorging and such.

I voted for Gimme Shelter because of its historical value, its symbolic statements and the fantastic footage. The DVD has some great additional footage (not enough, but hey...) and the restoration was really well done. What's more incredible than watching the death of the 60s?

[Joshua]

I'm a pretty hardcore Talking Heads fan, so while I haven't seen the majority of films mentioned, I voted for Stop Making Sense. I love how high-concept the tour was, and how Jonathan Demme created such dramatic looks for each of the songs. Maybe the appearance of the Tom Tom Club should disqualify it, but barring that, it's just spectacular.

I know I'm going to start sounding like a broken record here, but my concience won't let me submit this post without mentioning Oingo Boingo Farewell: Live from the Universal Amphitheatre. It was nominated for a Grammy in 1996 for Best Long Form Music Video, and it really, really deserved the recognition. It's a fantastically produced condert video that really captures the frantic energy of a Boingo concert - and not just any Boingo concert, but the last Boingo concert. With the addition of documentary material about the history of the band, it's a must-see, even by those not intimately familiar with them.

[Mixmaster Shecky]

Wow-I totally agree with both Joshua and D. I've got both Stop Making Sense and Gimme Shelter on DVD and I'm constantly watching them. They are both such different ways of thinking about rock and roll. Plus they are great concert films.

Boingo's Farewell is pretty awesome, too, but I have to throw in one of my fave concert films: Johnathon Demme's other rock film, Storefront Hitchcock. Suffice it to say you should probably like Robyn Hitchcock, because it's basically him giving a (mostly) solo, unplugged show in a storefront window in NYC. See it if you have the chance.

[D. Phillips]

I also really love the The's Vs. the World concert film. It was during the time Johnny Marr was in the band and is really very good. Jake and I saw that tour when they stopped in Detroit and it still stands as a highlight. To watch a hero of mine play guitar six inches away was truly a Mind Bomb.

[DJMurphy]

As cool as a lot of the other films are, I'm gonna have to go with The Kids Are Alright. I'm definitely a borderline Who obsessive, and this movie not only shows some kick ass live footage, but also some really cool interview footage that not only illuminates each band member's personality, but their relationship to each other. It was a lovely tribute to Keith Moon, who had died just the year prior to the film's release; it still stands as a tribute to John Entwistle, who just passed recently. Finally, it captured the World's Greatest Rock 'n Roll Band... right before they started sucking. It took the Royal Albert Hall DVD to restore a portion of the glory they'd lost.

Cryin' shame that The Kids Are Alright hasn't made a domestic DVD appearance. This one really deserves a glorious remastered, 5.1 channel sound release.

[BoogieMan]

I love the Let There Be Rock film. Of course I am an obsessive AC/DC fan but it's shows the band at its best and it's like pure rock n' roll. Gotta love Angus kickin so much ass so that he's got to go out and get some oxygen before going out again to continue to kick ass. And Bon seems to wear the tightest pants ever. The interview scenes are hilarious with questions like 'What would you do if there was a war?'

I've seen Gimme Shelter a couple of times and it's very interesting but I've always thought it was a depressing movie with the death and the fights. When I see Let There Be Rock I feel very happy afterwards but after seing Gimme Shelter, I feel more sad.

The Last Waltz is very good as well. Scorsese is trying to be serious in his question but I think he's funny and the members of the Band are even funnier. Rick Danko looks like the coolest cat ever and there's some amazing concert scenes. I love seing Garth play inside his 'fortress' of organs and keyboards.

[sab]

The Kids Are Alright is so damn good, it's hard not to disregard the rest of the films on that list, especially if you're a Who fan. It's tough separating the bands from the films, however, I believe that regardless of how you feel about The Who, The Kids Are Alright holds up as a film moreso than a lot of them on that list. I haven't seen them all though.