Best music documentaries

I ended up buying the documentary Jaco. It's about not just one of music's greatest bassists and musicians, but it's about a human being, albeit troubled. First, I am a huge Weather Report fan. More importantly, unbeknownst to me, my then 12 or 13 year old son revealed to me that his inspiration to play the bass in the first place came from Jaco. This in spite of my taking him to see Stanley, Anthony Jackson and a host of other bass greats. I was literally blown away and in awe at this revelation. In addition, I found the documentary extremely sad and it hit fairly close to home. Jaco had schizophrenia. I have a close family member who is diagnosed with schizophrenia and another with bipolar disorder. Mental illnesses such as these often afflict those with extraordinary talents in certain areas. The insideousness of the disease is that it almost always ruins whatever promise may have existed for those with the illness. And that was absolutely the case with Jaco. I found the documentary sad but also quite compelling and highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan.
 
I think it was a VH1 Behind the music thing about Jim Croce.
I don't ever cry about anything but Man! that was just sad!
He just wanted one more tour and then go home to his family.
 
Decline of Western Civilization: The Metal Years - It is extremely entertaining and sad at the same time.

Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage - If you like Rush, it'll definitely interest you, but if you do like Rush, you've probably already have seen it.

Ken Burn's Jazz - Great history for a novice like me

DIG - It's about Brian Jonestown Massacre. Even if you have no idea who they are, it is entertaining for sure.
 
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My absolute favorite documentary, music or otherwise, is Searching for Sugar Man, about a nearly homeless man in Detroit who turned out to be about as big as The Beatles and Elvis in South Africa (seriously). An amazing, true story that I highly recommend.

As for those who mentioned This Is Spinal Tap, you know that's not a real documentary, right? Great movie though.
Searching For Sugar Man: truly unmissable!
Masterly piece of storytelling - you will not be disappointed.
 
for people that are into the heavier stuff, anything that Ryan Dunn has produced.
He is a canadian Anthropologist that has flown around the world studying not only where metal is from, and what kind of metal there is and what it means (Metal: A headbangers Journey) but has also flown around the world to see the Impact and different Versions of Metal all around the World, from NA to SA, to Europe, to Asia into the Middle east and what it means in different countries and how it sounds (Global Metal).
Not only for Hardcore Metal fans, but also for people that might have been wondering "What is the fascination, this is mostly noise..." they are both made very educational and interesting to watch.
Also there is "Flight 666" his Iron Maiden Documentary, havent seen it myself, but heard great things about it.
 
for people that are into the heavier stuff, anything that Ryan Dunn has produced.
He is a canadian Anthropologist that has flown around the world studying not only where metal is from, and what kind of metal there is and what it means (Metal: A headbangers Journey) but has also flown around the world to see the Impact and different Versions of Metal all around the World, from NA to SA, to Europe, to Asia into the Middle east and what it means in different countries and how it sounds (Global Metal).
Not only for Hardcore Metal fans, but also for people that might have been wondering "What is the fascination, this is mostly noise..." they are both made very educational and interesting to watch.
Also there is "Flight 666" his Iron Maiden Documentary, havent seen it myself, but heard great things about it.

will be checking these out in the next few weeks!!! The whole study of Metal is right down my alley...if I had not become a band director, I would have loved to become a sociologist or anthropologist....
 
Just watched The Bee Gees “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” documentary the other night . It was pretty damn good ??
 
Ms. Kaye is a fine musician and a skilled bass player with an impressive recording history, but some of her claims are in question.
In some ways she's the Bernard Purdie of bass players. :D
Some people really should be quiet and let their legacy and work do the talking, imo.


Such a great lady to listen to - and this is all her, in her own words: Carole Kaye, one of the world's greatest bass players:
 
Not a Documentary, but a great movie about the life of Brian Wilson, Love and Mercy. His Dad and the Doctor his dad hired to "Take care of him" were criminal.
 
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Anyone seen the latest Zappa movie yet? I have not and am curious to know what people think of it.
 
If anyone's interested in the history of punk, the epix 4-part documentary called "Punk" is really pretty good. It covers a wide spectrum of groups that made up the scene and follows the lineage up through the new pop/punk bands. It's not just the standard fare everyone talks about.
A weird thing was after I watched it I was talking about it at the little art supply shop in Ohio where I work. My boss who's an older quiet guy I hadn't spoken to much overheard us. I mentioned the footage of the last Sex Pistols show before they called it quits and my boss was like "oh yeah, that was at Winterland, I was there." Turns out he spent his youth in the Oakland/San Francisco area and saw everybody that came through in their heyday...Dead Kennedys, The Ramones at Oakland auditorium, the Clash opening for the Who at a "Day on the Green" show, a weird pairings like Judas Priest opening for Zeppelin, etc. Dude knows everything about 60-70's rock and punk music so I'm way less productive, but I enjoy work a lot more, lol.
 
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