Greatest Music Documentary?

mountain goat

mountain goat

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For me, it's The Last Waltz.
Never been surpassed. God, to have been there.
Cinematography, performances, songs, history, arrangements. Perfect.
Every song gives me chills. This one more than most.
Can't wait to hear your favourites.

 
I read your title and before even opening the post I immediately thought. ........"The Last Waltz". I love the Band (pun intended) and the Canadian connection is obviously huge for me. But just the vast array of talent that keeps stepping up on to the stage to pay tribute to these guys is mind blowing. Felt like Woodstock.
 
I love The Last Waltz! For something that is more pure documentary, it's hard to beat The Kids Are Alright:

KidsAreAlright_GBQ.jpg


And for something that's more pure concert film, it's hard to beat Stop Making Sense:

 
Like everyone else so far, the first one that comes to mind is The Last Waltz.
Another one I really liked was "Hail Hail Rock & Roll"...It's about Keith Richards putting together a backup band for the one and only Chuck Berry for his (I think) 80th birthday bash...not sure if it's available on DVD but well worth watching if you can find it.
 
This one's in kind of a different vein, Classic Albums: Steely Dan - Asia. Donald Fagan and Walter Becker, the only two constants in an ever changing band, dissect and discuss the making of the album track by track. Duke Ellington would often write his music to capitalize on the strengths of certain musicians who populated his band. Fagan/Becker would bring in musicians who best suited the song they had already written. They might get done recording one song and then they would bring in an entirely different band to record another. It was also really cool to see the pair sitting behind the mixing board and isolate portions of the track they were talking about as the song played or various different guitar solos playing over the track as they searched for the right musician/sound to make the track work. I also really enjoyed the impressions of the various different musicians who worked on the album. If you like the album, you'd enjoy this documentary.
 
Some really great ones mentioned: Last Waltz, Stop Making Sense, Hail, Hail Rock and Roll. My all time favorite is Martin Scorsese's George Harrison doc "Living In the Material World". And, while in the Harrison mode, how about "Concert for Bangla Desh" and the tribute "Concert For George".
 
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At the top of my list is Throw Down Your Heart, documenting Bela Fleck's trip to Africa. One of my favorite scenes is the 12 foot long xylophone, played by about that many people.
 
Easy! The documentary, or, if you will, rockumentary, This is Spinal Tap.

More truth in that than most music movies by far!
 
For me, it's the terrific MC5 - A True Testimonial. Not only a great, ground breaking band, with tons of terrific live footage, but a really well made documentary with a moving story line. This one was never released, due to contractual issues between the filmmakers and the band, but if anyone wants a copy, PM me.
 
Great thread, gotta check some of these out. I really love the Muscle Shoals doc. The way it was shot and insight into that soulful vibe they captured.
 
This one made me throw the map away
in terms of how I hear, write and perform music.
It is a truly amazing film.
Touch The Sound.

 
Another one that has inspired me almost beyond measure.
A lovely tapestry of old footage, history, interviews and sublime performances.
Todd Kwait's unpacking of the origins and evolution of Jug Band Music.
Chasin Gus' Ghost.

 
Classic Albums: Steely Dan - Asia
Click to expand...

I'd expand that to any of the Classic Albums series....All of the ones I've seen are great!
 
No Direction Home. Another Scorsese epic in two stanzas.
Bob Dylan. He's sure got a lot of gall...
(aside: Visions of Johanna: still one of the greatest songs ever written)
 
Just watched it, "Eight Days A Week..........The Touring Years" The Beatles........a Ron Howard film
 
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