There are two (2) completely different documentaries from the mid-1990s with similat formats and similar rosters. The PBS/BBC co-production, “Rock’n’Roll” only ever saw official video release on educational institution VHS. The TIME-LIFE production, “History of Rock’n’Roll,” which I think was syndicated, saw a DVD release in 2004. The PBS doc is a little smarter, with more interesting interview subjects. The TIME-LIFE has a slight edge with archival footage. Both are well woth watching. Rock & Roll (miniseries) - Wikipedia The History of Rock 'n' Roll - Wikipedia
The PBS doc is really good. One weird thing I remember about it is that it has absolutely nothing about the Everly Brothers or the Who. No idea why - obviously those are really important omissions.
How did you like it? It's very good but I found it poignant in the end. The way they portrayed it, Joe became a drug casualty who took a long time to rebuild a happy life. Yet there was something melancholy about his journey, like he had more to give to his art but couldn't find it.
More or less the way it came across. I doubt he was completely unhappy in the meantime. But it give s a fairly decent picture of a performer who most of us only really know from the early With a Little Help.../Woodstock era and the 80's hit or two. The Mad Dogs and Englishman tour ended up with no one making any money. No kidding. I knew how that was going to end before they said it at the end of the segment. I'll have to look up the live album. They said a film crew was brought on board. I wonder if a concert film exists.
I don't even like Rush, but I thought the last 2 documentaries that were done on them were excellent. The three guys in the band (particularly Alex and Geddy) just seem like great guys, not to mention stellar musicians.
Here's a 23 page ongoing thread that's been here for 8 years...dig away. Favorite music documentaries
There are literally loads to suit every musical taste. All these are pretty good (but some are not strictly about a band):- Monterey Pop (1969) - no comment needed All Things Must Past: The Rise & Fall of Tower Records (2015) Supersonic (2016) - Oasis stripped Janis: Little Girl Blue (2015) - the original female wild child The Filth & the Fury (2000) - Julien Temple no less Searching for Sugarman (2012) - Detroiter by way of South Africa Gimme Danger (2016) - Iggy & the Stooges; and better than the reviews it got Breaking the Silence (2002) - music in post-Taliban Afghanistan Gimme Shelter (1970) - one of the best Stones documentaries Hip Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes (2006) Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars - the ultimate 'docu-concert' film (1973) Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991) Brasil Brasil! (2015) - BBC's fantastic three parter on Brazilian music Hansa Studios: By the Wall 1976-90 (2018) Message to Love: the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 (1997) Westway to the World (2000) - the Clash by Don Letts
Searching For SugarMan Twenty Feet From Stardom Standing In The Shadows of Motown Theremin: An Electronic Odyessey Moog The Rutles Wattstax And, I dunno how much of that documentary that aired on Bravo the weekend Zappa passed away was from the BBC, but, damn, what an event to have playing on my rockin' teenage television.
OH God, how could I forget about Soundbreaking, that 8-part exploration of the cutting-edges in producing pop music! George Martin had a lot to do with it, but I don't recall if it was a BBC event, or PBS (I know it ran on PBS, about 2 years ago_). I thought it hit all the high spots...and in only 8 hours!