Sundance London 2013: The History of The Eagles Part One Review

Director: Alison Ellwood

Synopsis: The first in a two-part documentary about The Eagles; Part One looking at their humble beginnings up until 1980’s breakup.

With the most popular artists (in whatever sphere) there always a flurry of books, films or memorabilia surrounding them. More lately, it is the documentary chronicle of such artists that seems to be the new popular medium. Last year's Crossfire Hurricane about The Rolling Stones, the Oscar-winning Searching For Sugarman and the upcoming Beware of Mr. Baker are just some of the more recent examples. With the former, director Brett Morgen tried to fit 50 years of rich history into a 111 minute - a bold and, ultimately terrible, approach. Further to the Stones doc, there was little left to say after Gimme Shelter, The Stones in Exile and Sympathy for the Devil (to name but a few out of a heap on the "Greatest Rock 'n Roll" band’s docs). So, when you see Alison Ellwood's The History of The Eagles Part One you take into account the how exclusive the project is, and the triumph in splitting their story into two halves. The 120-minute Part One is a progressive, in-depth and investigative analysis of The Eagles with footage never seen before and a bunch of very honest interviews from each member (talking heads rather than voice over - another low-point of Morgen's Crossfire Hurricane).

Beginning with footage from a 1977 concert, the documentary immediately proves to you how talented the band is (if you weren’t already aware). In the cinema environment, with complete surround sound, it magnifies their brilliance and their sublime melodies. Any music documentary should make a point of illuminating the musical talent (even the new Snoop Lion film, Reincarnated, whilst having a poor reception, was often commended for highlighting the music well). The Eagles are not in any need of proof but it brings a smile to your face, and a whole audience to tap their feet, to hear, see and feel the band at play – reiterating the illustriousness of their composition.

Another key feature of a music documentary is its impetus or ability to dissect the album tracks. The Classic Albums series are the best at these (as well as Spike Lee’s Bad: 25 and Under African Skies about Paul Simon’s “Graceland”). The History of The Eagles Part One contains some similar analysis in part. More than anything it is the lyrics and opening riffs or licks that are explained – also enlightening you on the mood of the moment and showing the evolution of the song. Three of the most enjoyable tales of track origins are (unsurprisingly) “Hotel California”, “Life in the Fast Lane” and “Victim of Love”. The latter is part of the story’s major conflict – the beginning of the end with Don Felder.

For those already in the know about the history there should hopefully be something new to learn in the staggeringly honest interviews. Despite the tension between Felder and the remaining members, he zealously gives his takes on events, working well for evening out opinions and creating an overall respect for each member’s openness and understanding. Those new to the band, or at least the history, will be terrifically entertained and educated.

Not only does it explore the band’s triumphs and troubles in work, it also gives an assured, if slight, overview of the various epochs. In those years was the music that inspired them (The Beatles, Elvis Presley), the drink and drugs, and the celebrity. One hilarious anecdote from Joe Walsh (whose presence in the film is always amusing) about him and John Belushi trying to get into a fancy restaurant will long live in your memory afterwards.

For those not at all interested in The Eagles the doc is a tough sell; you can find other gems about music and contemporary American history but it’s obviously Eagles-heavy. For the band’s fans, and music aficionados in general, this is A-grade material.

*****

By Piers McCarthy. Also posted on LiveForFilms

LFF: Crossfire Hurricane Review

Director/Writer: Brett Morgen

Starring: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood, Bill Wyman, Mick Taylor, Brian Jones

Synopsis: A documentary chronicling The Rolling Stones – from their humble beginnings to their 50^th anniversary.

It has been a fantastic year for British institutions – the Royal family celebrated a diamond jubilee and a wedding, Britain swept the board at the Olympics, and James Bond turned 50. Aside the televised and cinematic commemorations, the music of The Rolling Stones floated through the air waves of countless radio stations in light of their 50^th anniversary. The Greatest Rock and Roll Band are back and to honour their decades of hits, a come-back was enthusiastically announced and a new documentary, Crossfire Hurricane, has been made to tell their story.

Documentaries on The Rolling Stones are a dime a dozen yet Crossfire Hurricane boasts the exclusive productive partnership of each member (discounting the late Brian Jones). The headline treatment of Jagger, Richards, Watts, Wood, Wyman and Taylor’s input appears like a salacious pull for this film, however, the audio-only interviews are disappointingly infrequent and only moderately insightful. To have each Stones member giving their two cents about their time in the band should warrant near-interrogative questioning from Morgen. Alas, the director conducts his Q&As with a distinct lack of fervour; he rarely probes into the thoughts of the rock stars, leaving you with nothing new to reflect upon.

Fans of the Stones can watch Crossfire Hurricane and see new behind-the-scene footage, but learn nothing new beyond that. The said footage has been closeted for good reasons, mainly due to the tawdry quality of it. The remaining scenes are recycled videos and newsreels seen dozens of times – all suffocating what should be introspective interviews. Many television and radio programmes from this year, that have told the same story, utilized the significant Gimme Shelter recordings along with the same snippets from infamous concerts, making this documentary insufficiently original. On occasion, Crossfire Hurricane gladly gives you information repressed up until now (quick notes on their “exile”, testimony from Charlie that he follows Keith’s lead guitar, and confessions about relationships over the years) though these are few and fleeting.

Every member of The Rolling Stones has (and had) an electric personality that deserves attention. Brian Jones, in particular, had such a sadly short life – most of it spent in The Stones – and a memorable personality that many want to learn more about. Crossfire Hurricane’s main strength is talking about Jones at some length, with additional remembrances from the band. Keith’s recollections are beautifully illustrated by personal photographs showing the two laughing and joking around, highlighting the brotherhood of the band with tremendous poignancy. Despite Morgen favouring TV and tour clips instead of explorative interviewing, the documentary still has the ability to instil a sense of adulation and respect for The Stones – Jones’ quasi-eulogy certainly helps in this regard.

With half a century of stories, Brett Morgen foolishly dwindled down the extensive history of The Rolling Stones to a 111 minute documentary. Had this material been in the hands of someone like Martin Scorsese (a huge fan of The Stones and director of previous documentary/live gig Shine a Light), and perhaps broken up into two or three parts, this would constitute as the ultimate chronicle of the band. Ronnie Wood – a key member since 1975 – is only given scraps of screen-time to tell us about his part. Furthermore, post-1975 is barely spoken about, reminding you that Crossfire Hurricane should have had the subtitle “Part 1” attached to the project title.

***

By Piers McCarthy. Also posted on LiveForFilms