What comes out from this is an interesting correlation between the three in terms of their individual stories. Each one came from modest roots and came to music at a period of relative sonic turmoil and growth. Page started playing skiffle in the 1950s during that craze in Brittan. The music was rather dull with only a few chords and not much variation. He was a session guitarist for some of the early rock bands of the late 1950s and early 1960s in London and hit his prime just in time for the post-Beatles Brit-rock explosion of the late 1960s and 1970s.
The Edge grew up in Dublin in the 1970s and grew up having to listen to and hating the saccharine disco and stadium rock bands of that day. He says in the film, somewhat ironically, that he wept at 'Spinal Tap' because it was so close to reality. He was seriously influenced by the Brit punk movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
White started playing music in the late 1980s when bubblegum rap records were all that urban and suburban white kids (who would otherwise listen to rock) would listen to. For him, playing rock and blues in that era was a counter-cultural fight.
Strangely, only Page and the Edge go back to their childhood haunts (the schools where they got their starts or the locations of early sessions they played). White does not go back to his childhood home or neighborhood in Detroit, instead setting his story in rural Tennessee and telling his story through blues iconography and narration. Honestly, this was a bit annoying to me. His lower-middle-class background in Detroit would be just as important for me to see, I think, as the Edge's elementary school. What we get, in the end, is a rather constructed autobiography, set in the South and with all sorts of silly 'blues man' costumes including a three-piece suit, fedora and suspenders. Guggenheim goes to far as to unnecessarily animate one of White's memories. I think White comes off looking like an ass as a result of this.
Overall this is a very interesting story of rock history, and the music is interesting and great. When Jimmy Page plays Link Wray's 'Rumble' and explains how important it was to him - and then stands quietly playing air-guitar in his music room - it is very powerful and expressive. Seeing how The Edge uses sonic effects to change his songs is also very interesting - especially in stark contrast to White's ultra-low-tech approach to sound.
Guggenheim is a talented filmmaker, though I think he gets a bit too wrapped up in the hagiography of these three 'legends' (by the way, I'm not sure that Jack White is a legend or that he will be a legend - he is a very talented musician, but I couldn't name more than three of his songs). I think he gets lost in the amazingness of having them all on stage talking about their art and forgets to include a real story or structure to it. The sections of the film are rather arbitrary and the middle parts are a bit muddy and undefined.
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Jack White is too young to be called a legend yet, but he's well on his way to a very significant career. The White Stripes have two or three exceptional records already. White also has the Raconteurs which in two albums went from a side-project to a seriously going concern. He also did the soundtrack for Cold Mountain (by far the best thing in the movie), not to mention a career-capping work for Loretta Lynn as good as anything she's done. Throw in oodles of session work and duets with others and others covering his songs. He is definitely a major talent. I can't think of any other young guitarist I'd RATHER see in his place. The other obvious choice would be John Mayer but White is a smarter pick. Of course, if I were choosing any guitarist it would be Richard Thompson, the greatest living guitarist when it comes to playing acoustic AND electric guitar. But the reecactments and faux blues storyline do sound awful.
ReplyDeleteGotta comment again having seen the film. I want to hate the director since I unfairly assume he's a Guggenheim and thus had every door opened to him! But this is an absorbing, very well-shot film. I liked the imagistic shots of guitars they used, the old clips, photos - all of it was used very well. I was prepared for the Jack White stuff so seeing him in a car with a pretend 9 year old version of himself wasn't as annoying for me. Plus, he's made a career out of obscuring his background. However, jack did go back to his old neighborhood and drive around and point out the thrift store his brother worked at where Jack got a guitar and so on. The very basic animation (really a sketch) just shows Jack's old bedroom, where he removed the bed completely so he could fit in more music-oriented stuff. It was funny and he talked about being the youngest of ten, so he was forthcoming. Anyway, the three of them all tell about their first love with music and/or their first guitar, their fave music that inspired them, talk about their imp albums and how they made them (not Jack on that, I don't think). I found it pretty moving, interesting, fun to watch. Seeing them study each other up close as they played was great and Page air guitaring to Link Wray was priceless. I really liked this, but then I like all their music very much.
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