At 90 minutes in length, the main feature on the DVD Physical Graffiti: A Classic Album Under Review outlasts Led Zeppelin’s magnum opus itself. Along for the ride are some very credible experts; while the DVD includes the narration of the BBC’s Nicky Horne, commentary from author Dave Lewis and insight from engineer Ron Nevison, perhaps the biggest insights come from Chris Dreja.The man who was originally a rhythm guitarist with the Yardbirds but switched to bass so that Jimmy Page could take over all guitar duties, Dreja speaks from an insider point of view as someone who knew firsthand what Page’s intentions were with forming Led Zeppelin. He was, after all, along for the ride. He opted out, pursuing photography, and John Paul Jones stepped into the role. But could Dreja have been a member of Led Zeppelin? He gives a resolute answer in the negative:”The Yardbirds would’ve never been Led Zeppelin. … What the Yardbirds were was a wonderful breeding ground of crazy ideas and free
Tags: Bbc, Breeding Ground, Chris Dreja, Crazy Ideas, Credible Experts, Engineer, Free Dvds, Guitar Duties, Insider, Insight, Insights, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Led Zeppelin, Magnum Opus, Narration, Physical Graffiti, Point Of View, Rhythm Guitarist, Yardbirds Posted Graffiti Generators |
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July 22nd, 2010 at 12:07 pm
I always felt that PR was a rather tacky film; the only thing I did care about it was, of course, the music. That seemed to be the main reason I didn’t try this movie, thinking it would be another PR. But that just isn’t the case. Yeah, it’s the sequel of sorts, but it’s much less a movie about Prince/The Kid as was PR, and more Prince’s music taking life on film. It takes on a musical film quality, too; instead of just seeing Prince and the Time on stage, you see music performed on the streets, atop buildings, and while that all may seem a little cliche, Prince’s deliverence takes that cheapness away from the atmosphere.
Another point is that this movie is much classier; the music is more refined (though I’m sure many will disagree that the soundtrack is better than PR); there is no nudity only moments of suggestion, a very appreciated direction (the movie definitely has sexuality, but not so blatant); it’s funny and often cute, but not corny (and Morris Day is perhaps the greatest, and oddest, villian ever); and it’s a movie by/of Prince, so there really wasn’t much of a third party to drag the film from his own vision. Honestly I probably can’t say enough good things about it. Oh, and I may as well say that even though Prince once again wins over the bad with the projection of a strong ballad, it wasn’t done in the uber-cheesy way that resolved Purple Rain.
And above all the movie really inspired me. Instead of Prince being torn between his music, sex, and a rival, in GB he struggles between his music, business, and love; it’s to me the ‘big picture’ that The Kid from Purple Rain wasn’t seeing. I really felt what Prince meant to do, to rise above the things that tear away and bite at art.
I do hope that people’s reactions to this movie aren’t the only reason keeping Prince from releasing any more of his alleged films. Each of his albums really are a story in their own right, and this film is a visualization of such a story. If Prince released a film for every album he made, I’d love them all just the way I love the music (though I think I’d feel a little differently toward the rhetorical film of his Come album).
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:09 am
Graffiti Bridge is for die hard Prince fans. The music is great. The action takes place on a small set. Prince should’ve incorporated more scenes on location instead of filming most of the movie on one small set. Ingid Chavez acting is not that great. I enjoyed the movie because Prince and Morris Day and the Time are fun to watch. I recommed the movie to all Prince fans.
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Somewhere is the cogent idea to this 1990 follow-up to the classic Purple Rain. Unfortunately, it cannot be found in this weak script that is loosely taped together with numerous music videos.
Prince reprises his Purple Rain character, The Kid, who is now a performer and co-owner of a club, the Glam Slam, with his former rival (Morris Day). Business turns sour when The Kid is “asked” by his partner to pay shakedown money to the mayor. So, in a quest for truth, justice and full ownership of the club, The Kid challenges his business partner to a music battle.
The plans for the movie started in 1987, but delays – primarily due to casting problems – kept delaying its production. Prince was king with Warner Bros. due to his incredible marketing power of cross-promotion within many categories of pop culture. But the movie was a box office bridge to nowhere and showed that all that glitters is not necessarily golden when created by this incredible artist.
July 23rd, 2010 at 11:50 pm
From the immortal words of “Starfish and Coffee”…”If u set ur mind free baby, maybe u’ll understand”….That is the best way to sum up Graffiti Bridge. U have 2 open ur mind and take the journey with Prince. Have a couple of glasses of red wine and share ur bed, watch Graffiti Bridge and immerge urself in the mystical world of Prince. I enjoyed the trip and let Prince take control and really get n2 tha movie. I loved hearing and watching “Elephant and Flowers” and “Tha ? of U”. It’s some of Prince’s best works incorporated into film. The message of Graffiti Bridge is simple, DON’T GIVE UP HOPE. I loved being in Prince’s mystical Graffiti Bridge world, it’s better than any reality I know. I wish I could live in Prince’s world. There are no rulez in Paisley Park. Graffiti Bridge is a wonderful lil film and I enjoyed being a willing participant in tha journey. It all comez out in tha wash………..
July 24th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
There’s no doubt in my mind that PG was Zep’s finest hour – 4 sides [vinyl junkies] of out and out sonic head music – incorporating funk, folk, blues and rock n ‘ roll. This dvd goes through every track included on the record and breaks down the structures, the stories bewhind the songs, includes behind the scenes footage and tells the story of the album’s production with the engineer / co-producer at Headley Grange, Ron Nevison. A really neat film and some beautiful digi style packaging to boot.
Recommended
July 24th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
I found this documentary fascinating & very well done. The first 20 minutes was a recap of how Zep came to be which if you’re Zep Head you’ve already gone thru this many times before. The last 60 minutes is the “meat” of the documentary, I like how each song is broken down by several Rock critics, the Engineer who did most of the work on the Epic Double Album & a very intuitive guitar teacher who has written several books on guitar playing. I like how they bring out the orgins of each song & how they became the finish product. I espeically liked the guitar teacher actually demonstrating guitar chords of some of the songs. It really shows the “Genius” in Jimmy Page’s guitar playing & how intricate some of those chords really are. An avid guitar player would have trouble putting some of those chords together. That’s what makes Jimmy Page so incredible. It also shows how great the other players were & as a whole made the Band without a doubt the Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band ever & it’s not even close! I woud put this right up there with “How The West Was Won” DVD set. I would HIGHLY recommend buying this awsome documentary.
July 25th, 2010 at 11:52 am
The bit after the colon in the title of “Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti: A Classical Album Under Review,” serves to indicate that this is not a DVD where you get to hear Led Zeppelin talk about the double-album that is considered to be their best effort, but one where journalists, critics, and the like do most of the talking. There are some clips of Led Zep playing songs from “Communication Breakdown” to “Kashmir,” but except for one clip of John Bonham talking about their music and a couple of snippets from an interview back in the day with Robert Plant, the band lets their music make the case for them. So have your CD of “Physical Graffiti” at hand (or the vinyl version so you can enjoy the art design), because just getting a taste of some of these songs is not going to be enough after watching the DVD.
The thesis of the review is that this 1975 album is that it represented every aesthetic element of Led Zeppelin’s career, traced all the way back to when Jimmy Page was playing with the Yardbirds; Chris Dreja, one of the other guitarists in the group is one of the talking heads here, and sounds in on Page’s creation of his new group. Also sounding in on the album are author Nigel Williamson (“The Rough Guide to Led Zeppelin (Rough Guide Reference)”), rock journalist Malcolm Dome (“AC/DC: The Encyclopaedia”), author Dave Lewis (“Led Zeppelin: The Complete Guide To Their Music”), and author Neil Daniels (“Robert Plant: Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page & The Solo Years”). The only talking head who was actually there at the creation is Ron Nevison, who was an engineer on the album, but there is Maggie Bell, formerly of Stone the Crows, and one of the first artists signed by Led Zep to their Swan Song label.
The look at the fifteen songs on the album basically goes chronologically, but more in terms of when they were recorded than how they appear on the album. So we being with the seven songs that had been recorded for the group’s previous three albums, “Led Zeppelin III” (“Bron-Yr-Aur”), “Led Zeppelin IV” (“Night Flight,” “Boogie with Stu,” and “Down by the Seaside”), and “Houses of the Holy” (“Black Country Woman,” “The Rover” and “Houses of the Holy”). The second half of the DVD is devoted to the eight tracks Led Zeppelin recorded at Headley Grange in early 1974: “Custard Pie,” “In My Time of Dying,” “In the Light” (where Rooskby makes the case for John Paul Jones being responsible for some of Led Zep’s riffs, e.g., “Black Dog”), the funk of “Trampled Under Foot” (which became a rare Led Zep “single”), the good old rock ‘n’ roll of “The Wanton Song,” the introspective “Ten Years Gone,” “Sick Again” (think “Almost Famous,” from which there is a clip), and finally “Kashmir” as the quintessential Led Zeppelin song. The case is made that since “Kashmir” comes at the end of side two it is the halfway point of the album, but I have to say that when I bought the album it ended up being the last song because with vinyl you play sides 1 and 3, then flip and do 4 and 2.
For me the best insights come from guitar expert Rick Rooksby, who pulls out an acoustic or electric guitar as necessary and Rooksby plays “Down by the Seaside” to show how it was clearly inspired by “Down by the River” by Neil Young and makes the song like it could have come off of “Harvest.” Then he turns “The Wanton Song” into a cabaret jazz number. The review relishes being able to trace these songs back to their origins, showing how “Boogie with Stu” does not simply go back to “Ooh My Head” by Richie Valens, but back to “Ooh My Soul” by Little Richard. “In My Time of Dying” goes back to Blind Willie Johnson’s “Jesus, Make Up my Dyin’ Bed,” which was covered by Bob Dylan on his debut album. As for the charges of plagiarism that have been brought against Led Zeppelin, Rooksby points out that the blues contains myriad examples of borrowing, and that when the basic materials are 12-bars played with three basic chords, similarities are inevitable. Lewis chimes in by noting things have come full circles with lots of groups taking Led Zep’s riffs without attribution today.
There are some interesting insights from the others as well. Dome argues that the group did not have the greatest musicians in the world, but the greatest musicians in the world for Led Zeppelin, and Nevison argues that Bonham always followed the lead guitar rather than the bass, which made for a unique approach to a rhythm section. Both the previous five Led Zep albums and the group’s tense relationship with the British critics are examined as setting the stage for “Physical Graffiti.” The profile on manager Peter Grant is a bit overlong to make the simple point that he took care of everything else so that the band could focus on the music, but overall you find out some interesting things about each of the songs on the album. The more you know about music the less you will probably be impressed by what you find here, but for us regular folks this was a pretty informative “review. ” The extras on this DVD are pretty sparse. Nevison talks about his work on the Who’s “Quadrophenia,” and there is a 25 question trivia quiz about the album (fair warning: listening to the documentary does not provide all of the answers).
July 26th, 2010 at 12:36 am
You’d think this film would be awful. But it turns out to be a very nice ending to the first story. Most of the characters are back and we see where they logically wound end up by the late 60s. The late 60s are more interesting to me than the years captured in the first.
The film has a more mellow and sloppy pace than the first. But the stories in this one work that way. We’re watching 4 silly but still tragic mini-movies here.
The real strength is that we already know what happens to Toad and Milner thanks to the original. So as the film goes on, we’re waiting and waiting to see how it’s going to happen, which is cool. Knowing their sad fate really makes the ending perfect in a bittersweet way.
July 26th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
More American Graffiti is kind of sad to me. It shows how everone is living in 3 or 4 time zones. It’s sad that Terry the toad’s girlfriend forgets him and becomes a hippie. The ending is the most sad because you know John Milner is about to die because of a drunk driver. I probably wouldn’t recommend MORE AMERICAN GRAFFITI!!!
July 27th, 2010 at 12:21 am
Much has been made about how the magic of the first movie — American Graffiti — is lost in its sequel. However, that’s the whole point. As Vietnam and Equal Rights and hippie movements took center stage, America became a stranger, even to itself, and to that end, writer/director B.W.L. Norton and the returning cast do a very successful job of showing what and how happened after that night in 1962, when Curt went to college and everyone else stayed behind. We see John Milner still racing cars on the last day of his life (probably the most touching story in the movie … there is something so likable about Milner that you want him to kind of live forever), we see Toad going AWOL from that little firefight in southeast Asia, we see Steve and Laurie ironing out an unsatisfying marriage and we see Debbie (Candy Clark) doing the hippie thing in San Francisco. It has become a darker world in a few short years, and these kids who came of age in 1962 are having a hard time in it. The soundtrack doesn’t end with the optimistic chorus of the Beach Boys, but rather the soulful cry of Bob Dylan. The soundtrack in this case has to do quadruple duty because the movie takes us from 1964 through ‘68 in a series of innovative, frankly mind-blowing segments. To this end, ‘More American Graffiti’ achieves its greatest success, ferrying us through four distinct time periods of the 60s using four very distinct cinematic devices. Toad’s Vietnam is grainy and news footage-like, Debbie’s San Francisco is split into three colorful screens, all doing the same thing but in a different way. Milner’s 1964 California is clean and sharp. And as we see him drive off in his yellow Deuce Coup, we know he is headed for the drunk driver that will kill him. It’s sad, yes … in fact, ‘More American Graffiti’ is ultimately a bittersweet movie. Where ‘American Graffiti’ left us on the first morning of the rest of the kids’ lives, ‘More Graffiti’ takes us through those lives, with all the little joys and greater sadnesses they contain. This is a very good movie. If you’d rather not really know what happened to Curt and Steve and Milner after 1962, that’s okay. But if you want to catch up with them and see how it’s turning out, this movie is the place to do it.
July 27th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
More American Graffiti was exactly what I figured it would be.
A movie made that doesn’t break new ground, but instead uses it as a foundation to make money for the cast, crew,
caterers, etc. Good for them, bad for most of us.
I will admit I am sequel bigot” with a deep abiding resentment against exploiting an original ideal which was the classic “American Graffiti”
I bought the second one so I could “have the complete set.”
But the two don’t make a set. The magic of the original is gone for the most part, great actors (Paul Lemat, Ron Howard) are going through the motions waiting for payday. What this–and most–sequels do is stain the memory of its original to the point of sacreligious. With few exceotions,
avoid films with “2″ or “More” in the title. “More American Graffiti” is
simply more money for the producers.
July 28th, 2010 at 12:21 am
The movies are just fine, but the quality of the DVD is horrible. The soundtrack is such that it requires the volume on the TV to be turned up over twice as much as any other DVD requires. It’s like watching the movies with earplugs in.
July 28th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
The original movie is classic. If you spent all Friday night “cruising” back in the 60’s, this will bring back fond memories. Definitely 5 stars. The sequel is terrible – no stars.
July 28th, 2010 at 11:50 pm
I wanted a copy of American Graffiti and the added more American Graffiti set me over the top. The price was right. I enjoyed both. The latter really showed how time changes things whether we want it or not. It was much more melancoly than the original, but that is life.
July 29th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
It was important to me that the movie’s image format is “anamorphic widescreen”, which is what makes it look normal on a modern HDTV. This is not always the case with DVD movies (especially older editions). And the ones that really are anamorphic widescreen are not always labeled as such. This double-feature edition of “American Graffiti” and “More American Graffiti” is not only anamorphic widescreen, but the quality of the transfer seems very good. Considering the 1970s vintage of the film technology, I think the quality is just fine.
And it was a blast seeing American Graffiti for the first time since its first run. It’s kind of funny having nostalgia about a movie which is about nostalgia.