The Unbearable Banishment: It got loud

Saturday, August 29, 2009

It got loud

Do you like loud guitars? If you do, keep your eye on your local art house cinema for a documentary called It Might Get Loud. It's a pretty good time.

Three virtuosos, Jimmy Page (representing the 70s), The Edge (the 80s) and Jack White (90s) sit in a circle on a sound stage and talk about guitars. Their favorites. Their first. Their playing techniques, influences and secrets. It's a master class for those who care about that sort of thing. There's some history thrown in for perspective. Some blind Black blues players are discussed. The usual suspects.

My caveat is that this is for people who love guitars. I went with Nurse H who, when not saving lives in the hospital, sings in a Led Zep cover band. (Bustling Hedgerow. Get it?) She might have gotten more out of the film than I did.

There's some discussion of Zep, U2 and The White Stripes/Raconteurs and some biographical stuff. [Did you know that Page started out as a studio musician for hire and played guitar on the theme from Goldfinger? I think that is so fucking cool.] It's mainly a lot of playing sequences and slow, loving camera pans of guitars. It's got one of the most beautiful title sequences I've ever seen.

It's worth the price of admission for two scenes; watching Jimmy Page joyously play air guitar to Link Wray's Rumble and explain why it's such a great song. Also, White and Edge watch, with big grins on their faces, as Page spontaneously rips into the riff from Whole Lotta Love. It looks like Edge is thinking to himself, "Ho. Lee. Shit. That's Jimmy Fucking Page playing Whole Lotta Love three feet in front of me. How lucky am I?"

At the end, the three of them sit and play an acoustic version of The Weight. It's a soft touch.

12 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Schwing!" will definitely see this one when it makes it to the cornfields of ohio...

August 29, 2009 at 3:50 PM  
Anonymous Nurse H said...

Great review! I couldn't have said it better myself. Can't wait for our next movie date. And if any of your readers are in town on September 10, I will be rocking with the Hedgerow on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village!

August 29, 2009 at 8:31 PM  
Blogger leahsimone said...

Sarge will love it, and I will go with him as his alternate in case he faints. Thanks for the review. Hi Nurse H! Am intrigued by the Hedgerow...

August 30, 2009 at 9:16 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Daisy: You get the gold medal for commenting. You ALWAYS make me laugh out loud.

Nurse H: Thanks for tagging along. I thought I'd have to go myself!

Leah: I've seen the Hedgerow and they're really good! And I'm not just paying lip service to Nurse H. It's a fun evening.

August 30, 2009 at 9:44 AM  
Blogger Jason Quinones said...

i agree jack white is pretty damn talented but isn't he a bit of a newb to get lumped in already with page and the edge???

one could also argue that maybe jack white is a perfect choice because unlike his two other contemporaries he hasn't "sold out" yet.

(i.e.-write spider-man musicals or collaborate with p-diddy on shit songs.)

August 30, 2009 at 11:16 AM  
Blogger Jason Quinones said...

i;m trying my damndest to get to see patton oswalt in BIG FAN at the angelika before it moves on. i believe it's only there for a week!

August 30, 2009 at 11:18 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Jason: You could tell that White had to try extra hard to justify his presence amongst the other two (like them or not) giants, but they needed someone young(ish) and he was a perfect choice. If you care about this sort of thing it's worth the effort.

You are correct on BIG FAN. The clock is ticking. LOUD might have longer legs.

August 30, 2009 at 12:29 PM  
Blogger Barlinnie said...

The new look is superb sir. Very suave indeed.

August 30, 2009 at 1:49 PM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Hello, Jimmy! Welcome back. Thanks for the nod to the new look. I had lots of help.

August 30, 2009 at 4:38 PM  
Blogger A Free Man said...

Sounds like something to keep an eye out for. I'm a huge fan of White and Page, not so much U2. Though, to be fair, The Edge certainly does know his way around a guitar.

August 31, 2009 at 6:58 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

AFM: Don't let that stop you. I know your affinity for music and you'll love it. I'm so certain you'll like it that I'll refund the price of your ticket if you don't!

August 31, 2009 at 7:21 AM  
Blogger Heidi said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

September 3, 2009 at 7:32 PM  

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