BOC/OFF: why were the Jams kicked out?

[Doug Pearson]

On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 15:13:24 -0500, js3619 at ACMENET.NET wrote:

>You got to see it? Would you mind typing a review of it? it seems the
>only way to get it for the time being are the promo copies floating
>out there.

It was screened for about a week at the Roxie in San Francisco.  It also
played in SF about a year ago, but I think that was an earlier cut with,
allegedly, less performance footage.

Viewed purely as a documentary, it's excellent: interviews with the three
surviving members (where Dennis Thompson demonstrates that his
nickname "machine gun" came from his mouth, not his drumming!) plus
Tyner's and Smith's widows (Fred's first wife, who was there at the time,
not Patti, who wasn't).  All five are really entertaining.  It covers the
story from beginning to end, from the initial concept, their early days as
a "square" show band, the Grande Ballroom, the Sinclair involvement, the
Hudson's debacle (at the end of the movie, there's footage of the Hudson's
department store being demolished, heh heh), getting dropped from Electra
and the 'Back in the USA' debacle (Jon Landau defensively tries to justify
his "production" job - I still don't know whether I hate him more for
ruining that album, or for foisting Bruce Springsteen on the world),
UK/European tours (including Phun City - Mick Farren is mentioned as being
unable to pay the band - the bit about Phun City in his autobioggraphy is
great!), 'High Time', and the band's ignominous dissolution, as they
become the MC3, then MC2, then finally play a pathetic reunion show that
Kramer exited half way through to go score H.

Great interviews with John Sinclair (who hasn't changed except for the
grey hair), Danny Goldberg (who signed them to Elektra and comes across as
a total queen - pretty funny), Geoff Halsam ('High Time' producer), the
English bassist who replaced Michael Davis, and a few others.

But really, what you watch the movie for is the live footage.  The '5
smoked like no others (as I mentioned in the previous email).  There's
color footage from the Grande Ballroom at the peak of their powers (un-
synched, unfortunately), and even footage obtained from FBI surveillence
tapes via the Freedom of Information act filmed at the 1968 Democratic
Party convention in Chicago (which turned into a riot as soon as the band
left the stage).

One really cool thing is at the end of the credits, there's a list of all
the financial backers, which includes boc-l favorites BÖC (natch!),
Monster Magnet, the Damned & Lemmy.

Hope that helps ...

    -Doug
     jasret at mindspring.com