I'm South African, though not of the generation or 'race' of the key interviewees in the documentary. These are my thoughts, originally posted in a different forum:
After putting off watching this documentary film, I went to see it last night with my SO. I've never considered myself a big fan of Rodriguez, but have always been partial to 'I Wonder' and 'Sugar Man'. I had a few observations about the film:
1. There was little if any mention of his popularity in Australia, and it would've been interesting to know what inspired his popularity there. In South Africa, there's the narrative of Rodriguez's counter-cultural message and how this resonated with left-leaning white South Africans. I wonder (no pun intended) what the Australian narrative is.
2. It's not clear where the money trail led to. Clearly the sales of Rodriguez's albums in the US were so low as to be non-existent. But what of the sales in South Africa and Australia? The local distributors claimed they sent royalties to Sussex (the label on which Cold Facts was originally released), but Clarence Lavant, the label owner, claims he never got any and has no interest in pursuing this. Someone got rich on those reissues, obviously not Rodriguez, but who then? There were (I think) 3 different reissues in South Africa alone.
3. I thought it was a pity that there wasn't a bit more time spent engaging with Rodriguez about his musical influences. They're fairly obvious when you listen to his work, but to hear him talk about it would have given the film depth. It's especially interesting to me how his lyrical musings and observations identify a life lived in rather seedy circumstances; there's a strong sense of the underworld/underground in his songs. Perhaps by glossing over this the film retains some of the myth surrounding Rodriguez?
4. Is there anyone here who can comment on the accuracy of the claims made about how much more popular in South Africa Rodriguez was than, say, Elvis or the Rolling Stones? I don't necessarily doubt it, but I often felt that Segerman and Bartholomew [two of the SA characters interviewed] were being a bit over the top with their claims. Of course, I was too young to really know the impact, but I'm curious if anyone here would support or challenge some of the claims they make.
All in all, I really enjoyed the flick. I have a greater appreciation for Rodriguez the musician and the man. And I wish that I had made the most of opportunities to see him live when he toured here previously. Maybe it's still not too late.
Finally got a chance to see this doc--really well done, if a bit oversimplified...the NYT had an accurate review recently.
I thought this documentary was horrible. Poorly shot, poorly edited, the story itself had gaping contradictions (ex. One of the South African experts on Rodriguez say he never recorded again, and then in one of the musical interludes they play stuff from his unreleased 1973 album).
The interview with Rodriguez was horrible, he's touching the microphone the entire time and no one has the sense to tell him not to. Its so bad that they had the interviewer off camera re-do his questions in a VO session in silence and the difference in background noise between question and answer is jarring.
No one delved into what inspired Rodriguez and his song writing nor did anyone really see what he was up to in the 70's 80's and 90's beyond coworkers saying he did construction, what about his personal life? (He has kids, does he have a wife?) his feelings towards the failure of his LP's (he obviously recorded material for another album, what happened there?), what about the money people were sending to A&M/ Sussex for album sales that he seemingly never recieved? FAIL
Most of the experts come across as blowhards who use far too much hyperbole in their interviews (ex. "no one knew who Rodriguez was in the US", "Rodriguez was way bigger than the Rolling Stones").
there were a few great parts of the doc; I liked the build up to his South African concert, one of the few well done scenes, also seeing a copy of his LP in a South African Government building with the first track scratched up was a great example of showing how they tried to censor his music. But overall this looked like something I'd see on YouTube in 3 parts.
I finally saw the movie and totally agree with Guzzo on this. Some cool visuals (like those semi-animated street scenes) but overall a pretty weak documentary.
I had the infuriating feeling throughout of "why don't you ask the next logical question/provide some background on the assertion you just made?!??!" that I so often have when watching bad documentaries.
There was shockingly little background on the early life/musical influences of Rodriguez (who happened to be the subject of the damn movie), and they really half-assed the investigation into the sales $$.
I did happen to attend a BBQ the next night in honor of a good college friend who was graduating from a PhD program. He was born in RSA but came to the US as a child. His mom was in the house and I kinda quizzed her on the popularity of the album (she was exactly of the "white liberal" demographic that the movie claims revered Rodriguez, and was of the right age). She backed up the claims that everyone owned the record and that he was widely believed to be dead, but not that he was bigger than the Beatles or Stones nor that it was this particular documentary that finally revealed him to South Africans worldwide to be living.
This is on Netflix now and it's a very enjoyable flick, despite the endless quibbles from the too-hip-for-school jackasses.
If you don't like the story it tells you like your pose more than you like music.
So it's good, then?
Well, yes, my persistent little troll doll.
Thanks for being so perceptive.
LOL
Wow, take it easy, guy. I'm surprised you actually listen to music. I thought all you did was post unoriginal, mediocre political bullshit on every message board available on the web. More music related posts and fewer hand-wringing angry political posts would be rad.
Ill make it my (lazy ass) mission to upload a rip of the Rodriguez Alive LP soon. Half the tracks are recorded in a way that are almost acapella and the other half have a jazzy backing band that almost rewrite the tunes, especially the added flute/clarinet player, which add a different feel to some of his songs. Just got to sort out my new soundcard.
This is on Netflix now and it's a very enjoyable flick, despite the endless quibbles from the too-hip-for-school jackasses.
If you don't like the story it tells you like your pose more than you like music.
So it's good, then?
Well, yes, my persistent little troll doll.
Thanks for being so perceptive.
LOL
Wow, take it easy, guy. I'm surprised you actually listen to music. I thought all you did was post unoriginal, mediocre political bullshit on every message board available on the web. More music related posts and fewer hand-wringing angry political posts would be rad.
Follow your own advice and post more about music instead of following me around like some sort of radioactive tick, chuckles.
Ill make it my (lazy ass) mission to upload a rip of the Rodriguez Alive LP soon. Half the tracks are recorded in a way that are almost acapella and the other half have a jazzy backing band that almost rewrite the tunes, especially the added flute/clarinet player, which add a different feel to some of his songs. Just got to sort out my new soundcard.
Ill make it my (lazy ass) mission to upload a rip of the Rodriguez Alive LP soon. Half the tracks are recorded in a way that are almost acapella and the other half have a jazzy backing band that almost rewrite the tunes, especially the added flute/clarinet player, which add a different feel to some of his songs. Just got to sort out my new soundcard.
It's strange that Alive hasn't been reissued.
probably some label bullshit i figure. I believe it is a local cbs release. Or little interest/knowledge of it.
We know nothing about his daughters mother. I wouldn't be surprised, from what the movie said about Sixto, if he gave all his royalties to their mother..
I met and was chatting to his wife several years ago at a gig he did in Sydney. She was running his merch stand. Looked like an old school hippie. Not sure if she is his daughter's mum but she was cool and very much had rodriguez back which was evident when my drunk mate carried on a bit when she said he didnt speak spanish. She put my mate in his place like a loyal woman would ;)
I was just at a party and heard a horrible europop/cheesy house remix of a Rodriguez song. Arrrggghhh. I hope its not gonna become a thing. An artist like Rodriguez doesnt deserved to get Jason Nevin-ed (no one does really). It fucking hurt to hear that shit. Anyone heard it or know who's behind it? Im too scared to google it in.case I find more ;)
Comments
After putting off watching this documentary film, I went to see it last night with my SO. I've never considered myself a big fan of Rodriguez, but have always been partial to 'I Wonder' and 'Sugar Man'. I had a few observations about the film:
1. There was little if any mention of his popularity in Australia, and it would've been interesting to know what inspired his popularity there. In South Africa, there's the narrative of Rodriguez's counter-cultural message and how this resonated with left-leaning white South Africans. I wonder (no pun intended) what the Australian narrative is.
2. It's not clear where the money trail led to. Clearly the sales of Rodriguez's albums in the US were so low as to be non-existent. But what of the sales in South Africa and Australia? The local distributors claimed they sent royalties to Sussex (the label on which Cold Facts was originally released), but Clarence Lavant, the label owner, claims he never got any and has no interest in pursuing this. Someone got rich on those reissues, obviously not Rodriguez, but who then? There were (I think) 3 different reissues in South Africa alone.
3. I thought it was a pity that there wasn't a bit more time spent engaging with Rodriguez about his musical influences. They're fairly obvious when you listen to his work, but to hear him talk about it would have given the film depth. It's especially interesting to me how his lyrical musings and observations identify a life lived in rather seedy circumstances; there's a strong sense of the underworld/underground in his songs. Perhaps by glossing over this the film retains some of the myth surrounding Rodriguez?
4. Is there anyone here who can comment on the accuracy of the claims made about how much more popular in South Africa Rodriguez was than, say, Elvis or the Rolling Stones? I don't necessarily doubt it, but I often felt that Segerman and Bartholomew [two of the SA characters interviewed] were being a bit over the top with their claims. Of course, I was too young to really know the impact, but I'm curious if anyone here would support or challenge some of the claims they make.
All in all, I really enjoyed the flick. I have a greater appreciation for Rodriguez the musician and the man. And I wish that I had made the most of opportunities to see him live when he toured here previously. Maybe it's still not too late.
Goblah
I finally saw the movie and totally agree with Guzzo on this. Some cool visuals (like those semi-animated street scenes) but overall a pretty weak documentary.
I had the infuriating feeling throughout of "why don't you ask the next logical question/provide some background on the assertion you just made?!??!" that I so often have when watching bad documentaries.
There was shockingly little background on the early life/musical influences of Rodriguez (who happened to be the subject of the damn movie), and they really half-assed the investigation into the sales $$.
I did happen to attend a BBQ the next night in honor of a good college friend who was graduating from a PhD program. He was born in RSA but came to the US as a child. His mom was in the house and I kinda quizzed her on the popularity of the album (she was exactly of the "white liberal" demographic that the movie claims revered Rodriguez, and was of the right age). She backed up the claims that everyone owned the record and that he was widely believed to be dead, but not that he was bigger than the Beatles or Stones nor that it was this particular documentary that finally revealed him to South Africans worldwide to be living.
If you don't like the story it tells you like your pose more than you like music.
So it's good, then?
Well, yes, my persistent little troll doll.
Thanks for being so perceptive.
LOL
Wow, take it easy, guy. I'm surprised you actually listen to music. I thought all you did was post unoriginal, mediocre political bullshit on every message board available on the web. More music related posts and fewer hand-wringing angry political posts would be rad.
Follow your own advice and post more about music instead of following me around like some sort of radioactive tick, chuckles.
It's strange that Alive hasn't been reissued.
probably some label bullshit i figure. I believe it is a local cbs release. Or little interest/knowledge of it.
I met and was chatting to his wife several years ago at a gig he did in Sydney. She was running his merch stand. Looked like an old school hippie. Not sure if she is his daughter's mum but she was cool and very much had rodriguez back which was evident when my drunk mate carried on a bit when she said he didnt speak spanish. She put my mate in his place like a loyal woman would ;)
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/14/movies/malik-bendjelloul-36-dies-directed-sugar-man-movie.html?_r=0