Sometimes names fit so perfectly; The Dandy Warhols were, well, just dandy, while the Brian Jonestown Massacre came pretty close to their suicidal namesake. BJM and the DW were fellow travellers in the mid to late 90's; West Coast bands in the psycedelic folk rock tradition. Each were friends and fans of the other. DIG chronicles their divergent career paths during this period. The Warhols had great business sense (just like their namesake), were hard working, very talented and intelligent and able to put on great multimedia shows reminisent of the psychedelic 60's. They produced wonderfully listenable music (though from what I heard lyrically ho hum) and to use an anochronistic term which seems apropo, they were thouroughly bourgeois. They seemed to be very good and fun, just not the stuff of legend. Very few are willing or able to pay that price....which brings us to BJM, or more particular to Anton Newcombe, the singer songwriter whose disturbed genius is really the eye of the hurrican around which DIG revolves. His songs seem to come from the Manson mermaids on the mothership, his inspirational conduit connects him to a netherworld where few dare to tread....but of course, like any crazy possessed artist he had no choice in the matter. He is who he is and could be no one else. Naturally, he has no business sense and only goes through the 'career motions' because greater forces lead him there. All he really wants to do is make songs, no matter if he makes them in the gutter or on the big star-lit stage. Alas, it's a tale as old as the hills; The possessed neglected artist who can not be managed and is left to wither on the vine, and the good artists with good work ethics who find wide public appeal.
BJM's shows, as depicted in DIG, tend to sputter and crash on the launch pad, often leaving one breathless for more (I wish DIG showed more concert footage) One telling scene during their first American tour had some of their ten hour set played for ten people at the Communist offices in Cleveland. If that isn't playing music for the pure love of it I don't know what is! Meanwhile (although the timeline was unclear) the Warhols were playing giant festivals in Europe, though Stateside, thanks to the deplorable state of our commercial radio industry et al. they remained little known.
I found myself greatly admiring both bands (both were lovable in their own ways) and rooting for both to achieve greater success in a cruel and fickle industry. The myth of Sisyphus comes to mind. But though I admired both bands I was really only interested in BJM. The Dandies were nice but run-of-the-mill. They were only interesting in that they provided a contrast to BJM.
I wish the filmmakers had shown a bit more of BJM's creative side, when songs gell and performed well; rather than always showing their blow-ups and self-destructs ( and how much of this was shown out of context?)
Ultimately DIG is a great document of the struggle of the creative spirit (in all its guises) in the modern world.
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Reviews with images
Damaged Disc
Massive sun spot under surface of Disc 1 that causes the disc to freeze about an hour and a half in :/ super disappointing.
Top reviews from other countries
Pedro Colmenares
Masterpiece with extra contents
Reviewed in Canada on December 11, 2018
Jean-Christophe Leroy
Un incontournable pour amateur de rock
Reviewed in France on June 10, 2015Anonymous buyer
Really messed up, but compulsive viewing.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 7, 2014