Song
We Were Gonna by Dengue Fever
Back story
Upon first listen, one wonders if this is ‘60s Southeast Asian pop or perhaps California psychedelic surf music gone wild. Turns out it’s both. Dengue Fever’s formation makes for an interesting story. Some Los Angeles musicians traveled to Cambodia in the late ‘90s and were bitten by two bugs: falling in love with the American-inspired radio hits mixed with Cambodian lyrics, and dengue-fever-carrying mosquitoes, which eventually inspired the brilliant band name. Years later, back in LA trying to replicate the music they heard overseas, they ran into Cambodian-born singer Chhom Nimol, and the band was born. She adds authenticity to the music, providing Khmer lyrics as well as many years on the Cambodian singing circuit.
Why this song
This is the lead track on their 2nd release, Escape from Dragon House. It features a pounding beat, organ, horns, and the soaring vocals of Chhom Nimol. The musical arrangement is solid, and you are transported to another world where dance, surf, jazz, and world-beat collide. It’s not a subtle song, so turn it up, and enjoy some genre-bending music.
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Premise
Jack White, Jimmy Page, and the Edge convene in January, 2008 to talk about their relationships with the electric guitar. In addition to this ‘summit,’ each artist goes to his hometown/group origins and explores roots. Directed by Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) this movie follows the journey of these three musicians, rather than provide a history of the electric guitar. This is a wise choice, and the movie largely works because of this personal approach. It doesn’t hurt that these three men play different types of music and are from different generations.
Here are some notes on each musician:
The Edge
He came off as a humble guy who is driven by an obsession to reproduce sounds he hears in his head on his guitar. Since these are complex, orchestral sounds, he focuses on effects/pedals/electronics. In one of the most striking scenes, he demonstrates riffs from a dozen or so U2 classics with just one guitar and a multitude of effects, each sounding totally different. Amazing.
In discussing U2′s origins, he states their music started as a reaction against pop music of the day rather than any style of their own. Their style and message evolved over time. When commenting on the state of rock & roll, he says of Spinal Tap, “I didn’t laugh, I wept” since it was such an accurate parody.
When recording U2′s 1st album, producer Steve Lillywhite said “OK, now let’s add some other background sounds from another guitar” and the Edge says “but we only have one in the whole band!”
In a deleted scene, he shared a story about a classical guitar teacher in high school wanting to learn Stairway to Heaven from him, because rumors were flying around that he could play it well. Jimmy had a great smile when the Edge shared this on stage, knowing how important this song has been to generations of musicians.
Jimmy Page
He came off as quite reserved and reflective, assuming the role of elder statesman of rock & roll in this story. He shared fascinating stories about recording techniques employed for classic Led Zeppelin recordings such as When the Levee Breaks. When he played Whole Lotta Love, the child-like smiles from Jack and the Edge were vivid. They realized they were in the presence of greatness.
What was interesting about his journey is that his day job was as a session guitarist, where he could absorb different styles, and decide what he wanted to pursue musically ‘off the clock.’ Most aspiring musicians struggle with boring day jobs (including the Edge and Jack White) and learn about music in their spare time. This is possibly one reason why Jimmy is the master musician of the three.
Jack White
He came off as someone who is totally driven with playing music, almost like an addiction. He purposely plays broken-down guitars because “it’s not supposed to be easy.” He clearly enjoys the struggle, or at least thinks it’s part of the creative bargain. He has a sharp sense of humor and had many priceless one-liners such as “technology doesn’t make you creative” and “if you are satisfied, you just die.”
As an example of his dedication to music, he shared a story from his youth. He had a 7 x 7 foot bedroom to himself in which he managed to install not one but two drum kits plus recording equipment. This left no room for a bed, so he slept on a mat rolled at an angle to fit between the drum kits.
In a deleted scene, he teaches his young son to stomp on a guitar in order to channel his energy. Jack clearly is very passionate about making music. What a great idea to teach kids to explore music without fear of limits!
Summary
Overall, I think this is a compelling, if not perfect, documentary, and would be enjoyable for musicians and non-musicians alike. The sheer passion they exude is heartfelt, even if some of the chatter seems forced. The final performance on stage, The Weight, is lukewarm at best, and not a good way to end the film. Much better are some of the outtakes where each musician shares riffs and song origins with each other, much like a master class. If anyone here has seen the movie, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts, and if you have other music-related films to recommend.
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