I can't say enough good about this one. If you've ever tried to perform live, under pressure, with everything going wrong around you - I don't care if it's a high school play or Madison Square opening for the Megaband of the Minute - you'll identify with this. Lou Reed gets to play himself, basically; the hippy bands of the 60s that just won't leave are portrayed as they are (and this was 1983, for Pete's sake, never mind 2006!), the ego-glamrockers get their due with Malcom MacDowel, The punkers have their turn, and the blues godfather kind of watches it all from the wings.
My favorite scene is at the beginning at a bluesman's funeral - King Blues does the graveside eulogy, in which he says, among other things, ..."You were the greatest...musician, drinker of whiskey, and lover of women (minister starting to wince at this point)... 'God, this is my man, and if you don't take care of him, I'm gonna wax your a_s!" - thunder rumbles, minister backs away from the grave, and the blind a capella blues singers who've been crooning away all through the scene start bumping into each other, saying "'scuse me, scuse me" - one of them falls in the grave and yells "I'M NOT DEAD!!!!" - OK, it loses in telling - just get the film and enjoy!
My favorite scene is at the beginning at a bluesman's funeral - King Blues does the graveside eulogy, in which he says, among other things, ..."You were the greatest...musician, drinker of whiskey, and lover of women (minister starting to wince at this point)... 'God, this is my man, and if you don't take care of him, I'm gonna wax your a_s!" - thunder rumbles, minister backs away from the grave, and the blind a capella blues singers who've been crooning away all through the scene start bumping into each other, saying "'scuse me, scuse me" - one of them falls in the grave and yells "I'M NOT DEAD!!!!" - OK, it loses in telling - just get the film and enjoy!