We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen (review)

As a historical document, a record of a moment in the dramatic story of rock music, this is a valuable set, and certainly fans of the Minutemen, the foundational punk band, will thrill to this collection of archival footage, new interviews, live performances, and more. But if you’re looking for a context in which to place the Minutemen within the overall history of the musical genre, keep looking -- neophytes will find themselves somewhat lost in the very intimate, very insider perspective documentarian Tim Irwin takes. For the initiated, though: revel in the reminiscences of Minutemen Mike Watt and George Hurley of that brief period in the early 80s when the band astonished fans of underground music, and of their fellow bandmate D. Boon, who was killed in a highway accident in 1985. Punk luminaries -- such as Henry Rollins, Flea, Jello Biafra, and dozens more, including rock journalists and music producers -- check in with their take on the influence of the Minutemen. Fans of the band may most appreciate the second disc, which features hours of music from three legendary live performances, and the chunky liner notes, which includes an essay by David Rees, creator of Get Your War On, color photos, reproductions of the band’s flyers, and more.

(Technorati tags: Minutemen, documentary, DVD)