The Beach Boys - An American Band

Sanitised history for conservative Americans

As a straight DVD transfer of this 1985 VHS, what’s most striking is how documentary-making has changed. Telling very little in the way of story, other than that The Beach Boys started as a surf band; things then went a little differently; Brian Wilson opted out of touring and Dennis Wilson tragically drowned, the producers seem to have thrown as much archive footage at the wall to see what would stuck.

Thankfully, lots did. There’s plenty of fascinating material from across their career, including littleseen footage of Dennis Wilson recording his solo work. However, the lost opportunities are astounding. Brian Wilson conducts his interviews from his bed, while the other Beach Boys talk to the camera separately (save Dennis and Carl, who are happy to chat together). Their particular spins and thoughts are given no thirdparty comment, so anyone coming to the story fresh would find it hard to see what was relevant in much of it. Come Independence Day celebrations for President Reagan, the group are painted as a harmless all-American band for the family, their dark underbelly almost entirely ignored. Don’t watch this for the story. Do watch this for a wealth of footage previously only available on VHS and fill in the gaps yourself.

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

Liberation Entertainment | LIB 6046

Reviewed by Jason Draper
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