Robyn Hitchcock has been releasing his ever-so-slightly skewed music for well over twenty years – spread across three decades. Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death and… Insects is a documentary, from The Sundance Channel, that will be released on DVD on March 25. It features interviews with a number of Hitchcock’s co-conspirators and the first real look at his songwriting process.
From his days with The Soft Boys to his latest band, Robyn Hitchcock and The Venus 3, Robyn Hitchcock has written and performed some of the most intriguing and rewarding songs in rock history. These songs are frequently less than upbeat, tonally, but almost always rewarding intellectually and emotionally.
As I listened to the performances that dot this doc, I found myself frequently thinking, “Hmmm… That sounds like [insert quirky band with jangly guitars here].” Then, of course, I realized that Hitchcock had been around long before any of them. Despite his lack of major commercial success, Hitchcock has influenced/inspired a lot of contemporary bands [to whom I will not refer, here].
Hitchcock just goes along his own path, quietly producing music that is known, respected and loved by a small core audience – many of whom are acts that are bigger, in terms of ticket and album sales, than he is. For example, The Venus 3 is composed of three members of R.E.M: Peter Buck, Bill Rieflin and Scott McCaughey.
Over the course of the film, featured jammers and interviewees include: the three guys from R.E.M., Chris Ballew [Presidents of the United States], John Paul Jones [Led Zeppelin], alt-country star Gillian Welch [and her musical partner, David Rawlins], Morris Windsor [alumni of The Soft Boys and Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians], Ruby Wright [Hitchcock’s niece and saw player] and legendary singer/songwriter/producer, Nick Lowe.
It’s an odd mix, to be sure, but the result is a fascinating portrait of one of the most intriguing musicians in rock. Add to that odd mix: some cool jams on a number of Hitchcock’s songs, plus a few memorable concert performances and the result is a DVD that will certainly make Robyn Hitchcock fans very happy.
Bonus features: Conversations About Robyn’s Songwriting Technique with Complete rough Versions of Evolve, John in the Air, Star of Venus and Afterlight; Acoustic Rooftop Performance of Ole´! Tarantula, and the Music Video for Adventure Rocketship.
Grade: Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, death and… Insects – A
Grade: Extras – B
Finale Grade: A-
Looks really interesting. This is one I will have to check out.