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Kit Lambert and Christopher Stamp became
managers of The Who when they were named The High Numbers, and most of this
documentary is about them—their relationship, how they got started in the
business, and the ups and downs of the group, which ultimately rejected them,
although the two had pretty much disengaged from each other and the group by
that time. Nevertheless, in film interviews,
Lambert and Stamp receive high praise from Townshend, Daltry, and Moon, who recognized
their leadership at the time when the band was just getting started and needed
it.
This film will probably be more of interest to
hard-core rock-pop-mod fans than to fans of The Who, because it doesn’t have
much of their music in the foreground.
Instead, it is an account of how they got started and how their
managers, Lambert and Stamp, furthered their popularity and brought them to the
world stage. From a human-interest
standpoint, it is most interesting, because the two men did not have a clear
idea all of the time of what they were doing. Both frustrated filmmakers, they wanted to film a rock band,
and had the idea that if they managed one, this would be the best way to
accomplish it. Ironically, a film
did eventually get made years later, but neither Lambert nor Stamp were
involved in it.
Such is the history of contemporary music
groups in our ever-changing world.
Shifting loyalties, interests, and behaviors make it an unstable
endeavor, and that’s what makes this story interesting. Two unlikely partners managed to pull
together a motley group of musicians and steer them toward ultimate success. At the time of making the film, several
of The Who players were deceased, but James D. Cooper, the director and
cinematographer, managed to weave together a coherent history of one of the
most well known rock bands of our time, and one known for technological
innovations, and the development of rock opera. To his credit, Cooper doesn’t gloss over the bad stuff—this
is a picture of the band over the years, warts and all.
Cooper, a cinematographer for most of his career
so far, filmed much of the documentary using old photographs and videos and
working closely with Chris Stamp, thus giving it a “Your are there” experience
for the viewer.
The Who’s bumpy ride to fame.
Grade: A- By Donna R. Copeland
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