Very disappointing...

So much average

Instant Favorite.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Probably the best documentary on punk rock that I have personally seen. "The Decline of Western Civilization" is more entertaining and has better music in it, but this feels more authenticate and deals with some interesting realities that that film does not confront. The setup is a North American tour set up by Youth Brigade for themselves and Social Distortion. It's a real D.I.Y. effort with Youth Brigade buying an old school bus and putting up the money and making the arrangements. A lot of the youthful idealism of punk rock is faithfully captured ... the shows are all "all ages" shows, the bands stay in communal houses in cities they visit, and nobody is in it for the money ... or at least they don't think they are. The movie also captures what happens when youthful idealism runs full steam into real life. The bus breaks down, they don't get paid for shows, and pretty soon nobody is getting paid anything, and band members and roadies start deserting the tour. The tour is essentially called off in DC where the bus fails completely and Social Distortion jump ship. Fascinating stuff from an "early days of punk rock" perspective (especially for Canadians since the tour goes through Canada first ... Calgary, Winnipeg and Montreal are highlighted), but interesting even for those not interested in punk per se.

Along with "Decline of Western Civilization," and (now) "American Hardcore," this is crucial viewing about early US DIY punk. What's weird is that neither Social Distortion's nor Youth Brigade's music has aged very well (Social Distortion being better known for their 1990s roots-punk), and Minor Threat, who are barely in the film, have become the definitive band of this scene. Nonetheless, the live footage of Social Distortion is interesting, because Mike Ness is so corny, and how inept the rest of the band is--he is just begging to be surrounded by ringers. Youth Brigade come across a bit better, slightly more tough, definitely more dedicated and principled: more suburban, but also less self-absorbed. The direction and production is not much to speak of, and the film is not edited for drama the way it would be now, rather telling a very simple story of things falling apart on tour. There are a dozen or so classic moments, the music is OK, and you get to see Mike Ness "get out and push" a bus.

Some of the concert scenes took me back to my late-70s/early 80s SoCal childhood in an intense way. There is way too little concert footage though, and way too much talking heads (not the band, the blabbermouths). With 22 years hindsight it sounds like so much spoiled suburban brats and less like rebels. If I hear the phrase "just getting out aggression" one more time as an excuse for thuggy slamdancing i would have stopped the movie right there. Kids practicing there stagediving in their swimming pool - hmm, a swimming pool, eh?One problem is that the punk look adopted by these kids is ubiquitous throughout mainstream media and suburban life nowadays - you get no sense of how radical a kid shaving his head was back then.About ten percent of this film is brilliant, especially watching the creative process of Social Distortion (primarily Mike Ness) slowly compose the song ANOTHER STATE OF MIND (one of the band's best early classics). But these scenes are almost lost in a sea of the pompous Sean Stern pontificating (although he does get blamed for being an egomaniac by mutinous crew members). The film is downright boring whenever Sean has to talk on and on about punks being apart from society. ZZZzzz. Stern seems to have calculated that his band needs a great headliner for the ill-fated tour ahead - sort of like a lousy Presidential candidate, Stern finds his charismatic VP in Social D and uses them to further the name of his lousy Yoth Brigade.There was no movie I was more prepared to love than this and I am thoroughly disappointed with the results. One day the Decline of Western Civilization (the original) will be released and trip like this flick will pale in comparison to that masterpiece.One last thought - comparing the cross-country bus commune of ASM to Tom Wolfe's Hippie Opus ELECTRIC KOOLAID ACID TEST might tell you all you need to know about the very early Southern California punkers.

Any fan of Social Distortion or Youth Brigade must see this. Documents the tour and lives of the band members and roadies. Great live footage and commentary.