America's Lost Band http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090414/ENTERTAINMENT0403/90414017
Rediscover a rock 'n' roll treasure By MARK WOOD • The Tennessean April 14, 2009 They toured with The Beatles, appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and had a hit song. Despite all that, The Remains are still often referred to as the greatest rock band no one knows. Now is your chance to discover the band and its music. America's Lost Band: The Remains documents the rise of the mid-'60s Boston rock band (led by Nashville musician Barry Tashian), their '66 tour with the Fab Four and their return to the stage a few years ago. It's an interesting glimpse into the band, but it leaves you wanting more. Based in part on journal entries from Barry Tashian's book, Ticket to Ride, the documentary dwells too much on The Beatles and what it was like to tour with them and not enough on The Remains' members and their stories. The film also only briefly touches on the reasons the band called it quits after just one critically acclaimed album. An interview with a music-industry veteran hints at deeper issues, but director Michael Stich never delves into the subject. Given that the movie runs only 66 minutes, he had time to probe this topic and other lingering questions. Most of the movie follows the reformed Remains Tashian, drummer Chip Damiani, bassist Vern Miller Jr. and keyboardist Bill Briggs around Los Angeles, where they reminisce about the past and play a series of concerts. What's missing is what transpired in the years between 1966 to when the band hit the stage again. The fact that Tashian played with Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris is a footnote to the film just before the credits roll. Still, the music sounds as good as ever, there's great footage from the Ed Sullivan Show and Hullabaloo, and America's Lost Band remains an enjoyable look at a band that "stood at the door of stardom and never made it through." . --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Sixties-L" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/sixties-l?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
