Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2011

One might wonder why Julien Temple (The Filth and the Fury Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten; Glastonbury) would choose the obscure ’70s pre-punk band Dr. Feelgood as the subject of his next rock doc. The band comprised four ne’er-do-wells (including songwriter/guitarist Wilko Johnson and lead singer Lee Brilleaux) from refinery-infested Canvey Island in the delta (the Thames, not the Mississippi) who energetically embraced rhythm & blues music early on (back when you could distinguish it from hip-hop). This is an almost generic band story. Briefly the top band in England, egos and drugs, etc. led to their early breakup in 1977, limiting any influence they might have had on musical trends, and they never really registered on the radar. But they were dynamic (and cinematic), and the music was most excellent. Wilko is easily as loquacious and compelling as he was in the ’70s, and his funny, fragmentary monologues anchor the film. Temple brilliantly mixes archival footage with present-day interviews (Brilleaux’s aged mum is a show-stopper), and interweaves it all with scenes from old B&W noir flicks. It’s entertaining, intimate and humorous. So why resurrect Dr. Feelgood? Because new generations (that’s you) just needed to know, that’s why.