Various - Get Back

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 8 / 11 / 2016

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Review

'Get Back' tells well the groundbreaking history of a city that changed rock's landscape for all time. The story for the most part is told by 'Merseybeat' editor and Beatles' associate Bill Harry. 'Merseybeat' was the first ever local music newspaper to capture the time and place of the new beat boom era. It was also the name of the new local music in Liverpool to come out of that scene which, of course, had the Beatles at the very core of its success. Over the course of its just over ninety minutes running time, 'Get Back' looks into into the core of Liverpool's musical uprising, describing how the radio station based at the American army camp up the road helped to bring new music to the ears of the Liverpool youth. The original Liverpool musical scene was similar to that of London as in the 1950s the live music scene was full of traditional and new jazz acts, as were its venues. Liverpool was always party central, especially in the 1960s, where it had many city centre clubs and bars, powered by the spirit of jazz. Skiffle was just around the corner and soon guitars flooded the city, after a young lad called Lonnie Donegan showed the world with 'Rock Island Line' how easy it could be to write and perform music. Soon, Liverpool was flooded with youngsters with guitars, all knowing three chords including one John Lennon with his skiffle band the Quarrymen. Everything changed in the summer of 1957 when a young Paul McCartney saw the Quarrymen play a gig in the village of Woolton into playing guitar chords rather then banjo chords. But while the Beatles were learning their craft at clubs around the city, many other youngsters too were giving it a go, and this film tells their stories too. Liverpool didn't just have one famous band. The Beatles' story has been told many times over, but 'Get Back' tells us more about the local club scene and how it grew. The 1950s and 1960s take up most of the documentary, and it's not until the last twenty minutes of the film that we are told how Liverpool woke up and joined the late 1970s and 1980s with the opening of Eric's and the rise of indie bands such as the Icicle Works, Wah! and Echo & The Bunnymen, who woke up the city up to a new 60's-influenced sound. While all these bands met with success, it took a band no one would touch, fronted by two gay men to give Liverpool another band as big as the Beatles. 'Get Back' focuses on Frankie Goes To Hollywood, who stormed the media world in a much bigger way than their 60's forefathers. The film also reveals how OMD wanted to be as good as Kraftwerk, and had a seven album deal within nine months of forming. It ends by reflecting on modern bands such as the Coral and the La's and the super club, Cream, who carry on the success of the Liverpool sound. 'Get Back' reveals how Liverpool's music was and how it has got to where it is today. It is "sound", as they say in sweet Liverpool.

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