Moody, dreamy, noisy, loud, gentle, feminine, insular, withdrawn, antisocial; Shoegaze was an anomaly in the glitzy and colorful Rock scene of the late 1980s - early 1990s when it emerged as a maligned and misunderstood oddball who nevertheless was impossible to ignore. With its nerdy outcast-looking band members who stood on stage and stared at their shoes (hence the name) while creating and conjuring whirlpools of ear-numbing noise the scene certainly wasn't primed for the big time but it's unique appeal left a lasting legacy that endures to this day. "Beautiful Noise" covers that crucial period in Rock history when the tide turned and the changing of the guard ushered a new and far superior phase in Rock with Shoegaze right in the middle of it. The genre's luminaries like Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine and Ride are given their proper space while stars like Robert Smith, Trent Reznor and Bily Corgan share their memories and views on the music's profound impact on them. Historic footage of the band's are shown highlighting the blistering and deafening power of the music. The film could have been better if the roots of the genre were shown (basically the bands are Velvet Underground offshoots) and the presentation of the bands less chapter-like. Nevertheless it's good to see a well-done doc on the fascinating and influential genre. May there be more to come.
Review of Beautiful Noise
