Movie Review: It Might Get Loud

In the documentary It Might Get Loud, film maker Davis Guggenheim brings together three generations of notable rock guitarists, Jack White from the White Stripes, the Edge from U2 and Jimmy PageJimmy Page from Led Zeppelin. And during the course of the film, we not only get to hear some great music, we also learn about the men behind the guitars. We learn about their backgrounds, their influences and what they do to create those brilliant sounds.

The film begins with White puttering around with a piece of wood, some string, a nail and a Coke bottle. Just what is he creating? When he’s finished with his contraption he plugs it into an amp and creates an amazing sound. Then he looks cheekily into the camera and utters, ”Who needs an electric guitar?

In another segment, Edge shows how adding different filter affects to simple chords can totally recreate a new and surprising sound, the guitar riffs that gives U2 its iconic tenor. And later, Page shows how he altered blues-based rock by using a violin bow or a two-necked guitar, and he also shows his skills on a mandolin.

The principals are brought to a warehouse with their gear where they talk shop and also jam. They are also interviewed separately. We meet the courtly Page at his British estate where he summons the crew to a room filled with old 45s and LPs. While playing Link Ray’s “Rumble” Page begins to play air guitar and grins like a smitten school boy.

Page also talks about his early years as musician beginning as a teen-ager, and his years with the Yardbirds and as an in-demand session musician. It was during this time Page almost packed it to go to art school because he couldn’t stand some of the music he was forced to play. He wanted to play his own music, which he later got to do in Led Zeppelin. And though Led Zeppelin is considered one of the best rock acts of all time, Page confesses that he and his bandmates were often dismissed by the British press. Their 1969 album, Led Zeppelin II garnered only a one-paragraph review in most British newspapers. Yes, the album that gave us "Whole Lotta Love" got nary a mention.

Meanwhile back in Dublin, Edge visits Mount Temple High School where it all began for U2. As he walks the hallowed halls of his alma mater he comes across the bulletin board where drummer Larry Mullen Jr put up a note asking for musicians to form a band. Edge later finds a box of un-labeled cassettes and pops one into the player. Out comes the song “Where the Streets Have No Name.” We’re also treated to an early television performance of U2 where Bono danced like the epileptic love child of Mick JaggerMick Jagger and Iggy PopIggy Pop, and Edge and bassist Adam Clayton did some obnoxious rock god posturing. Thank goodness they honed their performance skills.

At his Nashville home, White, the youngest child of a large family, talks about growing up in Detroit where hip-hop and house music reigned supreme, and White was an outsider for loving rock, punk and the blues. He plays his favorite song of all time, Son House’s “Grinnin’ In Your Face” which features nothing more than vocals and hand claps. White also discusses his first band before The White Stripes, The Upholsterers, a band he formed with his boss while working in an upholstery factory.

When Page, Edge and White are brought together they broach each other a bit awkwardly but soon the conversation gets going, with the three of them trading their distinct guitar styles and waxing on about their lives as musicians. Of course, the guys just have to jam, and when Page plays “Whole Lotta Love” both Edge and White nearly squee like a tween over the Jonas Brothers. These guys aren’t so much guitar gods as they are guitar geeks.

I have to admit. I went into this movie with a wee bit of trepidation. I’m not a musician so I was afraid the talk would be a bit to dry and over my head. However, I was entranced by the musicianship and charmed by the conversation. Page, Edge and White prove playing the guitar is what one person makes of it, putting your own personal stamp on the instrument. And without the three of them my life might be a bit quieter but not quite as fun.