If Robyn Hitchcock is an unknown entity to you, a title like Sex, Food, Death…and Insects may read like the ramblings of an idiot or LSD casualty - at the very least, a fetishist of some sort. But Hitchcock is no idiot. Rather, much like the film director of the same last name, he is an auteur - albeit a musical one - of sorts. As far back as his days with The Soft Boys, which first hit the scene in the mid-‘70s, Hitchcock has sung about such things as sex and death, and in the most peculiarly way; as though he were some kind of alien that had just encountered such subject matter for the first time. Thus, all self-respecting alternative rock fans need to be aware of Hitchcock. He’s the spiritual link between pre-punk power-pop days and Flaming Lips modern weirdness.
Loosely revolving around the recording of Hitchcock’s Olé! Tarantula CD, this Sundance Channel original primarily focuses on Hitchcock’s songwriting prowess, as it also includes a few of the famous admirers that helped him make the disc. Peter Buck, REM’s guitarist, is perhaps Hitchcock’s highest profile fan. He is seen on screen performing with his friend, as well as attempting to explain the artist’s unique appeal. But understanding Hitchcock’s appeal is a little like explaining why some folks like black licorice. Scott McCaughey (REM, Minus 5), Chris Ballew (Presidents Of The USA), John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin – yep, one of those old-sters), Nick Lowe, Gillian Welch, and David Rawlings are also along for the quirky ride.
Although much of its musical material is associated with Olé Tarantula, there are also plenty of past Hitchcock jewels to behold as well. He’s seen and heard singing I Often Dream of Trains, Uncorrected Personality Traits (a hoot for both psychologists and non-psychologists alike), and Queen Elvis. But most importantly, many of these newer songs are easily up to the high standard of Hitchcock’s best work. Evolve, while it may rub creationists the wrong way, it is a smart, scientific look at the origins of life. ”What you call god/I call evolution,” he compares and contrasts. Another highlight is the loving NY Doll, which is Hitchcock’s tribute to Arthur Kane, late of the New York Dolls.
When Gillian Welch and David Rawlings recently recorded with Hitchcock, as they explain in an interview aside, they were sometimes laying down tracks without even knowing these performances weren’t practice takes. It’s insightful to hear Welch jokingly tell how she was compelled to pick up an instrument midway through recording one track because she wasn’t aware the tape was rolling. Apparently, Hitchcock had a master plan he wasn’t always fully revealing to his musical friends.
As good as the documentary is this project’s best bits can be found in one of its extra sections. It is there that Hitchcock is seen intimately singing a few of his new songs, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar. These songs are so new, in fact, he even comments - while singing them - about sections that are not completely finalized. In between songs, Hitchcock elaborates on the art of songwriting. Although his lyrics are filled with unexpected images, which sometimes seem more influenced by psychedelic drugs than logic, he is surprisingly, consistently lucid in conversation. This extras portion also includes a full band rooftop performance of Olé Tarantula.
The one downside to this DVD – and it’s a small fault - is its regrettably short length. At only 59 minutes long, it only scratches the surface of a beautifully multilayered individual. It’s too bad they didn’t also include a full concert appearance to accompany the documentary. Then, the viewer could see all of these various songs come to life in front of an audience. The other disappointment - another minor one - also has to do with time. Wow, look how gray everybody’s hair is now! This gathering of alternative rock gods and former punk kids has long strands of gray hair these days. Where have all the years gone?
Sex, Food, Death…and Insects is like one of those restaurant appetizer platters: It’s filled with many tasty delights, but if you like any particular item (case in point: Hitchcock) you really need a plateful rather than a few mere samples. But if watching it makes you want to explore Hitchcock’s twisted, plentiful and altogether yummy back catalogue, this DVD has done its job.
Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death...Insects ***1/2 (out of 5)
59 min. / Not Rated
Directed by John Edginton
Related links: Amazon.com, IMDb
Review by Dan MacIntosh
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