Soul Boys of the Western World (2014) User Reviews

True

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 21 May 2015]

Greetings again from the darkness. Director George Hencken's biopic on the British band Spandau Ballet provides not just an in-depth look at the band's roller-coaster history, but also a timeline of musical changes beginning in the late 1970's.

The film begins not with the formation of the band; but rather with each bandmember briefly discussing their childhood, family life, and original inspiration for a life in music. The photos and interviews provide insight into each of the gents, and is a terrific way to begin telling the story of a band that would go on to experience the greatest highs and lowest lows.

Best known for their huge international number one hit "True" (1983), Spandau Ballet went through numerous name changes and musical style changes in their early years – experimenting with influencers ranging from the Blues to Sinatra and Ella to Glam Rock and The Kinks. This was a group of working class Brits searching for their place during the rapid changes that included Punk Rock and Disco. Mostly, they wanted to be "Pop Stars", and they became one of the beneficiaries of the Dawn of Music Videos. The band was a mixture of fashion, graphic arts, video and music, and never lost sight of the need for glamour.

Their musical rivals during this era were Duran, Duran and Wham!, though obviously there was plenty of airtime and plenty of fans for all. This group of school buddies leaned heavily on Gary Kemp for their songwriting. Things went along very well until 1990 when Gary and his brother Martin (also a band member) were chosen to star in director Peter Medak's movie called THE KRAYS. It was soon after that the band played what most thought would be their final gig.

The Krays was successful, and both Gary and Martin pursued acting careers, while some of the other band members tried to make a go of it musically. However, a nasty lawsuit over royalties further divided the band, creating apparent irreconcilable differences. In a remarkable turn of events, the band members put the past behind them and in 2009 … after almost 20 years apart, they reunited for a tour and album.

Mr. Hencken fills the screen with some terrific clips – live shows, home movies, news reels, and interviews. It's a detailed timeline and history of a band that literally took their name right off a bathroom wall, and enjoyed the heights of popularity playing Live Aid in 1985 (2 billion people watching) and the depths of a nasty band breakup, replete with publicly-reported lawsuit. It's a very well documented and well presented history of band and the music culture of an era.

Energetic and full on documentary, but maybe a little too personal, with not much outside input

[wellthatswhatithinkanyway · 7/10 · 22 August 2015]

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

In Islington, North London, at the height of the glam/punk rock era, four boys, including two brothers, came together to form their own band, Spandau Ballet, who , influenced by the soul/blues music they had grown up on, developed their own distinctive style, in music and fashion, that came to be known as the New Romantic trend. They notched up a string of chart successes throughout the 1980s, starting with the enigmatic To Cut a Long Story Short, all the way to their seminal 1983 chart hit and enduring favourite True. From here, they ascended on a kaleidoscopic rise to the top, before internal disputes and dwindling relevance split them apart and took them in other directions.

Many years on, and the relevance of the top musical groups who dominated the 80s music scene is still in evidence today, with 80s nostalgia at quite a remarkable height. Spandau Ballet, the subject of this in depth musical autobiography, even enjoyed a sold out tour last year, which is testament to their enduring popularity, among older, more seasoned fans and new discoverers of their work. While their own recollections and evaluations of their cultural footprint are no doubt from the horse's mouth, it's hard not to think of all those outside the band's dynamic, who would have been witness to their success (record producers, music journalists, DJs, etc., of the time) which this chooses to ignore, instead concentrating solely on the guys in the bad, delivering voiceovers describing their own wild, hedonistic adventures at the time.

This doesn't detract from the film as such, because the boys own recollections are, in themselves, perfectly fun enough, re-living the height of their fame with all the energy and gusto as if they were really re-living them again right now, injecting the proceedings with enough wild distraction to keep you glued. It would just have been nice to have heard some outside contributions from time to time, instead of all just feeling like some big, personal love in that newcomers to SB just wouldn't be able to take in, and that, at worst, could smack a little of self indulgence. Nudging over the hour and a half mark a little bit, and just summarily glossing over some of the group's post band hurdles (i.e. Martin's brain tumour, the court battle for song royalties), it's a high energy thrill ride for the band and their lovers, without some personal touches that could have made it shine for an outside heart. ***

The Spandau Ballet Boys Proudly Strut Their Stuff

[StrictlyConfidential · 7/10 · 3 June 2020]

I really enjoyed this celebrity-documentary that took a close-up look at the rise and fall of the British, new wave, pop sensations, Spandau Ballet during the 1980s.

This first-rate presentation contained some really great archival footage, looking back at the music/youth scene in London during the height of the New Wave music craze.

This documentary also reveals a very bitter and intense drama of total betrayal that happened between the members of Spandau Ballet and what eventually took place in its aftermath.

I certainly recommend "Soul Boys" to anyone who is interested in seeing yet another fascinating chapter in the history of pop music.

The Rise. The Fall. The Betrayal.

[strong-122-478885 · 7/10 · 12 March 2018]

Without a doubt - When speaking about the British music scene of the 1980's - ("blue-eyed soul" rockers) Spandau Ballet (amongst several other notable bands) were the ones who, most definitely, helped shape and define that unique era in pop music history.

Impressively directed by George Hencken - "Soul Boys Of The Western World" tells the intriguing and eye-opening story of the meteoric rise, the double-crossing fall, and the eventual (but at first reluctant) reunion of Spandau Ballet.

Through interviews, stills, and an absolutely amazing collection of vintage film clips (chronicling London's youth culture movement, circa 1975-1985) - This exceptional documentary is a first-rate production that I highly recommend to all who are interested in pop music of yesteryear.

This is one of the best presentations of its kind that I've seen in a mighty long time. I hope that you will agree.

Amazing footage from London punk scenes of the 70's and early Spandau Ballet gigs

[kiss_the_pussycats · 9/10 · 11 May 2015]

Can't believe nobody has written anything about this awesome movie yet! It was very well cut and edited- 2 hours long and not a single boring bit. Photos and video footages from the dawn of the band in the 70's are incredible- lots of hipstery- in a good way- party people are genuine and quickly evolving. They're the ones who really make the effort to look special for good parties. Learned about the "it" clubs- Blitz and Beetroot. You can tell there was good music, fun scene with a diverse mix, and clubs today try to keep it that way too, the spirit hasn't changed. For the band itself well go watch this and find out. These guys are the dream team.

Pleasure! ooooo Pleasure!!!

[meeza · 10/10 · 23 January 2016]

This poor boy from the eastern world was absolutely enamored with the Spandau Ballet music documentary "Soul Boys of the Western World" on the infamous 80's New Wave Band. I will definitely musclebound my review with puns; why? Because too cut a long story short, I've lost my mind. Director Hencken lays a strong foundation on the "Soul Boys of the Western World" by showing the childhoods of the five Spandau Ballet members, the origination of the band, their bitter breakup, and their exuberant reformation; not to mention how they incorporated fashion within their music brand. Oh, before I go round and round with this review, let me inform you who is included in this ballet: Tony Hadley, frontman; Gary Kemp, Guitar and Main Songwriter; Martin Kemp, Bass and Gary's Brother; Steve Norman, Sax & Guitars; and John Keeble, Drums. My instinction of the documentary was that it was going to be a great one, and boy was it gold. You really don't have to be a Spandau Ballet aficianado to enjoy it, but it sure does help; especially as you see the band members move in through the barricades within their own personal challenges. Make sure that in your lifeline, you watch "Soul Boys of the Western World". It is one of the best, if not the best, music documentary I have ever seen. And of course, this much is true. You will love it and not only when you leave after seeing it. ***** Excellent

As Shallow as its Subject

[nafps · 1/10 · 6 November 2021]

I was surprised to see the band's origins. They come off as spoiled elitists who coasted through life, handed everything, and only working on their tans and chasing equally elitist women. There's no sign of any pain in their lives, certainly not from poverty, and surprisingly, not from romance.

Soul? No one seriously thought this band was Soul. They didn't deserve any mention in the same category as Aretha, or Otis. There were literally hundreds of far better Black American singers who actually sang Soul. Every Black church choir had better voices.

They were Sinatra wannabes, from the clothes to the music. But their singer lacked Old Blue Eyes range, emotion, or connection with the audience. In the US they were one hit wonders. The only time Americans ever heard of them again was as part of Band Aid. When they broke up in 1990, it didn't even make the US music news.

The two Kemp brothers do deserve credit for the quite good The Krays film. Other than that, their lives and music and this documentary are all shallow and quickly forgotten.

Bog standard rock doc

[Coolestmovies · 5/10 · 31 July 2017]

80's pop music "trendsetters" Spandau Ballet -- an arguable term if you look at their limited supply of #1 hits and garish taste in stage fashion versus the street clothing the world around them is seen wearing in archive footage featured herein -- are given bog standard rock doc treatment in SOUL BOYS OF THE WESTERN WORLD, an overlong, not particularly revelatory and utterly TV-worthy "behind-the-music-but-not-too-deep"-style documentary about the self-possessed members of the group. Their stereotypical ascent to international stardom from blue collar roots during particularly tumultuous times in Britain, their handful of hit songs, eventual breakup, largely-forgotten court battle and successful 2009 reunion are covered via extensive vintage clips and painfully canned voice-over from the band members (so rehearsed-sounding, in fact, that a writer should probably have been credited), but the whole thing is soft-pedaled to the degree that it becomes obvious the subjects are participating largely to drum up interest in yet another reunion circa the film's release in 2014. Professionally assembled by director George Hencken, a producer on several little-seen documentaries by Julian Temple, this show will undoubtedly delight now-middle aged fans, but others may be less enthralled, as the finished product -- perhaps unintentionally -- sketches these chaps as no less superficial than most pop acts of their ilk, and just as full of themselves.

Era-defining

[Phil_Chester · 18 December 2020]

A truly deep dive into the formation, rise and fall of one of the biggest bands of the '80s. The story is exactly what you'd expect - the same as every other band in the history of music - but the real power of this documentary is just how genuinely era-defining their music was. For anyone who lived through it at the time, this film completely dissolves the intervening years and takes you straight back to your youth. Powerful, impactful and thoroughly enjoyable.