Jeffrey Lee Pierce Documentaries

I really wanted to like 'Ghost On The Highway'. The whole experience of seeing the film screened at the Redcat theater a couple years back in LA was all in all a good one. Everyone there seemed to be genuine Gun Club fans, and most people had actually known Jeffrey at one point or another. I went the second night of the screening. I had actually missed a few friends of mine step up to the mike the night before to sing covers of Gun Club songs backed by members of the original line-up; a truly surreal experience for them, I'm sure. The second night brought Kid Congo on guitar and Thalia Zedek on vocals. Zedek couldn't have been a better choice, really. Set aside the fact that I was already an admirer of her work, her somewhat androgynous, world weary voice fit Jeffrey's songs perfectly. Her unpretentious approach also really added to the whole experience. You could easily tell that she wasn't there to do anything but pay homage to the man. (By the way, if you haven't given Thalia Zedek a listen, you really should. She's an oddly overlooked talent.)
The film itself left me feeling unsatisfied. First of all, there was no live footage of the band throughout, nor any footage of Jeffrey, to no fault of the director. They simply couldn't obtain the footage legally. The accounts of Jeffrey from past band mates pretty much ranged from cynical to negative. There were obviously painful memories that had not healed themselves. That's okay, proper documentaries aren't meant to appease the fan. And surely, any aware Gun Club fanatic would know that Jeffrey was a sometimes volatile eccentric.
My problem really lies with the fact that there weren't many contrarian views. I felt like Jeffrey's body of work had taken a back seat to stories of him pissing people off and ego tripping. Luckily I've had the opportunity to discuss Jeffrey with my friend Cypress Grove, who recorded the album 'Ramblin' Jeffrey Lee with Cypress Grove and Willie Love' and who was very good friends with him. Where were the voices like Cypress' in the documentary? People that understood him, and saw his genius?
Cypress sent a copy of "Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues" to the Swampland house. It's a slightly less known Jeffrey Lee Pierce documentary that's out now. It's somewhat voyeuristic and subtle. Jeffrey diligently sits at the guitar working on blues songs. His passion shines through. There are scenes where he seems lonely and lost. Others where he's wielding swords and talking history. Cypress and Nick Cave have cameo appearances...two people that were there for him at his lowest points. I get the impression by watching this footage that it's a pretty authentic representation of Jeffrey's character. Of course, he knew he was being filmed, and a certain amount of posturing is expected. However, this film get's Cypress' seal of approval, and that tells me that it's worth watching.
I'm not discouraging anyone from giving 'Ghost on the Highway' a chance. I would however, take it for what it's worth. I definitely recommend "Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues" to any die hard fan.