Battle of The Rock Docs: 'Hired Gun' Vs. '808'!

The other day, a friend and I got together for some coffee and gossip. During the conversation, he once again lamented being in a band and attempted to tell me how lucky I had it as a solo artist.

His main gripes about being in a band seems to revolve around being out-voted by the rest of the band whenever he gets a bad idea in his head, but I quickly brought him back to reality with the following manifesto:

You band guys are all alike. Instead of relishing the joy of being in a music gang with two or three other cats as dedicated to the struggle as you and, therefore, just as willing to schlep gear, sleep on floors, make no money, and exist on Ramen noodles as part of the price all great bands pay for world domination.

Now imagine doing all of that with guys you had to pay every step of the way: rehearsals, gigs, recording sessions. If you make no money on a gig, tough shit. They still get paid. If you wanna sleep on the floor somewhere, fine, they'll still expect you to provide their accommodations.

And when it comes to recording sessions, everybody in that room except you is being paid to be there.

Everybody.

And if you have any problem with that, there is always the second option of spending money you may or may not have on machines you may or may not be capable of operating in order to replace those costly humans whose "commitment to Sparkle Motion", so to speak, leaves much to be desired when a struggling solo artist suddenly wants to make some music.

Director Fran Strine's "Hired Gun" (2017) details the trials and tribulations of those who are hired to support the likes of Alice Cooper, Billy Joel and Ozzy Osbourne on the road and in the studio, getting to live out their rock & roll dreams at the top of the music game for as long as the checks continue to clear.

So often, though, when an artist begins to feel that they're carrying you, those checks can quickly dry up, as they did for longtime Billy Joel drummer Liberty DeVitto, whose gig came to a screeching halt in 1993 after he asked Joel for a raise.

Of course, there is a VIP section in Hell for those who trade their metal lineage for a sweet paycheck playing for the likes of Hillary Duff where Ronnie James Dio pokes you in the eye with a sharp stick for all eternity.

By comparison, 2015's "808" is dedicated to the one session cats who doesn't require coffee breaks or expect to be paid: the Roland TR-808 drum machine.

Debuting in 1980, this new drum machine allowed users to program their own parts instead of choosing from pre-programmed rhythms. Even as the machine was quickly discontinued in 1983 (due to Roland's inability to get their hands on enough faulty transistors necessary to get the machine's trademark sound), it earned a following on the burgeoning hip hop scene and would later be embraced by the likes of Phil Collins and Marvin Gaye.

While "Hired Gun" shows you how artists at the top of the food chain work, "808" proves that those with limited budgets can be just as creative due to certain limitations, whether they be financial or musical.

What makes "808" sizzle is the wealth of fresh interview footage from key players in the hip hop, house, and dance scenes including the Beastie Boys, Rick Rubin, Arthur Baker, New Order, Afrika Bambaataa, Hank Shocklee and even Phil Collins, himself.