Critical Times – Fishbone's Hen House Sessions

Critical Times – Fishbone's Hen House Sessions is a 2001 DVD release by Fishbone recorded at Hen House Studios, a free community recording studio in Venice, California.^[1]

The film centers primarily on the creation, mutation and recording of the songs in the studio - giving a privileged viewpoint as if one were a member of the band. Some members Fishbone felt that they were at a critical moment in the band's history, and that the sessions could lead to a mainstream breakthrough or a total breakdown.^[2] The seamless blend of multi-angle cinéma vérité and time lapse photography turns day to night and back again as the band pleads, cajoles, argues and uses every trick in the book to bring their music alive. Critical Times also delves into personal lives, politics, factions in the band and competing musical styles.

Track listing

"Frayed Fucking Nerve Endings"
"Last Dayz, Critical Times"
"Premadawnutt"
"Demon in Here"
"Skank N' Go Nutts" (alternate cut)

Personnel

Angelo Moore - saxophone, vocals
Walter A. Kibby II - trumpet, vocals
Spacey T - guitar
John McKnight - keyboards, trombone, guitar
John Norwood Fisher - bass, vocals
John Steward - drums

References

^ Palermo, Mark (8 December 2004). "Review". Rotten Tomatoes News. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 31 March 2011. The music is extraordinary, but Critical Times excels as cinema in its authentic feel for the joy and struggle of collaborative art.
^ Deming, Mark. "Movie Details". MTV Movie Database. MTV. Archived from the original on February 10, 2005. Retrieved 31 March 2011.