Watch The Quarrymen - The Band that started The Beatles

The Quarrymen - The Band that Started The Beatles is a fascinating documentary that explores the origins of perhaps the most famous band in history. Directed by Alan G Parker, the film is an affectionate look at the early days of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison, before they became The Beatles. It features interviews with original Quarrymen, Rod Davis and Colin Hanton, who speak candidly about the joys and challenges of playing in a band that would eventually change the face of music forever.

The film begins by providing context for the time and place where The Quarrymen formed in 1957 - Liverpool, a city reeling from the economic depression and the aftermath of the war. The directors don't shy away from showing how the difficulties of the time gave rise to the tremendous creativity displayed by Lennon and McCartney, who wrote songs that were a point of difference from the American rock 'n' roll that had leaked in. The topics that they wrote about were more introspective, reflective of the life they saw around them.

The documentary then moves to the early years of the band, following the members' evolving style and interesting anecdotes like members using instruments made out of cans or the band almost got into a fight during one of their gigs in Germany. Their legacy started from a concert in St. Peter's Church authorities, where meeting with McCartney transformed Abbey Road Studios into the most celebrated recording studio in history.

One of the most engaging features of the film is the way it uses archival footage and photographs to transport the viewer back in time. We see teenage boys in sharp suits, grinding out chords on acoustic guitars and makeshift drums, even before they had a drummer, much less one like Ringo Starr. The film evokes a sense of nostalgia for both rock 'n' roll and the cultural era when the genre was just beginning, making it a treat for music aficionados and history buffs alike.

The Quarrymen, despite the changes in the composition of the band, offered a different approach to rock music as it was. The documentary brings out the little-known facts about the band, including their recording but not-quite-released efforts for HMV Records.

Ultimately, the film takes the viewer on an intimate journey of the friendships and tensions that existed between the band members, culminating in the formation of The Beatles. We see how they grew in numbers and popularity, the rise to fame following their debut on the Ed Sullivan Show, and what followed. The final scenes show the influence of their early work on their later compositions; that the music that took over the world was rooted in what they produced under the name 'Quarrymen.'

The documentary isn't perfect in its execution. At times, it feels like it ventures away from the central narrative to focus on insignificant information which offers little context for the band's origins. However, these moments are few and far between and do not detract from the overall story.

In conclusion, The Quarrymen - The Band that Started The Beatles is a well-made documentary that offers a unique perspective on the world's most famous band's origins. Through its use of archival footage and interviews with the original Quarrymen, it provides a fascinating insight into the early years of rock 'n' roll and the creative process of musicians who would go on to dominate the music industry. Ultimately, the film succeeds in showing how the seeds for The Beatles were first sowed, and whets the appetite for any music lover wanting to hear more about the origins of the world's most famous pop-rock band.

The Quarrymen - The Band that started The Beatles is a documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 4 minutes.