Years ago, writer/director of this movie Jay Bulger faked being a journalist for Rolling Stone magazine and blagged an exclusive interview with musical legend Ginger Baker. The resulting article was in fact then sold to Rolling Stone for publication, thus beginning Bulger's career as a famous musical journalist. So as a form of recompense, Bulger travels to the massive South African private compound to dedicate an entire feature documentary to Baker, who is often cited as the father of heavy metal, the creator of the first prog-rock band, and the origin of rock drum solos.
Even though he's now into his 70's, Baker is no less of an imposing figure as he was back in his heyday. Rude, blunt, dismissive, egotistical… in short, he is a massive douchebag, and makes for a fantastic interviewee. We get interviews with some of the people he's worked with and the people he's influenced (a who's who of rock legends including Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Metallica and many, many more), as well as some of his wives and children, we get the impression that Baker has left nothing but a trail of destruction, both physically and emotionally, everywhere he's been.
We get some insight into the highly influential but short lived greatness that was Cream, as well as his time spent in Africa learning from the revered Fela Kuti. A man of contradictions, Baker was just as passionate about playing polo as he was about mainlining heroin. Using animation for the flashbacks he doesn't have the footage for - and making Baker look like a cross between The Joker and an LSD-filled Leprechaun - Bulger definitely shows us just how unhinged and entirely antisocial this genuine genius actually was.
Over the course of the running time Baker's aggressively unlikable nature does begin to grate, and the way his personality is vaguely excused for by his talent doesn't particularly sit well. Fortunately, thanks to the mighty impressive soundtrack and a conveyor belt of interesting insights, this is one documentary you definitely don't need to be wary of.
Beware of Mr Baker is also now available to stream or download from Volta.ie.
