IT MIGHT GET LOUD

IT MIGHT GET LOUD is a documentary that explores the work of three rock guitarists, The Edge from U2, Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin and Jack White from the White Stripes.

These three legendary and influential guitarists and songwriters are brought together in one room to talk about playing, sources of inspiration for songs, and to play together.

Jimmy Page is the senior “statesman” of Led Zeppelin, the group that pioneered innovative rock music in the 60s and 70s. Though controversial in his time, Page comes off as a very hip grandfather as he describes his years as a studio musician and as a painter.

The Edge is the middle-aged rocker, part of the band U2 that has dominated the world of music since the 1980s. He leads the viewer on a trip back to the high school outside Dublin where he and his band mates met and practiced.

Jack White is the younger generation musician, though he plays scratchy vinyl LP’s of long forgotten blues performers who are his inspiration – singers who had a guitar, a voice and sometimes a drummer to explore feelings in the music.

The movie’s highlight is when the three sitting in a circle play a well-known song from each of their repertoire.

IT MIGHT GET LOUD is well made and very enjoyable, but that comes mostly from letting each of these musicians tell their own story. The director leads viewers into their world and intercuts their attitudes about music, sometimes agreeing, sometimes contradicting one another about what goes into playing guitar.

There is very little objectionable in the movie, only one obscenity muttered by Jimmy Page when The Edge admitted he was playing a song in the wrong key. Worldview is not often discussed as the men talk about other artists who influenced them and how they each discovered their own style of music.

Caution should be noted that the movie does feature much rock music and highlights artists that range from professing Christian The Edge to Jimmy Page of “Stairway to Heaven” fame. Personal and family preferences about music should be taken into account if electing to view the movie.