I was
intrigued to watch this movie when it was shown on TV last week having missed
it when it was released about five years back and knowing next to nothing about
its subject. What I did know- like most people who’ve heard the name- is that
Joe Meek produced the first UK record to reach the top of the US charts,
`Telstar`. This strange otherworldly instrumental would be an unlikely hit in
today’s eclectic music world but for 1962 it is a remarkable achievement. That
it was concocted in a ramshackle studio above a shop is even more amazing. Nick
Moran’s film seems determined to harness Meek’s spirit and is therefore noisy,
over the top, weird and quite fascinating.
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| "I wonder where the off switch is" |
