X: The Unheard Music

They all said X's music is "too hard, too wild, too insane, too dirty," said Ray Manzarek of the Doors, spouting excuses made by the reams of record companies that passed on what would become one of the most essential, celebrated and admired West Coast bands of the late 20th century. Manzarek produced the first three albums for the pioneering punk-rock quartet (vocalist Exene Cervenka, bassist/vocalist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer D.J. Bonebrake) and plays a supporting role in this long out-of-print documentary, which impeccably details the hostility and exploitation of the eighties L.A. underground. The 85-minute film includes interviews and band rehearsals, and captures X at its zenith--potent, teeth-rattling live versions of "Year One," "Come Back to Me," "Real Child of Hell," and "Johnny Hit & Run Paulene"--as well as behind-the-scenes gems like an MCA executive boasting the merits of eighties' posers Point Blank and Doe and Cervenka crooning Hank Williams' "Ramblin' Man" in their living room. Part "The Kid's Are Alright," part "The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle," "The Unheard Music" is a well-crafted visual diary and a revolutionary soundtrack from a band whose story continues to rewrite itself 20 years after the original release.