Malfunkshun: The Andrew Wood Story

Promotional Poster.

Today I'll make an exception. I won't talk about a movie. I will talk about a documentary that was released this year and has nothing to do with movies but, a lot to do with music, Seattle music.

Malfunkshun, the Andrew Wood Story, depicts the story of one of the most talented artists the pre-Grunge scene gave birth. Unfortunately Andrew Wood didn't live long enough to see the extent of his musical influence. 

Scott Barbour, an independent film maker had the original idea of making a movie about Andrew Wood's life, he even had a script and some acting auditions but, in the research process he sort of decided to let the real characters tell the story, so, yes! We have  an emotive storytelling that opens up the door of the Wood family itself. Also, we see bandmates, friends and music producers that were a part of Andrew Wood's life in very different aspects. 

The film maker.

Malfunkshun.

The touching moments are added courtesy of Tony Wood (Andrew's mom) who in her living room explains the many feelings and stories she shared with Andy as a mother and as  a fan. However, this is not a biography film in the type of the Biography Channel, this is an intertwined human story with a musical background that shaked the foundations of the Seattle scene.

Malfunkshun, the seminal band Andrew created with his brother Kevin and best friend Reagan Hagar was a family on its own. The show they performed in the early 80's was something entirely different, nothing like the punk rock bands you could see everywhere in Seattle in those days. Andrew Wood loved Kiss, and he wanted to portray his  own version of the glamour a rock act could deliver, no matter the audience. That was Malfunkshun, that was the touch Andrew Wood's band had and it was a turning point. They started recording home tapes, touring the nearby areas and creating the myth of a nobodies band that could actually make it.

For reasons that went beyond the band members as a whole, Andy decided to call it quits to move into his next project which was initially just a side project with Stone Gossard & Jeff Ament (former Green River members) called Lords of the Wasteland, the seed for Mother Love Bone, the most prominent  1990 band from Seattle.

Landrew the Love Child.

Mother Love Bone.

Now, the drug abuse business is discussed from the professional point of view of Andy's therapist herself, plus the emotional interview of Andy's closest friends that state he never had respect when taking the hard drugs, so probably that is why he O.D. he never felt drugs could harm him. And I'm not a junkie, never was and never will but, I guess the reason Andy got into drugs was to escape from his disfunctional family, where there was an alcoholic father who beat the shit out of her wife in front of the kids. Andy's brother was an alcoholic for several years, his bandmates got into the drug experimentation business but knew their limits. 

Andy's mom final statement should be taught in school, she says something like children are a golden gift that most of the times parents don't appreciate.

The interviews depicted include Andy's band mates Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Reagan Hagard, his brother, Greg Gilmore, living legend producer Jack Endino, Chris Cornell & Khim Thayil from Soundgarden. 

The special effects used to cover the low quality of the source material makes quite a good job and about the music, well, obviously we listen to the most important lyrics Andy wrote in both Malfunkshun & Mother Love Bone. 

Mother Love Bone and their love rock.

The box set design.

Andy Wood was a special character, he didn't have the dark rocker mind, he called his music as "love rock" and constantly represented goodness with those around him. He was gifted, humble and learnt at an early stage of his life that "love had to hurt" so his many relationships would follow the unfortunate pattern his parents taught him. 

In the end of his life Andy had it all, a promising album "Apple" released by Columbia, an extensive touring project, a beautiful fiancee Xana La Fuente, and a family that was finally making up until everything crumbled with Andy's death. One of the many casualties of the Seattle scene.

Overall a documentary that not only deals with the stuff we all know about, you know the music, the story & the live performances (though most of them are rare videos). There is also the unique oportunity for us, the ones far from Andrew Wood's circle, to actually get to know his childhood, family, dreams, hobbies and drug abuse from the inside. The official release is a deluxe digipack consisting of the DVD documentary, the one and only Malfunkshun album "Return to Olympus" plus two bonus tracks, and Andrew Wood's unfinished solo project "Melodies & Dreams" featuring rare music, demos, instrumentals, rehersals and some pre-Mother Love Bone era radio interviews.

Mother Love Bone.

A must for the ones who liked to listen to Malfunkshun & Mother Love Bone, and also a must for those in love with the Seattle scene music. 


Here's the documentary trailer: