Did I mention that there was a film crew sent with them to capture the whole tour? Why that footage has never seen the light of day until now is one of a thousand mysteries that gets solved here. That this piece of rock and roll history was suppressed by the US government for so long increases the deliciousness of its release here. The historical importance of What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat And Tears may lie in the spotlight on how, in many countries, rock music was outlawed. This may seem preposterous to newer generations, but many governments saw rock as a threat as it would make having more freedom attractive to citizens. Owning a Beatles tape could have you murdered in jail.
This documentary shows that this was not just industrial complex hyperbole. I myself can back that up as I spent several days behind the Iron Curtain in the 80s. Life under Soviet control in the communist Second World sucked white frosted dog s**t. Even the shittiest small town in the US is Shangri-La in comparison. Imagine a huge city where there is only one restaurant that has no menu because they only serve the same meal. It tastes awful, but because there is no competition, there is no need to improve. This isn’t a metaphor. That was the actual case with where I was. Everything was grey, bland, and could kill you. Exactly the kind of place where you suddenly disappear because someone informed on your Uriah Heep cassette.
“The horrors of the authoritarian regimes are unveiled strategically by Scheinfeld to establish the level of brutality that was the norm back then.”
The horrors of the authoritarian regimes are unveiled strategically by Scheinfeld to establish the level of brutality that was the norm back then. He does an absolutely brilliant job of arranging all this unearthed material. Amazingly enough, you will need a zip background on anything in order to enjoy this film. The amount of education Scheinfeld delivers on such vast subjects makes What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat And Tears required viewing for high schools moving forward. You are schooled on the anti-war movement, schooled on the band, and definitely schooled on Second World horrors.
Every segment feeds into the next seamlessly, so it never drops momentum. You also get to feast upon several choice live performances by Blood, Sweat and Tears. Even by classic rock standards, this was a key band. Even if their place in musical history has taken this long to be solidified, it was worth the wait. If a rocker Indiana Jones found the Rocker Ark, this movie would be waiting inside. It is a crucial historical artifact for so many different reasons. Best of all, it will serve as a lesson to those who underestimate how awful life can be under a Soviet resurgence or align themselves with the same a******s who were in charge back in the U.S.S.R. See this as soon as you can.
"…an crucial historical artifact for so many different reasons."
