“Salad Days” is a look at the Washington DC punk scene of the 1980s. I know it is that time that all of the early 90s kids professed to really dig, but all they listened to was Black Flag and Henry Rollins. The DIY scene was neat and it allowed acts to bypass record labels that didn’t quite get the sound. However, the documentary also examines the cultural factors that were making the DC scene explode. Although, they do glimpse over the fact that Bad Brains were the only African American band that made it big in one of the largest African American urban centers in America.
I’ve seen far too many documentaries on the matter and it’s sad that this is the only one that feels in-depth. The material deserves a full series, but I know that we’re never getting that. So, I’ll settle for old punks remembering the glory days while I get to hear amazing music. You also get the cultural scene talk about how it was nice to make friends to fight the preppies. But, that noise is cheap.
The DVD comes with additional interviews and live concert clips as the special features. The A/V Quality is sharp for a film mixed with talking heads and archival footage. The transfer is standard, the same goes for the Dolby track. Should a film about classic punk sound amazing? I mean, that kinda goes against the whole scene.
Release Date: 9/18/15