Sly, Zeppelin, and the Weight of Genius

I love a good rock doc. Give me anything about artists I care about—The Aretha Franklin doc Amazing Grace, Metallica: Some Kind of Monster. Does Heavy Metal Parking Lot count? It’s one of the greatest. But I’ll also sit through hours on bands that never meant much to me—like the three hour History of The Eagles or the must watch, We Are Twisted Fucking Sister! Anything behind the scenes, or before they were big, or… after they were big. I’m in.

So I was thrilled last weekend to attend an early screening of Sly Lives (AKA The Burden of Black Genius). Expectations were high—I’m a huge Sly and the Family Stone fan and this was from Questlove and Joseph Patel, the team behind the brilliant Summer of Soul.

The beautifully restored live footage in Sly Lives hit hard, and the interview clips delved deep into Sly’s state of mind at various points throughout his career. But perhaps the best part of the film was its story. Through the commentary of Chaka Khan, Vernon Reid, Andre 3000, George Clinton, and most notably, D’Angelo, the subtitle, AKA The Burden of Black Genius, comes to life. There’s a throughline of melancholy, an exploration of what it means to carry that burden. Sly, the most famous Black rock musician of his time, lived it.

Exactly a week later, I saw Becoming Led Zeppelin, a deep dive into the origins and early years of one of my all-time favorite bands. As a fan who owns the 2 DVD mother lode of live recordings and has spent plenty of time going down the Zep YouTube wormhole, most of the performance footage wasn’t new. But the interview footage with the three living members was powerful and insightful, especially when they listened to unearthed interview footage from the drummer, John Bonham, recorded before his death in 1980.

Seeing two rock docs in a week, about two bands who existed at the same time, naturally got me comparing. Both movies are packed with over-the-top outfits, hilariously dated slang, and peak rock & roll excess (Zep, obviously, is the Spinal Tap blueprint). Both have incredible concert, studio, and interview footage.

But Sly Lives tells a full story—it rises, it falls. We see what drove Sly to stardom and what happened when he got everything he wanted.

Becoming Led Zeppelin only rises. It follows the band’s early years and their rapid ascent through their first two albums. No “Stairway to Heaven.” No satanic panic. Just a bunch of insanely talented twenty-somethings who couldn’t believe how fast it was all happening. The burden comes later—surely, there’s a sequel in the works.

I’m not here to overanalyze. It’s only rock & roll. But if you’re looking for something to watch this holiday weekend, here’s the move: Sly, then Zeppelin.

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This Friday Feb 21, I will release the new album by Masma Dream World on my own small record label Valley of Search. She currently appears on the cover of The WIRE, and I’ve described the album to friends as somewhere between Alice Coltrane’s ‘80s devotional period and jarring, late-era Scott Walker. Masma Dream World will perform her quite compelling live show in Brooklyn on Feb 20 and in Los Angeles on Feb 28. I’m deeply excited about the album and I hope you’ll give it a listen.

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Identified Season 2 sneak preview

All 20 episodes of my podcast, Identified Season 1 are live now. Episode one is with Karen Ayers, a living descendant of the man who enslaved my paternal ancestors. After that, it’s a rapidly growing list of musicians, comedians, authors, chefs and friends talking about family. Identified is available on all major podcast platforms, 100% free and ad free. You can watch short video clips on YouTube and Instagram. Watch for Season 2 in 2025.

Listen: Apple Spotify Amazon Bandcamp Website

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My memoir is called My Life in the Sunshine. You can order it here, or listen to the audiobook on Spotify.

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I hope to see you somewhere soon. Upcoming events are always listed here, and now include Mississippi and Connecticut in April 2025.

Nabil Ayers / Brooklyn

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