Lambert and Stamp

Filmmaker James D. Cooper's Lambert and Stamp is a first-rate music documentary about The Who, serving up a dazzling collage of archival material and exceptionally revealing interviews while also offering a perceptive and ultimately quite moving tribute to an extraordinary man who was a major player in the group's success—despite the fact that he never appeared onstage. That figure was Kit Lambert, an aspiring filmmaker who, together with Chris Stamp (brother of actor Terence), decided in 1964 to pursue an unusual project: they would manage a rock band and record their rise on celluloid. The project resulted in reams of film, which Cooper supplements with a stream of evocative black-and-white footage that not only focuses on the band, but also on the milieu of the Swinging Sixties. Stamp here reveals a good deal about himself, but his major emphasis is on Lambert, the Oxford-educated swell who was the son of a classical composer and conductor, and an openly gay man at a time when homosexuality was still a crime in England. It was Lambert who found the band and was instrumental in their success, as attested by Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, the group's surviving members, who also offer reminiscences about bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon—but the focus inevitably comes back to Lambert and how he nurtured Townshend's musical talent. Lambert would play a key role in the creation of The Who's monumental rock opera Tommy, but a subsequent dispute would end their relationship and Lambert would enter a period of decline. An intriguing portrait of a man who helped shape the sound of one of rock's greatest bands, this is highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director James D. Cooper, a Q&A with Cooper and Henry Rollins (39 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are the behind-the-scenes featurettes “The Who in Finland” (9 min.), “Where the Action Is” (6 min.), and “Call Me Lightning” (2 min.), as well as “The Who Promotional Film 1967” (2 min.), and a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for an excellent documentary.] (F. Swietek)