{"id":20531,"date":"2012-06-18T10:08:39","date_gmt":"2012-06-18T16:38:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=20531"},"modified":"2013-02-06T08:45:41","modified_gmt":"2013-02-06T13:45:41","slug":"jason-becker-not-dead-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2012\/jason-becker-not-dead-yet\/","title":{"rendered":"Jason Becker | Not Dead Yet <\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Alissa Ordabai<\/span>
\nStaff Writer —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

U.K. premiere Report: June 16, 2012, Sheffield, UK<\/h3>\n

\"JasonFew of us can imagine what it was like to be Jason Becker back in 1989 \u2013 a 20 year-old internationally acclaimed virtuoso about to start touring with David Lee Roth as his new guitarist. Even fewer can imagine what it\u2019s like to be Jason Becker now, after the onset of an illness which has deprived him of speech and movement.<\/p>\n

The makers of the documentary Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet<\/em> have done their best to offer a candid glimpse into how life has changed for Becker over the past 23 years, dispelling much of speculation and myth. And the biggest myth outside of the rock community was that Jason Becker has died, as was believed until recently by some of his school friends.<\/p>\n

The film shows Becker not only very much alive, but staying creative and working on new music with the help of his father, who has devised a unique eye communication system for his son.<\/p>\n

Aimed at an as wide an audience as possible \u2013 not just rock fans or guitar enthusiasts \u2013 the film chooses the right tone to tell a difficult story: reflective, but also with plenty of humor, most of it coming from Becker himself. The humor makes a tough subject easier to grasp, but also gives an extra breadth to the story. Moreover, it helps to see Becker as a multidimensional character, not only a paragon of human strength in the face of adversity, a virtuoso, a prodigy, an ALS sufferer, or a tragic hero, but as a real human character \u2013 complex and continuing to evolve.<\/p>\n

Contributions from Becker\u2019s parents \u2013 on par with his own words \u2013 offer some of the most poignant insights. As the film\u2019s director Jesse Vile said during the Q&A after the screening, he fell in love with the Becker family during the making of the film. And it is hard not to follow his suit, as you watch them not only tell the story, but care for their son and interact with him in everyday life, charging the atmosphere around him with warmth and good vibes.<\/p>\n

We also learn that the community plays a strong part in Becker\u2019s life \u2013 not just the local community, but the guitar community, who – according to the Becker’s themselves – are both helping them steer clear from the meltdown some families in similar situations end up in.<\/p>\n

In the dog-eat-dog world of music business where loyalty is rare, old friends, colleagues, and collaborators are speaking of Becker with admiration and emotion that instantly strike you as genuine. The most touching words come from Marty Friedman \u2013 a former Cacophony collaborator \u2013 who calls Becker \u201cthe coolest person I met in my whole life,\u201d and goes on to say something that takes both courage and love to utter: \u201cJason\u2019s never made me feel like, Fuck you, man, you got it, and I didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JasonOther grand masters of guitar and industry honchos including Steve Vai, Mike Varney, Joe Satriani, and Richie Kotzen were interviewed for the film, and although interviews with some of them were cut to just a few words, you still get the feel of what a big subject it is for them.<\/p>\n

A notable exception is David Lee Roth who Becker has recorded a full-length album with in 1990, and who doesn\u2019t appear in the film. Answering this writer\u2019s question during the Q&A, Vile shared that he had pleaded with Roth to appear in the film through his publisher, but had never heard back. He has nevertheless included Roth in the film credits.<\/p>\n

The film being Vile\u2019s first feature and the subject being not only difficult, but in many ways highly specialized, it is not very surprising that the story of Becker as a musician is left somewhat incomplete. Aiming to appeal to a wider audience and focusing on telling a human story, Vile failed to convey what kind of influence Becker has had \u2013 and is still having today \u2013 on the world of rock guitar. Interviews with Kotzen, Friedman, and Satriani offering insight into Becker\u2019s continuing impact were \u2013 regrettably \u2013 edited out of the final cut. Becker\u2019s superb work as producer of Kotzen\u2019s debut album wasn\u2019t mentioned either, and Vile omitted to touch upon Becker\u2019s current contacts with up-and-coming stars of today\u2019s high-tech guitar.<\/p>\n

But in the end we learn things which even the guitar community could only speculate about until now. Vile\u2019s avoidance of sentimentality, his sense of proportion, his tact and involvement on human level make up for his lack of in-depth knowledge of the world of rock guitar. And in the end the story comes out truthful and genuinely moving, which will hopefully ignite an interest among the general public in Becker\u2019s music.<\/p>\n