Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple

For years, Stevie Van Zandt to me was Bruce Springsteen's sidekick who had some dodgy screeching vocals. He later co-produced the Boss's later albums before departing just as Bruce hit paydirt with the Born in the USA album.

Stevie was not part of the lucrative Born in the USA touring band. Instead he got involved in political activism such as raising awareness about Apartheid in South Africa. It culminated in the supergroup Artists United Against Apartheid with the song Sun City. Although it was a minor hit, its impact was more felt in the USA.

This documentary shows that Stevie actually had nice vocals in his younger days. He was soulful and an aficionado of rock, pop and rhythm and blues music and anything in between.

He was a consigliere to Bruce, the most important member of the E Street Band. Later becoming the consigliere Silvio Dante in the television show The Sopranos.

This sprawling but comprehensive documentary showed various chapters in his life. From rock star, to political activist to television actor to radio show disc jockey.

Stevie Van Zandt has lived a multi faceted life. I always judge these documentaries on whether I have learned new things about the subject.

Given that I have known of him since the 1980s. I learned a lot of new things about Stevie Van Zandt.

Bruce Springsteen mentions that Stevie is either all in or nothing type of guy. I would had liked to hear more from his fellow E Street band members though.

Of course, I knew Miami Steve / Little Stevie / Stevie Van Zandt from his days with the E Street Band and a couple of notable TV shows, but it wasn't until I sat down to watch this doco that I realised what sort of an impact the man has had on rock music - and what a varied career he's had.

Also, does anyone else think he bears more than a passing resemblance to KISS' Paul Stanley?

The documentary intersperses fascinating footage of Van Zandt right back to his formative years with stories told by the men and women who know him best from all sides (including Springsteen, Sir Paul McCartney, Maureen Van Zandt, Eddie Vedder and more)and, of course, plenty from Stevie himself. It's a very enlightening doco, from start to finish.

Springsteen, the Sopranos, political activism, "Home Alone" music, Little Steven's Underground Garage and more...it's all here.

Fascinating.

I devoured Steve Van Zandt's autobiography Unrequited Infatuations a number of years ago so I was anxious to see this.

It did not disappoint.

Van Zandt has led an interesting rock and roll life. While he never achieved his "Boss'" success, he can be credited for trading on his name for activism. And though it cost him dearly, he eventually had a second act as an actor in my favorite television show.

The mark of a documentary like this is who they can get to participate by being interviewed. Besides Bruce, there are numerous people who weigh in here. Everyone from Eddie Vedder to Darlene Love and from Paul McCartney to David Chase. That made for an compelling documentary and one I highly recommend.

For anyone that is a fan of the subject matter, this is a Must See!!

Even if you're just a Bruce fan, and don't really care about the history, you will find it interesting.

I never really knew that much about Steven Van Zandt, just knew that he was in the E Street band. I had no idea why he left the E Street band, I just thought, at the time, that he was crazy!

This documentary fills in so many blanks, and gives you a newfound respect for Little Steven, Miami Steve, Steven Van Zandt!!

He has accomplished so much and many of us know nothing about it.

Not a slow or boring moment in the nearly two and a half hours.

It was excellent, truly well done and there was tons of surprising information.

I don't read this great review and bias and the fact that I'm a diehard Sopranos fan. But had I never seen the Sopranos I never would've heard of little Steve. I'm a 80s baby but growing up in my garage as a five-year-old kid my dad played the living sh$t out of Bruce Springsteen born in the USA. All that comes back all the nostalgia everything that Steve did in his career even the political stuff with South Africa was very reminiscent and even the sopranos being over 20 years ago it's amazing this guy's career. I don't think there's anybody on planet Earth that has much diversity with longevity of creative talent and abilities. Granted he's not the most successful musician Director or actor out there but the stuff that he's done is like miraculous. Sort of a Forrest Gump type trajectory no pun intended obviously but the life Steve has is just remarkable.