Danny Says – The Life and Times of Danny Fields

Danny Fields is not a household name, but he’s a man who has spent most of his life surrounded by world-famous rock stars. Fields is the man responsible for bringing some of the most successful rock and roll bands in the world to international stardom. Danny Says – The Life and Times of Danny Fields is a new documentary directed by Brendan Toller, which gives us an insight into Field’s work with bands like The MC5, The Stooges, and The Ramones, and his friendship with a long list of musicians during the heyday of American rock and roll.

In order to make Danny Says, Toller spent several months combing through archival footage, cassette tapes, phone audio and photo albums that Fields had accumulated throughout his life. The film stitches these together with conversations with the subject and his impressive lineup of friends and acquaintances – who include Tommy Ramone, Iggy Pop, Jonathan Richman and Seymour Stein – alongside animations that help bring their anecdotes to life on screen.

The documentary gives a good insight into these wild and exciting days, but seems to struggle with its focus a little. It should perhaps come as no surprise that with so many interesting characters and stories in the course of Field’s career it’s somewhat difficult to follow them all, but Danny Says seems to leave several intriguing tales unexplored.

While the film probably holds little interest for anyone who isn’t already familiar with the music and the industry depicted, for fans of rock it will certainly be an unmissable insight into the inner-workings of the genre’s most respected and emulated bands, and a chance to see some rare footage of these influential groups in the early stages of their careers.

This documentary is essentially a celebration of Fields and the unconventional path of his profession, and the pivotal role he played in the careers of so many groundbreaking musicians. Danny Says is a must-see for music aficionados – particularly those interested in this golden era of rock and roll – but many are sure to be left feeling that there’s more to learn about this somewhat mysterious figure.

Joanna Blyth

Danny Says – The Life and Times of Danny Fields is released in selected cinemas on 28^th January 2017 and is available now on iTunes and Amazon.

Watch the trailer for Danny Says – The Life of Times of Danny Fields here: