Countless sad stories litter rock and roll. Some are more sorrowful than others, but that all depends upon perception. But it’s not really too difficult to figure that Johnny Thunders ascension to (semi) stardom and his subsequent two decade free fall to junkie hell ranks amongst the most sad.
Coming to fame at an all too early age, Thunders along with the rest of the New York Dolls reached a bit past what any of them were able to handle. But that was only the beginning for Thunders who would go on to front a number of not only entertaining bands, but end up shaping what punk would become in the following decades.
In the Lech Kowalski documentary Born to Lose: The Last Rock 'n' Roll Movie viewers get to look in on not only the musical travelling that the guitarist embarked on, but also the family that it effected. Thunders, who could easily pass for Welcome Back Kotter’s Horseshack, apparently was a pretty quiet kid – but serial killers generally are as well. His family, when interviewed for the film, retells instances that didn’t necessarily shape or form Thunders, but in some way affected the way in which he lived. Even some French folks get a visit.
The film basically recounts the prolonged heroin use by Thunders. Although, a number of folks – including Dee Dee Ramone – explain that it somehow didn’t negatively impact his guitar playing. There’s footage to bear that out, but at the same time, Thunders could slur through entire songs with only a few lines being anything near audible. That, though, is what people ended up wanting to see.
He was a junkie for hire. That wasn’t, however, the reason for his persistent drug use. A one time manager ends up explaining that Thunders knew that he wasn’t able to take a shot at mainstream viability ala David Johansen. In this, though, the diminutive guitarist found a way in which to rationalize his continued drug use. It was a part of his job – or at least something that his employers would tolerate.
Listening to later Johnny Thunders’ recordings – bootlegs and all – it’s difficult to not feel somewhat saddened by a man who managed to play “Pipeline” for over a decade. It is possible, though, that in his day to day stupor, Thunders found it entertaining every time. Maybe not, but he played guitar for a living. And that ain’t too bad.
His demise might not really be one of legend – and they way in which it’s described towards the end of the film seems a bit anti-climactic. Clocking in at roughly an hour and forty minutes, Born to Lose: The Last Rock 'n' Roll Movie seems a bit too indulgent here and there. After all, how long do viewers need to hear about a one time lover recount gettin’ laid? Whatever the answer is to that, the film does deliver an enervating look at this musician. And if you’re even a fan in passing, it’ll be hard to watch the live clips of Thunders playing without your entire body tensing up a bit.