Recorded during a series of gigs in Japan with his band The Oddballs two weeks before he died of a heroin overdose in April 1991, Who's Been Talking offers a voyeuristic insight into the twilight world of Thunders. Gaunt and deathly pale, the wonder is how he played at all, for he'd been immediately hospitalised on arrival in the country. He summons a chaotic-narcotic energy during a set of more than 20 songs. But there's a ghoulish irony to hearing him sing "Sad Vacation", his Sid Vicious tribute.
High time a documentary paid tribute to the undervalued golden-era Motown house band—The Funk Brothers—who played on more (and better) hits than anyone else. The (surviving) old dudes remain innately fluid. The choice of guest vocalists here, however, as they trot through some of the greats, could've been better. Bootsy Collins babbling "Cool Jerk", fine. Chaka Khan hollering "What's Going On", unsubtle but fine. But Ben Harper (twice?), and Joan Osborne (twice)?
