Rock School (DVD)

In this cross between Fame Academy, School of Rock (Ch4) and Rock Rivals (BBC1 TV), Philadephia music guru Paul Green tries to teach one hundred and twenty kids aged between nine and seventeen how to 'rock' in the style of some of the greatest stars of all time including Santana, Frank Zappa, Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne. Some are undoubtely amazingly talented but others are just rock star wannabees. Green's language is more suited to the dockside than it is to the classroom, but he seems to get results as we see in the finale at the Frank Zappa festival in Bad Doberon, Germany. This rock documentary is a must for all those old rockers out there (including ...  Read the complete review

It's hard to work out if Paul Green, the hyperactive star of this 'rockumentry', and head of the 'best rock school in Philadelphia' (and the East Coast, according to the maestro), has modelled himself on Jack Blacks manic creation or vice versa, such is the similarity of these two headbanger's. Both, while wanting to teach the kids to find their "inner rock star" when schools out, bring other human qualities to the table, something Mr Barford my old music teacher never did. I was lumbered with the Triangle in primary school to keep the posh kids in tempo in the more expensive string section. Well it was either that or the Recorder. I wonder who decided that the ...  Read the complete review

Paul Green is a loud foul mouthed, temper tantrum of a man. He runs his own Rock School in Philadelphia where he imparts his musical wisdom to a number of 9-16 year olds, and whatever you think of his methods they certainly seem to work. Rock School the documentary (surely School of Rock must have been based on Green and his school?) follows Green around as he prepares his kids for a couple of shows. A Black Sabbath tribute one for his new and less accomplished students and a performance at a Zappa convention in Germany for his elite students. Rock School is the perfect documentary; it has a very personable leading man who doesn't hold anything back, even ...  Read the complete review