A Million Miles Away: The Insightful New Documentary of Troubadour Peter Case

A Million Miles Away paints the rich tapestry of the life of Peter Case. Street musician. Punk rocker. One-hit wonder. Singer-songwriter. Folk troubadour. The film makes clear that the Plimsouls, and their signature song, “A Million Miles Away,” are not representative of Case’s 50-year career. At heart, he’s always been a tireless writer who tells stories through his lyrics and guitar. Whatever happened to Peter Case? Why wasn’t he more popular? The film addresses these questions that Case shares with many artists who seemingly disappeared after initial success. A fun fact of the documentary was becoming aware of a certain song from Case’s earlier band. I had no idea! I’m saving this nugget for the trivia.

Peter Case was born in Hamburg, NY and escaped the dead-end town as soon as he could. At 17, we see him on the streets of San Francisco busking for change and attention. (Isn’t it amazing that these rock documentaries always contain archival footage from the band’s formative days? Now, we constantly see daily life as content for social media. But in the ’70s? Were these guys so sure they were going to be famous one day or were they just recording the good times of their youth?) In 1976 he joined with Jack Lee and Paul Collins in L.A. to form the Nerves. The pop-punkers had a moment performing at the Masque and Whisky a Go Go, as well as national tours opening for the Ramones and Devo. When internal tensions broke up the band, Case quickly put the Plimsouls together in 1979. Their rock n’ roll bona fides were on full display in the early 80s. (I saw them twice in 1982, a small club at the Vandenberg Inn and the opening act for the Motels at the Cuesta College Auditorium.) A garage rock blend with some soul of the British invasion and Case as the dynamic front man with the moves, hair, and raspy voice. In 1982, “A Million Miles Away” was a hit song which only became bigger the next year when it was featured in Valley Girl with Nicolas Cage. (My only Plimsouls album is the 12-inch single of this song.) They opened for Tom Petty and were heard on the KROQ prime time slot. (KROQ was the pinnacle for alternative rock in L.A. radio.) These guys were gonna be huge! But once again, the boys couldn’t get along and Case was eyeing a solo career.

Case’s self-titled solo debut album in 1986 was #1 on the NY Times list, nominated for a Grammy, and received the ultimate 5-star review in Rolling Stone. (I saw the ’86 tour at The Spirit in San Luis Obispo.) And still the album was hard to find. The follow-up, abbreviated as Blue Guitar, also failed to sell despite the fact that David Geffen heavily promoted the single “Put Down the Gun” based on Case’s personal request. He gave it one more try with Geffen Records (Six Pack of Love) before leaving the label to make Sings Like Hell. Recorded in his home, it was his first time he made any money on an album. He became increasingly acoustic, and eventually traditional folk, and free to be himself playing in small clubs.

Case says he got a “lower education” on the streets of San Francisco (v. a higher one). Years later he would be referred to as Americana. He didn’t just sound like it, he lived it driving himself from gig to gig across the country. He ended up at the little Morro Bay Harbor Festival a couple times, in 2003 and 2019. I had a nice little chat with him after the earlier show reminiscing about those early Plimsouls shows. Came away with the autographed photo. In 2019, he opened for Cracker and was indeed late to the show with car trouble. But it’s McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica that says it all about Peter Case. The venerable guitar haven has been hosting events, providing lessons, selling guitars, and repairing guitars for 60 years. (As practically a Santa Monica native, I’m ashamed to have never been there.) He began his solo career there in 1984 (he felt “naked”) and the film closes with him performing in that intimate back room on his 65th birthday in 2019. You see why Ben Harper calls McCabe’s Case’s “living room.” It’s a wonderful showcase and conclusion to a life story that will make you appreciate this master songwriter.

(A Million Miles Away is streaming on Apple TV, Amazon, and YouTube.)

D² Rating ◼◼◼◼☐

Trivia: What Nerves’ song was covered by a popular new wave band in 1978? (It went on to become one of the band’s biggest hits.)

Answer: “Hanging on the Telephone” by Blondie (Jack Lee of the Nerves also penned Blondie’s “Will Anything Happen” on the Parallel Lines album.)