Camalier buys into the hype with picturesque images of the swamps, the sunflowers, the sun setting over a forest at magic hour like something out of a Terrence Malick movie. Great job all around! I saw this documentary for the first time in April 2019 - a little late to the party. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. This movie was so educational (I just learned what "muscle shoals has got the swampers" meant in the hit Sweet Home Alabama...and I've been listening to Lynryd Skynryd for YEARS). Hint: arguably the greatest Soul, R&B, Rock, and even Country music ever recorded was played buy a bunch of nerdy-looking white guys from Alabama. Those musicians, who became known as "the Swampers," broke off and created their own recording studio—hence, the line in Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama": "Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers. Most fans of '60s soul know of Muscle Shoals, the tiny Alabama town that produced huge hits. The film also highlights the many tragedies and disappointments in Rick Hall's life as well as his triumphs. The movie is beautifuly shot and captures the feel of the river and the area. I just wonder now how the ABB would have done if they had broke out from Muscle Shoals instead of Macon! If you are a fan of 60s/70s Soul or Pop songs, Southern/Classic Rock, Country and even Gospel - you will likely dig this film and maybe even learn a thing or two. "Muscle Shoals" feels a tad overlong and redundant after a while—yes, it's a mythical and historic place, we get it—and it might have functioned even better as an hour-long TV documentary. I've seen many and enjoyed them all...and I'm just your regular person that enjoys music. Location. It's … Christy reviewed films for The Associated Press for over 14 years. Muscle Shoals is an excellent documentary on the iconic Fame Recording Studio located in Muscle Shoals, AL. They mastered a signature, soulful sound, heavy on drums and bass, making fans worldwide think they were listening to black R&B musicians. Our tradition is to watch documentaries about music and the music industry. Add to it that it includes some of the best music made in the 60's, and you have a winner here. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here. And a little sad...I can't think of anything like this today--session musicians...the magically creative musical process...the diversity. Muscle Shoals Muscle Shoals – review A magnificently soundtracked documentary showcases the town in segregationist Alabama that became an oasis of mixed skin colours and … This film is the story of the so-called Muscle Shoals Sound. Watch the movie. When this film simply presents the … With Rick Hall, Aretha Franklin, Keith Richards, Candi Staton. This movie taught me how much I really do not know... An excellent documentary for anyone searching out where the real sound comes from... Great clips and history... A wonderful documentary by any measurement, Not perfect but still really worth seeing, Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2014. Whatever you do, watch this great video. And while Alabama remained segregated—or at least fraught with tension in terms of race relations—throughout the '60s, a sense of camaraderie prevailed within these walls that knew no color. I didn't realize this small town, the Swampers and Rick Hall had such a massive impact on music. I don't usually write reviews, but I have to with this one. Visiting FAME has been our wish list since seeing the "Muscle Shoals" documentary, and our visit did not disappoint. The documentary film Muscle Shoals is a beautifully shot and edited film directed with sensitivity and class by Greg “Freddy” Camalier.Muscle Shoals is a town on the Tennessee River in … Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2017. DIRECTED BY GREG ‘FREDDY’ CAMALIER/2013. I went to Florence AL because of this documentary, Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2020. At once overstuffed with interviews and intellectually underdeveloped, the movie charts the area’s music industry and what is lyrically if elusively called the Muscle Shoals sound. He is responsible for creating the "Muscle Shoals … What was so astonishing to so many acts visiting for the first time was the discovery that these musicians were white, guys with names like Norbert and Peanut and Spooner, "guys who looked like they worked in the supermarket around the corner," as Bono puts it. Fell asleep both times. This affectionate and informative documentary muses on the origins of the " Muscle Shoals Sound " (the "river which sings" holds the key) and the legacy of its success, spending quality … Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2017. So I'm already onboard with that. I live in the desert Southwest now, and get incredibly homesick each time. Biggest take away for me is the Lynyrd Skynyrd sessions that were shelved for many years and is now available on 2 different cd's. In addition to Muscle Shoals' impact on R&B, it also shows the city's role in the development of Southern Rock in the 1970s. First-time filmmaker Greg "Freddy" Camalier explores how a tiny Alabama town on the southern edge of the Tennessee River served as the source of some of the greatest American music of the 1960s and '70s. Is it the vibe, the history, the players, or the remoteness from pop-culture hubs like New York and Los Angeles? Those who have never heard the story of Muscle Shoals recording but love music absolutely MUST watch this video. This song became a hit for a second time when the Rolling Stones recorded it. We open … Music from Muscle Shoals and Memphis, to me, always seemed to be loosely related. This page works best with JavaScript. All personal bias aside, present day interviews with music luminaries, expertly deployed found footage and stills, and the greatest soundtrack a movie could hope for, all make Muscle Shoals one of the finest music documentaries … It features interviews with a seemingly endless number of singers and other artists who worked at the studio. … If you have any interest at all in the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, or the history of '60s-'70s music in general, you should certainly check this out. Full Review | Original Score: B The film is an excellent companion piece to another music documentary that came out in 2013, "20 Feet from Stardom. This documentary is so well done from both historical and filmmaking perspectives. There are fascinating anecdotes and warmhearted memories from a … As lovely as these shots are, though, they do make you wonder: What is it about this unlikely, rural town that produced so much great music? Very interesting. Enjoy! The end credits acknowledge how many musicians who contributed to the famous "Muscle Shoals sound" couldn't fit into a two-hour film (the scene's history is rich enough for a miniseries… That sound! Or steal it (just kidding about stealing it ... don't do that). Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2013. Just background noise before then. The story of the origin of "Freebird"—a song you could probably never hear again and that would be totally fine—also has plenty of amusing moments. Visiting the Tennessee river is now on my bucket list. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. As I continue digging around for songs that were recorded in the Muscle Shoals area, I have found myself listing to them differently now that I know. But with such great music coming, one hit after after another, it's always a joy to watch. The Music is fantastic! Sledge, who grew up in the area and was working as a hospital orderly, recalls fondly how he was shaking like a leaf when he walked into the studio to record "When a Man Loves a Woman" in 1966. Directed by Greg 'Freddy' Camalier, the film was released by … Overcoming crushing poverty and staggering tragedies, Rick Hall brought black and white together to create music for the generations. And in the process, the classic tunes they produced helped fortify the mythology of the Muscle Shoals Sound. Contact. At two competing recording studios, artists as varied as Percy Sledge and Wilson Pickett, the Rolling Stones and Traffic, Paul Simon and Jimmy Cliff discovered and honed their sounds. I just ordered the various soundtracks. MUSCLE SHOALS is an excellent documentary. It's one of the few ways to see and hear a lot of the people who were involved in the Muscle Shoals recording scene, through interviews and some great old photos. Robin's Review: B. I thought I was familiar with all of the major music centers across the country from Nashville to Detroit and LA but I was surprised to learn about the star-making empire and its distinctive clientele and style, the Muscle Shoals … Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2020. Twists of fate and fortune for 2 groups of people that can lay claim the Muscle Shoals Sound. 603 Avalon Avenue, Muscle Shoals… Disabling it will result in some disabled or missing features. Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, The Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Cher, Bob Seger, and a host of others recorded their best material with these guys. After renting this documentary twice, I finally purchased my own copy and have curated custom playlists covering both Muscle Shoals and Memphis Soul. So touching...I didn't want the movie to end. This is probably the best documentary I have ever watched, no hyperbole or exaggeration. Founded and operated by Rick Hall, this recording studio turned out hit, after hit, after hit! The Aretha Franklin songs that were backed by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and some even recorded in NYC sound completely different and ever BETTER now. The movie never quite captures the magic of Muscle Shoals, but it's still fun to hear old pros like Aretha Franklin and Keith Richards trade tales. This is one of those "truth is stranger than fiction" stories about a recording studio featuring mostly white musicians recorded some of the best R&B records of the 1960s. Great photography just takes me back there. Founded and operated by Rick Hall, this recording studio turned out hit, after hit, after hit! Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time, Jules Goes to Therapy in Her Own Special Episode of Euphoria, HBO's Painting with John is a Magnetic Celebration of Arts and Artists, The Nostalgia of Epix's Bridge and Tunnel is Filled with Wrong Turns, The Sister Sacrifices Logic, Tension as Its Twists Unravel. A documentary that celebrates Rick Hall, the founder of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, … Founded and operated by Rick Hall, this recording studio turned out hit, after hit, after hit! Read full review He exhaustively researched his film and crammed it with vivid, intimate archival footage, to the point where he gets a bit too into the weeds over the split between FAME recording studio founder Rick Hall and the rhythm-section players who were crucial to creating its "greasy" sound, as Franklin puts it. Muscle Shoals is an excellent documentary on the iconic Fame Recording Studio located in Muscle Shoals, AL. 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