If like me you grew up in the late sixties/early seventies
then you'll recognize the name Muscle Shoals. For me the first time I'd heard
of it was as a fan of The Allman Brothers. It wasn't until watching this
documentary that I discovered it had a much richer and longer history than
that.
Muscle Shoals, Alabama, is on the Tennessee River and is the
least likely place you would expect to find one of the top recording studios in
the country. At least it was in its heyday. Like the famed Studio City, the FAME
studio isn't nearly as great as it once was. Founded by Rick Hall FAME
was the place to go when you wanted to record greatness. Of all things it
offered a great place to combine the styles of black and white performers all
the while located in the racially divided south of the time.
Where most studios were located in New York or Los Angeles, FAME
carved out a name for itself by providing not only great equipment but a great
number of artists and performers who could hold their own with anyone from
those two cities. These musicians played back up for a number of major stars of
the time from Aretha Franklin to Wilson Pickett and more. It eventually became
the location that already established performers went to when they wanted to
record, stars like The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan.
But the story isn't about name dropping all the time. It's
about music and the soul that fills music, soul that seemed to seep into the
very performers who ventured into the studios in Muscle Shoals. I'm not talking
of the genre of soul music but of the love and inspiration found in music of
all kinds. This was one spot where it seemed to gather and influence performers
of all types.
As with all stories of the recording business there are ups
and downs, ins and outs and all sorts of success and failure features to be
attached to various locations. Rather than detract from the story being told
they are a part of it, making you develop a desire to seek out the places seen
in the film, to wonder at the magic that they seemed to infuse in so many
people who came there.
When it comes to major recording studios for me I can only
think of two that stand out and are recognizable by name alone. As I said
before, Studio City is one. Muscle Shoals is the other. They might not be as
recognizable or influential as they once were, but in watching this documentary
it just makes you want to go back to when they were, when music was more about
music than it was about business. That might seem naive to an extent but there
is some truth to it as well.
In the end this movie isn't one you'll just watch once and
toss aside. For me it was one to enjoy and place on the shelf. And periodically
when I'm down or thinking about music I know I'll pull it out and pop it into
the player to watch again. Then it will return to the shelf to be brought down
another day. It was that good. Good enough to watch repeatedly when needed.
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