Muscle Shoals, Alabama

[jclay]

If music flips your switch, and the blend of people, cultures, history, dirt, hardship, loss, relationships, chance, dogged determination, surprise and everything else that goes into the pot to make it happen moves you then you’d probably like Greg Camalier’s 2013 documentary Muscle Shoals. It's available on Kanopy and maybe Amazon.

I had no idea that a bunch of white, teen age kids...just local kids in a band from that area, against a background of centuries of endemic racism, constituted the studio band behind Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, Etta James, Clarence Carter and others.

It is excellent.

[dgaddis]

You'd probably like this upcoming book too, about the guy who started Capricorn Studios here in Macon. He always didn't like the term 'southern rock', because he felt that rock and roll was a southern thing from the jump. Artists who recorded records at Capricon include Allman Brothers Band, Lynard Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker Band, Otis Redding, and a bunch of others.

https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Man-...dp/1911036718/

[dgaddis]

Oh yeah, and there's still great stuff coming out of Muscle Shoals.

[beeatnik]

Big Star doc from about 10 years ago has similar themes in terms of young white kids in the studio.

[holliscx]

The National documentary Mistaken For Strangers is recommended. Matt Berninger's fuckup little brother shoots the docu whose story is endearing.

[davids]

Big Star doc from about 10 years ago has similar themes in terms of young white kids in the studio.

That Big Star doc gave me a whole 'nother level of appreciation for that band. And I already loved them.

I'm in love.
What's that song?
I'm in love.
With that song.

[beeatnik]

That Big Star doc gave me a whole 'nother level of appreciation for that band. And I already loved them.

I'm in love.
What's that song?
I'm in love.
With that song.

It's an excellent music doc. The right mix of archival footage, interviews with principals, critical appreciation/talking heads, historical context and personal histories. Just wish they had spent another hour on the final album.

[Marvinlungwitz]

Big Star - that brings back memories! One of my teen age friends was Jon Poneman (of Sub Pop). I borrowed his Big Star album (#1) and held on to it for at least a year. He wasn’t terribly happy about that, although I’m not sure why he didn’t just grab it one day and take it with him.

[davids]

It's an excellent music doc. The right mix of archival footage, interviews with principals, critical appreciation/talking heads, historical context and personal histories. Just wish they had spent another hour on the final album.

I guess we'll just have to disagree. 3rd/Sister Lovers is a perfect record of the artists' intent. I wouldn't want to have to choose between the three albums.

[beeatnik]

I guess we'll just have to disagree. 3rd/Sister Lovers is a perfect record of the artists' intent. I wouldn't want to have to choose between the three albums.

I'll have to watch it again but it seemed that they kind of rushed through 3rd. I wished they had spent more time talking about the innovative production and just overall weirdness of the record.

[davids]

I'll have to watch it again but it seemed that they kind of rushed through 3rd. I wished they had spent more time talking about the innovative production and just overall weirdness of the record.

Oh wait - you mean that you wish the filmmakers had spent more time on the third album!
I thought you meant Alex Chilton and his bandmates. My bad.