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As "Yacht Rock: A Documentary" (2024 release; 96 min) opens, we are in "1982, Santa Barbara, California", and the Doobie Brothers are on stage doing "Taking It To the Streets". A number of talking heads, including Questlove, talk about the LA music scene in the 70s and early 80s. We then go to "1976" and examine the unlikely influence of Steely Dan on what would become Yacht Rock, a term not invented until decades after the facts. At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from director Garrett Price ("Daisy Jones & the Six"). Here he examines the phenom that has become a musical subgenre called Yacht Rock. If you are a certain age and familiar with/grew up with SoCal music from the mid-70s and early 80s, much of this music is quite familiar, but you probably had never thought of this music as being its own genre. The Doobie Brothers (led by Michael McDonald), Toto, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, and other such acts are among the big names in Yacht Rock. "It rocks, but not too hard, but it rocks!" claims one talking head. I will not spoil how exactly Steely Dan fits in all this, you'll just have to see for yourself. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised how insightful and entertaining this all was. (At the very end of the documentary, the director ends up speaking with Steely Dan's Donald Fagen. Just watch!)

"Yacht Rock: A Documentary" started streaming on Max a week or so ago and I just watched it the other night. If you are a music fan, young or old, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

Well-researched and edited survey of the sound that dominated the AM airwaves in the late 1970s and the musicians and technicians who were part of the scene. There are many interiews with members of Toto, Doobie Bros, and contemporary artists that reveal and trace both well and little known connections between diverse artists and bands. The contencious issue of whether or not Steely Dan can be considered Yacht Rock is covered. No spoilers but it's hillarious. As for my husband and I, we are of the belief that Steely Dan can never be considered Yacht Rock because they are such haters. The proof is in the lyrics: Royal Scam, Showbiz Kids, Only a Fool Would Say That, Haitian Divorce, to name a few. They even hate on themselves, and we love them all the more for it!

I would never mock the so-called "yacht rock" genre because that's the music I loved the most during my high school and college years. I didn't even know this type of easy-to-ridicule soft rock music had a name, and it didn't until a comic pre-YouTube web series dubbed it so in 2005. Directed by Garret Price, this breezy 2024 documentary cogently chronicles the genesis of this music and its brief reign on the pop charts and at the Grammys from the late '70's to the early '80's concurrent with the emergence of punk and disco. Steely Dan is credited for molding the sounds, in particular, with their classic "Aja" album in 1977. Steely Dan's Donald Fagen refused to be interviewed for the film as he found the yacht reference insulting, but the era's other stars are accounted for and provide interesting insights into their creative processes. They include fondly remembered artists like Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, and the genre's self-effacing king, Michael McDonald. A nostalgic nugget for those of us who grew up during this period.

Omg did I love this. I am not into the music so much, but as a person born in 1974 - it was the backing track to my entire childhood. It was so interesting to learn about all of the studio musicians but most of all ...what a group of sweethearts. Really. I was dying of cuteness. It's not that often that you see a bunch of men just full of joy. It was interesting to revisit that time and learn how the sausage was made. Everyone was just a bunch of goofy looking nerds! But SUPER TALENTED NERDS. Even if you hate the music, definitely give it a watch. I promise you - you will be full of smiles at the end.

This almost meme-ish like of a title, "Yacht Rock", 😆 docking-rockumentary 🤣 (or vice-versa) in music, albeit, jazzy-rock from the 70's-80's really struck chords in me reliving the years & just brings it home for those who lived the times in this epic retrospective; literally playing on almost every emotion... a true muse of Americana, bringing it all together. The sounds are... literally, exemplary & smooth! Time to bust out the caviar, cheese & crackers... oh, and don't forget the wine Buffy! Avast as we set sail and enjoy the sounds of the artists who brought them to us and celebrate in this epic journey! I love it & I hope you do too. If this music is before your time, download Yacht Rock the next time you have a pool side barbecue or what have you and enjoy the sounds baby! And if you have a yacht, crank it up & party on! Fair winds and following seas ye landlubbers! 😉 To the folks who brought us this "dockumentary", you all rock! Thank you! 💪😎

Most rock documentaries are about adulation; this one is about adulation via ridicule. The genre label now known as 'yacht rock' derives from an obscure, low-budget web comedy series from 2005 of the same name, in which some of the stars of the late 1970s and early 1980s soft rock scene in Los Angeles - people like Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, and the Toto guys - are parodied and ridiculed. However, the basis for it all was the web series creators' love of the music these guys made, and this is the phenomenon explored so brilliantly in this new HBO documentary made by Garret Price. Many of the most famous 'yacht rockers' of that era, such as McDonald, Loggins, Cross, Steve Lukather, Steve Porcaro, and David Paich, appear and talk willingly about the scene they once were a part of and helped form, while others refuse to take part, telling director Price to "go f*ck himself" when he calls them up (Donald Fagen of Steely Dan). The inclusion of this sound clip is just one of the many gems that make Yacht Rock: A Documentary into one of the most enjoyable and enlightening music documentaries I have seen in a while.

I watched this having grown up with the genre from a perspective most don't have. I started listening to this music on a plugged in AM/FM cube clock radio I snuggled with in my bed at night and progressed to hearing it in the stereo system I installed in my 1973 Ford LTD on Jensen speakers and a Clarion cassette deck. The documentary took liberties with what this music was labeled after the fact, and Steely Dan, while sharing many musicians on their albums, is not Yacht Rock. I support Donald Fagen's reaction at the end of the film based on that.

I think Christopher Cross, in all his drug inspired creativity, defines this genre as advertised. When I was in high school and "Sailing" won song of the year, we were all shocked. In retrospect, it was right for the time. It just wasn't The Police and The Clash which I was in to, yet admittedly I enjoyed the song at the time too. I'm a musical chameleon, which is probably why this rockumentary resonated with me.

Many artists were missed, and I won't capture them all, however there was no mentioned of jazz influences like Michael Franks and barely notation of Stanley Clarke and easy listening artists Seals and Crofts. Yet it was wonderful to see Brenda Russel, Toto, the Pocaro Brothers, Larry Carlton, and so many others. Yet let's be real. Michael McDonald defines this genre. Because he sounded like he sang. He defined session musicians of the era. And he comes across as very genuine. I put the success of Yacht Rock on him. A humble label for much larger 80's blue eyed easy listening soul. I'll always be grateful to him for that. He is the core of this sound and of this film. And for the hundreds of lesser known session musicians who worked their asses off every day to make this sound, I salute you and your work ethic.

Not sure why the documentary went into Michael Jackson's "Thriller" other than the Toto backing band connection though the MTV introduction to the scene was a genuine massive moment. Suddenly you had to be visual and audible in your craft.

And it should be no wonder to me why I love Bozz Scaggs "Silk Degrees" so much. The Toto guys were in the band and helped define his sounds.

But how they kept putting "Aja" by Steely Dan as the definitive Yacht Rock album? No. There was a lot more happening in that scene than that one album that shared session musicians yet was so much more jazz, R&B and epic storytelling Oddessy style than anything else. Don't wrap Yacht Rock around that. Call it something else. It created something different. Culling it into this genre is lazy journalism. Yet the producers seemed to want it to be that way. Donald Fagan, your on the spot reaction was dead on. 😎

YACHT ROCK: A DOCKUMENTARY (2024) One can be forgiven for still not understanding what the definition of this sub-genre is supposed to represent even after watching this enjoyable documentary. "Yacht Rock" is an invented term by a couple of comedians about a slice of music from the 70s and 80s with Christopher Cross and Michael McDonald being the patron saints.

A broader definition would be soft rock from that era with an emphasis on the "L. A. Sound". The term is both too broad and too restrictive - Steely Dan are the forefathers even if they rebel against being lumped in (in an amusing clip, Donald Fagan hangs up on Director Garret Price when he tries to interview him by phone). The Doobie Brothers weren't Yacht Rock until Michael McDonnell joined them. The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac aren't members because they don't have enough jazz. Hall & Oates were too Philly etc.. Some of Michael Jackson's work is Yacht Rock, but not most. The contradictions never cease.

Regardless of the silly definitions, YACHT ROCK is a pretty enjoyable piece. Cross, McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Toto (almost by definition, if a member of Toto played on your record, you were an honorary Yacht Rocker) and others who participated have their careers covered in good detail and are allowed the time to speak for themselves. Even if the early inspiration (a web series) began with a mocking tone, the artists here are treated with respect. Cross, in particular, comes off as a very human character. One monster hit album and then never able to come close to duplicating it again. Still, he perseveres and seems content to just doing what he loves.

YACHT ROCK may have a dubious premise, but it's an enjoyable look at a place in time which had a certain sound that many still find warm and comforting to this day.

All the music featured was amazing. But basically anything from the late 70s to the mid 80s that was "pop " is yacht rock. It has nothing to do with race. It has nothing to do with a lot of the stuff they talk about. HBO always seems to push race. Otherwise I loved the show. Such amazing music was made during that time. But yacht rock is basically pop music from the late 70s to the 80s and that is pretty much it, but it is great to enjoy this show because it has great music it might open some new listeners to this music. I would recommend watching it to anybody. If you've never listened to the Doobie Brothers or Hall & Oates. Or George Benson. You are in for a treat. Yacht rock rocks!

A current documentary streaming on Max. Back in the aughts, a group of comedians decided to post short videos online lambasting the telltale popular adult contemporary music of the late 70's & early 80's (personified by acts like Toto, Steeley Dan, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, The Doobie Brothers, particularly lead singer Michael McDonald & a handful of others) which after being viewed & passed around like the best joint ever, soon developed into a true groundswell love of those bands w/their music dubbed the titular moniker. Gathering the named players (at least the ones who are still upright & walking around) we get the build up to their music which was embraced by audiences maybe as an antidote to the other genres rising up or prevalent at the time like arena rock, punk & incipient new wave but when MTV reared its ugly head, many of these acts soon fell by the wayside but then black artists started to gravitate to these musicians of yesteryear (Thundercat is unapologetic about his love of this music), a resurgence was due. W/an air of bemused incredulity this doc is hilariously heartfelt in its skewering which I found charming (especially since a lot of music was my childhood) which could have gone the way of crass ridicule but manages to be a welcome balm for any vitriol people may have as they look back in askance.

Remember the band "Ambrosia"? They had several hits in the mid-1970s, perhaps most notably, the song titled "You're the Biggest Part of Me." Now listen to the 1981 Grammy-winning hit written by pop soundtrack maestro Kenny Loggins and that ubiquitous, blue-eyed soul singer named Michael McDonald, "What a Fool Believes." Are they in fact the same dang song? Well, in 2005 or so, comedians on the Internet decided they were at least in the same genre and it needed an evocative name: "Yacht Rock." Christopher Cross and Toto (David Paich, Steve "Where's My Yacht" Lukather and the Porcaro brothers) are all prominently featured in this documentary about a musical period in history, along with every other studio musician playing on most of Steely Dan's albums. As a guy who reviewed musical albums and concerts back in college in the late '70s and early '80s (before moving on to movies and TV), I might quibble with some of the inclusions (e.g., Steely Dan's AJA is a genius work of jazz-R&B-rock fusion), it is ultimately fun and quite humorous to discuss this "pseudo-genre" with its many progenitors. What's the "dockumentary's" funniest moment: the filmmaker finally reaching Donald Fagen on the phone to request an interview "to discuss your music and genre," be asked "What genre is that?" answering "Yacht Rock," to which the great Mr. Fagen replies, "Why don't you just go F¥C£ YOURSELF!?" and then hangs up! That, alone, earns this documentary a rating of 7.5/10.

Decent amount of music research, check!

Bringing attention to an excellent era of music, check!

Calling it "Yacht Rock" is nothing but a weak marketing attempt, by pseudo trend-setters to start a new genre label.

The music of that time is some of the best music ever made in the last 50 years, by monster musicians and they didn't have any such labels, in fact there was much blending of different genres.

Bands like Toto, Dobbie Brothers, Steely Dan had a parade of top musicians in the recording sessions, some played in many other artists sessions.

I think it is a great disrespect to try to lump them all into some generic, and completely arbitrary label. Have those guys ever been on a yacht?

The era of so-called "Yacht Rock" is in the sweet spot of my music listening in my high school and college years, so I was of course interested in this documentary. After about a half hour, I realized I didn't like it as much as I thought I would, because I'm not a big Yacht Rock fan! Never was a big fan of Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, Kenny Loggins, etc. So when they are talking about their work, often as high art, it's hard for me to really appreciate that. As someone who loves seeing these historical pieces about music in the 60's, 70's and 80's, I'm glad I saw it, and definitely learned some new things. But make sure you can at least tolerate the music being highlighted in this documentary. Otherwise, it's going to be a tough slog. Miscellaneous factoid: Michael McDonald must be a very nice guy. Every artist who worked with him seemed to only have nice things to say about him.

Excellent look and interviews from studio, musicians and artists from the late '70s and '80s. The documentary showed a lot of how jazz and blues inspired the music was from these artists. The only part I did not like was where they showed how some rappers used. Michael McDonald's music in the 90s. That part was unnecessary in my opinion. I've never been a fan of people stealing other artists' music.

Other than that, I loved the interviews from the studio musicians that were parts of many albums. It was great to hear personal insights and how a lot of groups got their starts. I did not know that Toto was made up of so many studio musicians. Not a fan of Michael McDonald's voice, but I loved his stories and the documentary pointing out all those songs that he sang on during this time. It was really hilarious when they tried to get Donald Fagen of Steely Dan to comment on the phone.

I've been a fan of the music ever since XM started the station in 2016. And the YouTube videos that started the Yacht Rock name are just hilarious! I highly recommend you check them out if youhave not watched them yet.

This is intermittently amusing, but reductive and especially dumb on the subject of who and what Steely Dan is, who are several times made the keystone in the arch of the film-maker's thesis. The director doesn't pause to explore why the Dan's singer/ songwriter Donald Fagan does this, but the last verbal exchange of the film is the director Price calling Fagan on the phone, asking if he'd like to sit down and talk about the genre of "yacht rock." Fagan: "The what genre?" Price: "Yacht rock." Fagan: "Hm. Why don't you . . . Go 'bleep' yourself." Click.

To somebody who doesn't know Steely Dan from 1972-1976 in some detail, this may make Fagan seem like a rude dufus. However, his attitude is 101% true to the tone of their music and lyrics, which are like an amalgamation of Horace Silver (jazz) and Dylan (surreal, critical rock), and have flat-nothing to do with a "yachty" take on life. This documentary, and several of the recent fans of the genre they themselves defined, mistake the appearance of diagrams (showing which musicians played with Steely Dan who may also have appeared on other soft-rock acts' work) as certain evidence that the Dan is an epitome or even parent of this thing they defined. This claim lacks attention to the real event of listening to a Steely Dan Lp (especially any of the their first FIVE Lps), its words and music, digesting that, and reporting on it. Not a song: the whole album. Try it and and see if you are thinking of yachts at the end of, e.g., "Countdown to Ecstasy" (1973) or "Royal Scam" (1976). The Dan's last two Lps ("Aja" and "Gaucho") especially the latter, became glassier sonically and somewhat more accessible lyrically, but all of their other music, and considerable parts of "Aja" (called the apex of the genre here), are profoundly ironic, full of a bitter poetry skeptical of easy hedonisms, and utterly inimical to this attempt to subsume the Dan into a genre of corporatist heavy pop with a bit of swing that will nonetheless keep you docile in your office chair. Enjoy this as you might, as Michael McDonald (of the late-shape Doobies) shares many funny reflections; he is self-effacing, has a good sense of humor, and is willing to be candid of his experiences in music. This could be very educational for someone who was born after 1990 and has little sense of this music's history. But beware of some key reductions. As Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, also befuddled by the genre label, says, "I played on all those records. Where's my 'bleep' yacht?"

The whole premise of this waste of time is based on a term, "Yacht Rock", that originally had nothing to do with this "genre".

These guys got together promoted the term, simply to sell this "Dockumentary"(?) They weren't even alive when this music was made. "West Coast Sound"? Steely Dan started in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.

The majority of "rock", at the time, was in fact recorded in Los Angeles. Michael Mcdonald's first real gig was with Steely Dan ('73-'75) before joining the Doobie Brothers.

Associating, Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers, and Christopher Cross is assinine.

Save yourself the time, put on "the" music and listen, rather than waste it on this "self promoted" con.

Just because a few dbags with a "web series" decide to make a movie, doesn't make it good. The mocking overtone of a genre of music that existed well before these morons decided to pretend to discover it doesn't do justice to the success that a lot of these musicians already had...which is unfortunate, because this is a period of rock history with some legitimate talent. The sad part is that there's a legit documentary here about a period of music with some innovative players and musicians. The interviews are great, the music is great, while the premise is unintelligent, dumbed down, poorly researched and simplified into some sort of mockumentary.

Sorry, but this music existed well before these idiots, as did studio musicians, and I feel sorry for the folks who participated, particularly Michael McDonald and Christopher Cross.

An example of shameful marketing and an attempt to belittle extremely talented artists with silly a moniker for the sake of marketing and laugh at these great recording artists. It's a shame that the artists featured in documentary were so hard-up for money and to get their music out there, that they had to suffer embarrassment at the hands of the film makers. Though thankfully, some artists refused to participate. Donald Fagan of Steely Dan told them, "Why don't you go fvck yourself."

I don't blame him.

Even actor, Rob Lowe, compared the insulting label to the "brat pack" label that was placed on a group of actors in the eighties and recognized it as belittling and offensive.

The bands featured in this movie are diverse, too. Steely Dan, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, and Toto sound nothing alike. "Ricki Don't Lose That number" sounds nothing like "Footloose," and Gino Vanelli's "Brothers In Arms" has nothing in common with The Doobie Brothers,' "What A Fool Believes."

This kind of idiocy is common in the music industry. I suppose it will never end.

This yes, dockumentary, has funny moments. Through its many original participant interviews, plus some younger musician expert interviews, that a younger generation making up a name in the 2000s for most of the non hard or punk rock pop music of the late 70s is a funny idea to begin with.

But musically, and speaking as a working musician of 50 plus years, this is a really dumb premise for a 90 plus minute program. They actually note in the script that fans of the acerbic, sardonic and sarcastic Steely Dan say the Dan music wasn't Yacht Rock, which is no doubt because it's emphatically true, and that even fans of softer rock of that era think the music of Christopher Cross was a bridge too far in terms of sheer musical weightlessness, which is again because that performer was indeed pretty awful. But at least, we learn Cross was also a one time reefer dealer and once sat in for Deep Purple's Richie Blackmore, so at least that was surprising and arguably original research.

Otherwise, trying to tie together the music of the Pointer Sisters with Toto and Kenny Loggins and the musically regrettable Ambrosia because the same session guys play their records is just a bridge too far for a musical documentary theme. They played on records by those artists, and also on great Steely Dan and featherweight Cross albums, because they were the best musicians available in Los Angeles where so much pop music was then recorded.

So again, a stupid and thin premise, with the saving grace of a good sense of humor by the directors and some of the interviewed musicians about the stupid premise.

It is entertaining, not because of clever insight and premise, but the guests are great musicians.

It is so disappointing but visible that director and his team have no musical knowledge whatsoever and have never touched an instrument in their life.

Otherwise they would know that even if you didn't grow up in the era, for example if you are a drummer you end up dissecting Jeff Porcaro's Rosanna shuffle (Toto's genius drummer)

Some turkish telenovelas are using Tchaikovsky's music as a part of their soundtrack, according to this documentary Tchaikovsky is Turkish soap opera music :)

Surprisingly stretched theoretical premise, but not so strange for the entertainment docu standard.

Fantastic explanation of how this phenomenon came to be. Great recap of some unique moments in entertainment with amazing characters from our very own music world.

Not seen a rockumentary done so well in a long time using old fashioned storytelling and a retrospective that wasn't used before.

And if you are a fan of this genre you will relish in the scores used and hopefully discover new ones.

Questlove dives deep with the audience to bridge many gaps that we did not even know existed and that is what makes this doc so special. I hope it wins that Emmy if just to maybe see all those musicians in one place together again.