Muscle Shoals

I liked "Muscle Shoals" for many reasons but the biggest one is that it taught me a lot about something I knew absolutely nothing about, as I'd never heard of the famed 'Muscle Shoals'. However, there's more to the film than that--it is quite interesting, has some surprisingly big name musicians who gave interviews (such as members of the Rolling Stones, Bono and some great R&B legends) and terrific music! So, unless you absolutely hate R&B, the blues and rock (and I know that there at least three of you out there), there is plenty that you'll enjoy about this one and it's worth seeing--as well as well made.

By the way, I have no idea why but this film, the Oscar-winning "20 Feet From Stardom" and "Sound City" all came out at about the same time---and ALL are very similar. So, if you like one, you probably would like to see the rest!

Yes, I grew up in itty bitty Muscle Shoals, Alabama. I was born there in 1965 and spent the first 23 years of my life there. I lived three blocks from FAME studios, went to school with Rick Hall's sons and the son and daughter of Jimmy Johnson, one of the Swampers and founders of Muscle Shoals Sound. I did all of that and I still had NO idea of the monumental and historic events that were happening in my little town. When I watched this film for the first time, sitting in the sold out auditorium of our local university, I was blown away. I saw a special side of my hometown I never knew existed and gained a new respect and pride in my association with it. For years the welcome sign at our city limits proclaimed "Welcome to Muscle Shoals - The Hit Recording Capital of the World". Forty-eight years later, thanks to Mr. Camalier and his wonderful documentary, I finally have a full and complete understanding of what that sign meant. If you are a music lover, this film is a must-see, if only for the interviews with mega-artists such as Bono, Greg Allman, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards, as they reminisce about their time spent in Muscle Shoals. But it is also a must-see for anyone who wants an honest-to-God, rags to riches story filled with love, loss, shame, anger, redemption, and lifelong friendships. This film isn't just about my hometown and the amazing music made there. It's also about one man's vision and how the bringing to life of that vision has profoundly influenced, and is still influencing, the world in a very special way.

OK, I plead guilty to living within a stones throw of the subject of this movie.

If you are a fan of the music that started out in the '60s in this country, this is a must see. It gives you an insight into how the music we listen to has come into being. From the roots in the blues and R&B morphing into Rock and Roll. You may find something out about your favorite songs that you never knew.

The setting for the interviews focuses you on the person speaking. There are some amazing images in the film. In some ways it shows the area in an almost idyllic frame. The historical footage is worth the ticket price alone.

Bonus points if you actually recognize the unnamed blues legend show while they talk about Sam Phillips. If you are going to create a list of must see movies about music and musicians, this will be on the short list.

I always loved listening to the great albums recorded at the two Muscle Shoals studios, so I looked forward to seeing this documentary in the hopes of learning what exactly made the Muscle Shoals sound so distinctive.

Unfortunately, I think the musicians interviewed couldn't really explain what it was that made Muscle Shoals so special from a technical perspective. Bono, as always, was quite articulate, but he didn't offer anything technical. He instead talked philosophically about the power of the Tennessee River just as the Mississippi influenced the Blues. Most of the other musicians fell back on platitudes and clichés about funky white guys. Keith Richards was beyond hopeless as an interviewee. He seemed like he was doing a really bad Saturday Night Live impersonation of himself.

Don't get me wrong. The stories were entertaining. I particularly liked Greg Allman's story about how his brother Duane learned to play the slide guitar and Wilson Picket's story about the first time he came to Muscle Shoals. I also thought the documentary did a good job telling the history of the original FAME studio as well as the second studio started by the so-called "Swampers".

Nevertheless, I think at least one interview segment with a Rock historian or a musicologist to put everything in context and offer technical explanations would have been a great addition.

Finally, although it's clear that the Muscle Shoals musicians were far ahead of their fellow southerners on the issue of race, and the film rightly showcased this, it also showed clips of Lynyrd Skynyrd in concert proudly displaying a confederate flag. Displaying a confederate flag in 2013 is beyond bad taste. It's simply unacceptable.

I just saw this at the George Lindsey Film Festival in Florence, Alabama -- right across the Tennessee River from Muscle Shoals. I rarely give 10/10 but this film is a gem. Photography, editing, sound values, emotional through lines, entertainment value -- this film has it all. Lots of great interviews and a kaleidoscope of personal memories from great entertainers, as well -- including Mick Jagger, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Picket, and Alicia Keys, to name just a few. This film pulls you in and puts you there, back when a handful of friends got together and made music history in their own back yards. You'll be amazed at how many number one hits came out of humble little Muscle Shoals.