Muscle Shoals

I have a fairly broad taste in music, so enjoy watching music documentaries and went into this knowing little-to-nothing about Muscle Shoals or the two recording studios this film focuses on. With that in mind, I can't say how accurate the film was, or how much of the story was covered or omitted, but I can say that I was thoroughly engrossed by what was presented here and in awe of all of the amazing classic songs that were recorded in Muscle Shoals. Just hearing the fantastic soundtrack is enough to make this an enjoyable watch for any music lover and the photography and editing is excellent.

There was some tragedy in the story, and some element of conflict (such as when the studio players split from FAME studios and formed their own Muscle Shoals Sound Studio) but wisely the film concentrates on the music and the inspiring story of Rick Hall's rags-to-riches success and his work ethic, attitudes and musical philosophy.

If there's any weakness, it's some of the interviewees who trot out some fairly predictable platitudes: among them the tired/borderline racist "how could all that music be played by white guys!?" 'Cos, you know, white people have no soul or rhythm.

Ultimately, I was left wanting to know more, which is a good sign, although I think the film could have tried to get a bit more under the skin of what were the specific elements that resulted in this music coming out of this city, instead of pursuing a vague spiritual narrative of there just being "something in the water". Yes, there had to be some magic, and as romantic/poetic as that is, more robust information about the business side of just how Rick set up the studio, sold his first recordings etc. would have been great.

All in all a great documentary. Any music fan should enjoy this, but of course you don't need to be a music fan because at it's heart it's a fairy tale of achieving one's dreams through hard work, determination and a little bit of sacrifice.

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.

My only regret upon watching "Muscle Shoals" is that I somehow missed it when it was first released, some seven and a half years ago.

I grew up in the 70s, and occasionally heard about Muscle Shoals and the Swampers (they even got a mention in Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama"). But even after turning to music as an avocation, I never learned the story of what made Muscle Shoals special. This documentary lays out the human side of the Muscle Shoals story in beautiful, often emotional detail.

At the heart of the story is Rick Hall, who grew up a dirt poor hillbilly in northern Alabama and had more than his share of tragedy and betrayal. Through sheer determination and a perfectionist's sensibility in the studio, he clawed his way to becoming one of the most consequential producers and studio owners of the 20th century.

Hall's original studio band, the Swampers, features as another "character" in the film. The Swampers became one of the most sought after back up bands in the 60s and 70s, and played on some of the most memorable hits of the era. What the viewer will find surprising is that these white country boys from northern Alabama backed some of the most soulful black music hits of the era.

The film also touches on the many musicians who recorded in Muscle Shoals, and features interviews with a number of them, including the Rolling Stones and Aretha Franklin. The film gives a little too much time to the Stones, and the film never really explains why Bono keeps popping up, but overall, considering who was still alive at the time, it strikes a good balance.

Then, of course, there is the music, itself. All I can say here is that you should watch this with a good sound system.

My only disappointment, and the reason I don't give it ten stars, is that we learn nothing about Rick Hall's engineering secrets. What did he do technically to bring about that special, warm, Muscle Shoals sound? I would have enjoyed learning more about that.

But that omission didn't detract from the film's emotional punch. Ultimately, this is a story about tragedy and triumph, friendship and betrayal, and the combination of music and emotion occasionally brought a tear to my eye. Highly recommended.

P.S. I saw one reviewer comment disparagingly about a clip of Lynyrd Skynyrd concert footage that showed a Confederate battle flag in the background. I don't know what the reviewer expected the filmmakers to do about that. The Confederate flag was used by more than one Southern rock band in the 70s and 80s, and it wouldn't have made sense to just erase that from the historical record, nor would it have been practical, from a filmmaking standpoint. One can debate over what it meant to people at the time, but it was what it was.

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.