All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records

A loving look at an old store and its impact with lots of warm thoughts and good thoughts. Might not be much for people who didn't live it, but for anyone that remembers that era it's going to be worth seeing. Will definitely make you miss record stores and long to go to Japan.

Greetings again from the darkness. I do not envy those experiencing their childhood in this modern era. Sure, they have far superior electronics and hundreds more TV channels, but they also have very little independence (most can't even walk alone to a friend's house or a park) and they likely will never experience the pure joy of perusing the stacks at Tower Records (or any other record store) for hours … experiencing the thrill of discovering a new artist or style of music that rips into their soul. OK, I admittedly suffer from a touch of "old man" syndrome, but filmmaker Colin Hanks (yes, the actor and son of Tom) has delivered both a cozy trip down memory lane and a stark accounting of good times and bad at Tower Records.

With humble beginnings as little more than a lark, Tower Records began when Russ Solomon's dad decided to sell used 45 rpm singles in his cramped Sacramento drug store. He bought the singles for 3 cents and sold them for 10 cents. Within a few years, Russ purchased the record business from his dad, and proceeded to run it as only a rebellious kid from the 1960's could. From 1960 through 2000, the business grew each year. It expanded the number of stores (peaking at 192 worldwide) and constantly adjusted to the musical tastes and the delivery method – 45's, LP's, cassettes, CD's, etc.

Using some terrific photographs and video clips, accompanied by spot on music selections, director Hanks brilliantly and generously allows the actual players to tell the story. The expected celebrity drops are present, and even the words of David Geffen, Dave Grohl, Bruce Springsteen and Sir Elton John carry emotion. However, far and away the most impact comes from extended interviews with the unconventional and charismatic Tower Records founder Russ Solomon and his devoted and forthright employee team. Their sincere recollections provide the roadmap through the phenomenal growth, as well as the devastating end in 2006. We understand how these stores became so much more than retail outlets … they were cultural hotspots for at least two generations. We also learn some things we probably shouldn't … like the definition of "hand truck fuel", and the reason Russ installed hot lighting in the listening booths.

Mr. Hanks surprises with his ability to balance nostalgia and the harsh realities of the downfall of an iconic cultural business. The film captures the key role Tower Records, while also pointing out that the crash was due to more than just Napster and digital music delivery. An interesting case study for business majors highlights the importance of vision vs debt. For more insight from Colin Hanks, check out the interview from film critic Chase Whale: http://www.hammertonail.com/

"No Music. No Life". The motto of Tower Records was somehow inspirational, and fit perfectly for stores that featured mammoth album artwork on their store fronts, their own "Pulse" magazine, and staff that couldn't fathom life without music … much less wearing a suit and tie to work. This was truly "a chain of independent stores", and trust me when I tell you that hanging out at Tower Records was more fun than having hundreds of cable channels.

The "Rise" portion was nostalgic and interesting. The second half was a load of self-serving baloney: Russ Solomon admitting he made a few mistakes but, if the banks had only continued lending him money without telling him what to do, all would have been well. A bunch of longtime employees kvetching about losing their jobs, but not ONE SINGLE WORD about all the labels and distributors who got royally screwed and are still trying to cope with their losses to this day. I started out as a specialty music retailer in 1974 and, thankfully, am still going strong. I well remember Tower's predatory greediness, demanding ridiculous terms from labels and distributors: six months dating, 100% return privileges. Finally, the labels and distributors had to say 'no' to getting in any deeper. The fact that this painful fact wasn't even mentioned, reminds me of the 'ServPro' motto, "Like it Never Even Happened".

Just saw this today at Ground Zero, Sacramento's 75 year old Tower Theater that had right next door, Tower Drugs where the founder, Russ Solomon, started what became a world-wide musical empire.

I was not surprised at the influence Tower had on the recording industry, particularly after they opened up their Sunset Blvd store in Los Angeles. Didn't realize though that many big recording stars such as Bruce Springsteen and Elton John shopped there.

It's a fascinating look not only at the rise and fall of Tower Records, but the recording industry's changes over the years.

You'll even see how the Beach Boys changed their sales focus.

If Tower Records was in your life, and chances are if you are over 30 it was, this is a must-see.

Kudos to Colin Hanks, who spent seven years on this project.

I live in a major east coast city and we never had a Tower Records but I was certainly aware of it and always visited when in NYC, or Los Angeles. It really did have its own sort of ambiance and each franchise was different. For me Tower Records was at its peak during the vinyl period.

Colin Hanks does an outstanding job of showing the progression of Tower Records from initially a Sacramento pharmacy selling 45's to an international record giant and the vision of Russ Solomon and his team of loyalists . Russ is portrayed as an all around good guy who enjoyed nurturing employees to find their strength and grow with the company. I loved the interviews with the employees and recording artists who loved the place. Unfortunately digital music and the death of the CD killed the stores . But Russ was not bitter and had a great attitude. Glad this was filmed before he died so we could get his perspective. An excellently paced documentary.