Muscle Shoals seems like just another sleepy Alabama town tucked along the Tennessee River.
Until you learn that it produced some of the most iconic American music ever recorded.
We’re talking Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Wild Horses” from the Rolling Stones.
It’s like “Buena Vista Social Club” meets “20 Feet From Stardom” (I ranked both of those 90+ out of 100)
This doc will surely make the top 3 list of best documentaries on music studios (when I get to it). That’ll include “Shangri-la” (which I give a rare 99 out of a 100 rating) too.
Lots to do!
Trailer for “Muscle Schoals”
Watch Muscle Schoals
You can watch “Muscle Schoals” on Prime Video and Peacock (with subscription).
It’s also free to stream on Kanopy and Hoopla (with library card/University ID).
And if you don’t care about sitting through ads, it’s on Roku, Vudu/Fandango , Freevee and Xumo Play.
I suggest you check here for the latest places to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/muscle-shoals
Ratings:
- My Rating: 93/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 89/100 (Users); 96/100 (Critics)
Release date: January 18, 2013
My Review of Muscle Schoals
You think you know American music?
Think again – this documentary unveils the tiny Alabama town that created the soundtrack of your life.
You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up:
- The Muscle Shoals rhythm section (all white guys) was so funky that even Aretha Franklin thought they were Black musicians.
- Helen Keller and the birthplace of Southern Rock share the same zip code
- The Tennessee River’s mystical music powers come from an ancient Yuchi Indian legend about a singing ghost-girl
- Duane Allman discovered slide guitar using an empty Coricidin bottle after his brother’s horse-riding accident
The Sound of the Shoals
This documentary peels back the layers of Fame Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.
This is where Rick Hall (known as the “Father of the Muscle Shoals Sound”) turned tragedy into musical gold.
Hall grew up in crushing poverty and lost both his brother and first wife to tragic accidents.
But then he built a sound empire in this Alabama backwater that would change music forever.
Director Greg ‘Freddy’ Camalier spent 4 years on “Muscle Schoals” (111 minutes) for the PBS show “Independent Lens “.
As far as I can see, Camalier hadn’t done a documentary before this.
Not bad for a doc debut, huh!?
The Swampers and Their Sound
The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, nicknamed “The Swampers,” backed everyone from Wilson Pickett to Paul Simon.
These four unassuming white guys – Barry Beckett, Roger Hawkins, David Hood, and Jimmy Johnson – created a sound so distinctly soulful that even Aretha Franklin assumed they were Black musicians.
Legendary Sessions
If you like inside the studio back stories, you’ll love “Muscle Schoals”.
For example, one time Wilson Pickett and Duane Allman were holed up in the studio during lunch breaks (while the other musicians left),.
By the time the other band musicians came back, Pickett and Allman created the revolutionary cover of “Hey Jude” that basically invented Southern rock:
The Rolling Stones showed up in 1969 and cut “Wild Horses” and “Brown Sugar” in just four days.
Keith Richards later admitted he wished they could have recorded “Exile on Main Street” there too (but tax troubles sent them running to France instead).
Heres another great story:
Roadie Billy Powell was caught noodling on piano during a break.
This lead to the recording of “Free Bird” – a song that would help define Lynyrd Skynyrd’s sound.
Hidden Gems
The film reveals lesser-known stories that even music nerds might have missed:
- The Allman Brothers’ signature song “Statesboro Blues” came from a Taj Mahal album Greg brought Duane while he was recovering from that horse-riding accident
- Rick Hall would often make artists record up to 50 takes of a song to achieve perfection
- The original Fame Studios building was an old tobacco warehouse that cost just $500
- Local musicians would sometimes sleep on the studio floor between sessions
- The Tennessee River’s unusual natural reverb actually affects the studio’s acoustics
Beyond the Music
The doc covers the complexities of recording soul music in Alabama during the Civil Rights era.
Many Black and white people outside the studio were at odds.
But inside Muscle Schoals, Black and white musicians created their groundbreaking music.
Wrap Up
“Muscle Shoals” is the best doc I’ve seen on a unique studio sound.
Although, “Shangri-la” is right up there with it.
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc