"Muscle Shoals": Magic, Tragic, Music

Muscle Shoals
Beefeater In-Edit 2013, Chapter III

It all appears to be some sort of joke, or a extremely tough trivia question: what do songs like "When a Man Loves a Woman", "Land of 1.000 Dances", "Wild Horses", "Free Bird", "I Never Loved a Man", "Sweet Soul Music", and hundreds of other soul-pop-rock classics have in common? Here's the answer. A small town in Alabama, named Muscle Shoals, on the banks of the Tennesse River, was the unexpected were they were created. And this is the ridiculously absorbing documentary that reveals and depicts that astonishing truth.

Although having similatiries with the highly recommendable "Standing in the Shadows of Motown", "Muscle Shoals" it's even more shocking. For me it's bizarre that this is not a widely known legend, and that director Greg "Freddy" Camalier had the chance to surprise the spectator with such an spectacular story. And despite that, in my opinion, he takes a while, a long while, on unnecessary scenes filming the "Singing River", and the landscape of rural Muscle Shoals, while he recaps the first bits of opinions from music stardom. Sure, he wants to create the atmosphere, build the myth. But when you have such a striking story in your hands, you just have to let the camera roll on...

But on the other hand, Camalier really nails it when deciding that the focus of his documentary is going to be Rick Hall, and later on, Rick Hall and The Swampers. With that choice he provides the film with an structure while adding a human side that makes it richer. The founder of FAME studios has also a powerful story to tell, Southern style, that includes poverty and terrible, recurrent tragedy. Music is a way to escape and confront his inner demons, and along his rise as owner/producer there's a mind-blowing account of music history, racial evolution (he brought black and white together in not the most open/tolerant place in America), personal ambitions and struggles.

Not yet convinced? Well there's even more to be engaged to. Despite looking like redneck farmers, homegrown FAME studio musicians, The Swampers, will soon evolve as a parallel, intertwined plot. Responsible of creating that special trademark sound that made so many music icons as well as Atlantic Records owner Jerry Wexler go to Alabama seeking for the next big hit, they eventually left Hall to start their own studio, Muscle Shoals Sound. Betrayal, rivalry, tragedy but also huge success again.

On a final note, the amount of musicians that pay tribute to the place is mesmerizing. Bono, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Alicia Keys, Greg Allman, Clarence Carter, Etta James, Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, and many many more. The majority are/were direct, real witnesses of the music that was/is created there, and the amount of precious, personal remarks is colossal. But even the ones that haven't/didn't record there are so mystified by the place that I guarantee you will end this film absolutely convinced there has to be some kind of magic, maybe something special something in the air or the river banks at Muscle Shoals. Allow you to discover the story. You won't regret it. Thanks In-Edit.

SCORE: 7,75/10

Bloodbuzzed gets graduated!

Certified! Photos: Bloodbuzzed

Ok, a not very "serious", "self-referential", post today (apologies)... Hey! At least has to do with the blog, due to the field of study...

Yesterday afternoon I received the online certificate, so I can proudly say that Bloodbuzzed is now "officially graduated" (with distinction, I must add, If you wish I can give you the exact, and pardon my immodesty, pretty ace qualification) in Rock History (Part I) by the University of Rochester! I have to mention that my professor, Mr. John Covach is a great, very cool teacher.

The course, offered by the Coursera platform (what an excellent idea), began with the origins of rock to then focusing its lessons on American-British music on the period from 1955 to 1969. It is the first half of a two-course sequence. Needless to say, I'm also enrolled on Part II, that just started last week with the 70s (including progressive, jazz-rock and theatrical rock, I know, I know, ugghh) and should finish with the post-Nirvana era. So much fun ahead!

"The Runaways", girls who play electric guitars

The Runaways

Hush, hurry, do it quick, make it bigger, be the coolest... and leave a beautiful corpse. That could be the slogan of many bands over the course of rock'n'roll's history, and would be an appropriate subtitle for "The Runaways", a movie telling the story of the 70s all-girl rock band of the same name. 

The tale could have been disastrous, as the threat of being ruined by cliches is ever-present. Screenwriter and director Floria Sigismondi "paints" her movie in brush strokes, making the real story of The Runaways a burst, high on sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll out of control moments. But the film resists its ups and downs thanks to a constant vibe and energy, and the excellent performances from their main cast.
 
"The Runaways" is based on the book "Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway", wrote by the band's lead singer Cherie Currie, fantastically played by a surprising Dakota Fanning, who gives her extremely difficult role, sexually charged, fragile and confused rockstar' Lolita, a stunning strength. Same praise has to go also for Kristen Stewart as guitarist and future rock icon Joan Jett, more constrained, but also posed by a inner fire that drives her throughout the whole film. Their solid work is the main foundation of the film, fuelled by a third actor, Michael Shannon as the eccentric, overbearing and abusive manager/band creator Kim Fowley. He offers the contrast and one of the most suggestive ideas/contradictions on the film: rock'n'roll as a manufactured product, revolt or sexually open lyrics that are designed to "sell" (the magazine issue), aggressive attitudes and looks on a female band that are tailored to detail. Does it sound familiar to you?

Unfortunately, the brush strokes among which "The Runaways" is built leaves the spectator with too many questions unanswered. In my opinion Sigismondi is more focused on giving her two young female stars a vehicle to shine. They do, and their relationship is quite absorbing and complex (I wish the end of the film had had a bit more substance, though). But we miss the evolution/contradictions of the band. The music part is consciously left (the rest of the band is barely testimonial, there's zero talk on influences or music direction except references to Bowie and the glam era on which the band was created). Jett's moving on and starting her own solo career is also skipped. Things get out of control, there's a final burst, and then it's over. That's enough to make you watch with interest, but also leaves you wondering what it could have been with a bit more of ambition and will to talk about music.

SCORE: 6,25/10

"New Wave & Post-Punk", well-known pleasures

New Wave & Post-Punk (1978-1984). From Depeche Mode to Franz Ferdinand (de Depeche Mode a Franz Ferdinand, Spanish original title)- Juan M. Corral (editor)

Here comes a very interesting and needed book. Well, music books are desperately needed in general in Spain, as the production is so small. So "New Wave & Post-Punk" has to be praised even if just as an attempt of covering such a music period. So thanks Juan Manuel Corral and the rest of music specialists (six different writers trying to dissect those times in several individual chapters) for the work.

Having said that, the book has many attractions, from just being informed about those years, who were the leading bands and artists of the different "movements" or "scenes" (whether the real existence or non-existence of the scenes are one of these perennial debates), their connections and relations, and maybe discover some of them, to bringing to the table, or at least explore, the origins and direct influences of many bands that are referential today. As the book clearly exposes, and I don't think its arguable, 80s are "on fashion" today.

To present such a vast and complex (it evolved very quickly) music panorama is not an easy task, so for sure, the scope of the book has limitations and the list of groups/artists included is, by no means (that's almost impossible) exhaustive, but the overall feeling after reading it is that the most relevant scenes have been covered and documented. Therefore, prepare yourself to embark on a quite challenging ride: from "England's Dreaming" to Joy Division fatalism, from American Hardcore to Gary Numan, from German industrial sounds to The Specials, from Morrisey & Marr to Diamanda Galas. 

As I said before, the book tries to analyse the most relevant bands and milestones of the different music scenes (plus a chapter on music labels, not that usual and highly absorbing, another positive point). I like the fact the writers doesn't hide their criticisms and opinions on albums and attitudes and that the focus is not reproducing what the chroniclers from USA and United Kingdom have vastly documented: the perspective is a more local one, about what and how we received these bands and styles here in Spain, and how we can value them. In that sense, the final chapters of "New Wave & Post-Punk" are particularly relevant despite its length constraints. One is dedicated to the "legacy", where music specialist Daniel Cabezas tries to summarize the influences of some of the most celebrated artists of the new millennium. A titanic, incomplete, but great chapter. The second is a brief (too short) but valuable view of how new wave and post-punk arrived and influenced national music, in a pivotal moment of change in Spain, after the dictatorship regime.

But there's a big, and a bit surprising, "issue" with this book: the unacceptable number of misspellings and typos. There's virtually no page without it. Just the back cover has half a dozen of them. Don't know which has been the problem (edition, lack of correction) but it makes the work look bad, not very professional. Sad, because despite its limitations, this book should be quite recommendable.

SCORE: 6,5/10