• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Bass documentaries

#15
two fingers said:
Not just bassist related but there are three movies that are a MUST SEE for musicians.

Standing in the Shadows of Motown
Muscle Shoals
The Wrecking Crew

All great music documentaries, and they all include some bass greats.
Click to expand...

I didn't care for The Wrecking Crew.

Loved Muscle Shoals and Standing in the Shadows…

Another excellent one is 20 Feet From Stardom that revolves around all those great classy female backup singers that seldom got the recognition they deserved. This is a musician's documentary.
 
#16
40Hz said:
I didn't care for The Wrecking Crew.

Loved Muscle Shoals and Standing in the Shadows…

Another excellent one is 20 Feet From Stardom that revolves around all those great classy female backup singers that seldom got the recognition they deserved. This is a musician's documentary.
Click to expand...

I'll admit that Wrecking Crew was more "Hey let's talk about how amazing we were." But it was still interesting to me (from an historical perspective) just to see how it all came together.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 40Hz
#17
two fingers said:
I'll admit that Wrecking Crew was more "Hey let's talk about how amazing we were." But it was still interesting to me (from an historical perspective) just to see how it all came together.
Click to expand...

Agree it was interesting. But to your point it did get a little obnoxious for me at times. I made it about a half hour in with my GF who's a guitarist before I asked if she still wanted to see the rest of it. She told me she had already stopped paying attention to it ten minutes earlier. Her comment: "They're all really pleased with themselves, aren't they?"

She said the same thing during a Carol King extended interview we once watched together.

Must be the town. Got none of that 'slick' vibe from the Muscle Shoals documentary. Or the Motown ones either.
 
  • Like
Reactions: two fingers
#18
40Hz said:
Agree it was interesting. But to your point it did get a little obnoxious for me at times. I made it about a half hour in with my GF who's a guitarist before I asked if she still wanted to see the rest of it. She told me she had already stopped paying attention to it ten minutes earlier. Her comment: "They're all really pleased with themselves, aren't they?"

She said the same thing during a Carol King extended interview we once watched together.

Must be the town. Got none of that 'slick' vibe from the Muscle Shoals documentary. Or the Motown ones either.
Click to expand...

Yeah the other two were more like "No way we could have pulled that sound off without this guy or that guy." It was a whole different ballgame. But getting a sense of what was going on during the recording of some significant songs allowed me to get through the ego stuff in Wrecking Crew.

Also, to compare and contrast the three studios, and their approaches to music, was fun for me.

Muscle Shoals - You play this and I'll play that. K? Let's do it. What wasn't there was every bit so important as what was. Giant holes in the song for groove to just oooooze out of.

Motown - A blend of written chart, coaching from the bosses, and the you play this and I'll play that. More layers than Muscle Shoals but still plenty of space to breathe in each song.

Wrecking Crew - Perfectly orchestrated sheet music. Trained professionals. Hours of rehearsals. Dozens of takes. Lots of layers.

And yet they all cranked out hits at the same time.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Oddly
#19
two fingers said:
Yeah the other two were more like "No way we could have pulled that sound off without this guy or that guy." It was a whole different ballgame. But getting a sense of what was going on during the recording of some significant songs allowed me to get through the ego stuff in Wrecking Crew.

Also, to compare and contrast the three studio, and their approaches to music, was fun for me.

Muscle Shoals - You play this and I'll play that. K? Let's do it. What wasn't there was every bit so important as what was. Giant holes in the song for groove to just oooooze put of.

Motown - A blend of written chart, coaching from the bosses, and the you play this and I'll play that. More layers than Muscle Shoals but still plenty of space to breathe in each song.

Wrecking Crew - Perfectly orchestrated sheet music. Trained professionals. Hours of rehearsals. Dozens of takes. Lots of layers.

And yet they all cranked out hits at the same time.
Click to expand...

Good analydis! And I agree. No arguing with the results. And like the man says, it ain't really braggin' if you can do it. ;):laugh:
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back