PT Hylton

Author of the Storms of Magic, The Savage Earth, and The Deadlock Trilogy

Something to Love: Muscle Shoals

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Something worthy of your attention, and five reasons I love it.

Rick Hall and Clarence Carter in MUSCLE SHOALS, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. The Swampers at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in MUSCLE SHOALS, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
Rick Hall and Clarence Carter in MUSCLE SHOALS, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
  1. Muscle Shoals is a documentary about how some of the greatest rock n roll albums of all time came to be recorded in a small town in Alabama. Here, watch the trailer.
  2. There have been a lot of ‘recording studio’ documentaries. Sound City. The Classic Albums series. You could even put It Might Get Loud in this camp. So what makes Muscle Shoals stand out as a superior film? The easy answers are: I don’t know and everything. In the true spirit of Muscle Shoals, let’s say good isn’t good enough and delve deeper.
    The Swampers at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in MUSCLE SHOALS, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
    The Swampers at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in MUSCLE SHOALS, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
  3. Muscle Shoals is the story of Rick Hall, owner of Fame Studios, and The Swampers, the studio’s rhythm section. The movie takes us deep into the lives and perspectives of these country boys. We follow them from their humble and sometimes tragic beginnings through to their days of palling around the studio with the likes of Bob Dylan and Keith Richards. Through it all, we see their passion, their work ethic, and their musicianship. Often they seem surprised at the level of their own success, but that doesn’t mean they are intimidated by the legendary musicians they are backing. When the tape starts rolling, they are always there to play.
  4. Because I love you, here is a clip. This is from the Aretha Franklin section of the film.
  5. The central question of the documentary is Where does the magic of Muscle Shoals come from? Is it the musicians? Is it the river that runs through the town? The film never definitively answers that question, and it doesn’t need to. It is enough to know that the magic exists and that it is in every frame of this great documentary.

The film is playing now in select theaters. If you are like me and don’t live anywhere near select theaters, you can rent it on iTunes. I suggest doing so at your earliest convenience. Click here to learn more about Muscle Shoals.