Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Pretty Good

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Very cool documentary! Percy Sledge was very cool! I work in residential care with a very Caring man named Ted; he sings to residents and was amazed at the story of Percy Sledge. I am really touched by Ricks life and all that he had to go through I thought the whole documentary was absolutely amazing, thanks to everyone that told their stories!From the very sad beginning to the amount of problems he faced I feel deeply sorry for him; but he tried and made it through all of life's trials and tribulations! I think Rick is a very strong and determined person. Thanks for sharing the River that always sings" hope to visit it one day!

My friend Ron recommended this film available on Netflix streaming movies, and I put off watching it for a long time. When I finally did start I found it hard to quit. It surely is one of the most interesting films ever about the music recording business.Muscle Shoals is a small town on the Tennessee river, just across from the bigger town, Florence, in the NW corner of Alabama, and over 100 miles East of Memphis and about the same distance S.W of Nashville. It is the definition of "middle of nowhere." So why and how did this become the center of some of the most significant recordings on the 1960s, 1970s, and on?There is some lore about the river "singing" and some say that is a big reason why Muscle Shoals is perfect for recording music. But it was more the vision and efforts of Rick Hall, the founder of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Hall had a hard childhood. His mother felt incompetent so left to live with an aunt who ran a brothel. Hall grew up not having a mother, made even more difficult knowing what she was doing. His dad was a hard worker, and even though they were dirt poor always told his son the do everything not only as well as he could, but better than anyone anywhere.That guided Hall into forming FAME studios, building it and engineering it himself, gathering a group of nondescript young local musicians, and starting to make records. His goal was simple, make every record sound good enough to become a #1 hit. And many, many of them did, with some of the greatest musicians of the time. Eventually his musicians banded together and left to form their own recording studio across town and, after maybe 8 months of nothing, lucked into several upcoming groups and eventually became super successful also. As word of mouth spread in the industry, the best musicians and groups were asking to go to one of the two studios in Muscle Shoals.FAME studios is on the main drag of the town, on one side is a pharmacy and on the other side a pizza joint. Right across the street is an auto supply store and another pharmacy. It is a nondescript building and if it didn't have the big 'FAME Recording Studios' sign over the entrance you'd never guess it is the landmark studio that it is.Good film!

Thank God that this documentary was made. There are interviews you're not going to see anywhere else with the people that made history. At one point I wondered why they were veering off into an Existential analysis of Rick Hall and it made sense as the narrative went on, it kept the documentary grounded and all the Muscle Shoals folks in focus. I've read articles where Nashville session players will get tracks through the internet. Spend 8 hours crafting a solo, record it and email it back and never set foot in the studio. I wouldn't say that studio's days are numbered but for session players the format that made Muscle Shoals so important may be waning.My only gripe is why is Bono in this film at all? He's a 'rock star' not a musician or artist.

OK, I plead guilty to living within a stones throw of the subject of this movie.If you are a fan of the music that started out in the '60s in this country, this is a must see. It gives you an insight into how the music we listen to has come into being. From the roots in the blues and R&B morphing into Rock and Roll. You may find something out about your favorite songs that you never knew.The setting for the interviews focuses you on the person speaking. There are some amazing images in the film. In some ways it shows the area in an almost idyllic frame. The historical footage is worth the ticket price alone.Bonus points if you actually recognize the unnamed blues legend show while they talk about Sam Phillips. If you are going to create a list of must see movies about music and musicians, this will be on the short list.