The story of the Wrecking Crew is fascinating, but it's also one that some fans of 1960s music MIGHT not want to see. It's not that the film is bad (it's terrific) but because you learn through the course of the documentary that so many groups you loved at the time really didn't exist...at least not like you thought. So, when groups like The Byrds, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, and many others traveled the country doing concerts, the actual musicians on their albums were session musicians dubbed 'the Wrecking Crew'! So, when Alpert made a great tune that resulted in instant fame, he needed to find folks willing to travel as his band...and the session musicians didn't want to go because they were so good that they were just too busy working and making lots of money to go on the road!! I thought this was all very interesting though I thought the only groups like these were The Monkees, The Partridge Family and some of the Phil Spector bands. But, this film makes it sound like just about EVERYONE made albums this way--and not just rock, but pop, country and 'old people' tunes of the day!
For me, I didn't mind learning the truth. And, I really loved seeing a lot of the 60s stars as they look today--and the film is a huge star-studded documentary. You'll see the likes of Brian Wilson (who looks much better than he used to since he cleaned up and got properly medicated), Herb Alpert, Cher, Glen Campbell (who was odd because he started as one of these session musicians and later became a top star), Nancy Sinatra and many others appear--and sing the praises of these studio musicians. And, most importantly, you get to not only hear about the musicians...but finally see them! A treat for any child of the 60s but younger whippersnappers might not appreciate it. But being a 50-something guy, I don't care what the young folks think...I just loved watching this film.
By the way, if you do watch a few things to look for: how much Gary Lewis looks like his father (Jerry), how much money some of these studio musicians blew through, some of the sites in Hollywood that are very famous but which most of us have never seen (such as the Capital Records building), a lady musician who was just 'one of the guys', the "Gong Show" clip, the fact that this was a Kickstarter film and much more...
For me, I didn't mind learning the truth. And, I really loved seeing a lot of the 60s stars as they look today--and the film is a huge star-studded documentary. You'll see the likes of Brian Wilson (who looks much better than he used to since he cleaned up and got properly medicated), Herb Alpert, Cher, Glen Campbell (who was odd because he started as one of these session musicians and later became a top star), Nancy Sinatra and many others appear--and sing the praises of these studio musicians. And, most importantly, you get to not only hear about the musicians...but finally see them! A treat for any child of the 60s but younger whippersnappers might not appreciate it. But being a 50-something guy, I don't care what the young folks think...I just loved watching this film.
By the way, if you do watch a few things to look for: how much Gary Lewis looks like his father (Jerry), how much money some of these studio musicians blew through, some of the sites in Hollywood that are very famous but which most of us have never seen (such as the Capital Records building), a lady musician who was just 'one of the guys', the "Gong Show" clip, the fact that this was a Kickstarter film and much more...