Standing In The Shadows of Motown

Rating:
Summary: Unsung heros
Review: I was aware, as I sat in the theater watching this movie, of a big fat smile pasted on my face. The same one that pops out at a great concert. I left the theater full of love and admiration for these musicians.
The Funk Brothers backed the greats of Motown, grinding out consistantly amazing music from a little basement studio with none of the glory. They were studio musicians of the highest order and this movie is a wonderful tribute.

Rating:
Summary: Motown and Hockey Town
Review: So the other night I put on my Red Wings jersey and took my wife to see Standing in the Shadows of Motown, celebrating the Detroit I knew back in the early sixties and the music of my life. The documentary honors the Funk Brothers, mostly African - American, but a couple white guys, who played on all those Tempts, Smokey, 4 Tops and Supremes classics. I was in the 8th or 9th grade when My Guy and Please Mr. Postman launched it all. The relaxed reminiscences of those years from the surviving Funk Brothers, their tributes to each other and to the fellow players -- bassman James Jamerson first and foremost -- nicely recreate a time when Detroit had reason beyond the Red Wings to feel optimistic. Some period footage is a nice bonus, as is seeing the gorgeous Martha Reeves again. The music and the Funk Brothers playing are as powerful as ever. Ben Harper and Me'Shell NdegeOcello are particularly effective interpreters of the classics. Joan Osburne does pretty well also, but Chaka Khan is a really bizarre choice to sing What's Goin' On, and does it as poorly as you would expect. It is just about the only flaw in a richly entertaining and overdue tribute.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful and Yet,,,Terribly Sad
Review: Being in the music business I can understand the pain that these incredible musicians must have felt. The Funk Bros were probably the Best Studio Band in HISTORY! It hurt to watch that movie, what a tragedy it was to see those great musicians die 1 by 1 yet not be recognized. Where was Motown in this movie? where was the support? These gentleman DESERVE RESPECT and a Large Scale production must be created on their legacy! Can you imagine the publishing that is truly due to them? They should have and still should be Living Plush! It was painful to watch the few FB's left working in hotel lounges, they should still be putting their magic on today's hit records. One thing to give thanks for, there Is a God and What goes around Comes Around! God Bless The Funk Brothers and Shame on ANY Living Motown Legend that earned money using the sevices of the Funk Brothers Yet did not support the documentary. Shame on you!

Rating:
Summary: An enlightening,emotional and moving experience!
Review: To anyone out there whose life was touched by this music it is a 'must see'. From beginning to end it was both joyful and sad. I believe it's Oscar worthy but, even if there is no nomination I don't care, it is a treasure I am glad to have stumbled upon. These musicians deserved this acclaim long ago--but, I'm grateful for it now--I can only imagine how they feel. I laughed, I cried and I reminisced. Motown took me away...again.

Rating:
Summary: Emotional experience
Review: It was very emotional for me to see the groove behind the great Motown tunes. As a music lover, I can't tell you how much I appreciate the musicians who gave their heart and soul to create beautiful tunes. Go see it if it was near you. The unsung heros, known as the Funk Brothers, have a story to tell and what a story that is

BTW, I bought the sound track after seeing the movie and can't stop playing since.

Rating:
Summary: Long Overdue
Review: This movie is awesome!!! It made me laugh, cry and sing along. Mostly, the fact that these guys enjoyed playing so much. They first received publicly acknowledged credit on Marvin Gaye's What's Goin On album in the liner notes. Before that, they were not mentioned but heard by all.

This film is not to be missed and you will certainly want to read the book and get the soundtrack.

Rating:
Summary: Got Soul...?
Review: "Standing in the Shadows of Motown," is an absolute delight. It's the story of the "Funk Brothers," an integrated group of musicians who were the soul behind the soul. As the house band for Motown they were the sound that propelled more number one hits than the Beach Boys, the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and the great Elvis combined. These guys invented the groove. The movie is a straightforward collection of conversations, documentary concert footage, and reunion concert footage, with a few dramatized bits thrown in for texture and comic relief. At the beginning of the movie, someone said that "Deputy Dawg" would have sounded good backed up by the "Funk Brothers." The point is proven by the reunion footage that has good singers giving outstanding performances with the most laid back band in the world. By the end of the movie you not only like and admire these guys, you get to see how much they liked each other. They had to. Not only were a few of the personalities troubled, but it seems they never stopped working, and had to supplement their Motown payroll with gigs around town. See this movie, see who was standing behind the top soul singers of the 60's and 70's, and enjoy the groove.

Rating:
Summary: mesmerizing!
Review: i loved this eye-opening, behind-the-scenes look at the incredible musicians responsible for so many of those #1 Motown hits.
long overdue. it's too bad that some of the guys passed on before the film was made and hardly received the respect and glory while alive.

last, hardly least: joan osborne's version of "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" just may bring tears to your eyes.
(Having been a great fan of music for many years) i am ashamed/embarrassed to admit that until this movie i had no real idea how gifted a singer this woman truly is.

i sat in awe as she belted out this song and could not stop myself from playing it a few more times after the initial viewing of the film.

i guess there is no alternative for me, but to go out and buy a CD or two by this great talent.

see this DVD. it's a gem. thank you, funk brothers, for enriching our lives through your magical gifts!

Rating:
Summary: Joan Osborne will MELT your Heart
Review: I saw this on Showtime approx. 2 months ago. I'd heard of Joan Osborne before this, never heard Her until that night actually sing. All of these cats that back Her up are early 70's for the most part and they are on. Joan Osborne will leave You for dead as will the band. She makes this song Her own. It's sooooo moving, one cant describe it, cant place the performance into words. "Any woman" vewing this for the first time will feel Joan's hurt, Her love lost within so much Feeling. Any Man...well, quite simply put, you'll Fall In LOVE with This wonderful Singer. *Warm Smile* It is soooo special. As for the rest of it, I know so little of Motown. It seemed to be very well done overall. I just ordered it for I "HAVE" to Have Joan's performance within it. There should be a law that a woman cant do that to a man within a song. *SMILE* It Will Tear your Heart out. Etta James does this very regularly. I didnt know Osborne had it in Her. Buy this DVD today.

Rating:
Summary: A gift for musicians, a history lesson for all.
Review: I became aware of the Funk Brothers around 1990 or so. I just started playing bass and the album "What's going On" was killing me! So I started tracking info down on James Jamerson. Which led me to Alan Slutsky's book on James Jamerson which shares the same title. After that, I picked up "Hitsville; Motown 1959-1971", which really covers all the music in this DVD very well.

I had been preaching the gospel of the Funk Brothes for a long time.To call these performers merely "session players" is just crazy.

I was still unprepared for the effect that the video would have on me. I went between tears and an ear to ear grin several times.

I cannot really find any fault with any aspect of the DVD release, such is my emotional attachment to these guys. Could Ben Harper have been tighter? Sure. Was Joan Osbourne a little too raspy on "Heatwave"? Possibly. Was Chaka Khan a little over the top on "What's Goin' On"? Could be. But people are missing the point. As was said in the video, "you could take a chicken down into studio 'A', have him squawk on 2 and 4 and we could still make a hit with him!"

Rest in Peace, Pistol Allen and Johnny Griffin. I am so glad you all made it through taping the movie.

And Berry Gordy. SHAME on you! Having a Motown 25 anniversary and not using the original musicians when they were all alive and kicking.

Ironically, a female friend of mine who I hipped to the Brothers knew somebody on the crew of the documentary and was going to be one of the people who was asked, "who are the funk brothers" but because of me she answered, "Oh, you mean James Jamerson and the Motown band?" They stopped filming and said, "wait! NOBODY has gotten that right yet!"

Get the DVD. Feel the love of music the way it is SUPPOSED to be made.