Our take
Similar in spirit and in subject matter to the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, The Wrecking Crew pulls back the curtain on the recording of many of the greatest American songs of the 1960s and ’70s: that a single group of unassuming session musicians were responsible for bringing out the sound in these tracks. The film is a treasure trove for musicians and music fans, making you hear certain instrumental nuances in a different light and deepening your perception of music between what was written and what was recorded. Then inevitably and tragically, the realization sets in that few—if any—of these musicians have received the recognition they truly deserve, as essential but unfairly small parts of a music industry ecosystem that often cares more about image and entertainment than musicianship.
The story
A celebration of the musical work of a group of session musicians known as "The Wrecking Crew." a band that provided back-up instrumentals to such legendary recording artists as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, and Bing Crosby.
Elsewhere
"It'll make you listen to "Good Vibrations," a song you've heard a million times, with fresh ears."
— Christy Lemire
"The unsung heroes who played on stacks of wax during the '60s pop era are celebrated in a hugely entertaining documentary."
— Joe Leydon
The details
The Other Dream Team
Marius A. Markevicius & Marius Markevicius
Fifi Howls from Happiness
Mitra Farahani
Gather
Sanjay Rawal
On the Record
Amy Ziering & Kirby Dick
Wojnarowicz
Chris McKim
Aswang
Alyx Ayn Arumpac
Moonage Daydream
Brett Morgen
Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story
Adam Carolla & Nate Adams
Who picked it
Emil Hofileña is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. He also writes as a theater critic, with work published in Rogue and Out of Print, among others. He’s probably crying over a movie or an episode as we speak.
