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Strong and Moving!

Don't Believe the Hype

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

Growing up in the sixties and seventies for me, as with most young people then, records were a part of our daily life. Possibly more so than ever before music shaped us and molded us. It was a part of our daily lives as transistor radios made it easy for us to have access to music. That paved the path for us to seek out the music we loved and in so doing directed us to the record store, that glorious haven of vinyl that drained us of money earned mowing lawns.While record stores were mostly mom and pop joints at the same time chains began to pop up. Locally there was Karma Records and Peaches. But perhaps the most famous well known record store was Tower Records. Tower Records was the store in LA that was featured in numerous movies I saw in the 70s. The building with the huge replicas of album covers posted on the outside of the building, where rock stars showed for release parties and where they could also be found picking up the latest hits was well known no matter where you lived.When I saw this documentary was coming out I was excited to hear about their story. Vinyl had disappeared from the music scene by compact discs but that didn't destroy the music store business. Then along came digital downloads. No longer did you have to go to the store to purchase your music. You could just get online and there it was. That brought about, to me at least, the end of the music store business. But watching this documentary I learned that wasn't exactly the case with Tower Records.The movie starts at the beginning of the business, how it was small like all businesses are and then grew over time. It shows the gradual progression of the small business into the conglomerate that it was, an influence in the world of music it was so big. There was a time when Tower Records boasted that it made $1 billion dollars in a single year. But then things begin to change and the fortunes once thought to be never ending slowly changed.This movie is incredibly well made. Some documentaries have that boring tone to them, a slow meandering pace that makes you anxious for it to get to the point. This film draws you in from the start with smooth storytelling and great visuals that take you back to the time when record stores ruled the world of music.While watching the movie I found myself recalling all those hours spent in record stores looking at album art, many of those albums which I have retained for that very reason. I thought of looking at the new releases up front and the cut out albums I could purchase for less if funds were tight. I realized how many songs bring back certain memories to this day. I can't hear "Band on the Run" without thinking back to walking in a parking lot as I left a free outdoor concert and it blared from the sound system between acts. All of these thing tie in to visits to the record store.And this movie brought back memories of that desire to see the mecca of all record stores, Tower Records. It was there in Rolling Stone magazine. It was featured in movies like FM. It was always there and now like many things from the past it is gone. Talk to young people today and they have no idea what Tower Records was and less about what a record store is.The movie is well crafted and holds your interest from start to final credits. It includes some memorable music as well as commentary from various music royalty. It tells the story not only of the store but the history of records and the music business as well. Best of all it never gets boring. So watch this with someone young so they can see what it was all about. Show them what going to the record store was like. And relive some of those great memories you still have. Dream of what it would have been like to visit that best of all record stores, Tower Records while watching.

This a feature documentary film taking a good glimpse at the rise and fall of a legacy. Tower Records dominated the retail music market for decades coming to rise in 1960. The birth child of the flamboyant and rebellious founder Russ Solomon. Humble beginnings becoming a powerhouse in the industry. By 2000, Tower records was worth $1 billion and six years later fell victim to the Internet and free streaming music sites, proving a major lesson of objectivity to how business is at the fate of realities in the ever changing marketplace. In 2006, as Tower Records faded in the sunset of bankruptcy, two hundred stores in thirty countries, the heart and soul of the music world stopped beating. But the legacy remains.Some of the music featured: Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys, Perry Como, The Rooftop Singers, the Beach Boys, T. Rex, Steve Miller Band, Rolling Stones and George Harrison.Sharing commentary are: David Geffen, Steve Knopper, David Grohl, Chris Cornell, Elton John, Chuck D., Bruce Springteen, Heidi Cotler, Steve Nikkel, Mike Ferrace and Russ Solomon.

It is not often you see a documentary that combines business, history, music, but most importantly nearly every viewer over the age of 30 living all over the world has a deeply personal connection to the film. The old footage and photos I'm sure have never been seen by many people before, yet we all can relate to nearly everything. Watching this film took me back to my own life experience when I was young. Given Tower had been accessible to so many people on the planet Earth during its existence between the 1960's up until 2004, nearly everyone walked into one of their stores at least once, if not 100 times before they closed their doors. The film does an amazing job of letting the viewer into the private side of Tower Records yet at the same time, celebrates everyone's own unique and personal experience of pursuing their exploration and celebration of the love of music. The interviews with the staff of Tower combined with the first hand accounts of the actual musicians who both made a living selling their records and acquiring records of other musicians they were inspired by is incredibly entertaining. In retrospect, the film is a beautiful time capsule exploring the personal and public history of many generations of music fans, (my generation and probably yours) musicians, music industry insiders, and a poignant experience describing the real life story of the highs and lows of those who started an entire industry told by those who actually lived it. Its a must see for 2016.

Just saw this today at Ground Zero, Sacramento's 75 year old Tower Theater that had right next door, Tower Drugs where the founder, Russ Solomon, started what became a world-wide musical empire. I was not surprised at the influence Tower had on the recording industry, particularly after they opened up their Sunset Blvd store in Los Angeles. Didn't realize though that many big recording stars such as Bruce Springsteen and Elton John shopped there. It's a fascinating look not only at the rise and fall of Tower Records, but the recording industry's changes over the years. You'll even see how the Beach Boys changed their sales focus. If Tower Records was in your life, and chances are if you are over 30 it was, this is a must-see. Kudos to Colin Hanks, who spent seven years on this project.