Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story

[Sundog]

I couldn't find any mention of this so at the risk of being redundant...

The Stax Records Story

[NaturalSoul]

Thanks!

[NaturalSoul]

anyone else watch?

i thought it was excellent.

[Soulstation1]

:tup :tup

[Sundog]

The musical footage was obviously great. I found the actual story of the day-to-day business operations and dealings (coupled with the integration angle) to be equally fascinating. A fine well balanced documentary.

[jazzbo]

I was only able to catch about 30 minutes; it was a very entertaining 30 minutes.

[Dan Gould]

I saw the review in the Times yesterday and was all psyched for it yet can't find when my PBS station is actually running the damn thing.

[Jim Alfredson]

Very cool, although I wish they would've gone into some artist bio's a bit more (like Al Jackson, Jr.) And why no mention of Aretha? I realize she was on Atlantic like (technically) Sam & Dave, but she did her best recordings in Memphis.

[BruceH]

I just happened to bump into it by happy accident last night and was able to catch an hour of it. Excellent documentary, and the concert footage was unbelievable! I always rather preferred Stax to Motown; this reminded me why.

[dprfish]

Obviously, Stax played a huge part in the development and dissemination of soul music in general and Southern soul in particular, but I feel that the dogged focus on Stax and their artists obscures so much less "produced" Southern soul.

Who here listens regularly to music on labels like Jewel/Paula/Ronn, Hotlanta, Glades, or Sound Stage 7? Who here knows people like Jimmy Lewis (who actually had one single on Stax) or Roscoes Shelton and Robinson or Ted Taylor or Geater Davis? All SS artists of the highest order - not to mention better known names like O.V. Wright and James Carr.

Stax had the publicity (and the big-label money support), but there were so many other singers plying their trade at the time making far sweatier, more intense records that speak volumes to me about the time and place in which they were made. With some notable exceptions, Stax stuff just doesn't do this for me.

To make the situation worse, we have "expert reviewers" like AllMusic's resident reductionist Richie Unterberger telling us that almost everything soulful that wasn't recorded on McLemore Avenue between 1965 and 1975 was just a ripoff of the "Stax sound."

Sad.

[Adam]

Very cool, although I wish they would've gone into some artist bio's a bit more (like Al Jackson, Jr.) And why no mention of Aretha? I realize she was on Atlantic like (technically) Sam & Dave, but she did her best recordings in Memphis.

Because it was a documentary about Stax, not about Memphis.

And there was just another doc on Ahmet Ertugen and Atlantic records, with plenty of Aretha, also on PBS.

Both of these films also just played at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Alas, I missed them on the big screen.

Edited August 2, 2007 by Adam

[Adam]

Obviously, Stax played a huge part in the development and dissemination of soul music in general and Southern soul in particular, but I feel that the dogged focus on Stax and their artists obscures so much less "produced" Southern soul.

Who here listens regularly to music on labels like Jewel/Paula/Ronn, Hotlanta, Glades, or Sound Stage 7? Who here knows people like Jimmy Lewis (who actually had one single on Stax) or Roscoes Shelton and Robinson or Ted Taylor or Geater Davis? All SS artists of the highest order - not to mention better known names like O.V. Wright and James Carr.

Stax had the publicity (and the big-label money support), but there were so many other singers plying their trade at the time making far sweatier, more intense records that speak volumes to me about the time and place in which they were made. With some notable exceptions, Stax stuff just doesn't do this for me.

To make the situation worse, we have "expert reviewers" like AllMusic's resident reductionist Richie Unterberger telling us that almost everything soulful that wasn't recorded on McLemore Avenue between 1965 and 1975 was just a ripoff of the "Stax sound."

Sad.

It was a documentary about Stax, not about Memphis or about other labels. Jeez guys, look at the title of the show! That is what was sold, what PBS wanted, and what was made. Sure there should be a doc about all those other labels, but this wasn't it! And I think (as a doc maker) that it is ridiculous to criticize a doc for not being about some other topic. And when you include too many topics in one film, it just waters down that doc so that it isn't a good film about anything.

OK, done venting now. Thank you for your patience.

[dprfish]

Adam,

If you read my post again, you may notice that I wasn't criticizing the doc. I WAS criticizing the media's propensity for jamming Stax/Motown down our throats as the "whole story" of soul music when there was SO MUCH ELSE going on at the time.

Let's not forget: PBS was also responsible for Ken Burns' Jazz, and I think most of us can agree that its "errors of omission" were greater than the sum of its parts.

[RDK]

I wish Ken Burns had done this so we could all pile on and hate it.

[paul secor]

Very cool, although I wish they would've gone into some artist bio's a bit more (like Al Jackson, Jr.) And why no mention of Aretha? I realize she was on Atlantic like (technically) Sam & Dave, but she did her best recordings in Memphis.

I never knew that Aretha recorded in Memphis. ????

[Jim Alfredson]

My mistake. She did those classic albums for Atlanta in Muscle Shoals. I thought they were at Stax. Oops.

[JSngry]

My mistake. She did those classic albums for Atlanta in Muscle Shoals. I thought they were at Stax. Oops.

Ah...

Actually, she only did her first Atlantic session (just 2 songs - " I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)" & "Do Right Woman-Do Right Man") in Muscle Shoals. After that, she recorded (mostly) in NYC but brought the Muscle Shoals rhythm section up for the sessions.

[BruceH]

I wish Ken Burns had done this so we could all pile on and hate it.

Don't worry; his World War II thing will be coming out soon.