First, and this is very important. If you are a proud Alabamian, or an Alabamian who desperately wants to be proud, or a history buff, there is something you must do. If your fingers play air guitar ballet when you hear the signature riffs of the Allmans or Skynard, or if you belt it out with Aretha or Etta or Pickett or Sledge as if you are their backup singers, or if tears still come to your eyes when you join Clarence Carter in wailing the gut-wrenching lyrics "Patches, I'm depending on you son, to pull the family through, this time, my son, it's all left up to you . . .", . .if any of these things apply to you, or even if they don't, you must, you simply must see, hear and feel,
"Muscle Shoals"
"Muscle Shoals" is a documentary film about the mysterious, magical music industry of the small town in northwest Alabama, and the amazing handful of people that created the music we love. I promise you, you will learn things that you don't know about Alabama.. And you will hear some great music that you may have forgotten. And you will hear and see a great, great true story, told by the delightful, gritty, real characters who wrote it. Folks that seem like us. They are us. They didn't leave Alabama to find the music elsewhere. They brought the music world to Alabama. To Muscle Shoals. And they made timeless magic.
It is now playing at the Edge 12 theaters on Crestwood in Birmingham.. It should be playing everywhere in Alabama. Maybe it will if you all go see it at the Edge. Just a note about the Edge. They greeted me more like I was coming in to a church fellowship dinner than a movie multiplex. That set the stage for a wonderful evening at the movies.
I rarely make recommendations. Too risky. But do this. If you have a miserable time, blame me. Cuss me all the way home. It won't be on the big screen long, so don't wait.
Donna Roberts wrote "The Good Food Cookbook for Dogs". I never met a dog that was into cooking, but that's a different story. The same Donna Roberts is credited with one of my favorite quotes that I wish I had said:
“A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”
This crowd from Muscle Shoals knew the songs of our hearts even before we knew them, and then they did what they had to do to make sure that we were able to hear them. I, for one, can never thank them enough.
The film is a wonderful reminder that there are things within us that define us, that are important and powerful, and do not need to be forgotten. And just as significant, it reminds us that there are things beyond us that are so much greater than we are, and yet, invite us to become a part.
These days it seems that it is easy to forget the song of the heart. I went to the movie alone, except it didn't feel that way. I was sitting among strangers and yet among family sharing common memories and feelings. For a few moments we lost, or perhaps more accurately found ourselves, in the powerful reminders of old friends I never really knew, but who have always seemed to know me so well..
The movie ended. The crowd applauded. It seemed no one was in a hurry to leave.
"Y'all have a good night now," the ticket lady said with a smile as I was walking out.
And I did.
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