Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Sundance Film: Troubadours

Director: Morgan Neville
Website: N/A

Summary: Framed by the illustrious careers of James Taylor and Carole King, Troubadours delves into the quietly explosive singer-songwriter movement in Los Angeles during the early 1970s. From their home at impresario Doug Weston’s Troubadour club in West Hollywood, artists like Taylor, King, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, and Kris Kristofferson (the list goes on) wrote and performed songs with intimately personal lyrics, marking a transition from the politically focused songs of the ’60s. While some rock critics denigrated the music, the spirit among the musicians was one of collaboration and inspiration, and these singer songwriters flourished.
Morgan Neville creates a riveting chronicle of the time, weaving together archival footage, rare performances, and interviews from a veritable who’s who, including Elton John, Steve Martin, and Bonnie Raitt. Troubadours takes us deeply into the scene (and its inevitable demise) and celebrates the pure, timeless music and the undeniable legacy of these groundbreaking singer songwriters.

Excitement scale (1-10): 4 – Much like Sing Your Song, there is no specific reason to not be excited about this documentary, but alas, I just don’t see a reason to be excited. Though it covers great artists and features fascinating interviews, director Morgan Neville has been up this road before with little recognition for his work. Perhaps he tries something unique here though.

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