Sadly Over-hyped

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

There's high chance you've never heard of them before, even though you've very likely heard what they do, but the musicians nicknamed The Wrecking Crew are without question some of the most important members of musical history thanks to their extensive collection of works from the late 50's through to the 70's.Session artists that were like the A-Team of up for hire musicians, The Wrecking Crew were a part of so many pop culture hits and legendary pieces of music that it's highly likely one of your favourite old school songs has a member or two of the crew on it.From The Beach Boys (whose famed album Pet Sounds was almost entirely recorded with Wrecking Crew members), Frank Sinatra, Glen Campbell (who was himself a member of the Crew before branching out into a solo career), Sonny and Cher, The Mamas and the Papas, Simon and Garfunkel and the Monkey's are but a few of the celebrated artists that members of The Wrecking Crew played with and often influenced with their extensive and skillful knowledge of music and a variety of instruments.A labour of love for filmmaker Denny Tedesco whose father Tommy was a key member of the group with his outstanding guitar playing (a frequently used player whose tunes can be heard all over popular TV shows even e.g. Bonanza's main theme), The Wrecking Crew was filmed over a number of years and completed with help from a successful Kickstarter campaign (finished in 2008 the film was not released until last year), whose supporters wanted the world to know more about these unsung musical heroes and there's little doubting the care and effort that's been put into this production even though it at times remains a little rough around the edges and certain members don't get ample enough airplay.This is a must watch for anyone who calls themselves music fans and an insightful look into the creation of many of the eras greatest hits plus the rise of popular music of that time. The Wrecking Crew is documentary entertainment at its most fun, un-preachy and easy to digest and should be mandatory viewing for those that grew up surrounded by these musicians works, even if they didn't know it at the time.3 ½ Glen Campbell bowl cuts out of 5

For anybody who has an interest in the music of the 60's, this is a must-see documentary. This one - along with Standing In The Shadows of Motown - show you the real musical talent behind some of the greatest Pop hits of the 60's. At least with Motown - we knew it was the musicians in the studio that created the sound the sound that we loved to hear on the radio and on our 45's - even if we didn't know the musicians by name.With the Wrecking Crew, they played the instruments in the studio on so many big Pop hits of the 60's while we watched bands looking as though they played them!! For me, it doesn't detract from how great those songs were then - and now!!! It was surprising to realize that a lot of the Beach Boys hits were created by the Wrecking Crew under the guidance of Brian Wilson while the band were out on the road touring! The anecdotes by several members of these session musicians were very entertaining. I doubt they got paid anywhere near their real worth - but for these guys, it was a labor of love - and as long as they had enough money to pay the bills, that was fine by them.When you re-visit some of these old hits from the 60's you will listen to them with a different set of ears!!! That intro riff to Wichita Lineman by Carol Kaye is one example. The artistry of all these musicians needs to be recognized and acknowledged - and it is through this documentary.

Those who can hear in the mind's ear the rest of the lyrics to the above summary line may find themselves joyful to watch this aggregation of the many major but unsung talents of the pop music explosion of the mid- twentieth stationery. There are interviews with many longtime musicians who played on almost all of the 'hits' of that era, but who went unrecognized and worked anonymously for most of their lives. This move is an homage to these musicians, who, notwithstanding their anonymity, seemed to enjoy a bond among themselves that was second to none. Many insights are provided on the creation of music that is now part of the soundtrack of our lives.Truly a labor of love for all involved. For maximum musical edification, I would strongly recommend a double feature, following up with 20 Feet from Stardom.

Secrecy, deception, lies, conspiracies, aliases, big money, celebrity careers and reputations constantly on the line.....With plot elements such as these built in, the story of The Wrecking Crew had the potential to be Oliver Stone-d to the realm of the Twilight Zone by veering off into absurd theories. As a documentary, it also had the potential to bore viewers into unconsciousness with excessive facts and figures. Or, thankfully, it had the potential to be what it is: ninety-five thoroughly enjoyable minutes of getting acquainted with people you thought you knew, but were actually others who you may have never heard of.Confused? That is exactly what, for decades, the music industry executives and most of their star performers wanted you to be. We were intentionally misled into accepting that all credit for what we listened to and purchased in the form of vinyl discs with holes in the center was entirely the work of those whose names appeared on the record labels. Unless you moved in certain circles or had access to the right sources, you had no idea how far from the truth you were.In the late 1950's rock and roll music caught on and consumer tastes changed. With money to be made, record labels sought to crank out the greatest amount of product for the least amount of investment. That meant using musicians who could deliver quality recordings within a minimum of studio time.Most of the established studio musicians either could not or would not work for rock and roll sessions. This opened the door for the new breed of studio players who began arriving in Los Angeles around that time. Being less formal and eager to play anything (even rock and roll!), the status quo was convinced that these new people were destined to wreck the music business. The Wrecking Crew name stuck, and so did the new musicians. From the late '50's into the 70's, Wrecking Crew personnel provided instrumental tracks for just about every hit song that was recorded in L.A. The list of Wrecking Crew-driven hits and number ones on the charts is huge! And with each gold record, their individual and collective reputations soared higher and higher.They were the machine that all but guaranteed success for recording artists, and the producers of rock/pop stars knew that. Wrecking Crew members got the majority of calls for studio sessions, not only for records, but also for television and movie soundtracks and commercial jingles. They even recorded instrumental songs of their own (under fictitious names) that charted, and bands were later recruited to do these tunes at live shows and accept credit for the Wrecking Crew's work.Fast forward to the late 1990's. Tommy Tedesco, an extraordinary guitarist who had been one of those upstart musicians, was diagnosed with cancer. Denny Tedesco, his son whose own skills lay in the film industry, embarked on a mission to accurately document the astounding, yet unsung, contributions that his father and coworkers made in supplying the "soundtrack of our lives." It was a quest that took years to complete.The Wrecking Crew was never an organized band; they were individuals who trickled into the L.A. music studios between the late '50's and mid 60's. The number of those who should be counted as Crew members has been estimated at up to two dozen. They covered the typical instruments heard on rock records: guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, horns, and other percussion. Many played multiple instruments. While the Wrecking Crew alumni identified in the film may be mostly unknown to the general public, you might recognize some names. Besides Tommy Tedesco, they include: Carol Kaye, Joe Osborn, Julius Wechter, Leon Russell, Billy Strange, Glen Campbell, Earl Palmer, Al Casey, Plas Johnson, Steve Douglas, Don Randi, Larry Knechtel, Don Peake, Bill Pitman, and Hal Blaine.Playing music was how they earned a living, while those they backed frequently became stars and household names. They often worked long shifts and odd hours, mostly for scale. Yet, they were the right people, at the right place, at the right time. We are the beneficiaries of their skill, talent, intuition, creativity, and camaraderie, plus a love and passion for what they were doing.I am not going to tell you the whole story, I am going to urge you to see this film. Denny Tedesco has assembled a phenomenal tribute to his late father and the Wrecking Crew. Told through archival footage, still photos, interviews, and (of course) the music itself, the film has just enough historical data, just enough humor, and just enough pathos. As good as it is, the forthcoming DVD with added outtakes should be that much better.After viewing this film, you will likely find yourself listening to these songs in a way you never have before. Denny Tedesco has succeeded in preserving important details in the history of modern American popular music with this wonderfully entertaining film.