Tom Dowd & the Language of Music [DVD]

I originally saw this video back when it originally aired on HBO (ca 2004). At that time, I could have bought the video for $16.00, but I procrastinated and did not get it. Then it was not available. Long story short, I just paid over $100 for this video (including taxes and shipping), and to me, it is worth every penny. Before watching this video, I knew that Tom Dowd was the engineer/music producer that produced music for the Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd, and others, but I did not know just how extensive and how lengthy his career in the music industry was. He started working as a recording engineer in 1947, and he continued said work into the 21st century. The list of artists that he has worked with is too lengthy to enumerate here. (Watch the video to get and idea of all the artists that he worked with in his career.) Before watching the video, I did not know that Tom was part of the Manhattan Project that developed the Atomic Bomb that ended WWII--and that was while he was in high school. In 1947, he wanted to return to Columbia University to compete his studies and become a Nuclear Research Specialist. But because of national security concerns, he learned that the University was required to teach only 1930's physics--denying what he already knew to be true (from his work on the Manhattan Project), and so he decided to work as a recording engineer/music producer instead. Being both a musician and having knowledge of music theory as well as being an engineer and having technical knowledge, skills and abilities, he was able to combine all of these attributes to become arguably the greatest recording engineer/music producer of the 20th century. But, even more importantly (IMO), he seems to have been just a humble likeable servant-hearted man eager to serve and help others. (I base this on what others say about him both in this video and elsewhere.) I also liked the bonus material that was included with the DVD. Any astute person who watches this video can learn to be "a better person" by following Tom Dowd's example of being a selfless servant who promotes others; as Jesus said, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." (Mark 9:35)

This DVD's main feature is the stunning one-and-a-half-hour movie. The beginning is a out-of-sync history of Dowd's life before entering the music business (30's and early 40's) alternating with his entry into the music business (late 40's and early 50's) and specifically Atlantic's recordings, the backbeat being the recording technology (and recording engineer) of the time. This part is punctuated, oddly enough, with a psychidelic montage of A-bomb stock footage with Cream's "Tales of Brave Ulysses" dubbed on top. This montage makes more sense as you learn more about Tom Dowd and the music and more that he made in his life.After this we get to meet some of the R&B musicians that Tom Dowd recorded and worked with, mostly alternating between interviews of Dowd and interviews of the musicians, and occasional footage of the artists on the stage or occasionally (and very rewardingly) in the studio with Dowd. In particular there is some stunningly exemplary footage of Dowd in the studio with Aretha Franklin.Dowd has an almost overly friendly presence in the interviews, which at first seemed (to me) put on for the camera but I later figured out that this is the guy in real life.Interviews recount the technical and artistic relationship between Atlantic and Stax records, with again Dowd serving as the centerpiece of all activity.The last part has extensive interviews with Eric Clapton and members of the Allman Brothers culminating in Tom Dowd at the mixing board with the master tape of "Layla". For any fan of music this will be a thrilling moment, and it's only made better by Dowd's rediscovery of the original tracks. Moorman was interviewed on NPR about this and he was running-over with the glory of working with Dowd on this particular segment.Beyond the regular movie, there is bonus material of additional interviews with all the artists and the movers-and-shakers at Atlantic, especially Jerry Wexler. These interviews are not to be missed, if you have any interest at all in the folks who made all this music happen you have to read this. Dowd back at Columbia University is a real treat.And, after watching this, I went to the record collection on my shelf. Sure enough... Tom Dowd. His name is on them all, but I never knew him until now.

I could call myself an amateur music historian. I prefer to think of myself as a music history nut. No study of modern music history would be complete without viewing this video. It tells how Tom Dowd, the lead audio engineer at Atlantic Records, helped create his sound. Interviews with Dowd help music history students and rock music history lovers understand what a profound influence audio engineers have had on the sounds we all enjoy. Tom explains, mostly in layman's terms, how he created the sounds that went onto the records and how the artists were "discovered" by Atlantic, Stax, and other record producers. Many stars in the business are interviewed, from Ray Charles, to the Allman Brothers, showing how Dowd helped them create the sound they were looking for without him being too overbearing on sensitive artists' creativity. In doing so, Dowd was as much a A&R man and a publicist as he was an audio engineer. He was nothing short of a genius and this video tells his story as well as the story of music creation during early rock'n'roll better than any of the books I've read. More than this, the video tells how Dowd, Atlantic, and Stax were foremost in breaking down the walls of segregation in the south through music and helped bring soul music to the masses. I highly recommend this video to anyone who loves rock music and would like to know more about it's history.

An absolute pleasure from start to finish, excellent!!!

Das Video wurde in pensadosplace.com Episode #130 (über youtube zu sehen) empfohlen und beschreibt sehr schön die Entwicklung der Aufnahmetechnik von den allerersten Tonbandaufnahmen bis heute, wobei Tom Dowd eine zentrale Rolle vergleichbar mit Les Paul als Entwicklungs- und Aufnahme-ingenieur spielt. Ganz nebenbei erfährt man so Einiges über die Entwicklung der Musikszene in Amerika und Europa parallel zur Aufnahmetechnik - so ein Film war lange überfällig.

「彼」Tom Dowdがいなければ、現在のような高音質のステレオ録音の技術が確立されるのには後10年は必要になり、その間に活動したアーチスト達の作品は、悉く“悲惨な音”になっていたんじゃないか、と思うと、彼の功績の大きさには感動します。この映画は、特定のアーチストのファンのためのものではなく、音楽（業界）を制作者側から（ミュージシャンを含む）みた歴史と、その立役者達の生の声を収録している「伝記映画」です。エリック・クラプトンとデュアン・オールマンが、どうやって出会って、あの名曲「レイラ」を作ったのか、その辺りに興味が向かない人には、見て欲しくないですね。

Ce DVD est une vrai mine d'or, il est une histoire de l'arrangement musical et de l'effet de la technologie sur l'évolution de l'esthétique musicale. A voir absolument par tous musiciens.

Great doc for anyone interested in this legend.