Filmmaker Garret Price explores yacht rock, the breezy subgenre of soft rock, in the next installment of HBO’s Music Box series, which focuses on pivotal moments in music.
Music Box: Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary, directed by Garret Price (HBO’s “Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage”) and executive produced by The Ringer’s Bill Simmons (HBO’s “Andre The Giant,” “Showbiz Kids”), debuts Friday, November 29 (9:00-10:35 p.m. ET/PT).
Music Box: Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary chronicles the emergence and popularity of the West Coast, soft rock pop culture epitomized by musical artists such as Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Steely Dan, and Toto. Retroactively dubbed “Yacht Rock” in 2005 by a parody website series, the easy listening, relaxing sounds of the late 1970s and early 1980s, which were beloved by many, came to be gently mocked and even dismissed by rock lovers and critics, but have since reclaimed their legitimate place in music history and are celebrated in this groove-infused film from the Music Box anthology series.
The film foregrounds the musicians and producers of the yacht rock scene, giving them their own platform to detail the genesis, evolution, and downfall of the sound, which was appreciated for its high-quality production, soulful vocals, and breezy, emo lyrics. Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, and other indelible musicians of the time, along with rock journalists and scholars, define the music as taking its cues from jazz, funk, and R&B, laying out its crossover origins and wide reach. The emergence of MTV and slick music videos crowded out the genre but, in the 1990s, hip-hop artists started to sample yacht rock and the music gained a new audience and new respect for its high standard of songwriting excellence, becoming a cultural touchstone for playful ribbing by comedians. Filled with the sounds of the era, incredible archival footage of recording sessions and performances, and humorous, self-reflective interviews, the film lovingly embraces the key players of the scene and the genre they didn’t even know they were creating.
The film includes soulful insight from musical artists Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald (Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers), Steve Porcaro (Toto), Steve Lukather (Toto), David Paich (Toto), Prince Paul (De La Soul), Brian Robert Jones (Vampire Weekend), Thundercat, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (The Roots), Mac DeMarco and more; “Yacht Rock” web series creator J.D. Ryznar and host Steve Huey; comedian Fred Armisen; music producers, journalists, scholars, and rock critics.
Watch the official trailer for Music Box: Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary
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