In my Gen X lifetime no music has dominated my daily life more than "yaught rock". It was at the mall, on the radio, in a stack of records at home, at sporting events, the doctor's office, shoe stores, even arcades. This doc might put me into a member berries comma.
Having nothing but good memories for this music, I CANNOT WAIT. However, long before anyone called it Yacht Rock - which I do not love because for many, it's ironic and dismissive - it was just called soft rock and my Gen X friends and I were calling it AM Gold which I think came about from the Time Life-style infomercials selling compilations.
As terrible as November was, this documentary was the one lone bright spot on tv. I watched this several times already. My mom used to listen to AM radio and the when she drove me to school, the first song I learned by heart on the radio was "What A Fool Believes". This brought back so many good memories.
I'm a 90's and 2000's kid that loved this type of music but didn't know it had a name and was a genre unto itself. It has shaped so much of my tastes in music because of a few radio stations here in Sweden during the 90's and early 2000's. Will watch.
As a young Gen X these are the songs of my childhood , I would hear these songs daily on the local radio station in CT. It was a vibe, sitting in the back seat of the car (no seat belt) and cruise down the road. Its soft rock or blue eyed soul. Either way its good music that the whole family could sing and dance 2. Thanks for the review
The most important point to come out of the documentary is that Kenny and Michael need to reunite and write and release a new album while they are still alive!!
Reading up on Toto's history, for example Steve Lukather's autobiography, you realise a lot of these guys came up together in L.A. highschools and were friends from day one. Somehow this many of them became monsters on their respective instruments and later formed the bulk of the L.A. session musician scene. But they were friends in bands first, and so naturally they would show up all over each other's albums. I just find that background fascinating. At least I would expect a scene of creme of the crop musicians to have come from all over the map, (and some did obviously). But this was largely a group of L.A. kids who took over after The Wrecking Crew. Can't wait to watch this documentary.
I'm so glad Christopher Cross was mentioned! He made a lot of great music. Some was of course was underrated. Alonso thank you and listen to "No time for talk"! what a sophisticated and classy piece of music!
As a musician I find all of this highly amusing, especially the inclusion of Steely Dan. I understand they had a huge influence but their stuff is really on another level, hence Fagen’s displeasure haha
@ guitar, keys, vocals …come from a musical family lol. I’m glad you mentioned the jazz influence, which is a huge part of that sound and something more folks should be hip to imo.
This music was definitely part of my youth also. I didn't love it at the time, but there's no doubt that this doc conjurs big nostalgia for me. Calling it Yacht Rock labels a sub-genre of a much larger genre of "soft rock" from that era. And it's intersting to see how some artists qualify for the label and how some do not. That was funny to me, because they're all part of that big wash of "soft rock" during those years. The doc highlights a lot of details I wasn't aware of, and it's all fun and intersting. It's also so wild how omnipresent Michael McDonald was in all this!! Very cool doc.
As a child of the 80's and 90's growing up I enjoyed it then and even more so now. You have to be in the mood for it but when you are it is a good time. Alonso saying "Stone cold jam" made my year!
But wasn’t this type of music originally called SOFT ROCK? I visited America as a teen during the summer of 1986 and remember a radio station playing these songs and it was the very first time I heard the term soft rock. I love that Donald Fagan refuses to acknowledge the term Yacht Rock.
“Brandy, You’re a Fine Girl” is an example of early ‘70s power pop, a very different genre: Badfinger, Big Star, Cheap Trick, Raspberries, et al. Later example include Jellyfish, The Pooh Sticks, The Posies, Redd Kross, and Matthew Sweet. Power Pop, as the name suggests, has a slightly more electric guitar vibe, less jazzy.
We had a birthday party for a friend at Bimbo's here in SF with a Yacht Rock band called Mustache Harbor. Loads of fun. Totally the soundtrack to my youth on 45, LP, 8 track...
The doc. was personal for me. I went to school with the Pocaros, Lukather and Paich, Ulysses S. Grant. I saw these guys go from the garage to the big time. How lucky was I.
I loved the documentary even though Baby Come Back was not mentioned. I also hope that people come away with a greater appreciation for Toto. Those guys are so talented and don't get the recognition they deserve.
When I road trip to socali (from the bay area), as everyone (fails to) avoids the 5-0 right around Castaic, I came across a radio station that kicked in as the first channel received by scanning just before magic mountain that claimed to play rock in the daytime and blues at night. All the rock bands are the dudes in their 30's that could now be called easy rock dad bands. Yacht rock describes them greatly. And it's streamable k-hug 97.5. I started streaming it as my default blues station to go to sleep to after Dan Aykroyd ended the blues mobile music program. Yacht rock dudes could easily work as a wrecking crew/ doobie bros/ honeydrippers collaborations in their older years. I never imagined billy joel and sting tour together, but they did at allegiant stadium and sound interestingly yacht-ish. The genre definitely needs to be an anchorman 3 soundtrack.
“Sailing” by Christopher Cross (best ‘70s song) and “Cool Change” by Little River Band were the only yacht rock songs I knew… I guess “Sailing” by Rod Stewart too. Didn’t know there’s a swath load of them.
It should be noted that Fagen provides the funniest moment in the movie while expressing his opinion - but he DID grant them the license to use his music in the dockumentary. I've watched it 3 times (it's in my wheelhouse for sure) and loved it every time!
See, that's the thing -- there's so much Steely Dan music in the movie, so perhaps that little burst of profanity at the end is part of his persona. Glad you enjoyed this too!
First time I heard about this project Christy was the first thing to pop into my mind. It's still the late 70s early 80s in a parallel dimension somewhere. 🤣
I haven't seen this documentary & even though I grew up listening to & loving most of this music, don't know if I'm going to see it. Just because the term "yacht rock" is so derogatory. But what this music was was taking the rock genre & creating music on a very high level of artistry & craftsmanship. That's all. And it all changed when MTV became popular. Because it meant the image & the visual was just as important, if not more important, than the music. In the late 70s-early 80s, Christopher Cross was the biggest rock star in the world. Until the world saw that he looked like a guy who delivers pizzas.
@@lynnturman8157 - my advice is skip over the first ten minutes - that’s where the, let’s be honest, sort of hipster douchery is featured. After that, they focus on the actual music, and it’s very focused musical history that actually makes a good case for a “scene,” partly because they’re clear which groups are not “yacht rock,” mostly acts that existed outside this particular group of musicians. Basically, it’s “two degrees of Michael McDonald.”
@@bookhouse70 THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT! The first ten minutes is so jokey and derogatory and IDIOTIC, I shut it off. They go out of their way to make sure YOU know that THEY know how stupid this whole thing is, like, "How could anyone take this crap seriously" It's insulting.
I tried watching it, but it started so jokey, and would NOT let up, that I just gave up on it. I'll never know if they ever got serious about it, but, that's ok...I still got my Christopher Cross and Kenny Loggins to listen to.
@ what I meant to say is that we never called it yacht rock back in the day. As a DJ I will forever call it soft rock. I’m also older than the people who coined the yacht rock phrase.
@@romanjohncarlos2368 I'm sure you didn't because the phrase was coined in 2005. But what I was saying is that they are not the same thing. Punk rock is rock, but not all rock is punk rock. It's a sub-genre.
Weird that the documentary didn’t play any snippets of that 1986 Michael McDonald song Sweet Freedom (from the action comedy Running Scared). The song was mentioned but we never heard any of it. I only mention this because Sweet Freedom is usually cited as the end point of this genre’s reign.
@ Yeah, I thinking that. I actually bought that record when I was in NYC that year. Quite a big deal for me because all I knew at the time were things like The Smiths, New Order and Style Council. I really love McDonald’s voice. Thanks for reviewing this documentary.
I might have to signup for HBO for a month just to make sure I watch this and probably a number of times. Fun Fact since you mentioned the legendary Wrecking Crew, I was at Billy Pitmans 100th birthday party in Palm Springs 4 yrs ago or so
With all due respect, Steely Dan is not yacht rock. And I think this rubbed Donald Fagan the wrong way because Steely Dan is jazz rock which is totally different. There is always disagreement about musical genres, like what's 80s new wave...some people add bands in that genre that don't belong in there at all.
Donald Fagen is not “Yacht Rock”. Neither is Steely Dan. In the eternal words of Donald Fagen when asked about Yacht Rock for the documentary… “fuck you”.
Haha, reminds me of that Simpsons epidsode. 😀 Marge: Wow. You can't find this stuff anywhere! Seals and Crofts? Pablo Cruise? Air Supply? Whoa, Loggins and Oates! And it's free! Bart: I've never heard of these bands, Mom. What kind of music do they play? Crap rock? Marge: No. Bart: Wuss rock? Marge: That's it.
Brandy has zero funk R+B or jazz in it. THATS why it's not in there, HAS to be funky with nice chords and at least allude to a real groove. Plus the guys in Toto ,Lukather, the Porcaro's , David Paich played on almost all these records as session guys including Thriller yet no one ever really says that out loud.
I liked most of the contributors, specially Thundercat. I think Christy is being a little harsh. If we're talking about having a lot of pointless interviews, the new Beatles doc takes the cake.
I didn't get the whole "yacht" thing when I first heard the term. I presumed that yeah, LA sessions players and all, but that it was music coming from a snooty, artificially aristocratic place, pretentiousness beyond the Laurel Canyon navel-gazers.
Damn, I thought this was gonna be comedy roasting of oligarchs who own yachts. I'm very disappointed. I should have known better, but you know, what a fool believes he sees, a wise man has the power to reason away.
In my Gen X lifetime no music has dominated my daily life more than "yaught rock". It was at the mall, on the radio, in a stack of records at home, at sporting events, the doctor's office, shoe stores, even arcades. This doc might put me into a member berries comma.
Having nothing but good memories for this music, I CANNOT WAIT. However, long before anyone called it Yacht Rock - which I do not love because for many, it's ironic and dismissive - it was just called soft rock and my Gen X friends and I were calling it AM Gold which I think came about from the Time Life-style infomercials selling compilations.
Alonso said “Boz Scaggs” and I realized my not even 30 year old ass has been loving Silk Degrees and yacht rock since high school 💀💀
My late husband and I married in 1975, so this music brings back such sweet memories. 🥹💕
Love it! You’ll have to check this out.
As terrible as November was, this documentary was the one lone bright spot on tv. I watched this several times already. My mom used to listen to AM radio and the when she drove me to school, the first song I learned by heart on the radio was "What A Fool Believes". This brought back so many good memories.
I'm a 90's and 2000's kid that loved this type of music but didn't know it had a name and was a genre unto itself. It has shaped so much of my tastes in music because of a few radio stations here in Sweden during the 90's and early 2000's. Will watch.
“Where’s my effing Yacht … I played on all those records” - guitarist Steve Lukather of Toto at his humorous best 😮
Ha, seems like he was kidding about the name.
@ … Luk’s humor is infamous. Google about his time speaking at Berklee College of music. Apparently he has since been permanently banned.
As a young Gen X these are the songs of my childhood , I would hear these songs daily on the local radio station in CT. It was a vibe, sitting in the back seat of the car (no seat belt) and cruise down the road. Its soft rock or blue eyed soul. Either way its good music that the whole family could sing and dance 2. Thanks for the review
The most important point to come out of the documentary is that Kenny and Michael need to reunite and write and release a new album while they are still alive!!
Reading up on Toto's history, for example Steve Lukather's autobiography, you realise a lot of these guys came up together in L.A. highschools and were friends from day one. Somehow this many of them became monsters on their respective instruments and later formed the bulk of the L.A. session musician scene. But they were friends in bands first, and so naturally they would show up all over each other's albums. I just find that background fascinating. At least I would expect a scene of creme of the crop musicians to have come from all over the map, (and some did obviously). But this was largely a group of L.A. kids who took over after The Wrecking Crew. Can't wait to watch this documentary.
I always called them The Wrecking Crew II.
I'm so glad Christopher Cross was mentioned! He made a lot of great music. Some was of course was underrated. Alonso thank you and listen to "No time for talk"! what a sophisticated and classy piece of music!
A soft rock titan!
As a musician I find all of this highly amusing, especially the inclusion of Steely Dan. I understand they had a huge influence but their stuff is really on another level, hence Fagen’s displeasure haha
People have strong feelings about what is and isn’t yacht rock 😄 What do you play?
@ guitar, keys, vocals …come from a musical family lol. I’m glad you mentioned the jazz influence, which is a huge part of that sound and something more folks should be hip to imo.
@@timcardona9962 That's awesome!
This music was definitely part of my youth also. I didn't love it at the time, but there's no doubt that this doc conjurs big nostalgia for me. Calling it Yacht Rock labels a sub-genre of a much larger genre of "soft rock" from that era. And it's intersting to see how some artists qualify for the label and how some do not. That was funny to me, because they're all part of that big wash of "soft rock" during those years. The doc highlights a lot of details I wasn't aware of, and it's all fun and intersting. It's also so wild how omnipresent Michael McDonald was in all this!! Very cool doc.
As a child of the 80's and 90's growing up I enjoyed it then and even more so now. You have to be in the mood for it but when you are it is a good time. Alonso saying "Stone cold jam" made my year!
I enjoyed most of it. And how they connected many of the bands and singers!
Still a fan of Christopher Cross today.
But wasn’t this type of music originally called SOFT ROCK? I visited America as a teen during the summer of 1986 and remember a radio station playing these songs and it was the very first time I heard the term soft rock. I love that Donald Fagan refuses to acknowledge the term Yacht Rock.
All yacht rock songs are soft rock, but not all soft rock songs are yacht rock.
The band known as "The Immediate Family" is comprised of veteran session musicians who have played on literally hundreds of albums.
“Brandy, You’re a Fine Girl” is an example of early ‘70s power pop, a very different genre: Badfinger, Big Star, Cheap Trick, Raspberries, et al. Later example include Jellyfish, The Pooh Sticks, The Posies, Redd Kross, and Matthew Sweet. Power Pop, as the name suggests, has a slightly more electric guitar vibe, less jazzy.
Props for a Jellyfish reference on this thread. Well done.
@ - I know Alonso’s tastes. ;)
We had a birthday party for a friend at Bimbo's here in SF with a Yacht Rock band called Mustache Harbor. Loads of fun. Totally the soundtrack to my youth on 45, LP, 8 track...
That sounds like a blast!
The doc. was personal for me. I went to school with the Pocaros, Lukather and Paich, Ulysses S. Grant. I saw these guys go from the garage to the big time. How lucky was I.
I loved the documentary even though Baby Come Back was not mentioned. I also hope that people come away with a greater appreciation for Toto. Those guys are so talented and don't get the recognition they deserve.
Lots of great yacht rock songs they don't mention. Oh well, guess it can't be comprehensive!
I loved Christopher Cross, but I think the real thing that hurt him is he did not look like he sounded. But what a gorgeous voice!
When I road trip to socali (from the bay area), as everyone (fails to) avoids the 5-0 right around Castaic, I came across a radio station that kicked in as the first channel received by scanning just before magic mountain that claimed to play rock in the daytime and blues at night. All the rock bands are the dudes in their 30's that could now be called easy rock dad bands. Yacht rock describes them greatly. And it's streamable k-hug 97.5. I started streaming it as my default blues station to go to sleep to after Dan Aykroyd ended the blues mobile music program. Yacht rock dudes could easily work as a wrecking crew/ doobie bros/ honeydrippers collaborations in their older years. I never imagined billy joel and sting tour together, but they did at allegiant stadium and sound interestingly yacht-ish. The genre definitely needs to be an anchorman 3 soundtrack.
“Sailing” by Christopher Cross (best ‘70s song) and “Cool Change” by Little River Band were the only yacht rock songs I knew… I guess “Sailing” by Rod Stewart too. Didn’t know there’s a swath load of them.
Cool Change is not Yacht.
How come? Isn’t it about sailing?
It should be noted that Fagen provides the funniest moment in the movie while expressing his opinion - but he DID grant them the license to use his music in the dockumentary. I've watched it 3 times (it's in my wheelhouse for sure) and loved it every time!
See, that's the thing -- there's so much Steely Dan music in the movie, so perhaps that little burst of profanity at the end is part of his persona. Glad you enjoyed this too!
I can't stand this genre of music but I'm going to watch this documentary.
Cannot wait to see this doc. Wonderful review 🎉guys! Also, congratulations are due to Christy for the success of her SMU Mustangs football team.
Woo hoo! We're actually favored against Clemson in the ACC Championship. Very exciting.
First time I heard about this project Christy was the first thing to pop into my mind. It's still the late 70s early 80s in a parallel dimension somewhere. 🤣
This is very us!
I haven't seen this documentary & even though I grew up listening to & loving most of this music, don't know if I'm going to see it. Just because the term "yacht rock" is so derogatory. But what this music was was taking the rock genre & creating music on a very high level of artistry & craftsmanship. That's all. And it all changed when MTV became popular. Because it meant the image & the visual was just as important, if not more important, than the music. In the late 70s-early 80s, Christopher Cross was the biggest rock star in the world. Until the world saw that he looked like a guy who delivers pizzas.
@@lynnturman8157 - my advice is skip over the first ten minutes - that’s where the, let’s be honest, sort of hipster douchery is featured. After that, they focus on the actual music, and it’s very focused musical history that actually makes a good case for a “scene,” partly because they’re clear which groups are not “yacht rock,” mostly acts that existed outside this particular group of musicians. Basically, it’s “two degrees of Michael McDonald.”
@@bookhouse70 THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT! The first ten minutes is so jokey and derogatory and IDIOTIC, I shut it off. They go out of their way to make sure YOU know that THEY know how stupid this whole thing is, like, "How could anyone take this crap seriously" It's insulting.
@@bookhouse70 OK, thanks
I tried watching it, but it started so jokey, and would NOT let up, that I just gave up on it. I'll never know if they ever got serious about it, but, that's ok...I still got my Christopher Cross and Kenny Loggins to listen to.
That was only the first 10 minutes.
It’s called soft rock or AOR and it’s great groovy and gorgeous! Dig deeper into the genre, there are lots of fantastic bands and songs to soak up!
It is not. Most soft rock is not Yacht Rock. Yacht Rock is a very specific sub-genre of soft rock.
@ what I meant to say is that we never called it yacht rock back in the day. As a DJ I will forever call it soft rock. I’m also older than the people who coined the yacht rock phrase.
@@romanjohncarlos2368 I'm sure you didn't because the phrase was coined in 2005. But what I was saying is that they are not the same thing. Punk rock is rock, but not all rock is punk rock. It's a sub-genre.
@@brewer921 yes I agree
Weird that the documentary didn’t play any snippets of that 1986 Michael McDonald song Sweet Freedom (from the action comedy Running Scared). The song was mentioned but we never heard any of it. I only mention this because Sweet Freedom is usually cited as the end point of this genre’s reign.
Maybe it's a rights thing.
@ Yeah, I thinking that. I actually bought that record when I was in NYC that year. Quite a big deal for me because all I knew at the time were things like The Smiths, New Order and Style Council. I really love McDonald’s voice. Thanks for reviewing this documentary.
It was mentioned to illustrate the fact that their incomes had now derived from soundtrack projects, but yes, that was another awesome MM number.
Nothing Beats the Schmaltz Cheese 70s Soft Rock
Silliness but Fun
A yacht rock doc is like porn. You know if you you're going to keep watching after hearing just the first few seconds of music.
I might have to signup for HBO for a month just to make sure I watch this and probably a number of times. Fun Fact since you mentioned the legendary Wrecking Crew, I was at Billy Pitmans 100th birthday party in Palm Springs 4 yrs ago or so
Let us know if you end up seeing it!
With all due respect, Steely Dan is not yacht rock. And I think this rubbed Donald Fagan the wrong way because Steely Dan is jazz rock which is totally different. There is always disagreement about musical genres, like what's 80s new wave...some people add bands in that genre that don't belong in there at all.
I was never 'on board' for Yacht Rock (tho' I bought (literally) into Donald Fagen's solo career, but this sounds great fun. Will go to it for sure
Donald Fagen is not “Yacht Rock”. Neither is Steely Dan. In the eternal words of Donald Fagen when asked about Yacht Rock for the documentary… “fuck you”.
Please review “Memoir of a Snail.”
I watched it last Sunday it was great but Gerry Rafferty? To me Baker Street seems like the epitome of the genre. Just sayin.
So much more they could have included, but this is a fun mix of songs.
I asked for a John Williams doc review, not a Joseph Williams review. lol
Haha, reminds me of that Simpsons epidsode. 😀
Marge: Wow. You can't find this stuff anywhere!
Seals and Crofts? Pablo Cruise? Air Supply?
Whoa, Loggins and Oates! And it's free!
Bart: I've never heard of these bands, Mom. What kind of music do they play? Crap rock?
Marge: No.
Bart: Wuss rock?
Marge: That's it.
Brandy has zero funk R+B or jazz in it. THATS why it's not in there, HAS to be funky with nice chords and at least allude to a real groove. Plus the guys in Toto ,Lukather, the Porcaro's , David Paich played on almost all these records as session guys including Thriller yet no one ever really says that out loud.
I liked most of the contributors, specially Thundercat. I think Christy is being a little harsh. If we're talking about having a lot of pointless interviews, the new Beatles doc takes the cake.
Wnua 95.5 😊
The producers of the documentary asked Donald Fagen of "Steely Dan" if they could be included in the series. He told them to "Go F Yourself".
Helps that Alonso actually looks like Michael McDonald.
Ha, he usually gets George Lucas.
Brandy is not Yacht Rock. The genre is not about the subject matter of the song. It scored a 36 on the 100-point Yachski scale.
I didn't get the whole "yacht" thing when I first heard the term. I presumed that yeah, LA sessions players and all, but that it was music coming from a snooty, artificially aristocratic place, pretentiousness beyond the Laurel Canyon navel-gazers.
Damn, I thought this was gonna be comedy roasting of oligarchs who own yachts. I'm very disappointed. I should have known better, but you know, what a fool believes he sees, a wise man has the power to reason away.
The term "yacht rock" is stupid. 96.7% of people who listen to this music have never even been on a yacht.
Such a shitty phrase or term for such great music