Re: [Harp-L] More Cadillac Records

[Cljdm@xxxxxxx]

Hi all,
 
Just thought I would throw my 2 pennies in the ring after seeing this  movie.
 
I generally liked the movie. BUT I thought they could have showcased the  
MUSIC a bit more. In other words, played entire tunes more often, instead of  
snips. Oh, and there were certainly a lot of historical myths. They took license  
to make movie points I guess. Like for one, it was Rice Miller that took the  
Sonnyboy  moniker from John Lee Williamson, not the Walter's stealing each  
others name (although I have heard some stories about the Walter's Big and  
Little claims). It would have been interesting to speculate what Sonny boy I  
might have done if he caught up with Rice Miller down Arkansas and Memphis.  
Movie point. I agree though, that portraying Little Walter as a murderer  was 
wrong. Maybe Walter should have just kicked his ass.
 
I think the main themes of the movie were racism and the music business.  Not 
the music. The producers scored huge points in these areas.  Chess giving out 
Caddys instead of money. Not being clear on compensation and  royalities.  
Chuck Berry being able to crossover, and then being jailed.  The English being 
more open minded to our music than us. The list of bands that  outright stole 
the music (at the end of the movie). We knew this, now millions  more know it. 
To me this is the value of this movie. On these points, and more,  they were 
pretty accurate. I am willing to bet that Marshall Chess is  really unhappy 
with the way this flick turned out.
 
Also, harmonica benefited greatly from this movie. IMHO.
 
One fact I wish they had included is this: Before showing the Stones coming  
to the chess studio, they could have shown Charlie Musselwhite, Paul 
Butterfield  , Mike Bloomfield hanging out in those all black clubs, listening, 
watching, and  learning their trade. For me they were THE connection for the blues to 
enter  into a wider audiance. Also in the credits they had the actor listed 
playing  James Cotton instead of Junior Wells as Walter's replacement for 
Muddy's  band.
 
just a few of my thoughts,
 
Chris Mastakas
 
 
In a message dated 12/12/2008 9:06:44 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
martinoldsberg@xxxxxxxxx writes:

In the  review of "Cadillac Records" on www.allmovie.com it says about Len 
Chess´  (factual) recording practices that: "Purportedly, Chess simply cut out a 
lot  of musician's tracks without telling them -- an unethical move not even 
hinted  at here." 
Is this true about how things were done in the  studio, early ´50s? I was 
under the impression that what they were dealing  with then was one-, or 
possibly, two-track equipment?

As  for the film, expectation levels should be set to somewhere below zero  
for this kind of undertaking. Hollywood is still making "The Glenn Miller  
Story" over and over again, sometimes with drugs, sometimes without.  Inroducing a 
murder, as well as simply cutting out one of the  brothers seems a fair 
indication of the historical  veracity.

cheers,
Martin





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