Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's documentary "Letter to You" is a masterclass in the record making process
Recording an album is a complicated process. Each individual song begins with the lyrics and the melody. Then you have to figure out the arrangement. How and where do the individual instruments and voices fit into the song. When you piece it all together, you get a completed single track. Then you do it again ten or so more times until you have a finished album. Yeah, there's more to it than that, but that's the basic recording process.
When you watch the new documentary film "Letter to You", by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, it's as if you're taking a master class in the record-making process. It gives you an inside look at how they made their new album "Letter to You."
Yes, there's much more to the film than the music. Springsteen narrated his feelings about each tune. He gave detailed explanations about how his life experiences led him to write each song on this album. As interesting as this was, you can get that on your own by concentrating on or reading the lyrics as you listen to the music.
The scenes that kept my interests occurred when the band was in the studio. You'd see Springsteen singing while playing an acoustic guitar, basically outlining the song. The E Street Band members listening intently while jotting down notes. Then the band exchanges ideas on how to make the song work. Drum fills here, the piano a little softer there, dueling guitars and sax solos, too. It's a collaborative process because that's what happens when you have a band that has played together for more than forty years.
After the completion of each day's work, the band and crew members drink a shot of alcohol in celebration. You'll want to join them because in the genre of music docs, this a must-watch film.
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