Some thoughts about Yacht Rock: a Dockumentary

Last night, I finally got around to watching Yacht Rock: a Dockumentary (and, yes, the misspelling in documentary was intentional. Pretty punny, eh!).

I'd heard good buzz about the documentary, so I had it on the short list of movies to watch. However, I don't have a lot of love or nostalgia for yacht rock. It was like musical wallpaper when I was a kid. It was everywhere. It was ubiquitous. I can hear Christopher Cross's "Sailing" or the Doobie Brothers' "What a Fool Believes" without picturing myself driving with my mom in our 1975 Plymouth Valiant, on our way to a dentist appointment or a shopping excursion (or both on the same day). So, though I don't necessarily hate this music, I don't particularly enjoy it, either.  It's perfectly pleasant if bland aural wallpaper.

That said, I enjoyed watching this film and hearing the perspectives of the musicians who created what we now call yacht rock (but was simply "top 40 radio" back in the late '70s and early '80s). Christopher Cross and Michael McDonald, in particular, come across as happy, well-adjusted, self-aware, humble, and thoughtful guys. It's impossible not to like them. (Christopher Cross shares a funny story about how he helped finance his debut album--no spoilers, while Michael McDonald talks about his kids wanting him to sing "I Keep Fogettin'" more like Warren G's "Regulate"--which samples McDonald's song--because dad's song is "lame").

This leads me to one of the more fascinating aspects of the doc, and that's how Black and white musicians in the "yacht rock" world inspired and respected each other. Kenny Loggins discusses how he was so impressed by Stevie Wonder that he tried to incorporate R&B elements in his music, which had previously been much country-folkier in Loggins-Messina. Contemporary Black musicians like Thunderca and Questlove talk about their affection for many of the white yacht rock musicians. Michael McDonald, and his soulful and distinct voice, is/are singled out for praise.

So, that's Yacht Rock: a Dockumentary, currently streaming on HBO Max. Check it out if you get the chance.

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