Tom Dowd and the Language of Music

After Standing in the Shadows of Motown was such a huge hit after playing at last year’s festival, it was inevitable that similar flicks would beginning trickling down. But Tom Dowd and the Language of Music, while not quite as effective as Standing in the Shadows of Motown, never seems derivative of that film, mostly because the man at the center of the movie is such a compelling figure. Tom Dowd was a music engineer who worked with several pivotal artists in the ’60s and ’70s (including Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton), and though interviews with Dowd himself and other figures that were there, we’re given a guided tour of the burgeoning rock ‘n roll music scene. The most obvious difference between this and Standing in the Shadows of Motown is the lack of musical performances, which went a long way in making that movie memorable. Still, Dowd proves to be an incredibly engaging figure, and his various stories are undeniably fascinating (especially if you’re a fan of this sort of music, but even if you’re not, Dowd’s ingratiating personality should win you over). The film does lag a bit towards the beginning, though, as director Mark Moormann explores Dowd’s involvement with the creation of the atom bomb. But since Moormann doesn’t push Dowd to discuss his feelings on being associated with an invention that was subsequently used to kill thousands of people, what’s the point? The movie is also occasionally a little too technical, dealing heavily with the difference between four-track and eight-track recording – which admittedly might thrill technophiles, but comes off as gobbledygook to the rest of us. When you get right down to it, however, Tom Dowd and the Language of Music is very entertaining portrait of a man that obviously made quite an impact on the music industry. And hey, if you’ve ever wondered the inspiration behind that classic riff from Cream’s Sunshine of your Love, look no further.

*** out of ****