All Things Must Pass

Dir: Colin Hanks

2015

****

Russell Solomon opened his first Tower Records in Sacramento, California in 1960. He worked for his modern-thinking and hardworking father in his drugstore as a young man when they both had the idea to sell the old records from their in-store jukebox. When sales became good they looked into selling more records and soon enough they had a string of regular customers. Russell suggested they expand but his father told him he should go it alone, make a mark for himself and open an independent record store, the first of its kind. He named his store after his father's store that was part of the same building as Tower Theatre and Tower Records was born. Colin Hanks documents the rise and tragic fall of the ultimate record store from the very beginning to the very end, including interviews with the very first employees and some of their famous customers (including Elton John who would spend thousands of Dollars at every visit). I had no idea about Tower Records rich history and always assumed they were another big business franchise that kept the little record stores down but this excellent documentary sets the record straight (excuse the pun). Original employees were given free reign, didn't wear uniforms and actually knew a bit about the music they were selling. Many discuss the fact that they were on drugs most of the time but they all managed to get the work done and even get promoted. Russell Solomon had a rather relaxed and unorthodox method of running the business that seemed to work and soon they were opening across America and eventually around the world. It is tragically ironic that what started as a pioneering franchise, ended in liquidation. As well as stores that catered for all musical tastes, Tower Records released the brilliant Pulse Magazine and really championed bands and singers who would otherwise have been overlooked and created amazing artwork in-store for album releases. Like many a record store and record label, when people chose to steal music online they suffered and couldn't compete. Music formats changed so radically and so quickly that they, much like others, failed to keep up. The rise in Vinyl sales after their demise was a further blow. A fascinating look at music in general, how we listen to it and how trends form, as well as the murky world of business. When one of the stores in the mid-west closed, the employees decided to put up a banner above the liquidation signs that simply read All Things Must Pass - the title of George Harrison's first solo album. A fitting sentiment for the end of something that was much more beautiful than many people realized.