All Things Must Pass (2015)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records is a documentary film which premiered in 2015. 

 

Here is some basic information about it:

 

** Directed by Colin Hanks

** Written by Steven Leckart

** Run time: 94 minutes

 

As the title says, this film is about the rise and fall of Tower Records. The company (founded in 1960 by Russ Solomon) sold music: first on vinyl, later on tapes and later again on CDs.

 

For many years, the company was doing well. At first, they expanded slowly. Later, they expanded fast. By 1999, Tower Records was a big enterprise which had many branches, not only in the US, but also in other countries.

 

But five years later, things were going downhill. And in 2006, it was all over. The company had come to the end of the line. It was the end of an era.

 

What do reviewers say about this film?

 

Here are some results:

 

73 percent = IMDb

73 percent = Meta

82 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the audience)

94 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the critics)

 

As you can see, the ratings are quite good. You may well ask: are the good ratings justified? Is the story about Tower Records really that interesting?

 

Is it possible to make a story about a company that sold records interesting? The answer is: yes!

 

In this film, the story of Tower Records is told so well that it is hard to believe. Before the film begins, we know how it is going to end.

 

The title is All Things Must Pass.

 

The subtitle is The Rise and fall of Tower Records.

 

We know this is going to end badly.

 

There are no surprises here. Even so, the film manages to capture our attention.

 

The story of Tower Records is told by several witnesses:

 

# 1. The founder Russell "Russ" Solomon (1925-2018)

# 2. Some of the people who worked there for 10, 20, 30 years or more

# 3. Some of the customers

 

Among the famous customers we meet Elton John and Bruce Springsteen, both of whom talk about Tower Records as a very dear friend.

 

Since this is a film about a company that sold records, it is obvious that there is some music between the talking heads and often some music running in the background. 

 

The music is very well-chosen. It supports the story and sets the mood all the way from the beginning to the end.

 

The first two thirds of the film are about the rise of Tower Records. I think most viewers will smile and sometimes even laugh out loud while they are watching and listening to this part of the film, because the witnesses are so enthusiastic and tell their story so well.

 

The last third of the film is about the fall of Tower Records. This is the sad part, but we know it is coming. Even the sad part is not all sad.

 

The people who worked there for many years are sad that it is all over now, but on the other hand they are happy that they had this experience. They had a good run. They had a great time. As one them says:

 

“When you worked for Tower Records, it was not a job you had to do. It was a way of life.”

 

All Things Must Pass is not only the story about a company that sold records. It is much more than that. It is also the story of the life and the times of the music business from 1960 until today.

 

When Russ Solomon founded the company back in 1960, it was the right idea at the right time. And the idea worked well for decades. But when we got to the 21st century, it was no longer the right idea.

 

Tower Records faced strong competition from supermarkets and department stores which could sell CDs at a lower price than Tower Records could.

 

The company was also under pressure from new technology, such as YouTube, where music was free, and I-Tunes, where you did not have to buy a whole album, because you could pick only the tracks you wanted.

 

An additional problem was the fact that the company had expanded too fast. Expansion was not based on money they had made in the past, but on money they were hoping to make in the future.

 

Some overseas destinations were well chosen, in particular the ones in Japan, but other destinations were not so well-chosen, in particular the branches that were opened in Latin America.

 

When the profits began to dry up, the company had too much debt. Now the banks entered the business and while bankers may know something about money, they did not understand the business of music nor did they care much about it. 

 

This was the end of the line. 

 

Tower Records was a thing of the past!

 

If you are interested in popular music and the culture connected with the music scene, this film is definitely something for you.

 

It is highly recommended.

 

PS. The title of the film is borrowed from a triple album by George Harrison that was released on vinyl in 1970.

 

In 2014, it was released on a double CD:

 

All Things Must Pass

 

*****