Variety- Ask any two music fans what qualifies as yacht rock, and an argument is sure to ensue.
Does Steely Dan count?
What about Hall & Oates?
(No, too East Coast.)
In the late 1970s and early ’80s, the term “yacht rock” was not yet a thing.
That would all change when MTV crashed the scene.
More than two decades later, in 2005, comedians J.D.
Naturally, the music itself figured heavily in each episode.
This ain’t your grandma’s easy listening (though she probably digs it too).
We are talking the smoothest, most impeccably crafted tunes ever to grace your earholes.
And tonight, HBO Max is dropping a goddamn DOCKumentary about it all.
Make no mistake, this doc, (“Dock”) is going to be fucking awesome.
For so many reasons.
Now, some jabronis might turn their nose up at yacht rock.
They’ll call it “cheesy” or “soft.”
Yacht rock was born in the late ’70s, a golden age of musical experimentation.
These weren’t just dudes strumming acoustic guitars and singing about heartbreak.
it’s the perfect blend of sophistication and groove.
It’s music you’re able to chill to, party to, or just lose yourself in.
Here’s the official trailer.
These are also the names who get the officialcreditfor pioneering the “Yacht Rock” sound.
Michael McDonald could sing the phone book and make it sound soulful as hell.
And I think that’s what really separates “Yacht Rock” from everything else.
It was music madebymusicians,formusicians.
They weren’t just chasing hits; they were pushing the boundaries of what pop music could be.
And let’s not forget the influence of black music on yacht rock.
These white dudes weren’t afraid to wear their love of R&B and soul on their sleeves.
They took those influences and spun them into something new, something uniquely Californian.
She hates when I refer to it as yacht rock.
So whatever the hell you call it, you know why it is.
Pound for pound Motown is my king of the mountain for me, followed closely by this stuff.
As I wrote above, it’s actual music, written by musicians, for musicians.
When does that ever happen anymore?
p.s- the same guy who directed the infamous “Woodstock 99” doc for Max, did this one.
(Bill Simmons' boy).
