Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary

Remember the band "Ambrosia"? They had several hits in the mid-1970s, perhaps most notably, the song titled "You're the Biggest Part of Me." Now listen to the 1981 Grammy-winning hit written by pop soundtrack maestro Kenny Loggins and that ubiquitous, blue-eyed soul singer named Michael McDonald, "What a Fool Believes." Are they in fact the same dang song? Well, in 2005 or so, comedians on the Internet decided they were at least in the same genre and it needed an evocative name: "Yacht Rock." Christopher Cross and Toto (David Paich, Steve "Where's My Yacht" Lukather and the Porcaro brothers) are all prominently featured in this documentary about a musical period in history, along with every other studio musician playing on most of Steely Dan's albums. As a guy who reviewed musical albums and concerts back in college in the late '70s and early '80s (before moving on to movies and TV), I might quibble with some of the inclusions (e.g., Steely Dan's AJA is a genius work of jazz-R&B-rock fusion), it is ultimately fun and quite humorous to discuss this "pseudo-genre" with its many progenitors. What's the "dockumentary's" funniest moment: the filmmaker finally reaching Donald Fagen on the phone to request an interview "to discuss your music and genre," be asked "What genre is that?" answering "Yacht Rock," to which the great Mr. Fagen replies, "Why don't you just go F¥C£ YOURSELF!?" and then hangs up! That, alone, earns this documentary a rating of 7.5/10.

I would never mock the so-called "yacht rock" genre because that's the music I loved the most during my high school and college years. I didn't even know this type of easy-to-ridicule soft rock music had a name, and it didn't until a comic pre-YouTube web series dubbed it so in 2005. Directed by Garret Price, this breezy 2024 documentary cogently chronicles the genesis of this music and its brief reign on the pop charts and at the Grammys from the late '70's to the early '80's concurrent with the emergence of punk and disco. Steely Dan is credited for molding the sounds, in particular, with their classic "Aja" album in 1977. Steely Dan's Donald Fagen refused to be interviewed for the film as he found the yacht reference insulting, but the era's other stars are accounted for and provide interesting insights into their creative processes. They include fondly remembered artists like Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, and the genre's self-effacing king, Michael McDonald. A nostalgic nugget for those of us who grew up during this period.

I watched this having grown up with the genre from a perspective most don't have. I started listening to this music on a plugged in AM/FM cube clock radio I snuggled with in my bed at night and progressed to hearing it in the stereo system I installed in my 1973 Ford LTD on Jensen speakers and a Clarion cassette deck. The documentary took liberties with what this music was labeled after the fact, and Steely Dan, while sharing many musicians on their albums, is not Yacht Rock. I support Donald Fagen's reaction at the end of the film based on that.

I think Christopher Cross, in all his drug inspired creativity, defines this genre as advertised. When I was in high school and "Sailing" won song of the year, we were all shocked. In retrospect, it was right for the time. It just wasn't The Police and The Clash which I was in to, yet admittedly I enjoyed the song at the time too. I'm a musical chameleon, which is probably why this rockumentary resonated with me.

Many artists were missed, and I won't capture them all, however there was no mentioned of jazz influences like Michael Franks and barely notation of Stanley Clarke and easy listening artists Seals and Crofts. Yet it was wonderful to see Brenda Russel, Toto, the Pocaro Brothers, Larry Carlton, and so many others. Yet let's be real. Michael McDonald defines this genre. Because he sounded like he sang. He defined session musicians of the era. And he comes across as very genuine. I put the success of Yacht Rock on him. A humble label for much larger 80's blue eyed easy listening soul. I'll always be grateful to him for that. He is the core of this sound and of this film. And for the hundreds of lesser known session musicians who worked their asses off every day to make this sound, I salute you and your work ethic.

Not sure why the documentary went into Michael Jackson's "Thriller" other than the Toto backing band connection though the MTV introduction to the scene was a genuine massive moment. Suddenly you had to be visual and audible in your craft.

And it should be no wonder to me why I love Bozz Scaggs "Silk Degrees" so much. The Toto guys were in the band and helped define his sounds.

But how they kept putting "Aja" by Steely Dan as the definitive Yacht Rock album? No. There was a lot more happening in that scene than that one album that shared session musicians yet was so much more jazz, R&B and epic storytelling Oddessy style than anything else. Don't wrap Yacht Rock around that. Call it something else. It created something different. Culling it into this genre is lazy journalism. Yet the producers seemed to want it to be that way. Donald Fagan, your on the spot reaction was dead on. 😎

This almost meme-ish like of a title, "Yacht Rock", 😆 docking-rockumentary 🤣 (or vice-versa) in music, albeit, jazzy-rock from the 70's-80's really struck chords in me reliving the years & just brings it home for those who lived the times in this epic retrospective; literally playing on almost every emotion... a true muse of Americana, bringing it all together. The sounds are... literally, exemplary & smooth! Time to bust out the caviar, cheese & crackers... oh, and don't forget the wine Buffy! Avast as we set sail and enjoy the sounds of the artists who brought them to us and celebrate in this epic journey! I love it & I hope you do too. If this music is before your time, download Yacht Rock the next time you have a pool side barbecue or what have you and enjoy the sounds baby! And if you have a yacht, crank it up & party on! Fair winds and following seas ye landlubbers! 😉 To the folks who brought us this "dockumentary", you all rock! Thank you! 💪😎

Well-researched and edited survey of the sound that dominated the AM airwaves in the late 1970s and the musicians and technicians who were part of the scene. There are many interiews with members of Toto, Doobie Bros, and contemporary artists that reveal and trace both well and little known connections between diverse artists and bands. The contencious issue of whether or not Steely Dan can be considered Yacht Rock is covered. No spoilers but it's hillarious. As for my husband and I, we are of the belief that Steely Dan can never be considered Yacht Rock because they are such haters. The proof is in the lyrics: Royal Scam, Showbiz Kids, Only a Fool Would Say That, Haitian Divorce, to name a few. They even hate on themselves, and we love them all the more for it!