Genre: Documentary

Director: Lee Aronsohn

Studio: Paladin

Runtime: 99 minutes.

Release Date: Opens in New York and Los Angeles August 3, 2018

Rated: Not Rated

Reviewer Rating: ★★★★★

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I’ve never once heard of the band Magic Music. The band started in Boulder, Colorado in 1970 and broke up a mere six years later. Despite gaining quite a following during that time, they never released an album and thus faded into obscurity. However, that’s where filmmaker Lee Aronsohn comes in.

Director Lee Aronsohn

40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Movie (“The Magic Music Movie”), directed by Aronsohn, is a documentary that follows the rise, fall, and reunion of the titular band. While attending the University of Colorado in Boulder in the 1970s, Aronsohn discovered the band playing on campus and instantly became a fan. After moving to Los Angeles in 1975, he hoped they would one day release an album but that day never happened. Still, even after decades, he found himself humming along and singing the band’s songs to his kids. So Aronsohn decided to set out and find each one of the Magic Music members to discover exactly what happened to them. He also hoped to bring them together for one more concert. And thus, the documentary was born.

Magic Music performing in the 1970s.

What makes The Magic Music Movie work so well is the passion Aronsohn has not only for the music but the band members as well. The lengths he goes to to find the musicians and convince them to reunite are endearing as well as touching. His willingness to not shy away from some of the dirtier details and tragic moments of the band’s history creates a documentary that feels candid and honest. It also helps that the band members themselves are fascinating characters. It’s hilarious how much of their lives in the ‘70s fit the stereotypical hippie mold. Their lifestyle of living in buses in the Colorado mountains to and the nicknames they gave each other, “Spoons” for guitarist Chris Daniels and “Poonah” for bassist Rob Galloway, along with their stories of partaking in ‘illegal substances’ before playing gigs are constantly entertaining. But The Magic Music Movie never veers into mocking territory. It’s bluntly honest and shows the absolute respect Aronsohn has for each person. He achieves this through the way he conducts and edits the interviews.

One aspect of the film that keeps it constantly moving is the use of animation to illustrate the stories the band tells. It’s bright, colorful, and psychedelic and works perfectly against the backdrop of the band’s music. This choice makes The Magic Music Movie more visually interesting than if it were just a series of talking heads and still photographs.

Magic Music today.

There’s also an underlying feeling of melancholy to the film that makes the emotional moments resonate even greater. For instance, the feeling of having getting so close to success only to fail draws the viewers in, making it easy to connect to the band members. It makes The Magic Music Movie feel relatable on a more personal level. Hearing these musicians talk about their near brushes with fame and letting those moments get away connected with me. But despite all the setbacks, seeing them come together at the end and have the success that eluded them for years left me feeling optimistic.

One thing I wish Aronsohn had dug a bit deeper on is the political and social issues that were prevalent during the ‘70s when Magic Music was forming. Whenever the film transitions from one year to the next, there’s a montage of newspaper headlines and clippings that detail such world events as Watergate and the Vietnam war. While it does give you some historical context, you don’t really get a feeling of how it affected the band members from both an artistic and personal standpoint. It’s a minor nitpick but it’s still something I wish the documentary had touched on just to give it that extra layer.

But most importantly though, the music is fantastic. Magic Music’s songs are filled with relaxing acoustic melodies and mesmerizing flute solos. You’ll definitely want to look them up once the movie is over because they’ll be stuck in your head afterwards. My favorite track is one titled “Cedar’s Sigh.” It perfectly captures everything about the band.

40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Movie is one of the biggest surprises of the year. Funny, heartfelt, and inspiring, it’s one of the best music documentaries I’ve ever seen. I definitely recommend it.

For more on this film visit:

Website: https://www.magicmusicmovie.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MagicMusicMovie/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MagicMusicMovie

All Photos: ©2018 Paladin. All Rights Reserved.