DVD Corner

20 Feet From Stardom Blu-ray Review

“20 Feet From Stardom” gives background singers the respect they deserve.

When it comes to bands, solo singers, and pop acts, the lead singer tends to get all of the attention. While singers may be the “stars,” it’s important to remember (and give credit to) the other band members such as the guitarists, drummers, keyboardists, and backup singers.

Throughout the history of music, backup singers have played important roles in an enormous number of classic songs (such as “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Sympathy For The Devil”) and yet they rarely get the respect they deserve. Thankfully, director Morgan Neville has decided to turn the spotlight on a group of talented backup singers with his new documentary “20 Feet From Stardom.”

Comprised of interviews with background singers like Janice Pendarvis, Jo Lawry, The Waters, and Tata Vega as well as superstar musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, Bette Midler, and Mick Jagger, “20 Feet From Stardom” chronicles the history (and significance) of backup singers through a variety of musical genres. Via stock footage of everyone from Ray Charles to The Talking Heads, the documentary explores the role of backup singers and how that role has evolved as musical trends (and genres) change over the years.

The bulk of ‘Stardom,’ however, isn’t about background singer history but rather the singers themselves. Director Morgan Neville turns the camera on a select few singers (namely Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, and Judith Hill) and lets them tell the audience personal stories about their love of music, careers, passions, disappointments, dreams, achievements, and struggles to step out of the backup role. Yes, some of their stories are heartbreaking and frustrating (especially since we know how truly talented they are), but, with the help of this film, something tells me they will find major success soon enough.  

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.78:1 1080p. How does it look? Like any documentary, the picture quality varies in quality. The archival TV and film footage obviously pales in comparison to the crisp newly shot interviews.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? This is a very lively and sharp sounding track that is filled with frequent songs and singing.

Extras:
* The Weinstein Company trailers.
* 12 deleted scenes.
* “Times Talks: Q&A With Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer and Director Morgan Neville”- The New York Times hosts this lively Q&A event from June 11, 2013.
* “The Buddy System”- A short film about backup singers.

Overall Thoughts: “20 Feet From Stardom” is a crowd-pleasing documentary. Check it out.

January 3, 2014 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | 20 Feet From Stardom Blu-ray Review, Darlene Love, Judith Hill, Lisa Fischer, Merry Clayton