Oh hello, you've caught smooth groove aficionado, kickass illustrator, and occasional Tape Freaks contributor Izzi Xiques relaxing in her music nook!
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| James Ingram and Michael McDonald |
Colette and I met while working at a mind numbing retail job that piped in bland overhead music, and if you've ever worked a retail job that had it's own soundtrack, you are probably just familiar with the smooth sounds of soft rock as we are. Hell, just shopping in retail settings should make you familiar with the voices of Michael McDonald, Hall and Oates, Toto, and Kenny Loggins. But have you ever wondered how those smooth grooves came to be? The answer to those questions you never asked are all answered in the best twelve episode mini series ever made about the interconnected musical collaborations of the soft rock movement now forever known as Yacht Rock.
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| Eddie Van Halen and Michael Jackson |
Yacht Rock is the brainchild of J. D. Ryznar, Hunter D. Stair, Lane Farnham and follows protagonists Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins from the birth of smooth in late 70s through it's resurgence in the smooth rap of the 90s. Michael McDonald, is our scrappy underdog who fights tooth and nail to keep smooth music alive, even as the 80’s hard rocks starts to take over the airwaves. Loggins on the other hand rolls with the punches and adapts to mainstream music as it changes, trying desperately to drag McDonald with him. But episodes don't always focus on those two, there's also a feud between The Eagles and Steely Dan, an episode that reveals what's truly responsible for the birth of smooth gangster rap, episodes also feature Michael Jackson, Hall and Oats, Christopher Cross, and so much more. The collaborations are all true, the stories behind the collaborations are… debatable.
Even though Yacht Rock ruthlessly pokes fun at a lot of huge stars (from those eras), all the teasing comes from a place of love, making it equally enjoyable for people who are trapped in a retail world filled with gentle grooves as well as true fans of the music. It’s honestly hard to deny what a gem this series is, so much so that John Oates (as well as others depicted in the series) credit the resurgence of smooth rock fans to Yacht Rock. Michael McDonald even gave his seal of approval, hinting that even though the show isn't exactly accurate, it's intuitive in a very real way. Honestly, even if you hate the music of these artists, once you've seen Yacht Rock from beginning to end you'll have a hard time hating those tracks ever again.
Watching Yacht Rock was one of the things that sealed me and Colette’s friendship. And I'll just say: the first time we watched it all the way through together, was not the last. Colette showed me the true power of smooth music, and the world will never been the same again.
Even though Yacht Rock ruthlessly pokes fun at a lot of huge stars (from those eras), all the teasing comes from a place of love, making it equally enjoyable for people who are trapped in a retail world filled with gentle grooves as well as true fans of the music. It’s honestly hard to deny what a gem this series is, so much so that John Oates (as well as others depicted in the series) credit the resurgence of smooth rock fans to Yacht Rock. Michael McDonald even gave his seal of approval, hinting that even though the show isn't exactly accurate, it's intuitive in a very real way. Honestly, even if you hate the music of these artists, once you've seen Yacht Rock from beginning to end you'll have a hard time hating those tracks ever again.
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