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Article: Standing in the shadows of Motown. (Short Takes).(Movie Review)
- Article from:
- Cineaste
- Article date:
- June 22, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Cineaste Publishers, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Funk Brothers, a group of Detroit blues and jazz musicians assembled by Berry Gordy in 1959, are responsible for "more Number One hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley and the Beatles combined." But while clearly giving them long overdue props, Paul justman's documentary at times relegates the musicians to something very much like the shadows of Gordy's Motown empire. In particular, the Brothers are burdened with having to carry second-rate performers introduced to cover Motown classics. This burden is at times excruciating to witness, especially in the cases of Meshell Ndegeocello and Ben Harper. Ndegeocello's lackluster rendition of Smokey ...