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Tom Dowd & the Language of Music

Play trailer Poster for Tom Dowd & the Language of Music 2003 1h 32m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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90% Tomatometer 30 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Although he's not as well known as many of the musicians whose records he produced, Tom Dowd's influence in the music world is undeniable. Responsible for studio techniques like stereo sound and multitrack recording, Dowd helped shape the sound of pop music for more than half a century. New and archival interviews with some of the legendary artists he worked with, including Ray Charles, Eric Clapton and Aretha Franklin, detail Dowd's influential work and his impact on the recording industry.

Critics Reviews

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Ted Fry Seattle Times 08/13/2004
3.5/4
Affable and hugely entertaining. Go to Full Review Joel Selvin San Francisco Chronicle 08/13/2004
4/4
A fitting epitaph for a giant few people outside the industry knew but whose work everybody heard. Go to Full Review Tim Cogshell Boxoffice Magazine 08/13/2004
3/5
The film is full of artists' stories and testimonials from both the old and new schools of the music industry. But it is the delightfully charming Dowd that makes the movie. He's a hoot, and a legendary one at that. Go to Full Review Jason Gorber Film Scouts 06/21/2007
B+
A must see for any fan of popular music from the latter half of the 20th century. Go to Full Review Film Threat 12/06/2005
5/5
Robert W. Butler Kansas City Star 12/17/2004
The film's high points are to be found in tremendous archival footage. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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12/29/2013 a required viewing piece while i was in the long beach commercial recording engineer program excellent movie, i highly recommend for any music enthusiasts! See more 07/28/2011 This is a very interesting documentary. I had no idea Dowd did all this other stuff beyond producing Clapton, Skynyrd, Allmans etc. And it also offers a few insights on the creative process, which is neat. On the other hand, the film itself could be better. There are "dramatizations" (though these disappear as the chronology progresses) and there are loads of shots of live performances of artists he recorded (when he wouldn't have been recording them). I think it could have been significantly better. See more 03/25/2011 Wonderful documentary about a legendary producer and record engineer who's worked with everyone from Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin to Cream and Lynyrd Skynyrd, and obviously one heck of a guy too. Highly recommended for anyone who truly loves music. See more 09/02/2010 If you are a serious music lover you have to see this great documentary of an unsung hero behind the greatest music artists ever... See more 01/03/2010 extremely fascinating!! See more 08/13/2009 Entertaining and illuminating biopic of recording engineer/producer/musician/physicist, Tom Dowd. What an impressive and wide-ranging body of work this guy had! Plus, he was so full of energy and positive enthusiasm, it's hard not to be entertained as you go along for the ride. And there are plenty of great clips of all the music and musicians he worked with along the way. Interesting to see that he never became a millionaire at the end, unlike many of the superstars and business people with whom he worked. However, this only served to illustrate just how much he loved his work, helping to bring to light one of the industry's true unsung heroes in the process. This is a film that I think people will enjoy, even if they aren't necessarily interested in the technical aspects of recording and production. See more Read all reviews
Tom Dowd & the Language of Music

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Cast & Crew

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Mark Moormann

Director

Ray Charles

Self

Scott Gordon

Producer

Wendy Williams

Co-Producer

Lawrence Saichek

Co-Producer

Mark Moormann

Producer

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Tom Dowd & the Language of Music

Tom Dowd & the Language of Music (2003) Tom Dowd & the Language of Music (2003) Tom Dowd & the Language of Music (2003) Tom Dowd & the Language of Music (2003) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Although he's not as well known as many of the musicians whose records he produced, Tom Dowd's influence in the music world is undeniable. Responsible for studio techniques like stereo sound and multitrack recording, Dowd helped shape the sound of pop music for more than half a century. New and archival interviews with some of the legendary artists he worked with, including Ray Charles, Eric Clapton and Aretha Franklin, detail Dowd's influential work and his impact on the recording industry.
Director
Mark Moormann
Producer
Scott Gordon, Mark Moormann
Distributor
Palm Pictures
Production Co
Language of Music Films
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 19, 2003, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Aug 24, 2004
Box Office (Gross USA)
$40.2K
Runtime
1h 32m