All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records

Who knew a documentary about a record store chain would be so damn interesting? The brainchild of actor/director Colin Hanks (son of Tom), "All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records" is a loving and fascinating look at a business that meant a lot to a massive number of people. Between those who worked for the store(s) and those who shopped there, Tower Records wasn't just a store, it was a lifestyle.

The film begins back in the days before Tower Records even existed; a time when a drug store decided to sell used jukebox records, and was so successful at it that the son of the owner decided to open up a store that only sold records. Thus, Tower Records was born. Owner Russ Solomon is the main focus of Hank's interviews, and it's compelling to hear about the origins of the company and the early days of how they ran it -- which seemed pretty much like a free for all that somehow worked.

Hanks interviews many of the players from the store's first days, such as one of the first women who worked for Tower, Heidi Cotler, a ball-busting lady that tells it like it is. Various other workers who eventually became VPs and big-wigs as the company expanded also talk about the good old days, and explain how it was back when drinking on the job was common and the store workers became a family. It was a time heavily influenced by the '70s and '80s free-love, rampant drug use, and a common attitude of young adults wanting to work at a place that truly interested and inspired them.

But it wasn't only those who worked for the little record store that could that held the place in high regard. Musicians like Elton John, Chris Cornell and Bruce Springsteen all wax nostalgic about what it meant to not only shop at a place that took music seriously, but also a place that helped promote them when promoting music acts wasn't a big marketing "thing."

While this makes up the bulk of the film, it is interesting to see how the demise of Tower Records came about. While most blame it solely on the rise of MP-3s and online downloading (Napster and iTunes), there was more going on than we knew about.

Credit must go to Hanks for not only making the rise and fall of an American institution so compelling, but also so entertaining. He makes us long for the days when record stores were a social hub, and he asks us to wonder if there is still room for record stores to rise again. With the success of Amoeba Records in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and the continued success of Tower Records in Japan, maybe it can. Maybe there is value to what a record store brought to people that online browsing and downloading can't. While probably unexpected, this question is one of the most thoughtful things to come out of this well-made, loving, and fascinating look at a time gone by and a beloved institution.