By Brent Thompson
As an Alabama-based outlet, we know firsthand the pride that exudes statewide for the musical importance of Muscle Shoals. And while the 2013 documentary Muscle Shoals gave us a film version of the story, there hasn’t ever been a book released that seemed to do it justice. Well, that all changes on November 25 with the release of Land of a Thousand Sessions: The Complete Muscle Shoals Story 1951-1985 (Malaco Records). Author and six-time Grammy nominee Rob Bowman (Soulsville, U.S.A. – The Story of Stax Records, The Last Soul Company) has penned an exhaustive – but never uninteresting – account of the “Hit Recording Capital of the World.” Yes, it clocks in at nearly 800 pages and 30 chapters, but there is a lot to be covered and Bowman does it well. Stemming from interviews with more than 100 key Shoals figures, Land of a Thousand Sessions reminds us that Muscle Shoals – the catch-all name for the tri-city area of Muscle Shoals, Florence and Sheffield – had two distinct musical chapters during its recording heyday. First, soul was the order of the day led by Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, The Staple Singers and Percy Sledge. Then, rock and country took over when The Rolling Stones, Bob Seger, Paul Simon, Boz Scaggs, Willie Nelson and Rod Stewart came to town. So, the next time you hear “Land of a Thousand Dances,” “I’ll Take You There,” “Kodachrome,” “Old Time Rock and Roll” and “Tonight’s The Night,” just remember that each song traces directly back to a hallowed – if somewhat unlikely – scene in northern Alabama.