EXCERPTS FROM A REVIEW BY JAMES A. GARDNER, Blogcritics

The history of rock and roll is rife with talented brothers who are widely known for their fractious relationships — Phil and Don Everly, CCRs John and Tom Fogerty, The Kinks' Ray and Dave Davies, Oasis' Noel and Liam Gallagher, and the Beach Boys' three Wilson brothers, Brian, Dennis, and Carl, who added extra dissension by inviting cousin Mike Love along — to name just a few. Thanks to our contemporary tabloid culture, the internecine volatility and public disputes amongst these talented siblings have received more media attention in recent decades than their music.

Makin' It, a new documentary from award-winning documentary film director John Ferry, chronicles a very different story of show biz brothers, that of Ernie Joseph (Ernest), Cory (Raymond), and Brian (Ruben) Orosco. The three have been playing rock and roll together since 1963, and as this film makes evident, they haven't spent those years singing through clenched teeth. By way of extensive interviews, archival film, and photos, Ferry sketches the Oroscos' careers over nearly fifty years of performing and recording, showing how deeply both music and fraternity have permeated and guided the entirety of their professional lives.

Nearly every aspect of the Oroscos' narrative runs counter to the tawdry, stereotypical Behind the Music trajectory of obscurity, to success, to ruin. Makin' It is nearly a real-life Ricky Nelson story, times three, only without Ozzie's grueling work demands and a catastrophic drug habit. Or heaps of hit records. It's evident that the Orosco brothers learned the price of attaining that level of success, and the accompanying pitfalls.

Their first album, A Giant Crab Comes Forth, comprised mostly of original songs, has become something of a cult classic through music blog postings and tantalizing references in psych-garage music guides such as Vernon Joynson's indispensable Fuzz, Acid & Flowers.

Makin' It is recommended viewing for anyone about to join a band, and should be required for those considering forming one with members of their own families. The simple fact is, like every hotshot high school three-point shooter's odds of making the NBA, even the hottest band in town is not likely to land a record a deal, much less wind up on the cover of Rolling Stone. This film is a refreshing reminder that there still exist those who practice their art just because it makes them feel good, and who haven’t destroyed themselves in the process.