For the last year or so, there has been quite a bit of hype around Dave Grohl’s directorial debut, Sound City, a documentary telling the story of the legendary California studio where some of rock’s most iconic albums were recorded. Grohl has called the film his greatest accomplishment, which, after viewing the film, doesn’t seem like too far-fetched of an idea. This movie kicks ass.
Clocking in at just over an hour and 45 minutes, the film takes the viewer through the history of the LA-based recording studio with archived footage of various artists’ recording processes accompanied by photos and interviews with the musicians looking back on their experiences. The film came about after Grohl’s purchase of the Neve 8028 board that has been deemed “legendary” by the artists that used it, the recording console that pumped out albums including Nirvana’s Nevermind, Rage Against The Machine’s self-titled debut, classic albums by Fleetwood Mac & Buckingham Nicks, and many many more. Sitting down with all of his musical heroes to discuss the studio, you can hear the excitement in Dave’s voice as he narrates the film as well as conducts the interviews with over twenty musicians, all artists that recorded at Sound City and gave it the legendary status it now holds today. In a letter to fans that pre-ordered the film, Grohl says:
From day one, it was the most incredible experience of my life. I swear. Sitting down with Neil Young talking about recording guitars, John Fogerty telling me about the day he decided to become a musician, Stevie Nicks telling me the story of how she joined Fleetwood Mac, Trent Reznor schooling me on the world of computers and digital technology, etc etc etc… can you imagine? All I had to do was listen… I am the luckiest man on earth.
Throughout the film, Grohl discusses the influence the Beatles had on him as a musician, deeming them the band that made him want to play music in the first place. Then, the final scene of the documentary features the surviving members of Nirvana jamming in Grohl’s Studio 606 with none other than Sir Paul McCartney. Of the experience, Dave says, “Getting a chance to play music with the person that is the reason why I’m a musician… recording through the board which is the reason that I’m here today… it was a huge fill-circle moment for me.” Here’s the final version of the “Sirvana” jam, entitled Cut Me Some Slack:
If, for some out of this world reason, you were considering NOT seeing this film, you really need to re-think your decision because you will be missing out dearly. Funny, emotional, and inspiring as hell, the Sound City documentary doesn’t fall short of excellent, showcasing yet another one of Dave Grohl’s many talents, this time in the area of filmmaking. Along with the film comes a promising soundtrack comprised of collaborations between the various artists including John Fogerty, Rick Springfield, Stevie Nicks, Alain Johannes, Trent Reznor, Joshua Homme, and many more. Check out From Can To Can’t, a collaboration between Grohl, Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen, and Kyuss’ Scott Reeder:
Pre-order the rest of the Sound City: Real To Reel soundtrack from iTunes and get off your ass and purchase the film direct from Dave on the official website.
As this film reaches and inspires the rest of the Antiquiet staff, expect some deeper delving into the the history of Sound City, and the records that came out of it.
