By Esteban Vargas for Curtains Up
There’s no doubt about it; everything Dave Grohl touches as of late turns to gold. The man can honestly do no wrong! After announcing he was taking a break as frontman of the ever-so-successful Foo Fighters, Grohl jumped into the world of filmmaking. I must admit, I had my doubts at first about how successful this new venture might be however I was delightfully (if not, epically) surprised!
The project in question? “Sound City” — a documentary about the famous recording studio by the same name located in Van Nuys, Los Angeles. Although I’m aware that most of you may never have heard of Sound City studios, you’ve definitely had a listen to music which originates from said recording space. In fact, if you’ve ever listened to the likes of Tom Petty, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Vinny Appice, Nirvana, Rick Springfield (to name a few), then you’ve definitely heard music that’s been recorded at the Van Nuys institution.
Started in the late 1960’s Sound City went on to become home to some of the most successful records in the time of analog recording until it’s recent closure in 2011. After hearing of the closure, Grohl announced his intention to purchase the one-of-a-kind “Neve” brand console which had been a staple of the studio. (I won’t get into too much detail about the console itself but in essence Neve consoles were known for their realistic, non-enhanced sound.) This was the genesis of Grohl’s project: he figured he’d bring a camera along to capture the move of the actual mixing board from Sound City studios to his 606 studio. That same night co-producer and good friend of Grohl, Jim Rota received a text message from Grohl who felt there was more to the idea than was originally discussed. This would eventually lead to the possibility of creating a web series but that concept was soon dumped in favour of a documentary: “Sound City”.
The final piece is nothing short of passionate and intimate. What made it quite easy to take in was the fact that the crew focused on the people rather than the technical jargon behind the studio. In this regard, not only did we hear stories from and about the notorious artists and producers who had passed through the facilities, we also had a peak at those behind the scenes: the receptionists, the gofers, the owner… Let’s not forget, every now and then Grohl throws in his self-aware, witty humour to appease his personal fans and merge the generation gap that may exist in the audience.
Although the audience is taken on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the piece, the film ends off on a high note with the Neve console sitting at it’s new home — Grohl’s 606 studio. Here, he is joined by a variety of artists including former members of Nirvana, Paul McCartney, Corey Taylor and Stevie Nicks who are documented putting together the upcoming Sound City Soundtrack.
In the end, “Sound City” acts as a perfect tool when it comes to bridging the generation gap in musical tastes. If you’re of the mentality that “new bands” are missing depth, this film will definitely change your perception. Likewise, if you’re of the mentality that “older bands” aren’t what they’ve been made out to be, you’ll also have a change of mind. That said, Grohl credits much of his success as well as that of Nirvana to the band’s love for The Beatles. He incites the audience to reconsider the influence of certain artists as well as the power of analog recordings. “Sound City” is a music lover’s bible and lover!
“Sound City” ran at Cinema du Parc from January 31 – February 7, 2013. It is available on iTunes.
The Sound City Soundtrack will be available as of March 12, 2013.
Originally published at MontrealMusicScene.com
