Sound City

Everyone gave applause at the end of this documentary. It actually has relevance to anyone who enjoys popular music. However, musicians who see this movie will find a special message imparted to them.

During the 1970s, there was Disco. At this time, music became more repetitive, even boring to some listeners. The soul was being manufactured. Then another assault on soul or the "human element" began with the computer processing of tunes. What then makes that special element that says to the ears; "This music is created by humans with a heart!" This movie attempts to answer such a question. And it answers it through the many examples of artists who called this special recording studio "home". You will be surprised by the top names and albums that were recorded in this studio.

I saw this movie in San Francisco at a small theater; but the audience was packed. I felt that I had a more realistic grasp of the music industry and its unvarnished history as a result of seeing this film. I left with a good feeling; and, I would recommend this movie to others. There is no outrageous behavior that would offend very sensitive or religious people.

The quality of this movie sometimes approaches a "home movie" given that they are using real historical footage and personal pictures from the past; but it never seems scattered. It's always entertaining. There is a message to be told; and a history to be seen. It has been edited well. It was enjoyable to hear real confessions of top people in the industry on film. Another film of this same type or category, a combination "home movie with pro editing," would be "MAGIC TRIP" with Ken Kesey. IN THIS PARTICULAR CATEGORY of "historical home movie documentary" I gave it a "10". This movie has the stars, the unique history, and a beating heart.

I got my monies worth.

I've never been a huge fan of Nirvana or Foo Fighters (I do like a few things here and there but overall they're not my thing) but as a person I have a lot of respect for Dave Grohl. He seems like a great guy and it's really cool how he's dipping into film with his directorial debut Sound City, a documentary about the studio which is home to Nevermind, Rumours and all kinds of classics. I had no idea about these connections. I love a good Fleetwood Mac origin story, so although it was a few things I knew, it was still interesting. The first half works as a great chronological account of anecdotes, focusing on acts like Fleetwood Mac and Rick Springfield, and the highs and lows of the company. It really showed how Sound City was unique for its Neve soundboard and makes me want to seek them out. The documentary is shown in a very typically MTV way with its graphics and soundtrack but it makes it very entertaining (even if there's a very irritating use of flashing frames back and forth). However, the last half hour is devoted to the recording of the Sound City soundtrack that Grohl collaborates with artists formerly mentioned and as we only get snippets of each track, it feels like it's simply an endorsement to buy the soundtrack and it knocks the doc down a peg. Still a good start to 2013.

7/10

One of the greatest unsung treasures of the United States has to be Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, which recorded dozens of artists' hits beginning to 1969 and possessing the energy and following to continue doing it in 2011. This is a surprising feature because of the inherent primitiveness of the recording studio, as we're told, which has a very "secondhand" look, completer with brown-shag carpeting fit for a Volkswagen bus, cheap Velour couches, and other hand-me-down items. Yet what it's arguably most famous for, besides being the home of a dozen dozen records is housing an enormous custom-made soundboard made by engineer Rupert Neve, which was purchased by Sound City owners Joe Gottfried and Tom Skeeter for $76,000. We're told Gottfried's house, at the time, cost only $38,000.

The film, made by Foo Fighters-founded Dave Grohl, begins with a wordless intro of Grohl setting up the recording studio, getting ready to play, before introducing us to the wealth of history, insight, facts, memories, and legends associated with Sound City. Every artist in the 1970's and 1980's came to record at Sound City, not just because of its simplicity, but because it was known to have a terrific design to it which purified vocals and made electrifying sound quality for its singers' records. Kansas, Slayer, REO Speedwagon, Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham Nicks, Stevie Nicks, Cheap Trick, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Rick Springfield, Neil Young, Pat Benatar, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Barry Manilow, etc were all caught under the Sound City spell, and another huge quality for them that attracted the singers to the lure of the studio was the fact that Gottfried and Skeeter genuinely cared about the music they were putting out. They weren't in it for the power, they weren't in it for their health, they weren't in it for the glory of anything at all, and they sure weren't in it for the wealth.

The first half of the documentary involves the singers that made Sound City what it was. In-depth interviews with Stevie Nicks, recalling her days with Buckingham Nicks along with Lindsey Buckingham, and Rick Springfield smiling and remembering his fame for his anthem "Jessie's Girl," yet choking up remembering how he left Gottfried to pursue another manager. Of all the interviews, I loved Springfield's the most. Not only a cherishable music talent, Springfield is a collective and inspiring talker who is less about the narcissism and more about the deep and flavorful memories he has treasured for years.

The second half of the documentary concerns the depressing end of analog recording and the introduction of computers, synthesizes, and heavy machinery other than the soundboard that began to dominate the music business. We see how computers killed the traditional star of the music industry, when high-tech equipment moved from the level of desirable to easily obtainable, which gave many musicians popularity for work that was more than half adjusted thanks to technological advances. I can assume the issue back in the day for musicians who felt they had something to share with the world was they had the heart and drive, but they lacked the materials essential for recognition and success. Today, anyone can easily get the materials, but do they possess that heart and drive that makes them deserve to be heard? Of course, this discussion can easily transcend to the debate of whether the internet and computers was a good or bad invention. Personally, it was an amazing invention, one of the most important the human race has ever seen. The sad thing about it was it made many, many unique things very common. Writing? Whatever. You can easily build a blog from the ground up by using a popular website as your footing. Music? Whatever. There are sites like Band Camp to release your works. Good luck standing out.

But I digress. The third half focuses on several artists, including Paul McCartney, performing, practicing, and simply rocking-out at Sound City, embracing the loud, boldness of the music and the cutting riffs of the music through its impenetrable walls. This is what, I assume, some people came for. I certainly didn't, but I did anything but discourage it.

Sound City is a documentary, that I dare say, needed to be made. It depicts a more primitive era in the music industry, when things were more wholesome and less barbaric. When social stunts and outrage attires were secondary stories, with the music being performed at the foreground. If we're losing our moral compass anywhere in the world, it's in the mainstream pop/rap music, where artists like Beyonce, Chief Keef, Ke$ha, and Nicki Minaj can recite their frothy, commercialized music that lacks soul and heart. It becomes a depressing reality when you hear the terrific anthems from yesteryear in this documentary (such as "Landslide" or "Time for Me to Fly") and begin to wish for songs like those again, you question, have we really advanced as much as we thought in some areas?

Directed by: Dave Grohl.

If you're on this page, you should check it out. The style of the movie is fast-paced, cool graphics, and testimonials from rock/punk musicians.

It's got a couple of major themes: Analog vs Digital = how music made today with pro tools and digital recording eliminates the human element. There are some 'pros' to the digital era: it's easier for people to make music, less expensive, more 'perfection' The movie discusses though endless and endless takes artists like Tom Petty had to do to achieve a 'perfect' recording, which has imperfections that make them classic.

The movie also takes you through the crazy history of Sound City recording studio. I'm always looking for interesting business stories and this film provides that. Not to often you 'connect the dots' with Rick Springfield, Tom Petty, and Nirvana. I also liked learning about how a studio works, from the 'runner' to the producer. That fascinates me.

The final part of the movie is recording of the Sound City soundtrack. The one criticism I have is it trashes pro tools but says Trent Reznor uses them more artistically but never explains how.

Finally, one thing I realized is that musicians are some of the best entrepreneurs we have. They take HUGE risks that can have huge rewards/payoffs. They also think big. The idea of 'Nirvana' was a bigger, longer lasting, and had more impact than a new line of Tide or a soft drink.

Sound City was a recording studio in Van Nuys, California which began to make its' mark with Fleetwood Mac in 1972. Stevie Nicks made an album with Lindsay Buckingham which tanked and by chance, they joined up with Mick Fleetwood and made their first hit record, which put the studio on the map. Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame, is the producer and director, and he keeps it very interesting, with interviews ranging from Rick Rubin and Tom Petty to Trent Reznor and Rick Springfield, among many others. The music is excellent, including off the cuff sessions with Reznor and a rollicking jam with Paul McCartney playing guitar and belting out a new tune which reminded me of Helter Skelter from the Beatles White album. If you love rock and roll, you will especially appreciate Sound City.