Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
The history of Sound City and their huge recording device; exploring how digital change has allowed 'people that have no place' in music to become stars. It follows former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighter David Grohl as he attempts to resurrect the studio back to former glories.
Sound City is a competent and affectionate music documentary driven by Dave Grohl's genuine passion for analog recording and the legendary Neve console. The film benefits from extraordinary access to rock royalty — Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Rick Springfield — and the archival footage and recording session material is engaging. However, the documentary follows a fairly conventional talking-heads-plus-archive structure without pushing the form in interesting ways. The cinematography is solid but unremarkable for the genre. The ending, which pivots to Grohl assembling artists for a new album, feels somewhat self-congratulatory and diffuse, losing the historical focus that made the first half compelling. Novelty is moderate — the Neve console as protagonist is a nice conceptual hook, but music studio documentaries are well-trodden territory. Acting is not applicable in traditional terms, though the interview subjects are candid and charismatic. Overall a satisfying watch for rock fans but not a landmark of documentary filmmaking.