Sound City (2013)
2013
Critics Consensus
Smart, affectionate, and unabashedly sincere, Sound City pairs a great soundtrack with a well-argued ode to one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most fondly remembered bygone eras.
TOMATOMETER
Total Count: 45
Audience Score
User Ratings: 6,913
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Deep in the San Fernando Valley, amidst rows of dilapidated warehouses, was rock n’ roll’s best kept secret: Sound City. America’s greatest unsung recording studio housed a one-of-a-kind console, and as its legend grew, seminal bands and artists such as Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, Rick Springfield, Tom Petty, Metallica and Nirvana all came out to put magic to tape. Directed by Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) and featuring interviews and performances from the iconic musicians who recorded some of rock’s greatest albums at the studio, Sound City doesn’t just tell the story of this real-life rock ‘n’ roll shrine, it celebrates the human element of music as Grohl gathers some of rock’s biggest artists to collaborate on a new album. Using Sound City’s legendary analog console, together these artists continue to create musical miracles in a digital world. (c) Variance
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In Sound City, a raucous yet sweetly romantic documentary, dinosaurs do indeed rock the Earth again.
January 1, 2014 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review…
Top Critic
Dave Grohl’s terrific new doc, Sound City, profiles the studio where some of the greatest music of the past four decades was born.
December 16, 2013 | Rating: B+ | Full Review…
Top Critic
A joyous ode to a lost era of music making that will delight music buffs and those who appreciate a well-done documentary.
February 21, 2013 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
Top Critic
Grohl has … created both a fascinating account of the process of analogue recording and a tender tribute to the rock bands of yesteryear.
February 19, 2013 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…
Top Critic
A cocky, affectionate and very musical documentary that may make its central point a few times too often.
February 7, 2013 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
Top Critic
In his directing debut, Dave Grohl shows the instincts of a real filmmaker. Sound City hits you like a shot in the heart.
February 2, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…
Top Critic
Mar 09, 2014
This is an awesome documentary by Dave Grohl, telling one of rock’s coolest and more obscure stories. If you’re a fan of rock n’ roll, you owe it to yourself to check this film out.
Nov 02, 2013
Dave Grohl is a GENIUS! I love him so much!!!
Sep 21, 2013
An intimate look at one of the most storied recording studios ever in Los Angeles, CA, a place of magic and luck that appeared to be nothing more than a dump, but instead possessed an indescribable environment full of special people that ultimately stood the test of time despite many instances where it could have been sold. Director Dave Grohl, one of the best musicians of our time, shows a lot of skills behind the camera, making this little studio seem ultimately timeless despite the inescapable shifts in success it experienced given the changes in the music industry. Mostly, this documentary is a treat to watch because of the cameos involved, from Tom Petty, to Rick Springfield, to even Sir Paul McCartney, all with fond memories of when they produced albums there.
Dan S Super Reviewer
Mar 21, 2013
Dave Grohl’s directorial debut is a phenomenal documentary about the legendary Sound City Studios, a studio where some of the most legendary records in music history have recorded. Grohl interviews many musicians who have used the studio and they give their insight as to why Sound City was such an integral part in their creative process to create something memorable on tape. Sound City Studios was a studio that used analog recording equipment instead of digital to record its artists. No matter the genre of music you enjoy, this is a must see documentary that is truly impressive. The stories told by the musicians are wonderful. Grohl goes deep into the subject matter and give his film the human connection of making music with a band, and not simply a computer. Analog tape is an obsolete technology in terms of recording, and the film gives us an explanation as to why recording with tape is the best way to record music. Grohl gets his point across very well by stating that with tape, you can hear every little mistake and imperfection, which makes the music more real, while with digital you can easily fix it, tweak and perfect it, but at the same time cheapening the feel of the art form. With that being said, I have a profound respect for this dying form of recording and the stories are simply stunning. Dave Grohl interviews everyone from Mick Fleetwood to Stevie Nicks, Neil Young, and Lars Ulrich to producers Rick Rubin, Butch Vig and Ross Robinson. I’ve seen plenty of music documentaries, all of them were great, but Sound City is very different. This is a film not just about a studio, but the human element of creating real, pure music from the heart, something that most popular artists of today have forgotten all about. Everything nowadays is all about auto tuned vocals, electronic, computerized beats and not about playing an actual instrument. Sound City is a film that will delight music fans as well as those interested in this classic recording method.
| Trent Reznor: | Now that everyone is empowered with these tools to create stuff, has there been a lot more great shit coming out? Not really. You still have to have something to do with those tools. You should really try to have something? to say |
| Trent Reznor: | Now that everyone is empowered with these tools to create stuff, has there been a lot more great shit coming out? Not really. You still have to have something to do with those tools. You should really try to have something to say. |
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