DVD Review: "Sound City"

"Rhiannon," "Refugee," "Hot Blooded," "Surrender," "Jessie's Girl," and "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

What do all these classic songs have in common?

Well, besides blasting out of your FM radio and into the public consciousness for over 20 years they were all record at a dumpy little recording facility in Van Nuys California called "Sound City Studios."

In the new documentary "Sound City," director and Foo Fighters leader, Dave Grohl lovingly tells the story of the little studio that could.  Through archival photos, footage and current interviews with the artists who actually recorded at Sound City Studios, Grohl and company take you behind the scenes of the building that is responsible for more than 100 certified Gold and Platinum recordings.

All of the interviews in "Sound City" are conducted by Grohl himself as he gets the inside story from artists Tom Petty, Lindsey Buckingham, Rick Springfield, Stevie Nicks, Neil Young, Mick Fleetwood, Barry Manilow, Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) and Krist Novoselic (Nirvana).

Also on hand to flesh out the studios history are producers Keith Olsen (Fleetwood Mac, Pat Benatar, Foreigner), Rick Rubin (Johnny Cash, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty) and we even hear from the man who created the actual Sound City mixing board (Neve 8028) Rubert Neve.

The doc ends with Grohl and members of the Foo Fighters creating new music with artists such as Paul McCartney, Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age), Rick Springfield and Stevie Nicks on the original Neve 8028 used at Sound City Studios which is now owned by Grohl himself.  

That music can be heard on the album "Sound City: Real To Reel" which serves as a perfect companion piece to the "Sound City" film.

"Sound City" is a great film to learn how music used to be made in the good old days of analog recording ... when bands actually recorded LIVE, in a studio and on tape.

No digital!
No pro tools!
and...
No auto-tune!

Drumroll please... 8 out of 10 drumsticks!!!