Sound City

Directed by Dave Grohl

(Not rated)

***

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Dave Grohl’s debut film is “a music geek’s dream,” said Bill Goodykoontz inthe Phoenix Arizona Republic. The Foo Fighters frontman—and former drummer for Nirvana—has created a documentary about a legendary California recording studio that’s buoyed by his love of the subject matter. If it’s also “a bit of a mess,” it’s messy the way good rock ’n’ roll should be. Sound City was a dumpy space equipped with a knockout recording console, and Grohl proves to be “a preternaturally fun and accessible interviewer” as he harvests the memories of some of the artists who made pop history there, said Joshua Rothkopf in Time Out New York. Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, and Tom Petty are among the artists who recorded their breakthrough albums in the same room where Nirvana would later do the same. Unfortunately, the film’s momentum dies when Grohl begins recording an all-star tribute to the studio, said Howard Cohen in The Miami Herald. Even with Paul McCartney on hand, “real recording sessions tend to be dull”—best suited for use only as bonus material on a DVD.