Sound City
Metascore
76 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
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  1. Arizona Republic
    Reviewed by: Bill Goodykoontz
    Jan 31, 2013
    80
    Sound City is a music geek's dream, a rollicking look at a dumpy California studio where a lot of musicians found magic. It's also a bit of a mess, like all good rock and roll ought to be.
  2. Film.com
    Reviewed by: William Goss
    Feb 26, 2013
    67
    We’re given fairly straightforward talking-head accounts complemented with an increasing amount of archival material as the narrative progresses further towards the present, all coated in a VH1-suited slickness that belies the reported funk of the studio itself. Fortunately, that slickness is in service of tales from some substantial musicians.
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    Jan 31, 2013
    80
    High-spirited, emotional and funny, Sound City is, of all things, a mash note to a machine. Not just any machine, however, but one that helped change the face of rock 'n' roll.
  4. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Howard Cohen
    Jan 31, 2013
    75
    Grohl's appreciation for the inhabitants of this dingy demimonde, from the artists to the secretaries at the front desk, makes Sound City an infectious and sincere Valentine to a rapidly disappearing art form.
  5. Movie Nation
    Reviewed by: Roger Moore
    Mar 5, 2013
    75
    It’s still a passion project, in all the best ways, a jaunty, juicy ramble through music history from Johnny Cash to Nine Inch Nails, Neil Young to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
  6. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    Jan 31, 2013
    60
    Grohl has a longstanding reputation as one of the nicest guys in rock. So it should come as no surprise that this may be the most positive music documentary you'll ever see.
  7. NPR
    Reviewed by: Ian Buckwalter
    Jan 31, 2013
    70
    Grohl's jovial presence is the hook; playing interviewer and emcee as well as director, he's the catchy bit you welcome every time it returns. The star-studded interview list provides much of the personality and attitude, as does a fantastically tense behind-the-scenes video of Petty and his band laboring long hours to craft their breakthrough record.
  8. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    Feb 1, 2013
    88
    The film’s genius is the way it applies the lessons of Sound City to any job. “The human element,” says Grohl, “that’s what makes the magic.” In his directing debut, Grohl shows the instincts of a real filmmaker. Sound City hits you like a shot in the heart.
  9. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Walter Addiego
    Feb 7, 2013
    75
    Sound City is Grohl's first effort at filmmaking, and if it doesn't break any ground as a documentary, it's a heartfelt testament to a place he considers among the most hallowed halls of rock.
  10. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Ted Scheinman
    Jan 30, 2013
    63
    Given Dave Grohl's reputation for versatility and good taste, the film's sturdy sense of forward motion may come as no surprise.
  11. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: David Rooney
    Jan 24, 2013
    80
    Dave Grohl has more than clout in his corner in his terrifically entertaining documentary Sound City. He brings elements that can't be faked -- passion and heart -- to this lovingly assembled insider account of what it feels like to make real handcrafted rock music.
  12. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Neil Genzlinger
    Jan 30, 2013
    80
    [Grohl] shows a decent grasp of how to pace a documentary and how to push nostalgia buttons, avoiding the marsh of smarminess most - though not quite all - of the time.
  13. The Playlist
    Reviewed by: Katie Walsh
    Jan 29, 2013
    91
    A vibrant and vital tribute to a piece of recording and rock history that could have been lost to the ether, and Grohl packages the story of this little studio with a detailed celebration of the craft and skill necessary to this kind of recording, all with a killer soundtrack (which should go without saying).
  14. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: Joshua Rothkopf
    Jan 29, 2013
    80
    For a movie that's essentially about a piece of hardware-the legendary Neve mixing console, an imposing slab of knobs and meters - this geeked-out documentary beats with more heart than could be imagined.
  15. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Alan Scherstuhl
    Jan 29, 2013
    70
    Dave Grohl's Sound City is an exciting, sometime illuminating documentary about how a squad of technicians and engineers in a hole-in-the-Valley music studio helped great rock 'n' rollers make great rock 'n' roll.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.5 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 26 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. adamwouldcould
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. I don't write movie reviews I write Thank You notes.

    Dear Dave Grohl,
    Thanks for this great sounding documentary. It was in depth and thorough, yet light-hearted and easy to watch. Some of my favorite artists of all time... I mean seriously this doc is overflowing with a variety and caliber of musicians I personally could only dream of, and in that regard this could be considered one of the greatest musical documentaries of all time.    … Full Review »
  2. joey-clemenza
    10
    Today's music industry is widely considered to be a jumbled mess of confusion regarding quality vs. craftsmanship of the music, deciphered and taken in by (most) consumers who haven't the ability to tell the difference. In truth, a non-musician would be hard pressed to pick up on the subtleties of classic analogue production over contemporary digital recreation while being inundated with the gospel of technology convincing them otherwise that; "it's really the same thing, only easier". Well, Dave Grohol, lead singer of "The Foo Fighters" and director of "Sound City" would convince you otherwise. How? For starters, what's the difference between a robot of astute perfection and flawlessness and a flawed human with a burning soul? Since the inception of "pro tools", artists have been allotted a standard of mediocrity, later to be corrected by technology of the next level. This is true, and is not to say that tech in general hasn't made our lives easier. However, in order to the get to the core of Grohl's thesis, we don't necessarily need to ump into a deloreon, phone booth or sled and rewind ourselves to the good ol days of analogue tech and tape reels. Just reach into your vinyl and listen for yourself. Do you hear it? That's the sound of perfection, which is what makes vinyl as pure as it is. You see, before the age of digital correction and over correction, a musician had to stand up to the standards of flawlessness honing in their craft and developing great respect with their simian connection to their instrument. with regards to the recording. This is what Grohl was hoping to address in his new documentary "Sound City", and I am pleased to say that he has pulled it off well.

    The documentary is a sentimental ode to the machine that acted as the HUB of Sound City's success, and has become something of legend among the inner circles of both classic and contemporary rock 'n roll.; the Neve Console. It's also a love letter to the days of pure, smoky and rough analogue recording; that which has transcended Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors" and Nirvana's "Nevermind" into classic album status.

    For the true audiophile, the doc never misses a beat. Observing the technical ferociousness of the Neve, by lending credence to the genius behind those who had mastered the console and helped give birth to their respective masterpieces. For others, it's a story of the awakening and subsequent death of an engineering Juggernaut empire, unto which became the unfortunate victim of digital technology.

    The documentary never skips a beat, and even rewards the viewer with a seminal reunion of rock music's royalty few of whom have been waiting in the wings of a music snob's dream. Stevie Nicks recording with Pat Smear of the Germs, or the impromptu reunion of Nirvana's line-up with a legendary Beatle and Wings frontman Paul McCartney is enough to send any music junky into orbit, and beyond, By the way, if you ever wondered what Nirvana would've sounded like with Paul McCartney jamming with them on his cigar-box guitar and screaming improvised lyrics? Look no further. The film fires on all cylinders, and subtly infuses the very element it claims has been lost in the record industry for nearly decades humanism. Grohl does an exceptional job at conveying the birth of music magic, with little to no modern technology, and at the whim of a simple analogue recorder, human chemistry, magic and imagination. As far as cons are concerned, it would've been nice to see a great litany of performers at the films climax, recording with the mythical Neve console at Grohl's home. However, a nitpicky complaint at best.

    I can not recommend this film more. For an audiophile, you may find yourself rewinding in various stages as you'll feel the need to take in every bit of information that has been said. For others, there is a certain spiritual catharsis attached to watching Nirvana improvise a song from a few bars of notes, and turn it into a piece of rock and roll history with Sir Paul Mcartney singing the vocals and playing with a damm classic cigar box guitar.

    **PERFECT SCORE 10/10 Do yourself a favor and put aside 100 minutes of your life to watch this extraordinary film.    … Full Review »
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