Putting aside the obvious great personal tragedies endured, Dave Grohl has won the life lottery many times over. Shedloads of talent, great timing (in every sense), and stadium-sized charisma have helped of course, but he often bears the shit-eating grin of someone acutely aware of how lucky he has been along the way. No more so has that been in evidence than throughout his joyous stint celebrating Sound City Studios a decade ago. He’s had a hand in countless classic records across his storied musical career, but rarely has one captured the giddiness of his fandom as purely as 2013’s Sound City: Real To Reel.
His big mushy love letter to the famous Los Angeles recording studio and its legendary Neve 8028 console was captured beautifully on the record, its accompanying full-length documentary, and the subsequent all-star Sound City Players live shows. Like some kind of benevolent musical billionaire, it was as if Grohl was giving something back to the thing that had given him so much, rekindling the spirit of the place where it all began in earnest for him, and paying homage to an institution and a moment in time with an untouchable legacy.
