The parade of celebs can't hold a candle to Ron and Russell's charisma and wit, though. Having been a massive fan himself for most of his life, Wright got frustrated that nobody had made a documentary about them yet and decided to do it himself. In Edgar Wright's very entertaining new documentary, Sparks are described as "your favorite band's favorite band," and he proves that right off the bat, with a montage of talking head interviews with a whole bunch of famous people - Thurston Moore, Flea, Beck, New Order, Duran Duran, Fred Armisen, Mike Myers, Steve Jones (Sex Pistols), Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman Palladino, Jane Wiedlin, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Jack Antonoff, and many more - waxing enthusiastic about Ron & Russell Mael and the quirky, glammy, operatic pop they've made over the last 50 years. Under the Volcano plays like a postcard offering fond memories from a wonderful vacation that no one can afford anymore. The film also infers that if the hurricane or the lava didn't sink AIR, it might have been doomed anyway, a casualty of the changing record industry where massive recording budgets were becoming a thing of the past. “Here we were in this paradise, which we soon turned into a living hell.” He's just a tad dramatic, and Sting and Andy Summers offer slightly sunnier recollections of their time there. “We went there for the isolation,” Police drummer Stewart Copeland says of the Synchronicity sessions. By far the most entertaining part of the very engaging documentary involves The Police, who made their final two albums there under varying levels of acrimony. This documentary mainly focuses on the music that was made there, featuring rare in-the-studio footage and new interviews many of the biggest names to record there, including Elton, Duran Duran, Ultravox's Midge Ure, The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Buffett and more. The damage to AIR was irreparable and Martin decided 10 years was enough, and closed shop, The island continued to hold a place in his heart, though, and when it's dormant Soufrière Hills volcano erupted in 1997, Martin organized relief efforts. Just after The Rolling Stones finished work on their 1989 album, Steel Wheels, Montserrat hit by Hurricane Hugo which destroyed 90% of the island's structures.
Gracie Otto's documentary, Under the Volcano, opens with eerie shots of AIR now, abandoned for 30 years, with creeping vegetation infiltrating the studio rooms, the abandoned pool and the rest of the facility. Among the famous records made there: Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms, The Police's Ghost in the Machine and Synchronicity, Duran Duran's Seven And The Ragged Tiger, Elton John's Too Low For Zero, OMD's Junk Culture, and Rush's Power Windows. įamed Beatles producer George Martin opened AIR Studios on the Caribbean island of Montserrat in 1979, offering a state-of-the-art recording as well as an idyllic escape from other distractions that would allow big-name artists to focus on the music, while getting in a little beach time, too. If you assumed Billie's rise to fame has been all glamour and glory, this doc suggests that is not the case at all. Outside of the music, the film gets into some of Billie's personal struggles, including how chronic leg pain has affected her ability to perform. The footage of them writing and recording in their bedroom gives you a great look at the genuinely organic way that Billie's music comes together, and the live footage is terrific, too. Billie is portrayed as a Kurt Cobain-like figure, uncomfortable with fame and uninterested in her record label's request for a radio-friendly hit, while her brother/collaborator Finneas seems to be a little more accepting of the "industry" side of things - they balance each other out well. Cutler-directed Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry gives you a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at her rise, from Billie's Soundcloud days to sweeping the Grammys and performing at massive venues. It feels like a truly monumental moment in music history, and this year's R.J. Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry ( Apple TV)īillie Eilish has had one of the most meteoric rises of any pop singer in recent memory, and it's been even longer since an artist blew up like this and can accurately be called "alternative," as Billie can.
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