Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: UNDER THE VOLCANO [SxSW Film Festival 2021 - Virtual]

The aspect of creativity is indicative of a time but also fleeting. The angle that is captured in "Under The Volcano" [24 Beats A Second] is one of nostalgia but also an insight into history and how the music industry has undeniably changed. "Under The Volcano" speaks to a recording studio/set up created by Sir George Martin of Beatles fame in the late 70s called Air Studios Monserrat. Like Muscle Shoals in Alabama but a decade later, it definitely encapsulated the 80s but also a sense of musicians getting together outside the tornado (even before the internet and social media). Everything was still analog up to the later years. The only way sometimes they knew someone was coming in the very early years (like 1981) was by what was called Tel-Ex which was a precursor say to Fax but still with the texture of printed communicades like telegraph. Montserrat is a small volcanic island in the Caribbean not far from Antigua but was settled by the Irish. Hearing of the history maybe very periphery in the past, the sheer history whether fully realized or unknown (or seen briefly in music videos) doesn't quite capture its breathe. What is interesting here is the creative influence the space had on certain artists and not on others. Elton John coming down with his original band after a few years along with Bernie Taupin (after John's self imposed retirement at the time) to do the first of 3 albums (the one "Too Low For Zero" perhaps being the most successful), it is interesting to see some of the influences for some quite popular songs came indirectly from the island and the experiences. It enters in that the creative process in many times is instinct (and more instant than thought out). Although the stories of Elton getting the album right playing it over and over again through the night do show the level of perfection he approached. It was always the right people coming together in the right mindset (which Martin said t John's guitarist at the time) but it also allowed the musicians to be themselves without the constriction of the paparazzi. This can be great or constricting, depending on the artist. Stories of nights out just show that these are just people but ones with immense talent able to change a room...or a world. The time Paul McCartney came down to record an album in the early 80s again (told by photographs mostly) is beautifully revelatory. It also talks about just one of those great nights out with a guest on that album. It just offers snippets but it is a beautiful part of history captured in time. To give too much more away would spoil it. Needless to say that the studio hosted others like The Police, Jimmy Buffet, Duran Duran, Dire Straits and even The Rolling Stones among others to various levels of involvement which are shown. But again it is interesting for how the doc without imposing shows the psychology of geography, approach and creativity in a time before people could record digital in their homes and overdub at the same quality. The ultimate fate of the place, considering it is a volcanic island and is in the Caribbean, is undeniable. Also the fact that the film is also integrated and released under Universal (with many of the artists at that time being under their or subsequent labels like EMI) shows that the access and clearances in many ways are top notch. "Under The Volcano" is an interesting and integral look into a specific point in music history by a visionary by many of those that were present. A

By Tim Wassberg