If you had the chance to record a song on a machine that your musical idols used, would you take it? My guess is that your answer resembles that of many renowned artists such as Alabama Shakes, Ashley Monroe, Elton John, Willie Nelson, and Merle Haggard: absolutely.
“The American Epic Sessions,” directed by Bernard MacMahon, recounts the film’s producers rebuilding a 1920s recording system and inviting contemporary artists to perform their forebear’s songs on it. Various points in the film describe how the system works; “It’s pulley driven,” they note, “you’ve got three minutes to finish your song before the weight hits the floor.” The recordings are etched into a revolving wax disc, of which the artists can see and hear the physical copy of their song immediately — something they can’t normally do otherwise.
If the shear mechanics behind the system itself weren’t interesting enough, the cinematography, music, and history within the film sure made it so. While more inclusion of the re-building process (one that was a decade long) and artistic decisions would have added some variety to the 140 minute movie, speed bumps captured during the recording process and dialogue with the artists made this unique concert film endearing and humorous.
“Recording studios have always been churches for music,” Jack White declares; and with the care and attention to detail that went into recreating the recording system and studio, it is clear that everyone involved in the film agreed.