‘Under The Volcano’ review: Dir. Gracie Otto (2021) [SXSW]

Sting, Stewart Copeland, Midge Ure, and Jimmy Buffet, amongst others, appear in this brilliantly constructed new music documentary focusing on the legendary music studio set up by George Martin on the Caribbean island of Monserrat in the 1980s.

For ten years, from 1979 to 1989, AIR Studios, on the relatively small island of Monserrat in the Caribbean – quite literally standing in the shadow on a dormant volcano, the Soufrière Hills volcano – hosted some of the world’s biggest recording artists, who flew in to record some of the 80s’ biggest selling, and most-loved records. Everyone from Elton John, to The Police, to Paul McCartney to Stevie Wonder, and also Dire Straits, The Rolling Stones, and Duran Duran, to name but a few, made a pilgrimage to the island during those years, and Gracie Otto’s excellent, well-informed talking heads-structured feature recounts the glory days.

Utterly absorbing, Otto manages to pull in the likes of Sting and his former bandmate Stewart Copeland to [separately] talk about their days at AIR, and the conception and recording of some of The Police’s greatest tracks. They are joined by Midge Ure, Jimmy Buffet, Mark Knopfler and others, who all reminisce of those creative weeks in paradise, and the conception of some of the greatest tunes of all time. Stories are told of Stevie Wonder visiting and jamming in a local bar until 4am before leaving a massive $5,000 tip for the band behind the bar. Then there’s the time when McCartney dropped in, just months after the shooting of his former Beatles bandmate, and the other half of perhaps the greatest song writing duo of all time, John Lennon. Otto manages to round up further bandmates of the greats, including some of those who made up the Elton John band, the Rocketman recording three albums at the facility over the years. One of those associates recounts the time when Elton, after becoming unhappy, reportedly wanted to throw his completed album master tapes into the pool, an LP that would later be known as ‘Too Low For Zero’, his superb 1983 work that saw him reteam with Bernie Taupin for the first time since 1976, and containing such hits as “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues”, “I’m Still Standing”, and “Kiss The Bride”. Luckily, a couple of blank tapes were handed to him and the work thankfully survived.

It is these kind of stories, told by the people that were there, that make Under The Volcano such an enthralling watch; an absolute must for music connoisseurs, particularly of that era, but also for anyone wanting to look back at an important time in popular culture. Otto uses those taking heads, archive material from the island and dozens and dozens of photographs to tell the story, and although it would have been great to have seen the likes of Elton, Paul McCartney and more of those involved during that time to get their thoughts and personal memories, the film paints a great picture of a forgotten music haven that will live on through the memories of those that were fortunate to be there, and the music that they created. A brilliantly told, well informed piece and one of the best music documentaries of the year so far.

Under The Volcano premiered at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival.