Under the Volcano

Various 80's music stars recall their time in Montserrat. In 1979, legendary Beatles producer George Martin built a recording studio on the Caribbean Island. In 1989 after The Rolling Stones, the studio was wrecked by Hurricane Hugo. With the changing technology, the studio was becoming obsolete. With the volcanic eruption in 1995, half the island is devastated. Certain areas are abandoned including the old studio. There is a lot of nostalgia. It has a lot of period photographs and video. Many locals recall the era. The early 80's must have been fun. It's a time, a place, and a sound. It is now history and that's a little sad.

Directed by Gracie Otto and very well put together rather well done of the old footage of her father's, apparently found in his attic, and then added of the others who agreed for interviews. George Martin, originally worked with The Beatles and then later built his new studio on the island of Montserrat and more or less in the 80s were some of the greatest hits. This included, The Police, Dire Straits, Duran Duran also The Rolling Stones for their reunion, Paul McCartney just after Lennon's death and rather good ones of Elton John. It was noted that MTV was born at that time and video became almost just as important as the music it self. Then the CD came along just as the music companies could re-record old songs and albums and didn't need so much of the new music at all, it seems. A splendid documentary which is good to see the fun of the 80s.

This film came out soon after id spent a few months on this incredible island, where the islanders are still recovering, 25 years on, from the hurricane and volcano. The music and anecdotes are great and if you visit the island youll hear many more.... Like the guys who taught Sting to waterski not knowing how to themselves and just telling him to 'stand up!' Or the local girl who turned down a dance with Mick Jagger... George Martin's house is now the best hotel/ restaurant on the island and each room has a gold or silver disc and photos of famous guests on display. The film makes a great taster for a visit, so please do, once theyve got themselves vaccinated there.

Great storytelling by not just the music greats who recorded there, but also by the islanders who fed and housed them, or taught Sting how to sailboard, or told another rocker that his song was going to be a huge success because it was so fun to dance to, and then the song actually became a huge success! The music made on this small island was blasted out of my Walkman in high school, and I've had to repurchase every format of every release since then from cassettes to digital, so you know it made great memories for me. I'm grateful for the look back, but terribly saddened by the double whammy of natural destruction that lay waste to the island and the beautiful people of Montserrat. Noting those tragedies, it's was truly a moment in time that a pre-this, and a post-that could ever have happened, and it happened here. Then. Don't miss out now.

This is a love letter to a very special time on a very special island on which Beatles producer built his dream recording studio. Rare footage and interviews with the rock stars who recorded their biggest albums there and with the people of Montserrat who made the island and AIR Studios Montserrat such a treasure.