NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Cameron Crowe believes the spirit of a place lingers long after the moment has passed. That鈥檚 what makes recording the Broadway 鈥淎lmost Famous鈥� cast album at New York鈥檚 iconic Power Station studio so special for him.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like going back to the roots of why I love music and what I love about records,鈥� Crowe told The Associated Press during a break in the recording session.
Working in the control room alongside fellow producers Tom Kitt and Scott M. Riesett, Crowe called the process 鈥渦tterly authentic鈥� as they directed the cast, chorus and band in different studios across multiple levels.
鈥淚 have this thing where I believe that the spirits of a place, the spirit of what鈥檚 happened in a room stay. The house you lived in, you can go visit. You can feel what happened to you when you lived there,鈥� Crowe said.
Some of the most prominent rock and pop albums were recorded at the legendary studio, including Bruce Springsteen鈥檚 鈥淭he River,鈥� David Bowie鈥檚 鈥淪cary Monsters鈥� and 鈥淭attoo You鈥� by The Rolling Stones.
Standing against the soundboard, Crowe wears that pride on his brow as he tells the latest version of his story through the music. More than another project, 鈥淎lmost Famous鈥� was a deeply personal coming-of-age-story for Crowe when he wrote and directed the 2000 film, loosely based on his experiences as a teenage music journalist.
鈥淚t was the movie we got to make because 鈥楯erry Maguire鈥� did really well. And so, the fact that that becomes what we get to take to Broadway just means the power of music.鈥�
That power increased with the addition of original songs, allowing Crowe 鈥� with a huge heaping of help from composer Kitt 鈥� Those songs allowed Crowe to tell a more personal story.
鈥淚 thought, if we are going to do something for the theater, for the stage, maybe it鈥檚 this personal story that鈥檚 filled with music that could make people feel that kind of elixir of the movie. And that was always our goal,鈥� Crowe said.
Before the interview, Crowe sat beside Kitt for one more pass at "Something Real,鈥� one of the songs written for the stage version that includes homage to Deep Purple鈥檚 鈥淗ighway Star.鈥�
Next on the agenda was a cover of Led Zeppelin鈥檚 鈥淩amble On.鈥� Interestingly enough, the time-honored track blended well with the new songs in a morphing of classic rock and show tunes. Crowe credits Kitt with finding that 鈥渟weet spot鈥� between the two genres.
鈥淭om understands what the songs of the day felt like," he said. 鈥淗e鈥檒l write a song that feels like it could have been on 鈥楳adman Across the Water,鈥欌�� the Elton John album.
But the admiration goes both ways. During another recording break, Kitt attributes Crowe with familiarizing him with music of the era.
鈥淐ameron is someone who is just a walking encyclopedia when it comes to music,鈥� Kitt said. 鈥淪o, I was looking forward just learning from him and hearing new songs and new tonalities that were going to inform the work,鈥� Kitt said.
Released by Sony Masterworks Broadway, the cast recording of 鈥淎lmost Famous" will be available for digital purchase and streaming along with physical releases on CD and vinyl March 17. Of course, for now fans can always catch the show at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre on Broadway.
John Carucci, The Associated Press
