Vh1 Special Chronicles Making Of ‘Classic’ Songs

Anyone who has spent time in a recording studio knows the process of making an album can be as tedious as it is tremendous.

But VH1’s “Classic Albums” - a five-part special with host Ringo Starr, debuting today at 5 and 8 p.m. PST and continuing through Friday - cuts to the artistic chase of the process by chronicling the inspiration and creation of five “classic” works: Paul Simon’s “Graceland,” Stevie Wonder’s “Songs in the Key of Life,” the Grateful Dead’s “American Beauty,” the Band’s 1968 self-titled album and Jimi Hendrix’s “Electric Ladyland.”

“It’s devoted to the real music fan, so we’re waiting with crossed fingers to see if the general public is interested,” says VH1’s Bill Flanagan, who is overseeing the project. “There’s no denying the fact that it’s kind of inside. But you begin to see over the course of the show not just how an amazing record was made, but also how a personal journey led to a creation of this music. That’s where the hook will be for most TV viewers.”

The one-hour episodes deftly intersperse concert performances, archival interviews, music videos and other footage to create a briskly moving documentary. For example, tonight’s “Graceland” episode features footage of Simon working with South African musicians in a Johannesburg studio, while Tuesday’s “Songs in the Key of Life” show reunites the musicians who played on the 1976 masterpiece for interviews and a re-creation of the sessions.

Oddly, the most compelling moments come when the artists are just sitting at the mixing board and discussing how tracks were put together. While the title track to “Graceland” plays in the background, Simon talks over the song and gives a running commentary, smiling and grimacing as he points out key lyrics (“I found that line touching when I wrote it … That’s the only line I’d rewrite”).

“Classic Albums” will repeat April 19-20, and new segments will air throughout the year, including a just-finished examination of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours.”