Ken Burns Documentary "Country Music"

[still-one]

I am not sure how many of you have had the opportunity to follow Ken Burns new documentary "Country Muisc". Each of the two hour episodes has been very informative and entertaining especially the 4th which I watched last evening. This last episode covered the 10 year period from circa 1953 to 1963 which includes the birth of Rock-a-billy and its offshoot Rock and Roll. Even though I learned so much from the first six hours I was much more familiar as they talked about artists such as Elvis, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, Everly Brothers. Ray Charles , Sam Phillips, and Chet Atkins.


I never paid much attention to all of variations of the music that falls under the Country genre and how they came to be. Off the top of my head a few are: Hillbilly, Rock-a-billy, Texas Swing, Bakersfield sound, the Nashville Sound, Western, Bluegrass, and many more.

We all know about those handful of 50,000 watt clear channel stations that we could pull in from great distances at night. I learned about the 500,000 watt station built just across the Texas border in Mexico that beamed it signal half way across the country and helped propel the genre.

Although it focuses on Country the back and forth influences of other genre are touched upon.

You should be able to search for the first four episodes from PBS to record. The last four episodes are set to run from the 22nd to the 25th.

It must have taken Ken Burns several years to make this documentary as a few of the artist interviewed have since passed away.

 

[NorthStar]

I saw the adds few days ago, with fantastic black and white pictures.
The trailer ...

A brief introspective ...

A short interview ...

 

[NorthStar]

 

[astrotoy]

We all know about those handful of 50,000 watt clear channel stations that we could pull in from great distances at night. I learned about the 500,000 watt station built just across the Texas border in Mexico that beamed it signal half way across the country and helped propel the genre.

I remember in high school listening late at night from suburban Chicago to the clear channel radio station broadcasting from across the border from Del Rio Texas, playing rock music into the wee hours of the morning. Unfortunately, I graduated from high school in 1963 just as Wolfman Jack was starting his stint at the station.

Larry

 

[NorthStar]

In '63 I graduated from grade 3, we had a similar TV. ...That's Johnny, Nashville, Tennessee, 1960.

 

[NorthStar]

Look @ the driver side door ...

I don't know if this was legally driveable in '76 ... doesn't look too secure to pick up girls.
_____

Extra:

Johnny Cash and June Carter's bedroom ...

He's one of my favorite country singers; the most lyrically poignant.
And the rhythm of some of his tunes ... very catchy.
To me he's the black man of country; I'm not missing this documentary.

 

[still-one]

I have now finished watching episodes 5 & 6 which covered the years 63-68 and then 68-72. It's impossible to watch this documentary and not learn a lot about music in general though it focuses on Country. Episode 5 touched on Nashville session musicians called "The A Team". It is hard to fathom that the stand-up bass player sat in on over 18,000 recording sessions and was recorded on over 50,000 songs. The guitarist Harold Bradley is the most recorded artist in music history.

A portion of Episode 6 talked about how number of artists from many genre gravitated to Nashville to record their music. Ken Burns also focused on the songwriting skills of and lyrics of Kris Krisofferson some of which are the most intelligent and impressive put to paper.

 

[jeff1225]

I'm curious what the real fans of country think about this doc. As a serious collector of jazz records, I thought Burn's documentary on jazz wildly missed the mark.

 

[NorthStar]

As a big Opera music lover I've yet to see it ... I will soon.

* Which doc from him is about Jazz music?

 

[DonH50]

I will get the series when it comes out on DVD/BD. It looks much better than the Jazz series, which I really wanted to love and was guided by Wynton Marsalis, a fantastic trumpet player (and I have met him a couple of times), but ultimately felt it left out waaay too much and spent too much time on only a small slice of the jazz world. My wife and I were born and raised country so this new one is exciting. I have some personal ties; worked for Bocephus (Hank Jr) for about a month when he was between soundmen, and whilst did not meet him at the time, fixed the TV of the lady who had Johnny Cash thrown into the Starkville County Jail.

 

[jazdoc]

Absolutely loved this series. Perfect pacing for a novice and I was surprised how ubiquitous much of the music is in our culture. I've been sampling a lot of the music and if you collect rock/pop or jazz, you'll be shocked how inexpensive originals can be had for. We also watched Dolly Parton's special celebrating her 50th anniversary as an Opry member....she is an amazing songwriter and performer.