The History of Rock and Roll

The History of Rock and Roll Review

I seemed to have been doing something else in my post-teens, the fifties and thereafter, but somehow all the developments in popular music covered in this set passed me right by. The precursors I had heard, rhythm and blues, folk, blues, the contents of “Race” records and small labels, both played by our indefatigable NYC disc jockeys and, in the forties, available in many venues for a high school and college student in the City. However, just what Alan Freed was presenting to draw the long lines of younger people whom I passed on my way elsewhere in those years of the fifties, I never knew. Ah, yes, we did see Elvis on TV a few times and the Beatles first two movies, six or seven years after they came out, but that was about it. My judgment is that for such people as myself, and there are still some of us interested in some aspects of the history of modern popular culture, this is an excellent introduction to what we missed. There is the usual problem with the documentary form in the hands of most film-makers, how to balance the talk with the music, so as to provide a sufficiency of explanation with adequacy of examples, but that is something to which most of us are accustomed. My own feeling was that this is a basic text from which one branches out to whichever features of the period seem to warrant further study; in the case of most of us, not study in the sense of learning much more, but, rather, to gain further exposure in some depth of what promises gratification. We, who are seeing much of this for the first time, must or, I should think, should, try exposure to the product and the talk of practitioners here with a mind in sufficient control to avoid letting repulsion toward these musical forms either on musical or socio-political grounds prevent us from listening and watching in such manner as to let us be exposed to what is actually on the screen. We should do so not in the interests of the people or music we are observing, many of the former are now gone, retired, or continuing to ply what has sometimes been a source of incredible wealth for them, much of the latter has been incorporated, or been replaced, by later forms. It is for the sake of our own gratification as well as of our ability to see which forms of popular culture have earned a place of permanence in the national and international heritage.
It is simply not possible for me to judge the value of the set to those who know the music; for those I have chosen as my audience, certainly I can recommend it highly.

The History of Rock and Roll Feature

• Ten titanic hours of the greatest rock extravaganza ever! This definitive 10-part documentary covers rock ‘n’ roll history from its humble beginnings in the ’50s to Lollapalooza in the ’90s. Fans can experience their favorite rock ‘n’ roll moments all over again through hundreds of exclusive interviews,ic footage, and unforgettable in-concert performances from rock ‘n’ roll’s biggest stars. A must

The History of Rock and Roll Overview

Ten titanic hours of the greatest rock extravaganza ever! This definitive 10-part documentary covers rock ‘n’ roll history from its humble beginnings in the ’50s to Lollapalooza in the ’90s. Fans can experience their favorite rock ‘n’ roll moments all over again through hundreds of exclusive interviews, classic footage, and unforgettable in-concert performances from rock ‘n’ roll’s biggest stars. A must-own for any rock ‘n’ roll fan!

The History of Rock and Roll Specifications

Serving as an introduction for neophytes and a refresher course for experts, The History of Rock and Roll is a mammoth and, when considered on its own terms, frequently successful undertaking. The series, which was first presented in 1995, consumes some 578 minutes, with 10 episodes (there are no bonus features) spread out over five discs. Its pedigree (executive producers include Quincy Jones, while respected writers Peter Guralnick and Greil Marcus are listed as consultants) is impressive, as is its scope, beginning in the pre-rock days of bluesman Muddy Waters and boogie woogie master Louis Jordan and continuing through the death of Kurt Cobain and the birth of the Lollapalooza festival in the mid-1990s. Along the way, dozens of big-name performers (with the notable exception of the Beatles) are on hand to lead us through the story.

On the minus side, the format–clips of musical performances cut short by a parade of talking heads–while typical of the genre, will frustrate those who come for the music alone. Nor is it likely that anyone who studies such things will find much here that hasn’t already been seen. To be sure, there are some terrific moments, like the profile of Bob Dylan (in part 5, “Plugging In”), some cool clips of relatively obscure legends like James Burton and T-Bone Walker (in part 7, “Guitar Heroes”), and rarely seen live bits with Jimi Hendrix, Steely Dan, Iggy Pop (goofing on the Dinah Shore Show in ’77), and many others scattered throughout the set. Part 8, which chronicles the ’70s, is surprisingly compelling (one forgets how many major artists–Bruce Springsteen, Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder–came into their own in a decade remembered largely for disco and faceless arena rock), while part 9, “Punk,” is arguably the most entertaining of the lot.

In the end, it’s the lack of complete musical performances that is the set’s Achilles’ heel. Then again, with their appetites whetted here, perhaps viewers will move on to other, more detailed looks at their heroes–beginning with, say, The Beatles Anthology. –Sam Graham

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 15, 2010 12:25:59

Michael Jackson King of pop DVD