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Post by booklady on Sept 28, 2019 20:49:06 GMT -5
I thoroughly enjoyed the entire 16 1/2 hours of Ken Burns' latest documentary tracing the history of country music. I've read that some people were mad their favorite artists didn't get enough (or any) mention, but I thought every night was a fascinating, often-moving trip to another time and place. The episodes that I could particularly relate to -- covering the 50s and 60s, growing up with my parents playing a lot of Buck Owens, Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Eddie Arnold, Marty Robbins (my dad was known to literally cry when he listened to "El Paso"), and other country singers -- so totally transported me that I actually felt a little disoriented having to come back to the present when the episode was over.
For me, the most affecting, haunting story was George Jones'. What a terrible, heartbreaking childhood he endured. So many country stars survived childhoods of unbelievable poverty and hardship, but his was one of abuse, as well. With what his father did to him, it's amazing he ever sang again when he grew up, and it's not surprising the rest of his life was troubled and messed up.
During the final episode, both Vince Gill and Kathy Mattea brought me to tears several times.
The whole series was wonderful. Loved it.
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Post by doctork on Sept 29, 2019 2:37:24 GMT -5
I haven't seen all the episodes yet, have some catching up to do, but I have loved all of the 4 or 5 episodes I saw. We recorded them all, so I will be catching up this weekend. The term "country music" is so much broader than what one hears on most "country music" radio stations today. Bookie, you should checkout MerleFest, which started out as bluegrass/new grass and is now more accurately called "Americana" or "roots" music: merlefest.org/PraairieChatters - you included! - have a standing invitation to stay at my house in the Blue Ridge for MerleFest, as it is about an hour down the mountain to Wilkesboro, where the festival is held the last weekend in April every year. I've been going almost every year since we "moved" there. MerleFest is mostly music, but this year a professor of Appalachian music & cultural history at App State gave a talk about "the history of country music" and previewed the Burns film for us, as he had been a consultant for the film. Many of the musicians featured in the film are from the area around my house in western NC, southwest VA and east TN and KY, and many of the "newer" ones (those still performing from the late 1980's through the present) have appeared at MerleFest. I had been eagerly awaiting the Burns film drawing attention to the topic and the artists, and it was well worth the wait! |
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Post by liriodendron on Sept 29, 2019 11:10:20 GMT -5
We just started watching it last night. Had taped some of the episodes, then forgot to tape some, then discovered it was On Demand. What we saw was excellent!
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Post by jspnrvr on Sept 29, 2019 17:47:49 GMT -5
I managed to see the whole thing,every episode every night. I don't want to ruin it for you folks who haven't seen it yet, so I'll just say that there are several people being interviewed and contributing who have passed away. It took so long in the making that some who were there at the beginning of the project didn't make it to the end.
I think I've been permanently ruined for current CM. I haven't been able to turn on my truck radio since the show began.
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Post by BoatBabe on Sept 30, 2019 19:37:20 GMT -5
We watched it every night live, too, even though we were also recording it. We just couldn't put it down! We paid a price for it though: we were going to bed at 11 p.m. for 4 school nights in a row, for two weeks, and I came down with my boss's cold this last Friday. The weekend was a sleep, eat, nap, hydrate, sleep again weekend here. I'm just fine with that.
I was fascinated by the in-fighting among musicians and fans defining the "new" music as too Nashville, too Texas, too Bakersfield, too folk, too Rock-n-roll, and/or too Americana, and their definitions about what "real" country music was only supposed to be. I thought Ken Burns did a fabulously balanced view of the topic. And Boy! Wasn't that music wonderful?!? All of it.
Wonderful life stories, all tear-inducing, huge smiles, dancing, singing along and a-HA moments.
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Post by booklady on Oct 1, 2019 17:39:57 GMT -5
All so true, BoatBabe. :-)
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Post by BoatBabe on Oct 2, 2019 8:41:43 GMT -5
Good to see you, Bookie!
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Post by slb2 on Oct 2, 2019 16:32:12 GMT -5
clearly, I should have watched more of it. Only caught some of three evenings.
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Post by doctork on Oct 3, 2019 16:52:58 GMT -5
Susan, I think it was 8 evenings! Not to worry, it'll run again, or you can even buy it or get it as a reward for donating (big-time probably) to your favorite PBS station. Here on the Left Coast, we have two PBS stations, one each in Tacoma (KBTC) and Seattle. Tacoma is the "little brother," so they will run the Burns shows in the next few weeks, always after the Other Station does the premiere.
It's well worth watching.
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Post by slb2 on Oct 5, 2019 23:40:39 GMT -5
Susan, I think it was 8 evenings! Not to worry, it'll run again, or you can even buy it or get it as a reward for donating (big-time probably) to your favorite PBS station. Here on the Left Coast, we have two PBS stations, one each in Tacoma (KBTC) and Seattle. Tacoma is the "little brother," so they will run the Burns shows in the next few weeks, always after the Other Station does the premiere. It's well worth watching. We have 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, and 2.6 PBS channels. |
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Post by booklady on Oct 8, 2019 18:50:23 GMT -5
I managed to see the whole thing,every episode every night. I don't want to ruin it for you folks who haven't seen it yet, so I'll just say that there are several people being interviewed and contributing who have passed away. It took so long in the making that some who were there at the beginning of the project didn't make it to the end. I think I've been permanently ruined for current CM. I haven't been able to turn on my truck radio since the show began. Whaddya think, Jay? Is this guy right? www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/whos-got-the-country-music-blues/ |
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Post by jspnrvr on Oct 9, 2019 9:30:35 GMT -5
I managed to see the whole thing,every episode every night. I don't want to ruin it for you folks who haven't seen it yet, so I'll just say that there are several people being interviewed and contributing who have passed away. It took so long in the making that some who were there at the beginning of the project didn't make it to the end. I think I've been permanently ruined for current CM. I haven't been able to turn on my truck radio since the show began. Whaddya think, Jay? Is this guy right? www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/whos-got-the-country-music-blues/Thanks so much for referencing this article. The little header under the headline sums it up very nicely, and the article itself just keeps expanding and rolling out the theme. And the comments at the bottom just kept on going. I don't want to say much more because I don't like politics coming into this forum. One good place I've found is on TuneIn. They stream a station from Lompoc, CA., KTNK or "K-tonk Radio". It's emphasis is the old honky-tonk style music, but also a lot of old Western Swing, and similar music being made by contemporary artists. They have one segment on Sunday's, I believe, "Texas Dance Hall", and it's just what it says, current Texas Dance Hall bands. There are some other good stations listed for "Outlaw Country". And to really get my curmudgeon on, I'll say I don't much care for the "Newgrass" school of Blugrass music. Same thing, if it ain't traditional, it ain't country! |
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Post by doctork on Oct 10, 2019 9:30:44 GMT -5
I am wondering what you consider "newgrass" Jay.
Most of who and what appear at MerleFest are, to me, of the newgrass flavor, and I love most of it: Sam Bush, Del McCoury, Peter Rowan. Brandi Carlile, the Avett Brothers, Punch Brothers, Pat Donohue, Tommy Emmanuel, Old Crow Medicine Show, on and on. Many of those performers were also in the Burns film too. Everything changes but I like to keep the silver and the gold. I like the old and much of the new.
But I am no fan of the current corporate "Country" radio stations. However they seem to do well enough to stay in business as there are some areas where that is all that is on the terrestrial radio.
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Post by booklady on Oct 12, 2019 13:31:56 GMT -5
I like Pat Donohue. I got in trouble once with somebody on the old Chatter site for joking around about how much I like him.  In these days of humongous corporate radio groups, Loretta and Doolittle Lynn would stand little chance of getting her record played by driving around and pitching it in person. I believe somebody made that point during the Burns series. |
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Post by slb2 on Oct 15, 2019 22:08:15 GMT -5
I like Pat Donohue. I got in trouble once with somebody on the old Chatter site for joking around about how much I like him. In these days of humongous corporate radio groups, Loretta and Doolittle Lynn would stand little chance of getting her record played by driving around and pitching it in person. I believe somebody made that point during the Burns series. Hey kids, guess who I saw on Sunday? Whoot! I did. Chatted after the show, too. He remembered me. =chuffed=  |
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Post by BoatBabe on Oct 16, 2019 8:57:29 GMT -5
Nice!
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Post by jspnrvr on Oct 16, 2019 10:34:58 GMT -5
What a neat deal!
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Post by booklady on Oct 17, 2019 4:52:05 GMT -5
Very cool, slb!
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Post by doctork on Oct 17, 2019 18:51:33 GMT -5
I love Pat Donohue also! It is good to see he is keeping busy, and I hope doing well since he left the show and the Shoe Band.
I was extremely insulted on his behalf when GK kicked him off the show. GK had refused to discuss it or answer any questions until on a later cruise after the Shoe Band was gone, he put on an open Q&A session and somebody asked "What happened to Pat Donohue and why did he leave the show?" The questioner might even have said "why was he force off the show" though I don't recall specifically. GK was very uncomfortable and clearly wished he was somewhere else other than on that stage, but he did leave himself open.
I can tell you GK's answer, word for word because I was so shocked, and I was taking notes anyway. GK said (he left or was forced out) because "He's just an old country blues guitar player who doesn't belong in a band anyway."
What an insult! Pat is one of the finest guitar players in the US, and he is also a remarkable arranger of his tunes.
I check Pat's website fairly regularly and he never seems to perform in the PNW. In other locations the timing is never right for a road trip for me. :-(
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Post by doctork on Oct 17, 2019 18:54:58 GMT -5
I love Pat Donohue also! It is good to see he is keeping busy, and I hope doing well since he left the show and the Shoe Band.
I was extremely insulted on his behalf when GK kicked him off the show. GK had refused to discuss it or answer any questions until on a later cruise after the Shoe Band was gone, he put on an open Q&A session and somebody asked "What happened to Pat Donohue and why did he leave the show?" The questioner might even have said "why was he force off the show" though I don't recall specifically. GK was very uncomfortable and clearly wished he was somewhere else other than on that stage, but he did leave himself open.
I can tell you GK's answer, word for word because I was so shocked, and I was taking notes anyway. GK said (he left or was forced out) because "He's just an old country blues guitar player who doesn't belong in a band anyway."
What an insult! Pat is one of the finest guitar players in the US, and he is also a remarkable arranger of his tunes. And whenever asked, he plays mighty fine in the sandbox with others too.
I check Pat's website fairly regularly and he never seems to perform in the PNW. In other locations the timing is never right for a road trip for me. :-(
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Post by slb2 on Oct 18, 2019 0:21:22 GMT -5
I can tell you GK's answer, word for word because I was so shocked, and I was taking notes anyway. GK said (he left or was forced out) because "He's just an old country blues guitar player who doesn't belong in a band anyway." Oo, that's harsh. Interestingly, Pat was introduced by Dr. John Hallberg, the creator of Hippocrates Cafe, which was the event I attended and at which Pat played, by saying that Pat had played for years on A Prairie Home Companion Show. I have a short clip of him playing "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas, but can't figure out how to do the upload from my camera to this site/computer. |
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Post by doctork on Oct 18, 2019 18:40:44 GMT -5
That's true, Pat did play for many years on APHC, and was loved my many. Why did he leave/get forced off? - no one I talked to knows. They are probably all muzzled by contract when they leave. Obviously GK was already in the show dissolution plans by then, and pretty soon every Shoe Band Member but Rich Dworsky was gone.
I have lots of clips on my iPhone also (from years ago at Tanglewood to recently at the Rolling Stones concert), but don't know how to load them on here either!
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Post by Jane on Oct 20, 2019 18:18:59 GMT -5
I watched bits and pieces of the Ken Burns epic. I hate what passes for country music today, but I like the old-timey stuff. Words I can understand! Have you seen Johnny Cash's video of the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt"? It's on Youtube--you should give it a look/listen.
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Post by BoatBabe on Oct 21, 2019 9:00:32 GMT -5
I watched bits and pieces of the Ken Burns epic. I hate what passes for country music today, but I like the old-timey stuff. Words I can understand! Have you seen Johnny Cash's video of the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt"? It's on Youtube--you should give it a look/listen. Johnny Cash did a great cover of "Hurt." I have been so impressed with Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and others, as they kept singing new songs, and writing them, right up until they died. Merle and Willy did some wonderful videos, including, "Missing Ol' Johnny Cash." Willy has been putting out new songs and videos with his kids, who are all quite musical. Lucas Nelson has started his own legacy with writing songs, and collaborating with Lady GaGa and many others. The "country" in his music appears to be genetic, not formulaic. "Carolina" is good, although some of the lyrics are a little out of my realm. |
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Post by doctork on Oct 22, 2019 9:34:41 GMT -5
Lucas Nelson opened for the Stones at their concert this summer so Iguess he is gaining his reputation the hard way - earning it.
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Dopey Member
