Robert Redford narrates as this four part PBS series takes a look at the very earliest musical recordings of ordinary folks, that is to say, singers and musicians who were not professionals but simply played for the enjoyment of themselves, and their families and local communities. When record companies began to experience a downturn in sales in the 1920's, they sent their scouts into non-traditional areas of the South and West in an attempt to discover new and different forms of music that had the potential to appeal to the masses. What they found was a vast array of musical sights and sounds that would have remained forever unknown had their efforts never been undertaken. I think the series would probably most appeal to fans of the blues, with a very good exposition of the Mississippi Delta Blues in the second chapter, "Blood and Soil". A particular highlight of the third chapter mentions the invention of the steel guitar under rather unlikely circumstances and it's an amazing story. Wrapping up the series is a lengthy tribute to the original artists from the 1920's, recorded on components pieced together from original equipment made by the Western Electric Recording Company.
As a couple of other reviewers have mentioned, this may not appeal to all tastes as the episodes take their time elaborating on names from the past, most of whom one has never heard of before. However as links from the past are brought forward to demonstrate their influences on modern musicians, the effort becomes much more appreciated. I enjoyed the series personally, and it was thrilling to see early performers in archive footage that I'd never seen before, folks like Son House and Honey Boy Edwards, names I was familiar with but never expected to actually see in any form of media. If the reader would care to explore further, I've posted a review of each of the individual episodes in the series. Enjoy.
As a couple of other reviewers have mentioned, this may not appeal to all tastes as the episodes take their time elaborating on names from the past, most of whom one has never heard of before. However as links from the past are brought forward to demonstrate their influences on modern musicians, the effort becomes much more appreciated. I enjoyed the series personally, and it was thrilling to see early performers in archive footage that I'd never seen before, folks like Son House and Honey Boy Edwards, names I was familiar with but never expected to actually see in any form of media. If the reader would care to explore further, I've posted a review of each of the individual episodes in the series. Enjoy.