Country Music

[Ohwell]

Glen Campbell!  I loved Wichita Lineman.

Roy Clark!

[bosawks]

I love Johnny Cash and I love Roseanne Cash.

I hope she gets to tell the anecdote about her song “September When it Comes”.

She had released a version with just her and subsequently thought it would make a good duet with her dad.

When she spoke to him about it instead of a knee jerk yes to his daughter he basically asked her if the song was any good and to send it to him.

A great anecdote and an even better song.

Edited September 24, 2019 by bosawks

[absolutelyido]

I have Comcast Xfinity, and just discovered that all 8 episodes are available on-demand (at least for me).

[JTM]

On 9/20/2019 at 10:26 AM, Notwisconsin said:

IN other words, you were scared it wouldn't demonize poor White people as overprivileged monsters who only should remembered as evil oppressors of Blacks and Gays?

Sounds to me like the OP was scared it might default, as such things often do, into being a limited exploration of a complex artistic genre -- concentrating on those who took the genre 'mainstream' at the expense of the stories of those whose traditions served as its building blocks.

If that possibility didn't concern you, as it did the OP, that might be because you don't usually have to fear being left out of broad-strokes American cultural storytelling.

[ProudMary]

Another very good episode; although perhaps not quite as good as Sunday night's episode. I'm letting it rest a little but I'm sure I'll have some comments about it later.

I just came here to say, @mightysparrow I immediately thought of you and your mother when Rhiannon Giddens was talking about her grandma and Hee Haw!  I don't want to say too much in case you haven't watched the episode yet but it's priceless and made me laugh. 

[Izzy85]

I love, love, love Kris Kristofferson! His segment tonight was brilliant. His letter from his mom broke my heart😥 I also enjoyed how basically everyone was fanboying(I don't think that's a word,lol) over what a great writer he is, and yeah...he really is amazing.

[Brattinella]

6 hours ago, sinycalone said:

Billy Joe Royal and Johnny Rivers are probably considered too far into the pop genre to be included in this documentary.

I know some of our favorites wont be included...impossible to feature them all.  While I like Johnny Cash's music overall, I think they could have skipped a couple of the side clips (him singing that awful duet with Bob Dylan, which they showed a couple of times would be on example) and offered at least brief mentions of other great artists.

One of my favorites was Don Williams.  His career spanned decades...with many successful singles and albums...and plenty of awards.  My theory they already had so many people from Texas highlighted, he fell in the cracks.  His duet with Emmylou - If I Needed You - was just remarkable -- two beautiful voices blending so well:  

Also loved his Good Ole Boys Like Me.

Another I wished had been mentioned more:  Patty Loveless.

But....they can't cover every artist.

But my absolute favorite - Waylon  --is getting his due.

Don Williams and Emmylou; astonishingly great!  Brings me to tears every time.

Edited September 24, 2019 by Brattinella
Ears aren't tears

[magdalene]

That was an awful letter Kristofferson's mother sent to him. It actually made me very sad for him.  Hopefully he came to terms with it eventually.

I have always thought of Bob Dylan as a great artist so I enjoyed his rare performance with Johnny Cash.

[Notwisconsin]

10 hours ago, JTM said:

..if that possibility didn't concern you, as it did the OP, that might be because you don't usually have to fear being left out of broad-strokes American cultural storytelling.

Not everything is about MEEEEEE. For instance, as there wasn't really an early contribution by Gay Sikhs or transsexual Japanese to the early development of Country music. I don't think either group "fears" "not being included." What the OP was afraid of is that it wouldn't be solely about oppression of their favorite groups. AS you might remember, the stars mentioned grew up in what would be considered extreme poverty, and that doesn't fit well with the stereotype of being a privileged oppressor beating up people of color just for fun.

Edited September 24, 2019 by Notwisconsin

[SunnyBeBe]

I learned quite a bit about Kris Kristofferson. What an amazing life story.  As I see these stories, I sort of kick myself.....WHY didn't I go to Nashville!  lol  Why Me Lord was my great grandmother's favorite song.  

I'm still just loving this series.......

[Ohwell]

I do hope that we're done with Johnny Cash for the last two episodes. 

[ProudMary]

1 minute ago, Ohwell said:

I do hope that we're done with Johnny Cash for the last two episodes. 

I don't think coverage of Johnny Cash will be as intense as it has been but he's still going to be included. We're heading for Outlaw Country tonight and Johnny was Waylon's roommate while Waylon was living in Nashville. Johnny also teamed up with Waylon for a big hit at the tail end of the 70s, "There Ain't No Good Chain Gang." 

And, in the late 80s/early 90s, Johnny Cash was one quarter of the country supergroup, The Highwaymen, along with Waylon, Willie and Kristofferson.

Sorry, but you're not free of Cash yet!

[SunnyBeBe]

I felt a lot of respect for Kristofferson when they told how he insisted that his producer, Fred Foster, get part credit for writing Me and Bobbie McGee, due to the man suggesting that Kris write about a woman he knew named Bobbie McKey. (Kris misunderstood and used the name McGee, instead.)  So, Foster got half credit for basically ONE word of the song. lol   

[mightysparrow]

14 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Another very good episode; although perhaps not quite as good as Sunday night's episode. I'm letting it rest a little but I'm sure I'll have some comments about it later.

I just came here to say, @mightysparrow I immediately thought of you and your mother when Rhiannon Giddens was talking about her grandma and Hee Haw!  I don't want to say too much in case you haven't watched the episode yet but it's priceless and made me laugh. 

I thought the exact same thing! I actually got a bit choked up when 'Picking and Grinning' started up.  And I loved seeing another Black woman talking about how her grandmother loved the show.    When I think about all the different kinds of people that were sitting on a Saturday night watching 'Hee Haw' it touches my heart.  And I'm glad they made a point of saying that it wasn't just making fun of 'hillbillies'.  'Hee Haw' was about the music and if I know anything about country music, it's because I first heard it on that show.

That's the thing about art, isn't it?  It can bring so many people together. That's why art is the first thing to go when governments start cutting programs.  God forbid we find things that unite us instead of tearing us apart. 

It's been so interesting hearing the stories about these artists.  So many of them came from such painful beginnings.  George Jones story was harrowing.  No wonder he and Tammy Wynette fell in love.

One of the things I've loved is to that Burns' has made it clear that country music isn't just one thing.  I think of country as conservative and specifically for a certain demographic but it's clear that a lot of artists fought against that.  Richard Nixon tried to use Johnny Cash to promote his 'southern strategy' but Cash refused.  There were long haired hippies like Kris Kristopherson who were country artists.  Once again, it wasn't the musicians but the business men and the politicians who used country to divide people which is such a tragedy because, like I said before, country music is AMERICAN music.

One of my favourite songs of all times is a duet that George Jones did with B.B. King on an album called 'Rhythm, Country and Blues'.  If you don't have it, get it.   Country and R&B artists join together and it's brilliant.  George and B.B. sing Clarence Carter's classic song 'Patches'.  You can hear both of these men's lives in their voices.  I had to take it off my ipod because I cried every time it came on even if I was on the bus, or on the subway or walking down the street.  Knowing more about George Jones' childhood and his relationship with his father makes it even more moving.

Edited September 24, 2019 by mightysparrow

[AllAboutMBTV]

I don't mind the emphasis on Johnny Cash as he is a throughline in Country Music, but I could have done with a shade less Dylan (amazing songwriter, but his voice hits my ear like dying coyotes yowling; YMMV, of course).

Two things made me laugh out loud -- Rhiannon Giddens talking about her grandmother and Hee Haw, and that Gratuitous Shirtless Photo of Kris Kristofferson. Whose idea was that? I knew very little about his fascinating backstory -- Rhodes Scholar and West Point instructor (nearly...) to janitor -- so thanks for both, show! (Does anyone know if his mother ever came around?)

When I was a college freshman all the seniors I knew had The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" triple album. (When I was a senior, we all had Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours," and some of us had learned from our elders and had WtCBU as well.)

Edited September 24, 2019 by AllAboutMBTV
Edited to second Mightsparrow's big thumbs-up of Rhythm Country and Blues. Get it.

[mightysparrow]

Oops.  Sorry

Edited September 24, 2019 by mightysparrow

[Was-MArsenault]

We're almost done with Episode 3, and we'll be moving on to Episode 4 soon.

All of the episodes we won't be watching though.

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, ProudMary said:

Sorry, but you're not free of Cash yet!

You're right, but I just hope that the other artists are highlighted over him because he's certainly had his due.

[mightysparrow]

There are so many times when I find myself thinking, 'I didn't know that'.  I'm more familiar with Kristofferson as an actor than a singer/songwriter, even though I knew he wrote 'Me and Bobby McGee' and several others.  I had no idea he wrote one of my favourite songs 'For the Good Times'. 

That letter Kristopherson's mother wrote was BRUTAL.  I hope they made up when he started to be successful because no one should have to live with that hanging over their heads.  I laughed a bit when Kris said that he never had to worry about finding work after his appearance on the Johnny Cash Show.  That shirtless photo (a bit gratuitous) showed us why.  America took one look at Kris and fell in love!  It didn't hurt that he was a brilliant songwriter either.

The Vietnam era stories were interesting.  I sympathize with the woman who lost two sons but can't believe she would continue to support that completely unnecessary war that took both of her children from her.  Especially since the war preyed on poor White and Black young men to keep it going.

It's interesting that Merle Haggard wrote 'Okie from Muskokie' as a joke because a lot of people took him completely seriously.  Things might be a bit different if he'd admitted he was kidding at the time but I guess too much money was rolling in.

There was a lot of Johnny Cash but it seemed that he was so important and you can't tell the story of country music without him.  I loved seeing him and Bob Dylan playing together.  I think Bob Dylan is one of the most important musicians of the 20th century so I'm happy he's a part of this.

It was nice to see Glen Campbell again.  The line, 'I need you more than want you.  And I want you for all time' is one of the most beautiful lines in modern music.  I wept when he died, especially because I had seen the documentary about his fight against Alzheimer's. 

There are so many other artists that got overlooked but, like someone said, if you included everything this would be a year long show.

I don't think I'm going to be as interested in the next episode because modern country music doesn't interest me very much but Ken Burns has proven me wrong before. 

[Ohwell]

4 minutes ago, mightysparrow said:

It was nice to see Glen Campbell again.  The line, 'I need you more than want you.  And I want you for all time' is one of the most beautiful lines in modern music. 

Yes.  That line gets to me every time I hear it.

[SunnyBeBe]

There's something about being raised dirt poor that really built these country artists.  (Exception with Kris Kristofferson.  His family seemed to be quite comfortable. He did go down though.  It seems those low times really provided him with ample writing material.)

Kris says that when Cash read the letter disowning him, he said, "It's always nice to get letters from home."  lol  No doubt, Cash had received many stern and unhappy messages from loved ones when he was drugging and drinking. 

[sinycalone]

Tonight features my favorite artists...Waylon.  It really is not about the current country  music at all.

[Brattinella]

Do you think they will cover Leeann Rhimes?  Her 'Blue" shook me to the core and still does.  And I want to hear Emmylou and Don WIlliams sing 'If I Needed You'.

[Kaiju Ballet]

On 9/22/2019 at 6:36 PM, msrachelj said:

What?! I'm pretty sure my dvr is recording the rest and I'm not a member, how would your tv know that?

I was trying to watch all the episodes online before they aired on TV. My DVR is also set to record whenever each new episode plays, but now I'm going to see if they've released the remaining episodes on the PBS site!

[Raja]

2 minutes ago, Brattinella said:

Do you think they will cover Leeann Rhimes?  Her 'Blue" shook me to the core and still does.  And I want to hear Emmylou and Don WIlliams sing 'If I Needed You'.

Since they are reported to end in 1996 if she is mentioned it might be just a passing reference of the coming future like Fusion beyond Miles Davis Bitches Brew in Burns' Jazz

[Bastet]

I haven't been keeping up with the discussion since episode one, because I am slowly slogging through my backlog of episodes (I saw episode one on night one, but have been playing catch-up ever since), but I just read this review by Carl Wilson (not the dead Beach Boy, obviously, the music critic and author) that closely mirrors what I like and what I feel is omitted or smoothed other (which, as with the author, is in line what I usually like and usually feel is omitted/smoothed other in a Ken Burns documentary).

I am looking forward to the chance to continue (I'm only through episode three) and look forward to reading the thread once I've seen the whole thing (by which point, you'll probably all be long gone).  For now, my contribution is to recommend a couple of books: Bill C. Malone's Don't Get above Your Raisin': Country Music and the Southern Working Class and Antonino D'Ambrosio's A Heartbreak and a Guitar: Johnny Cash and the Making of Bitter Tears.

[Bunnyette]

4 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I do hope that we're done with Johnny Cash for the last two episodes. 

Never!  There will be the deaths of him & June to cover...

[mightysparrow]

28 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I haven't been up with the discussion since episode one, because I am slowly slogging through my backlog of episodes (I saw episode one on night one, but have been playing catch-up ever since), but I just read this review by Carl Wilson (not the dead Beach Boy, obviously, the music critic and author) that closely mirrors what I like and what I feel is omitted or smoothed other (which, as with the author, is in line what I usually like and usually feel is omitted/smoothed other in a Ken Burns documentary).

I am looking forward to the chance to continue (I'm only through episode three) and look forward to reading the thread once I've seen the whole thing (by which point, you'll probably all be long gone).  For now, my contribution is to recommend a couple of books: Bill C. Malone's Don't Get above Your Raisin': Country Music and the Southern Working Class and Antonino D'Ambrosio's A Heartbreak and a Guitar: Johnny Cash and the Making of Bitter Tears.

Thanks for the review; it's very interesting.  I've been curious about just who Burns was making the documentary for.  His die-hard fans, like me, are probably not big country fans and won't be familiar with most of the stories he's telling.  Many die-hard country fans probably view PBS as a bunch of commies and wouldn't be caught dead watching it.  I love Wynton Marsalis but I did wonder what the hell he was doing in a country music documentary.

Most of all, I would have liked more emphasis on the political and social history of country music, maybe because my bachelor's degree is in history.  It's nice to see the costumes and to hear the music but why is country music linked to a certain TYPE of person, more so than just about any other music?  I think Burns tiptoes around that, maybe because he didn't want to piss off the people he had talked into appearing in the documentary.  He talks about Johnny Cash's political side probably because Cash was politically progressive.  But are we going to see the flip side, other than 'Okie From Muskokie' which Haggard claims was basically a joke?  I'm upset that he stops before the Dixie Chicks (who were a kickass country group) were banished from country.

Maybe this documentary will be a beginning and not only turn more people on to country music but get people to asking more questions and digging a bit deeper than Burns did.

[susannot]

7 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I learned quite a bit about Kris Kristofferson. What an amazing life story.  As I see these stories, I sort of kick myself.....WHY didn't I go to Nashville!  lol  Why Me Lord was my great grandmother's favorite song.  

I'm still just loving this series.......

I just love, love, love him to death.  The fact that his career took off after he appeared on the Johnny Cash show is explained by the fact that he was mega-hot, sexy, and so talented.

So handsome that he became a Hollywood star too.  The show did not tell us this, but he and Janis Joplin were lovers.

Just love the clips from Johnny Cash's show.  I never watched it back in the day.  Big mistake!!

[sinycalone]

Quote

Many die-hard country fans probably view PBS as a bunch of commies and wouldn't be caught dead watching it.

As a die-hard country fan, I also am a PBS fan.  And oddly, most of my friends fall into both categories.  Is it possible Burns realized that true country fans would just love a chance to learn more about the genre they've followed for many years?

[magdalene]

I don't mind the focus on Johnny Cash.  I find him fascinating in the same way I find Dylan fascinating.  As artists they create the waves that others follow. This morning I dug my Blonde On Blonde album up and listened to it for the first time in years.

Am I hallucinating this or were Cash and Kristofferson in a band together later in life? I remember seeing a PBS concert special with them and Willie Nelson.

[susannot]

The Highwaymen.  Cash, Kristofferson, Jennings, and Nelson.  What a band!!

I have to say Jessi Colter looks great.  She has aged well.

[bosawks]

Jeannie Selby’s “Oh my” in response to hearing about George and Tammy getting together was everything.

[sinycalone]

51 minutes ago, magdalene said:

I don't mind the focus on Johnny Cash.  I find him fascinating in the same way I find Dylan fascinating.  As artists they create the waves that others follow. This morning I dug my Blonde On Blonde album up and listened to it for the first time in years.

Am I hallucinating this or were Cash and Kristofferson in a band together later in life? I remember seeing a PBS concert special with them and Willie Nelson.

The four in the Highwaymen group were Johnny, Willie, Kris and Waylon.

[SunnyBeBe]

Brilliant....

Edited September 25, 2019 by SunnyBeBe

[stonehaven]

I must say I am sad that Burn's documentary treated John Denver as a negative afterthought in Country music..22 years after his death, that community still hates him...even though SOME of those commentators (Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill and Kathy Mattea) have said they were influenced by him in other interviews and worked with him and had their songs covered by him but apparently not asked about him here. John even performed at the first Farm Aid!  I would have thought Burns might have respected John a bit more. Hell, Peter Coyote even narrated one of John's last PBS specials. I could say more in defense of John...and my username is one of his songs but this is a thread about the documentary not who got the short shrift although there are others who haven't even been mentioned...

[Brattinella]

John Denver is my most admired and loved male singer, has been since the 70's.  I saw him in person  dozens of times, and cried for a day when he died.  I couldn't play anything by him for years because I broke down every time.  I finally can listen to him again with joy.  Shame on Ken Burns!

[voiceover]

Well!!! Tonight's episode was mighty...testosterone-y.   I *do love me some raw-edged masculinity, and so enjoyed splashing in the shallow end this evening.  So very many attractive men on view, but I was keeping it together until Waylon grew the beard.

<clears throat>

Marty Stuart had that great line about "like walking into the Vatican with the Pope" & how performing at the Ryman w/Lester [for him] was like the moment in Wizard of Oz when the black&white turns to color.

(Now, as someone who grew up there, I usually roll my eyes to the sky when someone hits me with that fucking "not in Kansas anymore!" line.  But I did love that he used that analogy.  That's what meeting your idol can be like.  I remember, years ago, pushing to the front of the line to introduce myself to one of my favorite writers.  When he took my hand & spoke to me, the world *did change color.)

And that concert poster, when Lester & co. were third billing below the Eagles, pinged my favorite Eagles' track, and their truest country song: "Seven Bridges Road", whose title* is the name of one of the roads leading to the cemetery where Hank Williams is buried.

*depends on who you ask

[LittleIggy]

I burst into tears when they played Janis Joplin’s cover of “Bobbie McGhee.”

[ProudMary]

Tonight's episode was, by far, my favorite of the series.

I appreciated the segment on the transition of the Opry from the Ryman to the new Grand Ole Opry House. Just like Bill Anderson in his commentary, I teared up seeing the film of Roy Acuff from the 1930s leading into Roy Acuff on the night the new Opry House opened in '73.  Great stuff. 

I enjoyed the Marty Stuart and Ricky Scaggs info. I had no idea that they had both started, truly started, their careers SO young. 

Huge kudos to Ken Burns for really going there on both Gram Parsons and Townes Van Zant. That was fabulous and something I didn't think would be included to that degree. And of course, tying it all in to Emmylou Harris. Her segment was way beyond my expectations and so well deserved. I love her and have all the way back to the '70s.

They certainly did justice to Dolly! I thought she was being short-changed with just the early segment about her break from Porter Wagoner and a few of her earlier songs, of course including "I Will Always Love You" but then they tied it all up with a bow toward the end of the episode with all of Dolly's accomplishments over the decades. Beautiful treatment of an American treasure.

Speaking of American treasures, Willie's segment was terrific too. I had no idea that his record company released "Red Headed Stranger" just to pacify Willie so they could ultimately get him to do what they wanted. Boy were they ever wrong! I loved seeing Austin in the 70s (and getting the Ray Benson payoff with a snippet of Asleep at the Wheel.)

Johnny Rodriguez! I'm so glad they included him here. While I admit I haven't listened to them in years, I have at least a half a dozen Johnny Rodriguez albums from back in the '70s. (I still have all my vinyl. Can't bring myself to part with it. Hundreds of albums.) What a great surprise to see him again after all these years.

George and Tammy. Such incredibly talented people, both of whom were so broken. I do wish that there would have been a bit more concentration on the music than on the marriage. We barely got to hear any of Tammy's masterpiece, "Till I Can Make It On My Own." It's my favorite of hers and I was somewhat surprised to hear that she considered it her best too. It's almost painful to listen to; it usually brings me to tears. She lives every word she sings in that song.  And I knew there would have to be a lengthy piece on "He Stopped Loving Her Today" often mentioned as the greatest country song of all time. I'd never heard that George Jones thought it was a sappy piece of junk that wouldn't sell. 

And finally Waylon. I miss that man! That voice! His segment was good but I don't think enough emphasis was placed on exactly how difficult it was for Waylon to get the powers that be to agree to his terms. I just don't think they got across just how important his hard-fought victory against the Nashville establishment was. His long battle revolutionized the way the industry worked and not just for him but for all that followed. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

9 hours ago, sinycalone said:

As a die-hard country fan, I also am a PBS fan.  And oddly, most of my friends fall into both categories.  Is it possible Burns realized that true country fans would just love a chance to learn more about the genre they've followed for many years?

Yeah, it's kinda funny when pigeonholing those believed to be pigeonholers.  

[sinycalone]

5 hours ago, ProudMary said:

And finally Waylon. I miss that man! That voice! His segment was good but I don't think enough emphasis was placed on exactly how difficult it was for Waylon to get the powers that be to agree to his terms. I just don't think they got across just how important his hard-fought victory against the Nashville establishment was. His long battle revolutionized the way the industry worked and not just for him but for all that followed. 

I  agreed with your entire post....but especially this paragraph.  It took years to get that contract...with that new manager who was even tougher than the folks at RCA.  

I wished they had included the title song from the Dreamin' My Dreams with You.  No one sang it with the poignancy that Waylon offered.

[Kip Hackman]

19 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

So, Foster got half credit for basically ONE word of the song. lol   

The song probably doesn't even exist if Foster doesn't suggest the title to him. 

That's why Kris gave him half credit.

[SunnyBeBe]

Though not perfect, I did experience a great appreciation last night that other people connect and feel about music the way that I do. The feeling was palpable.  I've felt that way since a child and often wonder if others can even relate to that connection.  I have felt it at times in concerts, but, those times are fleeting. It was elating to see that artists feel it so strongly about their craft. And that is why we have this glorious music today.  It gives new meaning to "playing in the moment."  Willie, Cash, Marty, et al. were born with this gift, imo.  

The positives of this piece are the artists and their work, not Nashville, imo. Sort of like, we benefit not due to Nashville, but, in spite of.  (Perhaps, I need to go back and watch the earlier episodes again. lol)  I'm still not sure why John Denver was shunned by country.  I would have liked to see more on that.  I'm not sure why this piece did not address him and that more.  Perhaps it was, but, was edited out.  

[annzeepark914]

Kris Kristofferson is such a decent man. I keep thinking of what it would be like to receive such a rotten letter from one's own mother. I doubt she was much of a loving mom to begin with anyway, but still...

My belated thanks to sinycalone for the Don Williams/Emmylou video of that beautiful song. I'm going to add that to my YouTube "album" so I can play it whenever the spirit moves.

[SunnyBeBe]

I'm still pondering how Dolly wrote I Will Always Love You about her WORKING relationship with Porter Wagner.  Okay.....I'm still trying to process it. It's the one thing that I have seen on this series that I'm having trouble digesting. lol 

[LGraves65]

I'm kind of surprised there was no mention of Urban Cowboy, which sparked a big revival of country music in the early 80s, and started the era of huge country dance halls.

[SunnyBeBe]

52 minutes ago, LGraves65 said:

I'm kind of surprised there was no mention of Urban Cowboy, which sparked a big revival of country music in the early 80s, and started the era of huge country dance halls.

Yeah, Mickey Gilley....man, it was huge! Maybe, it's yet to come.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Gilley

[AuntiePam]

On 9/18/2019 at 1:36 PM, AllAboutMBTV said:

I knew the bare bones of Hank Williams' story but did not know he started drinking at age 11 or died on the backseat floorboards of a car on a West Virginia backroad headed to Canton, Ohio (clearly the driver was taking the long-way-'round route from Tennessee).

I didn't know that either, until Dwight Yoakam recorded Long White Cadillac.  My husband blew out the stereo speakers playing that song. 

My grandma had a 78 of Bob Wills' San Antonio Rose which I played over and over, but I'd never seen Bob Wills except in photos.  Watching him move -- so much energy!

Despite growing up with this music,, most of the background is new to me.  I have new appreciation for Merle Haggard and George Jones.  Still don't care for Hank, Jr.  I hope Burns touches on Johnny Cash's American recordings. 

Session musicians -- finally getting some credit!

I've seen a few of these folks in concert, thanks to Farm Aid coming to Ames, Iowa, and the Grand Ol' Opry touring to Seattle.  Faron Young singing After the Lovin', Marty Robbins Don't Worry, Garth Brooks The Dance -- live and in smallish venues, I feel so lucky.

A musician friend who played with Bill Monroe says the stories of his meanness are exaggerated.  Bill didn't have time for fools is all.

[mightysparrow]

My first Willie Nelson album was 'Stardust'.  I don't think I knew who he was before then.  My father was a jazz fan and I worshiped Ella Fitzgerald from a young age so I was curious to hear what a country singer would do with these songs.  And it was getting raves from everyone!.  It's a great album.  His take on the 'standards' is so original and heartfelt.  But the album didn't encourage me to seek out his other music.  I think I was listening to punk rock by then.

I wasn't as interested in this episode as I was with the others because I was unfamiliar with most of the performers.  I know who Waylon Jennings was but I couldn't name one of his songs to save my life.

I came to Emmylou Harris later in life but it was nice to see her early days.  She was so beautiful and has such a beautiful voice.  I really enjoyed hearing Marty Stuart's story.  I can't believe his parents put him on a bus for Nashville, ALONE, at 13.

I'm also glad that Dolly Parton got her due.  I've always liked her version of 'I Will Always Love You', better and hearing the story of how she wrote it as a  goodbye to Porter Waggoner gives it a completely different perspective.  Dolly is saying goodbye to someone she loves but needs to leave behind.  So beautiful.  Dolly Parton doesn't get the respect for being an amazing song-writer and a fucking SMART COOKIE, so I'm glad she got it here.

George Jones continues to break my heart.  I agree with those that say his voice is pure soul.  You can FEEL his life in his singing.

I don't have much use for Hank Williams Jr. but he went through some serious stuff.  His mother sounds like she was/is a REAL piece of work.  I knew that she had been fame-hungry while Hank Williams was alive.  I didn't know that she used her own son to give herself a career.  I can't imagine what it must have been like for him to get up on stage knowing that the people weren't there to see him but a copy of a father he barely remembered.  To come back from that horrific accident took a lot of strength.  And from the little clips I've heard, it sounds like his daughter has a very good voice.  So, there's that.

There were a couple of inclusions that I was happy to see, like Freddie Fender.  His version of 'Secret Love' is so moving.  There were a couple of mentions of how Mexican music influenced country, especially the artists from Texas.  It would have been nice to hear a bit more about that.  And I understood how many country musicians felt when interlopers like Olivia Newton John got so much success simply because they had failed as pop singers and thought country was the easier road.  It's the same way hip-hop fans felt when pretenders came in, made a weak hip-hop song, and cleaned up.  But setting John Denver's name on fire was WAY HARSH.  His music was country-ish.

As usual, Ken Burns finds story tellers that can hold your interest whether you care about the subject or not.  The woman who was the record company office manager (Hazel) was amazing.  And just how many stars did the producer named Cowboy discover?  He seemed to be the only one willing to take a chance on something 'different' and he was usually right.

I'm curious to see how Burns is going to handle Garth Brooks and people like Shania Twain.  There are a lot of country artists nowadays who simply put on a cowboy hat and call themselves country even though they're playing mediocre pop music.  How does the country establishment feel about that?

16 hours ago, sinycalone said:

As a die-hard country fan, I also am a PBS fan.  And oddly, most of my friends fall into both categories.  Is it possible Burns realized that true country fans would just love a chance to learn more about the genre they've followed for many years?

I stand corrected.

6 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

Yeah, it's kinda funny when pigeonholing those believed to be pigeonholers.  

Good point.