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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
| CATEGORY: | DVD |
| DIRECTOR: | Obie Benz, Ted Haimes, Andrew Solt |
| MANUFACTURER: | Warner Home Video |
| MPAA RATING: | NR (Not Rated) |
| FEATURES: | Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC |
| TYPE: | Documentary, Gift Set, Movie |
| MEDIA: | DVD |
| MPN: | D34991D |
| # OF MEDIA: | 5 |
| UPC: | 085393499129 |
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Customer Reviews of The History of Rock and Roll
Just Right for the Generations Who Missed It! This is a well-paced documentary, appropriately held in the secure embrace and commentary of Quincy Jones who has proven to have the deepest and widest influence on nearly all popular music. <
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>Interviews by key witnesses from the story and event of Rock and Roll add legitimation to the international story that it has become. History at its best, may not so much be performance as it is a passionate retelling and revisiting the story in the hearts and souls of the brothers and sisters who poured their lives into the state of the art of Rock and Roll (including good coverage of Soul and R&B in all of its various expressions). <
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>You get to taste the sights and sounds of the experience, thanks to some choice footage and video, but you get to hear how the pioneers of Rock and Roll impacted the artists that inherited it. <
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>While the material is dated, it gives the essential information right up to the post alternative and pre American Idol age in which we find ourselves now. <
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>Not every artist can be included and at times less significant ones are, but the the mainstream of the story remains in-tact. <
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>For those who are willing to listen to the story and get a substantial take on how the art of Rock and Roll that has touched so many lives, this series will likely be the defining DVD overview of Rock and Roll History until something better comes along.
Great set for classroom use
I teach music appreciation and music history at a university. I used this set as research material in preparing my lectures for a class unit and a seminar on Rock and Roll, and have been using brief excerpts for classroom examples for 10 years. I finally had to upgrade from the VHS version when one of the tapes broke from overuse! The commentary from artists looking back on their own history is excellent. I especially like David Bowie, looking like he just left a photo session for GQ, commenting on a clip of himself as Ziggy Stardust. Gene Simmons of Kiss (out of makeup) commenting on his problems with hairspray is also wonderful, as is Alice Cooper (also out of makeup) talking about the notorious chicken event. While someone looking for extended performances will be disappointed, the short clips with extended commentary by people who experienced the events are perfect for classroom use. Every semester I get a couple of students who want to know where they can get a copy, and one of my graduate students in the seminar was so impressed he chose a series of lesson plans based on the set as a final project!
The History of Rock and Roll
A great compendium intertwining music and culture. I use this in the classroom and my students love the anecdotes and the music. My high school students see how their personal music tastes fit into the historical development of the medium they love so much. A wonderful addition to any collection.