Music and TV
Sep. 22nd, 2019 08:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. So, I've been basically watching non-fiction all weekend long...
Ken Burns on his Eight Year Dive into Country Music -- this excellent documentary took eight long years to make. (I actually like it better than his last three documentaries.)
Where there any misconceptions about country music that you went in expecting to debunk?
Country music isn’t just one thing. It’s never been just one thing. Even the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, the two acts recorded at the big bang of country music in 1927, don’t sound anything alike. And within themselves, they represent lots of diverse interests—African-American influences, Scotch-Irish influences, all these different kinds of ingredients go in. And that’s true of everything in America. So I assumed we would be exploding the presumption that country music is this white, Southern, rural, conservative music. And it is that, but it is also so many, many other things, and we rejoice in being able to share those many, many other things along with the white, Southern, rural, and conservative part of it. We’re not trying to make political films. That’s so binary and so limiting. We’re interested in telling complete American stories.
In the film, you note that controversy surrounding what is or isn’t country music actually sparked one of its most vibrant eras—the 1970s. Was the struggle over defining the genre always a part of its evolution?
I think it’s a natural inclination of the art form not to seek its own level, like water, but to push and strain beyond its borders. In country music, that engenders not only great periods of creativity, but also a worry and insistence that we not forget the traditions. There’s a wonderful balance between the impulse to remain the same and the impulse to be different and try something new. It may be generated by creativity, and it may be generated by commerce. When rock ’n’ roll was ascendant in the ’50s, country music was just dying on the vine, and the Nashville sound, smoothing out country’s rougher edges in an attempt to cross over, was a reaction to that. There were a lot of purists saying, “Hey, that isn’t right.” But I would submit Patsy Cline’s version of Willie Nelson’s great classic “Crazy” as an example that the Nashville sound works—and it’s still country music.
We see that tension several times in the film: The labels and the gatekeepers pushing artists to do what they think the public wants and often the artists themselves wanting something different.
It’s been there since the very beginning, when Ralph Peer was recording Fiddlin’ John Carson. You have the impetus and the momentum of commerce, and then you have the requirements of creativity…and they’re not always in sync. These are lawful kinds of tensions, natural kinds of tensions that take place. No one is necessarily wrong. If you want to sell records and get [the music] out to the most number of people, then you’re reaching the most number of people, which is what the artist wants, too. At the same time, there’s something stultifying about merely being a cog in an industrial concern, and so you have guys like Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark and Rodney Crowell saying, “Look, I think I want to choose to be an artist, and I’m not going to have this big success, but I’ll be true to myself.” What’s so great about the story of country music is that so many of the artists have it both ways. They get to be themselves and also have that enormous success.
And yes, it did not pass my notice that there is actually a online zine entitled "Garden & Gun" -- frigging hell, only in America.
But this documentary goes in depth on the history of Johnny Cash (including collaborations with Bob Dylan and his activism and drug addictions), Roger Miller (who wrote music for a Walt Disney Movie (Robin Hood)), Sarah Ophelia Cannon (Minnie Pearl), Ray Charles, and others, many many others. It's fascinating. And surprising.
Particularly in its examination of lesser known musicians. Buck Owens -- for example, who was a supporter of the Beatles, but didn't like the Beatles hair. (The Beatles were huge fans of Country Music - Hank Williams, Buck Owens, Chet Atkins, Gene Autry, etc. The Beatles even recorded country songs -- like "Act Naturally" from Buck Owens, who loved it.) They also go into detail for Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Brenda Lee...and Wanda Jackson.
I think if you want to study or understand music, you have to look at all of it.
And yes, I'm a music nerd. And there's a lot I don't like here and there. But I actually do love a lot of country music (and dislike some of it).
On the music front? Several of my friends (who I see mainly on FB now) are obsessed with LIZZO -- an African-American female rapper, hip-hop, and R&B singer. I hadn't heard of her -- because rap, R&B and hip-hop aren't my favs...although I admit she's good. And catchy.
I checked her out -- she's positive, and sings songs about loving oneself and others, and promotes it -- as opposed to hate (which is the case with far too many rap and hip-hop songs), so she's revolutionary.
And Taylor Switch who has a very catchy and controversial song out...entitled "Calm Down". Which has a lot of cameos. And is basically about being tolerant. (I don't like Swift's voice that much, but I do appreciate her songs at times.)
2. A Very Brady Renovation is hilarious and weirdly comforting. Basically HGTV decided to purchase the house which posed for all the exterior shots for the television series The Brady Bunch (which ran roughly from 1969 - 1974), most people saw it in reruns. It was actually more popular with the people who watched it in reruns in the mid-late 1970s through 1990s, and were kids at that stage than when it aired. The kids in the show are in their late fifties and early sixities, but a good majority of their fans are between 30-65.
What HGTV decided to do with it was -- to redo the house to look exactly like the inside and outside of the original television house -- during season 1. Easier said than done -- since the television house's interiors were on sound stages, and the real house looked nothing like it. Also the television house had two stories, while the real one was a one-level ranch style house with no stairs. And most of the furnishings (actually all of them) and the toys, etc, were long gone. Hunting all this down, and recreating it -- involves a bit of a scavenger hunt of sorts. Also, you find out interesting things about the kids. Susan Olsen (Cindy) was a professional air-brush artist at one stage, and Mike Lookingood (Peter) worked for twenty years in 3D technology. Greg and Marsha are the best preserved.
As far as reality series go, very watchable.
3. I ignoring the Emmy's -- I don't care if anyone wins. And honestly, I don't see how they can begin to do it -- considering there's more content out there right now than any one person can possibly review or see. I'm certain there are some amazing gems out there that got overlooked.
I feel the same way about movies, television, and music.
When it comes to art -- awards are pointless and somewhat meaningless at this point.
There's no way you can possibly come up with best or anything close. You'd have to look at EVERYTHING. And even if you did nothing but read or watch, without sleeping or eating or any breaks -- you still wouldn't get through it all.
Ken Burns on his Eight Year Dive into Country Music -- this excellent documentary took eight long years to make. (I actually like it better than his last three documentaries.)
Where there any misconceptions about country music that you went in expecting to debunk?
Country music isn’t just one thing. It’s never been just one thing. Even the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, the two acts recorded at the big bang of country music in 1927, don’t sound anything alike. And within themselves, they represent lots of diverse interests—African-American influences, Scotch-Irish influences, all these different kinds of ingredients go in. And that’s true of everything in America. So I assumed we would be exploding the presumption that country music is this white, Southern, rural, conservative music. And it is that, but it is also so many, many other things, and we rejoice in being able to share those many, many other things along with the white, Southern, rural, and conservative part of it. We’re not trying to make political films. That’s so binary and so limiting. We’re interested in telling complete American stories.
In the film, you note that controversy surrounding what is or isn’t country music actually sparked one of its most vibrant eras—the 1970s. Was the struggle over defining the genre always a part of its evolution?
I think it’s a natural inclination of the art form not to seek its own level, like water, but to push and strain beyond its borders. In country music, that engenders not only great periods of creativity, but also a worry and insistence that we not forget the traditions. There’s a wonderful balance between the impulse to remain the same and the impulse to be different and try something new. It may be generated by creativity, and it may be generated by commerce. When rock ’n’ roll was ascendant in the ’50s, country music was just dying on the vine, and the Nashville sound, smoothing out country’s rougher edges in an attempt to cross over, was a reaction to that. There were a lot of purists saying, “Hey, that isn’t right.” But I would submit Patsy Cline’s version of Willie Nelson’s great classic “Crazy” as an example that the Nashville sound works—and it’s still country music.
We see that tension several times in the film: The labels and the gatekeepers pushing artists to do what they think the public wants and often the artists themselves wanting something different.
It’s been there since the very beginning, when Ralph Peer was recording Fiddlin’ John Carson. You have the impetus and the momentum of commerce, and then you have the requirements of creativity…and they’re not always in sync. These are lawful kinds of tensions, natural kinds of tensions that take place. No one is necessarily wrong. If you want to sell records and get [the music] out to the most number of people, then you’re reaching the most number of people, which is what the artist wants, too. At the same time, there’s something stultifying about merely being a cog in an industrial concern, and so you have guys like Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark and Rodney Crowell saying, “Look, I think I want to choose to be an artist, and I’m not going to have this big success, but I’ll be true to myself.” What’s so great about the story of country music is that so many of the artists have it both ways. They get to be themselves and also have that enormous success.
And yes, it did not pass my notice that there is actually a online zine entitled "Garden & Gun" -- frigging hell, only in America.
But this documentary goes in depth on the history of Johnny Cash (including collaborations with Bob Dylan and his activism and drug addictions), Roger Miller (who wrote music for a Walt Disney Movie (Robin Hood)), Sarah Ophelia Cannon (Minnie Pearl), Ray Charles, and others, many many others. It's fascinating. And surprising.
Particularly in its examination of lesser known musicians. Buck Owens -- for example, who was a supporter of the Beatles, but didn't like the Beatles hair. (The Beatles were huge fans of Country Music - Hank Williams, Buck Owens, Chet Atkins, Gene Autry, etc. The Beatles even recorded country songs -- like "Act Naturally" from Buck Owens, who loved it.) They also go into detail for Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Brenda Lee...and Wanda Jackson.
I think if you want to study or understand music, you have to look at all of it.
And yes, I'm a music nerd. And there's a lot I don't like here and there. But I actually do love a lot of country music (and dislike some of it).
On the music front? Several of my friends (who I see mainly on FB now) are obsessed with LIZZO -- an African-American female rapper, hip-hop, and R&B singer. I hadn't heard of her -- because rap, R&B and hip-hop aren't my favs...although I admit she's good. And catchy.
I checked her out -- she's positive, and sings songs about loving oneself and others, and promotes it -- as opposed to hate (which is the case with far too many rap and hip-hop songs), so she's revolutionary.
And Taylor Switch who has a very catchy and controversial song out...entitled "Calm Down". Which has a lot of cameos. And is basically about being tolerant. (I don't like Swift's voice that much, but I do appreciate her songs at times.)
2. A Very Brady Renovation is hilarious and weirdly comforting. Basically HGTV decided to purchase the house which posed for all the exterior shots for the television series The Brady Bunch (which ran roughly from 1969 - 1974), most people saw it in reruns. It was actually more popular with the people who watched it in reruns in the mid-late 1970s through 1990s, and were kids at that stage than when it aired. The kids in the show are in their late fifties and early sixities, but a good majority of their fans are between 30-65.
What HGTV decided to do with it was -- to redo the house to look exactly like the inside and outside of the original television house -- during season 1. Easier said than done -- since the television house's interiors were on sound stages, and the real house looked nothing like it. Also the television house had two stories, while the real one was a one-level ranch style house with no stairs. And most of the furnishings (actually all of them) and the toys, etc, were long gone. Hunting all this down, and recreating it -- involves a bit of a scavenger hunt of sorts. Also, you find out interesting things about the kids. Susan Olsen (Cindy) was a professional air-brush artist at one stage, and Mike Lookingood (Peter) worked for twenty years in 3D technology. Greg and Marsha are the best preserved.
As far as reality series go, very watchable.
3. I ignoring the Emmy's -- I don't care if anyone wins. And honestly, I don't see how they can begin to do it -- considering there's more content out there right now than any one person can possibly review or see. I'm certain there are some amazing gems out there that got overlooked.
I feel the same way about movies, television, and music.
When it comes to art -- awards are pointless and somewhat meaningless at this point.
There's no way you can possibly come up with best or anything close. You'd have to look at EVERYTHING. And even if you did nothing but read or watch, without sleeping or eating or any breaks -- you still wouldn't get through it all.