Ken Burns’ Country Music on PBS

You know we keep referring to this as "Ken Burns" this or that but from the credits it appears that Dayton ? is as much responsible for it as Burns. He wrote it and is one of the producers with Burns. I would think that he made a lot of the decisions.

 

I love Hank Williams, but was disappointed that Lefty Frizzell wasn't given more time in this episode. Like Mr. Haggard said, Hank and Lefty were like like 1a & 1b in the early 50's. I know Lefty will be back for The Long Black Veil, but they should have highlighted his early string of hits more. On the plus side, the segments with The Maddox Brothers & Rose, Ernest Tubb, and Little Jimmy Dickens were really good. As was the coverage of Hank Williams, of course.

 

My primary genre is metal, but I grew up listening to country. I've found what I've seen of this documentary thus far to be quite interesting.

 

Unless I missed it, looks like the editors took a complete detour around a Spade Cooley segment.

Unfortunate, but certainly understandable.


Cat

 

Yeah, I caught up to that soon after I posted.

 

Thus far the documentary has met or exceeded my expectations. Hank Williams and Eddie Arnold songs were sung day and night by my dad. Before he left for work, in the shower, doing work around the house, on the eight track in the car, at night before we went to bed,,,,, All the Opry figures were talked about. I knew where they came from and dad reviewed their talents. Country & Western music was all that existed in my childhood. All the instruments of the genre were leaning in some corner. A Gibson guitar in dad’s bedroom, a banjo over in my brothers bedroom, a piano in the living room, a mandolin in the living room and two fiddles in the attic brought home from a flea market.

Even a trip to Oak Hill WV to visit the place Hank died. My dad labored in a steel mill. He was far from an imbecile or *****. He could recite extensive poetry, worked crossword puzzles as a habit, drew cartoon characters from memory, a steady reader of political works and philosophy. And he yodeled Eddy Arnold’s “cattle call” like the man himself.

The song wasn’t covered but “Bouquet of Roses” was sung by my dad often. He and mom fought like crazy and held grudges just like the Marty said in the episode. It brought back so many good and bad memories. “I’m sending you a big bouquet of roses.....one for every time you broke my heart.”

I’ll sing that today with the old mans Gibson.

 

My dad was a Hank and Eddy man too. I still have dad's 78's and those two artists make up the bulk. Oh,I forgot to mention Roy Acuff, a lot of his Okeh 78's in the old man's stash.

 

I see your location is PennsylBama. My Dad referred to our neck of the woods as ....PennsylTucky. Now that’s funny.

 

Yeah, my one cousin uses PennsylTucky too. He claims he heard or saw it on an old Three Stooges episode.

 

That was my favorite episode so far. Maybe the intense, moving arc of Williams' life brought it an extra spark. Was glad to see the extensive coverage of Ernest Tubb, and Lefty at least got a little screen time. But Webb Pierce only as an aside? I guess so, but for such a huge star of the time, he's so under appreciated nowadays... (making the first recording with a pedal steel should have merited a mention, I think...)

 

There is a county in Kentucky which bears the family name. There were lots of stories told about relatives there and we visited on occasion where they would host us over night ....what they called “hangin’ us on a nail.” So I grew up just North of the Mason/Dixon line but with sentiments for southern perspectives. But I’m a Yankee.

 

There was mention of Webb Pierce and Faron Young. Those two played a role in my dad’s musical leanings. I have a Webb Pierce compilation LP I enjoy.

 

So far I’m really enjoying the documentary, although I missed the 2nd episode. I’ll have to go back and catch up. Much of what has been presented I already knew but there’s quite a bit I did not. Last night’s “Hillbilly Shakespeare” was a sad reminder of how young Hank Williams Sr. was when he died and how much pain he must have endured in his short life. But what a musical legacy he left behind! I didn’t know “Cold, Cold Heart” had been covered by other artists like Tony Bennett and Dinah Washington.

 

As far as I know, my Dad never spent anytime at all in the “country”. He was born and raised in Brooklyn NY, and the furthest south we ever got was when he moved our family to Staten Island! lol

Yet he absolutely loved country music! All of it really, but especially “outlaws” like Willie, Waylon, Merle...

As kids in the 70’s, it was all we heard on the radio in my fathers Buick Electra (the big one, used to call it a deuce and a quarter).

As a result, I still love it today. Some people associate this kind of music with a certain part of the country...but to me, it’s just a feeling (a good one).

When I listen to country music, I think of home...even if my home is NY.

 

Which would make him younger than two current members of The Rolling Stones.

 

My dad and I used to sing Hank Williams songs together at family gatherings. By the end of last night’s episode my cheeks were wet with sadness. I don’t know about anyone else, but I could watch a 16 hour documentary on Hank himself.

 

Unfortunately I was recording too many shows at the same time, and missed out on Episode 1. Episodes 2 & 3 were great, even quite moving at times. You always learn a lot watching Ken Burns docs, even on subjects you thought you knew a lot about. I never knew about the colorful Maddox Bros and Rose; what a story there!

Ken Burns tells us as much about the history of America as he does the music. Ive never seen the depression era depicted with so much despair and heartbreak.

 

Well, I'll be hogtied and hornswoggled. Hank Williams wrote 'Move It On Over' and "I Saw The Light'.

How Chester Atkins got his start with the Carter family was all new to me as well. I'm learn'n...

While the 20's- 50's is well outside my Country music listening experience, it's been fascinating so far to see where it all began and all the characters involved

 

One comment I’ve seen a couple of times, that I find heartening, is that the doc inspires people to pull out their instruments and play the songs. That could be the greatest influence of the production - that it makes people perform and share the songs and keep them alive.

It was the first thought I had in Ep 1 hearing “Wildwood Rose.” “I need to pick up the guitar and learn this song.”

For all of the invention and technological advancement, our species really hasn’t changed much or come too far for the beater over the past hundred years. They’re just like us, and we’re just like them.

Burn’s big achievement - other than filmmaking - is that he really makes us look at and think about our culture for both better and worse, as this thread has shown.

 

I think the whole point is that you're not buying the CD set--you're supporting PBS and getting the set as a gift. That's a part of how shows like the Ken Burns documentaries get made!

 

Years ago I was a delivery man for a local sub/pizza joint and I had to work a New Years Eve. I was bummed but I found some radio documentary show about Hank Williams and it was on for hours. This was probably around 1990 give or take a few years. It was a fascinating show and if I hadn't had to work I'd have missed it.

 

Yesterday was ol’ Hankity Pankity’s 96th birthday. I wonder if the timing of last night’s episode was planned or if it was just a happy coincidence.

 

Post of the day!

 

A lot of those male singers, from Jimmy Rogers to Hank Williams, had the same gaunt look. Success demanded a lot...

 

I'm sure you guys are familiar with this line:
James Carville Quote