Ken Burns' COUNTRY MUSIC Documentary

Marty wins for me <3

I like Marty but maybe he’s too much of a good thing.

Is it nitpicking to question Tom T. Hall putting a character called Mister Harper into “Harper Valley PTA”? It seem like a structural flaw if not a paradox or a time loop. If he owned the whole valley, wouldn’t he send his kids to a fancier school somewhere else? Unless maybe his family used to own the valley but lost control of it due to bad business dealings.

There's a three part Cocaine and Rhinestones just about that song.

Lefty Frizzell is also discussed to not massive length in the Hank Williams ep (#3).

There's a three part Cocaine and Rhinestones just about that song.

In case anybody missed it, Shakey dropped some science on us recently that Bob Dylan’s country voice was basically him doing Lefty Frizzell.

Actually don’t think I finished listening to the third, Tom T. Hall-based episode of the podcast about that song, so maybe that detail IS discussed.

Will have to check Shakey's post, thanks.
If he owned the whole valley, wouldn’t he send his kids to a fancier school somewhere else? Was a common Southern thing back then, to save some bucks, because egalitarian, complacent, and/or teach your kids to know their places, as big tadpoles in a small pond. Or this is how it seemed to me, before official desegregation (then "seg academies" started appearing, not always for the rich).
Unless maybe his family used to own the valley but lost control of it due to bad business dealings. Could be---as labor laws came into existence and tightened up, sometimes not much, could still make a big difference. Also there might be Harpers with different levels of income, most with more or less than the aforementioned Mr. Harper moving away, another Southern thing, then and now.

So, good of T. to slip that in there.

Actually Shakey’s post is almost ten years old, but I only saw it recently:
Poll: Nashville Skyline

bob dylan's lefty frizzell gives me more kermit the frog imo but it does make me like his singing voice a little more thinking of it as lefty

Wondering if Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose were influenced in their naming convention by The Maddox Brothers & Rose.

Okay, I do have one firsthand story that actually might be of interest to you. When I was introduced to Jimmy Wyble I was told “he played the solo on ‘Roly Poly’,” so I asked “And did Bob Wills say ‘Aah, Jimmy!’?” “Yes, and he hated it every time.” And Jimmy looked at me and said “I preferred to remain anonymous.”

haha that's so good. Def talking-head worthy :)

Lefty Frogzell:

http://toughpigs.com/uploaded_images/royrogers-726794.jpg

Frog Dylan

You guys are reminding me of something in this post

I really like Felice and Boudleaux Bryant and recognize their significance as the first full-time songwriters in Nashville but felt maybe there was a bit too much time devoted to them.

I believe Boudreaux co-wrote this novelty number I have a soft spot for with one of their favorite artists, Little Jimmy Dickens:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6PH2wPsEnM

In episode two I wasn't too into the Minnie Pearl section. It was fine and I get why she's a country icon, but she wasn't really a singer or musician.

BTW, wiki says some of the interviews took place as early as 2012! Ken Burns must have a lot of pots cooking on the stove at once.

Minnie Pearl was a great ambassador for the Music for longer than just about anybody, and also figures in to a surprisingly big number of other artists lives (Hank I etc.).

This is all covered in later episodes.

^^^

Yes, this is true.

Some stuff I don’t think I saw in this doc but it kind of complicated and doesn’t always show up in other histories, particularly related to Why Nashville?:
1) Before BMI, before Acuff-Rose, before the Bryants, it was very difficult for a songwriter to make a living off of/collect royalties for this kind of music or to connect with the artists since things were still so regional, except for in Hollywood because of the singing cowboy craze, where somebody like Cindy Walker could be a full-time songwriter and survive. Although the doc does mention that Gene Autry was big enough for ASCAP to handle his publishing.

2) The breakthrough moment for Nashville as a recording hub is often said to be the freak pop hit in 1947 of Francis Craig’s “Near You” on Bullet Records, founded by Jim Bulleit, who left/was forced out shortly afterwards but still mentored other independent record label owners such as Sam Phillips.

And Randy Wood of Dot Records.

Debating whether to get a haircut this week or to just let it grow out to full-on Marty Stuart nirvana.

I know why Minnie Pearl is important to country music culture, I just wasn't that interested in her story. I mean, Buck Owens is as famous (may even as important) for Hee Haw as he is for his music, but I would be bummed if the doc spent more time on the former than on the latter. But I do look forward to hearing Pearl's story fleshed out and connected to others, if that is the case.

It’s fleshed out a bit, but it might not be what you are after.

Came to say, do you guys know about this podcast:
https://holdingthingstogether.com/page/1/

Thanks, will check that!
Also re your mention of things were still so regional, except for in Hollywood because of the singing cowboy craze, the West Coast, and Hollywood in particular is the initial setting of the book I mentioned upthread
Southwest Shuffle: Pioneers of Honky-Tonk, Western Swing, and Country Jazz starts at a peak, then tracks the adaptation, or lack thereof, of adventurous country artists to the rise of rock & roll and The Nashville Sound and Countrypolitan, yeesh. They're having to go back to the boonies from which many of them sprung, or worse (well not going back to the Dust Bowl etc but some of these cats were from okay palces, they just wanted to do better, and Nashville was not that, to them).

Also does this series mention that Nashville was orignally yet another industrial hub, to which the music biz was a graft that took a while to take: swarm of migrants from the Asheville axis, after the establishment of monster station WSM--but I've also read that country was often not the top format in local radio, during the mid-to-late 20th Century at least, because many of the people who moved to town for work were more attached to music of their home states--another reason for countrypolitan etc, smooother less rootsy sounds, although some of that was also for Southerners who had escaped ro were trying to escape from rougher roots.

Also did they mention Charlie Rich, although I get that he might not be full-time country enough for much mention, like Doug Sahm and Elvis.

Charlie Rich is brought up briefly during discussion about Billy Sherrill in the '70s, and later they play the clip of him burning the envelope at the CMAs.

Seems like in a way the only reason they brought Rich up was to set up that clip later.

He got a really backhanded mention that at least one of those podcasters was pretty mad about. He was referred to in passing as an “R&B journeyman.”

Elvis gets quite a bit of airtime during the Rockabilly segment, which maybe goes on longer than it needs to, Doug Sahm nothing, even though the Texas Tornados are mentioned for a second at the tail end of the Freddie Fender segment, described as being created by Freddie along with Flaco Jimenez to promulgate conjunto music, which seemed to me to be close but not quite accurate

many xps - i have not heard of that podcast James, looks good.
i have downloaded first ep!

Doug Sahm nothing, even though the Texas Tornados are mentioned for a second at the tail end of the Freddie Fender segment, described as being created by Freddie along with Flaco Jimenez to promulgate conjunto music, which seemed to me to be close but not quite accurate

Yup. I also took exception to them setting up the Austin scene and not mentioning him when they were rounding up scenesters. Furthermore, they totally overlooked Willie Nelson's Atlantic period, which Sahm figured into somewhat heavily.

Thought there was too much Guy Clark tbh

And too much Rodney Crowell commentary as well tbh

But I guess he was grandfathered in to an automatic upgrade to more legroom and screentime for having once been part of the extended Carter/Cash Family.

B-b-but in that case, Nick Lowe wuz robbed! Unless he sent Elvis Costello as his proxy.

They didn't get into Carlene Carter as a recording artist either.

Guy Clark is pretty important as making a home base for all the Texas ex-pats in Nashville. Plus, thanks to Heartworn Highways, there's tons of footage of him and those guys doing their thing at that exact time.

Also does this series mention that Nashville was orignally yet another industrial hub, to which the music biz was a graft that took a while to take: swarm of migrants from the Asheville axis, after the establishment of monster station WSM--but I've also read that country was often not the top format in local radio, during the mid-to-late 20th Century at least, because many of the people who moved to town for work were more attached to music of their home states--another reason for countrypolitan etc, smooother less rootsy sounds, although some of that was also for Southerners who had escaped ro were trying to escape from rougher roots.

Roy Clark also talking about having bib overalls and 2 tailored tuxedos.

Two tuxedosbib overalls and a microphone

Call BR-549 to find out where it's at!

https://img.discogs.com/Q1ARpqwtzO3n20ex8xCVV_GbSW4=/600x593/smart/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/A-1623841-1366102122-3075.jpeg.jpg

Lol

Podcast says KB started working on this eight years ago, think I heard.

The Dillards weren't in this, huh?

They were standing behind Rodney Crowell so you couldn’t see them

*Ahem* https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/glen-campbell-museum-nashville-rhinestone-stage-869072/