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ROCK & ROLL

DATE :     1995

VENUE :     DOCUMENTARY

SOURCE :     TV BROADCAST

FORMAT :     NTSC

MEDIA :     DVD-r

DISKS :     5

FEATURES :     MENU & CHAPTER SELECTION

AUDIO :     DOLBY 5.1

QUALITY :     8/10

PACKAGING :     DISK (NO LABEL) INSIDE A CD ENVELOP WITH PRINTED ART WORK.

SET LIST :

DISC 1

Episode 1: "The Renegades"

After World War II, black music was mostly still segregated.
Blacks had their own radio stations, and their independent record labels were putting
out blues music. Few white folks listened to black music on these records and
radio stations and liked them for what they were. Fats Domino was the first black
musician to crossover in a major way with his boogie based style and non-threatening
persona. Little Richard and Chuck Berry were crossing over with their unique blend
of boogie woogie, and country music influence. Sam Phillips of Sun Records was
recording black blues musicians but couldn't get the crossover hit he was looking
for until Elvis Presley walked in his door.

Episode 2: "In the Groove"

Leiber and Stoller and other song writers like Carol King were situated at
the Brill building in NY writing hits for black singers. Aided by these talented
writers, black musicians were starting to crossover into the main stream American
music scene. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and Phil Spector wrote and produced
their own music. They collectively established that song writers can have full
creative control over their music. West coast rock scene was also emerging with
the advent of "Surf" music.

DISC 2

Episode 3: "Shakespears in the Alley"

Bob Dylan was becoming a major star. His lyrics hit a chord with other musicians,
and his style was widely adopted. Across the Atlantic the Beatles were creating
their own style of music. Music writing styles of both became the major influence
of pop music from then on. Force of their talents are featured in this episode.

Episode 4: "Respect"

Berry Gordy Jr. started his own record label Motown. Motown grew quickly within
a few years to be the major force in the pop industry as artists and songs were
all selected on the basis of having crossover potential. Gordy also hired outside
talents such as Maxine Powell, and Charlie Atkins to polish the appearance and
style of their artists. Jerry Wexler of Atlantic records worked with STAX records
to bring Aritha Franklin into the pop scene, later followed by Otis Redding.

DISC 3

Episode 5: "Crossroads"

Records of blues men like Muddy Waters found their way by merchant seamen to port
cities such as New Castle in Britain which influenced young kids like Eric Burdon,
Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton in a
major way. Alexis Korner started his own band and a club which became the breeding
ground for future bands like the Stones and the Cream. One of these musicians,
Chas Chandler becomes a producer, and offers Jimi Hendrix a contract in England.
Hendrix later breaks big at the '67 Monterey Pop Festival.

Episode 6: "Blues in Technicolor"

The 60s were coming to an end and major experimentation with drugs was invading the
culture. "Sex, drugs and rock n roll" was the way of life then. San Francisco was the
Mecca for the drug culture. San Francisco bands like the Grateful Dead and
Jefferson Airplane found their way into rock's mainstream. This culminates with
Woodstock where half a million people came to the concert and other at
Altamont Speedway near San Francisco where the Stones were to give a free concert.
Altamont ended in death and violence which brought an end to the '60s.

DISC 4

Episode 7: "The Wild Side"

Lou Reed and his group the Velvet Underground were doing theatrical rock as part
of Andy Warhol's stage act. Theatrical rock was coming into the scene with them
and another cross dressing pop star David Bowie. Initially Bowie didn't make it
big in the America but few years later he finds a much more receptive audience as
America was getting used to their own cross dressing rockers like Alice Cooper.
Cross dressing and "Glam" continued, and rock concerts turn into a full blown

Episode 8: "Make it Funky"

James Brown starts a new type of rhythm and blues called Funk which
carries a big beat on the first note of the bar. Funk music finds its
roots in black music as Sly Stone, George Clinton and others join the mix.
This episode documents the rise of Funk music as it becomes part of the
pop culture in the '70s.

DISC 5

Episode 9: "Punk"

The Ramones, Blondie, and the Talking Heads all had their start at the CB GB's.
The scene influences a clothing store owner from Britain who took some of this
idea back to London and presented at his shop. A few kids approached him telling
him that they wanted to start a band. This band was to become the Sex Pistols
which would along with Clash, become the center piece of Punk music.
Punk music didn't really find footings in affluent middle class America,
it was Reggae music from Jamaica that did that. In this episode, Rasta music's
influence is explored. After ten years of Punk music, another type of music
from the streets called "Grunge" takes shape in America.

Episode 10: "The Perfect Beat"

In New York, dance music scene was going strong. A local DJ later named
Grand Master Flash finds out that if he played certain portions of the record
repeatedly, the crowd will get excited. He would incorporate this into his style
which will eventually become Hip-Hop. Other rap artists started to arrive on
the scene including an all white group - the Beastie Boys. MTV which was somewhat
anti-black at the time started to have segments on rap which were a big hit,
indicating that rap music had come into the mainstream pop culture.


In 1995 two 10 hour mini-series appeared on air simultaneously about the history of
Rock & Roll (the other being History of Rock and Roll by Time-Warner). This one aired
first on PBS and seems to stay closer to its documentary roots, and more factual
information is found in this series.

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