User reviews

The first episode of Ken Burns' "Country Music" was in most respects an excellent show. It was particularly interesting to see the heavy African-American influence on country music documented, including astonishing photos of Black and white musicians in the same bands at a time when the races were rigidly segregated through most of the South. Indeed, at times it seems as if all American popular music mixes Black roots with something else. Put Black music together with the white marching-band tradition and you get jazz. Put Black music together with Jewish folk music, and you get Tin Pan Alley, Broadway musicals and the "Great American Songbook." Put Black music together with the English and Irish folk traditions, mix in influences from Latin America and Hawai'i, and you get country music. The portrayals of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers were especially interesting and moving -- including those awesome photographs of Rodgers' funeral train drawing the same mourning and apprehensive crowds that President Lincoln's funeral train had drawn nearly 70 years earlier.

But one important name in the history of country music is virtually omitted: Vernon Dalhart. (His name is briefly seen in a newspaper clipping but he's totally unmentioned in the narration.) He was an operatically trained pop singer who had signed a contract with Thomas Edison's record label in 1916. In 1922 Dalhart recorded for Edison "The Wreck of the Old 97," a song he'd written about a real-life mail train disaster outside Danville, Virginia in 1903. Two years later he remade the song for the Victor label and that version sold over one million copies, the first country record to break the million mark. It was the huge success of "The Wreck of the Old 97" that established country music as a commercial genre and led both Victor and its competitors to seek out more artists in this style. "The Wreck of the Old 97" became a country standard and had many cover versions, including ones by Johnny Mercer, Hank Snow and Johnny Cash. A history of country music that omits Vernon Dalhart is woefully incomplete.

When I shed a tear is a rare occasion in my life. Ken Burns "Country Music" brought several tears to my old eyes. While never a fan of Country music, I disproved the adage "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" The show is beautiful, entertaining,and a lesson in the past of country music. Many reviewers have complained because so and so wasn't mentioned. 16 hours sound like a lot, but to give any one person their due time runs out of time for some folks. I say enjoy what you have. Can anyone describe Johnny Cash in 5 minutes, or the Carter family, or Dolly, or Jimmy Rogers, Merle, Willie, No you can't, and Ken lingered on the truly great ones. Ken hit a home run again

Ken Burns has delivered a 16 hours worth documentary of country music from the beginning to the current. It's addictive to watch on television but you can't look away or want too. The story of country music is so rich, diverse and never so simple. The country music series is a must see television with Peter Coyote as the narrator. You get rare archive footage from the thirties. You hear about the Carter Family Trio and Bob Wills. Whether you know country music or not, you will become easily enthralled into the country music world. Country music has inspired and influenced the world in so many ways. It has reached out to everybody in someway. I remember being lucky to visit the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee where the weekly Barn Dance became the Grand Ole Opry. To me, the Ryman Auditorium is hollowed ground and beautiful. The Grand Ole Opry found a new home in the outskirts and I was lucky to have seen a show with Loretta Lynn, Roy Clark, Jessica Simpson making her Opry debut and more. That evening was one of the best shows I have ever seen on stage. The Grand Ole Opry is a run like a well-oiled machine. The sixteen hours of this documentary flows by. Ken Burns has really outdone himself this time.

Great history of country music. Lots of personal interviews and photos. The visuals make it come alive. Very interesting and impartial facts and stories. It's like several biographies condensed into 1.

It would be impossible ( and dull ) to tell every story in Country Music . But Burn's an artist who can keep the audience glued to his documentaries . I don't think , for example , that anyone could have done a better job covering the tragedy of the 1963 plane crash at the end of Part 4 . Burns everywhere just practices his art with unique mastery and catches the humanity of various players in the different stories of our country . He's an American Treasure .

What is remarkable is that country music is generally presented as a closed shop. If it is not Nashville and was not on the Grand Ole Opre it just is not authentic.

Ken Burns has told the better story: it is all intertwined. Willie Nelson did not succeed in Nashville but he went back to Texas and did what he wanted: jazz, the Great American Song book etc. Many other country stars came from other venues of music. Rock and the always important blues music from blacks is carefully put in place.

This series varies widely from the traditional story of country. On a technical level it points out the use of violin strings, electric guitars and more modern studio techniques.

Though the size of the revenue is not discussed you cannot miss the huge financial rewards that were (and are today) involved. Burns usually leaves the money out. No problem.

I play guitar and sing as an amateur. It is a hobby to me. MAny of the country songs I have been doing for decades. They are just as valid to my music as The Great American songbook and rock. Burns did a great job and the people he used for interviews were very representative of various styles and epochs.

In this day and age, it is difficult to hold anyone's attention on one topic for 16 hours. That only makes documentarian Ken Burns even more impressive for his ability to enthrall over the long-haul. If you have absolutely any interest in the topic at all, you'll have no trouble working your way through "Country Music" sooner rather than later.

In typical Burns fashion, he takes the deep-dive approach to this topic, beginning with the very roots of country music and continuing up until about 2000. While certainly focusing on the big names of the industry (Hank, Cash, Merle, Waylon, Patsy, Carter, Garth, etc.), he also branches off into other more subtle areas. Things such as country's roots in mining territory, its pulling from African-American culture, it's movement "West" (literally and figuratively), and it's settling in Nashville (as well as later transcending that distinctive sound and even physical place). A core group of interviewees (performers and songwriters, mostly) give their thoughts in basically every episode.

As a fan of the country genre, I have no qualms about saying that "Country Music" either entertained or informed me all the way through. In all honesty, the only reason I can't quite give it the full 10-star rating is because Burns has already set his own bar so high. Through no fault of its own, this doc just lacks the emotional punch of, say, our grandparents talking about WWII or our parents reflecting in his Vietnam doc. "Country Music" is more "informational" than "emotional" (though it will stir you, at times). Granted, in some ways this makes it all the more impressive, as it can't just rely on emotion to grab viewers.

Overall, I can easily and heartily recommend this longform series to anyone with an interest in Burns' previous work, music in general, or country music specifically. While certain eras/discs may speak to you more than others, I can almost guarantee that you'll learn something substantial from every two-hour episode.

"Country Music" (2019 mini-series; 8 episodes) is the latest documentary mini-series from Ken Burns. This time around, Burns and his team are bringing us the story of country music. As "Episode One - The Rub (Beginnings - 1933)" opens, we are given some introductory comments from various country celebrities (Kris Kristofferson: "Country is a white man's soul music"), and then we go back to the 1920, when almost in parallel paths, the rise of both radio and the phonograph were instrumental to the exposure of country music to a wider audience. Along the way, we get a country music instruments 101 on the fiddle, the banjo (did you know the banjo was brought over from Africa?), the mandolin and the guitar (mobility of these instruments was key--hence no role in country music for the piano). The second hour of the first episode zeros in on the origins of the Grand Ol' Opry, the Carter family (yes, of June Carter fame), and Jimmie Rodgers.

Couple of comments: "Country Music" aims to achieve what Ken Burns did with the "Jazz" documentary mini-series hoped to achieve. "Country Music" comes in 8 episodes of 2 hours each. That gives Ken Burns and his team a lot of room to explore. I love how the film makers set us up for the detailed account of what happened in the summer of 1927 in Bristol, TN when the Carter family and Jimmie Rodgers are "discovered". In the end, a great documentary is all about great story-telling, and Ken Burns and his team have proven, time and again, that they are masterful at that. Having researched this meticulously (and finding a treasure trove of historical recordings, pictures and footage), only enhances the viewing experience.

"Country Music" premiered last night on PBS, and will continue with new 2 hour episodes this week and next through Thursday the 26th. I absolutely loved Episode 1, and can't wait to spend 7 more evenings watching this unfold. If you like a great documentary or are a fan of music history, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it on TV, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion. "Country Music" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

*Update 9/17/19* Episode 2 "Hard Times (1933-1945)" aired yesterday evening, and was more of the same (in the best possible way). "Hard times and country music were made for each other" comments someone, and that is very clear as we see the country struggling through the Great Depression, while hillbilly music continues to grow in popularity. Gene Autry gets extensive coverage, as does Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. But the star of this episode is the Grand Ol' Opry, which finally finds a permanent home in the beautiful Ryan Auditorium...

*Update 9/19/19* Episodes 3 ("Hillbilly Shakespeare 1945-1953") and 4 ("I Can't Stop Loving You 1953-1963") are now in the books, marking the half-way point of the mini-series. Episode 3 focuses on Hank Williams a/k/a the Hillbilly Shakespeare although certainly others are highlighted too: Eddy Arnold, Bill Monroe, Earle Scruggs, the Maddox Brothers & Rose, just to name those. Episode 3 feels like it is the very best of the series. Episode 4 focuses on Johnny Cash, when rockabilly almost destroyed "country" music ("country died on the vine", one comments). Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson and Ray Charles are some of the others highlighted in this episode. I get the sense that we have reached crescendo and going forward it will all start to sound quite familiar. Episode 3 marks THE highlight of this documentary mini-series.

Ken Burns has made what stands now as the definitive story of country music that neatly doubles as a crash course on the history and culture of the United States through his expert narrative craft, Dayton Duncan's immaculate writing, the monumental efforts of their researchers, the depths of their archival treasure trove, and the generosity of their interviewees. There is no separating the music as heard on a record from the people doing the listening, seeing it performed live, actually performing it, and living the songs. This miniseries lays out in careful detail how country music came to be and what it represents.

The story begins by honestly assessing the racial melting pot that is the U. S. and how disparate cultures came together originally from afar to produce an authentic American artform. Songs and what we call the fiddle traveled from the British Isles, and the percussive banjo ultimately derives from Africa, whose enslaved people and their descendants' worksongs and both Black and White gospel music richly permeated the old time music that evolved into country. Credit is also given to Latin-American vaqueros for their bordertown cowboy songs as well as German immigrants for the influence of polka. The filmmakers confront head on the deep ties to minstrel acts so popular at the turn of the century. All of this and more is given due coverage for their role in creating country music.

From this basis, Burns and team chronologically cover every key style and figure, from every kind of musician to singing stars to songwriters, producers, and the industry that sprang up around the increasingly popular genre, all the while tying the story of the music to what was going on around the country itself. History tells us these were hard times indeed, and the deliberately unfolding stories of these beloved icons together with their music frequently feel like 16 hours of heartbreak. As the film points out, don't dare call country people hillbillies unless you are one. They, both the hardworking performers and devoted country fans, know the struggles they've worked to overcome to make a life for themselves and how country music brings them joy and fellowship through their trials and tribulations. Country clichés exist for a reason, not because they are always true for everybody but because there is more than a ring of truth to them generally. The jokes about the drinking, the wife walking out, and the dog dying don't come from nowhere. For some of these artists, these may be the least of their problems, as there is the recurring theme of coming from deep poverty and broken homes. Hard luck and self-destruction follow many of country's best known and loved, cutting short their lives and careers. As documentary viewing, this grimness and impending doom can be intense to overwhelming and feel repetitive, but there is no getting around this truth, it wouldn't do justice to the subjects not to tell their story, and Burns wisely weaves the stories together and adds touches of light and frivolity. That educates and engenders deep sympathy and a sense of the character of each subject, many of whom truly are characters. Classic songs and milestone albums are given sharp focus for their cultural and musical significance and popularity.

For those not necessarily country inclined, notable peripheral figures are always included along the way like Dylan and the Byrds but also Louis Armstrong, skillfully exploring links between country and jazz. Care is taken to put country music into context with other popular contemporary music and entertainment and the give and take between them.

Particular attention is also paid to the debt owed to now lesser-known but innovative African-American musicians who may not have even been recording artists but whose deep influence and mentorship to rising, young White musicians and song gathering made possible some of the biggest and brightest stars in country music and helped build its repertoire.

Bluegrass music is also not treated as somehow separate and parallel to another genre called country; its story and stars are deeply entwined here throughout, even as what is more popularly considered and listened to as country music morphs with shifts in demographics, economics, and technology, from acoustic instrumentation to the so-called Nashville Sound and onward.

Music aficionados should thrill at not just the rich history given to individual subjects and how they connect to each other, but also the musical characteristics that made these men and women great in their day and still worthy of appreciation decades later. Perhaps you've seen music documentaries that are all cult of personality and don't move beyond the superficial biographical details, gossip, and hyperbolic praise to actually examine the instrumental, vocal, or lyrical developments that set a performer or songwriter apart and perhaps even above. This isn't one of those. That shouldn't surprise anyone even faintly aware of Ken Burns' reputation for thoroughness and respect for his subjects. Still, there is no shortage whatsoever of everyone giving their opinion of what makes country music great. The interviews keep the show fun and moving.

The on-screen interviewee MVP is Marty Stuart, trailed by Vince Gill. These sweet guys are immense talents who know their music history and are eager to share it. Rosanne Cash is also notably candid, especially about "Daddy" but chiming in throughout on her family tree and the people she grew up and worked with. Repeat interview subjects from episode to episode serve as your very affable guides and constant companions and complement actor Peter Coyote's pitch-perfect series narration. Big names lent their time to give the inside story. It may even bring a tear to your eye to see Merle Haggard and Ralph Stanley appearing on camera, now posthumously.

For many, this goes without saying, but if you are a fan of classic or more recent country music and feel tempted to skip to the middle or end, do yourself a favor and make time to watch the episodes in order. With all of the people in the archive footage and newly interviewed, it's like Game of Thrones keeping track of all the players. Even so, each episode builds beautifully to the next. It's a storytelling marvel, laying a solid foundation accented by grace notes of sometimes subtle details that reveal their significance as the series progresses. See it.

Ken Burns has delivered touchstone documentaries on many subjects, the Civil War and Vietnam War amongst them. This on its face is less serious and certainly much more enjoyable but it also delivers a story every bit as important to America's cultural, social and political life. Essential stuff

From Baseball to Vietnam Ken Burns has masterfully captured the emotion and soul of the subject. Now with Country Music his comprehensive and engaging storytelling has reached its majestic peak. What a wonderful and heartfelt documentary. My words can't compare nor properly applaud his work. Tears from memories both sad and jubilant escape me each night while watching. Thank you.

First 3 episodes were quite fascinating. I learned facts I didn't know before like the history of bluegrass. Episodes 4,5,6 and 7 were like worship on the Church of Cash, Dylan and Nelson repeating over and over again. There was nothing new or revealing about them that was presented here in this documentary. Then they added the life and times of Hank Williams Jr and Roseanne Cash ?! and how difficult it was as a child of a Legend. It's fine but 30 minutes worth?! They could have spent that time on Loretta and Dolly's amazing journey and how they are role models for today's singers and songwriters. The documentary spent a minute or two on traditionalist versus outsiders. I wish they could have elaborated on this more. Were any musical historians consulted?? Overall, the documentary is very uneven. The producers provided a very subjective view of 'their' Country Music.

I finished episode 8 last night. I am not very impressed by the series. Tons of research, and the beginnings were covered well, but somewhere in the middle things went awry and started jumping back and forth in time, telling me about what I had already seen. The biggest disappointment is the large amount of time devoted to so few artists. I'm not sure if it was the Hank Williams, Carter Family, George Jones, Emmylou Harris, or Johnny Cash bios. When I though I had seen enough about Cash, episode 8 was close to half about him.

They went on a lot about how the style of music went from bluegrass to Garth Brooks' rock style stadium fillers, then back to more basics, but stopped abruptly in the late 1990s not even mentioning Allison Krauss and the many artists in the 2000s who first came back to old style bluegrass and then took it in a new direction using the same, or nearly same, string bands, but playing dropping nearly all of the twang of the old stuff. Most call is newgrass or progressive bluegrass. Nickel Creek, Crooked Still, and 100s more. Artists like Allison, Bela Fleck, Alison Brown (her Compass Records changing the way albums are produced), Steep Canyon Rangers, Doc Watson (!), and so many more. There are huge bluegrass festivals that encourage this new style. Merlefest, in Wilksboro, North Carolina and started in 1988 by Doc Watson in honor of his son, Merle, being perhaps at the top of the list. The list of artists is endless, but the story stopped.

It was very good. I wouldn't worry about who may have been left out. Yes I can think of a few names. But that--naming names-- is not the point of the series. Obviously music was the centerpiece but it was very personality conscious as well. There was quite a bit of angst and tragic events covered. From drug and drink abuse, to plane crashes, marital problems. It never took away from the historical look.

As for Peter Coyote being too serious for the content, I'm sure thought was given to other narrators. Coyote gave Burns what he wanted I have no doubt. They didn't say but what was the most successful country song to ever cross over to Pop Music? Based on this series I would have to say it was likely "Ode to Billy Joe" by Bobbie Gentry.

An expansive history of the genre as seen through Ken Burns' expert eye, Country Music works as both a crash course for new listeners and a refresher for old-timers. Absolutely a tremendous, tremendous film from Ken Burns.

Some wonderful music and great history. The artist's stories are fascinating. An eye-opening glimpse of the depression era rural south. A thorough explanation of how country music evolved, and all the tributaries that converged, and how it continued to evolve. Due to my low threshold for recent country, I was curious where the timeline would be defined. I would have given it a 10, but was surprised to find myself using the fast forward on the remote to zip past the Garth Brooks, Reba McIntyre era, to get to the shows summation. All in all, well worth the watch, even for those of us, who given the choice between country, rap, or dental work: would respond "what time is my appointment".

Peter Coyote narrates this fascinating story with the most addictive, captivating and listenable style. Beautifully put together - informative and entertaining.

I enjoyed learning about the history of country music. I learned a lot of things I did not know. I enjoyed listening to the people interviewed for country music. The were entertaining and informative. My favorite musician to learn about was Hank williams. I did not know that he had a son who was also a popular country musician.I also liked learning about Willie Nelson. I am glad I spent the time to watch country music.

Just watched first night episode 1 looks like another great series by Ken and his crew...can't wait for part 2!!

I have enjoyed country music at times but it's never been a passion or something about which I have been knowledgeable. I found this documentary fascinating and so moving. Quite spellbinding in places and I have a new-found respect for country music. Brilliant.

I was standing by my window On one cold and cloudy day When I saw that hearse come rolling For to carry my mother away

Will the circle be unbroken By and by, Lord, by and by There's a better home a-waiting In the sky, Lord, in the sky

I said to that undertaker Undertaker please drive slow For this lady you are carrying Lord, I hate to see her go

Will the circle be unbroken By and by, Lord, by and by There's a better home a-waiting In the sky, Lord, in the sky

Oh, I followed close behind her Tried to hold up and be brave But I could not hide my sorrow When they laid her in the grave

Will the circle be unbroken By and by, Lord, by and by There's a better home a-waiting In the sky, Lord, in the sky

I went back home Lord, my home was lonesome Missed my mother, she was gone All of my brothers, sisters crying What a home so sad and lone

Will the circle be unbroken By and by, Lord, by and by There's a better home a-waiting In the sky, Lord, in the sky

Will the circle be unbroken By and by, Lord, by and by There's a better home a-waiting In the sky, Lord, in the sky

If you are not that into the history of country music you may enjoy this program but if you are a major buff you will be severely disappointed by this effort by the legendary documentary maker Ken Burns and will not learn much new. Despite a whopping 16 hours, the program fails on many levels, Foremost is the number of country music icons that are either completely ignored or just mentioned in passing, among them Jim Reeves, Conway Twitty, Lynn Anderson, Crystal Gayle, Webb Pierce, Skeeter Davis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tanya Tucker, et al. I realize you cannot mention everybody but 16 hours is plenty of time to give a moment or two to a good two dozen essential acts who are snubbed here; many an earlier country music history has managed to cover more stars in a mere two hours. Burns manages to find time for several performers who had rather modest careers, even a few who are arguably not country at all, at least not in their glory days (Brenda Lee, Carl Perkins). Way too much time is given to stars who have had documentaries on just their own careers like Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Patsy Cline (and of course, were better covered in those programs since they were exclusively about them).

Just as bad was the script, the worst for any Burns project I've seen, which frequently repeated comments on previous episodes and over and over gave such tired information as "the record would go on to sell a million copies". A bigger and more disturbing gaffe is Burns' making this pretty much a love letter to the acts that are covered and basically ignoring any real controversies. He was apparently so awed by Merle Haggard (making his last major television appearance here) he glosses over the controversy of Haggard's "Okie from Musokgee" song which offended many with it's far-right politics, pulling that old dubious excuse that Haggard's song was a touch tongue in cheek (which would have meant he would then had been mocking his audience, I don't think so!) and not to be taken so seriously, yet Burns completely ignores Haggard's followup record "The Fightin' Side of Me" which was twice as incendiary or his interviews at the time that clearly suggest Haggard meant every word he wrote. And of course, Burns ignores later records of Haggard that smack of sexism ("Are The Good Times Really Over") and homophobia ("My Own Kind of Hat"). You can admire an artist's work and yet take them to task on some issues but Burns declines to do so. Merle Haggard is unquestionably one of country's all time greats but to belittle any controversies with his music is simply bad journalism.

It's also regrettable that so few non-performing songwriters are acknowledged much in the program, including some of the true giants like Harlan Howard and Cindy Walker. (And getting back to Haggard, Burns rightly acknowledges that Haggard is one of the great songwriters but fails to mention the majority of his early hits were written by other people, Liz Anderson in particular.)

Some of the stars who are acknowledged and given just brief notice; Kitty Wells and Jimmie Davis are practically dismissed as one hit singers when in fact both of them are major icons who had careers that lasted most of the 20th century. Porter Wagoner is basically written off as a minor name who developed Dolly Parton and it's particularly offensive that Cowboy Copas was not acknowledged as dying in that plane crash with Patsy Cline and Hawshaw Hawkins (he is just referred to as "others"). And to discuss George Strait, unquestionably the biggest star of the last two decades of the 20th century in the genre in a just two or three minutes is absurd.

Another problem was the limited amount of moving picture footage used on the stars compared to still photography. I get it you'd have to use stills for jazz pioneers of the early 20th century but there's plenty of film footage on virtually every leading country star from the 1940's on. Worse, many of the stills used are overly familiar to fans who have read a number of country books or viewed similar documentaries. I also got tired of the heavy amount of generic vintage still photography of "common people" used to pad out this program.

This documentary could have been so much better because there is a wealth of material out there that Burns and company just ignored or maybe didn't want to pay the rights for. Very sad for me as both a dedicated country music fan and admirer of most of Ken Burns' PBS projects to say this has to be his most uninspired, disappointing project to date.

I particularly loved the coverage of Mother Maybelle Carter and the Carter family, a first family of country music. I'm guessing many young fans of today's country music may never even heard of them. Ken Burns traces the music from it's roots in the "hillbilly" music of the Appalachians, to bluegrass and rockabilly, to the Golden age of country in the 50s and 60s. He doesn't miss a single twist or turn, or any of the iconic artists who created the music from the early 20th century to today.

As with any collection or documentary, there will always be some inclusions or exclusions that do not make sense. We also have whether to the benefit or detriment of the listener, a selection that must be made by the presenter.

That being said this is an excellent collection of music and history to help those who have a scant background understand the phenomena of country music. For those who already are immersed in country music, it helps put a perspective and possibly an emphasis on the genre.

I was introduced to this program on PBS and do not tell anybody but recorded it. After several listening sessions, I realized that I wanted to keep a permanent copy. I now find myself even listening to this in the car. I still skip to most of my favorites, but I am learning to appreciate some of the Overlooked artists and songs.

I strongly suggest that you purchase a copy of this, and you will find most of your favorite artists and songs along with a well-integrated history of country music.

Did I forget to mention it is all in the title "Ken Burns: Country Music."