The Rock 'n' Roll Years

This British series has an episode for each year since I believe 1954, overlaying news footage with some great music. Although the pace of the programme may seem a little slow now, the way it was put together was still brilliant. Some of the footage is really funny, some really moving, and I just love the music they use. The focus is obviously British events, but they cover some conflicts from around the world that I'd never heard much about before, not being alive at the time. Whilst it is amusingly clear that British society has changed a lot when you watch the 1950s and 1960s episodes (the police uniforms stand out particularly for me as seeming very staid when compared with todays, and some of the comments by teenagers about bands like the Beatles are priceless), all the footage of the wars and disasters shows that not much has changed. It's also clear that music was so much better then. With the plethora of nostalgic clip shows around at the moment, the quality of this really shines through. There's no talking head minor celebrities trying to be funny by belittling the crazes and music of their childhood, just well-researched archive material. This is a family favourite, for my family at least.

The Rock and Roll Years, was arguably one of the best compilation series made by the BBC in the mid 1980s featuring music and archive footage starting from 1956-1989. My favorite parts were from 1966-70, because some of the most creative and enduring music was written and performed during that time. I actually watched the 1969 episode yesterday evening and I enjoyed it even though I have watched it many times before. The postwar era continues to be one of the most intriguing period of time and this series bears witness to that.

As the previous reviewer states, this was a 30 min compilation show taking each year from 1956-1989. The footage was a blend of archive news, TV Entertainment and music shows with a fantastic soundtrack of that years music. The visual footage stands out on its own as the 'story' of the year, from wars to politics and world events...............the music is sublime well chosen, made all the more effective for being just that, a musical soundtrack linking the visuals.

I have recently completed the transfer of all episodes from VHS to DVD and they are fantastic viewing. I ought to send each and every MP of the UK a copy and let them realise that what has gone before.........nothing seems new or surprising in the world after watching these shows.