The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
bargainsleuth's review against another edition
4.0
Very good companion to the PBS series. My only complaint, and I've found this with all Ken Burns companion books, is that many times the text is word-for-word the same as the script. You'd think writing for print would present differences to a television script. But whatever, it works. Because of that, I recommend you own the book or the DVD but not both because of the redundancies.
msmandrake's review against another edition
4.0
Typically nice Ken Burns book to go with the very good series...
booksuperpower's review against another edition
4.0
Country Music: An Illustrated History by Dayton Duncan, (Kenneth Burns), is a 2019 Knopf Publishing Group publication.
I love Ken Burn’s PBS documentaries. However, I will make a sheepish confession – Often times I tuned in to these documentaries, even though the subject matter wasn’t always one I was all that interested in, just so I could listen to Peter Coyote narrate the series. I love his voice!
While I haven’t seen all the Ken Burns documentaries, the ones I have seen were absolutely incredible. The only one I deliberately did not finish was the one about the Dust Bowl- it was just too depressing.
When I heard Burns was about to do a documentary series over Country Music, I was intrigued. I have had a love/hate relationship with country music, but I was very excited about seeing Burns’s presentation.... And for another opportunity to listen to Peter Coyote!
Unfortunately, I was unable to watch all the episodes of the series when it aired. I caught the first few episodes, but before I was able to go back and finish watching it, it was no longer available to stream on my PBS channel. Maybe someday I’ll be able to find it on a streaming service or on DVD … at an affordable price.
So, while I’m waiting for that, and saving my pennies, I decided to check out this illustrated companion book.
The research, of course, is impeccable and as stated, the book is packed with photographs. It was a fun trip down memory lane for me, in many ways. Now, I know what you are thinking. Aren’t you the big rock, blues and jazz fan? You listen to country music??? I know, many of you would never suspect that the music I was most exposed to growing up was, in fact, country music.
This book, along with the few episodes of the series I got to see, puts the genre into perspective and proves that it is respected across the board by many musicians who are primarily blues and rock artists. The roots of the genre solidify its worth in my eyes and I found the journey through this unique history to be quite interesting and very compelling.
The series is much more in depth, of course, but this book is a great summation especially considering the amount of time covered and the wealth of material that is included, along with all the photographs.
I think this book-and of course the documentary- might be a real eye-opener for those who have a tendency to roll their eyes at country music, or hold it in contempt, thinking it is a lesser form of music. The country music industry is packed with talented writers, singers, and musicians. Not only that, Nashville is very business oriented, which might also surprise a few people.
The only complaint I had, was that once we reached the nineties, the era of time I was most appreciative of country music, and the part I was most looking forward to, was very rushed through. George Strait and Randy Travis barely had a paragraph each!! Seriously? Strait has more number one hits than any other artist in any genre, and he only got a paragraph?
The other thing that gave me pause was how often Marty Stuart was quoted and how heavily the author leaned on excerpts from interviews with Marty. I was wondering why a more diverse group of artists weren’t interviewed for this book and began to think maybe the author and Marty were good pals or something.
Other than that, this book is exceptional, especially while exploring the musical roots of the genre and digging into the early history of country music and how it managed to hang on all these years, surviving all manner of musical trends and suffering from a deep identity crisis. It’s really very interesting.
This book is not just for fans of country music. It should also appeal to all music lovers, as well as history buffs. If you aren’t a fan of country music, or if it’s a genre you are mostly unfamiliar with, I challenge you to check this out- and the documentary- then sample some of the music- older stuff and newer stuff alike. If you open your mind and heart you might be in for a real treat and you just might surprise yourself!
4 stars
*Personal note:
For me country music in a huge mixed bag. Growing up, my mother listened to the radio a couple of hours a day and it was always tuned to a country station. It wasn’t until I started school and was allowed to view more of a variety of television programs, that I discovered a wide range of music.
Once I got a taste of rock music, I dumped country music unceremoniously. I never looked back, until the late eighties to the mid-nineties when I had a brief flirtation with country music, finally letting go of most of my disdain for the genre.
I still occasionally get in the mood for some country music. I live in a small Texas town known as the cowboy capital of the world for rodeo- and is the home to Ty Murray. Country music is still the most listened to genre in these parts. So, it’s hard for me not to rub elbows with this music from time to time.
But, of course, I’m mostly an outlier here in my small corner of the world. I try to think for myself and refuse to mimic what everyone around me is saying. As a result, my political views often clash with my fellow citizens and rock music, blues and jazz are my ‘go-to’ musical genres- not country.
Many of my issues with country music has nothing to do with the music, itself. In fact, I enjoy listening to a country song from time to time- mostly older stuff from the nineties, though.
But, I cringe when I see the blatant lack of diversity within country music- although this book worked super hard to try and dispel that image. I am frustrated by the conformity and quietness of country performers when to comes to addressing social issues-( probably due to the fear of a ‘Dixie Chicks’ style backlash,) -
And despite efforts to prove the music and its artists are not against diversity or opposed to blending various musical forms with its own, or working with artists from the world of hip hop or rock and roll, the Travis Tritts of the genre erase the effectiveness of many such efforts. The industry gets an B-for effort though, because as well meaning as they be, the olive branch doesn't extend far enough or fails spectacularly.
For example:
Currently, one of the most irritating issues in country music is centered around sexism. Female artists are fighting for equal air play from radio stations who give the majority of airtime to male artists. The CMA awards show highlighted the women of country in their opening ceremony this year, but then turned around and handed every major award to.... male artists.
To that end, I would like to support more female country artists out there. They are working to bring the attitudes in the country music industry up to speed and are bravely speaking out with more boldness that has been the case in years past.
Country music is still trying to find its identity in many ways. Often times, the arguments for pure country clashes with a demand for a country rock or pop sound. The core base of listeners often demands the artists, at least publicly, ( you’ll want to read the story about Merle Haggard- who sang the patriotic ode to Oklahoma- Okie from Muskogee- which lambasted marijuana use in favor of illegal 'white lightning'. It was a well -known fact that Haggard was a pot smoker), present a conservative unity, while many other music lovers would welcome a mishmash, which could help the genre reach a much broader audience.
While there are issues that need work, the talent can’t be ignored, and country music’s place in American history is an important one. The music means something to people and represents a lifestyle and frame of mind for many of the working class but doesn’t have to stop there. The music itself is a blend of various genres and often flirts with mainstream appeal. If you can, try a little open- mindedness. You might discover that many of these songs are just great storytelling!
Biographical stories, coming of age tales, emotional, bittersweet, and sentimental stories sometimes, but many that are good toe-tapping fun, too! There are rich stories of hardship, tragedy, and heartbreak, but also uplifting stories of triumph and great epic love lasting forever and ever- Amen!
I love Ken Burn’s PBS documentaries. However, I will make a sheepish confession – Often times I tuned in to these documentaries, even though the subject matter wasn’t always one I was all that interested in, just so I could listen to Peter Coyote narrate the series. I love his voice!
While I haven’t seen all the Ken Burns documentaries, the ones I have seen were absolutely incredible. The only one I deliberately did not finish was the one about the Dust Bowl- it was just too depressing.
When I heard Burns was about to do a documentary series over Country Music, I was intrigued. I have had a love/hate relationship with country music, but I was very excited about seeing Burns’s presentation.... And for another opportunity to listen to Peter Coyote!
Unfortunately, I was unable to watch all the episodes of the series when it aired. I caught the first few episodes, but before I was able to go back and finish watching it, it was no longer available to stream on my PBS channel. Maybe someday I’ll be able to find it on a streaming service or on DVD … at an affordable price.
So, while I’m waiting for that, and saving my pennies, I decided to check out this illustrated companion book.
The research, of course, is impeccable and as stated, the book is packed with photographs. It was a fun trip down memory lane for me, in many ways. Now, I know what you are thinking. Aren’t you the big rock, blues and jazz fan? You listen to country music??? I know, many of you would never suspect that the music I was most exposed to growing up was, in fact, country music.
This book, along with the few episodes of the series I got to see, puts the genre into perspective and proves that it is respected across the board by many musicians who are primarily blues and rock artists. The roots of the genre solidify its worth in my eyes and I found the journey through this unique history to be quite interesting and very compelling.
The series is much more in depth, of course, but this book is a great summation especially considering the amount of time covered and the wealth of material that is included, along with all the photographs.
I think this book-and of course the documentary- might be a real eye-opener for those who have a tendency to roll their eyes at country music, or hold it in contempt, thinking it is a lesser form of music. The country music industry is packed with talented writers, singers, and musicians. Not only that, Nashville is very business oriented, which might also surprise a few people.
The only complaint I had, was that once we reached the nineties, the era of time I was most appreciative of country music, and the part I was most looking forward to, was very rushed through. George Strait and Randy Travis barely had a paragraph each!! Seriously? Strait has more number one hits than any other artist in any genre, and he only got a paragraph?
The other thing that gave me pause was how often Marty Stuart was quoted and how heavily the author leaned on excerpts from interviews with Marty. I was wondering why a more diverse group of artists weren’t interviewed for this book and began to think maybe the author and Marty were good pals or something.
Other than that, this book is exceptional, especially while exploring the musical roots of the genre and digging into the early history of country music and how it managed to hang on all these years, surviving all manner of musical trends and suffering from a deep identity crisis. It’s really very interesting.
This book is not just for fans of country music. It should also appeal to all music lovers, as well as history buffs. If you aren’t a fan of country music, or if it’s a genre you are mostly unfamiliar with, I challenge you to check this out- and the documentary- then sample some of the music- older stuff and newer stuff alike. If you open your mind and heart you might be in for a real treat and you just might surprise yourself!
4 stars
*Personal note:
For me country music in a huge mixed bag. Growing up, my mother listened to the radio a couple of hours a day and it was always tuned to a country station. It wasn’t until I started school and was allowed to view more of a variety of television programs, that I discovered a wide range of music.
Once I got a taste of rock music, I dumped country music unceremoniously. I never looked back, until the late eighties to the mid-nineties when I had a brief flirtation with country music, finally letting go of most of my disdain for the genre.
I still occasionally get in the mood for some country music. I live in a small Texas town known as the cowboy capital of the world for rodeo- and is the home to Ty Murray. Country music is still the most listened to genre in these parts. So, it’s hard for me not to rub elbows with this music from time to time.
But, of course, I’m mostly an outlier here in my small corner of the world. I try to think for myself and refuse to mimic what everyone around me is saying. As a result, my political views often clash with my fellow citizens and rock music, blues and jazz are my ‘go-to’ musical genres- not country.
Many of my issues with country music has nothing to do with the music, itself. In fact, I enjoy listening to a country song from time to time- mostly older stuff from the nineties, though.
But, I cringe when I see the blatant lack of diversity within country music- although this book worked super hard to try and dispel that image. I am frustrated by the conformity and quietness of country performers when to comes to addressing social issues-( probably due to the fear of a ‘Dixie Chicks’ style backlash,) -
And despite efforts to prove the music and its artists are not against diversity or opposed to blending various musical forms with its own, or working with artists from the world of hip hop or rock and roll, the Travis Tritts of the genre erase the effectiveness of many such efforts. The industry gets an B-for effort though, because as well meaning as they be, the olive branch doesn't extend far enough or fails spectacularly.
For example:
Currently, one of the most irritating issues in country music is centered around sexism. Female artists are fighting for equal air play from radio stations who give the majority of airtime to male artists. The CMA awards show highlighted the women of country in their opening ceremony this year, but then turned around and handed every major award to.... male artists.
To that end, I would like to support more female country artists out there. They are working to bring the attitudes in the country music industry up to speed and are bravely speaking out with more boldness that has been the case in years past.
Country music is still trying to find its identity in many ways. Often times, the arguments for pure country clashes with a demand for a country rock or pop sound. The core base of listeners often demands the artists, at least publicly, ( you’ll want to read the story about Merle Haggard- who sang the patriotic ode to Oklahoma- Okie from Muskogee- which lambasted marijuana use in favor of illegal 'white lightning'. It was a well -known fact that Haggard was a pot smoker), present a conservative unity, while many other music lovers would welcome a mishmash, which could help the genre reach a much broader audience.
While there are issues that need work, the talent can’t be ignored, and country music’s place in American history is an important one. The music means something to people and represents a lifestyle and frame of mind for many of the working class but doesn’t have to stop there. The music itself is a blend of various genres and often flirts with mainstream appeal. If you can, try a little open- mindedness. You might discover that many of these songs are just great storytelling!
Biographical stories, coming of age tales, emotional, bittersweet, and sentimental stories sometimes, but many that are good toe-tapping fun, too! There are rich stories of hardship, tragedy, and heartbreak, but also uplifting stories of triumph and great epic love lasting forever and ever- Amen!
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