It amazes me. There's no anger, no irreverence, no rage, towards the music industry. And it's all the shit on The Grammy that most people want to hear. Again it just amazes people don't want to tear down the commercial machine. Me personally, I want to destroy it like punk did. But most people don't...and that's what has me concerned. Very concerned
Edward Bliss There wasn't really any of that "tear down the commercial machine" stuff actually going on in the early years of Punk - The Ramones, Pistols, Clash, the Damned - all of em were signed to major labels. Real anti-commercialism in punk didn't start taking place until the early 80s when you had Black Flag's SST Records signing all these unknown punk acts from around the country (like the Minutemen, Bad Brains, and Hüsker Dü) and creating a touring circuit from the ground up. Unfortunately, this documentary don't cover 80s hardcore, it apparently would rather devote 20 minutes to reggae, which while reggae is good, it really should've had its own segment instead of being included in the punk segment.
unfortunately, the West Coast, in particular Los Angeles, punk scene is pretty much always overlooked, I'm not sure why, possibly because of the West Coast industry, are still hung up on Fleetwood Mac, and the Eagles...anways, it's a theory...
It’s fun to see but wholly disconnects the Velvet Underground, The MC5, The Stooges and all the transitional bands including the New York Dolls, etc who’s music, not their looks were taken by the Sex Pistols & every “alternative” band going forward from the late 1960’s.
The series as a whole is just called "Rock & Roll", ten parts, released on PBS in 1995. and boy do I wish they'd release it on DVD because I haven't been able to find the whole series anywhere else.
Gee Cee , PBS called it “Rock and Roll: An Unruly History” and it was made in concert with the BBC. It was never commercially produced (completely mystified me - they would have made TONS of money), and they made it available only to schools and libraries. That’s why most of these episodes were uploaded from the VHS recording on someone’s TV. A shame, really, because the whole series is tremendous. The companion book of the same title isn’t nearly as good for obvious reasons. Rock critic Robert Palmer was the author, I think.
GeeCee, not to mention, the interviews with all the musicians are priceless in light of the fact that some have since died since the series was released in 1995. Some episodes here are from the British/BBC version, which is very interesting to me because some of the interviews are extended or somewhat different from the U.S./PBS version.
If it helps at all, there was a companion book released at the same time as the series aired on PBS. The book's title is the same - Rock & Roll: An Unruly History - with the same flaming guitar suspended in air as the cover photo. It was written by music journalist Robert Palmer, and it goes into depth barely touched in the episodes. Well worth the read if you can find it. It may still exist out there somewhere. I was lucky enough to find a copy shortly after the series aired.
Great music movements only last a short while, then the establishment starts co-opting them & the overexposure happens. The originators burn out & that's it. Happened with '60s psychedelic rock, punk, grunge, early hip hop, country/western, etc. Now it's all homogenized. There's too much money to be made & fame to be had playing by the rules. Entertainment will always outweigh art, unfortunately. There are more imitators than originators. People are fucking simple. :'(
Seeing this episode in the mid '90s was a transformative experience for me.
Me aswell..first appearance as Dancing in the streets'-BBC..1-4.Vhs tapes..w/-english narrator.!
It amazes me. There's no anger, no irreverence, no rage, towards the music industry. And it's all the shit on The Grammy that most people want to hear. Again it just amazes people don't want to tear down the commercial machine. Me personally, I want to destroy it like punk did. But most people don't...and that's what has me concerned. Very concerned
Edward Bliss There wasn't really any of that "tear down the commercial machine" stuff actually going on in the early years of Punk - The Ramones, Pistols, Clash, the Damned - all of em were signed to major labels. Real anti-commercialism in punk didn't start taking place until the early 80s when you had Black Flag's SST Records signing all these unknown punk acts from around the country (like the Minutemen, Bad Brains, and Hüsker Dü) and creating a touring circuit from the ground up. Unfortunately, this documentary don't cover 80s hardcore, it apparently would rather devote 20 minutes to reggae, which while reggae is good, it really should've had its own segment instead of being included in the punk segment.
unfortunately, the West Coast, in particular Los Angeles, punk scene is pretty much always overlooked, I'm not sure why, possibly because of the West Coast industry, are still hung up on Fleetwood Mac, and the Eagles...anways, it's a theory...
needed to find the tracking knob on this one.... goddam VHS
While music still means something to them they need to bring this back
Repackaged from the BBC series Dancin’ in the Street, with an American narrator.
does anyone know what rick wakeman’s playin’ there?
southside of the sky... nah just kidding I wish I knew!
It’s fun to see but wholly disconnects the Velvet Underground, The MC5, The Stooges and all the transitional bands including the New York Dolls, etc who’s music, not their looks were taken by the Sex Pistols & every “alternative” band going forward from the late 1960’s.
This entire series used to get me stoked about life. I really wish they would release this on DVD so I could buy it.
40:00 thats bad ass!
So Richard Hell followed Patti Smith ? And UK Punk evolved in Elvis Costello not Joy Division? Got it.
Oh wow do we ever go off course at the end.
Love the way Debbie Harry moves. I said it the (yes I am old) and I’ll say it now, she was the most beautiful woman in rock bar none!
Thanks for making this available. History is important. U.S. rock History in particular. Without it we are all lost and ignorant. ❤
hi, do you have the name of this whole series? been looking for a looong time, i goes thru most genres!! thanks
The series as a whole is just called "Rock & Roll", ten parts, released on PBS in 1995. and boy do I wish they'd release it on DVD because I haven't been able to find the whole series anywhere else.
Gee Cee , PBS called it “Rock and Roll: An Unruly History” and it was made in concert with the BBC. It was never commercially produced (completely mystified me - they would have made TONS of money), and they made it available only to schools and libraries. That’s why most of these episodes were uploaded from the VHS recording on someone’s TV. A shame, really, because the whole series is tremendous. The companion book of the same title isn’t nearly as good for obvious reasons. Rock critic Robert Palmer was the author, I think.
GeeCee, not to mention, the interviews with all the musicians are priceless in light of the fact that some have since died since the series was released in 1995. Some episodes here are from the British/BBC version, which is very interesting to me because some of the interviews are extended or somewhat different from the U.S./PBS version.
If it helps at all, there was a companion book released at the same time as the series aired on PBS. The book's title is the same - Rock & Roll: An Unruly History - with the same flaming guitar suspended in air as the cover photo. It was written by music journalist Robert Palmer, and it goes into depth barely touched in the episodes. Well worth the read if you can find it. It may still exist out there somewhere. I was lucky enough to find a copy shortly after the series aired.
Where's the rest it stopped when the says the sex pistols head to the US
Great music movements only last a short while, then the establishment starts co-opting them & the overexposure happens. The originators burn out & that's it. Happened with '60s psychedelic rock, punk, grunge, early hip hop, country/western, etc. Now it's all homogenized. There's too much money to be made & fame to be had playing by the rules. Entertainment will always outweigh art, unfortunately. There are more imitators than originators. People are fucking simple.
:'(