Rating: 
Summary: READ THIS REVIEW!!!
Review: Incredibly entertaining; especially for anyone who has lived through the times talked about. Many, many of the songs ARE full-length versions, albeit with commentary provided over the top. But, after all, it is a documentary and not a CD set. I watched it about three times already and have included here what I would have liked to have known, mainly what songs and artists are covered, in essentially the order they're presented in. I may have missed a few, but what follows is 99% correct:
Episode One: Rock `n' Roll Explodes
* With or Without You - U2
* Wild Think - Jimi Hendrix
* Money Honey - Elvis Presley
* Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
* Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
* Shut `Em Down - Public Enemy
* I Just Want to Make Love to You - the Rolling Stones
* Got My Mojo Working - Muddy Waters
* Hey, Good Looking - Hank Williams Sr.
* That'll be the Day - Buddy Holly
* Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean - Ruth Brown
* Caldonia - Louis Jordon & the Tympani 5
* Shake, Rattle & Roll - Big Joe Turner
* I Got a Woman - Ray Charles
* Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
* Blue Monday - Fats Domino
* Maybellene - Chuck Berry
* Reddy Teddy - Little Richard
* Tutti Frutti - Little Richard
* Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley & the Comets
Episode Two: Good Rockin' Tonight
* Roll Over Beethoven - Chuck Berry
* Lucille - Little Richard
* How Much is that Doggy in the Window - Patti Page
* Hound Dog - Elvis Presley
* Don't Be Cruel - Elvis Presley
* Blue Suede Shoes - Carl Perkins
* Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On - Jerry Lee Lewis
* Oh, Boy! - Buddy Holly & the Crickets
* Bye Bye Love - the Everly Brothers
* Only the Lonely (Know How I Feel) - Roy Orbison
* At the Hop - Danny and the Juniors
* Words of Love - Buddy Holly
* Calendar Girl - Neil Sedaka
* You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling - the Righteous Brothers
* Be My Baby - The Ronettes
* Searchin' - the Coasters
* Stand By Me - Ben E. King
* The Twist - Chubby Checker
Episode Three: Britain Invades, America Fights Back
* Twist and Shout - the Beatles
* I Get Around - the Beach Boys
* The Way You Do the Things You Do - the Temptations
* Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying - Gerry & the Pacemakers
* House of the Rising Sun - the Animals
* Needles and Pins - the Searchers
* Around and Around - the Rolling Stones
* Satisfaction - the Rolling Stones
* I'm Into Something Good - Herman's Hermits
* A World Without Love - Peter and Gordon
* You Really Got Me - the Kinks
* As Tears Go By - Marianne Faithful
* You Can't Hurry Love - the Supremes
* Do You Believe In Magic? - The Lovin' Spoonful
* Good Lovin' - the Young Rascals
* Turn! Turn! Turn! - The Byrds
* Creeque Alley - Mama and Papas
* Can't Explain - the Who
* Carrie-Anne - the Hollies
* Keep on Running - the Spencer Davis Group (featuring Steve Winwood)
* Paint It Black - the Rolling Stones
Episode Four: The Sounds of Soul
* Sweet Soul Music - Arthur Conley
* Georgia On My Mind - Ray Charles/Michael Bolton
* Papas Got a Brand New Bag - James Brown
* You Send Me - Sam Cooke
* Baby Workout - Jackie Wilson
* What'd I Say - Ray Charles
* In the Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett
* I've Been Loving You Too Long (to Stop Now) - Otis Redding
* Dr. Feelgood - Aretha Franklin
* I Heard it Through the Grapevine - Gladys Knight & the Pips
* Love is Like a Heatwave - Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
* I Can't Help Myself - the Four Tops
* Ooo Baby Baby - the Miracles
* Come See About Me - the Supremes
* My Girl - the Temptations
* Choice of Colors - Curtis Mayfield
* Say It Loud, I'm Black & I'm Proud - James Brown
* A House is not a Home - Luther Vandross
* Ain't that Peculiar - Marvin Gaye
* I Want You Back - the Jackson 5
* For the Love of Money - O'Jays
Episode Five: Plugging In
* On the Road Again - Bob Dylan
* It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) - Bob Dylan
* Talkin' New York - Bob Dylan
* Mojo Hand - Sam "Lightenin'" Hopkins
* I Ain't Marchin' Anymore - Phil Ochs
* Handsome Johnny - Richie Havens
* Blowin' In the Wind - Peter, Paul & Mary
* All My Trials - Joan Baez
* The Times They Are a-Changin' - Bob Dylan
* I'll Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms - the Monroe Brothers (?)
* Maggie's Farm - Bob Dylan
* Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
* My Back Pages - Bob Dylan
* Mr. Tambourine Man - the Byrds
* California Dreamin' - the Mamas & Papas
* Surfer Girl - the Beach Boys
* God Only Knows - the Beach Boys
* Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix
* Paint It Black - the Animals
* Ball & Chain - Janis Joplin
Episode Six: My Generation
* Somebody to Love - Jefferson Airplane
* Tell Mama - Janis Joplin
* China Cat Sunflowers - the Grateful Dead
* Foxy Lady - Jimi Hendrix
* When the Music's Over - the Doors
* Up on Cripple Creek - the Band
* Street Fighting Man - the Rolling Stones
* I Feel Free - Cream
* Baba O'Riley - the Who
* Handsome Johnny - Richie Havens
* Fixin' to Die Rag - Country Joe and the Fish
* Soul Sacrifice - Santana
* Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - Crosby, Stills & Nash
* Down By the River - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
* Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell
* Voodoo Chile - Jimi Hendrix
* Touch of Grey - the Grateful Dead
Episode Seven: Guitar Heroes
* Black Magic Woman - Santana
* Eruption - Van Halen
* Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits
* Won't Get Fooled Again - the Who
* Blue Moon of Kentucky - Elvis
* Hello, Mary Lou - Ricky Nelson
* Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
* Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan
* Sweet Sixteen - B.B. King
* The Last Time - the Rolling Stones
* Train Keep A Rollin' - the Yardbirds
* Layla - Derek and the Dominos
* Dazed and Confused - Led Zepplin
* Sunshine of Your Love - Cream
* Voodoo Chile - Jimi Hendrix
* Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns & Roses
* Bullet the Blue Sky - U2
Episode Eight: The 70's: Have a Nice Decade
* Bennie & the Jets - Elton John
* Reeling in the Years - Steely Dan
* How Many More Times - Led Zepplin
* Paranoid - Black Sabbath
* Whipping Post - Allman Brothers
* Do That Stuff - Parliament/Funkadelic
* Get Up Stand - Bob Marley
* I Want to Take You Higher - Sly and the Family Stone
* Superstition - Stevie Wonder
* Brain Damage - Pink Floyd
* Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
* Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith
* Rock and Roll All Night - Kiss
* School's Out - Alice Cooper
* Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie
* Fame - David Bowie
* Running on Empty - Jackson Browne
* Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac
* Do You Feel Like We Do - Peter Frampton
* Y.M.C.A. - the Village People
* Refugee - Tom Petty
* Quarter to Three - Bruce Springsteen
* Episode Nine: Punk
* Anarchy in the U.K. - the Sex Pistols
* The Passenger - Iggy Pop
* Sweet Jane - the Velvet Underground
* Back in the U.S.A. - the New York Dolls
* Blank Generation - the Heartbreakers
* Rockaway Beach - the Ramones
* Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
* Gloria - Patti Smith Group
* Garageland - the Clash
* Go There Natty - U-Roy
* Alison - Elvis Costello
* God Save the Queen - the Sex Pistols
* No Fun - the Sex Pistols
* Johnny Hit and Run Pauline - X
* Radio Radio - Elvis Costello and the Attractions
* Jackson, Monk and Rowe - Elvis Costello
* London Calling - the Clash
* Message of Love - the Pretenders
* I Will Follow - U2
* Every Breath You Take - the Police
* Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
* Basket Case - Green Day
Episode Ten: Up From Underground
* Whip It - Devo
* Our Lips are Sealed - the GoGos
* Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? - Culture Club
* The Breaks - Kurtis Blow
* The Message - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
* Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
* Rock Box - Run-D.M.C.
* Walk this Way - Run-D.M.C. with Aerosmith
* Fight the Power - Public Enemy
* Sabotage - Beastie Boys
* Justify My Love - Madonna
* Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Eurythmics
* Money for Nothing - Dire Straits with Sting
* Give It Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers
* Express Yourself - N.W.A.
* Escape from the Killing Fields - Ice-T
* My Hometown - Bruce Springsteen
* Let's Talk About Sex - Salt 'n' Pepa
* Even Better Than the Real Thing - U2
* Long View - Green Day
* Radio Song - R.E.M. with Krs-One
* Rumblefish - the Goats
Rating: 
Summary: Good for the "Cliffs Notes" of rock history.
Review: First, this isn't for little kids, which is sad because this is a great way for parents to comment on what rock music is about... There's a lot of strong language, drug use, and nudity.
This is a good history of rock music and its influences. I think for those that are planning a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, this should be watched before going. This is a great purchase for baby boomers more than anyone else, because it covers the 50s, 60s, and 70s in depth. You get interviews with the people who took part in it.
The good is seeing the archive footage and getting to hear the people who were there discussing it. The performance footage was all-too-short, and they could've put another 2 DVDs out of just the performance footage from the 50s-70s because a lot of it's rarely seen. The footage of Duane Allman WITH the Allman Brothers, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, and The Stooges, it just makes you go "where's the rest"? It leaves you wanting more. The footage of Motown and Soul artists definitely warrants a lot more.
But what really bothers me is that it winds up being a "Cliff Notes" history of rock rather than a comprehensive one, and you can tell that it has a condescending tone towards certain styles which could've at least been covered a lot more. They trash disco as soulless and mechanical, even though the music is still around, and a lot of rock bands were doing disco. They totally write off prog-rock altogether (although Brian May defends it). Country rock isn't even discussed although "southern rock" is. Metal is barely there at all (although I guess VH and Ozzy represents that?) No mention of Miles Davis and fusion anywhere either...
The first 6 chapters are pretty solid stuff. The "Guitar Heroes" is good for tying past and present together, but it should be in a different documentary altogether. Scorsese's "The Blues" series does it far better. It would have been great to have interviewed Prince and Lenny Kravitz in recent years to add their thoughts to rock and soul music.
Chapter 8, "Have a Nice Decade" tries to put too much in too little of a space, where the 50s and 60s had 6 chapters to cover a lot of territory (chapter 5 pretty much IS Bob Dylan without Bob being involved...maybe he'd be more likely to interview now?), and it just winds up being negative, and basically ending it with Tom Petty, Jackson Browne and Bruce carrying the "rock torch" into the 80s. The Sly and the Family Stone footage was WAY too short, and we learn that Stevie Wonder's music changed entirely because of it.
Ch. 9 (Punk) covers a lot more, and the roots of punk are thorough enough. The first half sums it up nicely. However, after the Pistols, it goes into U2 and The Police, then into Nirvana as "America's punk"? Way too much is left out that's far to important in rock history not to acknowledge. Henry Rollins should've been one of the interviews for this DVD... Skaters and surfers figured largely into what we listened to in the 90s and today.... Nothing about Misfits, Black Flag, or the Minutemen. Nothing about The Cure or Joy Division. And nothing about The Specials or Madness or anything ska (also something that figured into 90s music). Nothing about industrial music either, which dates back to NY around the same time as punk rock did.
10 (Up From Underground) is by far the worst chapter in the bunch, although the roots of rap and early MTV are covered the most out of anything, so for 15 minutes, it's fine. It's when they start going into the 90s that the DVD is just rushing through as much as possible, trying to touch on Lollapalooza and gangsta rap as well as the future of rock. It winds up being the most dated out of any of the discs, only because a lot has happened since then.
The first 3 discs get 5 stars. The 4th and 5th get 3.5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Ultimate Comprehensive Rock and Roll Documentary
Review: For many years I'd been hoping someone would make a comprehensive documentary detailing the fascinating history of rock music, which in a real sense is the history of America in the last half of the twentieth century. Then, suddenly, within a three year period, not one, but two excellent documentaries are released: this one, produced by Time-Life; and another, titled simply "Rock and Roll", produced for public television by a PBS station in Boston. "History of Rock and Roll" is marginally better and combines concert footage (some familiar, some rarely seen) with artists, producers, and arrangers, who give their reflections and interpretations of the entire era. My favorite chapter is "Guitar Heroes" which provides a fascinating history of the electric guitar and how it became such an integral part of rock and roll.Addendum: I originally purchased the VHS edition when it was released. I just bought the DVD set for the better picuture/sound quality, of course, but also because Amazon describes it as having "80 bonus minutes". I'm halfway through,
but have not yet seen any additional footage.
Rating: 
Summary: Has Anyone Had A Problem With The Sound???
Review: I bought the History Of Rock & Roll and watched it all the way through. The only thing i did not like was on the 2nd DVD there was no sound when the groups were performing. The first one i bought i took back because of this. I thought it was the DVD. Then i started watching it again only to find out that the 2nd DVD in this box set had no sound when the groups were performing. Has anyone else had a problem with this???? I am in Atlanta, Georgia and i don't think that all the box sets could have a bad 2nd DVD. However, it could be possible. If it is a defect on my DVD i would like to know so i can take it back and drive to another state to buy one.
Thanks for anyone's help on this.
Pat
Rating:
Summary: OK I DO NOT HAVE IT YET?
Review: I love rock and roll and the cover it self explains it all. I have preordered it. Plus you get[some discount]
Rating:
Summary: Some material may not be suitable for younger viewers.
Review: I purchased this video series for my high school History of Rock and Roll class. I was thoroughly impressed by a majority of the material in this series. Good points: Excellent footage of rock and roll heroes (Beatles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, Led Zepplin, etc.) as well as lesser known groups (The Hollies, Gerry and the Pacemakers, etc.). Outstanding interviews from artists and figures such as Hank Ballard, Carl Perkins, Ozzie Osborn, Dick Clark, Bono, Eddie Van Halen, Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, Little Richard, Mick Jaggar, Tom Petty, Lindsey Buckingham, and countless others. Footage of various historical events help put the music in perspective (civil rights, Vietnam, sexual revolution, etc.). Bad Points: Some material may not be for younger audiences. Nearly all volumes (2 & 3 excluded) have some PG-13 language (including Pete Townsend's liberal use of the F-word). A couple of tapes (I'm thinking of volume 6 & 8 in particular) have some female nudity. Anyone thinking about letting a class view this should keep that in mind. Some movements in Rock and Roll are touched on too lightly: Soul, Motown and funk are kind of grouped together, Jazz Rock is barely mentioned, etc. Final Verdict: Probably the best Rock and Roll series out there now. We need Ken Burns's take on this subject.
Rating:
Summary: Too much missing
Review: I remember seeing the original series in 1995, and now having seen the 5 DVD set with the "bonus" 80 minutes, my original opinion hasn't changed. A better title for this set would be "The History of Popular Music Selectively Edited With Some Artists Completely Ignored". The track list is in someone else's review; let me list but a few acts that are missing, in no particular order:
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Bob Seger
Rush
Foghat
Heart
Journey
Styx
Sammy Hagar - Montrose
Emerson Lake & Palmer
Motley Crue
Pearl Jam
Bon Jovi
Think the above groups combined have sold 100 million records? Do they play rock? And how can you have a so-called history with no mention of Live Aid in 1985?
Yeah, I'm an arm-chair quarterback. If I was in charge, the set would stay in chronological order, with full concert clips, and not be produced by Quincy Jones.
Rating:
Summary: This may not be what you think
Review: If you want this because you think you enjoyed it on PBS, it's important to know that PBS has broadcast at least two similarly-named 10-hour series on the topic of rock music history. One, titled "Rock and Roll" by "The Experience Project", as I recall, is relatively "deep" and I gained some appreciation of
even topics in which I had little interest (e.g. punk rock).
The other series, "The History Of Rock And Roll", by Time-Life (now Time-Warner), which appears to be what you see here, is enjoyable but shallow, and I was annoyed that the live performance clips are very short (don't expect to see a complete song). Both series were produced several years ago, and unless this series has been updated it has no coverage of recent music. If you could only afford one series, I would normally recommend "Rock And Roll", not this one. However, PBS seems to have a monopoly on "Rock And Roll", and last time I checked they would sell it only to educators, not the general public. At $100 for 10 hours, this is also not a particularly good
value. The price per hour is nearly 3 times the price of, for
example, a year's worth of M*A*S*H episodes (24 episodes,
each with 22 non-commercial minutes, for about $35). Thus, this series is not the best on the topic, and it's
not the best value for your DVD dollar. I did enjoy the
series, however, and if you are fortunate enough to be
able to fit this into your budget, I do recommend it. I
am ordering a copy for myself. Disclaimer: This review is based on what I remember from
seeing the series on PBS. The DVDs have not yet been
released yet and I have not seen them.
Rating: 
Summary: NOT the excellent PBS series "Rock & Roll"
Review: In 1995, two -- count 'em -- TWO ten-part TV series on the history of rock and roll were broadcast: the superb "Rock & Roll" on PBS, and this one in syndication. Unfortunately, this is the one that seems to persist; VH1 ran it a few years back, and now it's on DVD. There's really no comparison -- think "I Love The 80's" (minus the humor) vs. "Ken Burns' Jazz". The whole feeling of the thing is cheap and exploitative. I didn't care for the way ALL the same musicians were quoted about ALL periods and ALL types of music. So you get Tom Petty and Elvis Costello (both of whom I love, don't get me wrong) talking about the Beatles AND Elvis AND punk, etc., as opposed to in "Rock & Roll", where as much as possible the people on camera are the people who were there -- Chuck Berry, Sam Phillips, the earliest rock and roll DJs. Also, other than trying to pander to lowest common denominator segment of the audience, what's the point of singling out rap and disco for the "fair and balanced" treatment -- i.e., giving equal time to musicians who hate that kind of music? Skunk Baxter and Gregg Allman, weighing in on rap ("...short for CRAP!") come off as smug hillbilly bigots. Pandering is evident in the structure of the show as well. Although the idea of starting in the middle (Bob Dylan goes electric) and then proceeding from the beginning is interesting, I can't be too impressed with later chapters like "The 70's" -- again, I'm biased toward the thematic episodes of "Rock and Roll" rather than the grab-bag approach. The last chapter is almost embarassing in the way it rushes through the final 15-odd years post-1980 to get to Green Day (very hot in 1995, but can you imagine they'd make the cut if this series were made today?). Long story short, wait for the next PBS pledge drive and watch "Rock and Roll" instead.
Rating:
Summary: NOT the excellent PBS series "Rock & Roll"
Review: In 1995, two -- count 'em -- TWO ten-part TV series on the history of rock and roll were broadcast: the superb "Rock & Roll" on PBS, and this one in syndication. Unfortunately, this is the one that seems to persist; VH1 ran it a few years back, and now it's on DVD. There's really no comparison -- think "I Love The 80's" (minus the humor) vs. "Ken Burns' Jazz". The whole feeling of the thing is cheap and exploitative. I didn't care for the way ALL the same musicians were quoted about ALL periods and ALL types of music. So you get Tom Petty and Elvis Costello (both of whom I love, don't get me wrong) talking about the Beatles AND Elvis AND punk, etc., as opposed to in "Rock & Roll", where as much as possible the people on camera are the people who were there -- Chuck Berry, Sam Phillips, the earliest rock and roll DJs. Also, other than trying to pander to lowest common denominator segment of the audience, what's the point of singling out rap and disco for the "fair and balanced" treatment -- i.e., giving equal time to musicians who hate that kind of music? Skunk Baxter and Gregg Allman, weighing in on rap ("...short for CRAP!") come off as smug hillbilly bigots. Pandering is evident in the structure of the show as well. Although the idea of starting in the middle (Bob Dylan goes electric) and then proceeding from the beginning is interesting, I can't be too impressed with later chapters like "The 70's" -- again, I'm biased toward the thematic episodes of "Rock and Roll" rather than the grab-bag approach. The last chapter is almost embarassing in the way it rushes through the final 15-odd years post-1980 to get to Green Day (very hot in 1995, but can you imagine they'd make the cut if this series were made today?). Long story short, wait for the next PBS pledge drive and watch "Rock and Roll" instead.
|
