<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Some Interesting Stories But Overall Disappointing
Review: Back when The Nashville Network cable channel was new and still country, "Nashville Now" was its flagship program. Host Ralph Emery seemed like a friendly, easy going member of the extended family. In this collection of "Memories" (most of which are the memories of what other people did) he comes across as arrogant, self-serving, and somewhat bitter. He makes insidious allegations against ex-wife Skeeter Davis, and while there are two sides to every story, her tale is not needed for this version to sound dubious on its own merits. Among the anecdotes he includes are juicy vignettes about many country singers. Some such as Merle Haggard's lamentation seems like they were obviously intended to have been kept off the record. Perhaps the book's biggest drawback is that it lends credence to the long whispered rumor that Ralph Emery was never a true country fan. In it he refers to the late Keith Whitley as having won the CMA Horizon award the year before he died. In reality, he was nominated but lost. The supposed epitome of country radio also states that Nashville's annual thank you party Fan Fair is held every year in early July, but it is actually held in early June. These embarrassing misstatements suggest that the editors were also not well versed in country music info.
Rating:
Summary: Some Interesting Stories But Overall Disappointing
Review: Back when The Nashville Network cable channel was new and still country, "Nashville Now" was its flagship program. Host Ralph Emery seemed like a friendly, easy going member of the extended family. In this collection of "Memories" (most of which are the memories of what other people did) he comes across as arrogant, self-serving, and somewhat bitter. He makes insidious allegations against ex-wife Skeeter Davis, and while there are two sides to every story, her tale is not needed for this version to sound dubious on its own merits. Among the anecdotes he includes are juicy vignettes about many country singers. Some such as Merle Haggard's lamentation seems like they were obviously intended to have been kept off the record. Perhaps the book's biggest drawback is that it lends credence to the long whispered rumor that Ralph Emery was never a true country fan. In it he refers to the late Keith Whitley as having won the CMA Horizon award the year before he died. In reality, he was nominated but lost. The supposed epitome of country radio also states that Nashville's annual thank you party Fan Fair is held every year in early July, but it is actually held in early June. These embarrassing misstatements suggest that the editors were also not well versed in country music info.
Rating: 
Summary: memories are made of this and that
Review: maybe i'm naive but i think Ralph Emery is first and foremost a broadcaster. he did interviews and played country songs for most of his radio career (dating from the mid '50s to the early '90s). His broadcasting skills border on the "tough" talking style of Mike Wallace. Emery clearly stated that he wanted to bring 'style' or 'respect' to the genre, commenting that in urban America country music is seen as "redneck" music for the un-educated. Emery's vision, from what i've read, was to showcase country singers as witty and topical/informed as the pop artists seemed to be. Emery, as he should be, prides himself on his Mike Wallace style. He talks about his short stints as gospel and rock stations before migrating to country stations. This doesn't indicate that Emery isn't a country music fan. it shows that Emery was a BROADCASTER first...one that would take the work anywhere it was available. his on-air presence obviously galvanized his listeners because he stuck with the country format throughout his career and on into television. This book is called Memories. It's an autobiography of Ralph Emery and the celebrities/artists he's been associated with. Everything in the book are 'memories' from Ralph. His child-hood upbringing and his insecurities are in the beginning chapters. His opinion of ex-wife Skeeter Davis is in no way less harsh than her opinions of him that i've heard her say on numerous occasions on the Opry. The little typ-o's from the book brought up by the other reviewer, saying Fan Fair is in July and not June or when Keith Whitley won or didn't win an award, seem petty when looking at the book's overall purpose. i will admit that Ralph can be a bit jaded, which some take as "arrogant". You must understand that in Ralph's profession he has to put up with a lot of BS from his bosses, advertisers, record labels, critics, etc. A person who has to deal with that, at the same time doing a job they love to do, it tends to dampen the 'mood' a little bit. As a result, a person becomes depressed or jaded because of all the crap they have to put up with simply for an interview to get set up. In Emery's case, he hated record labels that over-hyped their artists. On his shows, a listener got to hear a country singer "up close" with all that industry hype stripped from them. He wouldn't allow the artist he interviewed to hold the airwaves hostage with an on-slaught of promotion of their new album or single. Instead, Ralph would promote the product periodically throughout an interview but that was it. the remainder of the interview was Ralph talking to the guest about their private life or their experiences on the road or making an album...never taking it to level 2, always keeping the flow of the conversation 'loose' where it never turned into hyping. if some find this style of "no BS" professionalism arrogant, well, i feel sorry for you. i give it 4 stars because the segment on the great Ray Stevens could've been longer and more in-depth because Ralph is the only one who actually knows legitimate Ray Stevens stories.
<< 1 >>
| 
