- Disc Format: Box set, Color, NTSC
- Language: English
- Region: Region 1
- Number of discs: 8
- Rated: Not Rated
- Studio: Time Life/WEA
- DVD Release Date: July 26, 2016
Fans of classic
country music will find endless joy in this box set collection of live
performances from some of the best. From 1943 to 1974 The Opry was located at
the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville,
and these performances come from the television broadcast of the “Purina Grand
Ole Opry” which first aired in 1955. The name of the show changed with new
sponsors, but the content remained the same. This 8-disc set includes over 350
minutes of performances, split up thematically by each disc. Many of them are
continuations of the titles released in the first set of Opry Classics.
The only two
original titles of this set are Kings of Country and Jukebox Memories. Kings of
Country is fairly self-explanatory, including songs performed by 15 male
country stars with big personalities and the musical skill to match it. The
only thing I found strange was the mention of Johnny Cash in the set
description despite his absence in the playlist. Don’t worry too much though,
as he appears on several of the other discs. Jukebox Memories includes a
collection of hits likely to have been found on 45-rpm-record. Leroy Van Dyke,
Bobby Bare, and Faron Young are among the 15 performers.
Of the six discs
remaining, two are dedicated to the songs while the other four are focused on
the performers. Love Songs 2 features some of the most romantic country of the
period, both happy and sad. There are cheerful love songs like “Pure Love” and
the melancholy of loss in “On Our Last Date.” Songs that Topped the Charts 2
only features songs that made it to the No. 1 spot on Billboard. This includes Connie Smith, who was the first female
country star to reach the top with her song “Once a Day.”
Similar to Songs
that Topped the Charts is Hall of Fame 2, which includes 15 performances from
artists who made it into the Country Music Hall of Fame, created in 196. This
set includes Jim Reeves, Loretta Lynn, and Johnny Cash singing “So Doggone
Lonesome.” Alike in theme is Pioneers 2, though it is focused on the trail-blazers
of the genre. This includes a performance from the Carter Family, Roy Acuff,
Bill Monroe, along with ten others.
Legends 2
includes performances from the larger-than-life country music stars, such as
Dolly Parton who performs and duet with porter Wagoner, and Loretta Lynn, who
has two songs in the playlist. The highlight, however, is a collection of songs
performed in a group by Johnny Cash alongside the Statler Brothers and the
Carter Family. This medley opens with “I Walk the Line” and ends with “Ring of
Fire.” Queens of Country 2 includes more from Loretta Lynn and Connie Smith,
who belong on this list, if only for the number of times they show up in this
set.
The previous
collection had interviews with many of the performers in the special features.
This second release comes without any extras, though this shouldn’t detract
fans of the music.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8/10
Historical
Significance: 9/10
Special Features: 0/10
No comments:
Post a Comment