Customer Reviews

Blues Story

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Imagine having some of the most remarkable and influential musicians of all time all together in your own living room. The Blues Story PBD Special tells the history of one of the richest and oldest art forms in America This DVD captures the essence of the blues rare footage of interviews, and of course leaving the music to tell the stories themselves. This DVD follows the development of this art form from it's African roots to how it influences modern urban music that we hear today. The DVD Feature such Blues greats such as Snooky Pryor, Ruth Brown and B.B. King. I found this DVD to be views as a captivating rich history lesson and an inside glimpse of the lives of the poor and oppressed from which the Blues originated. It is an interesting and provocative choice for people of all ages. I actually enjoyed this documentary better than the Marin Scorsese produced special.

This is a fantastic history of the Blues! Unlike any of the other recent documentaries, the stories are related in this show entirely by the artists. There is no narrator and the feel of the show is very personal! Add to that some great music and you have a winner!

This blues documentary is the only one I know of that features ONLY BLACK MUSICIANS. Most documentaries on the blues feature mostly white artists and white blues aficionados and then that one (maybe two or three) black blues artist, which 98% of the time is B.B. King. Not saying that white people don't have the blues too, but let's level the playing field and pay homage to the groundbreakers that happen to be of a darker hue. I feel that this DVD does just that. There are A LOT of other black blues artists joining Mr. King in this documentary. It takes you back to the juke joints, the front porches, the house parties, the cotton fields, the Delta, Chicago, and even to London, where the famed white performers paid there respects when they obtained fame and fortune. You find yourself deep in the history and culture for the time duration of the DVD, and the music is the thread of that history and culture. For those who are interested in purchasing this DVD will not be disappointed. This is a fine example of when keeping it real goes right.

This DVD, with its excellent interviews and fabulous music, would be a treasure chest of memories in and of itself. Watch it now, though, and realize that since it was made R.L. Burnside and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown have both passed on, and remind yourself that no one, not even great Bluesmen, live forever.

Watch this DVD and appreciate the rich Blues heritage these incredible men and women represent.

This DVD has been well critiqued, my comment is simple, if You Love the back wood rea deal blues and are familiar with the names featured here but never layed eyes on em' your in for a treat, plus the antedotes and stories of Hubert Sumlin Pinetop Perkins, fairly old footage of the Great Buddy Guy who at first glance looks and sounds like a blues up Jimi Hendrix...really! If You enjoyed DEEP BLUE You will dig this, it is gritty but well edited, sound is good and with a running time of 2 hours, you'll think it was only 45 minutes because there is not a weak moment. There is 30 minutes of extra footage not shown on PBS, I got most converted to DVD's anything to do with blues library and this DVD gets highest honors in my collection, its not pretentious, its the BLUES STORY.

From the very beginning, and I mean the opening DVD menu, this is pure GOLD! Even if you're not particularly interested in the Blues, this is utterly fascinating. If you are interested in the Blues, and all of the stars that shine in this production, you'll be in heaven. I have watched this over 20 times and still love every minute of it. The part about the Delta Blues, especially with R.L. Burnside (Rest In Peace, Brother) is absolutely captivating. For the price, you just can't go wrong. The only downside is that there will never be a "Part two," as almost all of these geat artists have departed, and I very much doubt that the magic that these artists have imparted to this world will ever be captured again by anyone else.

I bought this for my son's Christmas present. He just raves about it. He keeps saying how much he likes it and that it is just exactly what he wanted. I believe it is his favorite Christmas gift.

Doesn't say a whole lot that hasn't been said. It's good viewing, accurate, and educational.

This is hands down the best history of Blues music ever made. Many of the greats featured on this DVD have since passed on. Robert Johnson's son Robert Lockwood and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown are among them. Learn about Blues from the men and women who lived it!! Highly recommended!

I have written by now seemingly countless reviews of old time acoustic and electric blues artists, male and female alike. I have "toured" the Delta, the Texas Panhandle, the streets of small town Southern cities, Memphis and the "Mecca", Chicago, to give my take on the blues story. I have "been" on the plantation Saturday night, the "juke joints", the blues clubs, Chicago's Maxwell Street and on any street corner where a blues artist could set up shop. My thumbs are sore from giving thumbs up and down to the various blue artists that I have known about since my teenage years a long time ago. All of the above is by way of saying if you want to do some one- stop shopping for what the blues was, is and will be this is your destination. A better primer, especially for the novice complete with some great blues riffs, done in a couple of hours would be hard to find.

All the traditional blues "hot spots" like Memphis and Chicago are given due time. All the blues greats get at least a passing nod from Charley Patton and Robert Johnson in the old days to Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and B.B. King in the modern age. In fact that is what is most impressive about this production. The producers have seemingly gathered, at the time of production, every still living blues artist who could still hold an instrument and speak a few words to talk about their work and those that they knew who "taught" them the blues. Why is this important? The likes of Ruth Brown, Honeyboy Williams, Gatesmouth Moore, Gatesmouth Brown, Buddy Guy and a host of others showcased here are the transmission belt from the older tradition of Charley Patton, Son House, Blind Blake, Ma Rainey and the others who created the sounds of the blues. Ruth Brown said it best- the young (and here I think she was including me-thanks Ms. Brown) don't need to learn the blues; they need to learn about the blues. Yes, ma'am. So to answer one of the questions posed in and by the documentary; will the blues ever die? Never.