![]() ![]() She was the first woman ever named entertainer of the year at the genre’s two major awards shows, first by the Country Music Association in 1972 and then by the Academy of Country Music three years later. Her honesty and unique place in country music was rewarded. Her biggest hits came in the 1960s and ‘70s, including “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” “The Pill,” “Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind),” “Rated X” and “You’re Looking at Country.” She was known for appearing in floor-length, wide gowns with elaborate embroidery or rhinestones, many created by her longtime personal assistant and designer Tim Cobb. ![]() ![]() ![]() The Country Music Hall of Famer wrote fearlessly about sex and love, cheating husbands, divorce and birth control and sometimes got in trouble with radio programmers for material from which even rock performers once shied away. While certain eras/discs may speak to you more than others, I can almost guarantee that you'll learn something substantial from every two-hour episode.Lynn already had four children before launching her career in the early 1960s, and her songs reflected her pride in her rural Kentucky background.Īs a songwriter, she crafted a persona of a defiantly tough woman, a contrast to the stereotypical image of most female country singers. COUNTRY MUDIC SERIESOverall, I can easily and heartily recommend this longform series to anyone with an interest in Burns' previous work, music in general, or country music specifically. Granted, in some ways this makes it all the more impressive, as it can't just rely on emotion to grab viewers. "Country Music" is more "informational" than "emotional" (though it will stir you, at times). Through no fault of its own, this doc just lacks the emotional punch of, say, our grandparents talking about WWII or our parents reflecting in his Vietnam doc. COUNTRY MUDIC FULLIn all honesty, the only reason I can't quite give it the full 10-star rating is because Burns has already set his own bar so high. As a fan of the country genre, I have no qualms about saying that "Country Music" either entertained or informed me all the way through. A core group of interviewees (performers and songwriters, mostly) give their thoughts in basically every episode. Things such as country's roots in mining territory, its pulling from African-American culture, it's movement "West" (literally and figuratively), and it's settling in Nashville (as well as later transcending that distinctive sound and even physical place). While certainly focusing on the big names of the industry (Hank, Cash, Merle, Waylon, Patsy, Carter, Garth, etc.), he also branches off into other more subtle areas. In typical Burns fashion, he takes the deep-dive approach to this topic, beginning with the very roots of country music and continuing up until about 2000. If you have absolutely any interest in the topic at all, you'll have no trouble working your way through "Country Music" sooner rather than later. That only makes documentarian Ken Burns even more impressive for his ability to enthrall over the long-haul. In this day and age, it is difficult to hold anyone's attention on one topic for 16 hours. ![]()
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