Country Music

Enthralling. ... Burns' typically masterful assembly of photography, music and personal commentary is matched by Dayton Duncan's lyrical script (read by Peter Coyote). [16-29 Sep 2019, p.24]

You don't have to like country music at all—in fact, you can despise it—to be swept away by these gloriously eccentric yarns.

Compared to Burns’ past works, this is not the fathoms-deep dive into the music’s history which devoted fans may be wanting. On the other hand, this may make “Country Music” more accessible to viewers like me who have little historical or emotional connection to this sector of popular culture. Sometimes the way into the museum is to skim the catalogue.

A robust aural portrait of the origins and various detours of the music itself. ... Whether your idea of country music is “Redneck Woman” or “Stand by Your Man,” this latest achievement from Ken Burns and company will cut through.

Series writer Dayton Duncan balances the obligatory bios and the juicy gossip, the landmark moments and quite a few tangential but necessary subjects—including country radio, Nudie suits, Martin guitars and the comedian Minnie Pearl. He strives to maintain the storyline while still giving time to the outliers— Eddy Arnold, for instance, who couldn’t be ignored but doesn’t quite fit, either. ... But it’s the stories that seal the deal.

I appreciated loving the parts I wasn't expecting to and often tempered my disappointment in it not getting to the "alt-country" artists I most wanted to see by realizing that Country Music is simply not that kind of niche (or definitive) documentary. It's mostly a brave effort to place it in context with an impressive timeline.

It did its homework and respects the subject matter; it’s a true archival feat. But its overwhelmingly nostalgic lens may ultimately make the series more for preexisting country fans than curious newcomers wanting to understand its history and appeal. For as much time as “Country Music” has to tie these threads together, it leaves an awful lot of unstitched material on the table.