GRAND OLE OPRY VOLUMES 1 & 2
May 24th, 2011
DVD review
GRAND OLE OPRY VOLUMES 1 & 2
Time Life/Shock Entertainment
Also known as OPRY VIDEO CLASSICS and originally sold by subscription and split into more parts, this 5-DVD set combines the mother-lode of historic television footage of the golden age of country music, from the 50s to the 70s. Each part is themed – Queens, Kings, Duets, Pioneers etc, and has an introduction by Marty Stuart and bonus interviews with the stars of GRAND OLE OPRY. This collection should be compulsory viewing for any aspiring country artist, particularly if they think the genre began with Garth Brooks! The performances are all live and sure, the images are static by today’s standards; the majority of the singers stand upright and the camera angle changes at most for each verse and chorus. A far cry from today’s videos with shots lasting just a few seconds and with inexplicable costume changes. The cover modestly claims over ‘ten hours’ but I estimate it nearer to sixteen, and it claims to present “the greatest collection of vintage live country music performances ever assembled”. No argument here!
Time Life/Shock Entertainment OPR 01 01
