Rock Legends

A series still running after 12 years says it all. It reminded me of the music critic Lester Bangs as "Rolling Stone" foretold the beginnings of music journalism. This documentary series uses a stable of credentialed music critics and fills the void of print media on the retrospective subject matter. The thirty minute runtimes are just enough to for for digital attention spans. A viewer walks away wiser and music is the air of shared human experiences. 10 Star Rating.

It's an interesting series but it never throws up anything particularly new and interesting. I'm still not convinced that it isn't populated by talking heads who are just repeating facts that most die-hard fans know and most die-hard fans would know to be incorrect. Some minor but important facts get glossed over occasionally.

This motley bunch reminds me of the laughable media pushing a narrative that doesn't exist until it's accepted by the unsuspecting public as truth. I give it a 3 only because its guile is mixed with some informative knowledge. But I'm not fooled by these British clowns pushing the false theme that American music roots, be it blues, rock, funk, soul, jazz, pop, country, folk, etc. owes its beginnings to the British. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you watch the program, someone ultimately makes a smug reference to the roots of that particular genre belonging to the British and I'm sick of it. It's a false narrative.

That't to be expected when the "British" are placed in charge of policing a music show as this one. "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." I'm reminded of a study informing that Coca Cola was healthy for you. The problem is that the study was sponsored by Coca Cola! Wake up, not all people are completely stupid!

British artists and the public, for that matter, don't need your assistance and tall-tales to acknowledge the British contribution to the music world. It stands on its own merits having built upon the shoulders of American musical pioneers of the most significant genres that we know today. This is not the narrative that they so smugly push. Jazz, blues, 50's rock and roll, R&B, country, among others--this is the roots of the music we know today--borne with American sweat, tears and blood. The British and the world, consequently, were influence and enriched by the pioneers of the greatest music on earth--from America by Americans. And you're goddamn welcome, so get it straight!

To the creators of Rock Legends, thanx so much for the CSNY show. I really liked this episode and think it was very much overdue. I only wish your production could have been two - three hours long! One glaring omission? In the segment were their solo careers were just starting (or band was breaking up), why was there was no mention of David Crosby's first solo album "If I could only remember my name..." How could that work of art be overlooked in their story? I don't think I'm the only one who thinks it's a fantastic album, eh? Lastly, and not to nitpick really, but I really think Crosby, Stills, Nash & (sometimes) Young were folk rockers, not country rockers. Thanx, GN

A documentary series on rock music, in particular the bands and artists that shaped the art form.

A comprehensive study of the major bands and artists that shaped rock, with some interesting information and analysis on them.

Comprehensive in its breadth, though not always in its depth. The episodes are quite short, being bite-sized chunks of information, rather than a thorough examination of a band. Does over-simplify and over-condense the individual subject.