Conway Twitty: On the Mississippi

Not so long ago, before big-time country singers had handles like Travis, Garth, and Shania, you had folks with names like Porter, Merle, Dolly, and Tammy; and instead of the cowboy hats and jeans that are standard stage wear these days, they sported pompadours, beehives and rhinestones, supplying the kind of unabashed, down home kitsch that present-day Nashville disdains in favor of churning out videogenic crossover stars. Conway Twitty, the focus of this 1982 TV special (now digitally remastered in stereo and “extrapolated” Dolby Digital 5.1), was firmly in the more traditional camp. Born Harold Jenkins in 1933, Twitty started out as a rock ‘n' roller before turning to country in the mid-1960s. He had plenty of hits, including many with then-partner Loretta Lynn, who's among those on board for this show (that's literally on board--it was shot on the Mississippi Queen riverboat). Charley Pride's there too, as are Jerry Lee Lewis (the highlight of the show may be the Killer's quirkily wonderful piano playing on “You Win Again”) and the great Tammy Wynette. While much of this is filled with corn and sentiment, it's still preferable to a lot of what passes for country music today. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (S. Graham)