The History Of Rock `N' Roll

At the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, folk music legend-in-the-making Bob Dylan introduced a new element into the musical equation: 110 volts. Dylan went electric, and the fans hissed and booed as if they'd just encountered Judas resurrected. Time (very quickly) would vindicate Dylan, and that transmogrifying savior or monster (depending on your viewpoint called "rock `n roll" would lumber onwards, sucking up bits and pieces of politics, culture, and art along the way, all grist for the musical mill. Out of this diversity of influences, ideas, and mixed motivations would come four decades (and counting) of pleasurable ear candy, corporate plastic, and moments of genius. It's the latter that are featured on the ambitious The History of Rock `N Roll series, which combines interview clips with Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Little Richard, Mick Jagger, and some 200 others, a total of 1,807 music clips, and 260 songs performed live. This massive omnibus (3 years in the making) explores the roots of rock in black gospel, rhythm and blues, jazz, and country; the British invasion, the folk music phenomenon, the soul era, the 70s, punk, New Wave, rap, and grunge. By turns insightful, bombastic, nostalgic, but always lit with the kind of kinetic energy that has been the engine driving rock `n roll itself, The History of Rock `N Roll is a major achievement and a helluva good time. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (R. Pitman)