Good Rockin' Tonight - The Legacy of Sun Records
by Bruce Sinofsky
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Actor: Ace Cannon, Ben Folds Five, Johnny Bragg, Rayburn Anthony, Sonny BurgessDirector: Bruce Sinofsky
Producer: Ahmet Ertegun
Producer: Bruce Sinofsky
Producer: Amy Nickin
Producer: Brandon Rosser
Producer: Julie Sacks
Producer: Phil Carson
Producer: Prudence Glass
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 110 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-10-08
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Image Entertainment
DVD Reviews of Good Rockin' Tonight - The Legacy of Sun Records
DVD Review: Sun Records
Summary: 5 Stars
This was great. I may be biased as my fiance is one of the ones interviewed and a huge part of Sun Records for the past 50 years but I have shown it to music lovers and they love it as well. It was a great inside look at Sam Phillips.DVD Review: The Sun Sound! Good performances!
Summary: 4 Stars
Good Rockin' Tonight is an American Masters series of award-winning primetime specials that examines our cultural artists. It is recognized as the best biographic programs to appear on television. This 2001 over 90 minutes is the legacy of Sun Records, the most recognizable record label in the world, the yellow sun. Sam Phillips, founder, attracted newcomers with that special Sun Sound. The sound was unique, but the record company lasted 10 years struggling to compete with other regional music and big companies.
The focus of the show is to listen to the chat and to hear perform, the old-timers from Sun Records, Sonny Burgess, Billy Lee Riley, J.D. Fontanta, Scotty Moore, etc. In those early days, these entertainers were not part of the name and face recognition given to Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
So what you have here is newer entertainers who were influenced by the Sun Records sound and performing:
Ben Folds Five - "Honey Don't" / Paul McCartney - "That's All Right" / Live - I Walk The Line"; Mark Knopfler - "Rock and Roll Ruby"; Robert Plant & Jimmy Page - "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" / Zacherro (Ital. Singer) - "Who Will the Next Fool Be / Third Eye Blind - "Cry Cry Cry" - Matchbox Twenty - "Lonely Weekend" / Kid Rock & Howlin' Diablos / "Drinkin' Wine Spo-dee-o-dee"
You cannot screw with "I Walk the Line", and this group Live? did not do the song justice. And Matchbox Twenty "Lonely Weekend" was so so.
You will see some very short clips of the Sun's early recording artists, however, you will NOT see enough. These are the people who were there at the beginning, and many still alive at the time of production and we it would have been wonderful to hear more, either in old clips or performing for the production. You will see a tiny picture of Roy Orbison?? What was that about. These oldies but goodies have gathered with Sam Phillips to share memories, the early days, the hits and misses. Their music still sounds great!
Get the companion CD Good Rockin' Tonight - The Legacy of Sun Records, for performances that were NOT aired in this special. Why not? What is seriously missing from the CD is the Charlie Rich cover by Zacherro "Who Will The Next Fool Be" That is a version to hear! It was subbed by Sheryl Crow??? ... Rizzo
DVD Review: Sorry, The Rockin's Not So Good Tonight
Summary: 2 Stars
I'm not big on writing negative reviews on things, but I am gonna rain on the parade here a bit.
I was excited about seeing this documentary, quite excited actually. I'm a big fan of the music that came out of Sun Records, but oddly enough I really never read or watched much about the history of the legendary studio. I knew the basic story, but was eager to learn a bit more. Books have been written-which I will get to eventually-but a documentary was too good to pass up.
Well, I learned basically doodly-squat from this 2 hour documentary. The famous Sun artists are briefly introduced and talked about, but are whisked out of the film almost as quickly as they arrive. I know most of these artists can(and do)have their own documentaries, but I would have expected a little more to be said about these people. These people made Sun! Aside from a brief photograph, Roy Orbison isn't even mentioned!
On the good side, the film does devote a lot of time to Billy Lee Riley(RIP) and Sonny Burgess, two excellent artists who's promising careers got shafted. It's nice to see them, listen to their stories, and even see them perform.
Now for the down side. At the time this film was being made, a Sun Records tribute album was being recorded, and it features more contemporary artists covering Sun songs. A big chunk of this documentary comes across as a commercial for this album as it shows numerous musical numbers being done by modern bands(okay, Paul McCartney, Mark Knopfler, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page aren't exactly "contemporary", but many of the bands are). This irritated the hell out of me. Seeing the balls removed from raw, rockin' songs and(some of them)turned into whiny emo crap is frustrating and sad. I had to have the FF button handy at all times, especially when Kid Rock came out rapping. Kid Rock isn't qualified to be a custodian at Sun Records, let alone cover any of their songs. It makes me wonder if half of these bands are truly Sun Records fans or just along for the ride coz they happen to like one or two Johnny Cash songs.
Sorry if I sound bitter, but I am bitter. If you happen to like these reworkings, that's all fine and dandy as they are obviously intended, not only as tributes, but to appeal to a younger generation as well. But I don't see why your age should require a filter to process older music. But I can't say that ALL of the performances were bad, coz they weren't. In all fairness, there were some decent covers. I would have much rather have seen classic performances by the original Sun artists is all.
And of course the main player in this film is Sun founder Sam Phillips, and he's not at a loss for words. He's portrayed as a pioneer but certainly not a saint as he screwed a few of his artists over. He seems to think he's hot poop, but considering the legacy of Sun, it's easy to see why.
I honestly can't recommend this if you're looking for a good documentary on the Sun story, as this is a very abridged version. I don't claim to be an expert on Sun, but I'd hoped the film would have at least put me on the path. Looks like I'll be searching out those books now.
DVD Review: Good Rockin here
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this movie because it was 'free' with the free shipping it allowed for my order. I am also a Sun records fan. Didn't know what to expect. What I got is a fantastic documentary of the history of Sun, the Artist and Sam Phillips. Well shot, well recorded and some fine playing.
Not mush else to say but I think it is a real joy to watch if your a rockabilly and Blues fan.
DVD Review: Perfect
Summary: 5 Stars
Sun Records was the beginning and high-point of Elvis' career (in my personal opinion), the beginning of Johnny Cash's career and probably the high-point of his studio career, most of Jerry Lee Lewis' career, a good amount of Carl Perkins' career, and the self-proclaimed birthplace of rock and roll. You can call it true although "Rocket 88" was recorded before Sun Records existed.
This documentary gives a history of Sun Records intermingled with modern artists working on a special album of Sun Records material. I really like the way the documentary was structured, in that it gives the history and has the special tributes to these specific artists shown around that moment.
This film isn't as loaded with information as a book would be, but it gives the history from the points of views of the people who were there. The only bummer for me is the fact that there is no mention of the Million Dollar Quartet, but that was a jam session, so mentioning that would be a waste of perfectly good time, when there are other more important aspects of Sun Records to mention.
Description of Good Rockin' Tonight - The Legacy of Sun Records
Historians may never agree about where and when rock 'n' roll was born, but they do agree that an entrepreneur in the world of music named Sam Phillips began a revolution and spawned a legacy when he created Sun Records. This Memphis-based success story defined some of the most appealing roots of American popular culture with such seminal artists as Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and so many others, all reprised in this two-hour American Masters film with such performers as Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and Live, many accompanied by Elvis' original sidemen, Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana. Highlights include a moving rendition of "Lonely Weekends" with Jerry Lee Lewis and Matchbox Twenty, and an emotional reunion of old Mississippi Delta musicians. Songs: That's All Right (Paul McCartney), Honey Don't (Ben Folds Five), Rock n' Roll Ruby (Mark Knopfler), I Walk the Line (Live), My Bucket's Got a Hole in It (Robert Plant & Jimmy Page), Blue Suede Shoes (Johnny Hallyday), Who Will the Next Fool Be (Zucchero), Cry, Cry, Cry (Third Eye Blind), Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee (Malcolm Yelvington and Kid Rock), Lonely Weekend (Matchbox Twenty).Sam Phillips's Sun Records will forever be best known as the label for which Elvis Presley made his timeless first recordings. But Sun earned its legendary status by also recording any number of other blues and rock & roll greats, including Howlin' Wolf, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash. This 112-minute, 2001 documentary from PBS's American Masters series features plenty of reminiscences by Sun old-timers (including the ever-voluble Phillips, who was not, apparently, universally loved by his artists) and some vintage film footage. But the best moments come when more contemporary artists--ranging from Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, and Mark Knopfler to Live, Third Eye Blind, Ben Folds, and even Kid Rock--do their versions of Sun classics like "Honey Don't" and "That's All Right Mama." Several of these performances can also be found on the excellent Good Rockin' Tonight CD; the documentary is good, but if you have to make a choice, go with the CD. --Sam Graham
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