Is anyone else watching Nashville? The country music industry provides a great frame for what is basically a high quality soap. Established stars coping in the new industry, young stars coping with fame, talent looking for a break and, the heart and soul of the series, an alcoholic singer songwriter who struggles with his place in the business whilst loving the music perhaps more than anyone else in the show.
So far, so formula. But the thing that makes Nashville rise above the normal TV drama is that the music is done so well. T Bone Burnett is the musical director and it shows with the songs being a key part of the show.
And it really makes you want to go to Nashville and visit the Bluebird Cafe and take in show.
Anyone else watching it?
I don’t think T Bone is musical director these days. Isn’t it currently Buddy Miller? I love it, and I bet an awful lot of it is perilously close to the truth
I didn’t realise he’d left. Mind you, I didn’t realise he was married to the writer/director either.
I think it’s brilliant, and have been bigging it up here since the first series. Deacon!!!
You’ve gotta be rooting for Deacon haven’t you? And maybe Scarlett. And Gunnar. And Avery.
Loving likewise. The third season after a shaky start is now firing on all cylinders and I care enough about the characters to get completely wrapped up in their trials and tribs. The music is of a high standard in fact I was listening to the real thing on Bob Harris Country last week and it occurred to me that most of the “Nashville” songs could easily be found on there and nobody would notice. It would be fab if Bob could slip in a few Rayna Jaymes, Deacon Claybourne or Will Lexington choons now and again.
Sorry.
We tried. Oh how we tried to enjoy Nashville.
We failed. Oh how we failed to enjoy Nashville.
The musical side is fine, even good on occasion but the script is woeful. Even Powers Booth phoning his usual eye rolling bad dude performance in doesn’t help.
If you crave a drama and musical mix for entertainment try Treme. That’s quality.
Treme has struck me as being a bit too slow so I haven’t really tried. I suspect, as I vegetate on the sofa after a long day, Nashville hits the spot more than Treme would.
Does anything happen in Treme?
I tried a few episodes of Treme and couldn’t be doing with it. A bit of a sprawling purposeless mess to my eyes, and as much as I get the whole long-form TV thing, by the time I was 3 episodes into The Wire, it had me hooked. Treme wasn’t even close to hooking me – I couldn’t work out what I was supposed to be watching it for. In short – it was boring.
We all have different tastes. We found Nashville too predictable and soapy.
Treme is unsurprisingly like The Wire inasmuch that they are both portraits of American cities made up of the intersecting lives of a selection of there respective citizens.
Treme like The Wire rewards close attention. I do admit though that the milieu of post Katrina New Orleans is less obviously dramatic than drug gangs vs cops.
Treme – any day, on TV or in real life.
Thing for me with box sets/big series is you need a mix – I like SPiral or the Wire or Sopranos, but for a bit of a palate cleanser I like things like Nashville, Orange is the new black, or even the splendid Covert Affairs when real trash is required…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VINgJImISFg
I know it was over twenty years ago now but I spent a fabulous weekend in Nashville on my first trip to the States. I spent my time in the bars round the corner from The Ryman (that seemed to have live music most of the day and night) and in the RCA Studio and Museum at the end of music row. A lot of it is being redeveloped and lots of ‘old’ buildings are being torn down so if you’re thinking of visiting do it before it’s too late.
One of the highlights of my life was finding myself on the stage at the Ryman (as part of the self guided tour) and realising that Hank Williams had stood there. It still gives me shivers.
The Mrs watches Empire. Which is basically a much trashier version of Nashville set in the modern R ‘n’ B community. Don’t tell her I said this but it’s great, guilty pleasure telly.
Both shows have this really quaint notion of people actually buying records.
Empire is FANTASTIC! Based on King Lear, with very decent music, plus guest stars such as Cuba Gooding Jr, Courtney Love and oddly, Naomi Campbell. Queen of the show is the ex-jailbird mother Cookie Lyon, here telling Naomi’s character just what she thinks of her dating her youngest son:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1AT3cpm4kM
If you like the music (particularly the Gunnar / Scarlett type) you should check out Striking Matches. They are a duo who wrote 6 of the songs in seasons 1&2 and more for season 3. They are good live (I saw them in May) & are touring the UK at the end of the year.
Also, their album was produced by T-Bone. Always a good sign.