Is Anyone Watching "Vinyl" on HBO?

[daviddesper]

This is a new mini-series about the music industry in the 70s. So far I have only watched the two-hour pilot, which aired on Sunday the 14th. Another one-hour episode aired on the 21st that I have not yet watched.

The good news is that there is some interesting music on it, both original hits from the era and some songs done by their own actors. For example, we heard versions of Want Ads and Heat Wave, as the show also does some flashbacks into the 60s and even the 50s to weave its story line. Among the original songs we have heard were Dee Dee Warwick's version of "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me."

However, there is some bad news to offset the good. First of all, the language is unnecessarily gross. Yes I know people talked like that back then and of course still do today. But the episode I have watched probably had more F bombs than I have ever heard crammed into any two-hour program.

Also the story lines themselves are too bizarre to be believed. It is almost as if the writers sat around one day and said "We will make this show about the music business in the 70s, but let's also see how many other crazy things we can make happen in one two hour show." It is THAT far out there.

I will give it a little bit longer just to hear some more of the music but it is wayyyyyyyy over the top in my opinion. Any other thoughts?

[milven]

I was looking forward to this show, but only watched it for about an hour and then gave up. I don't mind cursing here and there, but the cursing here wasn't necessary and was only for effect but to me it was ineffectual. I was around in the seventies and am familiar with the industry from then. But as you said, a lot of stuff here was over the top. It was not the type of show that I was looking forward to

I do feel that I did not give it a fair shot or enough time. Sometimes the pilot does not represent the series since they are setting up plot and characters. But it just felt like a time waster to me.

I haven't read any reviews about the series nor have I heard any word of mouth opinions. I'm looking forward to hearing some opinions if anyone here watched it.

I was really looking forward to this series but just could not get past the two hour pilot. If the rest of the series is character and plot, I can always catch up on demand if it is good.

[soulster]

I don't have HBO, so unless it materializes on Netflix or YouTube, I can't watch it.

The colorful language don't bother me.

I actually don't care to hear musical performances or recordings. If it's called "Vinyl", it should probably be about the manufacturing of records, shouldn't it? It probably isn't. If not, i'm not interested. I already know the music. Tell me how it was made! I want the technical details. Tape, machines, mics, limiters, boards...ah...but it's for "average " people who don't care about such things.

[milven]

Well, then I guess that I am an "average" person. There is no pedestal beneath me. The seventies were an eventful time for the record industry. The flow of cash from the labels was unprecedented. They got loads of cash and they distributed it to everyone to make more hits. There is a great entertainment story to be told. And it may be there. I admit that I did not stay with the pilot long enough. The seventies had two great things going for it. Disco and mellow soul. Also, it was the beginning of the consolidation of labels which concluded with us now having only three companies.

I may go back and give it a second chance.

Without seeing the whole show, I can tell you unequivically that this drama series is not about how vinyl was made! It doesn't have technical details. Tape, machines, mics, limiters, boards..etc.

You are right. As an "average " person, I don't care about such things in a drama show unless it was needed to move along the plot.

That does not mean that I am not interested in seeing a documentary about how music and records are made. That would interest me even though I am "average". And I would watch that documentary from the comfort of my sofa rather than atop a pedestal.

[marv2]

This is what the show is about. Sounds interesting :


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk8TEHMi4CA

[milven]

Thanks Marv. I think I will give this a second chance and also watch it while I am wide awake. When I watched the first hour, it was very late, and I was struggling to stay awake.

[Hotspurman]

I enjoyed the two hour pilot and thought the series showed promise. The swearing, for me, was in some cases necessary – Peter Grant [[who in addition to the numerous F bombs dropped more than a couple of see you next Tuesdays) revelled in instilling a sense of fear into anyone who came across his path – there is absolutely no way whatsoever that he would politely ask an unscrupulous promoter or merchandiser to refrain from ripping Led Zeppelin off! The only problem with the actor who portrayed him in Vinyl was that he wasn’t imposing enough – the real Peter Grant was 6’ 5” tall and built like a brick outhouse; every inch the former wrestler. Similarly, the actor who played Robert Plant was way off the mark.

I also enjoyed linking certain characters to real life personnel from the record industry of that time – Morris Levy and Nate McCalla may not have been mentioned by name, but they were certainly there in spirit!

Such a shame, therefore, that the second episode was a mess. I’ll give it a couple more episodes to see if it can get back on track.

By the way, I’ve been trying to remember for years the name of a film, quite possibly a made for TV film, that I saw about the record industry. It was possibly set more in the 80s and featured a talented A&R guy who joined a record company but was sacked, along with everyone else in his department, when the boss got caught up to no good. The A&R guy ends up driving a taxi and gets shot and killed in a robbery – anyone any idea what that film was called?

[soulster]

This is what the show is about. Sounds interesting :


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk8TEHMi4CA Tsk! You can't talk about the 70s rock music unless you include the L.A. scene.

[RossHolloway]

I caught part of the pilot and the crude language doesn't bother me, but I had to turn the channel during the fight scene where the one guy was beaten over the head and had his head completely bashed in. I'll probably go back and watch it again but just not that scene.