What is it? Opry Video Classics II, nearly six hours on eight discs from Time Life
How much? $119.99
When? Now
Shouldn't that be "Opera"? If we were talking about La Scala in Milan or The Met in New York, yes. But we're talking about the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. This is country. Fiddles and twang. Not full orchestras and Italian lyrics.
The Grand Ole Opry, what is now a brick-and-mortar bastion of country music and 90-year-old launcher of stars, began life as the title of a radio program on Nov. 28, 1925. Then in 1955, the weekly show began to air on TV.
This set from Time Life is a collection of rarely seen performances by big names from the 1950s through the 1970s. You don't get full episodes of the show, just individual performances, often with a bit of introduction before. There are options to watch the whole disc in one go or to jump to a preferred performance.
There are eight themed discs in the set, each with 15 performances: Kings of Country, Queens of Country 2, Legends 2, Hall of Fame 2, Songs that Topped the Charts 2, Pioneers 2, Love Songs 2 and Jukebox Memories.
Each disc has performances from artists such as Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Conway Twitty, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton.
Yes, some of those discs have a "2" in the title. This is not the first Grand Ole Opry collection from Time Life.
And, no, you're not necessarily getting the performers' most famous songs either. Parton has a few songs here, like "Dumb Blonde" and some duets with Porter Wagoner, but no "Jolene" or "I Will Always Love You." And Lynn sings "Happy Birthday" but not "Coal Miner's Daughter" or "You Ain't Woman Enough." Those were all in the first collection.
How is it? If you're a fan of old-school country music, it's a treasure trove. It's also a time capsule and a history lesson, allowing viewers to follow the evolution of country music and live television over the course of 20-plus years.
New this week: 11.22.63, complete series; Code Black, Season 1; Line of Duty, Season 3; Maude, Season 6; NCIS: New Orleans, Season 2; Perry Mason, Complete Movie Collection; Supergirl, Season 1; The Tunnel, Season 1.
Next week: The Affair, Season 2; Gotham, Season 2; Hell on Wheels, Season 5, Volume 1; Lou Grant, Season 2; Once Upon a Time, Season 5; The Vampire Diaries, Season 7.
Style on 08/07/2016