All You Need is Love: DVD Review (2008)

That’s a nice thought, but truth be told, Tony Palmer’s sweeping television series about the history of popular music also suggests it might be good to have a measure of talent, a bit of luck, some rhythm, a voice and the right people behind you so you can share that love with the masses.  

This 17 episode, 5-disc set originally aired between 1976 and 1980, and it covers everything from vaudeville, country and ragtime to swing, rock and blues.

And there’s more, with Palmer predictably exploring such pop-music greats as Elvis, Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra to The Supremes, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.

If there’s a caveat, it’s in all that’s missing after 1980 and how what came before it influences what we hear now. Since Palmer is still actively working, an overview of what has occurred in pop music in the interim could have made this already terrific collection outstanding.

Grade: A-