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List Price: $39.95 | | Label: Varied Directions
Salesrank: 129102
Released: July 1, 2004 |
| Our Price: $39.95 |
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MPAA Rating:
Media: DVD |
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| Features:
Color Full length Full Screen NTSC | |
Editorial Review:
I made this 90 minute documentary feature-length film for television. It has incredible scenes with Earl Scruggs and his sons and many others performing in concert and behind the scenes. It is a classic music documentary with more than 35 songs and stories to boot.
This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.
Earl Scruggs Bluegrass Banjo Legend Reviews:
Good news, bad news 
2009-07-26 - This program, which first aired in 1972, is essentially a one-and-a-half-hour home movie.
This has its up side and its down side: it's nice to dispense with the glitzy production and hype; but the amateurishness sometimes irritates. Earl, throughout, comes across as shy, unaffected and charming. It's interesting to hear him talking about the musical reasons for his split with Flatt (although the latter isn't actually mentioned).
The musical material, however, is very patchy (and occasionally out of tune). Highlights include "You Ain't Going Nowhere" with the Byrds, sessions with Doc & Merle Watson, the Morris Brothers (who wrote "Salty Dog"), Joan Báez, and a reunion with Bill Monroe. Bob Dylan's contribution is negligible.
The DVD actually seems to be as much about Earl's son Randy as Earl himself.
Too bad no one asks the Morris Brothers what "Salty Dog" means.
Interestingly, this DVD seems to be identical to Earl Scruggs: Family & Friends, which (as I write) is around one third of the price.
Missing Lester 
2006-08-25 - It is a very interesting video and the only thing lacking is his time with Lester Flatt, however I didn't much like Lester anyhow and this was about Earl
The Print is Worn but this one is a Gem-Baez, Dylan, EARL! 
2006-04-22 - I just got this DVD and just finished watching it! When you consider that it was film (not videotaped) over 30 years ago, you can live with the print quality. What comes across is EARL Scruggs and how he lives his life. Who woulda thought that he was part of the Moratorium against the war held in Washington. The last 15 minutes are spent at Joan Baez's house and Joan sings while Earl Plays. The film starts with Earl and Bob Dylan. The Moore Brothers (old time players who wrote "Salty Dog Blues" are a hoot! And then there's Doc Watson and even the Byrds. It's cinema verite but I found this a really entertaining 90 minute film and I'm so glad it's out on DVD for all to see.
Steve
Good idea, horrible production in second half 
2005-12-18 - This is a well-told story with rough in-the-field production. You are introduced to Earl Scruggs's personal feelings about his music. The director at times has Scruggs speaking right into the camera telling his story. There is some narration, but most of the info is conversational speaking between the subjects. The approach works well. I was really spellbound...
That is until the second half when the sound went _badly_ out of synch with the picture. It got so bad, I needed to not look at the folks' lips. It ruined the part filmed at Joan Baez's house, and it continued to the end where a live performance at the Grand Old Opry was very hard to enjoy.
This may sound like nit-picking, but when you spend $40 on a DVD, you are entitled to proper synchronization between sound and moving picture. Oh, by the way, don't buy this film if you expect to see Bob Dylan. His is a tiny cameo role. There's more footage of Joan Baez's baby than Bob Dylan. In fact many viewers may not even realize Dylan is in the thing (now, that is nit-picking). And Dylan and Baez are never in the same scenes.
This is a tale about Earl Scruggs. He's important enough that the producers and Amazon need not provide a fake marquee. I have no idea where the "Earl Scruggs with Joan Baez & Bob Dylan" came from.
The actual title of the film is: "The Complete Earl Scruggs Story" for gosh sake!
It's too bad, really, because the poor synch ruins a good project. It should get 1 star, but the revelations by Scruggs are so moving, I gave the film a 2 star rating.
