Lead Belly: The Man Who Invented Rock & Roll (DVD Review)

Some of the biggest stars in music history artists like Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Beach Boys, Little Richard, Creedance Clearwater Revival, Frank Sinatra, Led Zepplin and Bob Dylan, just to name a few were inspired by Lead Belly. Maybe in this generation people don't know that name, but you will know his music.

Pop Twist is releasing a DVD of an extraordinary documentary that traces the life and time of Lead Belly. Now a whole new generation can be inspired by the man, the myth, the legend and the music of Lead Belly.

Synopsis: Huddie Leadbetter: Lead Belly. King of the 12 String Guitar. Born in poverty, he became a master folk innovator who inspired rock and roll. Woody Guthrie called him the greatest folk singer. Hundreds of artists have covered his songs - The Beatles, Roling Stones, Nirvana and Led Zeppelin spring to mind. Interviews and performances by Janis Joplin, Harry Belafonte, Paul McCartney, B.B. King, Alan Lomax, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, Odetta. Hollywood film clips, archive performances and intimate inside accounts dispel myths and let his true personality shine through.

This documentary runs a under 80 minutes, but it is so well produced and fast paced that it almost feels like half that time. As the viewer tracks the life of Huddie Leadbetter, you will be amazed at the things he had to endure (like black Americans in that generation). But he overcame all the hatred to become an icon of music, that inspired musicians and singers long after him. His music continues to live on long after he passed away. And his music will continue to inspire generations to come.

Pop Twist have transferred this amazing documentary to DVD. The film is presented in widescreen format. The audio track is a mono audio track. There is no subtitle option. The transfer is crisp and clean the only parts of this film that are a bit rough as the archived film clips, which is to be expected. There are no signs of digital artifacts with this transfer. 

Now for bonus features! The only thing found on this disc is the 2 trailers of this film. Oh, how I wish there would have been some bonus interviews. I would have really enjoyed some more stories about Lead Belly. He seems to have been such an interesting man. That would have made this release so much better. But the documentary is still pretty good! 

I must say that I enjoyed this documentary so much that I am going to revisit it again very soon. There is so much information in this film you cannot absorb it all in one sitting. Hence the need to watch it several times. And I imagine it will still be enjoyable the second and thrid time around.

Music fans and documentary fans alike are going to love this DVD release. This is a DVD release that in my humble opinion is a must add to anyone's Home Video Library. Head over to MVD Shop and Amazon and order your copy today!



Out of 4 film reels (4 being the best) the DVD Lead Belly: The Man Who Invented Rock & Roll receives....