by Jon Partridge
No show in recent memory is as blessed with such an embarrassment of riches involved in its conception and execution as Vinyl. Created by Mick Jagger (yes THAT Mick Jagger), Martin Scorsese (The Departed, Boardwalk Empire, Goodfellas), author and Rolling Stone editor Rich Cohen, and Terence Winter (Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos, The Wolf of Wall Street), the show examines the changing music scenes of 1970s New York. While comparisons have been made to the Fox smash Empire, this is a far grittier, less theatrical, and in many ways personal look at the ups and (mostly) downs of being in the music business.
Richie Finestra (Bobby Cannavale, two-time Emmy® winner, Boardwalk Empire), the founder and president of American Century Records, is trying to save his company and soul without destroying everyone in his path. With his passion for music and discovering talent gone by the wayside, and American Century on the precipice of being sold, he has a life-altering event that reignites his love of music, but severely damages his personal life.
American Century Records serves as a microcosm of the shifts happening across the industry in the ’70s, including changing musical tastes, increased commercialization, and exploitation of talent as well as the the stagnation of some. Vinyl offers insight into how the industry operated as well as the more personal tales of people in the business as the weight of fame, money, and drugs take their toll during the shift from the folksy ’60s to the more chaotic ’70s. Disco, glam rock, and the onset of the punk era are being embraced a younger generation disenfranchised with their lives and world politics.
The driving plot of the series is Richie Finestra stopping a deal to sell his company American Century (to a group of Germans no less), then having to contend with the aftermath. He is determined to keep his business and move back towards finding pure, unprocessed talent, while enduring the frayed relationship with his partners who are unhappy with missing out on a massive payday as well as the implosion of the company’s finances. Oh, and there’s the small matter of his collapsing marriage and escalating drug abuse. Bobby Cannavale’s Finestra is front and center, a man embracing chaos to rediscover his soul, which is really what the show is all about. A moment of clarity sees him determined to create something new and pure out of his business that is mired in financial woes with a bloated catalogue of mediocre artists.
Vinyl boasts a stellar cast. Cannavale is an acquired taste for some, but there is no doubting his presence here. He drives the show, embodying its themes and adding a chaotic element. He’s something of a clusterfuck, so it’s mystifying how he got this far in the business. The anti-hero is always a lure, think Tony Soprano or Don Draper, they just need to solidify his actual talent to justify his reveling in such excess. Juno Bell has a breakthrough performance as Jamie Vine, an ambitious, fiery but naive secretary determined to make a mark in the music business. Olivia Wilde is a more serene contrast as Devon, a former model and Andy Warhol muse now trapped in Finestra’s destructive spiral as his wife. She’s a fascinating presence, but often underused and absent from the show for long stretches. The rest of the cast is populated by actors who all feel immersed in the era. Ray Romano as Zak Yankovich, Andrew Dice Clay as Frank “Buck” Rogers, and Kip Stevens (James Jagger, son of Mick) are but a few of those contributing to the roster of colorful personalities in the show.
At its core, Vinyl is about music, and the show embraces it, with a stonking soundtrack pulsating throughout and with musical choices often used to reflect plot developments or emotional moments. It’s gritty and energetic, perfectly encapsulating the era and scene it portrays. The visuals are as enticing as the aural components, with quality production values throughout. It’s passionate and even reverential about music; characters reminisce about musical inspirations and passions, and talents such as Alice Cooper, Elvis, Bowie, and Dylan make appearances. It also offers a insiders look at the industry, with a look a the shady deals used to sign artists or influence sales. It’s as insightful as it is entertaining and always feels authentic. Despite all this, the show does have a tendency to meander at times, feeling disjointed, and it often feels like it’s laying down groundwork for future seasons rather than focusing on delivering a tight, focused tale. Hopefully this only strengthens the show for its recently announced second season.
THE PACKAGEVinyl is a gorgeous series, shot on digital, and it has been processed to give it a grainy “film” look, appropriate to its ’70s setting. There’s a luxurious, textured feel to the show that is represented very well: velvet suits, shag carpets, the pulsating grime of New York, and the neon lights of Vegas all look fantastic. Some haziness is apparent in darker scenes, but overall it’s a great looking release.
Special features include a digital UV copy. Also each episode has an associated Inside the Episode, a short 3 minute recap of the themes explored. Three of the episodes also have full audio commentary with showrunner Terence Winter and cast members Bobby Cannavale and Olivia Wilde, an interesting and fun addition that shows the rapport between the trio. Making Vinyl: Recreating the ’70s is a nice “making of” featurette which has plenty of behind the scenes footage with some probing interviews with cast and crew, notably Scorsese himself.
THE BOTTOM LINEWhile the meandering stories Vinyl tells give the show a disjointed feel, there is plenty to appreciate about the show. Its production values are impressive, providing a feast for the eyes and ears. A wonderful, committed cast together with a reverential and insightful look at the music business makes for compelling viewing. It feels like a prestigious affair, and with a few tweaks it could actually be one.
Vinyl, the Complete First Season is available on Blu-ray with Digital HD & DVD with Digital HD on June 7th, 2016 from HBO Home Entertainment.