Vinyl grooves

This show really snuck up on me. HBO seems to have pushed it out without the sort of fanfare one would expect; especially given the names attached to this project. When Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger say they’re doing something together, you pay attention. So, I decided to give the two hour premiere (directed by Scorsese himself) a chance.

Was it worth it? Well, mostly. The series has certainly managed to capture my attention, although, perhaps not as strongly as I’d have liked. And, it is not without a few issues that keep it from reaching the heights I hoped it would. That is, so far, at least.

First though, let’s discuss the good. The series explores the music industry in the 70s; mainly following record label executive Richie Finestra (featuring Bobby Cannavale in a rare starring role) as he attempts to stay on the wagon while keeping his company alive. The performances are all solid, and the show manages to pull together quite an eclectic cast. Sporting the likes of Olivia Wilde, Juno Temple, and, most bizarrely, Ray Romano; there really is nothing but praise to be had here. All the classic Scorsese hallmarks are also here; from the protagonist’s verbose narration á la Wolf of Wall Street and Goodfellas, to the occasional surreal sequences. In this piece, they take the form of cutaways to renditions of iconic tracks performed by representations of the relevant icon.

On the topic of the music; the soundtrack, and its integration into the episode is just fucking awesome. There’s also some great use of visual metaphors throughout; a particularly effective example being in the closing sequence of the episode.

As I said earlier though, the episode isn’t without its problems. This opening episode definitely drags on for too long, and it lost my interest slightly towards the middle. It also throws a lot of dangling plot threads at the viewer from the outset; slightly overwhelming us, and making each one seem less weighty. These should really have crept in slowly as the series progressed, and a few particular ones (no spoilers) would have served as great ways to keep hooking the audience back, and keeping us on our toes as the show went on.

I’m still interested though, and the characters and acting mean I’m invested enough to keep watching. Ultimately, I have faith in Scorsese to give us and interesting and gripping new series.

Vinyl is available on Sky