4 out of 5

Presented by: Neal Brand

A fun and informative – though necessarily, for runtime, tunnel-visioned – journey through the history of recorded music, as hosted by total audiophile dude Neal Brand.  ‘Sound’ excels at making the history important: why recorded music was such a big deal (episode 1); why advancements in tape and studios were so revolutionary (episode 2); and why…  Well, episode 3 is where it slips up a bit, having to cover a similar span of time as the other two episodes but a span in which a ton happens, and so the throughput isn’t as clear, except that we went from over-produced  remixes to under-produced Nirvana and have landed in a modern age that’s blending it all together.  The information is still solid, just not as penetrating.  The series also – again, necessity – won’t be introducing you to anything new, more than likely, covering the Big Splashes of each era; but this does make sense from a historical perspective, and I feel like I finally understood a bit of the fascination people must’ve had with Elvis or the Beatles, as Brand and the show’s producers / writers adequately speak about these musicians with a sense of heartfelt awe that trumps the usual “yeah, you must listen to these artists” reminders we grow up with.  And Brand is key, of course.  His honest passion for such a wide range of music shines through; his interviews – Brian Wilson, Steve Van Zant and more – the balanced product of someone who absolutely understands music in his own way, while also having incredible appreciation for whomever he’s speaking to.

It is the kind of show you wish could branch out some more, but the specific topics on which the series tunes in are so effective that maybe trying to cover more – even with an expanded set of episodes – might’ve diluted that.  The focuses are a pretty good anchor.

Music snobs will probably rejoice, nodding along to trivia they’ll claim to know, but Sound of Song works for anyone, really, even for a guy like me who’s never owned a Beatles or Yes album and never will, or even for those parents who shut their ears to hip-hop but will be able to grasp the relevance after watching the bit on Public Enemy.