New Period Drama ‘Vinyl’ Captures New York’s Super Seventies

Bobby Cannavale as Richie Finestra in ‘Vinyl’. Photo: courtesy of Star World Premiere HD

When the music world had just seen the landmark Woodstock festival in 1969, the decade that followed was hard-hitting rock n’ roll era of the Seventies. Amidst glam rock, the new wave, avant-garde and hip-hop, people were throwing parties like they were characters in American novel The Great Gatsby and living the phrase “sex, drugs and rock n’ roll.”

This is what the new HBO series, Vinyl, captures. It’s co-created by an elevated quartet comprising director Martin Scorsese, The Rolling Stones’ knighted vocalist Mick Jagger, Rolling Stone contributing editor Rich Cohen and screenwriter Terence Winter, who also worked with Scorsese on The Wolf of Wall Street.

Vinyl, Scorsese’s TV debut as a story writer, follows the music scene of the Seventies in New York. “It’s a privilege to do this job, to introduce the world to new music, to shape the culture” says Richie Finestra, executive of the record label American Century, between smashing guitars into TV sets and snorting cocaine. As the protagonist, played by Bobby Cannavale, he blends smoothly into the archetype of a Seventies music executive, trying to save his label and juggling an unhappy personal life.

Other roles feature actress Olivia Wilde as Finestra’s wife and James Jagger, Mick Jagger’s son, as frontman of fictitious rock band The Nasty Bits, among others. Besides a promising cast, the show naturally showcases A-list music. With songs courtesy of rock bands – both old and new – including Post-Pop Depression Iggy Pop, American garage rockers The Arcs and English rock icons Mott the Hoople among others, Star World Premiere HD will put out a digital EP every week, featuring songs related to each episode.

Watch a trailer below:

”˜Vinyl’ will premiere in India on Star World Premiere HD every Wednesday, starting February 17th, 10 pm.