Some people here imply that good reviews on IMDb are paid critiques. Well I hope somebody paid me to write TV shows reviews, but it is not the case.
I liked this show a lot and I regret that HBO has decided to kill it after a great first season.
Many people complain of a clichéd depiction of the rock and roll 70s, with all the drugs, the sex, the deals and rising stars. Clichés come up in the first place because they represent an established perception or behavior, so if you set the action right at the time when those behaviors were taking shape, you can't really find fault at this. It is as if you watched a movie about the Belle Epoque and you complained that women look like flappers. It's simply not fair.
I also find negative reviews are quite contradictory. While some say they have been bored, others point that the frantic atmosphere is excessive or that there are many parallel plot lines.
I get the feeling that just because many people (myself included) lived through that period, they all consider they own the "real truth" about rock-and-roll and the 70s, and so they tend to measure up the show against their own memories or experiences, and they suppose the series should have reflected their subjective imprint about the time and the culture. This is also not fair.
I liked the show quite much. The talented and experienced people who set their hands on the show did a fantastic job, the music, story, characters and performances were above standard from every point of view.
Also, the cast was magnificent, particularly Bobby Cannavale whose performative skills I have come to appreciate, having seen him on Nurse Jackie and Boardwalk Empire. He is an extraordinary actor who filled the role and even offered more.
If you are open-minded and fair, if you trust on the great team involved in The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire and other outstanding shows, please give this a try. Yes, there are drugs, sex, rock and roll, and excess everywhere, and the embrionary stages of the recording label industry which, in later years, would destroy the music we loved. It is, precisely, the whole point of the show. And it is wonderfully well portrayed.
