This is CITIES OF THE UNDERWORLD. In metropolises around the world today, skyscrapers loom overhead, traffic blares and vendors hawk their wares. But below hide city upon city, each with its fascinating and unknown history. With infectious enthusiasm and runaway curiosity, and aided by instructive computer animations and maps, host Don Wildman explores these layers — often hundreds of feet down — to transport you underground and back in time. Check your batteries, it's dark down there!
In Season 2, CITIES took you to the darkest recesses of New York, Dublin, Berlin, Moscow, Washington, DC and many more places. You explored the relics of the ancient Maya, the Vikings and the Knights Templar.
Marc Bolan, always a keen observer of musical trends, was quick to embrace the punk ethos, even declaring himself to be its godfather. But DANDY is no punk record. It's an eclectic set, but all in all, it sounds like T. Rex. "Jason B. Sad" has a "Get it On" flavor, while "I Love to Boogie" has a similar feel to the classic "Jeepster." The title track, a midtempo groover, sports synthesizer textures and slick production. Yet these songs show Bolan's heartfelt commitment to classic chord patterns of '50s rock & roll, as the cover of "To Know Him Is to Love Him" further attests. It's hard to hear the punk influence here: certainly "We love to boogie/on a Saturday night" is a far cry from "I want to be anarchy…" But in an era when rock was becoming increasingly self-important, T. Rex shared the essential punk preference for songs that were fast, simple, and disposable.
Journalist Mark Allen Johnson goes to any length to get the story, even if it means putting his life at risk. In "American Underworld," Johnson investigates some of the most extreme and violent subcultures in the country, from drug manufacturers to car-theft rings to the sex trade. He gains access to these highly secretive worlds by using both brains and bravado, and allowing him to use a video camera often takes months of negotiations to secure the trust of his subjects. In the end his efforts pay off with raw and compelling footage.