SNL 25 years of Music

I was lucky enough to catch Zappa's SNL show during a bout of insomnia one night. I loved it, but that's because I'm a huge, huge Zappa nut.

While he was conducting the band (I think they were playing Approximate), Belushi, dressed as the samurai, appeard with a guitar, but didn't play it. Instead, he and the Zappa-lead band did a "duet." I was cracking up.

 

The sketches should be great, but in terms of musical selection, I'll definitely pass. Too many less than stellar choices (most of Disc Five) and too many classics passed over. The 'Mats, Run DMC, Zappa, Capt. Beefheart, Devo (performed "Satisfaction" the week after the Stones were on), Rage Against the Machine (kicked off after one performance to satiate the host, further proof that Lorne Michaels is no friend to rock n' roll), Miles Davis, Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman, Bonnie Raitt, the Clash, Randy Newman's "Sail Away" (far better than his performance of "I Love L.A." years later), Tom Waits, Herbie Hancock's "Rockit," Prince's "Partyup," B-52's "Rock Lobster," Smashing Pumpkins in '93, Eddie Van Halen's impromptu jam, Public Enemy, David Bowie and his band doing "TVC15" in drag...Johnny Cash and Brian Wilson were also on (Brian in the 70's) but I never saw those so I have no idea if they were any good. Definitely preferable to Ricky Martin, Backstreet Boys, Dave Matthews, Garth Brooks, Hanson, Mariah Carey, Alanis, Spice Girls, Jewel, Live, Blind Melon, Counting Crows, Elvis C. in '89, Duran Duran, etc. Heck, maybe just make it ALL music instead of mixing in sketches.

 

I'd forgotten about that one. You're right, a great performance.

Jim W.

 

I would have hoped for Linda Ronstadt and Phoebe Snow doing "The Shoop Shoop Song".

 

Really? Who was the host in question?

 

I believe someone said that actually turned up again last year when E! was re-running the original series for a time, but unfortunately, I missed it. I remember it well, "Them Heavy People" and "The Man With The Child In His Eyes"...quite an enchanting introduction.

 

I like Dave Matthews, Alanis, and Counting Crows, but the rest of disc 5 sums up the worst of the 90's in my opinion. Could have used more McCartney. I wonder if that Chris Farley/Macca skit where Farley asks Macca about The End is on there?

 

Steve Forbes, the nutty billionaire presidential candidate, and he was in the middle of his 96 campaign when he hosted. He wasn't funny at all (surprise) yet somehow Michaels felt that the show would benefit more from Forbes's presence rather then Rage Against the Machine.

 

I got this and wathced the first disc. It is great! It is only 3.1 surround on disc 1, but still, a great showcase for what continues to be a classic window into the late '70s. It was a treat to see Carly Simon sing "You're So Vain". The Cocker/Belushi duet is on there, as is the Candy Slice and the Jaggar/Tosh duet. Watching S&G sing "The Boxer" was worth the price of the disc. The Beatles offer is on there, and a bunch of other stuff. No Leon Redbone or Ricki Lee Jones (?) though. I wonder why. On to disc 2 tomorrow......