Most helpful customer reviews
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Zzzz..., Feb 17 2004
Aimed for the baby boomer segment of SNL's audience such as myself (Volume 2 is aimed more toward Gen Xers), this may allow listeners to hear some of their favorite artists on the car CD player without having a multidisc changer, but that's about all it's got going for it. Ranging from the pleasant (Paul Simon's "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes," with a terrific arrangement and vocal backup) to the awful (who decided Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" would do anything but put us to sleep?), most of these live versions stick closely to the original arrangements, but sound cheesier because of the inherent limitations of setting up the band on stage (Randy Newman's "I Love L.A."). Sting, Annie Lennox, Tom Petty, David Bowie, Billy Joel -- it's like a reunion of rich classic rock stars.The one exception is Elvis Costello's driving "Radio, Radio," which, of course, had the fake-out open (the first 15 seconds from "Less Than Zero," before he abruptly switched gears, making him part of SNL legend). Note to Lorne Michaels: that ain't "Alison" he was playing, contrary to your recollection in the liner notes. Speaking of which, considering these performances from a TV show, what dork in Dreamworks' design department decided not to use a single image from the shows in question for the CD booklet? No wonder this puppy headed straight for the cutout rack.
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Let the people choose..., Oct 26 2003
There are so many great performances not included on Volumes 1 and 2 that I don't even know where to begin but here's a short list just off the top of my head: Jackson Browne (1977, Running on Empty, The Pretender); The Band (playing a three song set!); Nirvana (killer version of Smells Like Teen Spirit); Suzanne Vega (Luka); 10,000 Maniacs (first appearance in 1987); Neil Young (Rocking In The Free World); Pearl Jam (Alive); Keith Richards (1987 solo album). I could go on for an hour...I agree with another reviewer that these performances should also be put out on DVD. However here's another idea: put EVERY SNL musical performance out on one of the new online music services like iTunes and let the fans buy the performances they want! I'd pay to construct my perfect SNL musical guests CD. Think about it.
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1.0 out of 5 stars
Is this the Best you can do.....?, Aug 11 2003
I think the phrase that best describes this CD is "waste of time and space"! Like countless others I became a fan of this cutting edge program in its heyday, not just for the satire and comedy but also for the great music it showcased. Around the same time that "SNL" started up, the BBC were also offering a program called the "Old Grey Whistle Test" which also showcased the leading musicians of the time. The Beeb eventually issued a fabulous DVD retrospective of that program (which is non coded and viewable anywhere) loaded with great performances-well worth hunting down. What does SNL do? Zip,nada,zilch, strikeout...pick your own term. I would think that they should easily be able to cull together a marvellous collection of as widespread a variety of musical styles as ever existed. Better yet, they could present this in DVD format so we could enjoy sets like Joe Cocker/John Belushi, Paul Simon & Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Van Morrison, Aaron Neville & Linda Rondstadt, The Clash, Leon Redbone, Santana, Beck, etc etc,. There doesnt appear to be any reason why they cant do this.......instead we are offered this dross. Shame on SNL!
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