Saturday Night Live: 25 Years Of Musical Performances, Vol. 1
Volume One of theSaturday Night Live: The Musical Performancesis a lot like the show itself--some bits work, some don't. What works isElvis Costello's infamous performance of "Radio Radio," a direct middle finger to those at his record label who insisted he perform the less controversial "Less Than Zero."Paul Simon's "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" is a faithful but even more delightful reading of his finest post-Garfunkel hour. TheGrateful Dead's performance is noteworthy simply for the fact that it's the Dead. Other than that,Volume Oneis sorely dependent on showcasing rote readings of really famous pop songs. That's passable for newer artists likeJewelor theDave Matthews Band, but evenEric Claptonsticks to playing the tired and sappy "Wonderful Tonight" in a performance some dozen-odd years after the song was a bona fide hit.--Jason Josephes