Recorded in the fall of 2009, these programs (originally broadcast on the Sundance Network) are perhaps the greatest music and interview shows since David Sanborn's
"Night Music" on network TV in the 1990s.
When Elvis was approached to host "Spectacle," it struck him as an odd thing, because he is best known for getting kicked off American television (his infamous 1977 "Saturday Night Live" appearance--where he took the Sex Pistols' place on the show, hastily stopped a song and started a different number on live television--got him banned from "SNL" for the next 12 years) rather than excelling at it. But excel he does, because he's a terrific interviewer who has a certain structure in mind but doesn't over-rehearse the questions and goes with the flow following the answers, leaving room for some spontaneous and, well, spectacular results.
Whether kidding Ron Sexsmith about "the impeccable manners of the Canadians" or taking a good-natured hit from Bruce Springsteen (to paraphrase, Elvis asked Bruce, "Was I the one who called your ['70s] music 'overly romantic?' "--to which Bruce replies,"Of course it was you; I've been waiting thirty years for this [to reprimand you])," Costello is meant for this gig.
Best of all is the music, much of it recorded before a live audience at Harlem's Apollo
Theater, with New Orleans' Allen Toussaint, Levon Helm of the Band, John Prine, Neko Case, Richard Thompson's powerhouse "Shoot Out the Lights" and Jesse Winchester's touching and deceptively titled "Sham-a-Ling-Dong-Ding" (which brought big tears to Case, who was sitting next to him) among the highlights. Not to mention Sexsmith rescuing Costello's "Everyday I Write the Book" from an overly-poppy arrangement on record, and a bit of Bono singing "One Shot of Happy, Two Shots of Sad," which U2 wrote for Frank Sinatra, who didn't record it (but Nancy Sinatra did). Bono and the Edge told Elvis that when U2 began, they sounded as if they came out of nowhere, causing Van Morrison and Bob Dylan to challenge them, asking, "Where are your roots?"
Like the musicians (the core band plus guests) who were placed together on Sanborn's old "Night Music" TV show, "Spectacle, Season 2" creates some joyful collaborations that may not have happened otherwise. And Costello revisits some of his own songs, supported mightily by the Imposters (including keyboardist Steve Nieve and drummer Pete Thomas, who, as two-thirds of the Attractions, made Elvis' 1978-1982 recordings so special).
Elvis Costello has always been an astute music historian--the second time I saw him, he played songs ranging from Joe Stampley to Bobby Blue Bland and the O'Jays--and brings that kind of depth to his television work. It's a shame that there aren't concrete plans to do a third season--heaven knows that Executive Producer Elton John has the dough for it. Maybe Elvis is a bit busy with his own records and his twin sons these days. Good for him.