SNL 50 was indeed a tribute to 50 years of comedy with amazing music woven in! I was lucky to have watched it from the beginning when, I believe, the Best of the Best shaped SNL. As you said Pete, "For those of us who tuned into the documentary about 50 years of music on SNL, we were treated to a “cold open” that mesmerized. It began with the old stylized NBC peacock followed by the most captivating seven-minute mashup ever created for television." Thanks for the review and the list of 50 Years of SNL Music!
Pete, as always, great article - well-written and insightful commentary!
And it made me think…
It is an odd dynamic. I have not been, generally speaking, an overly enthusiastic viewer of SNL’s musical acts over the years. I admit to not being overly “adventurous” when it comes to music, but it is very important to me and it is on non-stop at home and in the car (and I play guitar daily). But I want to enjoy hearing what I am listening to - meaningful and understandable lyrics, stronger rather than weaker melodies, rhythms that feel comfortable, and well-composed pieces that showcase musical acumen.
I don’t think it is intellectual laziness - I do appreciate almost all music, even if I don’t personally enjoy something and thus would not choose to listen to it. But small experimental doses to be exposed to something new is fine and good. And I do go down the YouTube rabbit hole quite often to find new talent - Carsie Blanton, Stephen Wilson Jr, Joshua Turner, and Matt Anderson as a few examples.
So all that to say that you have motivated me to watch! I am eager to listen and learn, even if I will always prefer Doris Day, JT, the Boss, B Withers, Willie, Dylan, Elton, J Mayer, J Prine, ‘80s big hair and the like.😊
I should add that I have enjoyed a lot of SNL music over the years. But for me it was more hit or miss - I was never quite sure what I’d get (which I know was part of the point of it), and some duds along the way - I know - inevitable what you are trying to be cutting edge.
All good points, Keith. I have had mixed feelings about the acts on SNL too. But I do remember in the early days, it was one of the few TV shows where the bands played live, and not lip-synced.
My review is mainly for about the first 7 minutes or so of the SNL Music documentary. The rest is a mixed bag, depending on your tastes. But what Questlove did for the cold open is really special. Thanks for reading!
As an avid SNLer from the beginning, it’s amazing how many of the music acts on the show I actually saw during the years.
Pete, your commentary is excellent and provides the reader with interesting thoughts! Kudos!
What a fantastic show it was; thanks for this great article!
SNL 50 was indeed a tribute to 50 years of comedy with amazing music woven in! I was lucky to have watched it from the beginning when, I believe, the Best of the Best shaped SNL. As you said Pete, "For those of us who tuned into the documentary about 50 years of music on SNL, we were treated to a “cold open” that mesmerized. It began with the old stylized NBC peacock followed by the most captivating seven-minute mashup ever created for television." Thanks for the review and the list of 50 Years of SNL Music!
Pete, as always, great article - well-written and insightful commentary!
And it made me think…
It is an odd dynamic. I have not been, generally speaking, an overly enthusiastic viewer of SNL’s musical acts over the years. I admit to not being overly “adventurous” when it comes to music, but it is very important to me and it is on non-stop at home and in the car (and I play guitar daily). But I want to enjoy hearing what I am listening to - meaningful and understandable lyrics, stronger rather than weaker melodies, rhythms that feel comfortable, and well-composed pieces that showcase musical acumen.
I don’t think it is intellectual laziness - I do appreciate almost all music, even if I don’t personally enjoy something and thus would not choose to listen to it. But small experimental doses to be exposed to something new is fine and good. And I do go down the YouTube rabbit hole quite often to find new talent - Carsie Blanton, Stephen Wilson Jr, Joshua Turner, and Matt Anderson as a few examples.
So all that to say that you have motivated me to watch! I am eager to listen and learn, even if I will always prefer Doris Day, JT, the Boss, B Withers, Willie, Dylan, Elton, J Mayer, J Prine, ‘80s big hair and the like.😊
I should add that I have enjoyed a lot of SNL music over the years. But for me it was more hit or miss - I was never quite sure what I’d get (which I know was part of the point of it), and some duds along the way - I know - inevitable what you are trying to be cutting edge.
All good points, Keith. I have had mixed feelings about the acts on SNL too. But I do remember in the early days, it was one of the few TV shows where the bands played live, and not lip-synced.
My review is mainly for about the first 7 minutes or so of the SNL Music documentary. The rest is a mixed bag, depending on your tastes. But what Questlove did for the cold open is really special. Thanks for reading!