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All you music lovers out there who have yet to watch Elvis Costello's fantastic talk show, "Spectacle", have simply got to wake up and realize what you've been missing.



As I said in my earlier piece, Attention All Music Fans! The Best Talk Show Ever: "Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...", there's never been a show quite like this one. It is - I repeat - the best talk show ever.



I should mention that I wrote that initial rave review of the show after only having seen the very first episode. However, I've now seen all 11 episodes that have aired here in Canada so far (there are two more to go from this first season) and I can tell you that this show just keeps getting better and better.



Guests, so far, have included The Police; James Taylor; Rufus Wainwright; Jenny Lewis; Jakob Dylan; She & Him; Herbie Hancock; Elton John; Tony Bennett; Elvis' wife, Diana Krall; Bill Clinton; and, all together in one particularly great episode, Kris Kristofferson, Rosanne Cash, Norah Jones and John Mellencamp.



Lou Reed



But this weekend's episode, featuring Lou Reed, was definitely one of the best yet. Not only did we get a conversation with Lou, the founder and leader of The Velvet Underground, one of the greatest and most influential acts in rock 'n' roll history, but we also got a special visit from artist and filmmaker - and close Lou Reed friend - Julian Schnabel as well.



Schnabel, for those who don't know the name, is the director of Basquiat (1996), Before Night Falls (2000) and The Diving Bell and The Butterfly, which was, of course, the #1 film on My Picks For The Best 25 Films of 2008 list last year.



As usual, the discussion was great, but the highlight this week was a couple of truly amazing performances.



Femme Fatale



First, the show opened with Elvis and band tearing into an absolutely fantastic rendition of "Femme Fatale", the Lou Reed-written, Nico-sung classic from The Velvet Underground's 1967 debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico. There have been a lot of great performances on the show so far, but, to my mind, nothing beats this passionate Van Morrison-esque version of one of Lou's greatest songs. Check it out here:





Set The Twilight Reeling



And then, an hour later, to close out the show we got another incredible, ass-kicking performance, this time featuring Lou and Elvis together on a terrific version of Lou's 1996 song "Set The Twilight Reeling". Watch it here:





So, if you call yourself a music fan and you haven't been watching this amazing show then perhaps you're either a) a Britney Spears fan; b) a Chickenfoot fan; or c) not in fact a music fan at all.



I mean, a true music fan missing this show would be akin to a real soccer nut not bothering to tune into the World Cup or a real hockey fan missing that great game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Friday night. That is, it's simply unthinkable.



But if you don't want to take my word for it, check out this rave review of the whole first season from the LA Times:



'Spectacle: Elvis Costello with . . . ' hits a high note



So, people, if you haven't yet, it's time to start watching:



The show airs numerous times throughout the week on the Sundance Channel in the U.S. Or, in Canada, it's on Friday nights at 10:00 p.m. on CTV and/or Saturdays at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and Sundays at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on Bravo.



Mike Cowie (Oredakedo)

Sunday, June 14th, 2009

Read my original rave here: Attention All Music Fans! The Best Talk Show Ever: "Spectacle: Elvis Costello with..."

Or check out this other recent music rave: Dylan's Tell Tale Signs: The $175 Third (Disc) Rave

And if you're a fan of The Bob then make sure to check this out: The 25 Greatest Dylan Songs of The Past 20 Years

To see my picks for the best music of 2008 click here: The Best 20 Albums and 50 Songs of 2008: Dylan Tops Both Lists

Or if you happen to be a Neil Young fan try this: The Neil Young Rave: A Film, Two Albums and Incarnations For Everyone

And for much more on all things Dylan click here: The Bob (as in Dylan)

Or for more on other artists and albums click here: Music Homepage

Or here: Music: Album and Concert Raves