The Chris Isaak Hour | Now Showing, Christian Toto reviews, Chris Isaak, Music, Talk Show | DONNE TEMPO
The Chris Isaak Hour
February/23/09 11:55 PM Filed in: Now Showing
| Christian
Toto reviews | Chris Isaak
| Music
| Talk Show
But he's still settling into his newest role - talk show host.
"The Chris Isaak Hour," debuting at 10 p.m. EST Feb 26 on BIO, casts Isaak as an inquisitive musician probing his peers on how they broke into the business. It's a shrewd format - one most recently explored by Elvis Costello in "Spectacle" over at The Sundance Channel.
While Leno and Letterman give musicians only a few minutes to talk up their music, Isaak lets them spill for a solid hour.
The format affords the guest to sing roughly five songs an hour, with Isaak harmonizing with his guests on a few numbers.
Isaak may be a natural on stage, but his tentative queries need seasoning. It's not for lack of trying. Isaak displays a keen knowledge of his guests' careers and personal lives, even if he starts too many questions with, "I read that …"
Good thing the affable crooner is such a music fan of his first few guests. That admiration shines through, making his learning curve easier to absorb.
It's a blast to see Yearwood and Isaak sing a duet, but viewers might wish they cozied up a bit more mid-song. Yearwood is happily married to Garth Brooks and keeps a respectful distance from the handsome host.
Not so coincidentally, the duo also team up on "Mr. Lucky," Isaak's first album of new material in seven years which drops the same week as "Hour" debuts. The first six songs from "Mr. Lucky" made available to press are as rock solid as Isaak's superlative "Always Got Tonight."
"The Chris Isaak Hour" isn't "Nightline." He's clearly trying to make his guests comfortable, although the show's busy set can be off putting. And it doesn't help to have a fluffy white dog cuddled up to the host during parts of the interviews.
You won't hear much gossip from the opening installment, particularly about Yearwood's relationship with Brooks. Instead, we get an endearing look at their first meeting and jump forward to their current family life. Yearwood admits to curtailing her touring schedule to make time for family matters.
Isaak chats up Yusuf Islam, the former Cat Stevens, on the March 19 episode of "Hour." It's a more complex conversation, but it's also fitfully unsatisfying. The British singer has some great stories to tell, and his classic songs have aged as gracefully as the erstwhile Cat.
But his religious conversion and abrupt disappearance from the music scene should have yielded better material, or at least sharper questions from Isaak.
The host gingerly asks about Islam's experience being taken off an airplane a few years back, an incident which inspired a song "Boots and Sand."
Islam comes off as gentle and unassuming throughout, but you'll wish Isaak nudged him more about his remarkable life, even if he doesn't want to bring up accusations regarding some of Islam's more notorious press quotes.
The show's flaws fade to black when Islam picks up his guitar and starts crooning some of his best known songs right on the show's couch. Isaak, torn between singing along and just watching like any other fan, does a little of both. It's that honest affection that sets the show apart from the traditional talk show format.
Let "The Tonight Show" and its ilk chat up The Jonas Brothers and other of-the-moment pop sensations. Isaak still has plenty of seasoned hit makers to invite to his couch, Expect Glen Campbell, Stevie Nicks, Michael Buble and Chicago to pay "The Chris Isaak Hour" a visit in the weeks to come.
Here's hoping Isaak's natural showmanship starts shining brighter as future "Hours" pass.
- Christian Toto
