When this concert was filmed in 1988, Roy Orbison had come back from the creatively dead. He hadn't recorded since 1979-- hadn't had a record hit the chart since 1966 (a greatest hits compilation snuck into the Top 100 at #95 in 1972). People knew the name, but had forgotten the music.But when David Lynch used Orbison's "In Dreams" as the centerpiece of BLUE VELVET, everyone who saw the movie wanted the song-- and Orbison was suddenly hotter than he'd been in decades. This film was his "coming out" party-- a small-club performance (LA's famous Coconut Grove) of his greatest hits with a superstar band, filmed in high-definition black and white. The people whop put this show together had the good sense to hire T-Bone Burneett (who assembled the music for O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? and put Alison Krauss and Robert Plant together) as musical director. For the rhythm section, he reunited Elvis Presley's "TCB Band" (Takin' Care of Business): pianist Glen Hardin, bassist Jerry Scheff, drummer Ronnie Tutt and James Burton (who has made the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame as a sideman) on lead guitar.Because Orbison was (a) exceptionally talented, (b) a genuine hard-luck story (his wife and two sons had died in different accidents) and (c) one of the nicest guys ever to walk the earth, scads of people offered to help, thinking their name might boost sales. So there were two trios (one male, one female) of backing vocalists. The men were singer-songwriter (five hits for the Eagles) J.D. Souther, Dylan sideman Steve Soles and Jackson Browne. Not a bad trio. The least talented of the trio of women (Jennifer Warnes) performed three songs that won Academy Awards for best song. Her partners were K.D. Lang and Bonnie Raitt. Plus, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen also played backup on at least one song. My concern, when I saw all these names, was that the show would be a self-indulgent superstar cabaret (like the finales of the R&R HOF), with half-drunk egotists who sort-of-knew the songs taking turns upstaging Orbison by performing with him and delivering self-indulgent tributes in between.Didn't happen. With a few exceptions, everyone keeps their egos in check. When Lang windmills during "(All I Can Do is) Dream You", she looks genuinely excited by a strong performance of an uptempo song. And that is one of only two songs from the upcoming comeback album, All the hits are here; only an Orbison scholar might quibble about one or two minor hits being missing.So why two stars off? For one thing, Orbison is a dull live performer. He's a great singer and a good guitarist. But all he ever did was stand there. Between songs, he says "Thank You"-- no stories or memories like you'd get on a VH-1 retrospective. There's no backstage bits or insights from the band (like the astute comments about Chuck Berry that punctuate HAIL HAIL ROCK AND ROLL). All you get is the music.The director tries to jazz things up by constantly cutting to show one star or another-- but since everyone is dialing it back so as not to upstage Orbison, you're not gaining anything by watching this film instead of listening to the CD.The arrangements try very hard to clone the originals-- since there is a string section, nobody can improvise. They're excellent performances... but it's like hearing the greatest hits album with better sound.Except for one spot, there's nothing spontaneous. And that one spot made me grind my teeth. In the middle of "Pretty Woman", they stage a guitar duel between Burton and Springsteen. To my ears (I play guitar), this is like watching a duel between a wolverine and a hamster. It's precisely the sort of nightmare I dreaded. And it eats up 6 minutes of the 60. It appears on PBS a lot, and I'd encourage you to watch it (8 stars is a B+). But if you want to buy something, get the CD, as opposed to the DVD or paying to watch it. The CD costs less, it has three more songs and you really don't gain anything from the video. The cake (the music) is wonderful, but there isn't enough icing to justify something more.

Back in the early 60s, being attractive was almost a requirement for success in the R&R recording field. People like Fabian became big stars regardless of the fact that he couldn't sing. But Roy Orbison, thick horned rimmed glasses, double chin and all, was a great example that if you could make good music you could be successful. After his early success, in the 60's, he disappeared from the music charts although he continued to tour. In the 80s he returned to the forefront of the musical scene and this concert is a perfect example that he had not lost a step nor had he lost that magical voice. His accompanying players are all fans of his music as well as outstanding musicians in their own right. And, how bad can it be having Bonnie Raitt, k.d. Lang & Jennifer Warnes as your backup singers.If you liked this you should check out his "In Dreams" video which is more biographical. It talks about his early days at Sun Records with Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis, his success in the 60s, his great receptions by his British fans and his resurgence in the 80s and his induction into the R&R Hall Of Fame by Bruce Springsteen.

Saw this was coming on HDTV and tried to watch it. It could have been pretty good had it not been for the constant reminder that there were many other contemporary musicians performing there also. The camera is constantly and clumsily panning to show these has-beens who are almost faking orgasm to show the audience just how much they are "grooving to the music". But even this I could have put up with had it not been for the ever-present image of Bruce Springsteen with his continuous trademark under bite smile. Springsteen is shown so much that one would have to wonder if the narcissistic New Yorker foots the bill for the event. Another thing I didn't care for was the poor editing. I thought at times I was watching a computer generated show with new video added to old.

This is a concert I think everyone should see! Young, old and in between. Roy Orbison is always close to my heart as one of the most prolific, sensitive and talented vocalists that graced us with his presence in the music business and was taken from us far too soon. BLACK AND WHITE NIGHT has been shown multiple times on PBS and I never get tired of it. Every time I hear Roy, it's like hearing him for the first time. He has a wonderful tone and totally breaks your heart. Of course, the world knows him most famously for "Pretty Woman," but he is so much more than that song! How wonderful it was that musicians like Bruce Springstein, Tom Waits, Jennifer Warren, KD Lang and Bonnie Raitt joined him in this, his final televised concert before he died of a heart condition in 1988. Watch this, everyone!!!!