LIVE FROM NEW YORK

It's easy to understand why Books on Tape didn't record the original SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE stars telling their own stories. The licensing fees for Dan Akroyd, Chevy Chase, et al. would have been astronomical. Nevertheless, that leaves Scott Brick in an odd position as he reads this wonderful history of the most influential comedy on modern television. Brick takes on the cadences of the person whose story he's telling. This works well to differentiate speakers; Garrett Morris sounds very different from Mike Myers, and the traces of their respective accents come through clearly. However, the result feels like a pale imitation of the original. Since SNL is so vivid, this is a weakness. G.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 03]