Music works needs work, but it works

By PAUL CANTIN

Ottawa Sun

MUSIC WORKS

Starring Pat Mastroianni, Son, Water Can, Killjoys, Kim Stockwood, Snitches, 13 Engines
On: CBC, Mondays at 7, starting tomorrow.
Sun Rating: 3.5 out of 5

This should be the golden age of music on television. But it isn’t.
For close to a decade, we have been used to the idea of “watching” music, thanks to the advent of MuchMusic, Musiqueplus and MTV.

Surely by now, the great thinkers in TV land should be providing us TV that really reflects what rock `n’ roll is all about.

In fact, if you discount the endless stream of videos and a few concert specials, there’s probably LESS live music on TV now than there was in the 1960s with Shindig. And I wonder why the Brits are blessed with shows like Old Grey Whistle Test, Top Of The Pops and The Tube and we get Benmergui and Rita MacNeil?

Music Works is a blessed exception to the rule. Now that the documentary series Ear To The Ground is gone, it’s the only regular venue for music fans to see Canadian acts strut their stuff.
Music Works is far from perfect. I still wonder about the value of a host at all. The flimsy interviews and kibbitzing between the bands and spunky, polished MC Pat Mastroianni, is an unwanted diversion. I’d rather hear an extra song from each band. Better yet, let the groups speak for themselves.

Not all the acts come across with equal force, either. The more focused outfits (WaterCan, Kim Stockwood, 13 Engines) look and sound great, while the more manic outfits (Snitches, Son) are too crazed to even fit in the TV screen.

But Music Works is exceedingly well filmed, imaginatively staged and defiantly Canadian.
In Canada, nobody does it better right now.
And that’s a shame.