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Strange Frequency review - TV Guide



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http://listings.tvguide.com/tv/

THE DEVIL'S MUSIC
The premiere of this new VH1 anthology show  the cable network's first
original drama series  kicks off with a flashback to 1970. An actor playing
Jimi Hendrix blazes desperately through an unidentified song. One by one,
the strings on his guitar snap. Blood from Hendrix's fingers smear the
instrument as he rushes to complete the song. Then Jimi drops dead, and next
to his corpse is a cursed sheet of music. Fox tried its own Twilight Zone
variation in this summer's Night Visions, and now VH1 gives the genre a
fresh music-related spin in which the Rod Serling influence literally rocks
on.

Of course that ain't exactly the way the great Jimi departed this world. But
this is TV, where legends are trivialized as often as they are lauded. Only
not usually on VH1.

Now, Roger Daltrey is arguably a legend, or at least a part of one. He has
been singing on and off with The Who for nearly four decades, and while he
hasn't enjoyed as prosperous a solo career as, say, his longtime
partner/nemesis Pete Townshend, he's notched a few hits as a solo artist and
starred in an occasional movie, most notably the title role in Ken Russell's
1975 film version of The Who's Tommy.

Daltrey lends much-needed rock credibility as host of Strange Frequency (VH1
tested the concept last January with a two-hour film starring Eric Roberts,
Judd Nelson and Duran Duran's John Taylor). In tonight's debut, "Soul Man,"
Daltrey also gets to flex his acting muscles, but alas, he barely holds this
feeble Faust knock-off up by its spandex.

Following the Hendrix prelude, the story cuts to the present. Our hero,
Mitch (Buffy the Vampire Slayer's James Marsters), is the unappreciated
roadie for an obnoxious star guitarist. Mitch hasn't got the chops to make
the big time, but his luck changes after he takes one of his boss's guitars
in for repair at a back alley music shop. The joint is run by a bearded
geezer in mod Ben Franklin shades who looks suspiciously like Daltrey in a
goofy wig and fake teeth. Beneath the counter, Mitch spies a piece of sheet
music titled "Jimi Hendrix Blues." The hippie tells Mitch that the song, if
played, "would conjure up the devil himself" and comments on how
out-of-character it was for Jimi to perform, as he didn't read music.
Intrigued, Mitch buys the sheet music and plays the tune.

Presto! It's Daltrey again, this time in the guise of wily talent scout
Simon Rathmore, who convinces Mitch that with the right management  namely
him  the kid can be a star. And why not? Simon says he discovered Hendrix,
Stevie Ray Vaughn and Kurt Cobain. "Don't fear success," Simon tells his
client. "Don't fear your desires."

It can't be easy for Daltrey to sprout lines like that with a straight face,
but he does, and convincingly so. In fact, he shrewdly resurrects the
thuggish persona that served him so well in his 1980 film McVicar and turns
Simon into a believably savvy, fast-talking diabolical agent who has a ball
making Mitch's life hell. As the lusting-for-success victim, however,
Marsters is, well, static; he's far too bland and wooden and seems to have
no particular zest (or feel) for the material. Adapting a literary warhorse
like Faust requires some style, some scares and a surprise or two. They are
not in abundant supply here. And you can't telegraph the story's climax in
the first five minutes.

Strange Frequency is off to an ordinary start, but Daltrey's participation
as host, abetted by better future storylines  like next week's episode
about a recovering rock star (John Hawkes) and his dubious muse (Patsy
Kensit)  gives us hope.  G.J. Donnelly

        -Brian in Atlanta
         The Who This Month!
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