Justin Timberlake's long-awaited return to the stage was somewhat of a dud.

It was high on concept, yet low on originality.

He went with a '60s retro-soul production, partially televised in black and white -- which is about as novel a Grammy idea as pairing Elton John with an artist who's actually still making good music.

More troubling was the music itself. The two songs performed — "Pusher Love Girl" and "Suit & Tie" — were about as memorable as Timberlake's voiceover work in "Yogi Bear."

Even the guest appearance by Jay-Z didn't help matters (much)

Follow Jim Harrington at http://twitter.com/jimthecritic.