Monday, February 09, 2004
Yes, I watched the Grammys...
Actually, I enjoyed more of the show than I thought I would. I haven't watched the grammies in about 7 or 8 years because it has SO little to do with music I (or anyone I know) listen to.
But this year, circumstances just seemed to gel. I was home and too sleepy to do much else (after a long, busy, great weekend in NY); I kept hearing about that Clash tribute last year that was supposedly really cool; Foo Fighters were performing; and, I love the Outkast album and figured they'd dominate. SO, I watched while I caught up with email and stuff.
- I loved the opening with Prince and Beyonce. Don't care that she was there in particular (though her dress was cool), but they did three Prince classics, and he was on it. A cool opening I didn't expect.
- Foo Fighters with Chick Corea....'nuff said. Would have made a whole DAY of viewing worth it for me.
- Outkast was good; Justin Timberlake was interesting to me (he IS trying to be the white, seeing Stevie Wonder which I found funny and a little endearing and Jamiroquoi-esque); Sting did "Roxanne" and any Police song on t.v. is a good Police song. Plus he wore a skirt, which I found a hoot 'cuz it really looked like a skirt, not a kilt.
- The whole R&B, rap, funk explosion thing was cool, and I'm glad they're paying tribute to the whole genre (past and present), as it certainly dominates music today. Earth, Wind and Fire still have it, and though folks tell me George Clinton does as well, you couldn't tell from the telecast.
- Beatles tribute band was really lame (Dave Matthews -- eewww, some country guy, Sting and another guy I can't remember). President's Award to the band on the 40th anniversary of their US invasion, with Harrison and Lennon widows, was pretty good because they didn't do a whole hokey, long video montage or some shit. The widows and Ringo and Paul saying thanks. Classy. Ono a bit odd, but was moved by the plea for peace. Can't fault her for that.
- I like that the show was really dedicated to so many musical performances, many of which interestingly paired artists with one another. At least that makes them performances you'll never see anywhere else.
- Celine Dion's tribute to Luther Vandross started out fantastically - her mike wouldn't work! Awesome -- though would have been better if her mike had never come on.
- White Stripes were fine; exactly the same performance I just saw at GW (though Jack's voice seemed pretty shot)... He really can make that guitar scream, though, can't he?
- While I was proud of Christina doing a heartfelt number with all of her clothes on, I don't like the way she has to make every lyric bounce around across fifteen notes over three octaves. I just hate that kind of vocal.
Hey, no one is more surprised than I that I didn't hate the telecast. Maybe I'm just getting old. ;)
Awards not telecast that I dig:
Best Rock Album
(Vocal or Instrumental. Includes Hard Rock and Metal.)
One By One
Foo Fighters
[RCA/Roswell Records]
Best Rock Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock & Metal songs. Singles or Tracks only.)
Seven Nation Army
Jack White, songwriter (The White Stripes)
Track from: Elephant
Best Alternative Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)
Elephant
The White Stripes
[V2/ThirdMan Records]
Best Spoken Word Album
(Narrated/dramatized books include authors' names in parenthesis for identification.)
Lies And The Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair And Balanced Look At The Right (Al Franken)
Al Franken
[HighBridge Audio]
Actually, I enjoyed more of the show than I thought I would. I haven't watched the grammies in about 7 or 8 years because it has SO little to do with music I (or anyone I know) listen to.
But this year, circumstances just seemed to gel. I was home and too sleepy to do much else (after a long, busy, great weekend in NY); I kept hearing about that Clash tribute last year that was supposedly really cool; Foo Fighters were performing; and, I love the Outkast album and figured they'd dominate. SO, I watched while I caught up with email and stuff.
- I loved the opening with Prince and Beyonce. Don't care that she was there in particular (though her dress was cool), but they did three Prince classics, and he was on it. A cool opening I didn't expect.
- Foo Fighters with Chick Corea....'nuff said. Would have made a whole DAY of viewing worth it for me.
- Outkast was good; Justin Timberlake was interesting to me (he IS trying to be the white, seeing Stevie Wonder which I found funny and a little endearing and Jamiroquoi-esque); Sting did "Roxanne" and any Police song on t.v. is a good Police song. Plus he wore a skirt, which I found a hoot 'cuz it really looked like a skirt, not a kilt.
- The whole R&B, rap, funk explosion thing was cool, and I'm glad they're paying tribute to the whole genre (past and present), as it certainly dominates music today. Earth, Wind and Fire still have it, and though folks tell me George Clinton does as well, you couldn't tell from the telecast.
- Beatles tribute band was really lame (Dave Matthews -- eewww, some country guy, Sting and another guy I can't remember). President's Award to the band on the 40th anniversary of their US invasion, with Harrison and Lennon widows, was pretty good because they didn't do a whole hokey, long video montage or some shit. The widows and Ringo and Paul saying thanks. Classy. Ono a bit odd, but was moved by the plea for peace. Can't fault her for that.
- I like that the show was really dedicated to so many musical performances, many of which interestingly paired artists with one another. At least that makes them performances you'll never see anywhere else.
- Celine Dion's tribute to Luther Vandross started out fantastically - her mike wouldn't work! Awesome -- though would have been better if her mike had never come on.
- White Stripes were fine; exactly the same performance I just saw at GW (though Jack's voice seemed pretty shot)... He really can make that guitar scream, though, can't he?
- While I was proud of Christina doing a heartfelt number with all of her clothes on, I don't like the way she has to make every lyric bounce around across fifteen notes over three octaves. I just hate that kind of vocal.
Hey, no one is more surprised than I that I didn't hate the telecast. Maybe I'm just getting old. ;)
Awards not telecast that I dig:
Best Rock Album
(Vocal or Instrumental. Includes Hard Rock and Metal.)
One By One
Foo Fighters
[RCA/Roswell Records]
Best Rock Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock & Metal songs. Singles or Tracks only.)
Seven Nation Army
Jack White, songwriter (The White Stripes)
Track from: Elephant
Best Alternative Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)
Elephant
The White Stripes
[V2/ThirdMan Records]
Best Spoken Word Album
(Narrated/dramatized books include authors' names in parenthesis for identification.)
Lies And The Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair And Balanced Look At The Right (Al Franken)
Al Franken
[HighBridge Audio]
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