The Grammys

Update 11:28:

Green Day is announcing album of the year. Will I be surprised? There are multiple good options…

Well, I’m surprised.

Raising Sands – Robert Plant and Allison Krauss

Robert Plant and Allison Krauss accepting an award. (Credit: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)

I really didn’t expect this. I’m not shocked. I know how the Grammys can go. Still, as I said earlier, I really thought it was Coldplay’s year.

One last comment before I go to bed: Has anyone ever looked less like a T-Bone?

OK, one more comment: This doesn’t make up for Zeppelin never winning.

One last comment: They just won album of the year. Let them speak! How dare CBS pop up the music in the middle of Robert Plant’s speech, just in a rush to get back to Stevie Wonder. Awful ending to an otherwise good show.

Update 11:13:

Lil’ Wayne just won a very deserved Best Rap Album for Tha Carter III. The first one on the stage with him was his little girl. And he loved every second of winning. Good shit.

Album of the Year next.

Quick Comment: This Bob Dylan – Will.I.Am Pepsi commercial is not nearly as bad as people want to make it out to be. Sure, we hate that they’re shilling for stuff. But remember, it’s not the first time for either of them. Neither is exactly who we want them to be, but isn’t that the point? Hasn’t that always been Dylan’s point?

Ah, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now…

Update 11:10:

Lil’ Wayne and Robin Thicke (great voice, who is he?) just sang a nice duet about New Orleans. Now they’re getting completely upstaged by Allen Toussaint, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Terrance Blanchard.

Tremendous.

Rap album next.

Update 11:00:

Neil Diamond still has it and no one appreciates it more than Paul McCartney.

Watching the “Oh! I forgot he died” list scroll by. It’s always sad. Lost some good ones, like every year. Not sure why Buddy Miles wasn’t chosen worthy of his own screen, when the guy who wrote the theme for Andy Griffith did, but that’s life.

Liked the time they gave to Danny Federici’s organ solo, though, and I especially love the fade into Bo Diddley played by BB King, John Mayer, Keith Urban and another guy I didn’t recognize Buddy Guy. (Oops.)

Just one thing… they left out Billy Powell. Strange.

(Correction: He died in 2009.)

Update 10:42:

Ok, I’m not sure what happened. For a few minutes some old white dude was saying “Yes We Can” a lot and seemed to be trying to co-opt our president. Then Smokey Robinson said something about the Four Tops. Now Jamie Foxx is on stage singing their songs with Smokey and two other dudes Ne-Yo and Duke Fakir. I think one of them Fakir is the last remaining Top. Jamie, Ray was just a movie.

Wow, these things usually run long. This year, they’re putting in time killers. Strange.

Update 10:28:

Radiohead were on. Backed by the USC Trojan marching band, they offered a performance worthy of their talent and heft. Rather than strip down their artistry for the international audience, they stepped it up in all its dissonance and lack of hooks. Their albums are works of art, not collections of songs. They’re not poppy, but as evidenced in this year’s nominations, they’re too good to ignore.

This performance reaffirmed Radiohead’s backbone and refusal to tailor themselves for the masses. On the same stage that snubbed OK Computer so many years ago, Thom Yorke and company looked every bit the avant garde powerhouse that U2 has spent a decade intermittently chasing.

Update 10:17:

Adele’s “Chasing Pavements” doesn’t do it for me. It never has and this performance makes it feel even more contrived than before. In contrast, Sugarland is really good. Really really good. It’s kind of a shame they have such a dumb name.

Oooh, still to come: Radiohead. I’d forgotten. Good to see the band that turns its back on the record companies is still held in high graces by the recording artists.

Update 9:58:

M.I.A. just tore it up. (Credit: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

M.I.A. has the best dress ever put on a pregnant person. I’ll get a pic up when I can, but basically we’re looking at a translucent body suit with polka dot patches covering her breasts, very pregnant stomach (she’s due today), and ass. Oh, and despite looking quite ready to welcome her child into the world, she absolutely tore it up, holding her own with no less than Jay-Z, Lil’ Wayne, Kanye West and T.I. A show stopper.

Oh, and right now Dave Grohl is playing Ringo to Paul McCartney’s Paul in a semi-star Beatles tribute band. Wow, way to challenge yourselves. I’m not sure which one of them I’m less impressed with, but they sound good.

Update 9:46:

Ok, so I’m again not quite as smart as I thought. Allison Krauss and Robert Plant just won Record of the Year. I guess if you put that much talent together (the two of them with T-Bone Burnett), something great is bound to happen. I don’t know the album, though I hear its awesome. Regardless, I have to file this one with Herbie Hancock winning last year’s Album of the Year. No one doubts his talent or the quality of the album, but if you’re going that far out of the mainstream, aren’t their other great albums that deserve recognition, too?

BTW- just learned that Plant co-wrote the song with Jimmy Page, post Zeppelin. Kinda neat.

Update 9:27:

Katy Perry is sexy. (Credit: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)

Wow, I think the Jonas Brothers were disgusted by Katy Perry. Might those promise rings be bleeding into their hormone stream?

In other news, “American Boy” is just a tremendous song. I hate Kanye and I have to give him and Estelle all the credit in the world. I find it as infectious as “Crazy,” Gnarls Barkley’s masterpiece from a few years back.

Update 9:25:

Katy Perry is sexy.

Update 9:23:

Coldplay accepting award. (Credit: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)

Coldplay just won Best Rock Album. It’s a shame, because I would have liked to have seen one of their competitors recognized, especially since I think they have bigger awards heading their way tonight.

But more importantly, what the hell was that Stevie Wonder – Jonas Brothers collaboration? I mean, is it wrong to question whether, just for those few minutes, Stevie might have wanted a different one of his senses disabled? And the way he was smiling, I can only hope that someone spared him and turned down their mix in his earphones.

Stevie Wonder plays with the Jonas Brothers. (Credit: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Sadly, my Wyckoff brethren just don’t have the pipes to sing “Superstitious.” They know how to rock and I credit them to writing and playing their own songs, but leave Stevie’s canon alone!

Original Post:

So here are some early thoughts from music’s night of self-celebration. First off, I love music, I love celebrating it and I love the Grammys. That means I actually care and get upset, year after year, when the wrong songs and albums get nominated and win. Still, for someone with musical interests that don’t always flow along the main stream, I find the Grammys can ground me a bit and usually remind me what the rest of the world listens to and likes.

So, on to this year’s telecast. Some early thoughts:

U2 opens the show. (Credit: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)

U2′s new song “Get On Your Boots” isn’t very good. In fact, it’s been less than an hour since I heard it and I can’t even remember how it goes. I will never doubt Bono’s ability to keep himself in front of a camera and on the radio, but so far, this album interests me even less than the last one.

Al Green and Justin Timberlake did a very cool duet of “Let’s Stay Together.” Justin can really sing and I respect him for that. Plus, the Reverend has apparently lost nothing over the years. What I don’t understand, though, is why they had to embarrass Boyz II Men and Keith Urban. After introducing the song as some sort of Memphis reunion between Justin and Rev. Al, they threw some bit parts at the Philly R&B powerhouse (glorified Pips) and the Australian country star (restrained guitar solo). It was just awkward.

Much credit to Kid Rock for calling out to Billy Powell’s memory before launching into his “Sweet Home Alabama” ode “All Summer Long.” It’s never been my favorite song and I’ve always heard the “Werewolves of London” element stronger than the song it actually calls out in the chorus. Still, much credit for honoring my hero.

Finally, it looks to me like it will be Coldplay’s night. I expected it, but winning Song of the Year for “Viva La Vida” was a strong start. I though “American Boy” might have taken it, but with that out of the way, Record and Album of the year appear well in their sites.

Oh – one more thing – “Girls in Their Summer Clothes” for Best Rock Song? Really? I love Bruce, but that’s ludicrous.