stop, look and listen: repris
So, was there something worth hearing? My breakdown, worst to best.
Wasted moments:
The Fergie/Legend duet was a waste of Legend. The Jerry Lee Lewis, John Fogerty, Little Richard lacked the zip it needed. The Foo Fighter contest picked an interesting winner, but she was under-used in the culminating performance. I’m still not sure what I think of the Keys/Sinatra opener, but the fact that I was fixated on how they got his reflection on the piano so realistic probably signifies a strong negative correlation with musical interest. But worst, for me was the Groban/Bocelli duet. I’m not sure what you call that genre they were doing, but it seems to be thrown in a lot when either the pop world or the opera world wants to reach out to the other. It’s a mistake. If they wanted to give a nod to Pavarotti, they’ve got 500 years of good art music and plenty of actual opera singers to choose from.
Not sure just what to think:
• Seeing Ringo is always a good thing, but seeing him with a doppelganger is weird. Does Dave Stewart always look like Ringo, is that part of their act, or is that just the “in” look among British pop stars of a certain age?
• Glad to see Amy Winehouse catch some wins. I’ve never heard her live, so I don’t know what to think of her performance. Are her physical ticks just part of her performance style, or a result of her health issues? I don’t mind the ticks, but I’m annoyed at myself that my knowledge of her recent path is figuring into my interpretation of the performance. I don’t care, but I’d like to know if it’s art so I can at least let my aesthetic nerve work unfettered.
[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=Qm8-OjJPG0Q]
What I liked:
• Feist – Of course, I’d heard her hit “1 2 3 4″, it’s everywhere, but it never did anything for me on the radio. It was catchy in the annoying earworm sense, but that’s all. But I liked her live: quirky and interesting vocal style, interesting instrumentation. Is that what we hear on the album? I didn’t love this performance, but when live differs this much from recording, I want to hear more.
• Brad Paisley – Country music isn’t my thing, but I’ve sometimes enjoyed it as the remaining heir to the Tin Pan Alley school of “clever” songwriting, with songs like “I’ve Got Friends in Low Places” and “I Want to Talk about Me” being examples I like. So, Paisley’s number was certainly ear catching. Was he really saying “I want to check you for ticks”? He was. It took me most of the song to decide whether this was good clever or just twee. The good thing, though, is that a large part of my indecision was due to being greatly distracted by some very interesting guitar soloing in there. Is that him? Lead guitar really stretched my understanding of country guitar – clearly country but with a raunchy blues bend that was perfect. I like the idea of country getting in the gutter a bit (maybe it would have to be ditch), and I’d definitely want to hear more of that guitar, but I’ve decided: the tick-picking lyric is a buzz kill.
• Kid Rock with Keely Smith on “That Old Black Magic.” Believe it or not this was the one truly head turning moment for me in the show. This pairing could never have happened in any other context, so of course there was some contrivance in the banter. But it hit a light touch, and the two had ample good humor and charm to pull it off. More importantly, Rock’s approach to the music just worked. He didn’t force himself into a foreign genre, he did something different that fit. I don’t know a thing about his usual music – I doubt it’s anything like this, and I certainly didn’t get the vibe that I’d discovered a major voice, but this was enough to make me want to check him out. And that’s why I watch.
Anyone else hear something they liked?
posted by what at 12:17 am
I enjoyed this year’s Grammys more than I thought I would. Better overall it seems to me than the last few years. My favorites: Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang doing Rhapsody in Blue (the music and the visuals) and the rendition of Let It Be. I also really liked Amy Winehouse performance, ticks and all. Love her voice!
Unlike Feist who was just boring. I just don’t get it. To me it’s just another dumb pop song sang by someone with a very common voice. I did not hear what you heard, What.
My son and I were flipping back and forth. We caught the Little Richard, Jerry Lee and Fogarty act. I to thought Jerry Lee was dead..almost sounded like it too. My son just thinks Little Richard is crazy. He likes his Wooooo. Overall what I saw was pretty boring. I did see the Amy Winehouse part though. I haven’t heard much of her music…I think I will like it better if I don’t have to see her…kind of creepy.
I loved, loved, loved Amy Winehouse!! She was great…electric!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm8-OjJPG0Q
(She just has got to make it. Come on, Amy.)
Rhapsody In Blue really stood out for me, also.
Loved Feist.
Kanye got me a little emotional with his lyrics “Last night I saw you in my dreams… Now I can’t wait to go to sleep.”
I did not enjoy the Andrea Bocelli/Josh Groban pairing. Ok, I just don’t like Josh Groban.
Saddly I missed Little Richard and Jerry Lee as well as Kid Rock with Keely Smith
I’m not into country at all, but Brad Paisley did seem a cut above the rest, much easier to watch, and the guitar playing caught my notice too. He could be a cross-over some day, but he’d have to hone his lyric writing a bit. John Mayer’s “your body is a wonderland” is so preferable to “I want to check you for ticks.”
Speaking of John Mayer.– they seemed to be indicating a duet between him and Alica Keyes, but what was that?
I also enjoyed Lang Lang and Herbie Hancock. How charming to learn that Lang Lang was inspired to play the piano by a cartoon. I’m pretty sure it was this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_vyihYdB5I
It just goes to show that you can find your art, or even your muse, in the most unlikely places.
A couple of other things that stood out for me were: Keely Smith/Kid Rock, Kanye West’s song about his mother, and how KW demanded — and got — a little respect when he spoke about her in his acceptance speech.
**reality check** - “health issues”????
I know you are trying to just focus on the music but, seriously, as long as train wrecked kids are what the music business promotes then it will continue to go down the financial tubes. Even though I like her music, I refuse to spend a cent to buy it. Shame on the Grammy’s for using her drug problem as free publicity for their show. The timing was not subtle.
I don’t think drug use is anything new in show biz, for young kids and old. Unfortunate, I know. But I really don’t think the grammys used her drug problems as free publicity. She deserves recognition IMO. I hope she pulls out of this.
sorry mama, even her single is called “rehab”, smell the coffee
I believe that they had Amy Winehouse on because she had the hottest album of the year, not to promote drug use, or to use her drug use to promote the music. The Grammys are about the MUSIC business!
Also, if you take all the drug users out of the music business who are you going to be left with? Take out the Beatles! Take out Ray Charles! Take out Etta James! Take out Sly Stone! Take out Willie Nelson! Take out Elvis! Take out…you get the idea…
All that said, I hate seeing what has happened to young Amy. It is so sad. I am not sure she will make it. So sad. I use her story to talk to my kids about the dangers of drugs. If she had to put out a song about not going to rehab, I’m gld her real life shows that she actually had to GO TO REHAB. I’m not sure if this is making any sense…don’t mind my ramble…
I’ve not followed Winehouse’s story really closely, but I thought she was recently in rehab for drug addiction, which most health care professionals, including the American Medical Association, consider a disease. Whether physical, mental or some combination, it seems a pretty serious health issue to me.
I think the music industry, including the recording academy, is well aware of the problem of drug abuse and addiction among musicians. For example, it’s a huge focus of Musicares, a philanthropic arm of the RIAA. The Grammys website has a lot about it.
But, in any case, I think it’s important not to confuse the musician with the music. We’re not doing ourselves, the musician or art itself any favors if we forget that our relationship is to the music, not the musician.
Some of the music I like best was written by a murderer, but it still moves me some 400 years after the fact.
so call me a crank, I didn’t watch everything but I hate “popera”, I hate dead people duets, I hate Feist, Foo was OK but I didn’t really think the orchestra worked, Jerry Lee looked fossilized,…
Amy was rather coherent for Amy (love her band), I think she came out of rehab for the Grammy performance - not sure if that was permanent or if she is back in. I hope it works, although it often takes more than one try.
What, who was it, the murderer whose music still moves you? Just curious!
I was midly entertained last night. I liked Amy, I even sorta enjoyed Groban/Bocelli, although the duet is more suited for a traditional male female duo imho. As for the genre comment considering there is a question as to what genre Taylor Hicks belongs in, and which one will accept him, it’s somewhat funny that was even commented on. I for one am a bit tired of characterizing artists. Popera, whatever, and this is coming from a person who thinks that Bocelli is a pompous, condescending ass. To me it was an emjoyable spectacle.
C.G.?
About Fiest. Yeah the 1-2-3-4 thing can get annoying but,
when you hear her sing Secret Heart, that’s a different story.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0rWme1-Np4g
Grammys
For a golden anniversary the programing was lame.
Hey, no kudos for Tina Turner? The woman is nearly 70 years old! Even a superficial guy such as myself knows how she can “look” that good, but how does she “move” like that at her age?!
I kind of liked the show. Thought it was enjoyable and more diverse than usual. I didn’t care about most of the nominees, but was glad Steve Earle got the acknowledgement. I saw it in the newspaper the next day (always liked his angst!) And Angelique Kidjo got noticed too (good on you, Angelique!).
Amy Winehouse? Sorry (and don’t intend to offend), but I think I’m the only person on the planet who doesn’t like her. I’ll take the voice of the lady who sang ‘Let It Be’ with the little kid, over this girl’s voice any day (but what do I know?). Hell, I’ll take the voice of the little kid, over Amy’s! Anybody know who she was? I would purchase HER cd.
It’s Carol Woods on “Let It Be” - she (and the kid) did the song in “Across the Universe” and are on the soundtrack album. I agree: fantastic. You can see a trailer of that moment in a post I did on the film awhile back:
c2what.com/music or misery
I was glad about Steve Earle, too - great album. I cheated and looked at the grammys site right before the show started to see the winners for all the categories that weren’t going to be broadcast.
And, Karen, yes. I’ll post on him one of these days.
So if someone is a “train-wreck,” they can’t also be considered a great artist? For shame. Amy put out the best album I have heard in many, many years. In fact I was inspired to blog about her just tonight, as a result of all the flack she’s getting lately. She is an amazing talent, regardless of her teeth, her addictions, or her bouffant.
So, C. G. stands for Carlo Gesualdo??? Is this some kind of riddle?
Julie, I’m off to check your blog!
Thanks, What!
The young boy who sang “Let it Be” is Timothy Mitchum, a sophomore at the School of the Arts in Rochester, New York. I loved his voice. He is appearing on the Ellen show today. Sadly, a junior from the same school was killed Sunday in a thirty-six car pileup caused by a whiteout on one of Rochester’s expressways.
Cool!, I didn’t know about the ‘Ellen’ show. On the west coast, I’ll be watching later. Thanks Karen for the info.