Time for my annual Grammy Awards rundown.If you’ve never read my annual round up before, please remember that I only talk about the performances. I never talk about the winners. and losers,.....becuase I don’t care.
Also remember that I don’t pay much attention to mainstream radio anymore so Grammy Performances are sometimes the first time I hear some of the mainstreams newer artists.
Ok, lets go.
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Lady Gaga
I have never heard Lady Gaga before although I have heard of her ( Yeah I know, that’s hard to believe but really don’t pay that much attention to the mainstream)
First impression: Marilyn Manson in Drag
2nd impression: Her outfit reminds me of 70’s David Bowie
She appears to be singing live but her chorus sounds like it’s pre - recorded. I am going to assume the band is pre- recorded too since they are no where in sight. What is in sight is the pre requisite 50 dancers that everyone seems to need nowadays.
I am enjoying the theatrics and the part where she gets thrown down into the reject bin when I hit pause and say to Kathy “It won’t be long till Elton John does a duet with this woman”
....Then to my surprise the stage opens and she is doing a duet with.......Elton John. They are both sitting at dueling pianos and playing and singing live and now we see the band. I enjoy this 2nd half of the performances better than the first half.
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Broadway cast of “American Idiot” and Green Day.
American Idiot is now a broadway musical? .......Wow!
It took Broadway 20 years to catch up to the Who and realize that Tommy would make a good stage production. Good to see that they didn’t wait as long to adapt Green Day.
I am already pumped to see this stage show.
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Beyonce.
I only ever hear Beyonce on these TV broadcasts. She is always an amazing vocal talent, but I am just not that interested in the music she records. But I have heard this song once before. A friend of mine asked me to watch the music video for this song, so that I could appreciate another video that was a parody of it.
This live performance is different in that it feature a live rock band and an orchestra. The band and the orchestra a great. Then suddenly she breaks into Alanis Morrisette's “You Oughta know” Artistically it’s a great choice for her.
I don’t know why she has Ninja turtles on stage with her though,. They really didn’t do anything, but march on the stage with her and fist the audience.
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Pink
I only ever hear Pink on these TV broadcasts too. I have never heard this song before, but it feels like I would really like it more with repeated listens.
Then suddenly she disrobes wearing a sheer body suit that simulates nudity and the audience starts applauding. I can’t figure why. Are they applauding simulated nudity? or simulated stripping?
I have nothing against nudity. I think we Americans are need to develop a healthier attitude about it.
Then she joins some additional nude simulated dancers in a Cirque du Soliel style performance.
It’s a really beautiful and lyrical performance. Then Pink hangs from a rope, gets dumped in water and hangs over the audience spinning as water flies off of her. It is then that I realize that the vocals we are hearing at this point have to be prerecorded since it seems unlikely that her microphone could function with that much water on it (besides it would have probably electrocuted her too).
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Black Eyed Peas
I don’t listen to mainstream radio but I have already heard “Tonight's going to be a good night” on to many commercials. .
this song has always sounds like something that would be on some 80’s Disney kids show to me.
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Lady Antebellum
Finally the show is about music and we see a band give a great solid live performance with out 50 dancers standing in front of them. This the first time I have heard this band too. I am not sure that their music my kind of thing, but this is a REALLY good band.
And for that reason I might go check out this album.
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Jamie Fox and T-Pain
I can’t understand why Jamie Fox uses so much obvious auto tune, when he really can sing. Then Slash joins them onstage and he’s playing the guitar solo from November Rain. This whole performance feels like something I would have dreamed about after eating to many green chili burritos and a lot of ice cream.
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Zac Brown Band and Leon Russell
Suddenly it’s about the band again. I am not getting into the Zac Brown bands song and then suddenly they break into this amazing explosive ending and the lead singer breaks into an amazing guitar solo.
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Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks
I only ever hear Taylor on these TV shows too, I am not into her music and I am not that into her opening song, but she is authentic and I am so glad that young girls now have someone authentic like Taylor Swift to look up to as a musical artist rather then Brittany Spears or her latest knock off clone.
Stevie joins her halfway for Rhiannon. The two have a little trouble harmonizing in a few spots, but Stevie has such a different kind of voice that it’s probably hard to harmonize with her
Stevie’s regular guitarist is there too and does a great job on the guitar solo.
Then they go back into a different Swift song which I enjoy a whole lot more than the first one.
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A Whole Bunch of People Sing A Michael Jackson Song
Celine Dion, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, & Smokey Robinson to be exact.
At first I thought I wasn’t going to like this song, but maybe that’s just because Celine Dion was the first one onstage. But by the ending I was reminded that Michael Jackson can sometimes write truly great riffs and groves. By the songs end I was won over and wanted to hear it again.
I think that including a 3D video during the performance was kinda pointless since most of the TV audience isn’t going to have 3D glasses.
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Bon Jovi
I almost hate having to be honest when it comes to this band.
They are all underrated musicians, Jon Bon Jovi is a good vocalist and they seem like decent enough guys, but I have just never gotten into their songs. I can only think of one or two of their songs that I actually enjoy.
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Andrea Bocceli and Mary J Blige
My mother loves Andrea. :)
I don’t have to be into him to recognize that he is an amazing vocalist. and I think that most vocalists would be afraid to be on the same stage with him. Mary does a good job holding her own with him.
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Dave Matthew's Band
Another great band that I am just not that into.......and yet, for the first time I found myself getting into one of their songs. This was very spirited and heartfelt performances. Maybe I need to give one their albums another chance.
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Maxwell and Roberta Flack
Maxwell is really good, watching this performance makes me think that he is the modern day answer to Marvin Gaye....Yeah, he’s that good.
Then Robert Flack joins him onstage for “Where is the love”.
most of today's pop singers keep the mic right up to mouths. I notice that Robert Flack keeps her mic very far away from her and yet, we can still hear her really well. Which tells me that she still has a really strong voice.
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Jeff Beck and Imelda May pay tribute to Les Paul
COOL! Very cool!
I want an audio copy of this performance.
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Dr Dre, Eminiem and Lil Wayne (w’ Blink 182’s drummer)
Never really listened to Lil Wayne, but I like a lot of Eminem’s stuff and I really liked the first half with Wayne and Eminem but the second half had to many audio drop outs (because of all the curse words) and it just ruins the continuity.
I still don’t understand why so many of these guys have to wear their pants down to their but cracks though, it always makes me want to pants them.
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Looking back at this years performances, I see the repeating theme of recording artists who’s music I am just not that into. This wasn’t the worst night of Grammy performances that I have ever seen, but it wasn’t one of the best ones either (and there have been some awesome ones in the past). This year kinda sits in the middle for me. For me the highlights where Maxwell with Roberta Flax and Jeff Beck with Imelda May.
I think that this years live performances don’t rate as high with me because too many of them where about the theatrics rather than the musical performance. This is supposed to be music’s biggest night after all.
Those are my feelings, please feel free to share yours and let me know just how on the money or off the mark you think I am.
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