snarky comments on the Grammys

to keep you coming I am throwing a post at you...

some thoughts on last night's Grammys.

• I forgot they were even coming on and had no plans to watch them. However, it worked out for Kristi and I to do it.
• Jonas Brothers do not = Hanson. Hanson was a wannabe rock band that was caught up in the circus for a little while before venturing on their own path. Jonas Brothers are exactly what we think they are. Plus, as annoying as Mmmm Bop and other early Hanson songs were, at least they were catchy sugary pop written by kids. JB songs are pedestrian pablum.
• Whitney Houston. I feel bad. Seriously, I do. Go home. get help. Brian Wilson has a wonderful psychiatrist/ guru. Ask Brian for his number. Call Denzel and ask him to take you to church. It is like watching Britney... if Britney were 45 and still on the same road.
• This "no host" thing is idiotic. Just pay a comedian to entertain us with lame jokes and the occasional good one. During his presentation, Craig Ferguson of the Late Late Show reminded us why comedians are better at being funny and giving awards than musicians that can barely read a teleprompter.
• My view of Coldplay has not changed. Actually I may respect them less and musicians. Did they steal their songs from Joe Satriani? No, but they are so derivative, they probably stole their songs from lots of artists and then stole the songs from themselves over and over. If I want overly emotive high register singing, a constant crescendo and the same vaguely spiritual lyrics, I will go back to a contemporary church.
• Coldplay wins best pop performance- i get that. it is pop. nothing more.
• Coldplay wins best rock album- seriously? Rock? How can the same pop band win both of these awards? Lil Wayne is more Rock than these guys. Metallica and Kings of Leon (the only good nominee) cannot believe they wasted a Sunday night.
• M.I.A. performs 9 months pregnant. You gonna tell her no? Did not think so. BTW, let her sing. Don't give me all the other rap stars singing over her. Where were the gun shots during Paper Airplanes? No guts Grammys.
• Kanye West... I am done with you. If I want to hear you, I will find your first album, College Dropout and listen to it. You have passed relevance and are moving quickly into self parody.
• Glad I could hear T.I. before he goes to prison. His performance with Justin Timberlake was the best surprise of the night for me. That is what mainstream rap needs to sound like.
• U2. I love you, but that was merely serviceable.
• Paul McCartney and Dave Grohl. Nice energy, wrong song selection. And crowd... you did not even stand for Sir Paul. Ridiculous. Have you no sense of history?
• Is there a clause in the grammys contracts that John Mayer is required to win at least 1 grammy per year, even if he has not released an album? I guess so. Mayer is quickly becoming Taylor. I feel the same about Alicia Keys, but at least her award was pre-broadcast.
• Rick Rubin wins best producer and we do not get to see it on TV? Here is an idea. Show more awards on the Awards shows. At least record the good pre-awards and then show us the winners getting their due. Then cut the crappy stuff. You lose nothing.
• Loved how much love the incomparable T-Bone Burnett got. Alison Krauss, Robert Plant and the camera people understand the greatness of the T-Bone. I want to be as cool as Robert at 60. For an old rocker, he is aging more gracefully than Mick, Paul, Bruce or Bob.
• Justin Timberlake has a nice voice. But when he sings with Al Green it reminds us of why these AI era technically proficient singers have nothing on the soul of Al or Marvin (whose voices would not make it onto modern pop radio). No one does it better than the Reverend (and Justin sounds just like MJ- lets hope he stays away from the scalpel and small children).
• I think Gwyneth has a bigger crush on Radiohead than her husband's band. Good taste. At least Nicole Kidman did not make it on stage. I would have been done, even before Radiohead (I guess we should be glad INXS or Midnight Oil were not nominated).
• I do not get Kenny Chesney. It is like I am listening to cuts Jimmy Buffet and Garth Brooks left off their albums, for good reason. Country Fans- Expect more!
• How was Carrie Underwood's song "country"? I do not get it. Sugarland gets lots of praise for being merely decent. Oh yeah. It is the Grammys where we give awards for mediocrity and decent-ness.
• there are 9 Latin music categories. I did not know that. I hope it is asked when playing Trivial Pursuit or when I can win money for my knowledge.
• I enjoyed Neil Diamond more than Stevie Wonder. I should feel bad. I don't.
• Did you know Al Green, Kings of Leon, Bruce Springsteen, Mars Volta, Duffy, Bela Fleck, They Might Be Giants, Metallica, Rick Rubin, Peter Gabriel, Daft Punk and Radiohead won Grammies? Me neither, until this morning. Had I seen some of those wins, I would have felt better.
• Radiohead... Radiohead...Radiohead. Worth the waste of my time most of the show was to see Radiohead perform 15 Steps with the USC band. One of the best moments I have seen on the show. I am at work and not finding it for you, but look on youtube, if you did not see it last night.