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[klaus]

A "Grammies" search on REP forums so far yielded nothing about the 56th Awards Show, so I am dropping my five cents:

* Heartfelt, joyous, and thoroughly competent performances:
Carole King and Sara Bareillis; the drummer of the Daft Punk/Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers, Stevie Wonder "Get Lucky" number (though Wonder's singing was subdued); the shamefully truncated Trent Resnor number at the end of the night. (Thank you, NARAS, for the reminder that, ultimately, Delta Airlines and Hilton Hotels are really where the music's at, not some serious dudes playing their hearts out, and TRYING to create some art!)

* "When Will I Be Loved" is not an easy Everly Bros. song to harmonize to. But Miranda Lambert and Billie Joe Armstrong pulled it off, but also showed the true genius of the Everlies. I had no idea Billy Joe had vocal talent.

* Fashion trends I did not register before: the side-buzz haircuts of many of the young lads. They must all be going to the same one-trick Nazi barber who's been hiding out in the L.A. hinterlands since WWII.

* Pink is in the air! Yes, folks, we in the music biz are one giant entertainment circus! So leave your credulity and musical expectations at home, and enjoy the magic of vocal illusions! We had known already from the Bieb's YouTube throw-up party on stage, in mid song, yet miraculously continuing in perfect voice, that acrobatics and live vocals don't mix. Latest at Pink's mid-air pirouette, her headset mic should have registered some nice phasing sounds, or at least, some out-of breath, out-of shape wheezing. But these NARAS engineering tricksters are by now so smooth, that they blend the live mic back in, just as she lands back on earth, blending in just enough live heavy breaths.

* Scary media trend that never got into focus for me until last night (I don't own a TV): using music industry celebrities (don't dare call them "artists"!) who shill Chevrolets and other assorted ugly cars while tucking at your heartstrings. Once they've got your compassion for children, grandmas and the rest of God-loving humanity dialed up, they march right in, and turn you to buy their latest 99-cent song via iTunes (yes, I want to confess my most intimate secrets to John Legend, while we drive slowly through the ghetto in his fine-smelling intermediate-size airport rental automobile, then I will click "buy" as soon as I awake from my celebrity fantasy).

* Most embarrassing media advertising trend that actually gave me goose bumps last night: accompany music industry celebrities (who, and not just coincidentally, happen to be part of the actual telecast) on a fake "Oh my God, it's really Justin Timberlake!" encounter with mere mortals in their modest homes. What a surprise! (Ooops, camera seemed to already have been in the home when he rings the bell.) Then, zoom in on the poor lady's embarrassing apologies as Justin invites her to do a little demonstration of her half-baked "song" in her living room. "Just go ahead and play something for me, lady! I might even jam with you using my expert mouth drums (it would be asking too much to bring my own guitar)!" This number is the low-down, dirty cousin of the 'Make a Wish' Foundation's approach to celebrity dream encounters.

* It takes the balls of a Madonna to refuse even the most gingerly voiced suggestion by the show's musical director to maybe add just a touch of Autotune, so her pitch might line up with the rest of her tight persona. This is a case where a performance could have been saved by dialing in just an eighth of a note sharp (on every note, that is).

* I dread to even go there: the Grammies' pasture for old folks. The teleprompter barely helped Kristofferson and Haggard to read off the lyrics of that old anti-hippie chestnut "Okie from Muskogee".
Sample:
"We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee;
We don't take our trips on LSD
We don't burn our draft cards down on Main Street;
We like liven' right, and bein' free"

The irony of the sad performance of that stupid song is that the one countryman among them who openly enjoys a good smoke on a daily basis, and yet is more 'with it' than the rest, was good old Willie! (Notice, how that hole in his Spanish guitar gets bigger every year?)

Fifty years is a good run. Especially in Pop. And Paul's chestnut hair coloring wears ok on him (a billionaire can afford a good colorist), but what's up with Ringo's facial hair? I did not know that you could paint even a short cropped beard so perfectly dark. What's wrong with looking older in rock & roll? Look at the 1970s pretty boy, Peter Frampton last night, and you get an idea who's aging with dignity.

Speaking of Ringo: No wonder he was constantly looking to his right: that's were the actual time keeper of Mc Cartney's song was planted: Abe Laboriel, hitting the skins with perfect pocket, in perfect darkness.



I 've got more, but I've got to go.

[boz6906]

Klaus, ya gotta quit watchin' that idiot box, its done got your haid all squishy-like.

I swore off the Grammies in 2002, sad story ...

Wife after gig:  Let's stop at friend's house and watch Grammies.

Me:  But we just recorded Van Cliburn amateur comp winner, I have gear in Jeep, friends live in bad neighborhood.

Wife:  It'll be fine, c'mon!

Goodbye C414Bs, Mackie 2496, Crown SASS, etc...

[radardoug]

The trouble with getting old is you turn into a grumpy old man, but its fun!
Here in NZ the satelite feed kept cutting out, but maybe that was a good thing.
Paul should quit while he is well ahead, (several years ago).

[mbrebes]

Since no one else mentioned it, I've got to say something.  I grew up on the Everly Brothers and usually like Miranda Lambert and Green Day, but that rendition of When Will I Be Loved was horrible.  The beauty of the Everlys was how tight their harmonies were.  With Miranda and Billy the vocals were anything but tight.  Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy.

[Jim Williams]

I got back from seeing Jorma and Jack (Hot Tuna) at the Belly Up in Solana Beach. Man those guys can PLAY.

So I turn on the telly and see the Grammy's are on. It's the 'record of the year award'.

Some of those acts I never heeard of. The winners were two aliens in space outfits. Havn't a clue what planet they were from.

I figured, "nothing to see here" and turned it off.

P.T. Barnum would be proud.

[DarinK]

Best Grammy's in many years.  That's not saying a lot, but it was not nearly as bad as it's been, and I'd even say it was actually pretty good overall.  Sound was alright, given the limitations of such a huge show done live.  Most of the performers were really performing, not syncing.  And I say all this as a late-40's grumpy old indie/punk guy who doesn't generally much care for Top Commercial Pop.

[GYMusic]

I remember watching it for the music.  I did watch some clips on YouTube.  It reminds me of a freak show at the circus or state fair.  I feel like I can be critical because I do have a record out there.  My opinion is, the business of music has always been a huge popularity contest - and now even more pay-to-play than ever.

"Abe Laboriel (Jr), hitting the skins with perfect pocket, in perfect darkness."

Absolutely!

[ayesha]

It takes the balls of a Madonna to refuse even the most gingerly voiced suggestion by the show's musical director to maybe ad,............

[Plush]

I am no longer a member of NARAS--or do you say "NAIR-ASS," or perhaps, "NAY-RASS?"

[klaus]

Is your leaving NARAS related to anything I wrote about?

[Plush]

Thank you, Klaus

I was a member for many decades and also a national trustee and Chicago governor and vice president.
When NAY-RASS cut many awards categories and dumped the "Best Classical Album" category (which we regularly win here in Chicago) I became fed up. In conversation with the awards chairman, the excuses given and the reasons cited for the changes were woefully insufficient and devoid of critical thinking.

The organization does do some good things but they are thin on the ground. MusiCares is worthwhile I suppose.
The rest of the 364 days when the organization is not presenting a Grammy award are consumed with office workers clipping and admiring pr placements, self written articles, press releases and Hollywood mumbo jumbo all signifying nothing.

Mine is a view from deep inside the organization--a perspective arrived at after seeing the inner workings of the Academy and the "foundation."   

[Jim Williams]

I saw the light back in the late 1990's when then NARA's president Michael Green was accused of skimming member dues to give million dollar kickbacks. It was a criminal organization by that point. I also remember the mayor told MG that he would not be welcomed back to NYC to do another grammy show. They haven't been back since.

Their booths at NAMM and AES were once busy. Now they sit empty as no one wants to join. Apparently the word is out.

[Bodyslam]

The teleprompter barely helped Kristofferson and Haggard to read off the lyrics of that old anti-hippie chestnut "Okie from Muskogee".

Let's cut Kristofferson a little slack here. He's dealing with slipping into dementia, but had the guts to come out and try, in front of an audience of a billion. Pretty gutsy, in my book.

Just use it as a reminder of how much he's given us.

[klaus]

I saw the light back in the late 1990's when then NARA's president Michael Green was accused of skimming member dues to give million dollar kickbacks. It was a criminal organization by that point. I also remember the mayor told MG that he would not be welcomed back to NYC to do another grammy show.

Jim,
I am in receipt of a PM from a former NARAS trustee, who regards this information as unsubstantiated slander. Can you substantiate your claims that M. Green was accused of skimming member dues, and that NYC's mayor suggested to M. Green not to host another Grammy® show in NYC?

Thanks,
KH

[Jim Williams]

It's in the public record for anyone that want's to look it up. Mayor Rudy Guliani did have that talk with Michael Green.

There is good reason Michael Green no longer heads up NARAS.