So I'm getting a late jump on this -- and my fellow Discordant recovers from a bizarre mishap. I missed AC/DC but was amused that they needed a Teleprompter for their own song. Also, happy to see Pharrell win, even if "Happy" is - what - three years old by now? Seeing Beck win was nice. Also, Tom Jones can still sing -- unlike his duet-mate Jessie J (she missed a few notes in "You've Lost That Loving Feeling.") And I'm surprisingly impressed with Madonna -- she didn't pull the drunk Colonel Sanders act of last year.
Let's get to the blogging.
9:10
So what's the big deal about Ed Sheeran? Was he really the best unsigned act in Britain four years ago (he was introduced that way). Please explain what makes him so great -- I'm hearing very little from his performance tonight that sounds innovative in any way. Is it that he actually sings and plays in a world where most people can't play an instrument and are Auto-Tuned? (I'm talking to you, Kanye)
9:14
ELO -- I can't help but think of a kid named Jeff Eberting every time I hear these guys.
9:15
Adam Levine and Gwen Stefani are introduced as "two of our finest." Finest what?
9:30
Why is Annie Lennox doing some sort of hand thing with her nose? Would that be permitted in church? Oh, and I'm buying the idea that Hozier is the new Gotye.
9:32
I have to say that if I never heard "All About that Bass" again I'd be a happy man.
9:33
Big surprise that Miranda Lambert wins in the best country album category. She was pretty much made for awards shows, with her just slightly on the edge lyrics that got her bleeped earlier in the night. Personally, I was rooting for Lee Ann Womack on the strength of her theme song for the Berenstain Bears.
9:36
How much mileage can one singer get out of one song? Surely not more than Pharrell Williams has gotten from "Happy". I mean, it's a fine song and all, but it was released in 2013.
9:45
President Obama makes a plea to stop violence against women. Oh, and Chris Brown is up for three Grammys.
9:50
I respect Katy Perry for what she's doing here. She's the biggest pop star in the world right now and she's using that platform for good. That said, it's just a week since she sang at the Super Bowl -- and it's not like the NFL has such a good track record with violence against women.
9:53
Wait! We want to play the Grammys too! We're Imagine Dragons, and Target is paying us huge money to make it look like we're at the Grammys. I'm not sure how I feel about this. This is going on for - what - two minutes? Three? They're getting paid to play in a giant Target logo. Folks, I don't think selling out gets better than this.
9:59
Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga may be in heaven but the rest of us are in hell.
10:07
Lifetime achievement award to the Louvin Brothers. For this song alone.
10:31
Sam Smith takes the stage for "I Won't Back Down" -- err, "Stay with Me". How long until the cutaway shot of Tom Petty?
10:34
Mary J Blige just destroyed Sam Smith. I realize she has years of experience and he's the new kid on the block but it really showed in this performance.
Take a listen to Sam Smith's Grammy-nominated hit song "Stay With Me" and you'll hear what could legitimately sound -- to some ears -- like a slowed-down replication of Tom Petty's 1989 hit "I Won't Back Down." But Petty downplayed the similarity, saying it was "a musical accident no more no less." Still, Petty and Jeff Lynne are credited as co-writers on Smith's track. And The Sun reported over the weekend that Smith settled a copyright dispute with Petty over the song. But Petty says the agreement was easy to come to, and that Smith's people "were very understanding of [Petty's] predicament." Petty adds that the word lawsuit was never used.
Smith is up for six Grammy Awards, including song of the year.
It's time for our annual Grammy running diary...so here we go!
8:00 - Last year we opened with Bruce Springsteen. This year a crazy Alice in Wonderland Taylor Swift opening. Stupid. I liked it better 25 years ago when Tom Petty tried it.
8:06 - LL Cool J is back again. I didn't realize he was so good last year, that he was needed to come back again this year. Yes, I'm feeling snide this year.
8:10 - I give Ed Sheeran a little credit for writing a catchy little song about drug use. I'm sure he felt honored that Sir Elton wanted to perform it with him. Too bad EJ is murdering the song.
8:20 - I can't...it's too easy. J. Lo is crazy, Pitbull is..., and Adele - what a dress!
8:22 - Fun. is much like the Hold Steady or early Springsteen: very wordy. I respect that they are a live band, and I have read in multiple sources they are a decent live act. The lead singer's outfit isn't earning him points though.
...and it rains. My 11 year old thinks it's a cool effect. Enough said.
8:32 - Katy Perry doing her best to keep John Mayer in check. Wait, is John Mayer the joker?
8:33 - My son Nick: "This girl's huge. Who is she?" As you can see, country music isn't big in our house.
8:39 - LL Cool J on AB is a highlight: skinny showing who's "bad."
8:40 - Wiz Kalifa's outfit is Grammy approved & auto-tuned! Nice.
8:43 - American Idol makes stars. Too bad I never heard the song before.
8:53 - Johnny Depp is doing his best Jim Morrison. And what is with the drinking this year? Is this the People's Choice Awards?
8:56 - my prediction: Mumford & Sons will go they way of the Strokes & Franz Ferdinand. Nice sound, but their follow up sounds EXACTLY the same. Record #3 will amount to nothing. Shame, they do have talent.
9:15 - Hi, My name is John. I am 41 years old. One month from today is my birthday. I announce I am officially out of touch with current popular music. I was bored & could care less about JT & Jay Z. At least last year featured Glenn Campbell.
9:18 - CBS puts up its "Cool alternative girl" to present with Mr. Cool Dave Grohl. I liked "Lonely Boy" & the video a year ago, but it became the mos mainstream/alternative song out there. Much like the Re Hot Chili Peppers & MGMT, you can hear them on any FM rock radio station.
9:38 - I am not a Rhianna fan. I find her to act immature.
9:40 - Ne-Yo. By FAR my LEAST favorite artist out there. That sing/talk rambling has to go!
9:43 - A joke by Jay Z highlights the night. I know what my overall highlight will be, and I'm sticking around just for that. Otherwise, I think I'd move on.
9:50 - I am being critiqued on twitter that I am too negative - sorry. @discordants, @bigjohnny2
9:50 - My interest just got piqued. A pretty raucous version of "Lonely Boy." Is that a random Indian Chief sitting in with the band? Like the horns too. There, a true positive.
9:53 - I'm not a fan, but Kelly Clarkson can sing.
10:06 - Bruno Mars just owned the Grammy's. The star-studded crowd is eating him up. Sting coming out is icing on the cake. The song sounded like a Police song, nice touch Bruno.
10:11 - I was hoping for a medley of Bob Marley songs for the tribute. A little disappointed.
10:19 - The Lumineers is something I enjoyed. Nice little love song. Transitions into Jack White. Two artists who made my best of 2012. The Grammys have been improving since getting called out.
10:23 - love that Jack White just went off the grid. My wife is wondering why he's "so white."
10:28 - It's fun's night. It could be worse.
10:31 - Checking posts, D. Mazepa just proclaimed Jack White the savior of rock & roll.
10:37 - are the dress effects supposed to draw me in to Carrie Underwood - not working.
10:40 - was that a little Sexy MF I was hearing! AWESOME!!!
10:41 - Prince likes Goyte. Glad he won. Overplayed, but great song. Prince looked truly touched by the complements Gotye gave him.
10:49 - Glad to see Dave Brubeck get his due. Very talented Jazz artist.
10:55 - RIP Adam Yauch. No question the biggest applause for the deceased.
10:58 - If I didn't know better, I would have thought Zach Brown was a member of the Band. That guy is beloved by so many I know. Never got into them.
11:15 - Sorry to so many, but I just don't get Frank Ocean. Simplistic keyboards with lyrics about Forrest Gump? I was honestly trying.
11:16 - Rolling Stone just tweeted a Yauch retrospective through the years. Maybe I'm not THAT out of touch.
11:18 - The Grammy's seem to honor those who have put together a collection of decent work instead of the work itself. Mumford & Sons previous record far surpasses this one. Springsteen is now a Grammy favorite, when his best work couldn't get a nomination. Jethro Tull anyone?
11:24 - Chuck D and Tom Morrello - ok! I'm liking this. Travis Barker seems to be a celebrity drummer for hire - but he is playing well. Morrello is a guitar god, to me. I lov RAGTM. I also love that he toured with Springsteen.
11:28 - a shout out to MCA. Thanks LL Cool J. Great to see how influential Yauch was.
Interesting night, I'm out. Look for some "three for the road's" this week.
OK, not everyone. But they bored me at the Grammys and there's been a lot of buzz about Dave Grohl's speech about how computers don't belong in music. Here's what Grohl said, according to the Los Angeles Times:
"This is a great honor, because this record was a special record for our
band. Rather than go to the best studio in the world down the street in
Hollywood and rather than use all of the fanciest computers that money
can buy, we made this one in my garage with some microphones and a tape
machine...
To me this award means a lot because it shows that the human element
of music is what's important. Singing into a microphone and learning to
play an instrument and learning to do your craft, that's the most
important thing for people to do.
It's not about being perfect, it's not about sounding absolutely
correct, it's not about what goes on in a computer. It's about what goes
on in here [your heart] and what goes on in here [your head]."
Well, at first blush that doesn't sound offensive. But here's why it is: Foo Fighters -- as I unartfully blogged on Sunday night -- are a bore. They haven't offered anything creatively in about 15 years. In fact, they've been pretty much re-making their debut album in the years since. Sure, every now and then (and frequently in their early years) they come up with a catchy song like "This Is A Call" or even 2002's "Times Like These", but it's all the same stuff. Grohl's still dining out on his days backing up Kurt Cobain. And their body of work is a warmed over catalog of generic rock, the stuff only has-beens and never-will-bes can truly be proud of.
Grohl fails to comprehend that music -- real music that drives those deep emotional responses he's talking about -- can be achieved in a variety of ways, on a variety of instruments, electronic and otherwise (OK, Not with Auto-Tune!). But it's not like he's out there recording Zen Arcade - in one take. And it's a poor craftsman who blames his tools. After all, it's not how we make music but the music we make that matters.
9pm - Oh Chris Martin, just please go away. You have no talent... and you're lucky to be married to Gwyneth.
My highlights so far:
Bruce -- fantastic. Look for Obama to use "We Take Care of Our Own" during his re-election campaign...
Reba's Joker smile...
When was the last time the Foo Fighters did anything interesting? I mean, besides don a Slayer T-shirt?
Chris Brown looked like he was in a live-action Q-Bert game, for all of you who remember Q-Bert.
LL has done very well for himself -- it's not an easy night given the news of the past 24 hours.
There is no one as classless as Fergie.
Oh, and Marc Anthony looks like Skeletor.
9:05 - I gotta say, the Rihanna song wasn't half bad. I expected to not like it at all. My wife about Coldplay: "These guys are insufferable."
9:06 - Man up Chris Martin and lose the falsetto.
9:07 - I am genuinely excited for Glenn Campbell. And Foster the People with the Beach Boys.
9:09 - OFF TOPIC - My wife says the Chipotle Willie Nelson ad is the best ad ever, and vows to eat there every day for the rest of her life.
9:11 - Victor Cruz? Mario Manningham? Really??? You had a great year and you salsa dance. Whatever. (Frustrated Eagles fan.)
9:13 - Best Rock Performance... Foo Fighters? Sure, give it to the band based on body of work. But they haven't done anything interesting in 15 years.
9:16 - Beach Boys!! Well, maybe just Maroon 5. What a disappointment to be teased with a legend and entertained by the most boring band in the world. The American Coldplay. Banal, boring and utter shite.
9:19 - Foster the People -- Love the trademark suits -- but the lead singer should show a bit more emotion or something... I mean, open your mouth when you're singing...
9:21 - Now it's the Beach Boys -- on their 50th anniversary. With the theremin? Nope... it's a keyboard.
9:22 - love the cutaway of Glen Campbell -- one-time Beach Boys studio guitarist. So sad he's fading away...
9:23 - This really is great... So cool to see them all together. And they sound good. Like they're in their 20s again. Terrific!
9:25 - To answer Colleen's question about the Beach Boys... It took me a while, but I grew into the Beach Boys -- they weren't big in my house when I was a kid but in my adulthood, I've come to really love them. Those are classic pop songs, with arrangements like no one else ever. "God Only Knows" is one of the greatest songs ever written.
9:27 - What's with Adrien Brody? He replaced Thierry Henry in the Federer/Henry/Woods ads for Gillette...
9:31 - Stevie Wonder -- I saw him in Urth Caffe in West Hollywood last year. Oh come on... Play "Love Me Do" on the harmonica.. that was sounding so good...
9:32 - Sir Paul McCartney... You were the third best Beatle. You only beat out Ringo. Take a bow.
9:36 - Common pays tribute to Gil-Scott Heron. Hipsters everywhere smile.
9:37 - Best R&B -- Give it to El Debarge!!!
Oh, no. Why can cheer for Chris Brown? The guy beats up Rihanna and wins a Grammy. There's no justice.
9:39 - The Civil Wars -- didn't know them, but they sound good. Maybe there's intelligent life in Nashville after all?
9:40 - Pennsylvania's own Taylor Swift. Kate (my wife) loves her. And she's got a banjo. More signs of intelligent life in Nashville. I mean, in a culture where singers don't write their own stuff, I respect Taylor Swift for doing both. She seems like a good kid.
I give you this:
9:50 - Song of the Year - I go for Mumford and Sons but Adele will win it.
9:51 - Yep. Adele wins again. Yawn. Not sure what the big deal with this one is.
9:52 - Kate Beckinsale is dressed like the guy in the Statue of Liberty costume in Midtown.
9:53 - More auto-tune -- from Katy Perry! So now Russell Brand has moved onto Zoey Deschanel? She looks just like Katy Perry. OK, minus the blue hair.
She looks like one of Marge Simpson's sisters. Thelma's sexing it up for the Grammys.
"Prick me with your love pin"? Somewhere Spinal Tap is shaking its collective head and wondering why they never got any love for the line "Poking in your pea patch." Thing is, it was a joke when they sang it...
9:58 - Best Country Album -- Gee, will Blake Shelton win? Nope... Let's give it to the same band that ripped off the Alan Parsons Project and won last year.
10:06 - OK, I will now attempt to get excited by Adele. OK, she does have a great voice, but I can't imagine myself listening to her. At least she doesn't need Auto-Tune. I give her credit for that. But according to her Wikipedia page, she cites The Spice Girls as a major influence and she's a fan of Tottenham Hotspur. That's two strikes...
10:11 - Can't wait for Glen Campbell!!!
10:16 - Taylor Swift intros the Glen Campbell tribute. Nice. Starting with an admirable cover of "Gentle on My Mind"... and then Blake Shelton doing "Southern Nights", one of my least-favorite Glen songs...
What's Glen going to sing? "Rhinestone"? "Wichita Lineman"? I vote for "Galveston"... I genuinely love Glen Campbell. Of course... it's "Rhinestone Cowboy" ... This is great. He looks good, given what he's going through. And he sounds good... Love the guy...He just owns it out there. Good for him! And there's Sir Paul, singing along. But who are the people texting at the end of the song? Seriously? Texting during Glen Campbell? I weep for the future.
10:25 - "A Grammy moment like you've never seen with Chris Brown..." Why do they love this guy? He's a troglodyte.
10:27 - That's the second time that Pepsi commercial with Elton John playing a king has aired. And I can't help but thinking the best part is the end, with Flavor Flav. Even though the guy has been a walking joke for about 20 years.
Tony Bennett and Carrie Underwood ... together... really? I couldn't care less.
It's 10:30, and I've got to say I figured there would have been a whole lot more of Whitney Houston than there has been...
Best new artist... hmm.. Bon Iver beats out Nicki Minaj? Wow... that's got to be an upset. Justin Vernon seems like a genuinely good guy. And he give Eau Clair, Wisconsin a shout out. And then the music starts to get him off the stage... rude.
10:39 - Applause meter for the dead: Amy Winehouse 7... Nick Ashford... 4 ... Phoebe Snow... 1 ... Jerry Leiber ... 1... Steve Jobs ...2... Heavy D -- 1... Nate Dogg... 1... No one's clapping??? What gives, people?
Dave Mason... nothing... Clarence Clemons... nothing.
Whitney Houston -- 3.
And now Jennifer Hudson... singing "I Will Always Love You". Kate and I were trying to figure out who would sing what by Whitney Houston the moment we heard the news she died. It didn't take us long to figure it would be Jennifer Hudson -- someone who's no stranger to tragedy -- and it would be this song.
10:51 - Why can't they play a few clips from Soul Train? Instead, we get this idiot Chris Brown with the most boring band in the world Foo Fighters.
Seriously, I think the last good Foo Fighters single was 2003's "Times Like These". Can anyone argue with me on that?
10:58 - Umm... the Residents called... they want their act back.
10:59 - Really CBS? I have to wait around to "be the first to know" who's going to win Album of the Year? I can tell you right now it will be Adele. No one else is even close.
11:06 - Can I ask what the hell I'm watching right now? Nicki Minaj taking Madonna's "Express Yourself" to a new level. I'm not really paying attention and yet I'm pretty sure I've seen this act before... Except for the levitation and exorcism bits. Yawn.
11:10 -- Lady Antebellum: "Just one year ago we were honored to find out what we could win by ripping off the Alan Parsons Project. I wanted to rip off someone good, but we figured, hey -- this'll get us on the radio."
11:11 -- Record of the Year -- a real shocker -- it's Adele's "Rolling in the Deep." Now we have to listen to that chav accent again...
11:19 - What would happen if you held a match near Diana Ross's hair? I realize it's a wig, but I'm just askin'.
11:19 - Album of the Year -- again... This won't be a surprise. Yep, Adele's won another one.
11:22 - Nice shout out by Adele to Rick Rubin, who she says taught her about "quality control."
11:27 - I think we can come up with a more compelling backup band for Paul McCartney during this closing set: Guitar -- Steve Stevens... Bass -- Les Claypool... and on the drums... Neil Peart!!! Goodnight everybody!!!!
8:00pm - "Ladies and gentlemen, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band!!!" Ten of the greatest words ever spoken...too bad "We Take Care of Our Own" sounds like anything else he has done post The Rising. He looks great, and keeps the classic "Bruce pose!" Black outfits anyone?
8:07 - A prayer for Whitney Houston. This will be the big theme of the night. Unsure how I feel about this...
8:10 - A standing ovation for Whitney. What bugs me is that she was a forgotten about sad story. Now we mourn her like she was #1 last week. I thought I just read a few weeks back that she was going to be homeless. Where were these people then? Still torn about this.
8:11 - LL Cool J called Paul McCartney an "OG!!!" & Taylor Swift a "round the way girl!" Nice, and I can't live without my radio!
8:13 - My kids were excited to see Bruno Mars. A bit of a throwback: a little Sam Cooke, James Brown, & Little Richard. ..yet, the whole does not equal the sum of its part, or however the phrase goes. I find it ironic that a guy busted for coke possession is talking about Whitney.
8:22 - Alicia Keys & Bonnie Raitt sing a tribute to Etta James. "At Last" is an all time classic, but I truly cannot name anything else by her. I have seen Cadillac Records, and I'm still at a loss.
8:25 - First award, and we cannot go wrong. Adele, 23, looking 50, Lady Gaga wrapped in twine, Katy Perry tan & blue haired, and Bruno Mars, mugging, awfully to the camera. Adele wins. I smell a pattern.
8:27 - I guess since Rihanna is secretly dating Chris Brown, we too should embrace an abuser. Should I post her medical shot after he hit her to remind people what he did to her? Also, it happened right before the Grammys, and she was so banged up, she could not perform. Not a fan, nor will I support him. Coffee break for me.
8:38 - Shocker! Kanye & Jay Z win best rap song. Yawn.
8:39 - Molly (my 12 yr. old): "Oh my God, Reba's lips look like the Grinch!"
8:41 - No one fluctuates weight like Kelly Clarkson. Just a few weeks ago on SNL, she was large. Big difference! Here she is Jan. 8th.
8:49 - Foo Fighters. Jack Black is pretty excited. My only question is, would Nirvana perform on the Grammys?
8:59 - A merger I could care less about, but my kids wanted to see - Rihanna & Coldplay. The whole house is critical of Rihanna: from her voice, to outfit, her hair, dancing, to laying on the stage. Yet, they like the song. How are they related to me?
I heard an interview with Chris Martin on Howard Stern and I kind of liked him. His biggest fault tonight is wearing a shirt two sizes too small...and maybe that off key falsetto!
9:08 - Anticipating Glen Campbell!
9:15 - "Walk" by the FF best Rock performance? I cannot look at the "Lotus Flower" video without thinking of Fred Armesten imitating Thom Yorke for the Michael Buble Christmas Duets album on SNL.
Dave Grohl still referencing Nirvana 20 years later...sad.
9:21 - Yes! Foster the People! Nice job. I love the subtleness of FTP wearing the striped shirts like the Beach Boys in their heyday!
Glen Campbell dancing is just great!
Colleen (my wife) asked if I like the Beach Boys. I said I respect them, and Brian Wilson. "God Only Knows" is a masterpiece. Glad to see he is performing with the family, otherwise, it's the same group that comes to the Allentown Fair every year. Is Stamos with them???
Glad to SEE the theremin!!! - wait is that a keyboard???
9:34 - Colleen: He (Sir Paul McCartney) looks pretty good. Me: "Not really. He dyes his hair and I think has extensions." Vocally he sounds flat. Yet, since he IS a Beatle, he gets a standing ovation.
9:38 - Gil Scott Heron remembered. Nice. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised!
Did they just nominate EL DIBARGE???
Chris Brown wins. I can't back this guy.
9:41 - Colleen on the Civil War: "who ARE these guys?" Country music is almost non-existent in our world.
EXCEPT FOR...
9:42 - TAYLOR SWIFT, my six year old's favorite. I have a friend who teaches in Wyomissing (Reading, PA - where Taylor is from.) You CANNOT speak a bad word about her in BERKS county. Case closed. Ok, I'll be kind, she can rock the banjo!
Colleen saw me chuckling as I wrote that and states that, she likes her. Swift gets a standing ovation! I love that she gives that dumbfounded look! Colleen likes that she (Swift) likes Fleetwood Mac ( a Colleen & Doc Harson favorite.)
9:53 - Adele - two for two.
9:55 - Colleen: "Is something wrong with our TV?" hahaha. Nope, It's Katy Perry breaking into her new song. Nothing better than Katy Perry singing "ET"; a song that kids love, yet so overtly sexual. "Prick me with your love pin..." hmmm.
9:59 - What's up with Miranda Lambert's baby voice? Country music: a part of Americana I just don't get. BTW, I root for the 3rd wheel in Lady Antebellum.
10:08 - Why do I feel that they are pushing Adele? She had major surgery. She has nothing to prove, yet she felt she needed to sing tonight. I just don't want her to blowout her pipes. She looks a little like Ann Margaret. Maybe that is because they try to film her from the shoulders up. Nobody would guess she was 23.
10:13 - Molly asked me to wake her when Nikki Minaj comes on - I won't. I'm sure we could make a great drinking game out of whenever Nikki Minaj rolls her eyes...
10:18 - C'mon "Wichita Linemen!!!"
10:20 - "Southern Nights." How, I don't know, but I can sing along with it. Too bad Blake Shelton is using a teleprompter to do the same.
10:22 - Glen sounds good. LOVE the pink coat. Too bad his dentures are getting in the way. He is one curmudgeonly looking fellow. I think "Rhinestone Cowboy" is all we are getting. Colleen is chuckling with his sidebar comments while singing. A fitting swan song. Glad he enjoyed himself.
10:33 - Did Carrie Underwood call him Tony BENNIS?
10:35 - Bon - Hella'va neck beard, buddy!
10:37 - Colleen: "Where's Justin Beiber?" Yup, that's my wife.
Colleen on Bon Iver: "Goodbye, guy." Ironically, winning that ward means exactly that.
10:38 -A Bruce reference. Do you think Springsteen stuck around?
First Whitney reference in a while.
10:41 - Dead musicians; one of my favorite parts of the show. Andrew Gold quickly skipped by. Figure out that one...
The Big Man, Clarence Clemons is given proper respect. Jungleland. Nice.
10:45 - To me, I find it odd that to memorialize Whitney Houston, they use the Dolly Parton song. She had other hits that were written specifically for her. What about "The Greatest Love of All"? Still, a sad tale. Previously, I would have thought Amy Winehouse was going to be given the big "in Memoriam" treatment.
10:55 - Dancy Party!!! Where did this crowd come from? Didn't we just see people like Adele sitting in the front row? Why do we get more Foo Fighters?
10:59 - The Grammys just turned into MTV's New Year's Eve Party with Dark Mouse.
11:07 - A Nikki Minaj mini movie about exorcism? This is almost as good as R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet."I can say the fake British accent cannot hold a candle to one, Lady Sovereign.
11:11 - Colleen just gave a "what the hell?" when seeing the Nikki Minaj theatrics.
11:!2 -Record of the Year - shocker (NOT!!!) Adele primed to win. My question is: didn't Mumford & Sons perform "The Cave" on last year's Grammys? BTW - where has GAGA been? She usually puts on a big performance.
11:20 - I love the giant wig on Diana Ross. Album of the Year, hmm, would I buy any of these? I just try and think how many of these had multiple hits on it - oh forget it, you know Adele will - I mean won it.
11:23 - A thank you to Rick Rubin. All I have to say is " NO SLEEP 'TILL...."
11:25 - LL just called Sir Paul "my homie!" He (LL) did a nice job tonight. He was quick, jokeless, and to the point. I would have liked a performance of this one, though...
11:26 - Sir Paul looks disturbing, and is off.
11:27 - Who knew Matt Pinfield played drums...
11:29 - One thing I like about "Golden Slumbers" on the Beatles record is that it is the one time all 3 majors (John, George, and Paul) trade guitar solos. A fun end to a career as a band. For this performance, at least we get Bruce & Joe Walsh. Who is the guy with them - NOT DAVE GROHL.
Funny, this topic was heavily under debate after last night's Grammy awards. The battle pits the reigning female of pop royalty, Madonna against the challenger, Lady Gaga. Gaga's new song, Born This Way appears to be a sound alike to Madonna's Express Yourself. It was only a matter of time before these two would start to spar. I'll let you be the judge:
Truthfully, does this battle really matter anyway?
When thinking off of the top of my head, the two most obvious ones are the ones that went to court: The Chiffons, She's So Fine & George Harrison's My Sweet Lord, and Ray Parker Jr.'s Ghostbusters & Huey Lewis' I Want a New Drug. Both lost, so I offer these three. You be the judge.
Imagine by John Lennon vs. Don't Look Back In Anger by Oasis (Listen to the Intros!)
Lust for Life by Iggy Pop vs. Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet
American Girl by Tom Petty vs. Last Night by The Strokes.
OK, so no one's ever gonna mistake the Grammy Awards for an actual merit-based music contest. But when the song of the year -- Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" goes beyond the usual derivative dreck and into total rip-off territory, you have to wonder.
There's no question in my mind that the Song of the Year is actually a rip-off of "Eye in the Sky" by the Alan Parsons Project. See for yourself. Here's the Lady Antebellum song:
And now "Eye in the Sky". Pay close attention to the chorus, which hits at 3:20:
They're practically interchangeable. I'm just glad LA is giving APP some props. Now how about some songwriting credit?
That got me thinking about who else deserves a Grammy based on this sort of criteria. I offer Elastica's fine 1995 song "Waking Up", for which they were sued by the Stranglers for appropriating the unique guitar riff. Take a listen:
How about giving a Grammy to the ultimate rip-off artists -- Milli Vanilli? Oh, nevermind.
