One of the many reasons the Grammys is my favorite awards show is that it is always jam-packed throughout not only with terrific LIVE performances but with key awards as well. By contrast, for example, the Oscars is always a consistent bore because it is:
…a three-hour show – only six minutes of which anyone really cares about (i.e., the time it takes to present Oscars for best supporting actor and actress, best actor and actress, best director and best picture). And, remarkably enough, the host comedians do little to relieve the boredom of the interludes between these carefully spread-out moments.
(2008 Oscars, The iPINIONS Journal, February 25, 2008)
True to form, tonight’s telecast of the Grammys did not disappoint. Here are some highlights:
The show opened with truly riveting and (I suppose) timely tribute to Aretha Franklin, the 18-time-Grammy-award winner who was rumored to be on her death bed.
It featured some of the best vocalists in pop music, including Jennifer Hudson (who sang Aretha’s signature song R-E-S-P-E-C-T probably better than Aretha ever did) and Christina Aguilera (who easily won redemption for her bungled performance of the Star Spangled Banner at last Sunday’s Super Bowl), singing some of Aretha’s greatest hits.
And it was very heartwarming when Aretha appeared on tape after their performance to say thanks; she looked half the woman she used to be, but surely that’s a good thing….
It’s not enough that Ricky Martin has appeared on every talk show lately expressing how happy he is to be out of the closet; he had to show up on stage at the Grammys (to introduce Lady Gaga) wearing silk jeggings and black army boots. I suspect gay men everywhere were impressed.
But being gay these days is supposed to be cool (take Neal Patrick Harris for instance). Yet Ricky seems to have lost all of his cool since coming out…. Maybe it’s because he comes across like one of those self-righteous, born-again Christians whenever he talks about being gay….
Anyway, Gaga killed it! Not only does she write all of her own stuff, she dances as well as Madonna and sings as well as Christina. But nothing impressed me quite like the interlude she took in her performance of Born This Way to strike a few Cathedral-like notes on the organ.
It’s too bad that there’ll be far more talk about the freak show she provided off stage (by showing up on the red carpet inside an egg shell and donning a series of outlandish costumes throughout the telecast) than about the performance she gave on stage. But Gaga has clearly determined that the key to her fame is not performing music, but making an increasing spectacle of herself. This is why I already pity her.
For now, though, she’s still winning Grammys, including one (of three) tonight for best pop vocal album for the eponymously titled, The Fame Monster – duly beating out the likes of Justin Bieber.
They gave us the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Cold Play, and a few other noteworthy bands. And last night England gave us Muse. They were more Pink Floyd than Rolling Stones, which I really liked: great performance of The Resistance showed why their win for best rock album was so well deserved.
Unfortunately, even though he looked the part, some kid named Bruno Mars nearly croaked trying to emulate 1960s Motown crooners. To his credit though, he is a much better drummer, which he demonstrated by backing up Grace-Jones wannabe Jonelle Monáe – who actually did Grace proud. Jonelle was terrific!
But enough of Justin Bieber already! So the kid can strum the guitar and play a few notes on the piano. But he can’t sing worth a lick and he can’t dance his way out of a paper bag: the new Michael Jackson? My ass.
I wish Will and Jeda would stop using their Hollywood clout to promote their obnoxious kids in every corner of the entertainment industry. Their parental zeal is in this respect is bordering on the pathological.
Who knew Bob Dylan was still alive…?! When they mentioned his name I thought he’d be appearing in the In Memoriam segment of the show. Of course, if you’re a living legend, just showing up is 99 percent of the gig.
Apropos of legends, the Grammys could have done without Mick Jagger waiting all these years to make his first appearance. Especially since all he did was sing some obscure song in tribute to an even more obscure artist….
But just to show that I harbor no prejudice against old timers, I thought Barbra Streisand gave a mesmerizing performance of Evergreen. Unlike Mick, she actually earned her standing ovation with her, well, ageless and evergreen voice….
I have no idea why Cee lo Green dressed up like Elton John in Vegas drag to sing his hit Fuck You. He looked like big, black, gay peacock.
And Gwyneth Paltrow did him no favors by warbling along in their disastrously miscast duet. No doubt she now fully appreciates the difference between singing country songs on a movie set – with directing and retakes aplenty – and singing pop songs live on TV. Don’t give up your day job Gwyneth.
After this shabby performance I was not at all disappointed when Cee lo lost out for song of the year to Lady Antebellum for Need You Now.
That said, I don’t think this country song should have beat out Empire State of Mind (Jay Z and Alicia Keys) and Love the Way You Lie (Eminem and Rihanna) for record of the year. But the Academy seemed to be going out of its way to feature and reward country performers this year. Which accounts for why the show was a little “slow” at times….
(BTW, perhaps someone could explain to me the difference between record of the year and song of the year….)
Speaking of which, the best performance of the night was easily Rihanna, Dr. Dre, and Eminem performing Love the Way You Lie.
Eminem seemed genuinely surprised later when his Recovery won rap album of the year. By the same token, rappers like Jay Z and Kanye must have been genuinely shocked. But I called it:
With all due respect to 50 Cent, Lil Wayne and even Jay Z, Eminem is the baddest rapper in the business. And that he’s a white boy only makes this fact all the more extraordinary. Actually, it’s no exaggeration to assert that Eminem is to hip hop what Tiger is to golf (Tiger’s current slump notwithstanding).
(Eminem: no profanity allowed in my house, The iPINIONS Journal, October 12, 2010)
Never mind that he won only 2 of the 10 Grammys for which he was nominated….
Finally, the most deserving award of the evening went to Esperanza Spalding for best new artist, becoming the first jazz artist in history to win this award. I was particularly impressed that she beat out not just that over-hyped and over-coiffed little Bieber but rapper Drake as well.
I fell in love with her after seeing her perform as President Obama’s guest artist at the ceremony for his Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. Imagine a woman who sings like Billie Holiday, looks like a young Diana Ross, and plays the jazz bass the way Yo-Yo Ma plays the cello: that’s Esperanza!
And that’s a wrap for this show.
NOTE: It was so anticlimactic as to be barely worth mentioning, but some group nobody had ever heard of – named Arcade Fire – won for album of the year (beating out albums by Eminem, Lady Gaga, and the night’s favorite darlings, Lady Antebellum).
This was clearly the upset of the night, but at this point I really couldn’t care any less. I was still rejoicing over Esperanza’s win….
Related commentaries:
2008 Oscars…
Eminem: no profanity allowed…