At least it ended on time...
Why, oh why do I continue to watch the Grammys? What is it about the awful, awful music that keeps me coming back for more when I know there will be a whopping grand total of perhaps two, occasionally three, bands that I actually want to see play live?
The good things: Green Day winning anything is good, since American Idiot was one of the best CDs of last year. Should they have won album of the year? YES. But the recently deceased and industry guilt about not honoring him properly in his lifetime lands Ray Charles in the top honor position for the awards show. Granted, it really is difficult to argue with Ray Charles - he possessed more talent in one pinky finger than the sum total of the Best New Artist category combined. But I have faith in Green Day like I haven't in the past, and I believe when all is said and done, with albums like this one, they will be looked back at with perhaps a respect they don't currently receive. Nominations of Franz Ferdinand, Modest Mouse and the restrained performance of U2 were great. Alicia Keys was impressive.
Now let's talk about the 15 minutes of my life that I'll absolutely never get back and which leaves me with a barely visible hole in my head. I thought I might leak brain fluid when the horrifyingly cheesy Jennifer Lopez/Marc Anthony duet started and by the end, I wanted nothing more than complete silence and a time machine to go back and turn the channel. As if stunned into complacency and staring, open-mouthed at the TV set, my "train wreck" sedated moment continued with the "tribute to Southern Rock" (which thankfully didn't involve Uncle Kracker or Kid Rock, that really must be a first). I'll give Skynyrd props for writing some damn catchy Confederate fried rock tunes, but any tribute involving "Freebird" is just waiting to be mocked, especially when it's warbled out by someone who has about as much Southern soul as a french fry.
The other most disturbing moment of the evening belongs to the Tsunami Relief "Live Aid" moment. How can I cut on something like that? I respect the effort. But oh how they butchered one of my favorite Beatles songs to a bloody pulp (that means YOU, Scott Weiland), barely recognizable, screaming out for mercy to be shot and put out of its misery. Truly horrific rendition of a beautiful song and the off-key meanderings of all involved will haunt me in my sleep.
So what have we learned here? I'm making a mental note to try not to watch the train wreck that is the Grammy Awards next year, but like any good masochist, I'm sure I'll suffer through so that I can watch my picks lose.
The good things: Green Day winning anything is good, since American Idiot was one of the best CDs of last year. Should they have won album of the year? YES. But the recently deceased and industry guilt about not honoring him properly in his lifetime lands Ray Charles in the top honor position for the awards show. Granted, it really is difficult to argue with Ray Charles - he possessed more talent in one pinky finger than the sum total of the Best New Artist category combined. But I have faith in Green Day like I haven't in the past, and I believe when all is said and done, with albums like this one, they will be looked back at with perhaps a respect they don't currently receive. Nominations of Franz Ferdinand, Modest Mouse and the restrained performance of U2 were great. Alicia Keys was impressive.
Now let's talk about the 15 minutes of my life that I'll absolutely never get back and which leaves me with a barely visible hole in my head. I thought I might leak brain fluid when the horrifyingly cheesy Jennifer Lopez/Marc Anthony duet started and by the end, I wanted nothing more than complete silence and a time machine to go back and turn the channel. As if stunned into complacency and staring, open-mouthed at the TV set, my "train wreck" sedated moment continued with the "tribute to Southern Rock" (which thankfully didn't involve Uncle Kracker or Kid Rock, that really must be a first). I'll give Skynyrd props for writing some damn catchy Confederate fried rock tunes, but any tribute involving "Freebird" is just waiting to be mocked, especially when it's warbled out by someone who has about as much Southern soul as a french fry.
The other most disturbing moment of the evening belongs to the Tsunami Relief "Live Aid" moment. How can I cut on something like that? I respect the effort. But oh how they butchered one of my favorite Beatles songs to a bloody pulp (that means YOU, Scott Weiland), barely recognizable, screaming out for mercy to be shot and put out of its misery. Truly horrific rendition of a beautiful song and the off-key meanderings of all involved will haunt me in my sleep.
So what have we learned here? I'm making a mental note to try not to watch the train wreck that is the Grammy Awards next year, but like any good masochist, I'm sure I'll suffer through so that I can watch my picks lose.
Comments
I missed the tsunami relief thing, but then again, I'm probably better for it.
I tried to miss the Grammies this year. Unfortunately, they found me.