(12-04-2005) Tuning the Grammys -- Los Angeles Times*

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

dsmith2904

ONE love, blood, life
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
12,290
Location
Just keep me where the light is
[SIMG]http://theenvelope.latimes.com/media/photo/2005-12/20757874.jpg[/SIMG]
Tuning the Grammys

The artists who need to be included in — and those who should be excluded from — this year’s nomination list.

By Robert Hilburn
December 4, 2005

Grammy credibility, for the second year in a row, revolves around a single artist: Kanye West.

Recording Academy voters, who have been hopelessly slow over the years to warm to pop's most vital new artists and styles, avoided one major embarrassment last year by nominating the visionary rapper-producer's "The College Dropout" in the album of the year category.

Unfortunately, the 12,000 Grammy voters ended up with egg on their face after all by giving the top album award to sentimental favorite Ray Charles for a much less substantial work.

Academy voters get a second chance to honor West because his "Late Registration" is an even stronger work than "Dropout." Never say never, but there's no way, given its sales and acclaim, that "Registration" won't be among the five album of the year contenders when Grammy nominations are announced Thursday.

But the road to the finals may again be rough for West because there could be other highly respected acts among the nominees.

Here's a look at the top Grammy races, with an emphasis on the artists who deserve to be among the five nominees in each category.

Album of the Year

Kanye West's "Late Registration" (Roc-A-Fella). It usually takes more than quality work to get an album of the year nomination. It also helps to be a mainstream bestseller. "Registration" qualifies on both counts. Besides being a superb collection, it sold nearly 900,000 copies in the U.S. alone in its first week in stores.

The White Stripes' "Get Behind Me Satan" (Third Man/V2). The Detroit duo is the most exciting young force in American rock, and this may just be the Stripes' most absorbing work. A nomination may be a longshot because the Stripes' "Elephant" was nominated in this category two years ago but lost to OutKast's equally striking "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below." The problem this time: "Satan" didn't sell as much as "Elephant," and Grammy voters have a way of equating lower sales with lower quality.

U2's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" (Interscope). The Grammys love this great Irish band. U2's 1987 album, "The Joshua Tree," was the first pure rock album to win a best album Grammy since the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" two decades earlier. And this is one of the group's strongest efforts. Only potential problem: It was released just after the close of the eligibility period last year, which means the album may no longer have been on voters' minds as they went through the balloting process.

20757874.jpg

Strong effort: Will U2’s “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” get an album of the year nod?
(Ethan Miller / Getty Images)


Bruce Springsteen's "Devils & Dust" (Columbia). Some voters could look past this moving solo work because it wasn't a commercial blockbuster. On the other hand, Springsteen has never won in this category, a gross oversight. And Recording Academy members, who vote in the competition, may feel it's his turn.

And then: There are several viable candidates for the fifth nomination, including Eminem's "Encore" (Interscope/Aftermath/Shady), 50 Cent's "The Massacre" (Interscope/Aftermath/Shady) and Coldplay's "X&Y" (Capitol). But beware: Some spots could be taken by albums whose real strength was sales. That list could include works by Mariah Carey, Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson, Black Eyed Peas.

Record of the Year

I'm rooting for two wonderfully entertaining singles (West's "Gold Digger" and 50 Cent's "Candy Shop") along with some eloquent, thoughtful ones (U2's "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own," Coldplay's "Fix You," John Legend's"Ordinary People"). Yet the same bestsellers — Carey through Black Eyed Peas — could pop up here too.

New Artist

The Arcade Fire, the remarkably passionate Montreal rock conglomerate, was the most thrilling newcomer of 2005. But others would be worthy nominees, especially R&B stylist John Legend and rock noir duo the Kills. Also deserving: electronica sensation LCD Soundsystem, rockers Bloc Party and Kaiser Chiefs, and R&B-soul singer Fantasia. On the purely commercial side, voters might be seduced by the celebrity of Lindsay Lohan or Ashlee Simpson.

--Los Angeles Times
 
- HTDAAB will probably not win album of the year and that's a shame. I think it is the best album U2 has put out since Achtung Baby and (IMO) it's better than any of the others he listed. But we all know the Grammy's are more show than go.

- I expect Coldplay to clean up this year.

- I am rooting for Arcade Fire for newcomer of the year.
 
U2 should win every award ever. They probably won't, but you never know, the Grammys seem to actually like U2.
 
ATYCLB didn't win for Album of the Year, so maybe they'll give it to u2 for Bomb

fingers crossed for nominations.
 
honestly, there is NO way u2 should win any award here.

but if they're only up against marginal acts as the ones mentioned (with the exception of kanye west and arcade fire), then yeah i guess they "deserve" to win.

truth is, it's unbelievable how pathetic the grammy awards really are. any award show that pays nod to pathetic "artists" such as the black eyed peas, ashley simpson, etc. etc. doesn't deserve to be recognized as a show any better than the mtv awards.
 
I hope Scott Stapp wins and when he accepts his award he throws a shot glass and starts a brawl with people.
 
david said:
I hope Scott Stapp wins and when he accepts his award he throws a shot glass and starts a brawl with people.

which is a fine seque to something that I've wanted to mention cuz it's been bugging me...

why is scott stapp ( i really know nothing about him, but have seen his new release all over last week) trying to cop such a bono pose on the cover of his cd?!

I hope U2 wins and Bono uses naughty words that the censors must bleep out, or that Kanye wins and does the same. That would cause more of a stir I think than a brawl, during primetime.

cheers!
 
ShellBeThere said:


which is a fine seque to something that I've wanted to mention cuz it's been bugging me...

why is scott stapp ( i really know nothing about him, but have seen his new release all over last week) trying to cop such a bono pose on the cover of his cd?!

I hope U2 wins and Bono uses naughty words that the censors must bleep out, or that Kanye wins and does the same. That would cause more of a stir I think than a brawl, during primetime.

cheers!

Because Stapp thinks he is Jesus but can't figure out which Jesus he is trying to be.
 
Stapp has been a Bono-fanatic for ages. He's readily admitted it. Rumors had it that he used to watch R&H over and over.

While Bono has long since moved on from his R&H look and mannerisms (and good thing too - that was 17 years ago!), apparently Stapp wants to keep that going, but throws in a bit of current Bono and then emulated Eddie Vedder in sound. While I don't know his solo work, his work with Creed seemed blatant and obvious - that is, songs designed to tug at the heartstrings and be a hit. He lacks the song-writing talents and vocal skills of Bono or Vedder, but he does try hard. I mean, to emulate those two shows that he has good taste, if nothing else. ;)

As for the Grammy Awards... I really thought U2 was going to win "Album of the Year" with ATYCLB. I was stunned when they didn't - especially since they won all the other major awards. However, as sad as it may be, ATYCLB got a second boost thanks to 9/11 and the success of "Stuck in a Moment...". Fortunately for the world, but unfortunately for U2's Grammy chances, there was no repeat of 9/11 to bolster U2's odds. As such, I do not predict any major awards - perhaps some wins in the rock categories.

Then again, one never knows - HTDAAB does contain some great stuff, better than ATYCLB IMO, so it could run away with a few major awards. And as was stated already, the Grammy voters now seem to love U2. Thanks to the tour and Bono's activism, U2 have been on people's minds all year, which also helps.
 
doctorwho said:
Stapp has been a Bono-fanatic for ages. He's readily admitted it. Rumors had it that he used to watch R&H over and over.

While Bono has long since moved on from his R&H look and mannerisms (and good thing too - that was 17 years ago!), apparently Stapp wants to keep that going, but throws in a bit of current Bono and then emulated Eddie Vedder in sound. While I don't know his solo work, his work with Creed seemed blatant and obvious - that is, songs designed to tug at the heartstrings and be a hit. He lacks the song-writing talents and vocal skills of Bono or Vedder, but he does try hard. I mean, to emulate those two shows that he has good taste, if nothing else. ;)

.

ah, thanks for that doctorwho!
I know nothing of him, but that cover image was just soooo Bono I kept doing double takes as I passed the thing.
 
I think U2 has a good chance to win some awards (maybe not all of them). I'll be upset if they give Coldplay a bunch of awards and hardly anything to U2. They'd better not try to push U2 aside in favor of a younger "version."
 
Back
Top Bottom