dsmith2904
ONE love, blood, life
Grammy on His Mind
From start to finish, this year's show was one of the best
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
By Keith Spera
Music writer
As usual, Bono was right.
The loquacious U2 frontman, during one of his two trips to the podium, pronounced Sunday's Grammy Awards ceremony to be the best in memory.
Grammy-bashing is a favorite pursuit of music industry hipsters, and the 47th annual sweepstakes provided its share of critical fodder. But on the whole, the telecast from Los Angeles' Staples Center was marked by exceptional performances, cool set pieces and awards that generally went to deserving recipients.
Green Day's inspired "American Idiot," for instance, was far and away the year's best rock record, an adrenaline shot served with a stinging point of view.
Kanye West's breakout "The College Dropout" was 2004's most intriguing and important rap album.
And Hoobastank, front-runners in the How Did They Even Get Nominated? category, walked away empty-handed.
Producers assembled a telecast that reached across the varied Grammy demographic. On paper at least, Queen Latifah was the perfect host. Her former incarnation as a rapper ties her to the vast hip-hop nation. But she's also non-threatening, an Oscar-nominated actress who donned an evening gown to sing classics from the American pop songbook. She wasn't much for ad-libs or one-liners, but handled herself well, sang with aplomb and kept the program moving.
And that program delivered one effective demographic appeal after another.
In a faux bedroom, Jennifer Lopez and now-publicly-acknowledged husband Marc Anthony got dressed for a night at the theater as they serenaded each other in Spanish -- hello, fast-growing Hispanic market!
The veteran Mavis Staples teamed with Kanye West for a rap and soul "Jesus Walks." Backed by an African-American congregation, West resurrected himself and ascended on angel wings. Given his professed faith and what he considers to be his miraculous salvation from a car accident, his passion play worked on multiple levels. Out in the audience, Christian-country couple Vince Gill and Amy Grant voiced their approval.
And producers exhumed a grizzled platoon of Southern rockers and paired them with contemporary studs -- and one stud-ette -- of country music. Tim McGraw, Keith Urban and Gretchen Wilson joined Lynyrd Skynyrd, Elvin Bishop and the Allman Brothers' Dickey Betts for a lively, guitar-heavy stomp through the Southern rock hall of fame.
That Betts, Bishop and Skynyrd lead guitarist Gary Rossington hail from an era when a live performance was, in fact, live, was apparent as they torched 30-year-old classic rock anthems "Sweet Home Alabama," "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" and "Ramblin' Man." And jokes aside, "Freebird" isn't a such bad song.
Sporting a bald head from breast cancer treatments, Melissa Etheridge rocked "Piece of My Heart" during a Janis Joplin tribute. Teenage soul singer Joss Stone, barefoot and sheathed in a sheer hippie dress, was reduced to a supporting role as Etheridge reaffirmed that she is still very much alive and kicking. She ended up winded, but triumphant.
In one of the telecast's classiest moments, a salute to deceased musicians concluded with a Ray Charles portrait, which segued into a live Bonnie Raitt/Billy Preston slide guitar and organ rendition of "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?"
Green Day rattled cages with a live-wire sprint through the "American Idiot" title cut, tweaking the "redneck agenda" and earning a bleep from CBS censors. But the trio behaved like seasoned pros after winning the best rock album Grammy: lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong kissed his tattooed wife, shook hands with Steven Tyler en route to the stage and thanked a laundry list of record executives.
Accepting the Grammy for Best Rap Album, West, a well-spoken loose cannon, reminded everyone that death is life's only guarantee. That said, he promised to celebrate his victory with gallons of champagne. Holding his gold Gramophone aloft, he alluded to his sore-loser routine at the recent American Music Awards. "Everybody wanted to know what I would do if I didn't win (a Grammy)," he said. "I guess we'll never know."
Best starstruck schoolboy imitation: White Stripes guitarist and occasional pugilist Jack White. He produced Loretta Lynn's critically acclaimed but commercially ignored comeback album "Van Lear Rose," which won best country album. The grand dame of country hauled a reluctant White onstage with her to accept. Lynn thanked "the Grammy people," then offered the microphone to White.
"Get up a little closer," she commanded.
"Yes, ma'am," White replied.
The adrenalized U2 single "Vertigo" won a couple of Grammys. During a charmingly discombobulated group acceptance speech, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. apologized to the premium-paying fan club members who were unable to secure tickets to the band's upcoming tour. U2, at least, remembers who puts the fuel in the private jet.
Early New Orleans jazz composer Jelly Roll Morton received a Lifetime Achievement Award, along with Jerry Lee Lewis, Led Zeppelin and others. Latifah's brief biographical sketch mentioned that Morton cut his teeth in Storyville -- but never placed Storyville in New Orleans.
The usual Louisiana nominees were relegated to the pre-telecast portion of the show, and were mostly shut out. Trumpeter Terence Blanchard shared a Best Jazz Instrumental Album Grammy for his contributions to McCoy Tyner's "Illuminations." And Kentwood's Britney Spears, who skipped the ceremony, won her first Grammy for "Toxic," as Best Dance Recording.
Cynthia Simien, wife of southwest Louisiana zyde-soul bandleader Terrance Simien, is leading a campaign to create a Cajun/zydeco Grammy category. BeauSoleil and other Cajun acts occasionally turn up under the contemporary folk heading, but a Cajun/zydeco Grammy would assure a Louisiana win and the promotional benefits that would follow. Los Hombres Calientes, the New Orleans Latin jazz and funk ensemble, was nominated in the Latin jazz category in 2001 and can forever bill itself as "Grammy-nominated," a sure-fire credibility boost.
Sales of Cajun and zydeco music are minuscule compared to the mainstream genres, and there is some question as to whether enough CDs are issued annually to meet the Recording Academy's qualifying quota for a separate category. But if Hawaiian, Native American and polka music all warrant Grammy categories -- and if the Latin market requires a half-dozen, including Mexican/Mexican American Album, Traditional Tropical Latin Album and Tejano Album -- then why not Cajun/zydeco?
The Ray Charles duets project "Genius Loves Company" is exactly the kind of sentimental favorite that old-line Grammy voters adore: Lots of familiar names -- James Taylor, Elton John, Natalie Cole, Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt -- classic songs, and a living legend's farewell.
The Recording Academy's MTV generation likely split its vote, with the rockers going for Green Day and the rap/contemporary R&B contingent choosing from Kanye West, Usher and Alicia Keys. That allowed the old guard to anoint "Genius Loves Company" as Album of the Year and a Norah Jones duet from that album, "Here We Go Again," as Record of the Year.
"Genius Loves Company" is a fine, inoffensive album, background music that breaks no ground and hardly inspires a passionate response. Still, even Kanye West can't complain about a final accolade for Charles.
John Mayer's "Daughters" triumphed in a weak Song of the Year category. The song may be mediocre, but he delivered a sweet acceptance speech. He dedicated his win to his grandmother, "who had a great daughter, namely my mom."
The evening's most surreal group photo? The wobbly all-star trip through the Beatles' "Across the Universe." With Velvet Revolver -- wearing ties, no less -- as the backing band, Bono, Stevie Wonder, Norah Jones, Brian Wilson, Alicia Keys, an uneasy Billie Joe Armstrong, Tim McGraw, Steven Tyler and Alison Krauss traded lines in multiple keys.
A download of the performance is available online through iTunes, with proceeds going toward tsunami relief. It was an otherworldly assemblage for a worthy cause and a bizarre highlight.
Hey, Kanye West -- share some of that champagne with the Grammy producers. They earned it.
--The Times Picayune
From start to finish, this year's show was one of the best
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
By Keith Spera
Music writer
As usual, Bono was right.
The loquacious U2 frontman, during one of his two trips to the podium, pronounced Sunday's Grammy Awards ceremony to be the best in memory.
Grammy-bashing is a favorite pursuit of music industry hipsters, and the 47th annual sweepstakes provided its share of critical fodder. But on the whole, the telecast from Los Angeles' Staples Center was marked by exceptional performances, cool set pieces and awards that generally went to deserving recipients.
Green Day's inspired "American Idiot," for instance, was far and away the year's best rock record, an adrenaline shot served with a stinging point of view.
Kanye West's breakout "The College Dropout" was 2004's most intriguing and important rap album.
And Hoobastank, front-runners in the How Did They Even Get Nominated? category, walked away empty-handed.
Producers assembled a telecast that reached across the varied Grammy demographic. On paper at least, Queen Latifah was the perfect host. Her former incarnation as a rapper ties her to the vast hip-hop nation. But she's also non-threatening, an Oscar-nominated actress who donned an evening gown to sing classics from the American pop songbook. She wasn't much for ad-libs or one-liners, but handled herself well, sang with aplomb and kept the program moving.
And that program delivered one effective demographic appeal after another.
In a faux bedroom, Jennifer Lopez and now-publicly-acknowledged husband Marc Anthony got dressed for a night at the theater as they serenaded each other in Spanish -- hello, fast-growing Hispanic market!
The veteran Mavis Staples teamed with Kanye West for a rap and soul "Jesus Walks." Backed by an African-American congregation, West resurrected himself and ascended on angel wings. Given his professed faith and what he considers to be his miraculous salvation from a car accident, his passion play worked on multiple levels. Out in the audience, Christian-country couple Vince Gill and Amy Grant voiced their approval.
And producers exhumed a grizzled platoon of Southern rockers and paired them with contemporary studs -- and one stud-ette -- of country music. Tim McGraw, Keith Urban and Gretchen Wilson joined Lynyrd Skynyrd, Elvin Bishop and the Allman Brothers' Dickey Betts for a lively, guitar-heavy stomp through the Southern rock hall of fame.
That Betts, Bishop and Skynyrd lead guitarist Gary Rossington hail from an era when a live performance was, in fact, live, was apparent as they torched 30-year-old classic rock anthems "Sweet Home Alabama," "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" and "Ramblin' Man." And jokes aside, "Freebird" isn't a such bad song.
Sporting a bald head from breast cancer treatments, Melissa Etheridge rocked "Piece of My Heart" during a Janis Joplin tribute. Teenage soul singer Joss Stone, barefoot and sheathed in a sheer hippie dress, was reduced to a supporting role as Etheridge reaffirmed that she is still very much alive and kicking. She ended up winded, but triumphant.
In one of the telecast's classiest moments, a salute to deceased musicians concluded with a Ray Charles portrait, which segued into a live Bonnie Raitt/Billy Preston slide guitar and organ rendition of "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?"
Green Day rattled cages with a live-wire sprint through the "American Idiot" title cut, tweaking the "redneck agenda" and earning a bleep from CBS censors. But the trio behaved like seasoned pros after winning the best rock album Grammy: lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong kissed his tattooed wife, shook hands with Steven Tyler en route to the stage and thanked a laundry list of record executives.
Accepting the Grammy for Best Rap Album, West, a well-spoken loose cannon, reminded everyone that death is life's only guarantee. That said, he promised to celebrate his victory with gallons of champagne. Holding his gold Gramophone aloft, he alluded to his sore-loser routine at the recent American Music Awards. "Everybody wanted to know what I would do if I didn't win (a Grammy)," he said. "I guess we'll never know."
Best starstruck schoolboy imitation: White Stripes guitarist and occasional pugilist Jack White. He produced Loretta Lynn's critically acclaimed but commercially ignored comeback album "Van Lear Rose," which won best country album. The grand dame of country hauled a reluctant White onstage with her to accept. Lynn thanked "the Grammy people," then offered the microphone to White.
"Get up a little closer," she commanded.
"Yes, ma'am," White replied.
The adrenalized U2 single "Vertigo" won a couple of Grammys. During a charmingly discombobulated group acceptance speech, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. apologized to the premium-paying fan club members who were unable to secure tickets to the band's upcoming tour. U2, at least, remembers who puts the fuel in the private jet.
Early New Orleans jazz composer Jelly Roll Morton received a Lifetime Achievement Award, along with Jerry Lee Lewis, Led Zeppelin and others. Latifah's brief biographical sketch mentioned that Morton cut his teeth in Storyville -- but never placed Storyville in New Orleans.
The usual Louisiana nominees were relegated to the pre-telecast portion of the show, and were mostly shut out. Trumpeter Terence Blanchard shared a Best Jazz Instrumental Album Grammy for his contributions to McCoy Tyner's "Illuminations." And Kentwood's Britney Spears, who skipped the ceremony, won her first Grammy for "Toxic," as Best Dance Recording.
Cynthia Simien, wife of southwest Louisiana zyde-soul bandleader Terrance Simien, is leading a campaign to create a Cajun/zydeco Grammy category. BeauSoleil and other Cajun acts occasionally turn up under the contemporary folk heading, but a Cajun/zydeco Grammy would assure a Louisiana win and the promotional benefits that would follow. Los Hombres Calientes, the New Orleans Latin jazz and funk ensemble, was nominated in the Latin jazz category in 2001 and can forever bill itself as "Grammy-nominated," a sure-fire credibility boost.
Sales of Cajun and zydeco music are minuscule compared to the mainstream genres, and there is some question as to whether enough CDs are issued annually to meet the Recording Academy's qualifying quota for a separate category. But if Hawaiian, Native American and polka music all warrant Grammy categories -- and if the Latin market requires a half-dozen, including Mexican/Mexican American Album, Traditional Tropical Latin Album and Tejano Album -- then why not Cajun/zydeco?
The Ray Charles duets project "Genius Loves Company" is exactly the kind of sentimental favorite that old-line Grammy voters adore: Lots of familiar names -- James Taylor, Elton John, Natalie Cole, Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt -- classic songs, and a living legend's farewell.
The Recording Academy's MTV generation likely split its vote, with the rockers going for Green Day and the rap/contemporary R&B contingent choosing from Kanye West, Usher and Alicia Keys. That allowed the old guard to anoint "Genius Loves Company" as Album of the Year and a Norah Jones duet from that album, "Here We Go Again," as Record of the Year.
"Genius Loves Company" is a fine, inoffensive album, background music that breaks no ground and hardly inspires a passionate response. Still, even Kanye West can't complain about a final accolade for Charles.
John Mayer's "Daughters" triumphed in a weak Song of the Year category. The song may be mediocre, but he delivered a sweet acceptance speech. He dedicated his win to his grandmother, "who had a great daughter, namely my mom."
The evening's most surreal group photo? The wobbly all-star trip through the Beatles' "Across the Universe." With Velvet Revolver -- wearing ties, no less -- as the backing band, Bono, Stevie Wonder, Norah Jones, Brian Wilson, Alicia Keys, an uneasy Billie Joe Armstrong, Tim McGraw, Steven Tyler and Alison Krauss traded lines in multiple keys.
A download of the performance is available online through iTunes, with proceeds going toward tsunami relief. It was an otherworldly assemblage for a worthy cause and a bizarre highlight.
Hey, Kanye West -- share some of that champagne with the Grammy producers. They earned it.
--The Times Picayune
.
.
these guys so much.
