Monday, February 11, 2008

A Half-Assed Grammy Rundown

In need of some background noise while doing household tasks and avoiding the cold, I caught the Grammy Awards last night. All 14 hours of it. For real, though, that telecast just kept going! I know it's been a while since I watched, but since when do they have to give out every possible lifetime achievement award in a single night? Do the Grammy people know something we don't... is the planet going down soon and they had to get the awards out in a last dash?

OK, despite some odd moments (Kanye, I'm looking at you), the practically ridiculous length of the show, and the fact that I don't even believe in music awards because I don't see a valid way to judge something as subjective as music (about the same way I feel about comedy awards, by the way)... some good did come from this show.

1. Being a nerd for good piano, I absolutely loved the Herbie Hancock/Lang Lang peformance of "Rhapsody in Blue" with full orchestra. That piece always blows me away, but watching it happen up close, brought together by so many people at the top of their musical game, left me smiling and impressed.

2. Vince Gill's acceptance speech. He was presented his Best Country Album award by Ringo Starr, to which he commented, "I just got an award from a Beatle.... Kanye, that happen to you yet?" The audience responded well, and a reaction shot showed Kanye laughing, but we'll see if something unfortunate should befall Mr. Gill in the near future. Joking or not, it was nice to see someone take Kanye down a peg.

3. Tina turner. Effing 68 and still working it out, singing/dancing to "Proud Mary" with Beyoncé and a lot of other people on that stage less than half her age. If I can still move like that at 68, I will consider myself a success.

Also worth mentioning I suppose, Amy Winehouse won a bunch of stuff. She slurred something about her incarcerated lover into her Record of the Year acceptance speech - yes, she used the word incarcerated. Sigh. What a fine, fine role model for young girls everywhere who hope to be scary and strung out by the age of 24! She does have some catchy-ass songs though, doesn't she?


Listening to: Arcade Fire - "The Well and the Lighthouse"

3 comments:

SPG said...

Amy Winehouse is one of the only basketcases who, hot damn, can back up her nonsense with some of the best music I've heard and enjoyed in YEARS. Go on, psychopath, whatever made you write "Back to Black," keep on doing it.

Dina said...

I keep forgetting to tell you this: on the radio the morning after the Grammys, the two commentary guys were talking about Kanye and how awesome it was that "he had his DJs with him."

kimberlyand said...

A shameful slighting of Daft Punk. What is the world coming to??