I have not watched the Grammys in several years. Mainly because most of the acts were not worth my time to watch. However, this year that was a bit different. I’m not going to mention what I thought of the award winners since I don’t really care who won.
Below is a brief rundown of my observations from last night.
The Good:
- U2 opening! I make no apologies for being a die-hard U2 fan. Unless they become some weird band they are not (i.e. the Zooropa album), I will like their stuff and no one can convince me otherwise. “Get On Your Boots” is a good song. Can’t wait to see how it fits with the rest of the album! Side note: Grammys people need to get their act together with the sound mix and camera work for the world’s biggest band.
- Radiohead: Brilliant choice to use the USC marching band. Wasn’t sure it would work but it did. Amazing! They break the mold everytime. Awesome.
- Sir Paul McCartney with Dave Grohl on drums for “I Saw Her Standing There” was simply brilliant. Grohl can really hammer those drum heads. People forget how talented a musician he is.
- Robert Plant and Alison Krauss I still think are an odd pairing no matter what anyone says, but it really works. Plant still has the pipes. Most older rockers can’t say that anymore.
- I’m admittedly not a fan or owner of any Jennifer Hudson music. But dang she can SING!
- Coldplay was decent with Viva. The Sgt Pepper’s outfits were goofy and lame but they knew it and said so. They also are not very full of themselves which is refreshing. Knock it if you will, but I like Coldplay. Not all “big sound” bands get me to go along with them. The sound has to be right. And with them it is for me. Though the piece with Jay-Z was crap (more on that later)
- Neil Diamond still gets the crowd into it. Even the rappers were singing along.
The Bad:
- Neil Portnow, President of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, brought an otherwise good Grammys to a screeching halt with his rambling political droolfest for the current POTUS. Spare me Neil. And a Cabinet position of Secretary of Arts? Can you be any more ridiculous?
- Blink 182 announcing they are getting back together. Please don’t.
- Completely disrespecting Stevie Wonder at the end by showing sponsor info and legal mumbo jumbo over his closing song. Not. Cool.
- I just can’t get in to Jay-Z with Coldplay. It doesn’t work. Jay-Z with Neil Diamond? That might work.
- Still wondering what John Mayer was doing in a quartet with B.B. King for a Bo Diddley tribute. B.B. was probably wondering the same thing.
- Is there a more dumb song than Katy Perry’s? The future of music is in peril if we have to listen to more of that garbage.
- What the heck was Jamie Foxx doing singing a Four Tops song with the last remaining Top? That was just wrong.