Bauhausler
Rational Subjectivist
I don't watch television. Well, almost never. Watching 2/3 of the Grammys last night was more TV than I've seen since Halloween put together. The Grammys are sort of important, though. There's the opportunity to hear popular music that I'm not familiar with - Amy Winehouse, to see how people have aged - Jerry Lee Lewis & Little Richard, to be surprised - Kid Rock being generous and funny, to make fun of corporate pop - the ubiquitous hats and coy sexual double entendres of Nashville Country.
I was particularly interested to hear Amy Winehouse. I've read several articles on her in the music magazines, and she's extremely popular. Looks kind of interesting as well. Her performance was really fun and exciting. An interesting contrast to the other performers on the show. She was on a small stage at a studio in London with her band. The performers on the Grammy show stages had large productions and used the whole space in typical American television extravaganza style. Amy Winehouse stood in front of a mic on a stand, peering out from behind the bangs of an immense hairdo and barely moving as she sang. In contrast, her backup singers were three hyperkinetic guys in Blues Brothers suits who danced their asses off. The overall effect was extremely cool. The songs didn't exactly blow me away, but this is someone I could probably get to like just on the basis of her nerve and independence.
I was disappointed my Feist. I loved her first album when it came out a few years ago. I played the heck out of it and hyped it to my whole family. She broke big with her second album The Remainder in 2007. She was nominated for several awards:
* Best Female Pop Vocal for "1234"
* Best New Artist
* Best Pop Vocal Album for The Reminder
* Best Short Form Music video for "1234"
She performed her current radio hit "1234". I don't think that's the strongest song on that album, and I actually like the previous album Let it Die better. The otehr day I was at the Post Office with a load of shipping, and one of the employees who is also a fan of Feist told me she's going to be playing at a good theater in Detroit (formerly The State Theater, now The Filmore for some reason). I think I'll try to get tickets for that if it's not an arm and a leg.
Nashville Country music always cracks me up. I'm not anti-Country on principle. I have more than a few albums by traditional (Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton) Country artists and nontraditional ones (kd lang, Lyle Lovett, Alison Krauss). There are some really great musicians doing Country these days. It's always been the case that Country artists have on average better instrumental chops for some reason. Take Alison Krauss for instance. Most people consider her a singer. She just made a record with Robert Plant (decent but not outstanding). I became aware of her when I saw her perform live as part of the Smithsonian's Masters of the Folk Violin concert tour around 25 years ago. She had won the Texas Longbow Fiddle competition - a VERY big deal - at the age of I think 14 years old. Also, she's cute, and a very nice person. Anyway, Roy Clark, Glenn Campbell and dozens of marquee Country artists were outstanding instrumentalists.
But the modern Nashville Country guys just crack me up. Cowboy hats belong on the heads of cowboys, who would have the manners to take them off indoors. And the little goatee beards? Did I fall asleep and wake up in 1987? Okay, enough snark.
John Fogerty performed with Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. I was more interested to see what these guys looked like than sounded like. Little Richard Penniman hasn't changed a bit in decades. It's a little scary. My wife suggested some judicious cosmetic surgery might be keeping his skin smooth, but the dude looks like he did in the '80s. Time has not been as kind to Jerry Lee. I remember not all that long ago he was a wiry, jumpy hell raiser who wrecked pianos with his bare hands and had more energy than one body could contain. last night he barely moved at all. It was the same voice, but without the energy. He might have been enjoying himself, but he wasn't able to express it like he used to. John Fogerty sounds the same as he did when I was buying Creedence records 35 years ago. He looks like what happens to a white dude who's outdoors too much in the sun, and I guess that's OK. I like his brand of roots rock. It's fun and not too complicated.
I'll add more to this later, but the dog wants out...
I was particularly interested to hear Amy Winehouse. I've read several articles on her in the music magazines, and she's extremely popular. Looks kind of interesting as well. Her performance was really fun and exciting. An interesting contrast to the other performers on the show. She was on a small stage at a studio in London with her band. The performers on the Grammy show stages had large productions and used the whole space in typical American television extravaganza style. Amy Winehouse stood in front of a mic on a stand, peering out from behind the bangs of an immense hairdo and barely moving as she sang. In contrast, her backup singers were three hyperkinetic guys in Blues Brothers suits who danced their asses off. The overall effect was extremely cool. The songs didn't exactly blow me away, but this is someone I could probably get to like just on the basis of her nerve and independence.
I was disappointed my Feist. I loved her first album when it came out a few years ago. I played the heck out of it and hyped it to my whole family. She broke big with her second album The Remainder in 2007. She was nominated for several awards:
* Best Female Pop Vocal for "1234"
* Best New Artist
* Best Pop Vocal Album for The Reminder
* Best Short Form Music video for "1234"
She performed her current radio hit "1234". I don't think that's the strongest song on that album, and I actually like the previous album Let it Die better. The otehr day I was at the Post Office with a load of shipping, and one of the employees who is also a fan of Feist told me she's going to be playing at a good theater in Detroit (formerly The State Theater, now The Filmore for some reason). I think I'll try to get tickets for that if it's not an arm and a leg.
Nashville Country music always cracks me up. I'm not anti-Country on principle. I have more than a few albums by traditional (Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton) Country artists and nontraditional ones (kd lang, Lyle Lovett, Alison Krauss). There are some really great musicians doing Country these days. It's always been the case that Country artists have on average better instrumental chops for some reason. Take Alison Krauss for instance. Most people consider her a singer. She just made a record with Robert Plant (decent but not outstanding). I became aware of her when I saw her perform live as part of the Smithsonian's Masters of the Folk Violin concert tour around 25 years ago. She had won the Texas Longbow Fiddle competition - a VERY big deal - at the age of I think 14 years old. Also, she's cute, and a very nice person. Anyway, Roy Clark, Glenn Campbell and dozens of marquee Country artists were outstanding instrumentalists.
But the modern Nashville Country guys just crack me up. Cowboy hats belong on the heads of cowboys, who would have the manners to take them off indoors. And the little goatee beards? Did I fall asleep and wake up in 1987? Okay, enough snark.
John Fogerty performed with Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. I was more interested to see what these guys looked like than sounded like. Little Richard Penniman hasn't changed a bit in decades. It's a little scary. My wife suggested some judicious cosmetic surgery might be keeping his skin smooth, but the dude looks like he did in the '80s. Time has not been as kind to Jerry Lee. I remember not all that long ago he was a wiry, jumpy hell raiser who wrecked pianos with his bare hands and had more energy than one body could contain. last night he barely moved at all. It was the same voice, but without the energy. He might have been enjoying himself, but he wasn't able to express it like he used to. John Fogerty sounds the same as he did when I was buying Creedence records 35 years ago. He looks like what happens to a white dude who's outdoors too much in the sun, and I guess that's OK. I like his brand of roots rock. It's fun and not too complicated.
I'll add more to this later, but the dog wants out...
good times.