Just Like A Star.

The show opened with Sting and his two backing musicians. Oh wait. Was that Andy Summers? And look, there’s America’s own Stewart Copeland. From the camera shots it took me a while to figure out that this was The Police and not just Sting. And I bet Andy and Stewart felt stung. It’s no wonder The Police split up. Sting’s ego was just too, well, stinging. Don’t get me wrong, Sting is a talented musician. His solo work from the early-mid nineties is excellent. And now the three of them are selling out arenas across the country. They will be in Denver in June. And I’m glad I’ll be in DC. It did prompt me to dust off my old Police LPs and remember how excited I once was about this band. I remember going to Shea Stadium in the summer of 1983 to see The Police and the opening band, REM. A great show, from what I can remember. And I don’t remember Sting’s ego. I remember how thrilled and humbled they were about filling and playing Shea.


Back to the Grammy show. The Dixie Chicks had a great night, winning every single Grammy for which they were nominated. Of course, I was thrilled for them, Taking the Long Way is a terrific album. I was that Natalie would think before she speaks. The “nah, nah, nah” attitude of their first acceptance was disappointing. I think maybe she got some between-acceptance-speeches coaching. The next time they won, Natalie got to the microphone and said that for the first time in her life she was speechless. Perfect. But I was still stinging from her first one.


In one of the show’s best performance segments, John Mayer sang Gravity as part of a trio of low-key acoustical performances. OK, the fact Snora won best new artist instead of Mayer still amazes me. Also included were last year’s best new artist John Legend and this year’s so should have been best new artist Corinne Bailey Rae. Just Like a Star, Corinne played the guitar and with her voice lit up the Staples Center. This is what the Grammy show does best, taking recorded music to a new level and showcasing talent together. Check it out on YouTube while you can.




John Mayer had a great night. Right after playing that wonderful rendition of Gravity, he won the Grammy for best pop vocal album for his blues/soft rock near-masterpiece Continuum. Watching his face when he was announced as the winner was great- he looked surprised and pleased. I remember a few years back when Mayer won his first Grammy and he said, “I promise I will do everything I can to earn this.” Since then, he has released work that is progressively stronger. He is aging well, and he’s not even 30 yet. But what’s with the girlfriend?




Mary J Blige gave a drama-filled but in a good way rendition of Be Without You. Gave me chills. And then she won three R&B Grammy statues. In emotionally humble acceptance speech, MJB said through tears how she had given out many of these awards but that this was the first time she got to finally take one home. I was almost in tears with her. And she couldn’t have been more humbled. And, with three awards and four costume changes, she is the diva of the evening.







The show had some amazing moments and tributes. In a tribute to James Brown, and proving once again she deserved her best new artist Grammy from a few years ago, Christina Aguilera gave a performance of It’s a Man’s, Man’s World that was nearly as legendary as James Brown himself. Wow, she just keeps getting better and she picked up another Grammy, for Best Female Pop Vocal. Go to YouTube right now to see this performance before it gets taken down. Lionel Richie still bugs me as he just does not have lasting talent- and he looks as well preserved as Smokey Robinson. Gnarls Barkley gave a sublime version of Crazy, showing that they really should have won the Record of the Year. But if they had to lose, at least it was to the newly-humbled Dixie Chicks.


I was impressed with the attention JT had at the awards- performing three times, including such a sellout and Idol-esque “my Grammy moment.” Justin Timberlake’s piano-man version of What Goes Around was soulful and showed a talented side of JT that we don’t get to see- he really is a musician with a great voice. And then he grabbed the web cam and did what we know JT for- the dancing. I do think his Grammy nominated for Album of the Year FutureSex/LoveSounds was one of 2006’s best, it’s just that producers had too much of the spotlight. It was great to see JT in the spotlight, even if it was the light from his webcam.

The Grammy show once again shows that there is amazing talent in recorded music. If you’re a fan, please go out and buy the work of these artists and support talent. Just not Carrie Underwood. I just gotta ask: why did she win? Is that really talent or is it just Idol votes?

And the Grammy Goes To...

It’s that time of year. Time for me to say that I’ll never again watch the Grammy Awards. I always cave. I don’t know what draws me. The live music. Or maybe the chance to watch music legends perform together. And this year a reunion of The Police. (look how well they have aged!) Or it might be the lavish eveningwear and checking out everyone’s dates. But every year I watch, and every year I end up yelling at the TV.

My views on the “big four” awards, to be awarded on Sunday, February 11 are:


One of the evening’s biggest honors is Best New Artist, for the recording artist with the most promise and (let’s hope) the most talent. So, let’s look back into the history of the Best New Artist winners: Starland Vocal Band in 1976, A Taste of Honey in 1978, and Milli Vanilli in 1989. (S)Norah Jones in 2001 over singer/songwriter John Mayer. But also Sheryl Crow in 1994 and John Legend in 2005. I’m hoping Corinne Bailey Rae is honored as the best new artist for 2006. A unique talent, an amazing voice that channels at the same time Billie Holiday and Maxine Nightingale and Stevie Wonder. I promise to yell at my TV if any of the other noms get it. Corinne is so very deserving of this award and became a star the old-fashioned way—by writing great music and getting airplay. Not by winning “American Idol.” Enough Said. And, please, don’t give it to James Blunt just becuase he served. Because he was allowed to.

Record of the Year award is easy this year. This one goes to the producer and the performer of the record that defines the year by being the ubiquitous song that everyone plays and all the cool artists cover. For 2006, this award should go to “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley. No question. I think they have this one nailed. No yelling at the TV required. Unless that self-esteem love fest “You’re Beautiful” wins. Then, I think I’ll turn off the TV. Or That Carrie Underwood. Heavy sigh.

Song of the Year is a songwriter’s award. Achievement in songwriting. Mary J. Blige should get this one for “Be Without You.” MJB has been baring her soul to us since 1994 and it’s her time for a Grammy for her songwriting. Just the chance to see her perform this one live on the awards show will be a treat and will most certainly be a highlight. I could also go for “Not Ready to Make Nice” by the Dixie Chicks. A song that tells the chilling and real tale of the blacklisting of the Dixie Chicks because they didn’t “shut up and sing.” It’s just that I want to share the wealth and want for MJB to win an award. Again, if “You’re Beautiful” or that Carrie Underwood wins, the TV goes off.

Now, Album of the Year is a big one for me. I’m an album guy. I’m old school. I love buying albums and reading the liner notes. Checking out the pictures and art design. For me, an album is a sensory experience. A great memory of my youth is walking nearly every Saturday to Jack’s Music Shop in Red Bank, NJ and spending my hard earned paperboy money on vinyl. I always felt oh so cool shopping there. I’d then walk home, head to my bedroom, carefully open the LP, smell the fresh vinyl, and sit with the headphones on 11 as I listened to the work of art as the artist intended: from start to finish.

The album of the year should go to the powerful and beautiful “Taking the Long Way” by America’s own Dixie Chicks. The Dixie Chicks so deserve this award and the music industry owes it to them for letting FEAR program our radio stations and video channels. For letting FEAR get in the way of the first amendment. Forget everything you think you know about country music- this is the story of a band reinvented. If there were a second place, it would go to John Mayer’s brilliant and so easy to love “Continuum.” Other noms of note here include Justin Timberlake’s “FutureSex/LoveSounds” music catchier than almost anything released this year. While I love the sound here, this is a producer’s album, not an artist’s album. Gnarls Barkley’s “St. Elsewhere” is also here. Some have compared this one to the trend-setting album of the year from 2003 “Speakerboxx/The Love Below.” Outkast’s work was so deep with amazing music. “St. Elsewhere” comes up short.

I’ll be watching the awards, hopefully with little yelling at the TV, on Sunday. What are your picks?