Grammy Picks
NARIP
The Grammy's are the big claim to fame of NARAS. I enjoyed watching their prez Neil Portnow squirm like a worm on a hook when he was here a few months back, hosted by the Churchill Club. The guy was so pathetically overmatched he barely said a word, leaving it to Tom Dolby to offer something like... "Well, I'd like to get paid for Blinded Me With Science, but, yes, I would have written it even without getting paid."
Halfway through the evening I had an odd nostalgia for Mike Greene. The aptly named predecessor was at least funny. His rant at the '01 show was hysterical, I was in stitches, and so mortifying, even for his own organization that they moved the Grammy's out of LA, where they had been for a number of years, and ousted the money colored Mike in favor of the phlegmatic Portnow.
Last year, at the Awards, Portnow got up there to tout their propaganda site, What's the Download?. As you'll see, if you click the link, like the tobacco and gun companies, they try to hide their sponsorship, making it seem like some type of legitimate public interest group. They had some artists' comments on there so I read those of two of my favorites, Joss Stone & Black Eyed Peas.
Joss said the only reason she doesn't illegally download herself is that she doesn't know how and the Peas tried to sell their album notes & better fidelity. Fortunately there aren't too many Lars Ulrich's out there, willing to slap their fans in the face. And BTW, I agree with those cute little Peas. A nice little book with lots of art and lyrics, accompanied by some high fidelity music. I have no problem, if folks want to buy that. I just wish the publication values were higher.
Anyway, last year Portnow reassured a public out of their minds with fear, that recorded music would indeed survive the horror of the internet. This year, their publicity dept. is on top of things, donating some profits to tsunami aid. So, what will Portnow report this year? "Well, the year started off well cause we convinced the public they would be sued, but when they realized the propaganda was bogus, they went back to getting music the easy way. So, please buy a song for $.99 even though you can get it for free and it costs us nothing to get it to you. It's just pure profit for us, so please, please, please, give us some of your money because otherwise you'll have no good music and all our millionaire artists will be sad."
I know I'm constantly referring my readers to previous posts (ok, so I'm repetitive, that doesn't mean I want to write it all again, after all, this blog started cause people got so mad about my concise emails) but, this time I really mean it. Check out my AMA post (11/23/04) & Billboards (12/9/04). But, if it it's too much to click the fucking button, I can sum it up for you in one word. Usher.
The guy sold over 8M units this year. That's huge. The industry hasn't seen a number like that for many years, certainly not this century. He'll win everything. These are my picks, who I think deserves it on the basis of the music alone, not who I think will win, not the most popular artist, or the sentimental favorite.
Record of the Year
Heaven (Check these brothers out 2/15 at the Masonic Temple, they bring a tex-mex/country/pop blend that is so fresh, remember Pure Prairie League, Poco, Los Lobos?)
Album of the Year
American Idiot (should be Songs About Jane, which wasn't even nominated, Mind Body & Soul should have been nominated, Ray deserves a nod, American Idiot reminded us all what punk music is about and why we need to keep it alive, Confessions...8M, Kanye is innovative but doesn't belong there)
Song of the Year
The Reason (best song of this year was This Love, which wasn't even nominated)
Best New Artist
Maroon 5
Female Pop
You Had Me (Some Kind of Wonderful & Super Duper Love were better)
Male Pop
Love's Divine (how long has this song been around anyway?, If they had put the song Musicology up I would have gone with that, or Lenny Kravitz who put out Where Are We Runnin? this year.)
Pop Group/single
She Will Be Loved ( This Love & Harder to Breathe were both better, Keane's Somewhere Only We Go should have been nominated)
Pop Collaboration/single
Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word
Pop Vocal Album
Mind Body & Soul
Dance/single
Comfortably Numb
Traditional
Stardust
Solo Rock/single
Breathe
Rock Group/single
Take Me Out
Hard Rock/single
Slither
Rock Instrumental/single
Mrs. O'Leary's Cow
Rock Song
Float On (this was a close one, with Fall to Pieces)
Rock Album
The Reason
Alternative Album
Good News for People Who Love Bad News (though I'd also love to see A Ghost is Born win)
Female R&B/single
If I Ain't Got You (did Beyonce miss a deadline or something?)
Male R&B/single
Burn
R&B Duo/single
My Boo
Traditional R&B/single
Musicology
Urban/single
Are You Experienced?
R&B Song
You Don't Know My Name
R&B Album
Diary of Alicia Keys
Contemporary R&B Album
Confessions
Rap Solo/single
Through the Wire
Rap Group/single
Let's Get it Started
Rap/Sung Collaboration/single
Yeah
Rap Song
Let's Get it Started
Rap Album
The Black Album
Female Country/single
Gretchen Wilson
Male Country/single
In My Own Mind
Country Group/single
Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)
Collaboration w/ Vocals/single
Portland Oregon
Country Song
Redneck Woman ( though I'd really like to see It's Hard to Kiss The Lips At Night That Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long win... for obvious reasons)
The Grammy's are the big claim to fame of NARAS. I enjoyed watching their prez Neil Portnow squirm like a worm on a hook when he was here a few months back, hosted by the Churchill Club. The guy was so pathetically overmatched he barely said a word, leaving it to Tom Dolby to offer something like... "Well, I'd like to get paid for Blinded Me With Science, but, yes, I would have written it even without getting paid."
Halfway through the evening I had an odd nostalgia for Mike Greene. The aptly named predecessor was at least funny. His rant at the '01 show was hysterical, I was in stitches, and so mortifying, even for his own organization that they moved the Grammy's out of LA, where they had been for a number of years, and ousted the money colored Mike in favor of the phlegmatic Portnow.
Last year, at the Awards, Portnow got up there to tout their propaganda site, What's the Download?. As you'll see, if you click the link, like the tobacco and gun companies, they try to hide their sponsorship, making it seem like some type of legitimate public interest group. They had some artists' comments on there so I read those of two of my favorites, Joss Stone & Black Eyed Peas.
Joss said the only reason she doesn't illegally download herself is that she doesn't know how and the Peas tried to sell their album notes & better fidelity. Fortunately there aren't too many Lars Ulrich's out there, willing to slap their fans in the face. And BTW, I agree with those cute little Peas. A nice little book with lots of art and lyrics, accompanied by some high fidelity music. I have no problem, if folks want to buy that. I just wish the publication values were higher.
Anyway, last year Portnow reassured a public out of their minds with fear, that recorded music would indeed survive the horror of the internet. This year, their publicity dept. is on top of things, donating some profits to tsunami aid. So, what will Portnow report this year? "Well, the year started off well cause we convinced the public they would be sued, but when they realized the propaganda was bogus, they went back to getting music the easy way. So, please buy a song for $.99 even though you can get it for free and it costs us nothing to get it to you. It's just pure profit for us, so please, please, please, give us some of your money because otherwise you'll have no good music and all our millionaire artists will be sad."
I know I'm constantly referring my readers to previous posts (ok, so I'm repetitive, that doesn't mean I want to write it all again, after all, this blog started cause people got so mad about my concise emails) but, this time I really mean it. Check out my AMA post (11/23/04) & Billboards (12/9/04). But, if it it's too much to click the fucking button, I can sum it up for you in one word. Usher.
The guy sold over 8M units this year. That's huge. The industry hasn't seen a number like that for many years, certainly not this century. He'll win everything. These are my picks, who I think deserves it on the basis of the music alone, not who I think will win, not the most popular artist, or the sentimental favorite.
Record of the Year
Heaven (Check these brothers out 2/15 at the Masonic Temple, they bring a tex-mex/country/pop blend that is so fresh, remember Pure Prairie League, Poco, Los Lobos?)
Album of the Year
American Idiot (should be Songs About Jane, which wasn't even nominated, Mind Body & Soul should have been nominated, Ray deserves a nod, American Idiot reminded us all what punk music is about and why we need to keep it alive, Confessions...8M, Kanye is innovative but doesn't belong there)
Song of the Year
The Reason (best song of this year was This Love, which wasn't even nominated)
Best New Artist
Maroon 5
Female Pop
You Had Me (Some Kind of Wonderful & Super Duper Love were better)
Male Pop
Love's Divine (how long has this song been around anyway?, If they had put the song Musicology up I would have gone with that, or Lenny Kravitz who put out Where Are We Runnin? this year.)
Pop Group/single
She Will Be Loved ( This Love & Harder to Breathe were both better, Keane's Somewhere Only We Go should have been nominated)
Pop Collaboration/single
Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word
Pop Vocal Album
Mind Body & Soul
Dance/single
Comfortably Numb
Traditional
Stardust
Solo Rock/single
Breathe
Rock Group/single
Take Me Out
Hard Rock/single
Slither
Rock Instrumental/single
Mrs. O'Leary's Cow
Rock Song
Float On (this was a close one, with Fall to Pieces)
Rock Album
The Reason
Alternative Album
Good News for People Who Love Bad News (though I'd also love to see A Ghost is Born win)
Female R&B/single
If I Ain't Got You (did Beyonce miss a deadline or something?)
Male R&B/single
Burn
R&B Duo/single
My Boo
Traditional R&B/single
Musicology
Urban/single
Are You Experienced?
R&B Song
You Don't Know My Name
R&B Album
Diary of Alicia Keys
Contemporary R&B Album
Confessions
Rap Solo/single
Through the Wire
Rap Group/single
Let's Get it Started
Rap/Sung Collaboration/single
Yeah
Rap Song
Let's Get it Started
Rap Album
The Black Album
Female Country/single
Gretchen Wilson
Male Country/single
In My Own Mind
Country Group/single
Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)
Collaboration w/ Vocals/single
Portland Oregon
Country Song
Redneck Woman ( though I'd really like to see It's Hard to Kiss The Lips At Night That Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long win... for obvious reasons)
posted by Intervision at 9:10 PM
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