The Smiley Smile Message Board

Alright, who watched the grammys?  I just gotta say, it's amazing to see Paul Macca still rocking this late in his life.  When we're all (well, the youngsters amongst us) 70 or so, we'll be telling legends about the great Paul McCartney and how we were fortune enough to see him perform on television from time to time.  Just like our parents talk about how they saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, we'll be talking about how we saw Paul McCartney play "Helter Skelter" live on the Grammys when he was friekin' 64!  That was AWESOME!

I'm not into Linkin' Park so I didn't like the "yesterday" stuff, but I applaud Paul for basically being down for whatever.  "Fine Line" was awesome, though.  Plus, Paul always has the coolest pianos, this one had t.v. screens or something on it, really trippy.

I missed the first hour of the show, but I thought most of the rest of the show was just blah blah.  Kind of cool to see Kelly Clarkson win some stuff.  She seems to be doing a good job of trying to turn pop into art.

I'm pretty much sick of U2 so I wasn't thrilled that they won about everything. 

Paul ruled.
So did Madonna and Gorillaz.
Kelly wuz kool.
But Sly Stone's 3 foot tall white Mohawk stole the night.

The friggin cable's out in my entire building.. everyone was IMing me saying "Quick, turn on the Grammys!" and I could do nothing about it.. I'm sure it was lovely.

i give two shits and a f***!
censor this beeyotch

Green Day won Record of the Year...I'm a happy man.

I'm also really happy for Kelly Clarkson and her two wins last night. She deserves every bit of it. And her performance was, as always, spectacular.

Paul stole the night in my eyes. The crowd went nuts over Helter Skelter.

I just discovered the White Stripes album same day it won the Grammy.  Initial thoughts -- it earned it.

Skipped the show.  So of COURSE Macca is awesome and Sly Stone shows up....

Macca was pretty damned good. The Sly performance was great. I hate Madonna, so I won't comment on her.

i thought the Sly tribute was a mess.....he did not look well.....is he suffering from osteoporosis? his neck bent over and very thin, it was a bit shocking.
they should have got Prince and Larry Graham with Prince's band as back up...that would have helped FUNK it up.
joss stone ...argh.....maroon 5 ...double arrggh..and Perry , Tyler...please go away....none of these guy's can play a note of FUNK especially the kind Sly cooked up in his prime.

did anyone notice Randy Jackson from idol fame playing bass .....

Helter Skelter, huh?? ??? No atypical Hey Jude?? Man! Wish I'd have seen that. How long before it turns up online?  ;D

Macca has been playing Helter Skelter on his current tour......i thought his voice sounded a bit hoarse. i know he has been on the road for a while , so maybe it's catching up to him. He has a killer band !!

I take it the Dylan documentary won the best long video award (or whatever they call it), rather than 'Beautifiul Dreamer''?

Yeah, Dylan beat out Smile. Eh. Smile is a better overall DVD. Can't beat those menus. Whatever.

I thought the show was okay. I’ve seen much worse. Certainly enjoyed Sir Paul, would have enjoyed him leaving with a trophy more. Nice surprise performance of “Yesterday”, it would have been better if that guy wasn’t talking through the whole thing. Sir Paul agrees.

"Yesterday…yeah, uhn….all my troubles seemed so far away….West Coast!….now it looks like they are here to stay…yeah, uhng….oh I believe in Yesterday….b*tch….Suddenly…yeah uh…I’m not half the man I used to be….word…there’s a shadow hanging over me…SHAKE DAT AZZ….oh yesterday, came suddenly…. …..DOWNLOAD THE GREY ALBUM NOW......mmmm Yesterday."

Neil Young’s album deserved something. What was it doing in “Best Rock Album” category? It was a gentle album. At least he got a nomination.

Madonna was good. I like her legs and her rump. Sexy old Milf. Nuff said.

I was rooting for Kelly Clarkson to beat out all those big shots. Take that, Mariah Carey! She has a great voice, and although it’s not my bag, I think her album was pretty strong (my wife has it). Good move not thanking “American Idol” during her speech. Best to distance herself from that fiasco.

Sly Stones performance was a trip. They should have found some better talent for him to share the stage with (apparently all these people are on a Sly Stone tribute album, conveniently released the day before the Grammy Show). Sly came, he saw, he split. Leave ‘em wanting more. Not sure of his health. Heard that he is not well. Great to see him, though.

Didn’t Green Day’s album come out like 2 years ago? Why are they still winning awards? I guess I shouldn’t complain and be thankful that a rock act won the award. Same goes for U2. It seems like they’ve dominated the show the past 3 years, with “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” somehow being carried over for 2 years, meanwhile they can’t find a loophole to get Johnny Cash’s American V any awards. Never mind, I’m getting off track.

The Grammys never get it right, although this year I don’t think there was really that much to choose from. I still don’t understand why some really important awards are presented off camera. They miss the boat most times, what with groups like Radiohead and Beck dropping masterpieces in the 90’s but not getting nominated until later on for “lesser” works. (Odelay gets overlooked, Midnite Vultures gets a nod for album of the year. Duh. Too little too late, people).

The Grammy's suck.  There are 20 live performances, and 8 awards given out.  There were only two awards given out in the first 70 minutes of the show. 

You know the music industury sucks when "Hollaback Girl" is up for SONG OF THE YEAR!  HOLY MERDA!!  And how is it that Green Day and Gwen Stefani can be up for Grammy's they were up for last year for the same albums?  Gwen's album was up for Album of the Year and it came out in 2004!

I watched until Paul was on (which I enjoyed immensely ;D)... after that I shut it off.  The modern music in general does nothing for me.

Thank You so much, for a while there I thought I was  going senial at a very very very very young age....

xoox
suga

Yeah, but I would say that's the only reason to watch the show, for the performances. The last thing you need to know is who's taking the awards home. I stopped caring about the winners and losers decades ago, the only value it has is as a fairly exciting performance showcase.

Hollaback Girl being song of the year is like Bridge Over Trouble getting pushed aside for "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies.

Non of these so-called contenders for "Song of the Year" ever stand the test of time. Where are the modern day "What's Going On?s", "Yesterday"s and, uh... uh,  "Afternoon Delights"?

The life span of todays music is unbelievable short. The crap my wife is grooving to presently seems to evaporate after the 5 week expiration date. Then it will occur to me a year from now. "Oh yeah, whatever happened to that song, uh, how did it go?" and I can't even remember anyway. There are no earth-shattering songs being released on a large scale anymore. Mariah's song gets tons of airplay, but who's going to give a merda a year form now? No one. There will be another song that sounds just like it released in a few months and the sheep will move their herd over to the new thing for a little while.

Maybe the "popular music" genre has run it's coarse. I thought Radiohead were doing something important, but they got ignored in favor of Steely Dan.  1995's album of the year was Tony Bennett Unplugged. I mean, get with it. Does anyone remember "Sunny Came Home" by Shaun Colvin? Nope. Also nominated in the category - Mmm Bop by those kids. Gimme a break. And this is the year Radiohead release OK Computer.

Did REM win for "Automatic For The People?" Nope. They lost to the Bodyguard Soundtrack. Which album will be the one people remember? REM's "OUt of Time" lost to Natalie Cole singing with her dead father. Who's the one breaking new ground??

AND WHY WAS THERE NO LOVE FOR JOHNNY CASH'S AMERICAN RECORDINGS? CLEARLY THE ALBUM  OF THE YEAR. He got one award. Best Contemporary FOlk album. Are they insane? Tony Bennett Unplugged. Jesus wept.

Awards are pointless anyway. The Grammy's is not about who's best, it's about who gets the most airplay, sales and hype. I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't some payola involved in deciding who gets nominated. YOu never see some little band no one's ever heard of come in and steal the show because the show is in the firm grip of the music industy. Otherwise, The Dirtbombs would have gotten best rock performance for "Don't Break My Heart".

Couldn't agree more, Bubba. One question: what was the Best Album in 1976? Best Song from 1983? Noone knows, because noone cares about that stuff!

However, I have to mention that "Out Of Time" DID win some Grammys. Not that it matters...

"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" was eligible for this year's Grammys because it was released as a single after the time period for last years awards.

My fave part of the whole night was when Paul, after playing A Fine Line, strapped on the old Hofner and said: 'This is the first time I've played the Grammys. I guess I finally passed the audition. I want to rock, and I want to rock now." Then broke into a ripping Helter Skelter.

here he is

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Best Album of 76 was Stevie Wonder songs in Key Of Life. Best song of 83 was Beat It. So sometimes they get it right, I guess. Don't tell them I said that.

didn't they vote Milli Vanilli best new artist ??

The Grammies are nothing more but recording industry pap.

Green Day did make a statement with their American Idiot and I think it's a fine album.  But let's be honest here...Macca got chosen, just like The Stones got chosen to do the Incompetant Referee Festival (aka Super Bowl XL), for the same reasons.  There AREN'T ANY groups that can cover a whole lot of audiences anymore.  

Mariah Carey is nothing but a psychotic windbag of vocal acrobatics and a pet of the biggest sleazeballs ever who reside in the recording industry.  She's a sleazeball herself who used to sleep with anyone and anything to make her famous. If you've done anything in the recording industry, you'd know that her genre is full of more sleaze (as Dave Gilmour calls them "complete dickheads") full of idiots that deserve nothing less than dying in a big tour bus fire.  

They have destroyed our music, they've screwed the public and whenever they have a grievance, they put penalties on it that compete with someone who killed somebody towards us, the listening public for "copying" and whatever crybaby garbage that Lars Ulrich and his lemmings throw out there.

They slam us to the hilt with commercials, crap products and a very unpredictable industry all catered to the generation behind mine which is full of a bunch of whiny, timed-out, raised on cell phones and credit cards idiots who don't know their asses from a hole in the ground.  

So am I not shocked at the choosings and the disregard of some good young talents.  

Warner, Atlantic, Sony and Uni should all have their headquarters burned to the mother f****ing ground.  And if people like the B.W. camp defend these idiots, then the hell with them too.  

Sick and tired of this nonsense.  I download my butt off and the last four CDs I bought were American Idiot, SMiLE, Saving For Silverman and Hot Fuss.   The RIAA and their lemmings deserve the loss of profits and a tumor the size of a basketball in their backside cavities.

That's right, I said it.

Screw the Grammies, screw the Billboard Awards and anyone that tries to mimic the two.



WHEW!  That was fun to rant.  It's been a while since I've been here.  :)

Nice one cta! Feel the same about the Brit Awards over here.. farcical music industry crap.

(BTW where do you download from?!)

Thank you CTA. Excellent post.

That was a great rant! I'm sure many if not, most of us here share your views!  :)

I for one don't.  While I don't like most of the modern music, I don't want Mariah Carey to die in a tour bus fire.  That's not clever to say, you're not cool for being hip enough to wish death on somebody, and no, I will not lighten up when people are talking about people dying because of something as slight as a bad song. 

 :-[ Um yeah.. the death part was kind of extreme.. but the rest of the sentiment I agree with.

You guys are a bunch of old fogeys that should only curl up and blow away in the wind coming from the amp of Jack White.

Who do you mean Ian?!

Whoever reads it and takes it personally.
Those who dont take it personally are not the ones I am talking about.

(http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/happy/happy0009.gif)

Good, not me then  ;)

 ;D

It's not that bad.


"Afternoon Delight"????  How is that superior to "Hollaback Girl"??


Gorillaz.  The only band that matters.


"Norwegian Wood" ---->"Paint it Black"
"Paperback Writer" ---->"Last Train to Clarksville"
Every big band we gush over from the 60s ----> Every minor band we gush over from the 60s


Because Steely Dan are doing everything important.


Yes.  It did suck.  But I will also say that a lot of non-Grammy people backlash against the decent mainstream stuff.  Nevermind, for example.


Why are you bashing the Grammies for favoring other old artists (Steely Dan) and talking about fucking Johnny Cash???


I totally agree with you there.

Yes.


But we pay for the junk products and support the industries.  They are the price for the system we live in, and we have to change it.  I agree with your anger.  But blaming the companies does nothing, you have to take action against it.


:)


Show the artist you can support them better than the record companies.  Then you'll see the industry you want.  Going behind the artist's back just makes them pick the lesser evil -- a record company, because the company is still paying them and you're not.

 ;D again.


Anyways, I'd rate Sugar Sugar alongside Bridge, just as I would rate the Ramones alongside Steely Dan.
It's all static.

1) I think it's as good as Sugar Sugar. Both are pretty catchy.

2)Afternoon Delight is one of the finest songs ever written.

3)Gorillaz do have an interesting thing going, but I can't get behind a band made up of animated characters......once again, see "The Archies".

4)I gush over neither The Stones nor The Monkees. They were 2 bands who saw which way the Beatles wind was blowing and then coasted along with it (although I do like the Monkees).

5) Steely Dan got the nostagic reward because they hadn't won before and the Grammies felt sorry for them. Now in the case of Dylan, he happened to make a masterwork. Age discrimination can go both ways. Any way, there is no way that Steely Dan's album was better than Kid A.

4) I think you agree with me on this, so....

5) Johnny Cash, with help from Rick Ruben, made a statement. His first American Recordings album is one of the best albums of the past 25 years. I'm not saying not to give awards to the elderly, but in the grammys case, at least in previous years, it seemed they'd always take an old favorite over something cutting edge. In that particular year, none of the nominees came close to what Johnny Cash had accomplished on his record. The fact that it had only one nomination in an overlooked category was a travesty. They should have treated his final album the way they did with Ray Charles mediocre "Duets" album. But some sort of controversy about the actual release date blocked "The Man Comes Around" from getting it's due.

6)Right on. There's not point in arguing about it, when the subject is pointless to begin with.

 :)

I can dig that.



I call Archies/Gorillaz "honesty".

And I can dig that.

That's cool.
For me the only honesty I saw last night was:
Gorillaz, for the concept. You want prescribed caricatures for rock stars, here you go.
Sly. You think I'm some weird freak to be brought out of hiding, OK, I'll show up looking as freaky as possible for a minute, then disappear into time. Perfect.
Bruce. He's almost John Lydon at this point, for his complete disinterest in the business of being a rock star. He just shows up, does his thing, minimal flash, bye.

Their last album and "Feel Good Inc." were amazingly substantial too.  Would the Archies be on the Grammies singing a song about how f***ed up America was for its reaction to 9/11, and then segue it into a throwback dance number (Madonna)?  Probably not.  The fact that Gorillaz use cartoons to appeal to kids with the message that we'll destroy any civilization to feel good about ours makes it even more brilliant.  Not that most people were paying attention...

  That's cool.  I love the Stones and Monkees.  Just pointing out that copying exists even in a "Renaissance."  I think the problem you have is that popular music is worse.  Or radio is worse, than when you were young.  And that could be true.  There is still tons of great music being made, but it's harder to find.  Plus, we are still partly riding the dominant genre for the past few decades -- you can't expect another Beatles to come from within rock and roll.

  I don't know, I think everything Steely Dan has done is better than Radiohead.  I don't know if I'd call Two Against Nature a masterwork, but it's a damn good album and it's unfair to think they only got a sympathy vote or that's all they're worth.  I could just as easly nail Radiohead for turning their backs on the song that got them popular in the first place.  Which is more crass?


I do not own any Johnny Cash albums.  I'm not making statements about his talents, but to me Steely Dan is more interesting.  So when you accuse Steely Dan of only getting a vote because they're old and it's for sympathy, and I love the album they won for, I'm going to wonder why you're not nailing the Grammies for Johnny Cash, regardless of what he put out.


Haha, yeah.  I don't really regard the Grammies, but it's good debating with you.

What did Bruce do?
I assume it was an acoustic Devils and Dust.

THe Grammys are the most absurd example of an awards show ever invented. I can't look at the list of categories without ACTUALLY laughing out loud. It begs so many follow on jokes.... but, what it is there to do, like its pale UK imitation (the Brits) is to CELEBRATE THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. Note the last word. All those corporate pillocks amassing cocaine mountains in their living rooms while they are still young enough to get down with the people (man....).

The list of winners over the last 10 years is enough to make you think there was nothing decent produced by anyone anywhere.

I Agree with cta about Maria Carey by the way after Live 8 (and actually well before that come to think of it). Its sad that someone like BW probably feels more vindicated by that award than by the fact he created some of the greatest records ever made in the 60's.

Yep.
Then simply said, "Send em home".
Bono stood up and applauded, which seemed an interesting admission of being utterly outclassed in the statement-department.

Alan, totally agree with you about the Brits - a revolting, back-slapping fest. However, respect to the Brits this year for nominating Kate Bush!  She's got to win, over MOR drivel like KT Tunstell (the new Dido). But she probably won't, since we could probably predict the winners now. Good on Macca for rejecting his lifetime achievement award... hilarious though that Paul Weller is willing to take it instead!
Always tend to find myself watching it, despite the cringe-factor.

A couple of random thoughts...

As I was watching Sly, I had the same feelings I usually get when watching Brian on TV. First, I can't take my eyes off of him, he's the only one I can focus on. Next, after about a minute goes by, I realize I'm physically holding my breath, not knowing what he's gonna do next, or not do next. While I was excited to see Sly re-emerge, I thought it was sad. He appeared lost and not "with it"...

Paul McCartney was great. I feel the same way about McCartney as I did about the Rolling Stones at the Super Bowl. Yes, I'm the old fogie type I guess, but I like it when the Old Guard gets a chance to show the young people what real rock and roll is. U2 did that last night also, by the way...

Is it my imagination, or is Bruce Springsteen starting to look and sound more and more like Bob Dylan circa 1984 or so...

Just a minor observation, but I enjoyed that little tribute at the end of the show to Wilson Pickett. I thought it was an excellent representation of "In The Midnight Hour". I was glad Springsteen hung around for it...

Bono makes me feel sick. So self-congratulatory.  >:(

Yeah, doesn't he usually copy the Beatles?

True, and the BW comparison is apt, BUT he was allowed to do what he wanted and when he wanted, heightening the "alien visitation" feeling of the moment, rather than pretending a shattered man is not, which is how the last year or so of the BW circus has felt to me.
The best would be if Syd Barrett was announced as a guest, then he got up on stage and talked for 15 minutes about gardening tips. That would be far more shocking and intense than playing "Arnold Layne".

I missed this! I'll admit I walked away from the TV a few times to check on the old Smiley Smile Message Board...

Anyway, was this award for Paul as a solo or as a Beatle? Did he refuse to take the stage? Did they show him rejecting it?  Details please... Thanks...

What was the audience reaction to Bruce's comment? What have the papers said? I know a sane man with the wrong opinion (ie not one shared with GWB) can get hammered in the USA at the moment. Then again as he campaigned long and hard against him I don't suppose anyone was surprised....

Wonder if they'll leave it in the repeats...

This is in reference to the forthcoming Brits - Macca rejected the L.A chievement award as he felt people would think he was about to retire.. so they offered it to Weller instead and he accepted! :D

My hero! It absolutely *is* one of the finest songs ever written; the perfect song of new love.

I think Kate Bush -like Annie Lennox- gets nominated for some brit or other every year whether she makes a record or not.

Jesus! I laughed so hard at that I need to change my pants!

Pre-Grammys, a friend who happens to be a music writer came over for drinks, and I castigated him for what I thought was a lame idea: another perfunctory Grammys column. I must've gone on for about 18 minutes about all the worthless pageantry and empty ceremony of the typical Grammys show, then my friend split to watch. I ended up fighting with my girlfriend for no good reason and missing Sly Stone. Kinda wish I'd seen the Grammys this year, after all.

The show was so long, by time the fine all-star performance at the end came I was exhausted. But it was a great performance. It was my favorite of the night. I liked it even better than Sir Paul!

This Syd Barrett thing is a good idea. Let’s petition the Grammys to get behind this. An all-star tribute to Syd, with Syd appearing at the end to strum an open chord tunelessly and stare blankly at the camera. Who could they get for the tribute? Start off with The White Stripes on “Astronomy Domine”, then Mary J. Blige doing “Flaming”, followed by Eddie Vedder singing “Octopus”, cut to Stevie Nicks tackling “Dark Globe”, Elvis Costello sings “Lucifer Sam”, Kelly Clarkson earns major cred with an amazing performance of “Jugband Blues”, and then the Pink Floyd themselves appear and cap things off with “Interstellar Overdrive”, which leads to the arrival of Syd, who adds some sloppy slide guitar (with a zippo lighter) to it, before leading the ensemble into an out-of-time melody of “Arnold Layne” and “See Emily Play”.

I’m getting excited just thinking about it!

Mary J. Blige doing Flaming?! You're twisted, man. In a good way, of course.  ;D

Ok, yesterday I switched through some channels and suddenly saw someone who looks like Peter Gabriel. I soon found out that it actually IS Peter Gabriel, performing a cover-version of "Imagine" on the opening show of the Olympic Winter Games! It was fantastic and beautiful and very moving, and I will tell you why:

BECAUSE HE DIDN'T F*CKING CHANGE THE SONG!!!

He even tried to pronounce the words in the same way John Lennon did. Even the piano had almost the same sound!

And that made me think about the performance of "Across The Universe" on the Grammy-show last year. Noone (well, except Brian) sang the original melody of that song. No, instead everyone had to show what a great fucking singer he/she is. Bono tried so hard that he sounded like he was drunk. And I´m just soo tired of these over-the-top-dramatic singing. Like Mariah "Why not sing 20 notes instead of 2" Carey. And all the Mariah Carey wannabes. Like "the song is not good enough, I have to improve it a little bit".

Thank God for Peter Gabriel, who knows how to tread a composition with respect!!!

Neil Young did a great rendition of "Imagine" on a 9/11 Tribute show, and he too, stuck to the original format.

I wish I had caught Peter. Was he wearing the flower mask while he sang it?

I wish everyone who covered Imagine would change it to a completely different song. Different words, different music.
People covering songs exactly is stupid, lame and boring, totally unimaginative. No point whatsoever.
You want good interpretations? Get Cat Power's The Covers Record.