The Grammy thread

[al]

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

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.

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...

[Maybelline]

Good on Macca for rejecting his lifetime achievement award... hilarious though that Paul Weller is willing to take it instead!
 

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...

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!

[harveyw]

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

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

respect to the Brits this year for nominating Kate Bush! 

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

[Boxer Monkey]

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".

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.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

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!

[Evenreven]

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

[JRauch]

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!!!

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

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. Spaceman]

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.