I was watching the Grammy Awards Sunday and it’s nice to know that I still have my finger on the pulse of American music, even at my age. I had to laugh at one comment on Facebook that one of my contemporaries only recognized Paul McCartney in the lineup of entertainment. I assume they also remembered the Beach Boys and Bruce Springsteen as well, but just forgot to mention them.
Me, I knew an awful lot of the performers. I may not be a fan of all their work, but at least I know them by name and know at least one or two songs they’ve cut in their careers. Some are highly entertaining, such as Bruno Mars, whose retro tribute to the doo-wop bands of the past had to be one of the highlights of the evening.
I can’t say the same for Bruce Springsteen, with his seeming sequel to Born in the USA, which in true Springsteen fashion, was so mumbled I couldn’t make out any words except the chorus. Thanks Bruce for nothing, Bruno Mars kicked your ass all over the parking lot last Sunday.
I also dug Chris Brown’s performance last night. Energetic, powerful and crisp. Although I’m not a huge Foo Fighters fan, I found myself applauding the fact that they made their last album in their garage, on tape, eschewing all the technology (autotune anyone?) that can make a mediocre singer sound like Pavoratti.
And who wasn’t rooting for Adele to win big, after her recent trials and tribulations?
I confess that I liked Maroon 5’s and Foster the People’s renditions of Beach Boy songs better than the Beach Boys themselves. Whenever they did a closeup of Brian Wilson he looked bewildered. Sadly, I think he should re-retire.
I didn’t know until earlier in the day that Glen Campbell was actually a Beach Boy for six months, standing in for Brian during one of his hiatuses. A class act, doing his farewell tour before Alzheimer’s totally claims his memory.
Winner of the “Worst Duo to Sing a Duet Together” was Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson. Talk about two cold fish. The only satisfying moment occurred when Jason’s mike died and Kelly had to finish the song without him. Thank you God!
I think Nicki Minaj could benefit from a little more time in the recording studio taking singing lessons than in the confessional pissing off Catholics. Maybe Tony Bennett could teach her a thing or two about just standing there and singing a song well. I know Adele could definitely give her a lesson or two in that regard.
Well, enough about my review of the Grammys. I think what’s really refreshing in this day and age is that we can choose to continue to be hip. I remember when my father was my age he only liked Country and Western, and none of the pop country stuff, like Crystal Gail and Eddie Rabbit were doing back then. He had chose to be frozen in time, which I guess he was good with.
The problem with it is that you stop expanding your horizons. If anyone ever looked on my iPod they would be very afraid. Eclectic is an understatement as I have everything from Peter, Paul and Mary and the Andrews Sisters to Amy Winehouse, Black Eyed Peas and Nelly Furtado. All told, I have about 4,000 songs, which if I listened to one after another, would take 10 days before I hit a repeat.
Of course, some songs I like better than others. I have a real thing for well written songs. My catalog favors singer-songwriters, as I feel it’s a lot harder to write and perform your own song than cover someone else’s. It is a highly emotional experience to perform something that comes from deep down inside you.
Case in point. Take the song I Will Always Love You. Whitney made it a big hit with her triumphant vocal rendition. But listen to how Dolly Parton sang it. It’s so heartfelt and heart wrenching. She wrote it for partner Porter Waggoner, who gave her her start in the music business and who she was leaving. You can hear the sadness in the song. Sorry Whitney, I know you’ve joined the heavenly choir, but your rendition of Dolly’s song didn’t make it on my iPod.
If there is a hole in my collection, it’s hip hop and rap. I only have 18 songs here, most of them Spearhead. How did I get to like Spearhead? Good story. They were the opening act for the Indigo Girls on the Seattle waterfront and I swear I was the only heterosexual man in the entire crowd. But I liked Spearhead as much if not better than Amy and Emily.
Rock, pop and folk dominate my collection by far. Bringing up the rear is new age, electronic, classical and inspirational.
I said I was eclectic. I think back to the dark days of music when you had to buy an entire CD without ever knowing what the songs sounded like on it. I can’t tell you how many times I ended up with a CD or album where there was only one decent song or how many great artists went unnoticed by me because I never heard their music.
Steve Jobs, thank you wherever you are for the iTunes store and those wonderful one minute, thirty second previews. You’ve expanded my tastes in music to the point that I can still watch the Grammys and know who these people are.
I can also thank a bottle of wine for my unknown purchase of Adele’s 21 CD long before I ever heard of her. I remember wondering why the hell I had a new CD that I didn’t know I had purchased. Leave it to my heavy handed finger on the return key and a bottle of Cabernet for helping me discover Adele and still be hip enough to talk to my two children about their era of music, not mine.
Out on the Treasure Coast, wondering what to listen to today… Snow Patrol or Frank Sinatra’s Duets,
– Robb