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Screen grab of Amy Winehouse's performance in London via satellite
• Slideshow: See photos from the show
• Thor's story: Awards show roundup
• Mario's story: Performance roundup
• Winners: Complete list of winners and nominees
I am. Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters wins Album of the Year? I thought that the major awards would be split this year, but this is a left-field selection if ever there was one ... did the others all cancel themselves out?
I think so: one rock album, one retro-pop album, one hip-hop album, one country album and one jazz album were nominated. And Herbie is by far the most revered name of the five throughout the industry. The curmudgeonly Grammy voter base strikes again!
....the tux is a good look, but will seems constrained, like he's ready to rip the jacket off, toss the hat, jump in the aisle and do some pop-locking. It's nice to Usher looking well after losing his dad last month....his own foray into fatherhood looks like it's treating him well, but Quincy looked ready to nod off for a minute.
Dag....another shot at Kanye! Ursh may want to rethink that, he might want a collabo with the rapper for the new upcoming CD. Congrats on the win Herbie, it's SO overdue! He's ignoring the exit music, but this moment was an overwhelming one for the musician, we'll give the man a pass....
... and I have to say that Little Richard is winning handily.
John Fogerty, Jerry Lewis and Little Richard; now THERE'S a sight you won't encounter again in this lifetime! Jerry's struggling a bit vocally, but given his age and hell-raising past, it's expected. Little Richard and Tina Turner must've run into each other at the Wig Depot from the looks of things, but he's still flamboyant fun to watch and listen to. I'm bracing myself for an inevitable 'SHUT UP!" any minute now....
What's with all the shagginess in this performance? I can forgive Andrea Bocelli, since he's blind and all. But come on, Josh -- how about mixing in a razor when you are performing a fairly classy song on music's most formal night of the year?
Seeing Pimp C on-screen, especially after learning of his cause of death, was startling. He had so much to offer the rap game, and the way his life ended, especially so soon after his release from prison, was tragic. And then there's the late Ike Turner, who passed away less than one year after winning his first Grammy...that was a bittersweet moment as well.
One of Amy Winehouse's favorite wine houses went up in flames last night: the Hawley Arms, which is also a haunt for that fascinating cantankerous Brit ex-couple, Pete Doherty and Kate Moss. (That's what Ms. Winehouse was alluding to with the "This is for London, 'cause Camden Town is burning down!" line that she closed her acceptance speech with.)
Just three weeks ago I was in Camden Town, which is the punky-artsy neighborhood that the Hawley Arms is located in. It's my favorite area in London, and I was crestfallen when I'd heard that the upper part of its famed outdoor market had gone up in flames on Saturday night. In that respect, I'm right there with you, Amy. Let's both hope that the Arms is open again in a couple of months (I'll be back in late March).
Maybe we can meet up and share a pint and a fag to celebrate, Amy? Eh, yeah ... Probably not.
I was thinking that it was kind of random, but now we know why the Time performed. This, from the AP:
Morris Day and The Time have recorded an fresh CD, their first in 18 years, and expect to tour again soon, band members said backstage at the Grammys.
“We plan on going into the studio and getting out on the road,” Morris Day, wearing a gold suit, said after the group performed a set with Rihanna.
“Don't lie to them,” guitarist Jesse Johnson said. “We've got an album in the can that's so ridiculous. We can't believe we did it.”
The group had been eating meals together the week before reuniting at the Grammys.
“We're having too much fun. We'll keep it going,” producer Jimmy Jam said.
Of performing with Rihanna, Day said: “I think she is a sexy young lady. I have kids as old as her, but I did enjoy it. That did not deter me from noticing at all.”
Sorry, folks. I'm not all that into Amy Winehouse. I understand why her music is resonating with Baby Boomers, music-industry insiders and pop cultural trainwreck chasers. She's awfully poetic; I'll say that ...
... but like the vast, vast majority of British pop acts, she's almost banally derivative. Her songs are proto-big band romps with sharp hooks and decent arrangements. It's her voice that makes them, as well as her delivery when she's sober, on and into the song.
Tonight via satellite, she was in and out of the songs. To my eyes she struggled at times, though it only took her a second or two to pull herself out of the trances she appeared to be nodding off toward. Dang, but she's got a fantastic voice for the material, though ...
And now she just won for Record of the Year. I get why (Mario? I feel ya here). But I don't necessarily agree with it.
"Uh ... thank you ... to everyone ... " Ugh. I think this will either clean her up or push her over the edge.
Amy could stand a few burgers (those matchstick legs are KILLING me!), but she does look bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and like she's certainly enjoying herself. Performing 'Rehab' with that self-possessed smirk on her face is priceless, by the way...
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration went to Rihanna and Jay-Z. Well, not my pick, but it did provide us with one of the (actually intentional) funnier moments. Jay-Z kept repeating parts of Rihanna's acceptance speech, saying nothing for himself. She was annoyed and showed it, punching him in the arm as they were exiting the stage. She should thank him; he's had his moments, now he's letting her have hers.
"Is that Brad Pitt? No ... Colin Farrell? Nope ... Oh heck! It's Juanes! Sweet!"
To heck with Brad Paisley. That Juanes dude is cool.
As it should be! Nobody, nobody, I mean NOBODY writes four CDs worth of material, divides them in styles and employs a house full of stellar musicians and vocalists. Oh, and there's not a bad song in the bunch. When Vince said making These Days took a year out of his life, all I have to say is....that was a year well spent!
The gentlemanly, stoic and measured Vince Gill, asking Kanye West if he's been handed an award by a former Beatle after he got his Grammy Award for Best Country Album from Ringo Starr?
Classic! I'm still rolling after seeing that! Bwaaa-hahaha! Take that, 'Ye! (at least he smiled with what seemed like good nature ... )
Boy howdy, that woman has it all. Fantastic and athletic voice, tenderness when needed and attitude when needed, piano chops up all sorts of wazoos ... she's even getting the mid-event wardrobe change down, even though that gold-and-black glittery blouse is a bit off the flattery radar in my eyes ...
But I will say this: those are the most magnificent pair of hoop earrings that I've ever laid eyes on. And I love me some hoops on a gal's lobes ...
And look at John Mayer fly on the guitar ... with a nice-n-neat semi-pompadour haircut and with almost no discernable face-making as he strums. I think Alicia's poise rubs off on him.
...Berry Gordy Jr. is certainly overdue for a tribute, and no one is better than Stevie Wonder to give it to him; he's sweet, humble, he's got jokes and knows when to get off the stage besides. The make-up is slathered on kinda thick, but Ms. Keys is becoming a more animated and bootylicious performer, which I'm sure her fans appreciate. Love the door-knocker earrings and the wild mop top Alicia, work it!
Not bad singing from the Detroit rapper-turned-Southern-rock impresario ...
... and he said the right words regarding the Best Rock Album Grammy. Foo Fighters deserved it with Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. It was probably a close race between he and Bruce Springsteen's Magic, I figure. But to me, Magic was only very, very good, as well as somewhat stilted in flow; it was not great. Bruce has another great CD in him, and I bet that the Grammy voters realize it. The Foos, as consistent as it's been, may not.
I love Feist, love that song, and I can't wait to see her this spring. But she is challenging John Mayer for the title of Monster Face Champ. Much the same way the Mayer's face goes all crazy when he's playing a guitar lick, she was cranking out the weird twitches. Just gets kind of distracting is all I'm sayin'...
I'm thinking not.
It took some guts to present "1, 2, 3, 4" to the Grammy audience as a near-acoustic and unaccompanied number with some scatty oddball horns for accompaniment. But to me, the performance fell flat because Leslie Feist's voice didn't project well at all (it never does, to be sure, in her case), and she appeared quite stiff and unnatural.
These aren't her homies. I'm just glad she got through it relatively unscathed.
Another 'DUH!' from the Academy; even my 80-year-old grandmother knows 'Umbrella,' they played the song so much. Jay-Z's flashes of ego wre unexpected, but after 12 years in the game, he's earned it. Rihanna kept her speech short and sweet and gave a shout-out to her daddy besides, awww.....
Daughtry's nomination speaks well of the band. Why is the drummer doing an impersonation of 'Itchy and Scratchy' at the podium? He's also looking around like he doesn't get out much. No offense Mike, but ew....
Wow---I remember this 'Sunshine...' song from my childhood, and the Clark Sisters look practically the same, give or take a few pounds/extensions. Aretha has lost a bit of weight, but that lime green/yellow (?) number wasn't the most flattering look for the Queen. Her vocals weren't hampered by her fashion sense, thank goodness.
OK, it's official -- Kanye West could not be more full of himself if he started eating his toes and worked his way up the rest of the way. His talk started out interesting when he spoke of the state of hip-hop and its importance, but when he started dissing Common and opining about who should win album of the year along with him, it got to be all about Kanye again. And then he gets mad when he runs out of time to pay tribute to his recently deceased mother. Here's a tip Kanye -- if you've got something really important to get out of your mouth on the stage, do it at the beginning, and then you can tell us how great you are until the music comes on.
I thought that the word 'mama' being carved into his head would keep his mind on her and keep him a bit more humble, but I guess not; Kanye talked all over the exit music, rambled and petulantly stayed on stage way past time. Celebrate, but get a clue Ye': it may be your home, but you still don't show out when company's watching.
Kanye, winning for Best Rap Album for The Graduation, mentioning his deceased mom in his acceptance speech and saying "it would be in good taste to stop the music now" as some electro-jazz soundtrack had been prompting him to wrap it up for a good half a minute.
The producers turned it down, then off. Good choice. All the Grammys would have needed was another dis' of Kanye. But I'm not so sure of his telling Common to release an album on a different year than he ...
...Chris Brown's candy cane tux is NOT the business; it looks like an eager nerd's at his first prom. Beyonce's sister Solange's outfit is also questionable, but Kanye's win certainly wasn't. Keep that futuristic bling Ye!!!
Love the guy, love the look, love his guitar chops (though I did notice a muff on one of the closing riffs). But man ... where's the energy? His performance was clean, efficient and mega-twangy ... but he and everyone else just stood there. He really didn't look like he was having much fun ... Mario? Was Brad just not feelin' it 'cause these weren't his CMA peeps?
Brad Paisley is so cool. That says it all.
I must say that Foo Fighters performance of "The Pretender" was exciting. I'm not a rocker at heart like Mike is, and my knowledge of the Foos is really limited, but that was a firecracker of a stage stint. Go, Dave, go!
... 'cause the Foos just have too much energy to keep a lid on ... heh.
... but really: Why can't all of the performances be inside the Staples Center? This trend toward live-music performances being held outside the actual events that they're supposedly associated with is one that I'm not totally on board with. Seems to me that the peeps inside the ceremony are being robbed a bit ... and in this case, aren't the peeps inside the ceremony the ones being honored with performances by nominated bands?
Oh, wait: this is a TV telecast that darn near didn't have anyone to write exchanges and dialogue for it. But isn't that more of a reason for all of the performers to be inside the Staples Center?
Check out the AP's roundup of random quotes heard at the awards:
"Frank Sinatra looked good for 150, didn't he?" — Prince, after Sinatra appeared in archival footage in a duet with Alicia Keys."Together these four men made music that changed the history of our planet. Tonight we honor the power of the Beatles. The power they still create in our lives." — Tom Hanks, introducing a tribute to the Beatles.
I adore Foo Fighters. I'm an admitted rocker at heart, and "The Pretender" is a fine, fine rock song. So excuse me while I stop thinking and bang my head for a few minutes ...
"Rehab" is far from my fave track on Amy Winehouse's Back to Black. But it deserves song of the year. That song defined 2007, not only because it's from the year's most talked about newcomer (and deservedly so), but also because we live in a world increasingly filled with celebrities in rehab.
Amy is killing it tonight, and I bet Beyonce is picking herself up off the floor for not taking the trophy for 'Irreplacable.' That was a 10-week number one hit last year, but the loss could've been a casualty from B backlash....the writing's on the wall that talented or not, people are tired of seeing/hearing her everywhere and on practically everything. I'm tempted to pull out my driver's license just to make sure it's still my picture and not Beyonce's. Okay, I couldn't resist, it's still me, whew!
"Rehab" is a good song. But it is not Song of the Year. I'll say no, no, no more about that.
Sheesh ... I'm just glad that Plain White Ts didn't win it. If it had, I'd have quit the western world and moved to Bhutan. I swear.
Why couldn't Tina have had the stage to herself? I got love for B and everything, but she's not good with everything and everybody. She and Tina obviously enjoy each other, but B needs to take a cue from Ms. Turner and go away for a minute so we'll miss her. I like that B's wig is tamer than usual and not the customary 10 pound Cousin It model.
She's showing her age, folks. But whew! The fire is STILL there! And no, there is NO NEED for Beyonce. Tina is the queen, Beyonce is merely a loyal subject!
OK, this makes up for Cher.
Wow, Tina Turner looks good. So did Beyonce, for that matter, but she always does (and always should). It's all slowed down, but she's still got the strut, still got the constant smile (no doubt assisted by surgeons, but that's beside the point), and still got that manic and sultry insistence in her voice.
OK, Kanye, you've got competition. Beyonce and Tina singing "Proud Mary," and with choreographed snaps to boot ... oh, this is such a blissfully teasing performance ... first to spoken word, then to soft-paced blues, then to its nuclear-fueled hyper-boogie conclusion.
One question: Where's John Fogerty? He's supposed to appear tonight, isn't he? This is his song!
but PLEASE return that wig to the dollar store; she's still superfly otherwise though, working the heck out of that silver body-hugging suit. I can only pray that I look as great as she does at 60+. Beyonce's entrance was too self-involved to really be a tribute...she could've kept that, esp. that bombastic take on 'De ja Vu.' Ick.
Wow. She looked like a cross between Tammy Wynette and Liberace circa 1968. Grow old gracefully, pleeease ...
Who did Cher sell her soul to to stay so youthfully vibrant and gorgeous? I love her wit too; go Cher, go Cher, we' gon' party like it's your birthday......
For anyone interested in the visual aspect of your favorite artists, check out the The Detroit News' red carpet roundup:
Forget about music! It was all about style — and in some cases, the lack thereof — on the red carpet at the 50th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday. There were stars who had fashion critics’ tongues wagging in shock and horror and those who left critics clapping in adoration.The most common thread was natural make-up and jewel tones, and leading the way was trendsetter Rihanna ....
Continue reading "Grammys 2008: Let's not forget the frocks" »
Okay, any house musician could've played the piano silently with Fergie; why waste the man's magnificent pipes like that? I certainly would've perferred his singing to Fergie's, sheesh. Who's putting these jacked-up duet pairings together, and why?
One thing that we now know, after seeing Fergie sing a ballad with John Legend on piano as accompaniment: She is no Christina Aguilera.
And yes, now we know what many Grammy honchos know: there was a reason why she wasn't nominated for any awards this year. It wasn't bad ... it just wasn't outstanding, as a Grammy nominee should be.
To my non-rap ears, Kanye West's "Stronger" kind of had a Herbie Hancock circa "Rockit" vibe, what with the funky, futuristic synthesizers. Did anybody else get that vibe from the tune?
I couldn't tell ... but in Kanye West's intro to "Stronger" (the Daft Punk sampling SO makes this song kick), he rapped "ape (blank)". I'll let our readers try to figure out what the missing word was ...
And I was hoping that this would happen ... the French cyborgs of Daft Punk apearing in the pyramid behind Kanye, who really didn't sound very appropriate just before that with all of that grunting and stuff ... but I dug the fiber-optic neon accents of the set.
But this is fresh: With "Mama" carved in his head, Kanye raps about his recently deceased mother after "Stronger," and he's holding it together, too. Admirable. And deserving of the standing-O that he's getting now.
....what an ironic song choice, given his personal loss last year. I remember covering his show just the day before his mother passed, how impassioned he was, how intense. I see that same intensity now, and I hope that his earlier wins have eased some of the pain. I like the space-age touches to the standard hip-hop performance too.
Wow, this is the most vulnerable I've ever seen the performer; his tribute to the late Donda West is one of his best songs ever. He's holding it together well, no 'all falls down' here. 'Jesus Walks' Kanye, He's got you.
A laugh from the Associated Press: “I'm so glad Kanye (West) won everything because you know how cranky he gets when he loses.” This, from Patti Austin, after it was revealed Kanye West had won three Grammys in the non-televised part of the awards show. He won best rap solo performance for “Stronger,” best rap song for “Good Life” and best rap performance by a duo or group for his collaboration with Common on “Southside.” I'm glad Common has ties with Kanye. It's shaping up to be his night (even though I'm still trying to deal with the eye strain of looking at the light show during his performance of "Stronger"). Nice tribute to his mother, though, who died suddenly in 2007.
About what Stephen Becker said; I thought Amy's US Visa was granted but that they just didn't have the time to get her there since it was so close to the telecast. That's what I saw on the news anyway, unless she got it yanked away again...
Frankly, I wasn't sure she'd get it. I wondered if her messed up personal life would irk the Grammy voters enough to rechannel their support over to Taylor Swift. And that was a race between Amy and Taylor, no doubt about it. Hey, I'm glad Amy won. She's clearly an intriguing and talented newcomer. I just hope she gets her act together to keep making music.
Duh. This was the no-brainer of the evening: Amy Winehouse winning for Best New Artist. The only competition was Feist, and she's not even really a new artist ...
So I wonder if Ms. Winehouse uses a Visa card around town in London? Ah, well: if she does it probably doesn't work anymore anyway ...
Congrat to Amy for her Best New Artist win; I hope that this encourages her to continue her clean-up and to create even more beautiful music; 'Back To Black' is the type of CD that I always envisioned Lauryn Hill would return with, but oh well. Looking forward to your performance Amy, yes yes yes.....
I'm impressed with this young man vocals and the Civil Rights spin they're putting on 'Let It Be'; the gospel vocals add a new demension to its message and it's very timely, considering it's also Black History Month. Wonder how Paul's liking it....?
Our esteemed dance critic needs to be assessing this Beatles-via-modern-dance thing that's happening now. Pretty at times, bizarre at times. Break time for me ... so I'll "Let It Be."
....was edgy,odd and more than a bit awkward; since The Time hasn't performed live in such a long time, why couldn't that moment been strictly theirs? Rihanna's hits weren't exactly a smooth fit. Cute dress though, the feathers were a unique touch....
I miss keytars (a member of the Time has a white one in hand for "Jungle Love"). It's really a fairly versatile instrument, but it's association with new wave killed its image. Look for the lead singer of Mute Math to wield a red one when that band opens the Matchbox Twenty concert at Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie in late February, though ...
I'm sorry: Rihanna's dress looks like it's from Tinkerbell's closet ... yeah, the one from the house up in the hills that succombed from a mudslide a few years back in Toon Town ... BUT: "Umbrella" had better win Record of the Year at the end of this telecast.
Also: this is Bad Pairing #3. Just didn't work.
So, that's why JJ hasn't been in the studio with Janet Jackson, huh? And wow, The Time's Morris Day has aged really well and he's still as cocky and energetic as he was in their heyday. I miss Jerome and the mirror though.....
Barack Obama beat both Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter in the best spoken word album for the audio version of his book The Audacity Of Hope: Thoughts On Reclaiming The American Dream. Congrats and all, but it just feels entirely random mentioning someone's name during Grammy blogging that's usually associated with completely different sections of the newspaper than ours.
Prince looked electrifying in his cherry red suit and shades; the joke went over awkward, but that still is a pretty conservative crowd. Alicia's win was a no-brainer, but her opening performance exemplified how versatile she is and how much she's matured as a vocalist.
Alicia Keys won for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for a song ("No One") that's too reminiscent of a Natasha Bedingfield smash anthem (just pick one) to win anyone's anything, IMO. Luckily, it was immediately followed by a palate-cleansing commercial starring Mary J. Blige, who lost out for the wonderful "Just Fine."
LOVE the Valentine's Day-red jacket, Prince. But I love Alicia Keys' ribbed-green dress more. She looks radiant. Green fits her. And so does the award she just won: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Kind of a subdued acceptance speech, though ...
Folks ... I hate to say it ... but it's gonna be a borrrr-ing and frustrating telecast.
Or, I guess that's Stomp performing with Carrie. Or something. I'm curious what Mario has to say about the performance, since she's his FAVORITE country artist of all time. Right, Mario?
I'm sorry ... Carrie Underwood won already, eh? Good for her. But somebody please stop this. I can't watch.
Ms. Underwood and the urban-chic Broadway percussion sensation Stomp have about as much in common as Frank Sinatra and Frank Zappa.
Yes, she can sing ... but I hear absolutely no emotion and no genuine qualities in her voice. None.
So I can't help but wonder, as Alicia Keys sings a duet with Frank Sinatra's ghost (sic ... actually, a page out of the Nat King/Natalie Cole playbook) to kick off the telecast:
Is Frank looking at a TelePrompTer for lyrics? Even way back then, he had to do that? Surely not ... but he was looking down and to his right all of the time ... nawww, can't be ...
Is anyone else creeped out by Alica Keys singing "with" a dead Frank Sinatra? I thought Tony Bennett and Christina Aguilera together last year was a bad pairing, but this ....
We're live-blogging during the Grammys tonight, which start at 7 p.m., so join right in, right here. We've got about another half-hour til the awards-proper start, so brush up on the nominees (the names in gold are winners of the "off-camera" categories), meanwhile, or read Thor's story from today about locals representing at the Grammys.
Just down the pike within the past hour: two huge concert announcements, one in a few months and one very, very, very soon.
First, the quickie: three nights at House of Blues' Music Hall by none other than Bob Dylan, beginning a week from Thursday. The Feb. 21-23 shows are a warm-up for a Central and South American jaunt by he and his Band that will last through March 20. Don't panic, you've got time -- tickets for all three shows won't go on sale until Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster (they'll cost $59.50). But do note that the Feb. 22 show will start at 7 p.m., whereas the other two won't commence until 8 p.m.
Now, the other one: Kanye West will bring his Glow in the Dark Tour through SuperPages.com Center (formerly Smirnoff Music Centre) on May 1, and he's bringing "Umbrella" girl Rihanna, sk8er-boi rapper Lupe Fiasco and hip-hop collective N.E.R.D. with him. Tickets will start at $29.50 (lawn) and $34.50 and will go on sale Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. thru da 'master. Word!
Hey, a quick reminder that we'll be blogging live during the 50th annual Grammy Awards this weekend, so join in. See you here.
Grammy stats
• Sunday, Feb. 10
• Starts at 7 p.m.
• CBS (KTVT Channel 11)
• Grammy nomination blog posts
Herbie's got his shades on. (Kwaku Alston)
Check out my story on Herbie Hancock, which should run Feb. 6 on the GuideLive cover.
Remember that new segment dubbed "My Grammy Moment" at last year's Grammy Awards, where unknowns vied for the chance to perform live with Justin Timberlake? (Houston native Robyn Troup won, btw). The second annual "MGM" features instrumentalists competing for a chance to play with the Foo Fighters at this year's show, airing Sunday, Feb. 10, on CBS.
• Get your vote on here. Then tell us who you think should end up playing with FF at the Grammys.
Competitors had to send in video of themselves performing FF's "The Pretender." A sample entry:
Bubba Hernandez and Alex Meixner's Polka Freak Out
Denton's polka fusion outfit has been representing on the Grammy nom list for eons, and it plays the most danceable music at almost any North Texas festival you'd want to attend. With two Grammys already under its riemen, its latest, Polka's Revenge, is up for best polka album.
But Bubba Hernandez — bassist for Brave Combo when it won its first two Grammys — is making this year's competition interesting with Polka Freak Out, also on the nominee list.
Which act is most likely to win? Give their myspaces a listen and tell us what you think.
Here's Mario's wrap-up of the Grammy noms from today's paper, which were announced yesterday. It's got everything you need: analysis, a list of noms in the top categories, a list of noms from Texas. It also includes links to the full list on Grammy.com and to yesterday's stories.
Maroon 5: Seriously good workout music. (Damian Dovarganes)
Tell us your fave workout music.
Mario compiled a nifty list of nominees who'll be representing the Lone Star State at the Grammys. UGK, Leann Rimes, Kelly Clarkson and tons more from Texas will be crossing their fingers on Feb. 10.
Don't miss Mario's Grammy analysis piece tomorrow on GuideLive.com. For now, here's the AP story, with a link to the full list of nominees.
List of locals:
Beyoncé, record of the year, “Irreplaceable”
Beyoncé, best pop collaboration with vocals, “Beautiful Liar” (with Shakira)
Lucinda Williams, best solo rock vocal performance, “Come On” ......
(Courtesy of Warner Music Latina)
While perusing the complete nominee list ...
• Best spoken word: So strange to see Barak Obama, Maya Angelou Bill Clinton, Alan Alda and Jimmy Carter competing for a Grammy.
• Instrumental noms: Harry Connick, Jr., one of my favorite people at the piano (or anywhere else, actually), nabbed nods for best instrumental composition and best instrumental arrangement.
• Best blues traditonal album: Up for the prize are the artists behind Last Of The Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In Dallas, including Pinetop Perkins and other greats. I remember the show coming to town this year; who knew a Grammy nom would come of it.
• Best gospel song: Casting Crown's "East to West" is darn moving. Definitely the best song in Christian music this year. I'm glad to see it recognized.
Were there any surprises for you on the list?
"That b*tch! That blonde b*tch! She's going to take it away from Miranda again!"
— a to-remain-annonymous staffer
Bonus points if you can tell us who TRAS is talking about.
Fergie: Faux surprise. (AP)
Below is just enough to give you a peek, but you can check out our story for more. Here's the full list of nominees (in case you're wondering who got a nod for Best Historical Album or Best, ahem, Package).
Also, Quick staffer and resident local-music guru Hunter Hauk is highlighting the DFDubbers (other Texans, too) over on the Blah Blah Blah blog.
Tittering, porcelain country hottie Taylor Swift, 17, ran up to the podium to hug presenter Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, along with everyone else on stage, when her named was announced.(AP)
Nominees for Album Of The Year:
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace — Foo Fighters
These Days — Vince Gill
River: The Joni Letters — Herbie Hancock
Graduation — Kanye West
Back To Black — Amy Winehouse
The ever quirky Aterciopelados won Best Alternative Album for Oye. (AP)
Did you see the show? Think someone should have won or lost? Comment and let us know.
