Wow!

Happy New Year, six weeks late!! Haven't done any blogging here this year. I didn't realize it had been so long. Bad weather always limits my computer time. However, new machine should be here soon.

I did watch a good chunk of the Grammys this year, which is unusual. (I had sort of sworn off of them years ago when "Ten Summoner's Tales" lost Album of the Year to "The Bodyguard" soundtrack. Then I started watching snippets of the show a few years three or four years ago. This year, I saw most of the show.

A few gripes: There were way too many commercials, as always with these events. There was not enough variety in the musical numbers. I liked the show the way it was when I was growing up. There were always segments devoted to music that was outside the popular tastes of the time, in keeping with the Grammy's celebration of all genres of recording. Now there is no gospel, no classical, no opera. Everything is pop, rock, hip-hop, country. Much as I love Earth, Wind, and Fire, the funk segment went on for too long, with too much time given to Parliament/Funkadelic.

How did Cold Play's "Clocks" win Record of the Year? Nothing against them, but I thought the award was supposed to go to the record that was inescapable, of the times, etc. How could "Hey Ya" not have been chosen? But Outkast made up for the slight by getting album of the year, so maybe it didn't matter.

Touching Moments: Luther Vandross singing a line from "The Power of Love;" Richard Marks' (Marx?) kind and gracious acceptance speech after winning (with Luther V) Song of the Year; Yoko Ono accepting the President's Award on behalf of John Lennon.

Surprisingly Good: Well, surprising to me. I thought that both Beyonce' and Justin Timberlake showed their stuff. Although I'm not quite sure why some people were allowed to perform twice (Outkast, Beyonce', Sting and Justin Timberlake), JT and Beyonce displayed real showmanship. Beyonce caught a dove at the end of her performance, while Justin played piano--who knew he could do that?

I suppose there must have been a theme of mixing newbies with veterans. Sting performed "Roxanne" with Sean Paul. Beyonce and Prince opened the televised portion of the show. Earth, Wind and Fire sang back up for Outkast. JT performed "Senorita" with the help of Arturo Sandovol (hope that is somewhere close to his name) and then lent his "veteran" chops to the Black-Eyed Peas.

Outkast closed the show with a rockin' version of "Hey Ya," but I could have done without the marching band.