Thursday, December 2, 2010

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards

Here's something that I haven't watched in years, the Grammy Awards. Why? Because it's a joke! For last few years, most of the nominees are the overplayed, commercialized, music industry driven drivel. It's mostly stuff that I don't like! This year is no different. Lady Gaga, Eminem, Justin Beiber, Beyonce, and Kate Perry are some of the nominees I'd pass up.

Then again, everybody has different tastes. I've noticed that Robert Plant, Neil Young, Them Crooked Vultures, Ozzy Osbourne and Iron Maiden are some of the nominees. Some great stuff there! I only wish I could see more musicians like these guys nominated...

There are other reasons I feel the Grammys to be a joke. I remember in 1989, progressive band Jethro Tull, beat out Metallica's ...And Justice for All for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album with their album, Crest of a Knave. I have nothing against either of these bands. In fact, I think both albums are great! Somehow, I just don't consider Jethro Tull to be heavy metal.

Then there was the greatest Grammy plunder. Milli Vanilli. In 1990, the duo lip-synched their way to the top of the charts, earning themselves a Grammy Award. Once the truth was told, they were stripped of the award...Geeze....

On a personal note, is music really some sort of a contest? If so, I don't see where nor why. I don't pay to much attention to the charts nor care about the sales. Does it really matter to who's number one? Who out sells one another? Who's the most popular? It's really all a matter of taste. If you like listening to so and so, that's great! If not, oh well....

3 comments:

TAD said...

Drew: You're right, the Grammys R a joke -- always HAVE been, really. I useta rant & rave about this in my highschool newspaper, back in the days when John Denver & The Captain and Tennille & Debby Boone were winning Grammys. Ya know how many Grammys the Beatles won? 4. 1 each 4 HARD DAY'S NIGHT & LET IT BE as best soundtrack albums, 1 4 SGT. PEPPER as best-engineered album, & 1 4 Song of the Year ... for "Michelle," hardly their best work....
I thot mayB the Grammys were waking up a few yrs back when they actually gave awards 2 U2 & Coldplay, but.... Wouldn't B suprised if Eminem mops-up this year, he's overdue. ... Unless Lady Gaga wins a lot ... & I still haven't heard NE of her songs, but I'm told I'm not missing much.
Yours in old-fogeyness.... -- TAD.

drewzepmeister said...

We see eye to eye here, Tad. Aside from a few exceptions, most of the nominees are the gazillion selling one hit wonders that'll be forgotten after awhile. It just further proves that to find great music, you gotta dig below the surface of the garbage that's on top.

BTW...With Lady Gagag, you're not missing anything...

TAD said...

Drew: Been thinking. Maybe the Grammys aren't COMPLETELY worthless -- Stevie Wonder won a truckload of 'em back when he was great & he deserved to, & I think Michael Jackson won a few for THRILLER & OFF THE WALL. Eric Clapton & Bonnie Raitt have won a few. & I think it's cool that Tull gotta Grammy even if it was in the wrong category.
But overall, the Grammys are SO useless as an indicator of "quality" -- they are WAY worse than the Oscars or Emmys or Tonys. There's always something brilliant that gets overlooked. How many Grammys did Zeppelin ever win? Or The Who? Hendrix? Airplane? Creedence? Doors? Ramones? Pretenders? Van Morrison? etc....
It's way easier to make up a list of all the greats who've never won. Makes ya wonder what all this "award" stuff is for, don't it? -- TAD.