Pleasant surprises and more in the Grammy Awards 2008
Posted by emperorbananaketchup on February 11, 2008
When all is said and done, I’m pretty much glad this year’s awards made up for the banality of last year’s.
For one, Amy Winehouse set the tone for the celebration by clinching the best New Artist award - the first British artist to do so since Sade back in 1985 (presenter Cyndi Lauper was obviously enthused, showing a seeming lack of probity and giving the game away).
All in all, she would collect 5 Grammies (Record/Song of the year, Best New Artist, Pop Vocal Album - for Back to Black - and Female Pop Vocal Performance) , putting her neck to neck with Kanye West, who would collect 4 (best Rap Album - for Graduation, Best Rap Solo, Best Rap Performance Duo or Group, Best Rap Song - for “Good Life”) . Kanye’s performances were top notch, following up a team-up with Daft Punk (this veteran French electronic duo - known for performing on stage in masks making them look like escapees from TRON - making their live TV debut) on ”Stronger” with a moving rendition of “Hey Mama” (check out “MAMA” etched on ‘ye’s hair).
True enough…Amy herself would seal her comeback, beehive ‘do and Cleopatra eyeliner in check, with a performance at a London club. An upbeat take on “You Know I’m No Good” would segue into “Rehab” (aka Song/Record of the Year). She would close it with a terse but emotional thank you to the standing-ovation crowd, with shout-outs to “Mum and Dad”, her jailed husband and even The Hawley Arms, her long-time favourite pub in Camden, which was just gutted down by a fire.
If it wasn’t just Amy’s night, it might have been Michael Jackson’s (The Gloved One was supposed to be present but obviously couldn’t make it); aside from Kanye rocking the “Thriller” look (the only thing missing was the sequined white glove) in his “Stronger” performance there was recent collaborator Will.I.Am distilling three decades of Grammy S.O.T.Y. history in a surprisingly clever freestyle.
The two main surprises, though, were Kid Rock who gamely put on his Louis Prima patent leathers to spar with Keeley Smith on a rendition of “The Ol’ Black Magic”, the song which gave Ms. Smith the very first Grammy ever given out in 1958. Just couldn’t imagine the self-proclained “American Bad-Ass” making like Sinatra this time around…am I looking forward to a collection of lounge standards from the “Rock ‘N’ Roll Jesus” this time around???
But nothing was even more stunning than the victory of jazz veteran Herbie Hancock’s “River: The Joni Letters” for Album of the Year honours over expected favourites from West, Winehouse and even The Foo Fighters. Then again, as the ceremonies ended with the Cirque Du Soleil’s performance of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” from their “Love” tribute to the Beatles, you can say that this year saw the Grammies redeem themselves.
Let’s just hope Amy cleans up her act…for good!!!!
PS….I knew Ann Marie Calhoun was going to win that slot to play with the Foo Fighters…the minute I saw her being introduced by Jason Bateman in the “My Grammy Moment” portion.
(check her audition video here)
I kept muttering to myself at that moment…”to the left, to the left” in total Beyonce fashion.
Music
