# Grammy's Last Night



## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Maybe I've gotten old and cynical, but this year's Grammy's is the worst I've seen. Taylor Swift for album of the year???? The girl can't even freaking sing. I wonder how Stevie Nicks could stand that duet her and TS did. Taylor Swift was pitchy and just awful when they harmonized. And the worst part about it is, she doesn't think there's anything wrong with her singing, judging from the way she was acting on stage. Unbelievable. And they give her 4 awards, one of which is for Country Vocal Performance. How can someone who can't sing, win a grammy for vocal performance? And best album???? I think it's a slap on the face of songwriters and musicians.

Okay that's it. Sorry about my rant but just can't help it.


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## Gunny (Feb 21, 2006)

Yep, that's the way I heard it too. The girls got cute looks and all but shouldn't you be able to sing in key if you're a professional?

PINK - highlight of the program. Every year there's one shining moment. This year it was Pink. And I am NOT a pop music fan.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

See my thread about the Jeff Beck/Imelda May tribute to Les Paul. It was the only thing I found worth watching.

BTW, I think I'm in love with Imelda May! I checked out some of her other stuff and she rocks! 

http://www.guitarscanada.com/showthread.php?31171-Jeff-Beck-and-Imelda-May-tribute-to-Les-Paul


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

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## Guest (Feb 1, 2010)

Taylor Swifts landfall was RA's atonement for the Kanye West debacle last year.

She sounded awful next to Stevie Nicks. They forgot to turn on her Melodyne unit I suppose?


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Gunny said:


> Yep, that's the way I heard it too. The girls got cute looks and all but shouldn't you be able to sing in key if you're a professional?
> 
> PINK - highlight of the program. Every year there's one shining moment. This year it was Pink. And I am NOT a pop music fan.


I would agree on the Pink performance. It was the only piece of class I witnessed. Thats probably not saying a whole lot either but she did a great job

[YOUTUBE]fGeWN3vR_MU[/YOUTUBE]


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

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## Guest (Feb 1, 2010)

nkjanssen said:


> One thing I'll say about Taylor Swift - and I have no idea if she's truly another no-talent hack or just had bad monitors - she and/or her managers are brilliant. The actual musical difference between commercial pop and commercial country has been narrowing over the past two decades. She takes advantage of that better than any other artist I'm aware of. That's a lot of market coverage. Brilliant from a business perspective. And that's ultimately what the Grammy's are about, no?


 Can't disagree with the Grammy's being about commercial success. Full stop. Six nominations for the Black Eyed Peas is six too many. And both of the hits Taylor Switch and Beyonce got nominated for came out in the fall of 2008 -- to quote Stereogum: They might as well have nominated Hall and Oates. It was very much *not* about music and very much about Money.

I have more fun sitting there poking fun at the wardrobe and what not with my wife than actually watching the music. What was that whole thing with Eminem/Lil Wayne/Whatshisface at the end? That was a terrible mix, terrible performance (the audio drop outs actually made it better IMO). Lil Wayne's "Listen to Lil Wayne" t-shirt was the biggest fail of the evening; being your own billboard is so not cool.

I missed Pinks performance. Edit: seeing it now. That was cool. The lack of clothing didn't hurt.


Didn't turn it on until around Jamie Foxx's travesty of a song. That was embarrassing to watch.

I wanted Lady Gaga to win album of the year. I thought she deserved it. For being a pop performer pushing pop boundaries. And I wanted to see her try to move in that dress. She's got pomp and pageantry honed to a fine art now and it's always a spectacle worth watching. In my never humble opinion of course.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

iaresee said:


> Can't disagree with the Grammy's being about commercial success. Full stop. Six nominations for the Black Eyed Peas is six too many. And both of the hits Taylor Switch and Beyonce got nominated for came out in the fall of 2008 -- to quote Stereogum: They might as well have nominated Hall and Oates. It was very much *not* about music and very much about Money.
> 
> I have more fun sitting there poking fun at the wardrobe and what not with my wife than actually watching the music. What was that whole thing with Eminem/Lil Wayne/Whatshisface at the end? That was a terrible mix, terrible performance (the audio drop outs actually made it better IMO). Lil Wayne's "Listen to Lil Wayne" t-shirt was the biggest fail of the evening; being your own billboard is so not cool.
> 
> ...


Ian, I could not agree More I was dissapointed that GaGa didn't win, I think she's leading the way to bring rock spectacle (for lack of a better phrase) back. At least she seems to care about giving folks a show. As for Taylor Swift? Well I do give her props for writing and playing her own songs, but yea her voice is very thin, but it's not about that is it? She's pretty, sweet, and just the kind of Poster Child the USof A needs right now. These things are such a crock as evidenced by Beyonce's interview on 60 minutes last night _prior_ to her winning her awards. Co-incidence? Not likely.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I watched the SNL Sports Spectacular instead. Weird how the Grammies can give Leonard Cohen a lifetime achievement award and have a special presentation for Neil Young, and then give out the other awards they did in the manner they did. It,s like being served Kraft Dinner and toast...but with a dash of Spanish saffron on the KD. You're left thinking, "Well if you guys know about this other stuff too, why are you serving me up *this*?"


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2010)

Starbuck said:


> As for Taylor Swift? Well I do give her props for writing and playing her own songs, but yea her voice is very thin, but it's not about that is it? She's pretty, sweet, and just the kind of Poster Child the USof A needs right now.


My wife called her the White Music Enema the Music Industry Thinks America Needs After Brittany Spears and Christina Agulera.


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2010)

mhammer said:


> I watched the SNL Sports Spectacular instead. Weird how the Grammies can give Leonard Cohen a lifetime achievement award and have a special presentation for Neil Young, and then give out the other awards they did in the manner they did. It,s like being served Kraft Dinner and toast...but with a dash of Spanish saffron on the KD. You're left thinking, "Well if you guys know about this other stuff too, why are you serving me up *this*?"


WHAT THE HELL WAS WITH NIEL YOUNG NOT WINNING A LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD?!?!?!

Seriously, he's been passed up by the Grammys for 40 YEARS NOW. They finally give him a pity Grammy and then hand the LTA award to...who? They didn't even give the dude his 2 minute retrospective. A quick flash to him in the seat and then moving on. Why? BECAUSE HE WAS INSIGNIFICANT. Whereas Neil...Neil changed the face of it all. Stupid.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

LOL! Cause Leonard Cohen is a "poet" and Neil Young is a Grumpy looking old Dude. Don't get me wrong, i Love Neil, but he's kinda anti establishment no?


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Starbuck said:


> LOL! Cause Leonard Cohen is a "poet" and Neil Young is a Grumpy looking old Dude. Don't get me wrong, i Love Neil, but he's kinda anti establishment no?


Considering they both have one thing in common with Taylor Swift, I still don't understand. hahahaha Well unless you consider Cohen and Young's singing as actually singing.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

Yeah well, throw Tom Petty and Bob Dylan into that Category too!!!


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## Tarl (Feb 4, 2006)

Starbuck said:


> Ian, I could not agree More I was dissapointed that GaGa didn't win, I think she's leading the way to bring rock spectacle (for lack of a better phrase) back. At least she seems to care about giving folks a show. As for Taylor Swift? Well I do give her props for writing and playing her own songs, but yea her voice is very thin, but it's not about that is it? She's pretty, sweet, and just the kind of Poster Child the USof A needs right now. These things are such a crock as evidenced by Beyonce's interview on 60 minutes last night _prior_ to her winning her awards. Co-incidence? Not likely.


I'll be the first to admit I don't keep up with current music at all. My taste lies in Classic Rock and Blues. I'd heard of lady Gaga but dismissed her as another teen queen pop electro....... whatever. I was really shocked that I enjoyed her music and showmanship. The duet with Elton John was done very well and I enjoyed every bit of it. As for Taylor Swift not being the greatest vocalist,and I am in no way a fan of hers, Cohen and Young (two of my favs) certainly are no crooners themselves. Sometimes its takes more than just perfect pitch to move people.


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2010)

Tarl said:


> Sometimes its takes more than just perfect pitch to move people.


 A fair point. But I don't see Swift's vocals standing up to the 40 year scrutiny Young's and Cohen's have. She's more in the the _Lollipop, Lollipop _category.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

iaresee said:


> WHAT THE HELL WAS WITH NIEL YOUNG NOT WINNING A LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD?!?!?!
> 
> Seriously, he's been passed up by the Grammys for 40 YEARS NOW. They finally give him a pity Grammy and then hand the LTA award to...who? They didn't even give the dude his 2 minute retrospective. A quick flash to him in the seat and then moving on. Why? BECAUSE HE WAS INSIGNIFICANT. Whereas Neil...Neil changed the face of it all. Stupid.


 I think it has just as much to do with fear of the acceptance speech as with anything. Cohen, you can at least rely on to be gracious and obliging. Neil is not going to go down gently. I think the Academy would rather have Lady Gaga go down on a goat in the opening number than ponder the reality of an acceptance speech from Neil Young. They'd rather have a drunk Henry Rollins and zombie G.G. Allin as copresenters than ponder Neil nothing-to-lose Young addressing the nation on live TV.


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## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

iaresee said:


> I wanted Lady Gaga to win album of the year. I thought she deserved it. For being a pop performer pushing pop boundaries. And I wanted to see her try to move in that dress. She's got pomp and pageantry honed to a fine art now and it's always a spectacle worth watching. In my never humble opinion of course.


Me too! Not a fan or anything, but geez, somebody's got to summon up the spirit of over-the-top freaky glam space rock. It's been too long since Elton mellowed out, and Bowie went wandering off somewhere.

Re: Taylor Swift - I have two 10-ish daughters at home, so this latest pop-country princess is pretty much inescapable for me. The album sounds pretty good, if that means anything. The fact that she actually did some writing on it is a breath of fresh air.

The funniest bit for me? The Black Guy Pees. I have myself a little chuckle every time I hear the name of their band.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Greg Ellis said:


> The funniest bit for me? The Black Guy Pees. I have myself a little chuckle every time I hear the name of their band.


I never thought of it that way. Now I won't NOT be able to think of it that way!! Curse you, Greg Ellis!!!!!


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

Greg Ellis said:


> The funniest bit for me? The Black Guy Pees. I have myself a little chuckle every time I hear the name of their band.


LOL! that's funny considering Fergie really is known for peeing her pants on stage! I don't even know how I know that!


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## Big_Daddy (Apr 2, 2009)

mhammer said:


> I think the Academy would rather have Lady Gaga go down on a goat in the opening number than ponder the reality of an acceptance speech from Neil Young.


OMG!! I just spit coffee all over my computer screen. That is soooooooo funny.

I felt so sorry for Stevie Nicks trying to salvage something from her "duet" with TS.When she wasn't being pulled offkey by Taylor's "harmonies", she had to sing offkey to harmonize _with_ her. What a train wreck.


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## xuthal (May 15, 2007)

Starbuck said:


> LOL! that's funny considering Fergie really is known for peeing her pants on stage! I don't even know how I know that!


Oh yea hey?FERGIE PISSED HERSELF hahaha


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## bobb (Jan 4, 2007)

Now they are defending awful. All I can add to this thread is if you haven't seen "Before the Music Dies", watch it. That documentary will explain a lot about the current so-called music scene.

http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/Ziptrek+offers+chance+like+Spider/2510591/story.html


Label chief defends Taylor Swift's Grammy performance
Caitlin King, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Feb 04, 2010 07:35:31 AM


NASHVILLE - The head of Taylor Swift's record label is fired up and ready to defend his superstar from people who are criticizing her Grammy-night performance.

"She is the voice of this generation. She speaks directly to (her fans), and they speak directly back to her," said Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta in a telephone interview.

"This is not 'American Idol.' This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator. It's not about that technically perfect performance."

Borchetta first responded to the backlash in the Tennessean. Asked by The Associated Press why he felt the need to defend Swift, he said because the criticism was "just over the top."

"It's that classic thing that critics do of building something up and then wanting to tear it down," he said.

Swift rehearsed her performance and duet with Stevie Nicks two different times at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in front of a crowd of people. Critics were nicer then. Entertainment Weekly wrote of the rehearsal, "The two women's voices complimented each other nicely on the harmonies of 'Rhiannon ..."'

But on Sunday night's Grammy show, Borchetta said Swift had a technical issue that made her worry about her performance. (Attempts to reach the Recording Academy for comment went unanswered.)

"We had a volume problem in the ear. So, she was concerned that she wasn't able to hear everything in the mix," Borchetta said. "That's just part of live TV. ... So you're going to have difficulties on occasion. Unfortunately, on one of the biggest stages, we did have a technical issue. She couldn't hear herself like she had in rehearsal."

As quickly as you could say "Fearless," bloggers and media outlets, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, pounced on Swift's performance. The chatter at times overshadowed the four Grammys she won - including album of the year.

Borchetta said he doesn't need critics to give the 20-year-old the benefit of the doubt: "What we have is so much bigger than that. Am I going to ask them to turn their heads, no, I don't need them to."

It's doubtful her fans will abandon Swift anytime soon, judging by the congratulations and positive comments on her Facebook and MySpace pages, or that those with tickets to the second leg of her sold-out "Fearless" tour will throw them away because she had a bad night.

And with that, Borchetta has a message to all of her critics.

"If you haven't seen her live performance, you're welcome to come out as my guest to a Taylor Swift show and experience the whole thing, because it's amazing. You can see her in her element. There's a reason tickets are selling like they are."

Swift's "Fearless" album has sold over 5 million copies and was last year's top-selling album. She is the youngest artist to ever win the Grammys' top prize of album of the year. She will resume the "Fearless" tour March 4 in Tampa, Fla.


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Here's a link to watch the "Before the Music Dies" documentary, I'm not sure if it will work in Canada (I've tried Hulu here before at home without good result but can watch at my workplace since our servers are in the US).
I really enjoyed it.

http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi3758949145/


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

I thouhg tI would bump this thread as I just ready an interesting article that prettymuch sums up eveything that everyone has said about Taylor Swift. It's kinda long but I really enjoyed the thematic breakdown of her songs. just shows what a truly sorry state the music industry is. And the author really nailed it. Enjoy!


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## Guest (Feb 22, 2010)

Something came up on my iPod on Friday that reminded me of this thread and why I think the Grammy's are out of touch with reality. Just a big old circle jerk for the big dawgs at the top who are putting out the forumla tunes. Man, what was it now...

It might have been a Knife track or Grizzly Bear track. Or maybe even Iron & Wine. One of those three IIRC. Amazing bands creating actual new music, that could very well work on the radio, being totally overlooked by big media machinations.


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