Monday Morning Wrapup

There were two performances I should have noted last night - Jennifer Hudson's very nice tribute to Whitney Houston (it struck just the right chord), and Nicky Minaj's epic...well, I don't really know what it was, but it was epic. That doesn't mean I thought it was great (or even good), but if nothing else it was an interesting spectacle.

And I'm still trying to figure out how Bon Iver qualified for Best New Artist. That first album came out a LONG time ago.

And given that Alison Krauss has won more Grammys than any other artist, I wish they had found a way to work her and Union Station into the show. I know it's the wrong demographic, but still...

Nice Close

That's what we want to see - Paul up there with Bruce, Dave, Joe and others ripping the shreds out of a Beatles song.

Rock on.

Record of the Year

Well, of course it was "Rolling in the Deep." When art merges with commerce, that can be a very powerful thing.

What the...?

Ok, the Foo Fighters / DeadMau5 thing...I have no idea what it was, but it was very entertaining.

Oh Well

Sometimes the mashup doesn't quite work. It wasn't terrible, but it was hardly the best performance that either Tony Bennett or Carrie Underwood ever gave.

And how does Bon Iver win Best New Artist when he/they released an album over two years ago?

Glen Campbell!

OK, that was awesome too. I wish they'd found a way to work "Wichita Lineman" into the mix, but that's just me.

What few may realize is that Glen is/was an awesome guitar player. He deserves all the accolades.

Adele

Hey, it's one of the greatest songs of any era one might define, so of course it was awesome. And very nice to see that Adele has her voice back.

And of course she's going to win everything. I don't have a problem with that.

Lost Opportunity

Should have had a Paul McCartney/Stevie Wonder duet. Anyone ever hear Stevie's version of "We Can Work It Out?"

And while I'm at it, Stevie is the most awesome harmonica player on the planet.

Beach Boys

If you're going to honor The Beach Boys, you should probably say a little something about the two who are no longer with us - Carl and Dennis Wilson.

Having said that, it was an enjoyable performance.

Mashup

I'm a fan of the "let's put x together with y" approach at the Grammys - it may not always work, but why not try it? The appeal of music should be universal, so why does it matter if Coldplay doesn't quite mesh with Rhianna? It's worth a try. And it makes me wonder about some of the possibilities that were missed in years long past, back when artists like this would not have been allowed within a mile of the Grammy stage:

- Otis Redding and Petula Clark

- The Beatles and Stevie Wonder

- James Brown and Dusty Springfield

"Otis"

Very sorry that Kanye and Jay-Z were not there, because you know that would have been entertaining.

Not a huge fan of the song - I keep thinking, "let Otis sing!"

Whitney

That was about the best tribute I could possibly imagine.

I just wish she had found her Burt Bacharach, like her Aunt Dionne had before her.

And LL Cool J is a great, enthusiastic host so far.

BRUUUUUUUCE!!!!!

OK, that was awesome.

When you can make a member of The Beatles rock out, you've got a good thing going.

Grammy Awards

I'm on record as saying that I believe there's a larger gap at the Grammys between artistic merit and the eventual victors than at any other awards show (but in fairness, I said it before I started the Golden Globes). However, that doesn't stop me from watching. And tonight, I'm planning to offer a few, possibly random thoughts as the evening progresses. I can't call it a "live blog" since those of us on the West Coast don't get to see it live, but I'll do my best.