48th Annual Grammy Awards (1 Viewer)

[Henry Gale]

Sylvester Stewart came out. Glad it happened after LOST was over or I never would have seen it.
He did look a bit strange, even for a 60s era musician from the Bay area. Really, I kept thinking of Louis Gossett Jr. in Enemy Mine.

 

[nickGreenwood]

Mary J Blige coming out and "singing" during U2's "One" was just embarrassing. Not only that but "One" is one of my favorite songs and that was just horrific, she isn't all that talented imho anyway.
I caught bits and peices of the rest of it, I caught up on House and watched Lost, I thought the end where U2 won Album of the Year and then Larry Mullins Jr. got cut off was a bit annoying, but the musical number(s) at the end were good. Until the end when Bonnie Raitt's guitar over powered everyone else's.

Was it me or did the sound on some of the songs (the few that I caught, especially the Sly Stone performance) seem off. At least the mics, they didn't seem like they were mixed or eq'ed right or whatever. Maybe that's why Sly walked off during the song. Will.i.am needs to be beaten, he can't sing/dance/dress himself and etc.

Kanye's still probably pissed he didn't win Album of the Year...

 

[Dave Scarpa]

Yeah the whole affair was poor, and really showed how Mainstream music overall is Crap, half those Awardee's can't screen and result to screeching.

 

[chuck_b]

The mixing was off. Paul McCartney's vocals were lost in the Helter Skelter mix (they did rock that song) and overall the audio seemed more muddy than normal throughout.

Thought the opening was so-so considering the hype and most of the following performances underwhelmed. Sly did look a little scary and loved the way he bolted in the middle of the song. He seemed angry at the Korg keyboard he hacked at and acted like the keys were electrified or something.

 

[teapot2001]

Sly reminded me of the Chupacabra: http://www.chez.com/facteurx/typeset/chupacabra.htm

~T

 

[Rich Malloy]

I've slowly started rewatching the Grammies (brief peeks over the last few years, a longer peek last year, nearly the whole show last night)... I think it's fantastic that it's become more of a musical variety show with lots of performances and less of an awards show with a host making bad jokes (no host!) and boring speechifying (gotta have a little, but not too much).

And the performances? Some brilliant, most very interesting, and only a very few lame ones.

Hard to say which was best, though Kanye/Foxx's drill-team/marching band spectacular was the most conceptually interesting and visceral performance (though I'll never get used to the censored "she ain't messin' with no broke... broke..."). Only disappointed they didn't do the entire version of "Touch the Sky" after the Broke Phi Broke vs. Gold-diggers skit/segue (though changing it around into an extended coda was great). And though I guess a 7-minute tune with odes to copious dope-smoking probably wouldn't make the Grammy cut, but I couldn't help but fantasize about Kanye doing "We Major" with maybe Jay-Z taking Nas's part and Stevie Wonder sitting in for the Tony Williams part.

Speaking of Jay-Z, I love just about everything he's ever done better than that Linkin Park collaboration, but it was a decent performance. Until Macca showed up. All of which seemed a bit disorienting to everyone involved. Still, a nice sorta nod to the Black/White Album mashup. Speaking of Macca, "Helter Skelter"... yeah!!! "Fine Line"? My god, what a boring, forgettable ditty, worthy of little more than selling a few automobiles. I mean... ugh.

Springsteen was great (though I couldn't help but hear the PBS announcer intoning "Bruce Springsteen made possible by Bob Dylan"). U2 plus Blige also wonderful, as was the Gorillaz>Gorillaz/Madonna performance. And Herbie and Xtina.

Misfires? I'd say Coldplay, but I've never like Coldplay, so that may have been a top-notch performance that just left me cold. I hope they soon sail off into whatever sunset gobbled up the even more lame Creed. And the Sly tribute... sigh. Started off well enough, I guess, but then... Sly, who's only real contribution it would seem was making Aerosmith seem slightly less lame. But I don't really care about Aerosmith. Sly, on the other hand... made me just a little sad, poor guy.

And did it seem like they were handing out lifetime Grammies like they were doorprizes? I mean, didn't it used to be only one such honor per annum?

 

[Tarkin The Ewok]

I didn't see the whole show, but my favorite performance was Keith Urban/Faith Hill. Those two really know how to sing and play, and it showed on stage.

 

[Ken Chui]

I read somewhere that Gorillaz gave a live performance; if so, how were they?

 

[Rich Malloy]

I was just stepping out of the shower as the show started, so I'm sure I missed alot of details...

Gorillaz did "Feel Good Inc." just about verbatim, appearing first as holographs of the cartoon band and then (I presume) the actual players, and of course De La Soul bounded out for their bit. They then backed-up Madonna, which was a really nice performance. I hadn't heard any of Madonna's latest before last night, but I really dug the retro-disco vibe of whatever that tune was. So, not having heard it, I can't say it was "Gorillazized". Didn't sound like it, and I suspect Madonna could have been backed up by an offstage band of session players, and you likely wouldn't have known the difference. But I enjoyed both performances very much.

 

[MikeM]

Everyone loves to bash the grammies, but I actually really liked the show. I especially liked Helter Skelter, and thought the mix was excellent.

Also, what other stage would you get Jay-Z, Linkin Park and Paul McCartney all performing "Imagine" together? Not even Live Aid in Philly had the added mix of Sir Paul to Jay-Z/Linkin Park.

And let's not forget, isn't Madonna turning 48 this year??? She looked amazing!

All in all, I thought it was excellent and when you Tivo it in HD and skip to just the performances, it's even better.

 

[Mike Williams]

Well, since "Imagine" was a John Lennon song, I would say on NO stage would you get Jay-Z, Linkin Park and Paul McCartney to sing it -- including the Grammys. "Yesterday," on the other hand . . . only the Grammys. I quite enjoyed last night's show in HD and 5.1 surround, although I really was pulling for Kanye to win Album of the Year.

 

[MikeM]

Oops sorry, I guess Jay-Z's T-shirt of John Lennon was still on my mind when I mistakenly typed "Imagine"....yeah, I meant "yesterday".

 

[Luis Esp]

What was up with mike problems. Everyone who performed had mike problems, especially during the Sly tribute.

 

[Phil_L]

That whole performance was off. Bono sounded weak and so did Mary. Seemed to me as though they were having monitor problems. The album version of that duet, on Mary's new record, is fantastic. Also one of my favorite U2 tracks, and Mary did it just in the studio.