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http://www.senbaltimore.com/blogs/agt/50th-grammys-nowhere-to-go-but-up.shtml50th Grammys: Nowhere To Go But Up
Aside from Herbie Hancock's Album of the Year award, the 50th Grammys were a huge letdown. Terrible reprises, medleys, a horrible lack of guitars, and plenty of Botox.
Last year, Any Given Tuesday wrote up a comprehensive review of the Grammy show and the award recipients. This year, it was a struggle to make it through two hours of the program. Overall impression: Have they totally done away with music that utilizes guitar? Ten years ago the Grammys were dominated by rock, now it's back to pop that can't hold a candle to the quality of pop music from twenty years ago. That's not just because I'm old, but because it's true.
Lasting impressions of the show: The Grammys have become little more than an American Idol reunion party. From Carrie Underwood's limp performance to shots of Fantasia and Daughtry in the audience, is anyone on this show not an Idol alum? Also, medleys are way overdone on this show. Rihanna, you don't have a catalogue worth condensing, and while you were performing your lame reprise of "Umbrella" (ella, ella, ella, hey, hey), I couldn't wait for The Time to come back out and finish "Jungle Love". I wish Prince would have come out for some Graffiti Bridge action, that would have made it all better.
Oh yeah, and Tina Turner. If her face wasn't crawling with Botox, then Beyonce's legs aren't strong enough to bend titanium. Let's not even continue to hate on Kanye West, because as we learned from "Stronger", hating only makes him, well, stronger. He managed to get the producers to turn the 'wrap it up' music off by pulling the dead momma card. Still pompous, and I'm pretty sure he's got his money right, so can't nobody tell him nothin'. NEXT!
The coup de grace for this writer was that Tom Higgenson (Plain White T's) was nominated for a Song of the Year award. This is a Grammy for the songwriter. This might be the worst song written in this decade. But hey, Amy Winehouse rises like a phoenix from the ashes and collects a handful of awards. Now she'll go fill those gold gramophones up with a few grams and party. Huzzah!
Aside from Herbie Hancock winning Album of the Year for River: The Joni Letters and marking an absolute victory for those who still respect the art of composing, a massive letdown. I've finally caught up with all the detractors of the show and I'm convinced that it's an absolute waste of my time. It's gone so far south, it's all uphill from here.