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Grammy's 2016

The Grammy's started at 6 pm here -- way too early, I missed the first 45 minutes. I tuned in during a Lionel Ritchie segment.

At least I didn't miss the Glenn Frey tribute.

Why did "Girl Crush" get a standing ovation?

This is a thread for all things Grammy's and music related. Updates below [More...]

Update: The Eagles, led by Jackson Browne, performed "Take It Easy." It was like watching a ghost. They all seemed so sad, especially Henley. I've never seen Joe Walsh so muted. Timothy B. Schmit really put his heart into it and I'm so glad they included Bernie Leadon. His guitar is unmistakable.

I think I held my breath through the whole song. I'm still just blown away that Glenn Frey is dead, it hits me like a ton of bricks every time I hear his name or see his face on the internet. For the umpteenth time, R.I.P. Glenn Frey.

[Added: Having watched it now a second time (I don't think I can handle a third time), here's my conclusion about what was so off with this performance: Joe Walsh, Don Henley and even at times Jackson Browne, seemed like they were about to throw up. Walsh seemed to be choking it back. Henley's facial expression to me read, "WTF are we doing here?" They clearly had the best of intentions and wanted to honor Frey, but it was just too soon for this tribute. It also (painfully) confirms that the Eagles are history.

Back to the present, Stephen Colbert is on now, introducing a live performance from "Hamilton" on Broadway. It's really, really good.

Lady Gaga will do a tribute to David Bowie.

On a related note (translation, lull in show, nothing to write about): I didn't make it through all of Vinyl last night ...it was too depressing. I would have liked to have seen more about "the sandwich girl" but the whole thing was just too intense to be enjoyable so I quit watching.

Update: Justin Bieber was surprisingly good. He actually has a very good voice -- he can also dance.

Update: Lady Gaga: Simply phenomenal. That's the only word to describe her tribute to David Bowie. It's hard to believe one person can have so much talent, but she does. Gossip Cop will have the video shortly here.

Update: Thanks to Gossip Cop for posting almost all the Grammy performance videos and the embed codes without autoplay. (Hat tip to Ruffian in comments.)

Update: Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Joe Perry are in a group called The Hollywood Vampires. They played Motorhead's "Ace Of Spades” and a song of their own. Alice Cooper hasn't aged a day since I used to see him at the Discount Records on State Street in Ann Arbor many decades ago. I thought they were really good tonight. Gossip Cop will have the video here.

The Grammy's ends with a justification for streaming copyrights. The recording industry is forming a new lobbying group. No comment.

The In Memoriam list is so long, it's really sad. So many wonderful talents lost this year. I'm afraid next year will be even worse.

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  • Display: Sort:
    The Eagles were also awarded (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Feb 15, 2016 at 11:22:00 PM EST
    their long ago Grammy for Hotel California (they won in 1978 but didn't attend to pick up award.)

    The group won Record of the Year for "Hotel California" but did not attend to accept the honor at the awards ceremony in 1978. The Grammy audience in Los Angeles Monday evening gave them a well-deserved standing ovation.

    Nashville also paid tribute to the Eagles this weekend. A professor and music journalist writes in The Tennessean:

    What some critics never got is that the Eagles were the band to whom many Americans most related. ....

    The Eagles have been the living embodiment of the American dream. Not only did they look like us, but they shared our common histories, dreams, touchstones and sensibilities. Their songs have nuance and multi-layered meanings that fans continued to discover as their lives unfold and new experiences lead to fresh interpretations of a lyric.

    I can't remember a time when I didn't love the Eagles. When I was younger, the first thing my sister and I listened to in the morning was the Eagles' vinyl album, which was also the last music we enjoyed at night. Then, later, I listened to them on CDs while driving. Now, I enjoy their music on my iPhone, and rest assured, I will acquire their music on whatever technology appears next. My memories and their music are so intertwined that I can no longer detect where each begin and end.



    Since its Grammys AND music (5.00 / 1) (#17)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Feb 16, 2016 at 04:17:49 PM EST
    Passing along two great songs that showed up in this weeks episode of X-Files

    Secret Heart - Ron Sexsmith

    And

    Ho Hey - The Lumineers

    Have to say the music has been about the only thing I have liked about the new season.  Otherwise I think it sort or a sad travesty and violation of the corpse of a great TV series,   If they really are about to replace the stars with two replacement actors, which looks like what's happening I hate them for it.

    Jimmy wins second grammy (none / 0) (#1)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Feb 15, 2016 at 08:28:52 PM EST

    LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter won a second Grammy Award in the Best Spoken Word Album category (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling) for a "A Full Life: Reflections At Ninety," as the 58th Grammy Awards kicked off on Monday, feting the biggest names in music.

    He won his first Grammy for Best Spoken Word in 2007 for Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis



    Sorry I missed the Glen Frey tribute (none / 0) (#2)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 15, 2016 at 08:35:12 PM EST
    Thanks for the heads up on Hamilton - caught the last couple of minutes.

    Bowie tribute might be interesting....

    Aargh, I screwed up my own linking method (none / 0) (#4)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 15, 2016 at 08:45:55 PM EST
    Sorr J, feel free to delete.

    Ruffian, I did deleted due to the (none / 0) (#9)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Feb 15, 2016 at 09:54:38 PM EST
    link problem, but I added the code to to main post so everyone can watch it.

    To everyone else, Ruffian's comment was "Great job just singing and playing the heck out of the song. Appreciated Walsh toned down. This was not his Eagles era.  Glad Bernie Leadon was on lead guitar."


    Parent

    Thanks! (none / 0) (#12)
    by ruffian on Tue Feb 16, 2016 at 05:46:04 AM EST
    And I think you're probably right the it was too soon to do the tribute while they are all still in the first part of mourning their good friend. It is a different thing for someone like Lady Gaga to salute David Bowie - she had not been his friend for 40 years.

    Parent
    I have that Hamilton record, love it (none / 0) (#5)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 15, 2016 at 08:48:00 PM EST
    Hope it wins, even though I also adore Kelli O'Hara

    So that's Adele....hmmm, think I'll stick to (none / 0) (#6)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 15, 2016 at 09:05:49 PM EST
    my Bonnie Raitt and Linda Ronstandt.

    In all fairness, that wasn't Adele (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by NJDem on Mon Feb 15, 2016 at 09:19:49 PM EST
    There were serious sound issues and a guitar that was so off-key his/her mike was shut off mid song.  What a shame, she really is always amazing.

    Please check out this video of her singing isolated vocals on SNL

    Parent

    Even with the mike working (none / 0) (#8)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Feb 15, 2016 at 09:51:27 PM EST
    I don't get the fuss about her. I couldn't pick her voice out of a lineup, it's not distinctive enough to me.

    Parent
    J & ruff, she really is as good (5.00 / 3) (#14)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue Feb 16, 2016 at 12:45:22 PM EST
    as all the fuss about her.

    Respectfully, listen to her more. With some little familiarity I am pretty sure that you will see what all the fuss is about.

    Parent

    I will - I could tell the sound was weird (none / 0) (#15)
    by ruffian on Tue Feb 16, 2016 at 01:50:46 PM EST
    So many people I like rave about her I'm sure there must be something to it.

    Parent
    Thanks for posting the Hamilton clip! (none / 0) (#11)
    by ruffian on Tue Feb 16, 2016 at 05:42:10 AM EST
    So good. It has been a long time since I played a Grammy winning record in my car on the way to work..I'll have to do it today just for the novelty!

    For those who haven't heard it, and may not be able to follow a whole record of  hip-hop style (I had trouble understanding the lyrics without reading along with them -I think the performance last night was a little slower than the record!) the musical is a sung through show, so the whole story is in the songs, and the songs are really a mixture of musical styles - King George's songs are kind of Elton John-ish, there is some Bey style pop when the ladies are introduced, and there are some absolutely gorgeous ballads in the final 20 minutes.

    It really is a phenomenal piece of work if you are at all interested in musical theater - and history. It is factually accurate, though obviously personal conversations are imagined.

    For extra fun, read Gore Vidal's 'Burr'.

    Anyway, I haven't done my Hamilton spiel lately, so there it is.

    The Room Where it Happens (none / 0) (#13)
    by ruffian on Tue Feb 16, 2016 at 06:14:45 AM EST
    A song about politics from Hamilton: the compromise that got Hamilton's financial plan passed. You tube - Leslie Odom Jr performing The Room Where it Happens in concert, not a tape from the show.

    And the recording from the soundtrack , posted on you tube  you get more of the lyrics from this one. It is a great synopsis of power and politics.

    Well deserved... (none / 0) (#16)
    by kdog on Tue Feb 16, 2016 at 03:05:39 PM EST
    Grammy for Best Americana Album for Jason Isbell's "Something More Than Free"...my buddy turned me onto it and it's phenomenal stuff.

    I'll check that out too (none / 0) (#19)
    by ruffian on Wed Feb 17, 2016 at 09:18:47 AM EST
    I think a musician friend of mine has recommended it too.

    Parent