Live Blogging the Grammys


Grammy

I was a really cool baby.  My first words were … Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. 

As in She Loves You, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah…  She Loves You, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah…  I stood in my crib, with my little moptop, bouncing up and down singing Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.  First words!  It’s true.  My mom has it written down in my baby book.  I’ll scan it and post it if you don’t believe me. 

Little did I know when I was a wee little baby blue girl, what my future held.  A whole lifetime of being obsessed with music.  And it’s finally paid off.

I’m going to be live blogging The 49th Annual Grammy Awards this Sunday night here at newcritics.  The new arts and culture blog that is all the rave around the blogosphere.

I have to admit something.  I’ve never liked The Grammy Awards.  I always thought they were cheap and meaningless.  I always looked down my nose at them.  And it’s no wonder!  Let’s look at 1975, for example.  That was the year of … 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover by Paul Simon, Amie by Pure Prairie League, Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell, Black Friday by Steely Dan, Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, Can’t Get It Out of My Head by ELO, Cut the Cake by Average White Band, Daisy Jane by America, Fame by David Bowie,  Killer Queen by Queen, How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You) by James Taylor, Lonely People by America, Love Is the Drug by Roxy Music, Only Women Bleed by Alice Cooper, Poetry Man by Phoebe Snow. 

I’m sure there was better music than what I’ve listed above.  I just grabbed some great tunes from the Billboard Top 40.  But, to my eleven year old mind back in 1975, I thought most of the songs listed above were pretty good.

But guess what song won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1975?

You mean to tell me that…

Maybe I hang around here
A little more than I should
We both know I’ve got somewhere else to go
But I got something to tell you
That I never thought I would
And I believe you really ought to know
I love you
I honestly love you

Held a candle to…

Together Wendy we can live with the sadness
I’ll love you with all the madness in my soul
Someday girl I don’t know when
We’re going to get to that place
Where we really want to go
And we’ll walk in the sun
But till then tramps like us

Ah, you know the rest.  The mind reels.

Could have been worse, I guess.

Kind of kidding.  I loved that song.

Carried your books from school
Playing make believe you were married to me
You were fifth grade, I was sixth
When we came to be

Shut up!  I was eleven.

My Eyes Adored You.  Great line.  Sigh.
 
Record of the Year in 1976 was Love Will Keep Us Together by The Captain and Tenille.  Ok, then.

I’m sure my dad would say, "But blue girl, good music used to win!  Moon River by Henri Mancini won in 1962!  I Left My Heart in San Francisco by Tony Bennett in 1963!  Then it all went to pot.  Aquarius in 1970?  Damned hippies!

And not that I have anything against Aquarius at all, (I thought it was great the way they used it at the end of The 40 Year Old Virgin) but my dad would be right.  Moon River and I Left My Heart In San Francisco are just wonderful, timeless songs.

What happened after 1974, the year Killing Me Softly by Roberta Flack won?

Sailing by Christopher Cross in 1981?

Bette Davis Eyes in 1982?

Another Day In Paradise by Phil Collins in 1991?

They might have been catchy little pop songs in their day, but they’re not timeless songs that my son would even think about listening to now.  I wouldn’t even think about listening to them now.  I’ve downloaded several songs off that list above while writing this post.  And I didn’t download those three, I can tell you that.  I didn’t download Aquarius either.

All of this may sound like I’ve got a negative attitude about Sunday night.  And that’s not true at all.  I’m looking forward to it.  If nothing else, getting ready for this gig has gotten me to listen to some new songs.  Songs I never would’ve heard had Tom Watson not asked me to live blog.

Corinne Bailey Rae’s Put Your Records On.  Not bad.  I like it.

Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy.  It’s groovin’ fun.  I’m listening to it now.  I’m movin’.  Swayin’ back and forth.  Do I honestly love it though?  Not sure yet.

Not Ready To Make Nice by The Dixie Chicks.  Love The Dixie Chicks.

Not Ready To Make Nice by The Dixie Chicks.  Love The Dixie Chicks.

I made by bed, and I sleep like a baby,

With no regrets and I don’t mind saying,

It’s a sad sad story

That a mother will teach her daughter

that she ought to hate a perfect stranger.

And how in the world

Can the words that I said

Send somebody so over the edge

That they’d write me a letter

Saying that I better shut up and sing

Or my life will be over


I’m not ready to make nice,

I’m not ready to back down,

I’m still mad as hell

And I don’t have time

To go round and round and round

It’s too late to make it right

I probably wouldn’t if I could

Cause I’m mad as hell

Can’t bring myself to do what it is

You think I should

You tell ‘em, girls.

Be Without You by Mary J. Blige.  It’s good.  I admire Mary J. Blige.  She can sing.

And finally, can’t forget Tbogg’s favorite.  You’re Beautiful by James Blunt.  I liked that song when it came out.  I still kind of do.  I’m sorry.  Wimper, wimper, wimper…

Of course, there are a lot more categories than Record of the Year to be concerned with on Sunday night.  There’s Album of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance … Best Polka Album.  Just to name a few.  You can review all of the categories here.

So, whether you’ve always despised The Grammys or whether you’ve always loved them, I hope you’ll join me here at newcritics Sunday night starting around 7:30pm.  And comment a lot.

I promise it’s going to be lots of fun.  Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I do.

       

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February 9th, 2007
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Viewing 6 Comments

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    • v
    Hate to kick off the comments with a non sequitur when you've written so brilliantly about the Grammys and popular music, but I'm still stuck on your first words being "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

    See, not long ago I had a dream that I was watching a friend's 3-month-old baby. He was threatening meltdown, so I was bouncing him and singing, and then I asked him some nonsense question of the kind people ask babies on the verge of crying, and he said, "Yeah, yeah," in a typically blase NY way. I ran into the kitchen to tell my friend, and she was like, "Yeah, I know. He's been saying it for *weeks* now. A few months old, and already jaded. We're still waiting for 'mommy' or 'daddy' or even 'hello.'"
    • ^
    • v
    We'll flip over and catch as much as we can before and after Rome on HBO, but overall I despise them for the very reasons you cite. I remember back in 1976 Kiss Alive being the biggest record in the world. Not a kid in my school wasn't talking about it and didn't own it. They were HUGE and certainly not afraid of being labeled commercial, but nary even a mention during the grammys. That's when I knew the award was worthless. Still there have been some great perfromances throughout the years and I've missed few broadcasts for no other reason to watch them get it wrong and get angry.

    I look forward to your live blogging. Let'em have it!!!
    • ^
    • v
    BG, I always seem to miss the live-blogging of things that aren't usually so much fun, but somehow are more fun when live-blogged. I'm going to see Josh Ritter play. I'll come by and read the snark when I get home, though.

    I saw Jeff Tweedy solo a couple of years ago, right after Wilco won a Grammy. He started the song off saying that he never thought much of the Grammys, until he won one. (And now his Dad wants a replica of his.) It was funny. I bet you'll be funnier, though.
    • ^
    • v
    I had no intention of watching the grammys, but your post has completely changed my mind BG. I am so there. See ya sunday!
    • ^
    • v
    The Grammys lost me the year Jethro Tull won for best heavy metal band and that moron Flava Flav hijacked someone else's award for best rap performance (as if there could be such a thing). I was still in the music business then, but I bailed out shortly afterwards to attend law school. Within six months, the top ten consisted entirely of acts that didn't exist a year previous. And believe me, those acts didn't achieve massive airplay based on their musical merit. The record biz has distributed more cocaine than the Medellin cartel. FedEx used to bring it to my door. Maybe someday I'll write my memoir on payola. I've received it and I've dispensed it, and it determined what tunes you tapped your feet to in the '80s. Watch this space
    • ^
    • v
    "Yeah yeah yeah" is deliciously ironic considering that the Grammys ignored the Beatles during their heyday in favor of Petula Clark -- sort of the Toni Tenille of the 60s. I've never been able to take the awards seriously as a result.

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