Well, the Grammys went down as expected. Sarah fell asleep halfway through, and I can't say I blame her-- there was something even more bland about the show than usual this year, although I thought some of the performances were alright (Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, a reunited Beach Boys, and Civil Wars). It was interesting... you could almost feel the audience, made up of members of the music business, wanted something different too. Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters gave a speech, after winning the first of several awards for the band, about the value of showing the human element in making music-- of not trying to sound "perfect." I would agree with him, although I don't think Foo Fighters comes anywhere near the unique excitement of his previous band, Nirvana.
Singer Adele shined through all the silly pop and hip-hop fluff last night, proving that a powerful voice, stripped down production, and smart songwriting can still make for a winning combination. I'm not saying her album 21 is perfect, but it certainly raises the bar compared to what passes for pop music these days.
It really is funny that what sounds the most fresh these days is a "retro sound." I guess it is like the late 1980s, when everyone tired of overproduced, synth-driven pop, and went back to acoustic... then, of course, Nirvana and the whole grunge scene came around and changed everything (for a while). I guess these things go in cycles... I just hope for the sake of popular music that we get more Adeles than Lady Gagas... and soon.
On the note of timeless music, here's a video clip I produced a few years back with another Grammy Award-winner, bassist Ron Carter. There is no questioning the musicality here. I'm not an expert on jazz, but it does seem to breathe (a welcome contrast to the "canned" style of much of today's music). I think it has a lot to do with the improvisational style... and I can speak improv!
Showing posts with label Grammy Awards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grammy Awards. Show all posts
Monday, February 13, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Voice Lessons
This weekend it's time for the Super Bowl of the music world!...
Yeah, right. But I'll probably still check out the Grammy Awards tonight. The ceremony has had a reputation of being a little out of touch, but last year they gave the album of the year to Arcade Fire's The Suburbs, so maybe they are learning a thing or two.
No doubt there will be some kind of tribute to singer Whitney Houston, who was found dead yesterday at the age of 48. Always sad to hear that someone so young has passed, but her battles with drug abuse over the years make it somewhat less surprising. Back in 1985 it was a different story-- indeed, I would have been wishing I was the guy you see filming her in this music video:
There is no denying she had a great voice, but I think my interest back then had more to do with hormones (young Whitney was beautiful). Her music was far too slick and polished for my taste, and I think she may be responsible for an unfortunate trend in pop music-- "the diva." Singers like Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin probably earned that title before her, but I think they had better producers and material (at least back in the 1960s-70s).
I just prefer a little more emotional honesty in my music. On that note, there is no doubt that this woman should win big at tonight's ceremony:
It's funny, this song kept coming on the radio every time I stopped at the jewelers last fall to make final arrangements on buying the engagement ring-- sort of like a reminder of all the reject girlfriends from the past (there had been a few).
Adele has a beautiful way of phrasing-- sort of unique amidst a sea of auto-tuned pop princesses. If her "Rolling in the Deep" doesn't win "Record of the Year," something is seriously wrong.
For the reasons stated before, I have never really been interested in watching shows like American Idol-- I think they generally send the wrong message about making it in music, and it is all becoming a bit homogenized. I did start watching The Voice recently, and thought it was an interesting concept: the judges begin by not seeing the artist-- so it is based solely on how they feel about their singing. Cee Lo is one of the judges/musicians who will be mentoring the talents, so that is a good sign-- he is definitely one of more soulful and unique voices out there today. Christina Aguilera is also on board-- I would lump her into the "diva" category, but like Whitney she can sing... and does have her moments (some of those "retro" tracks off her Back to Basics album are good fun).
TV2 in Norway is also airing their own version of The Voice, and that is even more interesting to me because of their judges: Magne F from A-ha, and Sondre Lerche, among others. The tastes of these two artists would fall more into the indie-rock category, for sure... so it will be interesting to see how the talents are nurtured in each version of the show. I'll try and watch both-- see if there is any hope left for the future of the pop music business.
Here is one of the more promising acts I have started hearing this year: Gotye. Sounds a little like somebody that I used to know... Sting prior to his own "diva" days?
Another song to dedicate to those reject girlfriends. Faith restored. God, I love music...
Yeah, right. But I'll probably still check out the Grammy Awards tonight. The ceremony has had a reputation of being a little out of touch, but last year they gave the album of the year to Arcade Fire's The Suburbs, so maybe they are learning a thing or two.
No doubt there will be some kind of tribute to singer Whitney Houston, who was found dead yesterday at the age of 48. Always sad to hear that someone so young has passed, but her battles with drug abuse over the years make it somewhat less surprising. Back in 1985 it was a different story-- indeed, I would have been wishing I was the guy you see filming her in this music video:
There is no denying she had a great voice, but I think my interest back then had more to do with hormones (young Whitney was beautiful). Her music was far too slick and polished for my taste, and I think she may be responsible for an unfortunate trend in pop music-- "the diva." Singers like Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin probably earned that title before her, but I think they had better producers and material (at least back in the 1960s-70s).
I just prefer a little more emotional honesty in my music. On that note, there is no doubt that this woman should win big at tonight's ceremony:
It's funny, this song kept coming on the radio every time I stopped at the jewelers last fall to make final arrangements on buying the engagement ring-- sort of like a reminder of all the reject girlfriends from the past (there had been a few).
Adele has a beautiful way of phrasing-- sort of unique amidst a sea of auto-tuned pop princesses. If her "Rolling in the Deep" doesn't win "Record of the Year," something is seriously wrong.
For the reasons stated before, I have never really been interested in watching shows like American Idol-- I think they generally send the wrong message about making it in music, and it is all becoming a bit homogenized. I did start watching The Voice recently, and thought it was an interesting concept: the judges begin by not seeing the artist-- so it is based solely on how they feel about their singing. Cee Lo is one of the judges/musicians who will be mentoring the talents, so that is a good sign-- he is definitely one of more soulful and unique voices out there today. Christina Aguilera is also on board-- I would lump her into the "diva" category, but like Whitney she can sing... and does have her moments (some of those "retro" tracks off her Back to Basics album are good fun).
TV2 in Norway is also airing their own version of The Voice, and that is even more interesting to me because of their judges: Magne F from A-ha, and Sondre Lerche, among others. The tastes of these two artists would fall more into the indie-rock category, for sure... so it will be interesting to see how the talents are nurtured in each version of the show. I'll try and watch both-- see if there is any hope left for the future of the pop music business.
Here is one of the more promising acts I have started hearing this year: Gotye. Sounds a little like somebody that I used to know... Sting prior to his own "diva" days?
Another song to dedicate to those reject girlfriends. Faith restored. God, I love music...
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