As a reader of these pages, you may be approaching the Grammy Awards, to be held February 9, with about the same enthusiasm that you’re approaching the next Osmond family reunion.There will be a few lively moments, at least one goofy singer summit, and maybe even a head butt (there must be a way to make Mickey Rourke a presenter). But generally, this high-powered self-promotional event leaves you on the outside looking in.
Even if, like me, you’ve gotten dragged into watching American Idol by your kids – and found yourself enjoying it – seeing the Idol-caliber likes of Sara Bareilles and Katy Perry do their thing promises to be a chore in the absence of Paula Abdul’s psychotic breakdowns. It will be painful, again, to see the Eagles all geezered out: Can’t anyone in this business stay retired? And surely I’m not the only one who will think about running out for cigarettes during the big Kanye West – or, I’m assuming, this year, Lil Wayne – production number. Even if I don’t smoke, and hope you don’t, either!
What adds to the sense of disconnect for we No Depression types is that we won’t even get to see the winners in our top categories announced. Some big names are up for Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album (Vocal or Instrumental) (Standing or Seated) (Caucasians Preferred) (No One Under 50 Admitted): Joan Baez for Day After Tomorrow; Ry Cooder for I, Flathead; Rodney Crowell for Sex & Gasoline; Emmylou Harris for All I Intended To Be; and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss for Raising Sand. But the victor(s) will have gotten their trophy before the televised proceedings, just like the winner for Best Hawaiian Music Album (my money is on Wayne’s World babe Tia Carrere). And while Leona Lewis, Ne-Yo and Adele are living large on the show, the best place to catch Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Eddie Vedder may be a bar around the block, where they could be knocking back some working-class quaffs as nominees for Best Solo Rock Vocal performance.
But buck up, discriminating music lovers. Because no matter how slick, how irrelevant, how misguided, and, of course, how deadly the Grammy Awards can be, they’re our Grammy Awards. And even if all five sub-categories of gospel music, among other precious commodities, are given short shrift (don’t you think there should be a tribute to the Swan Silvertones’ Claude Jeter, who died last week?), we can use this occasion to celebrate our own favorites – among them, the top finishers in the annual No Depression critics poll.
The late Claude Jeter, with the Swan Silvertones
Because the Grammys operate in a peculiar time bracket – to be eligible, a record has to be released between Columbus Day and, I believe, the first day of Rosh Hashanah – one of our favorite 2007 releases is up for multiple 2008 trophies. Raising Sand was nominated for Best Album, and three songs from it are also nominees: “Please Read The Letter” for Best Record, “Rich Woman” for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, and “Killing The Blues” for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.
This is all good. We’re sure to see the leonine Bob and the regal Alison on the show, perhaps playing battle of the bands with fellow pop collaborators Rihanna & Maroon 5. What’s bad is that, bizarrely, T Bone Burnett, the brains behind Raising Sand, was not nominated for best producer, in a year in which he also produced terrific albums by B.B. King and John Mellencamp. He was squeezed out by the immortal likes of Nigel Godrich and Johnny K.
Well, maybe the members of NARAS were tired of voting for T Bone, a frequent Grammy and Oscar nominee since O Brother, Where Art Thou?; or maybe he refused to produce an album by some music mogul’s teenage girlfriend, and getting stiffed for a Grammy is the equivalent of waking up with a horse’s head on your pillow. (Brian Eno was passed over, too, for his work with record of the year and album of the year nominee Coldplay.)
What other access points will there be for the No Depression set? My Morning Jacket, whose Evil Urges finished fourth in our critics poll, should get a little love in vying for best alternative music album. Al Green and the excellent soul heir-apparent Raphael Saadiq, each nominated for for best R&B album, should get some face time. And if it’s unlikely we’ll get to hear John C. Reilly sing the title song from Walk Hard, there’s always Radiohead to turn to – even if you still feel guilty about not paying anything for In Rainbows.
John C. Reilly discusses Walk Hard
To DVR or not to DVR? For some viewers, this may be an even more difficult decision than whether or not to access the official Grammy Twitter feed. As much as you’ll want to speed past NARAS head Neil Portnow’s best of times/worst of times address, the technical awards stuff, and the inevitable Tony Bennett spot (love the guy, but not trading licks with Alicia Keys), suffering through the tedium is part of the tradition. If nothing else, it will get you in shape to suffer through the tedium of the Oscars.
Be sure and look for the NoDepression.com guide to the Academy Awards. We’re counting on a strong showing there, if not here, from the legendary John C. Reilly.
