Posted on 02/13/2007 11:16:30 AM PST by SirLinksalot
I Hear Music, Partisan Music
Watching the Grammys.
By Raymond Arroyo
The whole point of music is to transcend politics, grievances, and the differences that divide to help us reconnect to those essential human emotions we all share: love, loss, anger, regret. Unless, that is, you work for the music industry.
Like its wicked stepsister, Hollywood, the music business has become increasingly divorced from its purpose, estranged from its audience, and maliciously partisan. Not that they seem to care. Case in point: the 49th Annual Grammy Awards held at the Los Angeles Staples Center on Sunday night. Watching the proceedings, who could be blamed for wanting to staple some mouths shut?
For the Dixie Chicks, who won a total of five Grammys, the evening was a triumph. No big surprise. Natalie Maines, the lead singer for the group, all but insured this outcome in 2003, when, during a concert in London she announced, “Just so you know, we’re ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.” Back on the mainland, a huge chunk of their fan base in red-state America stop whistling Dixie Chicks; the comments would eventually lead to dwindling record sales and a banishment from many country-radio stations. The Chicks were unrepentant, and decided to court a more urbane crowd, shaking off the “rednecks” that had made them stars.
On Sunday, they communed with their new fan base: Grammy voters. For the tune “Not Ready to Make Nice,” the Chicks snagged Best Song and Best Record of the Year Grammys, despite the fact that it never broke the top 20 on any chart. And to prove the power of an offhanded comment against a beleaguered president, the trio took home an Album of the Year Grammy as well.
Accepting the award Natalie Maines droned, “To quote the great Simpsons, ‘Heh, heh.’ A lot of people have turned off their TV sets now.” That’s assuming her performance earlier in the evening hadn’t already had viewers rushing for their remotes — for part of that live number, poor Natalie sounded flatter than her record sales. It was enough to tempt one to beg Laura Ingraham to retitle her book: “Shut up, And Don’t Sing Either.”
For an institution approaching its 50th year, and an industry hemorrhaging financially, one would have imagined that the Grammy telecast would have at least tried to reach as wide an audience as possible. No such luck. Save for the American Idol champion, Carrie Underwood, who picked up a pair of Grammys for her Jesus Take the Wheel, there was little for Middle America to revel in.
The aging Police opened the show to prove that they could still stand on stage together and pull off a reasonably good version of “Roxanne.” The Latin diva Shakira popped her pelvis and undulated her way through her summer hit, “Hips Don’t Lie,” wandering through a set that looked like a Bollywood strip club.
The rapper Ludacris, who won Best Rap Album honors for the “masterpiece” (his words) Release Therapy, gave a “shout out to Oprah and Bill O’Reilly” (both of whom have been critical of his lyrics). With a catalog that includes such hits as “Hoes in My Room” and “Girls Gone Wild,” how ludicrous that anyone would take umbrage at the Ludacris view of women in his music. The video for his latest work, broadcast in part at the Grammys, featured Ludacris surrounded by bikini-clad women writhing all over him. One clip featured he and “his employees” lying on a bed of cash. Oprah and O’Reilly seem to have this one right.
Finally, near the end of the of the torturous ceremony, as if the nerves could take any more, that musical giant Al Gore took the stage to announce the winner of the Best Rock Album. Why? I have no idea. But as evidence that global warming is wreaking some havoc, perhaps on what is left of good taste, Jimmy Carter won a spoken-word Grammy for his audio book, Our Endangered Values. If you’re very quiet you can still hear the cries of jubilation rising in Gaza.
Insignificant musical talents like Bob Dylan, John Williams, the San Francisco Symphony, Randy Newman, and more than 90 others were not of sufficient caliber to be featured on the Grammy telecast, though they all took home prizes. The airtime had to be saved for the real talent out there: Shakira, the Chicks, and Ludacris, and their scintillating performances. Ludicrous.
Given this one night’s collective assault on the ears, the eyes, and decency itself, is it any wonder that record sales have plummeted? If this is the best that the American recording industry has to offer the world, their future is very bleak indeed. While relatively cheap music downloads doubled last year, the industry’s bread and butter, CDs sales, continued to slide. In the year 2000, ’N Sync sold more than nine million copies of their album, No Strings Attached. This year’s bestseller, High School Musical sold a paltry 3.7 million. Big retailers like Musicland and Tower Records have called it quits for good. People will download a tune here and there, but their devotion to individual artists is slipping; their willingness to plop down 18 bucks to hear slickly packaged, homogenized drek is gone. As one record exec told a Canadian newspaper this week, “I think the fan is in control now… they have the power.” To quote those great Simpsons: “Heh, heh.”
— Raymond Arroyo is editor of the forthcoming, Mother Angelica’s Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality (Doubleday, March) and host of EWTN’s The World Over Live.
I don't know how you feel about Vince Gill, who was also nominated for a Grammy but lost to the ditsy chicks. He has a new 4 cd set that has a wide range of musical styles. If you like bluegrass and Del McCurry this cd is great.
"And say what you will, but you had to be impressed with Christine Aguillera and her singing abilities. Awesome."
She sang the daylights out of that song. Unreal talent.
Sorry - I don't buy this line. I have never been a Dylan fan - but many conservatives don't like him because they think he was some kind of "anti-war" icon in the '60s.
If you check the facts, Bob Dylan was NEVER against the war in Vietnam.
The media and the left-wing music industry tried to paint him as anti-war, but if you read his comments he always supported the troops and their mission.
John Williams, who wrote the music for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Superman, Harry Potter, Jaws, Close Encounters, E.T., Schindler's List, Jurassic Park, Midway, Paper Chase, Poseidon Adventure, Towering Inferno, Diamond Head and many, many movies from the 60s and 70s (watch for his name on the credits of many films from back then - his earlier movies he is listed as "Johhny Williams") - I would not consider his talent as "insignificant".
I don't know...they picked up a new customer here for Christina Aguilara. I knew she could sing, but I had no idea how she COULD SING! Man, she blew me away!
I absolutely agree (Hayes Carll and Slaid Cleaves in particular being very under-appreciated). But then again, you won't hear much of Robert Earl Keen, Jason Boland, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Townes Van Zandt, or Fred Eaglesmith on FM "Country" radio, either.
Also, why Guy Clark is not recognized as a major talent is a mystery.
The "other" guy's name is John Legend and he's terrific. Christina Aguillerra was incredible...absolutely breathtakingly incredible. I think I'm going to go buy her CD. Unfortunately, she's forever grouped into that Britney Spears, Mandy Moore group, which is the furthest thing from what she is. She's a powerhouse singer.
I download.
I use Limewire.
I have not bought a CD since 1997, not counting a few I picked up at garage sales.
I have NEVER downloaded something I would have bought.
I still like to listen to my vinyl a lot.
I also dumpe tv in '97. This article makes the reason quite apparent.
The awards shows have also become too long and boring. About 2/3 of the Grammys was singing. They should simply read the names and give the awards.
The grammys have too many catagories. About 10 years ago, they had awards for best single, best album, best group, and best solo act. Now they have awards for best rap album, best country album, and best hip hop album. They probably increased the number of awards because people complained because they didn't get anything. It's a kind of affirmative action.
**********
LOL! Good observation.
And so, the reputation & respect
for the Grammys crumbles into the
crack house gutter....form a crust
on the diseased sludge coming out
of the pipe and unning in the alley
from Da House's toilet pipe.
Nobody in their right mind would describe Dylan or Williams this way.
- Pat Green, Songs About Texas
Mrs. LC gave me two tickets to see Slaid Cleaves along with Guy Clark, in April.
I've been listening to "Brokedown" non-stop these past couple of weeks! Mabe you can answer this for me? Did anyone record that song besides Slaid?
There's a huge acoustic scene here in Brooklyn, NY! The only problem is that I have to play guitar alongside a bunch of leftwing moonbats. They'll sing an old gospel tune, and then make fun of the "Right Wing Christians"...
LC
Has this author heard 'Fergalicious' yet?
"Oh the South coast of Texas
Is a thin slice of life
It's sharp as a nail
And hard as a knife..."
Guy C.
The writer was joking - being sarcastic. He likes Dylan and Williams.
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