I can’t believe that I’m saying this, but I come to praise the Grammy Awards Show, not bury it. It’s easy to criticize the Grammys, and I’ve done my share in the past, but if you take into consideration what this show is trying to accomplish, it’s amazing that it comes off pleasing anyone, let alone the vast majority of viewers. Can you imagine trying to present a show with such a wide constituency of musical genres, many of which are diametrically opposed? Long-time producer Ken Ehrlich does a great job of walking that tightrope every year.
Still, there are always hits and misses and this year’s production is no exception. Let’s look at them.
The Hits
Imagine Dragons and Kendrick Lamar rocked the house and were a perfect combination together. Perhaps they put on the best performance of the evening.
Daft Punk with Pharrell Williams (a big winner on the night), Nile Rogers and Stevie Wonder were also a good match, but what were the Daft Punk robots doing while the band was playing? It sure would have made me feel better about them getting so many awards if I saw either one of them playing an actual instrument.
Sara Bareielles and Carole King were magic together, as both were in top form. Of course, Carole is a pro and she elevates everyone around her, as she did in this case as well.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Trombone Shorty and Madonna worked together as well. One of the things I like most about Macklemore is that I can understand what he’s rapping, which goes a long way towards enjoying the genre.
Paul McCartney was his usual great self with Ringo looking a little lost on the drums. As a friend once commented on Macca, “It’s like watching Beethoven.” That said, perhaps the best part of the performance was the bow that he and Ringo took at the end.
Perhaps my favorite of the night was the kings of metal Metallica with pianist Lang Lang. Although on the surface this combination probably looked a little odd on paper, in practice it proved to be inspired. Both fed off each other and the collaboration proved to be really powerful.
The Misses
The opening segment with Beyonce and Jay-Z was a total miss. Was there even a song there? As far as Beyonce’s “performance,” all she needed was a pole to complete the act. What a waste of five minutes.
And speaking of dubious performances, I so hate the big production numbers that appear year after year like the one that Katy Perry did. Boy, does this make the music boring, and I like Katy’s music. She would have been better served just standing there and singing and leaving Broadway to Broadway.
Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings brought high hopes, but didn’t deliver. C’mon guys. I know you’re legends but a little rehearsal really wouldn’t kill you before a show like this. If this was a handing of the baton to a new generation in Blake Shelton, it just showed that the hand-off is overdue.
Boy, the Black Sabbath introduction of Ringo Starr was as embarrassing as it gets. That’s just another example of legends not taking a national television appearance seriously enough. Let this be an example for television producers everywhere. Let these guys play, but not talk.
I love Chicago and you just can’t find a better band anywhere, but Robin Thicke did his best to step all over Robert Lamm’s vocals. This was one case where the pairing didn’t work, but I don’t think any pairing with Thicke would’ve worked. Luckily he’ll be setting into the sunset soon so that won’t be happening again.
Ringo had an all-star band backing him up in Peter Frampton, producer Don Was, Steve Lukather from Toto, and drummer Kenny Aronoff, which should have been great. The problem is that after 40 odd years, Ringo’s no better a singer than he was back when “Photograph” was new. I can’t understand how some people stand still in their skill while others improve. He may also be a legend, but some of us expect more.
The ring exchange during the Macklemore segment was good at heart, but came off as corny. I get how it works with the song, but I’m not so sure it was appropriate here, even though I personally support the sentiment.
Finally, the combination of Queens of the Stone Age with Dave Grohl, Nine Inch Nails and Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham never came off as expected, primarily because of a very drum-heavy, vocal-light mix. Too bad, because Lindsey was killing it.
A last thought – one of the best parts of the evening was the Music Educator’s Award. Music education is so important in our schools and we need to encourage it any way possible. Congratulations, Grammy’s, for stepping up and doing so.
