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Underground > Radio & Music >

Grammys | Jingo pop songs

12:56 / 28.02.02

So fess up, who else watched it?

Wrap Up

I came in during Little Kim's bit in Mulon Rouge (sp?) The whole thing sounded really off until Patty Label came out. Didn't sing a word, just did that kind of wailing thing, and blew everyone else off the stage. Put Christinia in her place right there. (she was trying to do the same thing earlier) Flash backs to Aretha showing people why she's the queen, at the first VH1 Diva show (whatever that thing was called)

Best performance? Probably Mary J. Blige's No More Dramas. You really got the feeling that she was reliving shit on that stage. Suddenly she started to just kind of throw a fit at the height of the song. Just perfect.

Second place is a tie between Outkast and India Arie, in my mind. Both did great performances, but Mary just took it a little bit further.

'Fuck off' of the night goes to the RIAA who had a little speech about how wroung downloading music is. Side note: There's an old article at the San Fransico Gate that throws in the arguement that the drop in record sales this year (down to '98 levels) may be directly tied to the shutting down of Napster.

And finally, on the 'not sure how to react' side of things. Outkast beating out Jay Z for best rap album. If my pay check is deposited today, I'll finally pick up Stankonia, but is it really better then the Blueprint? Though, Jay Z not getting the grammy, didn't really surprise me.

Ok, who else has opinions/rants?

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[titled edited for clarity by Flux = moderator]

[ 04-03-2002: Message edited by: Flux = Expert Textpert ]

Matthew Fluxington

13:03 / 28.02.02

The only part I caught on tv was one of the parts when they show "earlier today, this award was given" and one of them was Radiohead winning for best cd package design for the deluxe version of Amnesiac. They had a still shot of Stanley Donwood (whom I'd never seen a picture of, actually - he's quite the recluse) and Thom Yorke (in a tux with longer, extremely mussy hair and a confused bewildered facial expression). I was happy cos the text credits said "Stanley Donwood and Tchocky". I thought it was cool that they insisted on using Thom Yorke's design alter-ego...

pointless and uncalled for

13:08 / 28.02.02

Never really take an interest in awards ceremonies. It really doen't have any affect on my view of music or what I buy.

The only exception to this it the Ed the Sock Fromage awards but that really more for the scathing derision of popular artists.

13:11 / 28.02.02

quote:Patty Label came out. Didn't sing a word, just did that kind of wailing thing, and blew everyone else off the stage.

Well, blew is the right word... She sounded horrible. Worse that Christina, which is pretty bad. The woman obviously hasn't performed in a long time, and didn't hit anything recognizable as a note of music. The whole Lady Marmalade performance was kind of strange, as Pink looked like Annie Lennox/Grace Jones from the early 80s, Christina put on some much needed weight, and Lil' Kim looked kind of classy for someone who was flitting around in undies. Only Mya, adorable Mya, looked like she did in the video. How cruel, cruel pop chews up its lovers.

13:28 / 28.02.02

quote:Originally posted by Mr. Todd:

Well, blew is the right word... She sounded horrible. Worse that Christina, which is pretty bad.

Well, I obviously disagree, but what do I know. Except who ever was running the board during that bit should be shot. You wanna throw Christinia high in the mix for when she sings lead, fine. But, when they go to the chorus, pull her back in.

ANYWAYS... This is acctually the first time I've watched an award show. Was more of situation of little being on, and not really being in the mood to read a book/fuck around on the web. To damn tired from work.

And I'm surprised to acctually see Flux pass over the chance to show his hip hop knowledge and expound on his feelings of Outkast vs. Jay Z.

To early in the morning for you? Need some coffee or something?

Speaking of which...

14:18 / 28.02.02

i heard a bit on the radio this morning, and regret a chance to hear Ralph Stanley sing "O Death," because their 10 second snip of the performance put the goosebumps up my arms.

14:53 / 28.02.02

quote:Originally posted by grant:
i heard a bit on the radio this morning, and regret a chance to hear Ralph Stanley sing "O Death," because their 10 second snip of the performance put the goosebumps up my arms.

It was deffinetly a nice performance. Made me want to pull out some of my Alan Lomax CDs. The Emmy Lou Harris/Gillian Welsh/Allison Kraus performance was also good as well as the Soggy Mountain Boys.

Nice point was the fact that I don't think any of the instruments for Man Of Constant Sorrow were amplified. Everyone seemed to be playing into mics. Which lead to a nice little bit where Alison Kraus had to sing the chorus with Emmy Lou Harris and Gillian Welsh (all sharing the same mic) and then play her fiddle lead into the same mic, with only a beat or two to get the fiddle up there.

I was a little dissapointed that they had Ralph on a seperate stage from everyone else, so he couldn't join in on the Man of Constant Sorrow. Would have been nice to hear him pick a banjo lead on that.

Thanks for reminding me of that grant. I think some Alan Lomax recordings will deffinetly be on the sterio tonight.

Regrettable Juvenilia

15:10 / 28.02.02

MTV's video snippet of Outkast performing is brilliant. Truly, Dre is the best-dressed man in hip-hop by quite some way...

The Return Of Rothkoid

12:21 / 04.03.02

What did people who watched think of the performance of this song? It frightened me a little...

Regrettable Juvenilia

12:26 / 04.03.02

quote:"Did you burst out in pride for the red, white and blue
And the heroes who died just doin' what they do
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters

Chorus:
I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I could
Tell you the difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Verse:
Where were you when the world stop turning on that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Or driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty 'cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you loved her
Did you dust off that Bible at home

Did you open your eyes, hope it never happened
And you close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Or speak to some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin'
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns

Sweet unholy Christ.

Jack The Bodiless

12:33 / 04.03.02

Yuck. Dreck. Feck.

12:37 / 04.03.02

It's still better than Paul McCartney's good awful Freedom:

quote:This is my right
A right given by God
To live a free life
To live in freedom

Talkin' about freedom
I'm talkin' 'bout freedom
I will fight
For the right
To live in freedom

Anyone tries to take it away
They'll have to answer
'Cause this is my right

I'm talkin' about freedom
Talkin' 'bout freedom
I will fight
For the right
To live in freedom

I'm talkin' 'bout freedom
I'm talkin' 'bout freedom
I will fight
For the right
To live in freedom

Everybody talkin' 'bout freedom
We're talkin' 'bout freedom
We will fight
For the right
To live in freedom

I'm talkin' 'bout freedom
Talkin' 'bout freedom
I will fight
For the right
To live in freedom

I'm talkin' 'bout freedom
I'm talkin' 'bout freedom
We will fight
For the right
To live in freedom

talk about jingoism...give me Ringoism any day!

12:38 / 04.03.02

Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin'
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns

No contradiction there, at all.

I'm quite glad I'm not in Kansas any more...

Matthew Fluxington

12:40 / 04.03.02

I'm going to respectfully disagree with you, Todd - the Alan Jackson is far worse because it makes a virtue out of total political and cultural ignorance. The McCartney song is just cheesy jingo crap - the Jackson song is far more sinister, I think.

12:48 / 04.03.02

Well, at least Alan Jackson isn't telling everyone to go out and fight, like McCartney was (remember the occasion that song was debuted?). Jackson, leaving aside the triteness and strangeness of some of his lyrical flourishes (I love lucy?), is at least promoting a simple faith in love and Jesus, which may be laughable to us intellgentsia on the Coasts and across the Atlantic, but is a source of comfort to many in the world.

I think your objection to Jackson's song hinges around this paragraph:
quote:I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I could
Tell you the difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Which is very simple minded indeed. Who DOESN'T know the difference between Iran and Iraq? (Free answer: GWB). But the sentiment expressed is not of the "Kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out" type. Rather, it is a message of faith hope and love, Christian values. Which, although we may shudder at these values being linked to US patriotism, aren't horrible in and of themselves.

Regrettable Juvenilia

12:50 / 04.03.02

It's just utterly terrifying: the idea that he's not being "political" by venerating the "red, white and blue" but being wilfully ignorant of affairs in the Middle East; the idea that buying a gun is, if not a good thing, that kinda an understandable response to Spetmeber 11, but that so is turning off a violent movie, because they're definitely bad, unlike guns...

The Return Of Rothkoid

14:09 / 04.03.02

And I did feel the whole "watch Lucy reruns" idea was a bit odd, too: it seemed a bit like "let's pretend that nothing's happened, and we live in a world where foreigners are cool, like Desi" kind of thing. Reading a bit much into it? Maybe - but it seemed to be advocating a return to safe, old-timey ideas, rather than dealing with the reality of now.

14:55 / 04.03.02

I think what you guys are missing is that the song is a reaction to what did happen. There was a dramitic increase in the sale of guns afterwards. People did turn on old reruns (when a channel acctually showed something beyond news coverage) in hopes of escaping the coverage, if just for a little relief.

The spontanious patriotism was intense as well. I can still vividly remember the three kids (highschool or early college) standing on the side of the road as I drove home, just waving a big US flag back and forth. And the strange feeling of seeing flags on EVERY bypass in the area.

Personally, I see the song less as a, "you did good." Then as a "what did you do?" Kind of thing. Like when people talk about where they were when Kennedy or Lennon was shot.