I know you are all too damn cool for the 2005 Grammy Awards; but don't you think they deserve a little thread action anyway?

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Quibbles? Squabbles? Predictions?

― The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Saturday, 12 February 2005 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

― The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Saturday, 12 February 2005 20:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Your Record of the Year prediction is a slam-dunk. Ray might even take Album of the Year too.

There's nothing Grammy likes more than "comeback" records by legendary performers, except for "comeback" records by legendary performers who go on to get sick and/or die.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 12 February 2005 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

grammy likes to switch it up?

great post, sourpuss!

― Shmool McShmool (shmuel), Saturday, 12 February 2005 20:35 (twenty-one years ago)

I predict Candido & Graciela's Inolvidable will win the Traditional Latin (or whatever category it's in), because they are both very old, and I don't think Graciela's gotten the recognition she probably deserves. (Heck, I haven't heard much by her myself, but I've been impressed by what I've heard by her from the past.) And the timing is good, since there seems to be a mini-revival of mambo at the moment, which includes a lot of attention to Machito (with whom she sung). Candido and Graciela have some of that lost era appeal of BVSC without having come from exactly the same milieu.

I haven't actually heard this or any of the other nominations in this category, except the Cachao CD, which wasn't my thing, so I gave it to the library.)

Ironically, I feel less sure about the salsa/merengue picks, maybe because I actually know something about them. I'll agree with M*** and say Victor Manuelle, but only by a hair. I think this Marc Anthony album was a lot better received (critically and commercially) than his last salsa album. SPO is probably the best of the bunch, but they already won a Grammy recently (last year even? I forget). It would help if I knew exactly which of these artists have won in the past.

The major categories--I don't have a guess.

― RS, Saturday, 12 February 2005 21:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, and I agree that Egypt is likely to win in the contemporary world category.

I'm hoping Si Soy Llanero will win in the traditional world category. I think it has a shot, but I don't have much of a feel for the status of the other titles listed.

― RS, Saturday, 12 February 2005 21:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh wait, I was thinking that SPH won last year in the salsa category. In that case, hmmmm, I really don't know who's going to win. (Also I see that GSR has never won a Grammy.) (Too bad there's not a salsa singles category.)

― RS, Saturday, 12 February 2005 21:25 (twenty-one years ago)

RS: I know! Also, too bad there's no singles category for a lot of stuff (including polka, because THAT would be DOPE).

― The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Saturday, 12 February 2005 22:37 (twenty-one years ago)

as long as Kanye's performance at the televised ceremony doesn't involve green teepees and Native American dress I will be cheering him on to win any awards he is nominated for.

― Al (sitcom), Saturday, 12 February 2005 23:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Since both RS and Sourpuss are present and accounted for, let me just thank RS for them salsa CDRs, v. much of the good. The Baron Lopez remix of Africando's "Yay Boy" was sweet.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 13 February 2005 00:01 (twenty-one years ago)

(Glad you are liking some of it, Ned, but I am going to avoid derailing M***'s Grammy thread into yet another s**** thread.)

― RS £aRue (rockist_scientist), Sunday, 13 February 2005 00:05 (twenty-one years ago)

naw, it's all good! I'm going to sit down sometime this week and write a track-by-track analysis of that CD, RS.

You said you were up for other Latin action? or should I do my world-famous country-that-doesn't-suck mix or something else?

― The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Sunday, 13 February 2005 01:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm definitely up for some Latin action, heh heh heh.

I'd be interested in hearing other Latin stuff, yes, maybe just recent Latin stuff that you've liked.

― RS £aRue (rockist_scientist), Sunday, 13 February 2005 01:32 (twenty-one years ago)

hahahahaha, okay

― The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Sunday, 13 February 2005 01:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Who's watching tonight? Maybe we can get a little action going on this thread -- if we can get one-third of the hilarity that ensued on the MTV Awards 2004 thread, then it'll still be a good night no matter how many times the RIAA president tells us that downloading is evil.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Sunday, 13 February 2005 23:44 (twenty-one years ago)

hmmm, i dunno. when is it on? there are 2 episodes of the simpsons on tonight.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 13 February 2005 23:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I think it starts at 8. But don't worry, the show is 17 hours long, so you won't miss too much if you take an hour to watch the Simpsons.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Sunday, 13 February 2005 23:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm planning on watching the Grammy's....if the wife can stomach it.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 13 February 2005 23:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha ... who's to say that you can stomach it? Or, for that matter, can I stomach it? TUNE IN AT 8 TO FIND OUT!

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Sunday, 13 February 2005 23:58 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd like to see Tift Merritt and Elvis Costello win, but no chance in hell of either happening.

― Jim Reckling (Jim Reckling), Monday, 14 February 2005 00:09 (twenty-one years ago)

No, I don't think they do.

― daavid (daavid), Monday, 14 February 2005 00:25 (twenty-one years ago)

It's a good thing they didn't do the obligatory old-people-in-big-surprise-opening-number this time around.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Ugh...they're still doing medleys, though.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:06 (twenty-one years ago)

It burns! Ahhh, the burning!

― mike h. (mike h.), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:07 (twenty-one years ago)

This show needs more shots of old guys in suits looking uncomfortable while Black Eyed Peas run through the audience.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Maroon 5 could really use some studio magic.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:08 (twenty-one years ago)

what songs are they playing? SOME OF US ARE AT WORK HERE PEOPLE. DETAILS PLZ.

― miccio (miccio), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:09 (twenty-one years ago)

No matter how much of the crowd's there to offer fake spontaneity, actual crowd cheering always seems really sparse and faint.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:09 (twenty-one years ago)

first of you that just says "Alicia Keys! aaagh! wtf just happened?" without any explanation I will hate for life.

― miccio (miccio), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Adam Ant!

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Scottish people! Aaagh! WTF just happened!

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Sike.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:10 (twenty-one years ago)

hahaha

― miccio (miccio), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, Adam Ant should already get paid $$$ in fashion royalities.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:11 (twenty-one years ago)

There was a creepy moment of "get it started" that was over the end of "this love" that was amazingly creepy. Franz Ferdinand are on now for their 30 seconds of upbeat guitar action.

― mike h. (mike h.), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:11 (twenty-one years ago)

HOT TOWN! SUMMER IN THE CITY!

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Grammy chaos!

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:12 (twenty-one years ago)

The medley idea: REALLY, REALLY, REALLY BAD!

Franz Ferdinand rock. Fuck the Black Eyed Peas.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Usher offers the messy debacle his props from the audience.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Ellen Degeneres and the Edge are sitting onto two feet from each other. Feel the electricity!

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Skynyrd?

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:13 (twenty-one years ago)

If Lil Jon ran over Black Eyed Peas with a truck at the end of that medley, all would have been complete. As it is, I'm going to watch The Simpsons now.

― mike h. (mike h.), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Medleys are always a bad idea: I figure producers must think people doing one entire song lacks the necessary dynamics to snag eyeballs in this brave new iPod world.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Rock in exceptionally short supply in the evening's line-up, it seems.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Lisa-Marie Presley's gonna be part of this? WHY?!?!?

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Ugh. Latifah.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Ms. Latifah, you're not gonna do jokes. PLEASE TELL ME YOU ARE NOT GONNA DO JOKES.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Ooh what kooky and eclectic presentation combinations are we gonna see tonight?

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:17 (twenty-one years ago)

people who don't immediately turn the channel to Arrested Development at 8:30 are mental

― lemin (lemin), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Franz Ferdinand sounded really good, except I kept thinking I was watching Stop Making Sense..

I don't ever want to hear that Black Eyed Peas song ever again. They played it at the DNC convention last year, and we all know how that one turned out.

― daria g (daria g), Monday, 14 February 2005 01:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 530 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

also what other r&b white singers do I have beef with? I was big-upping Eamon before ANYBODY!

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:28 (twenty-one years ago)

JT is so much better than Usher (who is really bland and sexless to me). I know that contradicts received wisdom, but it's soooo true.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I am still wildly amused that ILM posters find a performer whose introduction to the top-40 pop arena was a song where is choreographed schtick involved him ripping off his shirt, dropping trou and rubbing his jailbait abs to the delight of shrieking teens/housewives "sexless".

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:34 (twenty-one years ago)

THIS IS SEX
http://www.ananova.com/images/web/43427.jpg

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Awkward geek in baggy clothes running around giving famous women the bad touch is the epitome of sex? Calum gets a bad rap.

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:39 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost
I never believed the schtick. Is the "sexless" thing a common critique? It's the first thing that comes to mind for me. Love "You Don't Have to Call" though.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:40 (twenty-one years ago)

The only thing I suppose I will say is that Timberlake's goatee/short hair look just makes me think of Chris Martin of Coldplay.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:46 (twenty-one years ago)

On this thread alone Usher has been called sexless, anonymous, amorphous and charisma-free by several different people.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:52 (twenty-one years ago)

This is never sexy when the look on the dude's face is that of Usher's.

― dan. (dan.), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

(Which is fair enough, Usher is trading as much on a sex appeal image as he is on vocal talent and if you don't buy into that, that's 50% of what he's bringing to the table gone.)

(xpost: I don't think you're supposed to be looking at his face!)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I think a lot of the relative critical reception to JT and Usher has to do with many factors besides race; producers, for instance. Justin hangs out with Pharrell and Timbaland, Usher hangs out with Jermaine Dupri.

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:55 (twenty-one years ago)

But I want the face behind those jailbait abs.

― dan. (dan.), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

USHER: I present... MY AMAZING ABS!
AUDIENCE: oh no look at the ninja turtle face flee like the wind
USHER: I can't turn my abs into a heart, people!

(xpost: Al, remind me who produced "U Don't Have To Call" again?)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Bingo!

― dan. (dan.), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:02 (twenty-one years ago)

> USHER: I can't turn my abs into a heart, people!

**applause**

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:12 (twenty-one years ago)

milions of people find fabio sexy, too. doesn't mean i have to.

― live from turkmenistan, Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:13 (twenty-one years ago)

nobody's fooled, dude.

btw I used "the media" and not "critics" when I mentioned institutional racism up there. I'm talking about the whole damn thing. God knows US magazine doesn't care who's working with the neptunes.

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I love how there is always this collective head scratching as to why less people watch the grammies every year and blame it on something like "Desparate Housewives".

WIVES' BEAT THE BANDS
Tue Feb 15, 4:24 AM ET

THE Grammy awards last Sunday drew its lowest total viewership since Tony Bennett (news) won for best album a decade ago.

The telecast drew 18.83 million viewers, according to preliminary figures released yesterday. That was the lowest figure in a decade and the second-lowest in the history of the Grammys (news - web sites) TV show.

The 1995 Grammys were a low-water mark for the music awards because it was a year without a strong contemporary musician. Instead the awards were dominated by old-timers like Bennett, Bonnie Raitt (news) and Eric Clapton (news).

Among the key 18- to 49-year-old age group, the audience was off by nearly one-third.

Sunday's show was marked by a batch of awards for the late Ray Charles, who posthumously won eight categories in all, including album of the year and record of the year.

The lack of a single, living artist with a large following dominating the awards — as, for instance, Alicia Keys has in the past — may be to blame. So was the competition from the runaway hit "Desperate Housewives."

The awards won the 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. prime-time hours relatively easily among total viewers.

But at 9 p.m., "Desperate Housewives" outdrew the Grammys by nearly 3 million viewers.

— Post wire services

― darin (darin), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:27 (twenty-one years ago)

milions of people find fabio sexy, too. doesn't mean i have to.

Haha! I'll take "Spectacularly Missing The Point" for $600, Alex.

The specifics of how one particular person doesn't find Celebrity X sexy has absolutely no bearing on how (random large number Y) people find Celebrity X sexy.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:32 (twenty-one years ago)

EMBRACE YOUR MINORTYNESS OF YOUR MINORITY OPINION

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:33 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.n-chicken.net/tomfoolery/grimace/donatello.gif

HOTTT

― Leon the Fatboy (Ex Leon), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:39 (twenty-one years ago)

"The specifics of how one particular person doesn't find Celebrity X sexy has absolutely no bearing on how (random large number Y) people find Celebrity X sexy."

so why are you surprised that people find usher sexless, then, even though lots of other people don't? how does one contradict the other?

― live from turkmenistan, Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Could this be the most wrongheaded grammy wrap-up of all time? I think it could!

― J (Jay), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't find Usher particularly sexy myself, but I really don't see how Usher and JT vary in this regard aside from pigment and poise. The relation between those two is a lot less than Usher and Fabio.

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:55 (twenty-one years ago)

a lot closer, I mean

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 20:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't think JT is that sexy either. He looks kind of like he has the mange.

― Leon the Fatboy (Ex Leon), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:00 (twenty-one years ago)

and Usher's falsetto breaks in "Confessions, pt. 2" and "Burn" actually feel deft and emotionally gripping rather than awkward battiness like in "Like I Love You" (though frankly I'm not surprised that some critics prefer the batty), so when I say "poise" I'm referring to both vocally and physically.

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:02 (twenty-one years ago)

And I enjoy the battiness too. I've sung "Like I Love You" at karaoke cuz its fun as hell and a friend rapped the Clipse part as if it was Jad Fair on a PCP jag.

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I just like the JT singles more than any Usher track - and I'm sure they'd be something different, maybe even better, if Usher sang them - since people keep saying his voice is technically superior.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:13 (twenty-one years ago)

(xpost: Al, remind me who produced "U Don't Have To Call" again?)

-- The Ghost of Dan Perry (djperr...), February 15th, 2005.

doing one single with the Neptunes =/= doing half an album with the Neptunes and having Pharrell appear with you in a bunch of videos. at least as far as what's going to buy you more critical goodwill.

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Clearly no one here has seen the Behind the Music where there's this great "OH NO HOW WILL WE MARKET USHER" moment. They've been sexing up his image as much as possible for years. Maybe that's why it seems so plastic and creepy to me.

I am also very disappointed that the Grammys had very little Lil Jon. Did they tie him down or something?

― mike h. (mike h.), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:34 (twenty-one years ago)

I was also wondering where he was.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:36 (twenty-one years ago)

"a friend rapped the Clipse part as if it was Jad Fair on a PCP jag"

you're getting too critico-poetic here, anthony.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I tried to tell my wife that Usher was funny-looking. She shot me the ice grill and said "Dude, he's sexy." My daughter thinks he's cute. Outvoted by his target audience!

― The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I just coined the term "critico-poetic," by the way.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:42 (twenty-one years ago)

it's a good term, tim, but I can TOTALLY see/hear that karaoke performance in my mind.

― The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 21:44 (twenty-one years ago)

so why are you surprised that people find usher sexless, then, even though lots of other people don't? how does one contradict the other?

Because people use their personal opinion ("I don't find Usher sexy") to contradict observed data (when Usher drops trou and rubs himself, many people in the audience react in a manner that could best be described as an en masse shout of "YUM YUM GIMME SOME"). My position is not the one which is attempting to contradict observed results.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm not saying that Usher doesn't do "Sexy" things, but I am saying that I don't think he really means it. I find it odd, and some others find it creepy. I mean, it's like Debbie Gibson in Playboy. I'm sure a lot of people will pleasure themselves to it, but that doesn't mean it's not odd/creepy.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:16 (twenty-one years ago)

INVOKE THE CREEPY
http://www.celebrites-selection.com/photos_copper/albums/wpw-51/Usher%20Raymond%20photo%2010.jpg

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:24 (twenty-one years ago)

haha spence he totally means it, dude's a dog

― j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Given that I've agreed with the assessment that Usher looks like a turtle, I would hope people would realize that I don't think he's the pinnacle of Mandingodom, either.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:25 (twenty-one years ago)

"YUM YUM GIMME SOME"

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000IWIA.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― langsty (PUNXSUTAWNEY PENIS), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:29 (twenty-one years ago)

This is not to say that Usher is actually sexless, it's just that his act doesn't seem like his own personal expression - I think he's more naturally maybe a crooner/soulman type. He seems like a really cool person and I'm sure hanging out with him would be fun (I think hanging with JT would be annoying).

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I totally hear expressiveness in Usher's stuff, sometimes to a fault (I truly believe the guy thinks he should be respected for being "man enough to tell you" he knocked up somebody behind your back).

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:40 (twenty-one years ago)

"My position is not the one which is attempting to contradict observed results. "

whose is? where are all these people on this thread who have said "no one finds usher sexy"? i must have missed them, so please point them out to me.

― live from turkmenistan, Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Have you heard of a concept called implication?

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 22:44 (twenty-one years ago)

"Justin has a stronger falsetto but the aforementioned tightness gives it a really unpleasant, uncomplimentary edge."

that's impossible; you're merely embracing your minority stance by contradicting the millions of justin fans who find his falsetto completely pleasant. how dare you express such a perverse opinion?

― live from turkmenistan, Tuesday, 15 February 2005 23:17 (twenty-one years ago)

That will be a valid argument when vocal pedagogues start posting to ILM praising the free and open production evident in Justin's falsetto.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 23:26 (twenty-one years ago)

(feel free to try to continue to "catch me out"; I'm planning on ignoring you now)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 23:29 (twenty-one years ago)

"Justin has a stronger falsetto but the aforementioned tightness gives it a really unpleasant, uncomplimentary edge."

that's impossible; you're merely embracing your minority stance by contradicting the millions of justin fans who find his falsetto completely pleasant. how dare you express such a perverse opinion?

You guys are talking about Justin Hawkins of the Darkness, right?

― Mr Deeds (Mr Deeds), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 04:06 (twenty-one years ago)

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