Grammy Winners Determined Long Ago
And they say the Grammys are out of touch.
They’re still right.
The folks who vote on these things are in touch with something, of course. Something that’s calm and nonthreatening.
Not surprisingly, the majority of what it gave its seal of approval to Wednesday - with one way overdue exception - was cleared long ago for heavy airplay on adult-contemporary radio.
Hence, Shawn Colvin. A heretofore underappreciated troubadour who nabbed wins for both song and record of the year for her deceptively pleasant “Sunny Came Home.” Not as staid a choice as, say, Natalie Cole or Celine Dion, but still as safe as can be.
Colvin, though, has deserved a hearty round of applause and some accompanying trinkets for years now. But, as so often happens with award shows, she ended up winning for her most popular work, not her most striking.
Obviously the it’s-about-time attitude helped Bob Dylan, who finally copped the album of the year honor for his dark, moody “Time Out of Mind.” But from the rousing reception he was given, it seemed as much a nod to his longevity and comeback after a serious illness last year as for the album’s brilliance.
Compared to last year’s slight acceptance of cutting-edge artists, this year’s roll call was as dull as dishwater, with the exception of Radiohead’s win for best alternative performance.
The Wallflowers won two when they deserved one. Smashing Pumpkins won one when they deserved none.
Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott and the Notorious B.I.G. were overlooked. Meanwhile, Puff Daddy and Jamiroquai got their own little trophy collection.
The Year of Girl Power got its due in the form of Eryakh Badu’s and Sarah McLachlan’s two wins apiece, though an awkward melange of live tunes from McLachlan, Colvin and not-such-a-big-winner-after-all Paula Cole was enough to pray for Patti Smith to storm the stage.
Instead, a few members of the Music Militia, a disgruntled group of Grammy bashers and now the award’s sworn enemy, found their way in front of the camera, leading to the appearance of an absurd shirtless male dancer during Dylan’s otherwise fine take on “Sick of Love” and some rambling from Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard before one of Colvin’s speeches.
Of course, the performances are what we really tune in for. Of course, they were almost all awful.
Dylan, LeAnn Rimes and Vince Gill didn’t embarrass themselves, and Hanson was, well, Hanson.
But R. Kelly and Fiona Apple suffered from supreme cases of nervousness, Stevie Wonder and Babyface went soaring over the top, and poor Aretha Franklin, who gamely filled the titanic shoes of Luciano Pavarotti (who phoned in sick), was just horrendous.