05 February 2009

Music Thursday: Grammy Edition

Well, it's that time of year again...yes, it's Grammy time.

On Sunday night, the red carpet pandemonium, the long, drawn out acceptance speeches and the drunken after parties (or lack thereof) will invade Hollywood for the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. Now I am not one for awards shows, but I always like to find out who is awarded the Album of the Year. BP and I were recently discussing how creating an actual album is becoming a lost art. In this day and age, iTunes rules the music industry and kids just want to fill and refill their 160 gb of storage with the song of the minute. In turn, the artists errrr... pop musicians are trying to turn out the next great hit in hopes of being the top download of the day.

Me personally, I still like to listen to full albums. Albums are not just a bunch of songs thrown on a CD. Great albums tell a story, bring out emotion and inspire people. The song order selection is intentional. The production is precise, flowing from song to song. Maybe one day the record industry will value the album again, but in the mean time we will just have to hope that Lil Wayne does not go into history with the likes of Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra.

Here is a list of this year's Grammy nominees for ALBUM of the YEAR and the betting odds (for entertainment purposes only):

Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends by Coldplay (+165)

Tha Carter III by Lil Wayne (+165)

Raising Sand by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (+300)

Year of the Gentleman by Ne-Yo (+350)

In Rainbows by Radiohead (+450)

At least I am familiar with three of the five albums... I do not know the music of Lil Wayne and I have never heard of Ne-Yo. I will put $100 on Raising Sand performed by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. This combo of Plant and Krauss crossed several music boundaries and seemed to please the masses. Plus, Alison Krauss was my wife's neighbor when she (my wife - the mrs.) was in highschool.

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Gone Gone Gone


So who is your favorite to win Album of the Year?




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2 comments:

BP said...

That Krauss/Plant album has Album of the Year written all over it, and I think it will probably win, although I personally enjoyed the Coldplay and Radiohead albums more.

I am going to make a public vow right here and now in this comment section. If Lil Wayne wins the Grammy for Album of the Year, I will never watch the Grammys again. It's not that I have a problem with hip hop - I LOVE hip hop...or should I say I loved it back when it was great in the 1990s. The early 2000s were rap music's last gasp, and in my opinion, there has not been a great mainstream rap album made in the last five years. What passes for hip hop these days is absolute dog shit and the thought of it even being in the coversation of Album of the Year is absolutely laughable. "Got Money"? "Lollipop"? Really??? Those are Grammy-worthy recordings? What a joke. Even the album cover is a Nas ripoff.

the mrs. said...

I'm just beside myself with grief over the linked article regarding the current economic woes and the devastating effects being felt at lavish post-Grammy parties everywhere. Those poor, poor celebrities. Will their glasses be rimmed in a mere 10-carat gold?