A Senior MomentBy Alex Rawls February 14, 2008
Just a quickie after the Grammys. There's little I can add to Jon Pareles' analysis in the New York Times. At 50, the Grammys had a senior moment. With the exception of Kanye West's collaboration with Daft Punk on "Stronger" and Amy Winehouse's will-she-fall performance, the show reminded us over and over that the good music already happened, and today's stars are only validated when they perform with the greats of yesteryear. Not surprisingly, such a set-up made Alicia Keys seem ordinary next her virtual partner from beyond the grave, Frank Sinatra. Why not have the Time and Tina Turner demonstrate their enduring relevance by having them play Rihanna and Beyonce's songs rather than vice versa?
As for the selection of Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters for Album of the Year, Hancock made a lot that night of this being an amazing moment, the first jazz album to win Album of the Year since 1964 with Getz/Gilberto by Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto won. Really, though, the pop song-based, jazz-flavored album with vocals on much of it has a lot in common with Norah Jones and Tony Bennett, both of whom won the Album of the Year in the last decade or so.
I also wondered how many people actually listened to the album many times and really, really liked it. I found it fine, admired it, but I didn't hear special. When the press asked Grammy president Neil Portnow about the album, he described it as "a very respectable choice," and that was exactly the right description. I couldn't help but think about how people when polled as to whether they floss or not tend to give the answer they think they should have rather than the real answer. I wonder if this is the album people thought they were supposed to champion - a jazz master and an idiosyncratic songwriting legend - rather than the one they actually listened to. Is this the album that represents values voters thought they should embrace - virtuosity, time-tested art - rather than those they actually hold - catchiness, the rush of the New?
... In other news, I give up. I have a handful of CDs I have been trying to get to for months now, and for one reason or another, it never happens. My affection for them is beginning to curdle as they are now becoming a burden. So that they don't die for me forever, here's the quick rundown.
Various Artists: BIPPP: French Synth Wave 1979/85 (Everloving) - This comp runs the gamut from second generation punk rock akin to early Human League to electropop to the roots of techno, all with a charming not-found-in-nature mechanical sheen.
Various Artists: Well Deep: Ten Years of Big Dada Recordings (Big Dada) - This two-disc compilation of British hip-hop doesn't make a terribly unified statement on its own, but it's handy as a primer for those who find the British hip-hop/dance subdivisions perplexing. When individual tracks come up in an iPod shuffle, I'm always pleased.
Holy Fuck: Holy Fuck (XL) - Since I'm not much for dancing, my favorite electronica is trippy (though I'm not much for tripping, either). This isn't necessarily body-moving, but it does use the Kraftwerk/Neu! motorik beat to give songs propulsion. On that spare bed, tracks grow organically and beautifully.
Boys Noize: Oi Oi Oi (Turbo/Last Gang) - This German techno album is more DJ-oriented than Justice's [Cross], but they share arena rock-sized hooks and grooves. It's hard and distorted, giving it the punk rock feel the title invokes. Subscribe to offBeat and receive a FREE JazzFest CD! |
