Classic Rock Musings, Rants & Raves

Once again the Grammys have come and gone. leaving its share of followers and detractors in its wake. I have three of the five nominated albums of the year, so I felt I had a stake in the outcome. I’ve always felt that way, even back in the 70s and 80s when I didn’t always have the nominated albums. For some criminal reason, albums like The Dark Side Of The Moon, Led Zeppelin IV and Who’s Next — all reigning classics — didn’t get a nod from the Grammys. Certainly, there have been exceptions (Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band won Album Of The Year in 1968; The Concert For Bangla Desh did the same in 1972), but it wasn’t until legends like Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana amassed a roomful of Grammy trophies in the 90s did it seem like the great classic rock artists of the 60s and 70s were finally getting their just rewards.

At this year’s ceremony, classic rockers Peter Gabriel, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and Robert Plant all picked up Grammys. Plant, who never won when he sang with Led Zeppelin (they were given a token lifetime achievement award in 2005), shared five awards with Alison Krauss, including Record of The Year and Album Of The Year. Paul McCartney was nominated, but he didn’t win. Still his presence loomed large as the camera fawned over the former Beatle/Wings singer sitting front row center on the floor of the Staples Center like the rock and roll elder statesman he is. Sort of like Jack Nicholson at the Oscars. His performance of “I Saw Her Stanidng There” with Dave Grohl on drums was nothing special, but it didn’t suck either.

Other acts also grabbed my attention. U2 opened the night with a spectacular new song, “Get On Your Boots.” Radiohead continues to blow my mind, turning up for a little jam with the USC Marching Band. The jury is still out on Coldplay, and the same goes for Kid Rock. Don’t even get me started on Lil Wayne or any number of rappers or country crooners. Sorry folks, I just don’t get it.

Then there’s white boys like Justin Timberlake and the Jonas Brothers doing their damndest to be soulful. I’ll give credit where credit is due. The Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder weren’t as bad as I expected. On the other hand, Al Green blew Timberlake away when they duetted on “Let’s Stay Together.” Even when he was presenting the Song Of The Year to Coldplay, Reverend Green was blowing his pipes.

I was much more taken by some of the ladies. I can’t say I’m a follower, but at least Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Miley Cyrus can sing. Adele, who took home the Grammy for Best New Artist, is a decent singer too, but her songs are pretty forgettable. No one will even know who Katy Perry is a year from now.

Other highpoints of the show included a tribute to the Four Tops, featuring Smokey Robinson, actor Jamie Foxx and the last remaining original member, Abdul “Duke” Fakir, and a guitar tribute to Bo Diddley featuring John Mayer, BB King, Buddy Guy and Keith Urban. Neil Diamond received a huge ovation and had the corwd on their feet, including Sir Paul, singing “Sweet Caroline.”

The best thing about the 2009 Grammys was that Plant and Krauss owned the night. Their performance that closed the show was straightforward and uneventful, and yet they still sounded better than most everyone else. Krauss has more Grammys than any other female on the planet (26 and counting), so it was just another award night for her. To see Robert Plant pick up his first Grammys was really a sight to behold.

He mentioned that the song “Please Read The Letter,” which won Record Of The Year, was written with Jimmy Page. Think of all the great classics they wrote together, and this is the one that gave them a Grammy for Record Of The Year (they won another Grammy in 1998, but it wasn’t a high profile category like this). Can you imagine Page’s reaction? “Holy shit, I just won my first Grammy for Record Of The Year,” he may have said. To which someone else may have replied: “Guess that puts the kabosh on a Zeppelin tour.” I’ve yet to hear an official word from Page.

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