very similar to my view Mark, thanks

there are worse ways to spend a few hours than catching up with the industry over the last year

Keith Urban was the highlight of the Southern rock segment, doing a killer MIckey Thomas on "Fooled Around" (where was Mickey, by the way, a Starship date?), and busting out some tasty lead guitar among all those legends, as well

I think Gwen is cool and pretty hot, but that outfit wasn't my fave

Strange, I thought the entire show blew chunks of a massive and impressive amount.

Green Day was undoubtedly the highlight, and I don't even particularly like Green Day (I do, however, respect them and their ability to stick around and continue putting out music that doesn't seem to pander.)

The lowlight? Without a doubt that tsunami "tribute." What a horrible rendition of "Across the Universe." Did they bother practicing together before the performance? The only voice I was impressed with was Scott Weiland, who managed a dead-on Bowie impersonation. Otherwise, the song was embarassingly bad. Your 99 cents for the song on Itunes is better served going directly to some tsunami aid charity.

shoot, i forget to give Urban a mention. he did play a mean telecaster.

it made me wonder if any of his records are worth checking out. you've gotta be careful though..i mean, Brad Paisley is a killer guitar player, but almost none of that seems to make it through to his records.

I agree the song was much more impressive as an "event" than as a musical performance. And I also agree Tim McGraw is today's Garth Brooks; not much going on in there

Kayne West isn't hip hop, he's a propoganda spewing pawn... for who I have yet to decide.

And those cowboy songs you haven't heard "in years"... yeah... so... why should we have to sit through them at the 2004 grammy awards. I'm sure they had their day in the sun at the 1712 Grammy Awards.

Why didn't they get more relevant acts up there? Beastie Boys perhaps?

Beastie Boys more "relevant" than Kanye West?? Surely you jest. And if West is "propaganda" for anything, it's for himself, and who the hell isn't?

given how roc-oriented 'country' music has become, the southern rock bit was very 'relevant'.

How do you measure relevancy? And exactly what is the propaganda that West is spewing?

I really didn't want to like American Idiot, but it is a fine record. Definitely Green Day's finest in years. I also like the fact that the last couple times I have seen them play live, they have an additional guitar player to fill out the sound. Sometimes a trio can benefit greatly from that.

Lord knows that Nirvana benefitted from having Pat Smear onstage with them.

I think Green Day has transcended "punk" and become a truly great American rock band - there aren't all that many left

oh, and I thought Warning was really great as well

Kurt Loder's observations were funny as well..

And then there was the Jennifer Lopez/ Marc Anthony duet, which is the kind of thing you might see after you die. Unless you go to heaven.

Mark,

I couldn't have said it better, but I would add that Keith Urban, mmmmm,mmmm, good.

I don't like country, but DAMN, that is one sexy mo.

Also, I hadn't heard of Kayne West, but that whole medley gave me chills!!

Nice roundup.

Regarding Los Lonely Boys: Go for the DVD "Texican Style" as well, it is one great concert video that shows of the Boys as a great live act. I had the opportunity to see them in their hometown of San Angelo, TX a few times before they hit the big time, and I was hooked immediately. I am glad to see them making it and still sounding good.

As for Gwen Stafani, her roots go back to the '80's and she was smart enough to mate that to some ace 21st century production to make a fun album, not everyone feels the need to make a statement and change the world, that is what music is there for. Her album is not my style, but she has the smarts, the talent and the looks to make a solo album on her terms, and kudos for that.

Southern Rock is a much needed antidote for all these emo-bands whining because someone told them "No " and sent them to their rooms.

It's always funny to see the crowd shots when real bands are playing after some studio-enhanced dance/pop act has come on. They can't help but feel the power of real music. James Brown didn't need Pro-tools, he is a true performer, and his bands can play circles around kids 30 years younger.

I didn't watch the Grammies, but if I had, I probably would have been watching with the TV sound off and podcasting real music.

Los Lonely Boys were the highlight of the show. They outshined all the other "stars".

I'm also one of the few people who hadn't seen a video or heard a song of Kanye West's until the Grammy's. However, my reaction to him is far different from everyone else apparently. Am I the only one who found his performance to be nothing but self-worshipping rubbish? The guy basically deified himself on stage. Where does he get the nerve? The arrogant freak.

whoa, I didn't see it that way at all; I saw the act as a very powrful method of conveying a message, not self-aggrandizement

What I saw was that he dies during his performance, the people mourn him, and he returns to walk amongst them again. I see that as him claiming he's like Jesus. Not to mention that he ends his performance with him ascending as an angel with a smug look on his face.

it's a metaphor for his own spiritual journey: he had a serious accident, almost died and became a Christian

Don't even get me started on his speech after the performance when he was accepting that award. "I guess we'll never know!" All I'm seeing from him is blatant cockiness, like he deserves the world for his suffering or something.

there is no doubt he is cocky, but I see it as confidence in the importance of the role he sees himself playing, the message, rather than egoism

It's probably the deist in me that makes me see him the way I do. He is no prophet. Even if his performance was a presentation of his spiritual journey, he still did it in a way that equated himself to Jesus, and that is what fuels my reaction.

there is certainly messianic symbolism there, but I didn't take it as self-referential, or at least not self-honoring

i found this site while wandering around the net... just thought i'd let you know that if you enjoyed keith urban's performance at the grammys, then you should check out his records. the man can tear it up on a guitar. his self-entitled cd has an insturmental called "rollercoaster" that's amazing.

thanks melanie.

it was pretty obvious he knew what he was doin' on the guitar....but all of the samples i checked out seemed kinda bland.

that "rollercoaster" this seems more up my alley.

Los Lonely Boys owe everything to Los Lobos, including their oh-so-original band name. Los Lobos are STILL the best band in America, if you disagree or don't know, check out their latest album 'The Ride.' These guys have been kicking ass for 20 years.

I am a white man who bought your new CD, but I threw it in the trash this morning. You have a right to your uninformed ignorant opinion, but last night you were supposed to be HELPING people. Who the majority needing help happened to be black people. You showed that you in fact are a racist and selfish.
Did you know the Mayor of New Orleans is a black man? Mayor Nagin could have used New Orleans School Buses to evacuate people starting Saturday? The Hurricane didn't hit until Monday, idiot. It is common knowledge that the low lying flood prone areas of New Orleans are poor people and black, but this is from the Associated Press two days BEFORE the Hurricane hit:

NEW ORLEANS (AP)8/28/05 -- In the face of a catastrophic Hurricane Katrina, a mandatory evacuation was ordered Sunday for New Orleans by Mayor Ray Nagin.
Gov. Kathleen Blanco, standing beside the mayor at a news conference, said President Bush called and personally appealed for a mandatory evacuation for
the low-lying city, which is prone to flooding.
-------------------------------------

So President Bush PERSONALLY called the Mayor and Governor and asked them for a Mandatory Evacuation of "low-lying" areas, which everyone knows the majority are poor black people. I have seen pictues of thousands of New Orleans School Buses under water. Why didn't Mayor Nagin do public announcements on tv and radio telling people in low-lyng areas that the city will pick them up in, New Orleans School Buses, on every other even numbered street? That would have saved many lives. The decisions made by the state of Louisiana were made by Governor Kathleen Blanco, and the decisions made for the city of New Orleans were made by Mayor Nagin(who happens to be a black man, who was in control of the New Orleans Police Department). So if anyone gave the order "of shoot black people" it would have been this black man's decision not President Bush. I never knew you were such an ignorant racist self-centered man until last night.

kanyewestsucks--could you please retrive the cd and send it to me? Its a shame to see your money go to waste.

Thanks