Grammy Thoughts:2015

So, another Grammys show is behind us and the social media is climbing with comments on what we saw. You can add my thoughts to this group...... First: The Grammys have always been a joke. Any award show, for that matter, should be always considered a joke. It is a small group of opinion, a clique. Just because someone wins an award should not constitute a stamp of approval of quality. In the Grammys case, they are notorious for rewarding very middle- of-the-road music, while ignoring experimental and risk-taking music and artists. For instance, Taylor Swift has hoisted 7 Grammys. But, Led Zeppelin has next to nothing [The Grammys are great for rewarding overlooked performers by presenting them with a ''Lifetime Achievement Award'']. So quality and originality for this award show is as different as night and day....... Second; Do you really need an award show to tell you what is good or bad? Your opinion is your weapon in life. You do not need another person to tell you how to use it. If you like a song, that is fine, enjoy. One group should not dictate what your brain and central nervous system is telling you naturally. How many times have you loved a song---or, a movie-- and have everyone around you disagree with what you are saying? Plenty of times, I'm sure. Does that make you wrong when you are toting the minority viewpoint? Of course not. So, you root for a song and the Grammys give it to someone else? You disagree but that does not make their verdict more valuable than yours. Music, more than any other art form, is subjective. Music seeps into that special, undefinable part of your soul that stimulates your DNA. It takes you to a place in your mind that is all special, a perfect oasis of contentment. To have elitist industry types in bad suits from L.A. tell you otherwise [based on heavy internal industry marketing] borders on obscenity. Music comes from the unknown regions of the cosmos, channeled to an awaiting part of your being....... The Grammys should exploit the listener's love of music. But, they don't. It is the ''Music Business'' after all, and, business always trumps the music part. Therefore, to successful watch a show like this, you have to put away your opinion and just watch the madness unfold before you....... The show last night started strong. ''AC/DC'' came out roaring with two classic tunes that every hard-rock fan knows by heart. Then, LL Cool J, the evening's host, made his first appearance. While his music has always disappointed me, I do like the person I see on this show. He comes across as friendly and disarming, always a comfortable feeling. He wisely did not do a monologue--- this is an awards show for music, so, comedy should never intrude--- and just let the music play. The first award went to a soon-to-be-forgotten new artist named, Sam Smith. You know him, right? Most don't but the academy did enough to give him a trophy. Actually, he has made news recently because he came clean that his song, ''Stay With Me'' is an obvious rip-off of the Tom Petty song, ''I Won't Back Down''. A legal action concluded this week with Smith having to acknowledge what everyone already knew: that he pinched the Petty song, made some minor changes, put some new words to it, and rode the riches train. But, to the Grammy committee, it did not matter what he did. They gave him the honor of being humble. A bad thing he did, though, was not thanking Tom Petty in his eventual four trips to the stage all night. That will leave a bad taste in the industry and public, mark my words....... The first hour produced a rapid fire of activity. We saw Tom Jones singing. Madonna trying to act like she did 30 years ago. Kanye West ''singing''. We looked around the crowd and saw the famous in the audience: Tony Bennett with Lady Gaga. Paul McCartney, looking old and out of place. Pharrell with a bizarre outfit. Various industry legends like Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson,. Soon-to-go-to-jail hip-hop artists. Jazz cats who must have been thinking, ''How do these non-musicians get all the bread while we are the true artists?'' That is a great thing about the Grammys, I must confess. They do mingle in an interesting way. And, there were sure some interesting sights among the crowd. My favorite was some guy named ''Weekend'' who introduced Pharrell. He looked like he had a spool of thread on his head. I know he looks that way to attract attention. But, we all know that people who go for the style have no substance. I haven't heard any music from ''Mr. Weekend.'' I'm thinking that his music is not acceptable for my taste any day of the week............ Wisely, the last few years, the Grammys remember the older crowd watching that do not know about the new music. And, don't care, for that matter. As hour two commenced, we saw the old and new competing onstage, just as musicians should be doing. You had the great Jeff Lynne doing his classic songs from ''ELO''. Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga did a duet together and it sounded nice, mainly, because she has crossed over into his arena. And, Pharrell did do his song, ''Happy''. Does he have any other songs? Sprinkled with the performances were the awards. Different styles came across the screen and the viewers ears. We had country winners, hard rock, jazz, rap, etc. The performers who won dutifully walked across the stage and said how honored and stunned they are to receive this. Then, composure came to them when they thought of their agents and managers and record companies. Plus, as an added bonus, the obligatory shout out to God happened. As if the Almighty is watching the Grammys and wanted Beyonce to cop a Grammy. God is most likely still tired for giving His Blessing to the winning Super Bowl team this year. As hour two came to a close, my interest lessened in these awards and I went channel surfing.......I must confess by hour three, I gave up. ''Casablanca'' was on TCM, so, I ditched the show to watch Bogart and Bergman. From what I have heard this morning, I didn't miss much by bailing. Kanye West performed again, this time with McCartney. By common consensus, the public seems to be stumped by this collaboration. I am not. Paul is trying to tap into a younger audience, while West is trying for some artistic merit. The problem is that Kanye West is devoid of talent. He is all thug. [Interestingly, President Obama appeared earlier on videotape to press upon the music industry the need to preach against violence against woman. But, the Grammys have looked the other way on this issue with giving out trophys to Chris Brown, Eminem, and R.Kelly]. But, West, showing his famous lack of class and manners, could not let the artist Beck get his award without staging some kind of stunt. A few years back, West interrupted Taylor Swift getting an award. Last night, it was Beck's turn....... Hmmm.....Kanye West seems to only do this with white artists. Can Ole Kanye be practicing racial profiling?........... By evenings end, the Grammys, like all awards shows, ran way too long and exhausted its audience. What the ending showed was the industry, again, as one giant club the rest of the world does not belong to. We watched so we can talk and compare our notes with the people we know. Monday morning quarterbacking for musicians. When all is said and done, it means nothing, to go back to my original point on top here. It is music, your music, that you need to get through life. If you like a Sam Smith or a Kanye West, who am I to say that you are mistaken? It feels good to you. It breathes an extra jolt of life into your system. And, for a few minutes, music, real music, takes you to that special place....... It is your place. And, no one can tell you it isn't good enough to collect a Grammy........