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Main >> News Listing >> February 2002 >> Article ID 3748
 Grammys celebrate substance | Type: Internet Article |
| | Grammys celebrate substance | Feb 27, 2002 | by Greg Kot
Summary:
Her chastity did not stop host Jon Stewart from being dressed down in an opening skit spoofing overzealous airport security, and a strip-tease led by Christina Aguilera during a performance of "Lady Marmalade," which won for best pop vocal collaboration. But perhaps an honorary Grammy should have been presented to the song's original populizer, Patti LaBelle, who vanquished Aguilera and company with a supersonic display of diva-licious vocal histrionics. |
A besieged record industry took a night off from its troubles to affirm the arrival of Alicia Keys as a major new voice in R&B, the re-emergence of Irish band U2 as rock superstars, and a movie soundtrack containing half-century-old country songs as its album of the year.
In winning the ultimate prize Wednesday at the 44th annual Grammy Awards, the soundtrack for the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" pulled the biggest upset in its unexpected rise from cult favorite to multiplatinum hit.
It was a celebration of musical substance at a time when the record industry is being besieged by unprecedented threats to its existence: declining sales, the formation of an artists union aiming to overhaul the longterm contracts that are the business' foundation, and a rising tide of digital file-sharing that record moguls claim is costing them billions in revenue.
The situation is so dire that Michael Greene, president of the 17,000-member National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, devoted his annual Grammy speech to the subject, denouncing the millions of Internet-surfers who download free music.
But few could quibble with the night's big winners, particularly the critically acclaimed, if improbably successful "O Brother" soundtrack.
"Not even minds as elliptical as the Coen Brothers' could have chosen this ending," said the project's musical director, T Bone Burnett, referring to the movie's directors, Joel and Ethan Coen. Burnett was among the night's biggest winners, with four Grammys linked to his behind-the-scenes "O Brother" role.
The soundtrack is loaded with stark bluegrass and traditional country songs, performed by three generations of artists. It provided long-overdue recognition for one of the most deeply ingrained American art forms, and led to the first Grammy in a 55-year career for Ralph Stanley, the 75-year-old patriarch of mountain soul.
His late-arriving victory contrasted with Keys' instant coronation. The 20-year-old piano-playing R&B singer took five awards, including best new artist and song of the year, tying Lauryn Hill for the most Grammys won by a female artist.
Keys' windfall came at the expense of other deserving newcomers such as India.Arie (shut out despite seven nominations) and Nelly Furtado (who won a single Grammy out of four nominations). She benefited from the patronage and spending power of her label president, Clive Davis, and must prove that she is capable of delivering more songs as strong as her break-out single, "Fallin'," the clear standout on an otherwise mediocore debut album.
U2, which also dominated last year's Grammys with three awards, opened the national telecast with a dramatic, gospel-tinged reading of their hit "Walk On," which won for record of the year (they won the same award last year). By winning four Grammys, U2 capped a year in which the veteran Irish rock band defied the record industry's declining economic fortunes.
Two decades into its career, U2 made one of its finest albums, "All That You Can't Leave Behind," which sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, and played to more than 2 million people in a sold-out North American concert tour, while winning new acclaim for the uplifting sense of renewal it brought to its post-Sept. 11 performances.
"It's still an extraordinary thing to behold, the sound of a rock band in full flight," U2's Bono said while accepting one of the band's awards. "Not just the sound of it ... but to find yourself at an awards ceremony 20 years later with the same four people you started out with and you just think, wow!"
U2's victory culminated a climb back to prominence built on several factors: a return to ungimmicky rock `n' roll basics, a premium on politically and spiritually tinged lyricism ("Walk On" was inspired by the travails of a Burmese scholar imprisoned for her beliefs), and a relentless marketing campaign that saw the band appear on everything from the Super Bowl halftime concert to the cover of Time magazine.
Though teen-pop figures such as the Backstreet Boys, `N Sync and Britney Spears were enlisted to boost the broadcast's viewer ratings by performing and presenting awards, they were shut out at the awards window.
The number of knockout performances exceeded the typical Grammy quota. Stanley delivered a stunning a cappella reading of his haunting ballad "O Death." Bob Dylan rasped his way through a nasty blues, caught in a crossfire of caterwauling guitars. The new guard answered with standout performances by Mary J. Blige, who cooked up a scalding "No More Drama," and flamboyant hip-hop giants OutKast, who rolled the funk on "Mrs. Jackson" and deservedly took the prize for best rap album.
Within the first 20 minutes of the telecast, five performers had removed most of their clothes. In a stunning reversal of form, Britney Spears was not among them, choosing instead to don a relatively chaste red dress that belied her revealing performances on previous awards shows and tours.
Her chastity did not stop host Jon Stewart from being dressed down in an opening skit spoofing overzealous airport security, and a strip-tease led by Christina Aguilera during a performance of "Lady Marmalade," which won for best pop vocal collaboration. But perhaps an honorary Grammy should have been presented to the song's original populizer, Patti LaBelle, who vanquished Aguilera and company with a supersonic display of diva-licious vocal histrionics.
On a night when most Chicago nominees were shut out, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra picked up a Grammy for instrumental soloists performance and the CSO's principal guest conductor, Pierre Boulez, captured a prize for best orchestral performance. |
 Source: MetroMix | |
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