Grammy turkeys

[BlueChair]

I was kind of bummed out about last night's Grammys, before realizing just how many albums have won Album Of The Year that are hardly classics today.

I guess they got it right some years (maybe even this year, given the competition), but I don't think many of us hail Toto IV or Phil Collins' "No Jacket Required" as classics.

Here's a list of every year's Grammy Album Of The Year

2003- Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, OutKast

2002- Come Away With Me, Norah Jones

2001- O Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack, Various Artists

2000- Two Against Nature, Steely Dan (Giant Records)

1999- Supernatural, Santana (Arista Records)

1998- The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill (Ruffhouse/Columbia Records)

1997- Time Out of Mind, Bob Dylan (Columbia Records)

1996- Falling Into You, Celine Dion (550 Music/Epic)

1995- Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette (Maverick/Reprise)

1994- MTV Unplugged, Tony Bennett (Columbia)

1993- The Bodyguard-Original Soundtrack Album, Whitney Houston (Arista)

1992- Unplugged, Eric Clapton (Reprise)

1991- Unforgettable, Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole (Elektra)

1990- Back on the Block, Quincy Jones (Qwest/Warner Bros.)

1989- Nick of Time, Bonnie Raitt (Capitol)

1988- Faith, George Michael (Columbia/CBS)

1987- Joshua Tree, U2 (Island)

1986- Graceland, Paul Simon (Warner Bros.)

1985- No Jacket Required, Phil Collins (Atlantic)

1984- Can't Slow Down, Lionel Richie (Motown)

1983- Thriller, Michael Jackson (Epic/CBS)

1982- Toto IV, Toto (Columbia)

1981- Double Fantasy, John Lennon and Yoko Ono (Warner Bros/Geffen)

1980- Christopher Cross, Christopher Cross (Warner Bros.)

1979- 52nd Street, Billy Joel (Columbia)

1978- Saturday Night Fever, Various Artists featuring the Bee Gees (RSO)

1977- Rumours, Fleetwood Mac (Warner Bros.)

1976- Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder (Tamla/Motown)

1975- Still Crazy After All These Years, Paul Simon (Columbia)

1974- Fulfillingness' First Finale, Stevie Wonder (Tamla/Motown)

1973- Innervisions, Stevie Wonder (Tamla/Motown)

1972- The Concert for Bangla Desh, George Harrison (Apple)

1971- Tapestry, Carole King (Ode)

1970- Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel (Columbia)

1969- Blood, Sweat and Tears, Blood, Sweat and Tears (Columbia)

1968- By the Time I Get to Phoenix, Glen Campbell (Capitol)

1967- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles (Capitol)

1966- Sinatra: A Man and His Music, Frank Sinatra (Reprise)

1965- September of My Years, Frank Sinatra (Reprise)

1964- Getz/Gilberto, Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto (Verve)

1963- The Barbra Streisand Album, Barbra Streisand (Columbia)

1962- The First Family, Vaughn Meader (Cadence)

1961- Judy at Carnegie Hall, Judy Garland (Capitol)

1960- Button Down Mind, Bob Newhart (Warner Bros.)

1959- Come Dance With Me, Frank Sinatra (Capitol)

1958- The Music From Peter Gunn, Henry Mancini (RCA)

[noiseradio]

These are the only ones I think are utterly undeserving:

1996- Falling Into You, Celine Dion (550 Music/Epic)

1995- Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette (Maverick/Reprise)


1993- The Bodyguard-Original Soundtrack Album, Whitney Houston (Arista)

1992- Unplugged, Eric Clapton (Reprise)

1991- Unforgettable, Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole (Elektra)

1990- Back on the Block, Quincy Jones (Qwest/Warner Bros.)

1984- Can't Slow Down, Lionel Richie (Motown)

1982- Toto IV, Toto (Columbia)

1980- Christopher Cross, Christopher Cross (Warner Bros.)

1962- The First Family, Vaughn Meader (Cadence)

1961- Judy at Carnegie Hall, Judy Garland (Capitol)

As a whole, the entire list is not a bad bunch of albums. And Outkast TOTALLY deserved it.

[Pov]

As a whole, the entire list is not a bad bunch of albums. And Outkast TOTALLY deserved it.

I've heard that sentiment from a number of people. Looks like I'll have to go out and buy my second rap CD (the first was The Eminem Show)

[BlueChair]

No rap album I've heard comes close to Paul's Boutique by The Beastie Boys. And I almost feel racist for saying that.

[LessThanZero]

oops, noise forgot '67. But then again, I guess a lot of people don't remember '67 as sharply as they could...

I loved the White Stripes performance last night, and as a whole, like Elephant better than speakerboxxxxx, but i'm not Grammy.

Overall, pretty classy performances last night. I was pining for another Beatles tribute though...

[BlueChair]

oops, noise forgot '67. But then again, I guess a lot of people don't remember '67 as sharply as they could...

I loved the White Stripes performance last night, and as a whole, like Elephant better than speakerboxxxxx, but i'm not Grammy.

Overall, pretty classy performances last night. I was pining for another Beatles tribute though...

His list was the ones he thinks didn't deserve, not the ones that he thinks did

[laughingcrow]

There are a load of absolute classics in there though!

I wonder which award is the most representative of musical innovation? I suppose this might be. Can their ever be an award that uses commercial success and musical talent, or are the two an anathema?

[BlueChair]

I guess my issue more has to do with the fact that so many other great albums came out in the years where mediocre albums won.

Some examples:

1980- Christopher Cross, Christopher Cross (Warner Bros.)

1980 was also the year that gave us the first Pretenders album, Bruce Springsteen's The River, The Clash's London Calling (came out late enough in 1979 that it would be in 1980's category), Elvis Costello & The Attractions Get Happy!!, Talking Heads Remain In Light, and David Bowie's Scary Monsters.

1969- Blood, Sweat and Tears, Blood, Sweat and Tears (Columbia)

1969 was one of the greatest years in rock music history and they don't give it to Abbey Road, Let It Bleed, Tommy, The Band, why on earth would BS&T win?

1968- By the Time I Get to Phoenix, Glen Campbell (Capitol)

Glen F****g Campbell? Why not Beggar's Banquet, Electric Ladyland, the White Album, Dock Of The Bay, etc.

[SoLikeCandy]

White Stripes does nothing for me. Their Grammys performance almost seemed like a joke...is this what passes for great music now??

Noise--I agree with you--Outkast did indeed deserve album of the year. If you've heard any of their earlier stuff, "Speakerboxxx/Love Below" almost seems like second banana to albums like "Stankonia" and their first album. They're smart, funky, quirky, REAL rap.

[Pov]

oops, noise forgot '67. But then again, I guess a lot of people don't remember '67 as sharply as they could...

Um, Sgt Pepper?

[noiseradio]

Blue Chair,

It's not racist. Paul's Boutique is brilliant. But it may mean you need to check out a few other albums you've been missing. A short list:

De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul - Buhloone Mind State
Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory
Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
Outkast - Stankonia (I only recently heard this, so it may or may not be better than Paul's)
Outkast - Speakerboxxx/Love Below (Paul's Boutique may be better, but it's so good.)
Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury
Digable Planets - Reachin'
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back


That's in order of greatness, by the way, with De La at the very top.

Blood Sweat and Tears is a great album, though. I agree with you about Glen Campbell. You may feel free to add that to my list.

LTZ,

It is indeed a list of albums that suck, not the good ones. I'm saying the complete list from the first post is not that bad, with the exceptions I listed. And Glen Campbell.


SLC,

So far I like the latest Outkast better than Stankonia, but that could very well change. I'll let you know.

[pophead2k]

Noise, your list of hip hop is pretty much a carbon copy of mine. The De La Soul albums are brilliant. I'd add The Chronic by Dr. Dre and the first Ludacris album (offensive but tuneful). Also, anything by Spearhead (Michael Franti's other band besides DHOH) is also fantastic. Outkast is the only act this year to get adventurous and still maintain a sense of fun and melody. I'll say it again: they clearly deserved album of the year.

[BlueChair]

I will most certainly check out those albums. I've heard a few random songs from De La Soul, such as "Tread Water", and have liked what I've heard.

Thanks for the suggestions noise and pophead2k

[girl out of time]

i think outkast is more than just rap music.....their last album is a perfect melting pot of acid jazz, classic r&b, soul, hip-hop, rock & roll and yes! pop music as well.......

[noiseradio]

pophead2k,

Silly me for leaving off Spearhead. I love them as well. Michael Franti is a genius. Did you ever hear his first group, The Beatnigs? It's like Jello Biafra meets Disposable Heroes. Interesting stuff, but DHOH is much better.

The Chronic is pretty much a landmark record. I'll take your word for it with Ludacris. I can't get past the offensive to appreciate the tuneful.

The new Outkast has as much relation to hip hop as it does to classic Parliament, Prince and Earth, Wind & Fire. It's just a great expression of funk, rock, R&B, soul, jazz, and rap. On The Love Below disc, Andre 3000 takes the entire John Coltrane version of "My Favorite Things" and sets it to a killer beat. It's not just that he remixed a jazz standard successfully--it's that he proved the inextricable link between bebop and hip hop. And it's one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard on disc.

[SoLikeCandy]

A Tribe Called Quest put out some very cool music in the late 80's/early 90's. And, Elvis Costello appeared in a movie with Q-Tip...too bad his part was cut out of it...

[LessThanZero]

OH! I thought the UN was silent!!