Sunday, August 05, 2007
Arresting Development
Yeah, a black man in New York who can say he survived an encounter with The Police -- and came away with a smile on his face! (Yeah, yeah, cheap shot, I know, but I wasn't reaching for my wallet, so it's OK!)
Seriously, I saw Sting, Stewart and Andy at Madison Square Garden Friday night and had a great time. Of course, the tickets were ridiculously overpriced, but the band was very tight! I would have to say that time has been least kind to drummer Stewart Copeland, which is interesting since guitarist Andy Summers at 64(!!) is the group's oldest member!
It struck me as I was leaving that seeing The Police on their reunion tour, 21 years after they formally broke up is the chronological equivalent of mythically seeing The Beatles back on tour -- in 1991!
My personal highlight was this song (clip taken from the Boston show), the unofficial anthem of my college freshman class (well, for some of us, anyway):
My only disappointment was that they didn't play this song live (off of my favorite Police album, Ghost In The Machine):
UPDATE: Of course, when it comes to "Demolition Man", one can't ignore one of the rare examples where a cover artist just completely stole the song from the original and made it their own. This is one of those cases. Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Grace Jones:
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Seriously, I saw Sting, Stewart and Andy at Madison Square Garden Friday night and had a great time. Of course, the tickets were ridiculously overpriced, but the band was very tight! I would have to say that time has been least kind to drummer Stewart Copeland, which is interesting since guitarist Andy Summers at 64(!!) is the group's oldest member!
It struck me as I was leaving that seeing The Police on their reunion tour, 21 years after they formally broke up is the chronological equivalent of mythically seeing The Beatles back on tour -- in 1991!
My personal highlight was this song (clip taken from the Boston show), the unofficial anthem of my college freshman class (well, for some of us, anyway):
My only disappointment was that they didn't play this song live (off of my favorite Police album, Ghost In The Machine):
UPDATE: Of course, when it comes to "Demolition Man", one can't ignore one of the rare examples where a cover artist just completely stole the song from the original and made it their own. This is one of those cases. Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Grace Jones:
Labels: The Police
Monday, February 12, 2007
Shabby Grammy
So, are the the Dixie Chicks now "ready to make", uh, like a tree -- and leave?
As they picked up thei fifth and final Grammy (Album of the Year)last night, the trio at least had the honesty to admit that their big night was about everything BUT their music.
As the incredibly annoying Natalie Maines recognized, the left-leaning music industry wanted to exercise its collective freedom of speech by rewarding the Chicks for their boldness in denouncing George W. Bush -- four years ago.
Well, their awards actually went for their musical rejoinder after the country music establishment turned its back on them for perceived unpatriotic comments.
So, the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences told Nashville: the Chicks also won Best Country album -- even though musically it's more Southern California than Tennessee or Texas. No wonder Eagle Don Henley was so effusive as he announced the album choice (in addition to being one of the biggest liberals in music).
Just about any awards show is going to be rife with politically correct outbursts. One reason why I usually like to catch the Grammy Awards is because of the music usually makes up for it. Not so this year. Madscribe didn't really miss anything with the big Police reunion; I was disappointed. When I first heard that they would be getting back together to open the show, I was excited. But the actual performance of "Roxanne" gave me a ho-hum feeling -- particularly in comparison to the insane Prince/Beyonce curtain-raiser from two years back.
Last year, the arguable highlight of the show was watching the all-star group of Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello and Dave Grohl tear into "London Calling"; they made everyone who saw and heard them feel the the loss of Joe Strummer and the sadness that there would never be a Clash reunion.
But the sound of The Police was never that far from Sting solo. And, unfortunately, Mr. Gordon Sumner is quite with us -- just a whinier, less interesting version of his younger self (sort of like Paul McCartney). Oh, Sting, where is thy death?
Indeed, few of the performances held up in contrast to previous shows. The salute to the Eagles was far less interesting than last year's jam session salute to Sly and The Family Stone.
With the notable exception of Mary J. Blige, most of this year's live acts seemed like they were going through the motions (Blige and U2 were the show-stoppers last year with a fantastic version of "One"; early last night, a recorded version of that same collaboration lost out in its Grammy category to a duet between Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder; that sort of set of the tone for a rather desultory evening).
But the most appalling part of last night's show was what wasn't there -- a legitimate tribute to honor the passing of one of the true musical giants of the 20th century. Except for a shrieking Christina Aguilera doing "It's a Man's Man's Man's World", a couple of clips from the 1960s and a special dance impression (from Usher?), James Brown was practically ignored. It was pretty sad actually.
Given how much the show kept playing up the gimmick of the television audience selecting one of three young pretty black girls to get her "big Grammy" break to duet with Justin Timberlake (who had already performed solo), the Recording Academy could have spared more time to give an appropriate send-off to the Godfather of Soul (especially given the rather tired "Tribute to Soul" with Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie and teenage sensation Chris Brown).
As a few critics have noted, last night's show was very backwards-looking: Somehow, the producers managed to overlook the person who cast the greatest shadow over American popular music in the 20th century.
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As they picked up thei fifth and final Grammy (Album of the Year)last night, the trio at least had the honesty to admit that their big night was about everything BUT their music.
As the incredibly annoying Natalie Maines recognized, the left-leaning music industry wanted to exercise its collective freedom of speech by rewarding the Chicks for their boldness in denouncing George W. Bush -- four years ago.
Well, their awards actually went for their musical rejoinder after the country music establishment turned its back on them for perceived unpatriotic comments.
So, the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences told Nashville: the Chicks also won Best Country album -- even though musically it's more Southern California than Tennessee or Texas. No wonder Eagle Don Henley was so effusive as he announced the album choice (in addition to being one of the biggest liberals in music).
Just about any awards show is going to be rife with politically correct outbursts. One reason why I usually like to catch the Grammy Awards is because of the music usually makes up for it. Not so this year. Madscribe didn't really miss anything with the big Police reunion; I was disappointed. When I first heard that they would be getting back together to open the show, I was excited. But the actual performance of "Roxanne" gave me a ho-hum feeling -- particularly in comparison to the insane Prince/Beyonce curtain-raiser from two years back.
Last year, the arguable highlight of the show was watching the all-star group of Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello and Dave Grohl tear into "London Calling"; they made everyone who saw and heard them feel the the loss of Joe Strummer and the sadness that there would never be a Clash reunion.
But the sound of The Police was never that far from Sting solo. And, unfortunately, Mr. Gordon Sumner is quite with us -- just a whinier, less interesting version of his younger self (sort of like Paul McCartney). Oh, Sting, where is thy death?
Indeed, few of the performances held up in contrast to previous shows. The salute to the Eagles was far less interesting than last year's jam session salute to Sly and The Family Stone.
With the notable exception of Mary J. Blige, most of this year's live acts seemed like they were going through the motions (Blige and U2 were the show-stoppers last year with a fantastic version of "One"; early last night, a recorded version of that same collaboration lost out in its Grammy category to a duet between Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder; that sort of set of the tone for a rather desultory evening).
But the most appalling part of last night's show was what wasn't there -- a legitimate tribute to honor the passing of one of the true musical giants of the 20th century. Except for a shrieking Christina Aguilera doing "It's a Man's Man's Man's World", a couple of clips from the 1960s and a special dance impression (from Usher?), James Brown was practically ignored. It was pretty sad actually.
Given how much the show kept playing up the gimmick of the television audience selecting one of three young pretty black girls to get her "big Grammy" break to duet with Justin Timberlake (who had already performed solo), the Recording Academy could have spared more time to give an appropriate send-off to the Godfather of Soul (especially given the rather tired "Tribute to Soul" with Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie and teenage sensation Chris Brown).
As a few critics have noted, last night's show was very backwards-looking: Somehow, the producers managed to overlook the person who cast the greatest shadow over American popular music in the 20th century.
Labels: Grammy Awards, James Brown, The Police
Sunday, February 11, 2007
It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that Sting?
Madscribe:
Wow, if I had known that The Police were reuniting, I might have actually given a hoot about this year's Grammy Awards! The last time I actually sat through the Grammy Awards---1987---I was treated to the wonderful impromptu acceptance speech by Little Richard.
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Wow, if I had known that The Police were reuniting, I might have actually given a hoot about this year's Grammy Awards! The last time I actually sat through the Grammy Awards---1987---I was treated to the wonderful impromptu acceptance speech by Little Richard.
My joy at a Police-reunion, however, has nothing to do with a certain Rain Forest-friendly blonde blowhard. Personally, I find Sting to be a crappy singer and a piss-poor bassist. Every lyric of a Sting song screams, "Look at me! I 'm smart!! I READ STUFF!!" Were it not for the presence of some of the most talented jazz musicians of the 1980s (Omar Hakim, Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland), I wouldn't have even bothered with his first two solo albums, Dream of the Blue Turtles and Nothing Like the Sun.
Nope. The greatest musician in that band (ahem) was, and always will be, Stewart Copeland. That's who I'll be looking forward to seeing, if the tour winds it way to my area. Guitarist Andy Summers is also musically light years ahead of Sting. My all-time favorite Police song, the Copeland-penned "Bombs Away"
The President looks in the mirror and speaks
His shirts are clean but his country reeks
Unpaid bills
Afghanistan hillsUnfortunately there's no video for the song, but it would have been appropriate for this evening's show (and better than Dixie Chicks politics).
Labels: Grammy Awards, The Police
