On the GRAMMYs and the Wretched State of Music in America
I’ve heard it said somewhere that the GRAMMYs are nothing more than a celebration of music for people who don’t like music. A little harsh, to be sure, but not far off the mark.
Reviewing a list of winners from last weekend’s big to-do, I was struck by the omissions (no Opeth?), the nostalgia (Layla beat Grace for Drowning? Really??), and the seeming deference to commercial success. And then there’s the curious way musical genres are identified. Radiohead is apparently both rock and alternative; Mastodon, Dream Theater, and Foo Fighters somehow ended up in the same category; and Pat Metheny won for best “new age” album, a designation that raises far more questions than answers.
Here’s Mr. Metheny covering a Beatles tune from that same album, in case you were wondering what new age sounds like:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
posted by Aaron Bragg
February 17, 2012