The Thinking Man’s Take On: The 2008 GRAMMY Nominations

Well, the 2008 Grammy Nominations were released yesterday, and now begins the not-so-tense waiting period until we remember one of the following:

a) the Grammys are on February 8, 2009.

b) the Grammys were on February 8, 2009.

c) Grammy’s birthday is in March.

Quick, name the only artist to ever win the “Big Four” Grammy Award in the same year – Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. If you guessed Christopher Cross, you’re right! And you should go outside or something because you probably don’t get out enough. In fact, if you can name any songs by Christopher Cross (best known for his contribution to the Arthur soundtrack), you should be about 50% proud and 50% embarrassed.

FACTBOMB: Lenny Kravitz once won 4 consecutive Grammys for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance

The point is that historically The Grammys have been out of touch, behind the times, or generally irrelevant. Like really out of touch. Like didn’t nominate a hip hop artist for best album until 1997 out of touch. Like Tonic was nominated for Best Rock Album in 2003 out of touch. Like U2’s “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb” won Album, Song, Rock Song, and Rock Performance of the year in 2006 out of touch. That last one, if you’re counting, is four (4) more award than U2 deserved that year.

My personal experience with the Grammys, for most of my life, has consisted of this: “Ladies and Gentlemen, here to sing our national anthem…Columbia Recording Artist…and 8 time GRAMMY AWARD WINNER….Doug McDoogle!” Or something generally along those lines. While the Grammys (which are handed out by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) are supposedly the Oscars of Music, they don’t pack quite the same punch.

FACTBOMB: Three 6 Mafia won an Oscar. They are Academy Award winners.

What was I saying? Oh yes, the Grammys haven’t historically been as classy and distinguished as the Oscars. But they’re slowly catching up to the times. While the Grammy nomination process probably originally resembled the selection of a new pope – that is to say, old white dudes shrouded in secrecy – it now probably is less archaic. It’s probably more like old white dudes shrouded in secrecy with a couple people nearby saying things like “Those Jonas Brothers sure are popular with my 12 year old” and “Don’t forget to include some country music!”

Let’s check out this selection process in action, as we look at the 51^st Annual Grammy Nominations for albums that were released between Oct. 1, 2006 and Sept. 30, 2007, applauding the National Recording Academy of Science of Recordings Academy for good selections, mocking them for poor choices, and pointing out missed opportunities where I see fit.

As you may know, there are a whopping 110 categories in this year’s Grammys (yes, seriously) so I’m going to randomly pick and choose categories I like and nominations that are noteworthy.

Record of the Year

Adele – Chasing Pavements     M.I.A. – Paper Planes     Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love

Coldplay – Viva La Vida     Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Please Read The Letter

This category is actually the best track of the year. They call it record of the year for old times’ sake, I’m pretty sure.

Logical Nominees: Paper Planes, Bleeding Love, Viva La Vida

Illogical Nominee: Adele – Chasing Pavements

Criminal Omission: Lots. There are tons of great tracks out there from this year that are better than all the nominees. But assuming sales/popularity are used as an indicator of quality for nominations, I’m surprised there’s nothing from Rihanna, Jason Mraz, Estelle, etc.

Album of the Year

Coldplay – Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends     Lil Wayne – Tha Carter III

Ne-Yo – Year Of The Gentleman     Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand

Radiohead – In Rainbows

What a weird assortment here – Coldplay, Lil Wayne, Ne-Yo, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, and Radiohead. It’s like the Academy flipped through MTV, VH1, CMT, and Youtube and wrote down whatever was playing. All of these are solid albums, though (although I haven’t listened to the Plant & Krauss collab), so no real qualms. Obviously would have loved to see someone like TV On The Radio slip on here, but it’s not criminal that they didn’t. Fingers crossed that Radiohead wins, although I’d be surprised if Tha Carter III didn’t take this one home.

Song of the Year

American Boy (Estelle and 6 others)     Chasing Pavements (Adele)     I’m Yours (Jason Mraz)

Love Song (Sara Bareilles)     Viva La Vida (Coldplay)

OK, so Song of the Year actually means Songwriting of the Year, and the award goes to the writers. Estelle’s American Boy gets a nod here, which doesn’t really make sense. First of all, it’s written by seven people. Secondly, if the songwriting is so good, why isn’t it up for best record? Did Estelle sing it badly or something? Weird. Three repeats from Best Record here (Viva La Vida, Chasing Pavements, and Love Song) plus Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours” which should win, if only because it’s so damn catchy.

Best New Artist

Adele     Duffy     Jonas Brothers     Lady Antebellum     Jazmine Sullivan

Swing and a miss. So many good new artists this year, and some verrry questionable calls in this category. Adele and Duffy maybe, but the Jonas Brothers? The Jonas Brothers who have released three albums? As new artists?  Who are good?

Criminal Omissions: Santogold, Bon Iver, Vampire Weekend, Laura Marling, The Ting Tings, and like 40 other great new artists.

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

Kid Rock – All Summer Long      John Mayer – Say     Paul McCartney – That Was Me

Jason Mraz – I’m Yours     Ne-Yo – Closer     James Taylor – Wichita Lineman

FACTBOMB: This is the only time James Taylor and Kid Rock have ever been in the same place. Ever.

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

Adele – Chasing Pavements     Sara Bareilles – Love Song     Duffy – Mercy

Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love     Katy Perry – I Kissed A Girl     Pink – So What

I feel like I should care more about this category than I do. If “I Kissed A Girl” wins, music is dead. And I like that song. Pink should probably win, since she can for sure beat up any of the other contenders.

Best Group Pop Vocal Performance

Coldplay – Viva La Vida      Eagles – Waiting In The Weeds     Gnarls Barkley – Going On

Maroon 5 – Won’t Go Home Without You      OneRepublic – Apologize

I had forgotten completely about Maroon 5 until just now (well, not including Luis’ post yesterday). Interesting to see them here. Also a strange choice of the Eagles. Long Road Out Of Eden was widely panned, and they are far from the vocal strongpoint of their careers. A shout out to the baby boomers to keep the TV audience, I’d say. Note to world: No autotune is found in any of these tracks.

Best Pop Vocal Album

Sheryl Crow – Detours     Duffy – Rockferry     Eagles – Long Road Out Of Eden

Leona Lewis – Spirit      James Taylor – Covers

Who knew that Sheryl Crow was still around? I thought she moved to France after Stretch Armstrong dropped her for the Olsen twins. Also, James Taylor – love him to death – sounds like crap on “Covers”. And there’s no way you should have an album nominated for any best category if it’s made up of covers. No way. This is definitely a pick based on reputation rather than reality

Best Dance Recording

Daft Punk – Harder Better Faster Stronger     Hot Chip – Ready For The Floor

Lady Gaga & Colby O’Donis – Just Dance     Madonna – Give It 2 Me     Rihanna – Disturbia

Sam Sparro – Black & Gold

I thought this was going to be recording of dances, but alas, it’s not. Lady Gaga gets nominated because her track comes up when you search “Dance” in your iTunes.

Best Dance/Electronic Album

Brazilian Girls – New York City     Daft Punk – Alive 2007     Cyndi Lauper – Bring Ya To The Brink

Kylie Minogue – X     Moby – Last Night     Robyn – Robyn

Why isn’t there a Dance/Electronic Recording category? Is this the Academy’s way of blatantly stating “there will never be a winning Electronic song”? Moby, Cyndi Lauper, Kylie Minogue? This is the flashback category.

Criminal Omission: Hot Chip

Best R&B Group Performance

Boyz II Men – Ribbon In The Sky     Anthony David f. India.Arie – Words

Al Green f. John Legend – Stay With Me (By The Sea)    Jennifer Hudson f. Fantasia – I’m His Only Woman

Raphael Saadiq f. Stevie Wonder and CJ Hicks – Never Give You Up

FACTBOMB: Boyz II Men aren’t dead.

FACTBOMB: Raphael Saadiq’s “Never Give You Up” was nominated by confused Rick Astley fans.

Best Rock Album

Coldplay – Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends     Kid Rock – Rock N Roll Jesus

Kings of Leon – Only By The Night     Metallica – Death Magnetic

The Raconteurs – Consolers Of The Lonely

Kings of Leon has all of a sudden become the hot band to praise at year’s end, coming in at the top of lots of year-end lists. Coldplay put together a solid pseudo-comeback album with Viva La Vida, but I could definitely see Kings of Leon taking this one home. I feel like someone jokingly typed Metallica’s name into the Grammys press release and it accidentally got sent out that way.

Best Song Written for a Motion Picture

Peter Gabriel – Down To Earth (From Wall-E)     Carrie Underwood – Ever Ever After (From Enchanted)

John Mayer – Say (From The Bucket List)    Amy Adams – That’s How You Know (From Enchanted)

John C. Reilly – Walk Hard (From Walk Hard)

This category should have looked like this:

Peter Gabriel – Down To Earth (From Wall-E)     Peter Gabriel – Down To Earth (From Wall-E)

Peter Gabriel – Down To Earth (From Wall-E)    Peter Gabriel – Down To Earth (From Wall-E)

Peter Gabriel – Down To Earth (From Wall-E)

Best Alternative Music Album

Beck – Modern Guilt     Death Cab For Cutie – Narrow Stairs

Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple     My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges

Radiohead – In Rainbows

I have no idea what “Alternative Music” means, but I like it. If we were drafting categories, this would definitely be one of the first to go. Great choices, although I personally thought the Gnarls Barkley album fell a little flat. Maybe replace it with Santogold? Or TV On The Radio? Both of those albums are definitely superior.

Best Male R&B Performance

Eric Benét – You’re The Only One     Chris Brown – Take You Down

Ne-Yo – Miss Independent     Trey Songz – Can’t Help But Wait     Usher – Here I Stand

And the winner is….R.Kelly for Trapped In The Closet Chapters 1-24! This is what should be said every year. Lifetime achievement.

Best Short Form Music Video:

Erykah Badu – Honey     Gnarls Barkley – Who’s Gonna Save My Soul

Alicia Keys & Jack White – Another Way To Die     Radiohead – House of Cards

Weezer – Pork and Beans

This strikes me as less the Grammys’ responsibility. But as an interesting sidenote, Pitchfork published their favorite 50 music videos of the year, and they’re definitely worth checking out. Most of these are over there. Check it.

Best Rap Album:

Jay-Z – American Gangster     Lil Wayne – Tha Carter III     Lupe Fiasco – The Cool

Nas – Nas     T.I. – Paper Trail

Lil “Best Rapper Alive” Wayne vs. Jay “Best Rapper Alive” Z! What happens if someone else wins?

Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album:

FACTBOMB: The Grammys are now making up genres

Well, that’s about all I have in the way of opinions.  I won’t delve into my treatise on the contenders for Best Spoken Word Album for Children, Best Polka Album, or Best Regional Mexican Album.  That, my friends, is another topic for another day.