Grammy: Judgment Day

Well, the Grammys are over and as usual, my predictions didn't hold up terribly well, just 3 for 7. Even having skipped math my senior year of high school and all through college, I know that's not a passing score. So what went so terribly wrong?

Apparently, the music industry has decided they're ashamed of country radio. After the genre's gatekeepers effectively banned and physically burned Dixie Chicks records following Natalie Maines' comments on President Bush, the Grammys decided to champion the First Amendment in a big, big way; as well as one of their all-time favorite artists. I thought Grammy would honor Dixie Chicks in the genre categories and split the biggest awards between Mary J. Blige and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, they did the opposite. James Blunt apparently won nothing, same for Corinne Bailey Rae.

Of the performers, Chris Brown turned in what appeared to be about an 85% Memorex performance as his energetic stepping left him out of breath before it was his turn to sing. The worst part being that he immediately followed a stripped-down vocal and piano take from the still-potent Lionel Richie and immediately preceded a typically Earth-moving vocal from Christina Aguilera. The Police whetted appetites for their expected forthcoming tour, even if Sting decided not to attempt all the high notes. For my money, Corinne Bailey Rae, John Mayer, John Legend, Justin Timberlake and particularly Gnarls Barkley were impressive. With Gnarls taking my top performance of the night, for a version of "Crazy" that gave me goosebumps.

Shakira, for the sake of our love, or at least that "obsession," as your legal team and the authorities like to call it, could you retire "Hips Don't Lie," and stop hanging out with Wyclef? I'd send another snail mail letter, but I had a b*tch of a time trying to stop the bleeding that time before. I won't discuss the quality of the Carrie Underwood/Rascal Flatts performance. Country, overall is not my favorite genre, but I felt like by the time they exited the stage I could've watched the entire Lord Of the Rings-trilogy...the director's cuts.

Either way, the Grammys are over, and now Radio V can get on with the business of looking forward to the rest of this year's best new music. not that our strike record will improve that much, but the ride will be fun, I promise ya.