media blog

Here are some random thoughts about last night’s grammy awards…

- The Time doing “Jungle Love” mashed up with “Umbrella” was a bit underwhelming don’tcha think?

- Carrie Underwood in a catsuit? simply marvelous. thank you.

- Even though I’m a lifetime Beatles fan, I wasn’t really sure why the Grammys needed to pay tribute to the Beatles yet again. The Cirque du Soleil performance of “A Day in the Life” was “meh”. The “Across the Universe” version of “Let it Be” was pretty good though.

- They’re gonna have to stop with the Yoko Ono camera shots whenever the Beatles are mentioned or else expect a worldwide “Pavlov’s Dog” reaction. blech.

- that Foo Fighters’ performance rocked. definitely more memorable than any other part of the evening at that point.

- Aretha Franklin in a yellow sleeveless gown. not the best of visuals there.

- wow. Israel Houghton and New Breed only getting a minute and half performance time. well, it’s better than nothing I guess.

- Rhapsody in Blue is always a crowd pleaser.

- I was holding my breath during the whole Amy Winehouse performance hoping it wouldn’t be a complete trainwreck. she did fine. thank God.

- Wow. Herbie Hancock winning album of the year? there’s a head scratcher for ya.

Asia - Go (remix) : Here’s a 1985 DANCE remix of Asia’s rock song “Go”. Obviously the decision of a clueless record exec who somehow thought a british classic rock band needed a dance club makeover. I’m not sure who actually DID the remix but Geoff Downes’ keyboard takes center stage on this one.

Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart (1983 Red Blue mix) : in the same vein as the Asia remix, here we have a classic rock band with a dance mix of their rock classic. I can’t actually imagine this one even making it onto the dance floor. it just sounds bizarre… sort of like the “Art of Noise” randomly playing around with different settings on the Fairlight synth while this song was playing in the studio.

Wings - Let ‘Em In (Wing It Mix) : Reportedly Paul McCartney commissioned a set of remixes to be released along with the WingSpan documentary in 2001 but the remixes never got officially released. Listening to this remix, you can hear why. Pretty bland and ultimately pointless.

Big Country - One Great Thing (Big Baad Country Mix) : Like a good number of remixes in the mid-eighties, this Big Country remix simply sounds like someone having some fun with a Fairlight. and due to the heavy Fairlight use, it sounds more like Trevor Horn/Art of Noise than Big Country.

ABC - Be Near Me (Munich Disco Mix) : The obnoxious sounding drums and handclaps added to the 1985 remix obscures the charm and personality of the original. Yes, it’s sorta fun and goofy to listen to now but in terms of songcraft and production quality, the remix is definitely a big step down.

Man, it feels like forever since I’ve been anywhere and/or done anything worthwhile. with a busy career, kids, a house and a long running to-do list, going out and enjoying oneself ends up pretty low in terms of priorities. but there comes a time when you just need to put your foot down and demand some “me-time”. So, I’m thinking of taking a quick flight to New York to take in some live shows. there’s just so many things going on in the big city that it ends up being a bit tough to take it all in. and looking through the concert listings I just noticed that They Might Be Giants will be at the Beacon Theatre next weekend. oh man, Bob Mould and Hot Chip will be playing at the Highland Ballroom that weekend as well. cool stuff. i have to say, the suburban middle-aged life has sucked me dry, my friends. recharging my batteries in the greatest city in the world would be exactly what the doctor prescribed. I’m going to head off to DialaFlight.com and book my trip right now. see ya in the big apple!