The Grammys are only as entertaining as they are watchable. That said, 2009 was a great year for the music ceremony in its 51st year.
The three-hour show almost rivaled the previous weekend’s Super Bowl XLIII in sheer entertainment value — almost. But the show’s mystifying and scandalous elements certainly helped make the night a memorable one.
There were lovely/emotional/ridiculous thank-you speeches and obnoxious/moving/underwhelming performances. There were some bad jokes and some great laughs. And the telecast also brought up a number of questions.
Why did Kanye West steal Lionel Richie’s hair from 1986? What was Robert Plant doing with the mic stand? What was Carrie Underwood trying to say with that hideous black-and-gold dress? What was with Katy Perry’s crazy, cross-eyed reaction to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson? What were those things hanging from Jennifer Hudson’s ears? And what was with Morgan Freeman’s lone black glove?
(The last one is easy: Freeman’s hand is still paralyzed after he injured it in Mississippi last year. With the rest of the questions, though, it’s tough to say.)
More imposing was the evening’s scandal.
An hour before the Grammys aired in Colorado, the Recording Academy announced that Rihanna wouldn’t appear on the telecast, with no explanation. A half hour later came the announcement that Chris Brown, Rihanna’s boyfriend, wouldn’t appear either.
A few minutes passed before the news was all over the Internet that Brown had turned himself in to police because he was under investigation for felony domestic-violence battery charges.
But the Grammys didn’t need Brown. The event had Radiohead, Jay-Z, Coldplay, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake and a very pregnant, oddly dressed M.I.A.
The telecast focuses more on performances than awards, and Sunday’s show was full of (mostly) live songs that succeeded to varying degrees. U2 opened up with their new single “Get on Your Boots,” and while it was convincing, they were outperformed by a band that has emulated them over the years: Coldplay.
Whereas U2’s song was a straightforward performance, Coldplay’s mini-set — with a shortened, piano-only take on “Lost” (featuring Jay-Z’s rhymes from the remix) and a full-band take on “Viva La Vida” — captured the spirit of collaboration the Grammys strive so hard for.
The Grammys fail as often as they succeed in mashing artists together for the big night. An Al Green tribute was flat- out weird, with Green anchored by Justin Timberlake and backed up by Boyz II Men on vocals and Keith Urban on lead guitar. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great, as there was no need for another lead vocalist with Green on stage.
The Taylor Swift-Miley Cyrus duet was enough to convince any lover of the collaborative process that those two ladies need never perform together again. Cyrus’ clumsy vocal delivery made Swift look the part of a virtuoso.
No performance rivaled that of Radiohead’s marching- band-enhanced take on “15 Step” — a brilliant song from one of the year’s greatest rec ords, “In Rainbows.” On the fluffier, less-arty side, West and Estelle’s neo-disco take on “American Boy” was delightful fun, and Perry’s performance was baffling (what was with the fruit?) and called in.
Some of the pre-written patter was expectedly lame. The ever-charming Johnson was saddled with a weak script, and the not-so-charming Timberlake never stood a chance with his bad jokes. But cheers to Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, who, after announcing his band’s re-forming (following the Jonas Brothers-Stevie Wonder performance), told the hungry crowd, “Isn’t it great to see the Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder back together again?”
After Hudson won for best R&B album, her quiet and brief remarks were classy and moving, especially given the events of the past year.
“I’d like to thank my family in heaven and those who are here with me today,” she said.
Ricardo Baca: 303-954-1394; rbaca@denverpost.com
