So I heard Tom Petty had a great night Sunday.
My first Grammys telecast was back in 1987, which began with Paul Simon’s Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes and ended with Janet Jackson’s amazing Grammy debut and Paul winning (correctly) Album Of The Year for Graceland.
I used to crave a Grammy growing up. Back then awards meant something to me. But a couple of things happened.
One, when everybody and their mama starts getting trophies for just about everything, it lowers the significance when someone wins one. And two, maturity. Especially as an artist. As I grow older, like Pearl Jam once noted, it seems (for lack of a better word) awkward to hand out awards for art.
Nevertheless it’s good to be recognized and I would still love to win a Grammy. But it’s not the end all be all for me as an artist and musician. I would rather get that recognition for something I felt very strongly about in my art rather than create art to aspire getting that award.
I bet that’s how Beck felt too. And if there is anyone I’m happy to see win a Grammy of that magnitude (Album of the Year), it’s him.
Like it or not, the album culture is dying, and one of the last true craftsmen of that art form is Beck. The thing I have always loved about Beck is that each album he released was based on an aural theme rather than primarily a lyrical one.
Odeley had an alternative, vintage/industrial sound.
Midnight Vultures was built around funk and synth-driven psychedelia.
Sea Change, my favorite Beck album, was Morning Phase’s prequel – a stripped down, acoustic-driven, live-sounding collection of songs.
Beck’s Grammy win was more a celebration of that man’s contributions to music than just a recognition of a great album. For that I am happy for Beck and congratulate him for this great honor.
Having said all that, I cannot escape the fact that this year’s telecast was symbolic of a tough time in the music business.
What can you say about the current state of music when the Song of the Year Grammy, an award devoted solely to the song’s writers, is given to a song that was just recently criticized for infringing a copyright (however accidental it was) on a previously written song recorded 20 years ago?
I have nothing against Sam Smith, and even Tom was super cool about the whole thing, yet I can’t help but feel that we are at a turning point with music. People are craving songs, good songs, and like it or not, the industry needs songs written by songwriters. When shows like The Walking Dead just about beat your telecast, you have to wonder why people are not tuning in?
The question should be are they tuning out?
The turning point we’re at now is a need for trusted filters to help us sieve through the seemingly endless amounts of new music coming in each week. The filters that existed before no longer hold the same power much less trust, and until that returns, telecasts like the Grammys will continue to score lower ratings and have lesser power in moving the general public.
Beck’s Grammy win was long-deserved and should be celebrated, but it sadly won’t have the same impact that Paul Simon’s win did for Graceland almost 30 years ago. The times are certainly changing. To where you ask? Your guess is as good as mine.