52nd Grammy Awards Given January 31: "The Race Goes to the Swift"....Taylor Swift

We could quote one of this year's nominees for Best New Artist, Silversur Pickups frontman Brian Aubert who said of the group's nomination (they lost to the Zac BrownBand), "Does it really matter to us? No. Absolutely not." (As quoted on www.spinner.com/2010/01/27/grammys-backlash/?ncid=webmaild12) [That's a good thing, since they lost.]

Some observations on the night's program: I can't get the image of Pink clad only in thin strips of fabric dangling from the ceiling out of my mind, especially when she finished her set dripping wet. (Did Tony Bennett ever have to do this to earn his Grammys?) Keith Urban, backstage later, said, of Pink, "She was killer." He did not mean this literally, but he could have. Me--- I was fearful that her sling would break and she'd literally be killed, falling from that height. [Hey! It happened to Ann Margret in Vegas. Look it up!]

I was more impressed with Dave Matthews singing "You and Me Together" after being introduced by Adam Sandler. Dave's album this year, "Big Whiskey and the GrooGruxKing" is his best since "Under the Table and Dreaming," IMHO. Dave agrees that it is his best, but he lost the Album of the Year award to Taylor Swift's "Fearless," which did nothing for my faith in the Grammys and leads me to yet another www.spinner.com quote (see above), this time from 50 Cent who, in 2009, after being nominated 13 times, said, "Man, f*** the Grammys! I couldn't care less about the Grammy awards."

Early in the evening, the front page of AOL was buzzing about the opening number that featured Lady Gaga singing her hit "Poker Face", wearing sparkly green wings and sparkly green spikey boot shoes and a long blonde wig, with purple eye-shadow. After that, she was paired with Elton, who wore a glittery mask. Each had black stuff all over their faces. (I prefer Elton in full-on duck costume and I'll lend them both a washcloth...or Pink can provide some water for the soiled singers.)

Stephen Colbert won for Best Comedy Album of the year at the 52^nd annual Grammy Awards for his Christmas album, and said he was there to celebrate "our most precious right: the right of celebrities to congratulate one another." He got in a dig at "Glee" and then said to his teen-aged daughter (in the audience), "Have a good time, Honey. Stay away from Katy Perry."

Taylor Swift won for Best Country Album for "Fearless," which was not a surprise. She said, "I want to thank my record label for letting me write every song on my album" and likened her win to "an impossible dream." Taylor always looks great. She sometimes does not sound as great, and that was the case when she and Stevie Nicks teamed up. Off-key is the kind description.

Beyonce put on quite a production number, backed up by dark-uniformed male dancers (she was wearing a black short flouncy skirt with a bustier top.) On CBS' "Sixty Minutes," which preceded the Grammys, we learned that Beyonce began performing at age 9. Her words: "Once I saw the Jackson Five and Michael Jackson, I said, 'Oh, my God.' And I wanted to do that all day, every day." Beyonce made $80 million dollars last year and was on 200 magazine covers, according to "Sixty Minutes." She has performed in 12 countries and given 110 sold out performances in countries as varied as Korea, India, Egypt and Japan. (For that kind of money, I can see why she wants to "do that all day, every day.") [Later in the evening she would win a Grammy for her song "Put a Ring On It."]

Seal announced Leonard Cohen as the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award. Before the night was over, others that would be awarded went to luminaries like Honey Boy Edwards, who (m) I did not know, and Andre Previn, who I did know. (One-time husband to Mia Farrow).

Let's hear a quote from another former nominee's view of the Grammys, from back in 1996, when he was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performer. Eddie Veddor ("Pearl Jam") said, at that time, "I don't know what this award is. I don't think this means anything." (www.spinner.com/2010/01/27/grammys-backlash/?ncid=webmaild12.)

"Kings of Leon"---whose album "Use Somebody" is in my car right now, (along with the Dave Matthews aforementioned album) won for Best Record of the Year and gave one of the most refreshing acceptance speeches, saying, "We're all a little drunk, but we're happy drunk." They proceeded to thank God, their family, RCA, their producers and "whoever else I forgot, I'll buy you shots afterward." Humorously, another member of the band stepped up to the mike to speak, but was cut off. Backstage, one happy band member said, "We're getting' my mom wasted." [Sounds like the Kings of Leon have their priorities straight: drink a lot.]

Robert Downey, Jr., came out and gave another of his impromptu riffs. He's becoming famous for them. This time, he said, "Thank God I'm here to attach some dignity and classical fare to what is otherwise this garish undertaking." That remark led to Jamie Foxx, wearing boots and a military jacket, (with Slash on guitar) singing (with others).

I enjoyed Ringo Starr and Norah Jones coming out together and Ringo saying, "Thank you, Norah, for being shorter than me." They announced a Lifetime Achievement Award for Bobby Darin and the camera quickly cut to son Dodd Darin, Darin's son with former blonde movie starlet Sandra Dee. (Dodd's Mom, Sandra, was the subject of a "Grease" song with the lyrics, "Look at me; I'm Sandra Dee.")

Katie Perry and Alice Cooper came out and announced a Trustees Award for Florence Greenburn, whom I did not know. (What, exactly, is the distinction between a Lifetime Achievement Award and a Trustees Award?) Green Day then were announced as Grammy winners for "21^st Century Breakdown." I liked "American Idiot," and, right about now, the title seemed apropos.

Why did Chris O'Donnell intro the Zac Brown Band? Weird. Only thing weirder was a visibly heavier Quentin Tarantino's appearance later in the evening. Ryan Seacrest appeared to introduce Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks singing an off-key duet to"You Belong with Me." This performance was one of the low-lights of the evening, for me. Neither of them would have earned a golden ticket to Hollywood from Simon Cowell. I'd love to hear Simon's verbal shredding of their performance, though.

Lionel Richie introduced the 3-D extravaganza tribute to Michael Jackson, which featured Usher, Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson singing, after which Paris and Prince Jackson accepted an award "for Daddy."

When Bon Jovi finally came out to sing 3 songs, one of them ("Livin' on a Prayer") had been selected by computer voters. The Jersey band, veteran rockers, were announced as survivors of 2,600 concerts played to 34 million avid fans. Those avid fans did not seem to be in ample supply in the largely cool reception the band got from the rank-and-file. (Mosh pit excepted). I was struck, again, by how Bon Jovi is the Rodney Dangerfield of bands. "They don't get no respect." Although the cheering youth immediately below them were enthusiastically dancing, the audience, as a whole, sat on their collective hands. This group can't win for losing. But they still laugh all the way to the bank, just like Burt Reynolds did all those years during all those "Smokey and the Bandit" movies.

It was interesting that a win for "Run This Town," which was executive produced by Kanye West and featured Jay Z and Rihanna, was handed out only to Jay Z and Rihanna . Kanye was not in the house. (Taylor Swift: you can breathe easy.)

A tribute to stars who died this year, which is done during the Academy Awards every year, gave me these names I knew: Mary Travers of "Peter, Paul, and Mary;" Koko Taylor, Chicago's lady who sang the blues; Louis Bellson, ( of Moline, Illinois) drummer par excellence, also well-known for his marriage to Pearl Bailey; Dan Seals; Teddy Pendergrass; Adam Goldstein, aka DJ AM; Stephen Bruton, who wrote many of the songs in "Crazy Heart," collaborating with T Bone Burnett; composer Maurice Jarre; Arthur Ferrante of the piano duo Ferrante & Teicher; Ellie Greenwich, the composer of sixties hits; AlMartino, who played an Italian singer much like himself in "The Godfather;" and LesPaul, of the legendary fender guitar. There were many more, but, for me, these were the Big Names I Know.

The program ran long. It ended abruptly and unceremoniously, leaving me to wonder, after Taylor Swift was announced as the Grammy winner of Album of the Year for"Fearless" whatever possessed Toby Keith to say recently, "The Grammys don't respect country." (www.spinner.com). (Keith was nominated as Male Country Vocal Performer of the Year in 2006.) If that is true, then how did "Fearless" top Beyonce's "Sasha Fierce," (not to mention Lady Gaga's "The Fame," the Black-eyed Peas "The E.N.D." and my personal favorite, Dave Matthews' Band's "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King"?

Another quote from www.spinner.com: Jaz-Z in 2002, when a no-show despite numerous nominations: "I didn't think the Grammys gave the rightful respect to hip-hop." When Fat Joe's hip-hop Grammy was awarded off-screen in 1999 as Best Rap album, he concurred, saying, "I don't think they (the Grammys) acknowedge hip-hop for being the true art form that it is." I'm wondering if that explains why Eminem's performance was "bleeped" onscreen half the time. (Could it merely be the F-bomb count, among other profanities?) Of course, "Eminem" said, in 2001 when he won as Best Rap Solo Performer, in the persona of Slim Shady, "You think I give a damn about a Grammy?"

Interesting to have so many big names show up for an award that very few of them will admit they care about at all. But the unusual and eccentric pairings are legendary and the big names were out in force, even if some of them would seem to have nothing at all to do with music (Chris O'Donnell?). I'm still wondering why the short youth (Justin Beymer---no idea who he is) and his female partner-in-crime (name unknown) had to come out so quickly and completely interrupt the deserved applause for the act that had just performed. Weird. Lots of weird moments. Lots of weird costumes. Lots of weird wins. Interesting, but weird.