Grammy Awards 2010 Recap & Review

Short on awards and speeches, and long on star performances, the 52nd annual Grammy Awards certainly couldn't be called boring. With trapeze acts, full scale orchestras, special guests, dance numbers, and lots of glitter, each Grammy Award performer made their performance as big and as glitzy as possible. The result, in most cases, was a rocking and rolling feast of entertainment that helped make The Grammys one of the most entertaining awards ceremonies in awhile.

2010 Grammy Awards -- The Opening Number

Who better to open the Grammy Awards with a bang than pop performance artist Lady Gaga. The theme of the night for all performers seemed to be a space age/military hybrid, and Lady Gag kicked it off with what looked like a troupe of uniformly dancing construction workers. She herself wore a glittery green body suit with giant shoulders and pink glittered triangles over her eyes, taking on the modern day Ziggy Stardust role in this play.

(Want to know who won all the Grammys? Read my Grammy Awards winners article.)

With an MC narrating her Grammy Awards play, Lady Gaga started with "Poker Face". She sounded great, but couldn't do much dancing in her glittery platform Barbie shoes. It wasn't long before she was dumped into a large vat marked "Rejected", which promptly burst into flames. Moments later, Lady Gaga reappeared at a piano, covered in soot--with an equally singed Elton John at a piano opposite her. Atop the pianos an army of molded arms with clenched fists. The duo danced over the keys and sang bits of "Speechless" and "Your Song" melded together, staring at the audience through their matching glittered sunglass lenses.

At the end, Lady Gaga blended in "I love you Sir Elton John" into the lyrics. It was a fabulous duet by two talented performers, and a great start to the Grammy Awards.

52nd Annual Grammys -- A little Humor at the Grammy Awards

Musicians can be a tough crowd for humor, but Stephen Colbert weathered the storm pretty well. Nominated for a Grammy for comedy album, Colbert greeted his "fellow nominees", naming a few favorites. His "What up Z?" unfortunately didn't appear to get any response from Jay-Z.

Colbert called the Gramm Awards a celebration of the "most precious right, the right of celebrities to congratulate each other." He said that getting a Grammy was the biggest honor, "next to having your song covered by the cast of Glee." Colbert gave a few shout outs to his teenage daughter, each time asking if he was cool now, but she vehemently shook her head for the Grammy Awards cameras.

Not swayed, Colbert pressed on, warning his daughter to stay away from Katy Perry. He also jabbed at another sexy pop star, saying that one of the duets he'd like to see would be "Adam Lambert paired with any sense of personal restraint".

Colbert also took on Susan Boyle: "Justin Timberlake brought sexy back, but Susan Boyle sent it back again." He later gave Boyle her props...sort of, by reminding those in attendance that the music industry had been saved by "A Scottish cat lady in sensible shoes."

Colbert scored his best point when he announced the winner of "Song of the Year", pulling out an iPad instead of an envelope. "Jay, did you not get one of these in your gift bag?" he quipped, and this time Jay-Z gave a hearty laugh. Unfortunately Colbert's daughter still didn't think he was cool.

2010 Grammy Awards -- Song of the Year

Beyoncé -- "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)

Beyoncé didn't come up, as she was no doubt preparing for her upcoming Grammy Awards performance. The songwriters, Thaddis Harrell, Terius Nash & Christopher Stewart did a quick round of thanks before the orchestra played them off the stage.

52nd Annual Grammys -- 21 Gun Salute

Jennifer Lopez, clad in a stunning white and silver mini dress, introduced the next performance to hit the Grammy Awards stage. Announcing that Green Day's American Idiot would be hitting Broadway in March, Lopez presented Green Day and the Broadway cast.

With a revamp of their current hit "21 Guns", Green Day put on a stunning Grammy Awards performance. The female soloists of the Broadway cast were stellar, leading off the number before being joined by a chorus of other cast members. They moved up the stage to join Green Day, then, who sang and jammed on their guitars along with the Broadway performers. Billie Joe sounded fabulous, and the band looked to be having a great time.

It was a powerful rendition of "21 Guns", with synchronized fist pumps, a stage full of people, and awesome harmonies. At the end, Billie Joe hugged the gal soloists enthusiastically, and with good reason. They blew the doors off the Grammy Awards.

2010 Grammy Awards -- Best Country Album

Taylor Swift -- "Fearless"

Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel presented the Best Country Album Grammy Award. Taylor Swift was thrilled with her "first Grammy", saying it was an "impossible" childhood dream that had been realized. Looking elegant in her turquoise sparkling gown, Swift also thanked her record company for letting her write all the songs on her album, which I expect is pretty rare for a young solo artist.

52nd Annual Grammys -- Sing What You Know

The lovely Simon Baker of The Mentalist introduced the next Grammy Awards performer, Beyoncé. Wearing black-rimmed glasses and taking it all very seriously, Baker was still rather amusing as he tried to wrap his sexy Australian accent around "the awer-inspiring Sasha Fierce". And yes, that was an extra "r" in "awe".

Beyoncé then stormed up the center row at the Grammy Awards with an army of combat gear-clad soldier-dancers close behind her. Dressed in a black metal mini dress, Beyoncé marched onto the stage, all the soldiers march-tapping in time with the music. Singing "If I Were a Boy", Beyoncé briefly spoiled the whole sexy minidress look when she grabbed her crotch to emphasize "I'll be a better man."

Singing her own music, Beyoncé was in fine form, her voice clear and powerful. Marching back up the center row to the smaller stage nestled in the Grammy Awards audience, Beyoncé then launched into a verse or two of Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know", throwing herself down on her knees and head-banging with wild tosses of her hair. It wasn't really her style or range, and it was a weaker part of her epic show.

Getting back into her own groove, Beyoncé finished with a flourish, and gained tons of applause and a standing ovation from the enthusiastic Grammy Awards crowd.

2010 Grammy Awards -- Pink on a Wire

Singer Seal presented the next performer, after announcing one of the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Awards winners: Leonard Cohen. Known as a talented songwriter as well as performer, Cohen's song "Hallelujah" has been recorded by dozens of other singers and groups, and provided poignant background music for many TV dramas.

Pink definitely wins for most jaw-dropping and provocative Grammy Awards performance. Starting her performance of "Glitter in the Air" in a white hooded dress, Pink was in fine form with a deep and husky voice as she sauntered up the main aisle. She then stripped off into what amounted to a few bits of ribbon and some glitter, a costume that made Milla Jovovich's famed bandage wrap wardrobe in The Fifth Element look like nun's robes.

The jaw-dropping really happened when Pink wrapped herself in a slip of silk suspended from the ceiling--then got hoisted high above the Grammy Awards stage for her twirling rendition of "Glitter in the Air". I'm guessing some of the vocals must have been taped, since I'm not sure how you can sustain a clear note when you're spinning upside-down, but it was still impressive. Even more startling was she got doused in water and then spun around even faster, leg hooked through the slip of cloth, droplets of moisture fanning out over the audience.

When all was said and done, Pink got a deserving round of thunderous applause and a standing ovation from her peers.

52nd Annual Grammys -- Best New Artist

Zac Brown Band

Miranda Lambert and Keith Urban presented the Best New Artist Grammy Award to the Zac Brown Band. The members hit the stage and each guy took their turn at the mic to thank a few important people before the orchestra played them off the stage.

Lambert and Urban also announced another of the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Awards winners as Loretta Lynn, along with a Trustees Award for director and producer Walter C. Miller.

2010 Grammy Awards -- Robot Chic

Presenter Miley Cyrus announced that fans from around the world sent in video tributes to the next artist, and "Some of y'all will be seeing yourselves on this screen"--indicating the giant series of screens along the back wall of the stage.

The Black Eyed Peas next took to the Grammy Awards stage to perform "I Gotta Feeling". Dressed in space age outfits with glittery shoulder pads, masks, metal, spandex, and lots of sparkle, The Peas brought their blend of infectious hip hop dance to the Grammy Awards stage. The steady rhythm, Fergie's soaring vocals, and the synchronized moves of the band and robot-esque dancers got the audience to their feet and earned them a huge positive response.

52nd Annual Grammys -- Duets Rule

The Jonas Brothers presented the next Grammy Awards performers. I'm still trying to figure out why Joe Jonas has short hair and glasses and now resembles Elvis Costello. He must be trying to get rid of his teenage girl fan base by looking "serious".

The boys introduced country group Lady Antebellum, whose cool set piece caused a small mishap. Starting the Grammy Awards performance behind a see-through curtain painted to resemble a large brick building, singer Hillary Scott was taken by surprise when the planned curtain drop got partially caught up in her hair. Quickly disentangling herself, Scott luckily turned a potential embarrassment into a momentary glitch that didn't detract from their moment in the spotlight.

I've often thought the best songs arrive from male/female duets, and Lady Antebellum has that dynamic built right into the band. Singing "Need You Now", Lady Antebellum harmonized their clear, beautiful voices and enhanced a Grammy Awards night already packed with good performances.

2010 Grammy Awards -- Best Comedy Album

Stephen Colbert -- A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All

Grammy Awards presenters Juanes and Kelly Cuoco (Big Bang Theory) handed off the Best Comedy Album Grammy Award to Stephen Colbert. "Considering this is a Christmas album, I should probably thank Jesus Christ," Colbert said, before asking his teenage daughter "Am I cool now?" Colbert was overjoyed when he finally got an enthusiastic nod "yes!"

52nd Annual Grammys -- Record of the Year

Kings of Leon -- "Use Somebody"

Presenters Norah Jones and Ringo Starr first mentioned another of the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Awards winners, Bobby Darin, whose son Dodd Darin was present in the audience. Jones and Starr then presented the Record of the Year Grammy Award to Kings of Leon. Giddy with excitement, the sharply dressed band hit the stage, where lead singer Caleb Followill announced that they were all a little drunk, "but we're happy drunk". Going quickly through their thanks, Followill promised, "Whoever else I forgot, I'll buy you shots after."

2010 Grammy Awards -- I Prefer Opera

Perhaps riffing on his "I thank myself" acceptance speech at the Golden Globes, Robert Downey Jr. was introduced on the Grammy Awards as "the most self-important actor of his generation". Following the announcer's lead, Robert Downey Jr. launched into a self-aggrandizing speech about elevating the evening's gauche festivities with "dignity and classical flair". This led to an introduction of the "Royal Gramophonic Society".

After a few brief operatic notes by soloists, Jamie Foxx hit the stage in what looked like a Civil War Union jacket, jumping into his song "Blame It". Joined eventually by T-Pain, Slash, and Doug E. Fresh, Foxx put on a lively Grammy Awards performance. Rapping with an electronic enhancement, Foxx danced across the stage. While "Blame It" was a good song to groove to, I'd rather hear Foxx sing. I'd also rather hear opera, for that matter, but that possibly puts me in the minority of the Grammy Awards audience.

52nd Annual Grammys -- Best Rock Album

Green Day -- 21st Century Breakdown

Grammy Awards presenters Katy Perry and Alice Cooper traded a few compliments and scripted barbs before announcing Florence Greenberg as recipient of a Trustee Grammy Award. Perry and Cooper then presented the Best Rock Album Grammy to Green Day. After bestowing grateful thanks, lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong quipped "I'm going to go have shots with Kings of Leon".

2010 Grammy Awards -- Kickin' It Old School

Grammy Awards presenter Chris O'Donnell announced studio musician Harold Bradley as a Trustee award winner. He then introduced the Zac Brown Band, performing with Leon Russell. Adding their own spin to "America the Beautiful" as an introduction, the Zac Brown Band and Russell then rocked out to Russell's "Dixie's Lullaby" and Brown's "Chicken Fried". There was fantastic harmony, great piano, and a skillful speedy guitar solo that definitely elevated the Grammy Awards evening.

52nd Annual Grammys -- Here's One Fairytale with a Bad Ending...

Ryan Seacrest was probably the perfect presenter for Taylor Swift, turning on his American Idol-esque narration style to talk about Swift's meteoric rise to fame. I think Swift's autobiographical lyrics resonate with teenagers, but I personally think she has a lot of maturing to do when it comes to vocal skills. This was never more evident than in her Grammy Awards performance, where she teamed up with legend Stevie Nicks.

Starting off with "Today Was a Fairytale", Swift chirruped sweetly, wearing a gauzy white dress as she strummed along on guitar. When joined by Nicks on the Grammy Awards stage for "Rhiannon", however, the demands of the song turned Swift's little-girl voice sour and extremely flat. Of course, Nicks' personal style has a nasal, flat-ish tone to it that's difficult for someone else to match--but the rest of Fleetwood Mac have always managed to harmonize beautifully without sounding "off".

Finishing up the Grammy Awards number with "You Belong With Me", Swift was once more in her comfort zone and managing a more pleasant tone. The lively rendition was made much sweeter by the guy in leather jacket and cap playing the banjo with gusto, and Nicks' smoky vocals and streamer-adorned tambourine are always a treat. (ETA: That awesome banjolin player is Butch Walker, who according to Rolling Stone, scored the gig via Twitter.)

2010 Grammy Awards -- Tribute

Grammy Awards presenter Lionel Richie began the tribute to Michael Jackson by mentioning his own collaboration with Jackson on "We Are the World", as an example of the late pop stars philanthropic nature. He then put in a plug for Jackson's last concert film, "out on DVD", which I thought was kind of tacky, and it almost seemed Richie did too.

Richie then introduced the on-stage Grammy Awards collaboration of Jackson's "Earth Song", with 3-D video and some top stars to sing along with Jackson's audio--Celine Dion, Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, and Carrie Underwood. Without 3-D glasses, the video was pretty psychedelic, but the vocalists turned in powerful performances and it was a fine and respectable tribute.

Afterwards, Jackson's children Prince and Paris Jackson accepted the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award on their father's behalf. Prince Jackson was very serious, mature and articulate for a kid his age, but eventually his nerves and emotions started to show through. "We will continue to spread his message and help the world," Prince said, and both children said "We love you, Daddy," before leaving the Grammy Awards stage. I think this should be it now for these poor kids as far as public appearances, at least until they're older. They don't need the added stress in their lives.

52nd Annual Grammys -- Bon Jovi Jukebox

Sheryl Crow looked fabulous as she moved across the Grammy Awards stage in a long black trapeze-style dress and big gold earrings. She first announced the Grammy Merit Award to Industry Icons for Doug Morris, then introduced Bon Jovi. All night we'd been reminded that Grammy Awards home viewers could vote on one of three Bon Jovi songs, and the one chosen would be performed as requested by the band. Supposedly voting continued even as the band started in on their medley performance.

Beginning with "We Weren't Born to Follow", Bon Jovi sounded great, but didn't move around much. Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland joined them for "Who Says You Can't Go Home", and the intensity immediately escalated. With her fabulous deep and rich voice, Nettles added some honey to Jon Bon Jovi's clear-voiced lead.

"Livin' on a Prayer" won the home vote and Bon Jovi rounded out their Grammy Awards performance. Bon Jovi visibly strained on some of the higher notes, but his tone was true, and Nettles once again livened things up with her vocals and energy.

2010 Grammy Awards -- Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

Jay-Z, Rhianna, and Kanye West -- "Run This Town"

In one of the funnier pairings of the night, Mos Def and Placido Domingo presented the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Grammy Award. After a little banter, Mos Def said it was an honor to be on stage with Domingo, and added "Let's win this category next year". Now that would definitely be an interesting match. I'm not sure I actually understand this Grammy Awards category, though--isn't 99% of hip-hop half rap and half someone with a really awesome voice making it musical?

52nd Annual Grammys -- Haiti Charity

Haiti native Wyclef Jean spoke on behalf of his country, thanking America for their help and promising Haiti would be back stronger than ever. He then introduced the next Grammy Awards performance, a rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Water", a song that could be downloaded on iTunes with profits going to assist victims in Haiti.

Andrea Bocelli and Mary J. Blige then launched into their Grammy Awards duet, with David Foster accompanying on piano. Bocelli sounded beautiful as always, carrying notes out for what seemed an eternity. Mary J. Blige, looking elegant in a figure-hugging royal blue gown, sang with power and emotion, but the two vocalists' styles didn't mesh all that well. This was particularly noticeable at the end note, which Bocelli held well after Blige had left off.

2010 Grammy Awards -- Grammy Update

Neil Portnow, president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, took time during the Grammy Awards to update viewers on all that the Academy was doing in the musical field. With discussions of charity, the Grammy Museum, and awards of merit to Ken Ehrlich and the late Pierre Cossette, Portnow ended with a plea to music lovers. Addressing the constantly evolving technologies, Portnow said "lets value the music by supporting and compensating the people who make the music we treasure." In other words, please stop file sharing and selling black market CDs.

52nd Annual Grammys -- Was that Crunking?

Adam Sandler was the next Grammy Awards presenter. Wearing a t-shirt with a black suit jacket, Sandler joked "I was told casual dress...an usher gave me this jacket." Sandler then presented the next Grammy Awards performer, The Dave Matthews band, who has apparently been making music for 20 years now.

Wearing a sharp black suit vest and pants with a deep purple shirt, arching his eyebrows expressively, Dave Matthews looked an awful lot like Entourage's Ari Gold. With a stage full of musicians and an all out Grammy Awards jam session, Matthews put on an entertaining performance, although his fitful jig-like dancing was right up there with Elaine's awkward thumb-jerking in Seinfeld.

2010 Grammy Awards -- Best Female Vocal Performance

Beyoncé -- "Halo"

Grammy Awards presenters Ricky Martin and Lea Michelle gave out the Best Female Vocal Performance award to Beyoncé. Looking handsome in a leather jacket, Martin seemed gleeful to be at the Grammys, presenting an award with the feather-skirted Michelle. Beyoncé hit the stage to accept her Grammy award, wearing another metallic dress with giant hoop earrings, a look strikingly reminiscent of Tina Turner in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Apparently the 80s are back!

52nd Annual Grammys -- Bringing the Class Back to the Grammy Awards

Looking cool in a tailored suit and trilby hat, LL Cool J indicated a turn in the Grammy Awards. After announcing a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award for David "Honeyboy" Edwards, he then went on to introduce the next performers, Roberta Flack and Maxwell.

While Maxwell had a bit of trouble with the falsetto notes of his song "Pretty wings," he nonetheless put on a great and classy performance a little reminiscent of Nat King Cole. Sliding along the stage with smooth and sexy moves, Maxwell hit his stride vocally when Roberta Flack joined him. Flack sang as beautiful as ever, her sweet tone meshing well with Maxwell's. Maxwell schmoozed Flack as they harmonized, making her smile as he turned on the sultry charm. It was a fun Grammy Awards performance, a nice match-up, and a good counter to some of the more in-your-face performances of the night.

2010 Grammy Awards -- In Memoriam

The list of music industry talents that we lost last year was extensive, but I didn't feel that justified putting more than one person's name on screen at a time during the Grammy Awards memorial segment. Occasionally, some of the names were cut off because they didn't fit into the frame. The names of those who passed last year included:

Mary Travers

David "Pop" Winans

Willie Mitchell

Dan Seals

Vern Gosdin

Tedddy Pendergrass

Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein

Jay Bennet

Bob Bogle (The Ventures)

Arthur Ferrante

Alicia de Larrocha

Al Martino

Pierre Cossette

Les Paul

52nd Annual Grammys -- Les Paul Tribute

Grammy Awards presenter Jeff Bridges introduced the duo of Imelda May and Jeff Beck, who performed "How High the Moon" in honor of songwriter and guitarist legend Les Paul, creator of "the solid body electric guitar." May, with her swirl of blond streaked hair and gold dress, worked her rockabilly vocal style well; then Beck launched into an extended solo that artfully paid tribute to Paul.

2010 Grammy Awards -- Grammy Loses Its Voice

Winning the award for strangest presenter, Quentin Tarantino arrived on the Grammy Awards stage in a black and white polka dot shirt with the collar up and aviator sunglasses. Looking like he was channeling Elvis and speaking in some strange urban accent, Tarantino announced the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award for Clark Terry, then introduced a rap trio.

Backed by drummer Travis Barker, Lil Wayne, Eminem, and Drake performed a medley of "Forever" and "Drop the World". Considering that the censors dropped the sound out for about half the Grammy Awards performance, it was tough to get into the vibe of it. I'm still a fan of Eminem's style--he has that rolling cadence that uses the music in words to their best advantage, and he was in top form here--when we could hear him. Drake also has a smooth delivery, but once again, the sound dropping out constantly definitely diminished the impact.

The lack of sound, plus Lil Wayne's "Pants on the Ground" moments, didn't exactly make for an explosive finale to the Grammy Awards. After the stellar splash at the beginning of the night with Lady Gaga, Pink, and Beyoncé, this trio of men was definitely a letdown. It's definitely the Year of the Woman in music.

52nd Annual Grammys -- Album of the Year

Taylor Swift -- Fearless

What was I just saying about the Year of the Woman? For the last award of the night, Grammy Awards presenters John Legend and Carlos Santana presented an ecstatic Taylor Swift with the Album of the Year award. Swift said she was excited to be taking the award back to Nashville, which got a lot of applause from the country stars and fans in the audience. She also said that this Grammy win would be one of the stories she'd be telling her grandkids over and over, until it annoyed them.

I think these all-inclusive Grammy Awards categories are a nightmare. How can you compare rock to pop to country to classical? What often occurs, too, is that the rock albums split the vote and the country or even a more esoteric genre album ends up winning. I also think that there must have been some other country albums worth nominating for Grammy Awards, but Swift is definitely the "It" girl of the moment. Hopefully she'll continue to improve and earn a lasting place in the music industry.

The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards aired on CBS, Sunday night, January 31, 2010, starting at 8/7c.