For starters, I need to vent about CBS’ decision to tape delay the show for those of us on the west coast. WHY? Well, I know why. God forbid they should shelve their money-maker, “60 Minutes,” for a week or air it after the Grammys. Somehow, the Oscars, Globes and Super Bowl always manage to broadcast their events in real time for us Left Coasters.
On to the good stuff.
* LL Cool J did a nice job as host. He transitioned smoothly from the prayer for Whitney Houston to a celebration of the year’s best in music.
* I hated the Foo Fighters and had to leave the room when they were performing. They “made my ears bleed,” as the saying goes.
* Excellent duet by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt in tribute to Etta James. Well done, ladies.
* Not-so-excellent duet (or whatever it was) by Rihanna and Coldplay’s Chris Martin. What I did enjoy was Rihanna, period. She’s electric and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Chris Martin, on the other hand, sounded like a cat in heat.
* Bruno Mars’ number was great. I was on my feet dancing the whole time.
* Why does Tony Bennett still look the same? Isn’t he like 90 years old?
* I loved the Civil Wars! Their “Hunger Games” soundtrack intro of Taylor Swift made me want to see the movie.
* Speaking of Taylor Swift, she’s flat out adorable. My only quibble was with the staging. I can’t stand when the microphone blocks a singer’s face/mouth.
* The Beach Boys’ reunion was…odd. I wasn’t sure if Brian Wilson knew what was going on, except for his occasional “Bop Bop Bop”s.
* I’m thrilled for Sir Paul McCartney that he’s found love again, but his Valentine song was something I could have written….when I was 10. Luckily, he came back with a winning closing number to the show with lyrics that had special meaning because of Whitney Houston’s death.
* Jennifer Hudson’s own nod to Houston was very moving in its simplicity. She’s seen her own heartbreak and loss, so I found her rendition of “I Will Always Love You” poignant and memorable.
* Adele is so refreshing. She doesn’t look or act or sing like every other young female pop artist, and deserves all the awards she got. Talk about a sweep.
* I wish Glen Campbell well. He doesn’t have an easy road ahead of him.
