Here we have The 56th Annual Grammy Awards, the year was 2014 and the music industry celebrated their finest. They say that every year, but it seems that back then, it was actually true for once. I have seen quite a few old Grammy shows in recent months and most of them were not only forgettable, but also pretty embarrassing at times. Not so this one. The performances are good and feature some unlikely combinations (Metallica e.g.) that are still working. The tribute to the deceased was handled very carefully and with class and style. The winners all made songs that were either catchy or good, most of the time both. The event runs for 2 hours and 45 minutes roughly without commercial break. And it includes something for everybody. Beatles lovers get Paul and Ringo. Country lovers get Willie, Kris and Merle. 80s and 90s fans get Madonna. Film fans get Jamie Foxx, Steve Coogan, Anna Kendrick and Julia Roberts. And the current generation gets all their new heroes from that year like Lorde, Pharrell, Taylor Swift, Macklemore and Lewis, Beyonce, Daft Punk etc. Besides there are many more big names in here like Smokey Robinson and Steven Tyler showing up together etc. Of course you will also find flaws with this one here like Pauley Perrette was embarrassing, the wedding sequence was a bit exaggerated and cheesy and it was good that "host" LL Cool J had so little screen time. But as a whole, this for once really was the greatest night in music. A thoroughly enjoyable show from start to finish that never dragged despite going on for over 150 minutes. I also liked that the songs/artists I wasn't aware of gave performances that were still enjoyable to watch and made me curious about the artists and songs. Thumbs up also to the two writers and director Louis J. Horvitz. His experience clearly shows here. Nice to see this even win an Emmy. All in all, this was an event that never (okay, almost never) took itself really seriously, even if it totally had the right to do so. Extremely well done and with how bad the most recent Grammy ceremonies were this one here is really one to take a look at if they want to find a certain level of quality again. Highly recommended.
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Stretching for around 3 hours, LL Cool J started and ended the show with nice notes. I can relate to Nine Inch Nails' ire over the producers for rolling the credits during their gig where I can't figure out how extra 5 minutes would do harm in CBS's TV schedule.
Anyhow, it started off with a naughty (or knotty?) number by Beyonce and her dapper spouse. They looked elegant and more in love. Jamie Foxx's comment on it was uncalled for, though. With brilliant award giveaways (especially the presence of Daft Punk and their enigmatic appearances) and pure rock performances, the show moved ahead. With the Beatles' 2 members among the guests and deserving new artists getting recognized by the Academy, I felt good for the music industry. In memory of rockers, musicians and late geniuses, the show paid respect.
Still, few performances turned me off and I am not mentioning whose they were. Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis stole my heart with their performance & what simultaneously happened along their gig is truly remarkable. It was real treat to legends coming along newbies and spreading love with music.
Also, recognition to already established musicians was something I did not like. Their music is worthy, anyways.
BOTTOM LINE: I enjoyed the whole program. It was memorable!