Grammy watch
By CATHY LOGAN AND MATT ELLIOTT World Scene Staff
2/11/2007
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Underwood, Rascal Flatts among Oklahomans up for awards
The biggest night of the year for the music industry comes Sunday when the Grammy awards are handed out.PublishCritics across the country are abuzz about Mary J. Blige and her eight Grammy nominations. Just a year ago, comeback queen Mariah Carey came into the ceremony with the year's top-selling album, its most popular song and eight nominations. The three awards she actually won seemed anticlimactic.
Ah, what a difference a year makes. In 2006, the top-selling act in the United States was Rascal Flatts, featuring Picher's Joe Don Rooney.
The best-selling album of the year was "Some Hearts," the debut disc by Checotah native and America's sweetheart, Carrie Underwood.
The album went quintuple-platinum, selling more than 5 million copies.
Rascal Flatts and Underwood are two of five Oklahoma acts who will be in the spotlight at Sunday's awards ceremony.
Rascal Flatts earned nominations for best performance by a duo with vocal and best country song.
Underwood is up for best new artist, while her single, "Jesus Take the Wheel" netted her nominations for song of the year, best female country music performance and best country song.
The two acts will combine for a live performance during Sunday's ceremony, perhaps a reprise of Underwood's penultimate appearance on "American Idol," when she was joined by Rascal Flatts to perform the band's "Bless the Broken Road."
Garth Brooks, a native Oklahoman who currently lives near Owasso, will return to the spotlight he dominated for a decade. This time he'll share the stage -- and the limelight -- with wife Trisha Yearwood, who shared a nomination for best country collaboration with vocals for the song "Love Will Always Win," on Yearwood's MCA Nashville album, "Jasper County."
Vince Gill, a Norman native who has won more Grammy Awards than any other country artist, could pick up his 18th Grammy trophy by beating out George Strait, Dierks Bentley, Josh Turner and Keith Urban in the best male country vocal performance category.
The only non-country music performance nomination going to Oklahomans is the triple play earned by those outrageous practitioners of nonconformity, the Flaming Lips.
The Lips are up for best rock instrumental performance for the song, "The Wizard Turns On ..."; best alternative music album for the album, "At War with the Mystics"; and best engineered album.
Although the recording academy is notoriously fickle in its affections, this is our predictions on who will take home Grammy gold.
Record of the Year
Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You" from "The Breakthrough"
James Blunt's "You're Beautiful," from "Back to Bedlam"
Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice," from "Taking the Long Way"
Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" from "St. Elsewhere"
Corinne Bailey Rae's "Put Your Records On" from "Corinne Bailey Rae"
Elliott: You couldn't go anywhere last year without hearing James Blunt's sweetly sung love song about a woman he saw out on the street once.
I heard this song so much, I have much of it memorized. I thought it was Maroon 5 for months. My wife likes Blunt, so he gets my nod here.
Logan: "Crazy" was the irresistible song of the year, the one you couldn't get out of your head. Blending old-school psychedelic soul and rock, it was admired and adopted by just about everyone. This should be the song of the year -- which is why it probably won't win. The academy never rewards the songs that are the anthems for their year. Still, it's my pick.
Album of the Year
Dixie Chicks' "Taking the Long Way"
Gnarls Barkley's "St. Elsewhere"
John Mayer's "Continuum"
Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Stadium Arcadium"
Justin Timberlake "FutureSex/LoveSounds"
Elliott: Let's face it. Mayer sucks. The Chili Peppers seem to be coasting but did well on the charts. The Dixie Chicks haven't gotten the chart success they had in previous years, although "Taking the Long Way" went double-platinum. I predict that no one will be able to stand up to the Timberlake juggernaut and he will be our winner here.
Logan: As long as "Stadium Arcadium" doesn't win, I'm OK. (That was the wimpiest disc of the entire year.) I love the Dixie Chicks' cheeky romp, but I agree that Timberlake will probably get the award.
Song of the Year
Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You," written by Johnta Austin, Blige, Bryan-Michael Cox & Jason Perry
Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take The Wheel," written by Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson
Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice," written by Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison and Dan Wilson.
Corinne Bailey Rae's "Put Your Records On," written by John Beck, Steve Chrisanthou and Corinne Bailey Rae
James Blunt's "You're Beautiful," written by James Blunt, Amanda Ghost and Sacha Skarbek
Elliott: This is a toss-up between Blunt and Blige, both of whom had huge years. But, I'll choose Blunt, because none of the other artists have branched as significantly outside of their genres to as widespread a pop appeal as he has.
Logan: This one is a toss-up between the Dixie Chicks' slap at speech-censoring goons and Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel." Though it seems a stretch for the academy to reward a song with Jesus in the title, it really is the best written song of the bunch. Score one for Underwood's camp.
Best New Artist
James Blunt
Chris Brown
Imogen Heap
Corinne Bailey Rae
Carrie Underwood
Elliott: This one came down literally to a coin flip between Blunt and Underwood. Normally, I'd prefer Blunt because he writes his own material, but the shiny quarter didn't lie. It read "heads" and so that I means I predict Underwood will win here. I suppose it makes sense though. She's the only one out of the bunch who is truly "new."
Logan: No contest here. Underwood has proven that she has the talent and the charisma to be a big star.
Best Female Country Vocal
Miranda Lambert's "Kerosene"
Martina McBride's "I Still Miss Someone"
LeAnn Rimes' "Something's Gotta Give"
Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel"
Gretchen Wilson's "I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today"
Elliott: I predict that Underwood will win in this category, because this song won her and her songwriters so many accolades from the CMAs and the Academy of Country Music.
Logan: Although I don't believe the academy pays any attention to other awards shows, I think Underwood has a lock on the award.
Best Country Song
Dierks Bentley's "Every Mile a Memory," by Brett Beavers, Bentley and Steve Bogard.
Gretchen Wilson's "I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today," by Matraca Berg & Jim Collins
Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel," by Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson.
Alan Jackson's "Like Red on a Rose," by Melanie Castleman and Robert Lee Castleman.
Rascal Flatts' "What Hurts the Most," by Steve Robson and Jeffrey Steele
Elliott: Yet again, this one was decided by a flip of a coin, only this time it was a copper penny as opposed to a quarter's flip between Underwood and Rascal Flatts. "Heads" states that Underwood's songwriters will beat out Rascal Flatts' songwriters for best country song."
Logan: "Jesus, Take the Wheel" just might make a sweep up this award, too, yet I can't help pick Rascal Flatts' "What Hurts the Most." It is one of those ultimate country songs, full of tears and unrequited love.
Best Country Duo or Group
Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice"
The Duhks' "Heaven's My Home."
Little Big Town's "Boondocks"
Rascal Flatts' "What Hurts the Most"
The Wreckers' "Leave The Pieces"
Elliott: The Dixie Chicks should get their just desserts on this one. I say they handily beat Rascal Flatts. Little Big Town is a good story, and the Wreckers are too, but I believe that Maines' response to the people who threatened to kill her over her remarks about Bush will carry the day.
Logan: The Chicks probably will win, but my vote would go to "What Hurts the Most."
Best Rock Instrumental
Arctic Monkey's "Chun Li's Flying Bird Kick"
Flaming Lips' "The Wizard Turns On ..."
Peter Frampton's "Black Hole Sun"
David Gilmour's "Castellorizon"
Joe Satriani's "Super Colossal"
Elliott: Oklahoma City's the Flaming Lips continued its psychedelic/alternative foray on "At War With the Mystics." It worked, although purists will debate whether their earlier work trumps it. Gilmour did his best work in Pink Floyd, obviously, and I wonder how much popular appeal Satriani has outside the world of guitar lovers. Meanwhile, I didn't even realize Peter Frampton put any new song out last year. I pick the Lips.
Logan: Gilmour is a wonder, although to really appreciate the intricacy of his layered approach, you have to listen to the entire disc. He may get the academy's nod. But my vote goes to the Flaming Lips, who consistently produce some of the most audacious, inventive music on the planet.
Best Alternative Album
Arctic Monkeys' "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not"
Flaming Lips' "At War With the Mystics"
Gnarls Barkley's "St. Elsewhere"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Show Your Bones"
Thom Yorke's "The Eraser"
Elliott: I'll take the Lips again here. All the rest can take a hike, although the award will probably go to Gnarls Barkley. Whatever happens, I'm sure Thom Yorke, Radiohead's singer, will find some way to remain bitter.
Logan: Ditto.
Best Male Country Voca
Dierks Bentley's "Every Mile a Memory"
Vince Gill's "The Reason Why"
George Strait's "The Seashores of Old Mexico"
Josh Turner's "Would You Go With Me"
Keith Urban's "Once in a Lifetime"
Elliott: Vince Gill's song with Alison Krauss was part of a four-CD set the singer/guitarist released last year. That's right. Most people release single CDs for studio albums, Gill releases a four-CD set. However, he has had his turn in the spotlight. I'll give Cross Canadian Ragweed's tourmate Bentley the nod on this one, although it will probably go to Urban.
Logan: Possessing one of the most lyrical voices in any kind of music today, Vince Gill deserves the award, although I suspect that the voters will reward George Strait for his craggy, I'm-an-elder-statesman performance.
Best Country Collaboration
Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles' "Who Says You Can't Go Home"
Solomon Burke and Dolly Parton's "Tomorrow Is Forever"
Kenny Rogers and Don Henley's "Calling Me"
Rhonda Vincent and Bobby Osborne's "Midnight Angel"
Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks' "Love Will Always Win"
Elliott: I think it's about time Rhonda Vincent got her nod from the establishment that has never given her her due. She's one of the most prolific bluegrass and country music artists in her genre and she's been doing it since she was knee-high to a grasshopper. Plus, she tried to scare me out of my hiccups at the Claremore Bluegrass & Chili Festival last year. I don't think Rogers, Bon Jovi, Burke, Parton, Henley, Yearwood or Brooks would've done that. But, the award will probably go to Bon Jovi and Nettles.
Logan: I think this category has the most interesting mix of artists of any of the 108 awards the Grammy will give this year. Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles and rocker Bon Jovi had an impressive ride on the record chart with the No. 1 duet, "Who Says You Can't Go Home" and they're the likely winners. I've long thought that Trisha Yearwood has the best voice of any female country singer, and her duet with Garth is a sweet coda to the saga they've written with their other collaborations. But who would have suspected that blues legend Solomon Burke and Dolly Parton could have blended voices and stylings so well. Every pairing here is a winner, but I have to vote for Yearwood and Brooks, whose love did ultimately take the prize.
Matt Elliott 581-8366
matt.elliott@tulsaworld.com
Cathy Logan 581-8335
cathy.logan@tulsaworld.com
music
49th annual Grammy Awards
When: 7 p.m. SundayWhere: CBS, channel 6
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