[ I'd Like To Thank God, Part Two - February 28, 2002 ]
I'd Like to Thank God, Part Two written by Steve Reynolds
It's
an hour after the Grammys as I write this, and somehow I
actually stayed awake until this point. This show was expanded
by 30 minutes, but yet it seemed like an extra three hours.
And what a crime it was, making people sit through the last
75 minutes to wait for the last two awards. A friend of
mine had a great observation about the evening's festivities;
"Every time someone performed, then won an award, it looked
more and more like the People's Choice Awards!"
Now this isn't a bitter rant because
I only got six out of eleven right on my predictions. Let's
see where it all went wrong...
Alternative Music Album Tori Amos - Strange Little
Girls
Bjork - Vespertine
Coldplay - Parachutes
Fatboy Slim - Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars
Radiohead - Amnesiac
We Picked: Radiohead. Winner: Coldplay
This wasn't a big shocker, since Coldplay was the only
act to have a big hit from their album.
Hard Rock Performance Alien Ant Farm-"Smooth Criminal"
Linkin Park-"Crawling"
P.O.D.-"Alive"
Rage Against the Machine-"Renegades of Funk"
Saliva-"Your Disease"
We
Picked: Linkin Park Winner:
Linkin Park At least they won't have to face the Best
New Artist curse (see Arrested Development, Hootie and
the Blowfish).
Rock Performance by a Duo or
Group With Vocal Aerosmith - "Jaded"
Coldplay - "Yellow"
Dave Matthews Band - "The Space Between"
Train - "Drops of Jupiter"
U2 - "Elevation"
We
Picked: U2
Winner: U2 This one was easy.
Male Rock Vocal Performance Ryan Adams - "New York, New York"
Eric Clapton - "Superman Inside"
Bob Dylan - "Honest With Me"
Lenny Kravitz - "Dig In"
John Mellencamp - "Peaceful World"
We Picked: Bob Dylan
Winner: Lenny Kravitz. This is the fourth year in
a row Kravitz has won this category. I could see "Fly
Away," but picking a Guess Who cover, a weak Greatest
Hits add-on and now a truly dreadful tune. Ugh.
Pop Performance By a Duo or
Group With Vocal Backstreet Boys - "Shape of My
Heart"
Five for Fighting - "Superman (It's Not Easy)"
NSync - "Gone"
R.E.M. - "Imitation of Life"
U2 - "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of"
We
Picked: U2
Winner: U2 This one was easy too.
Male Pop Vocal Performance Craig David - "Fill Me In"
Michael Jackson - "You Rock My World"
Elton John - "I Want Love"
Brian McKnight - "Still"
James Taylor - "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight"
We Picked: Elton John
Winner: James Taylor. Of course a re-recording of
a 30-year-old song would win. Why didn't I think of that???
Female Pop Vocal Performance Nelly Furtado - "I'm Like a Bird"
Faith Hill - "There You'll Be"
Janet Jackson - "Someone to Call My Lover"
Sade - "By Your Side"
Lucinda Williams - "Essence"
We
Picked: Nelly Furtado
Winner: Nelly Furtado. What was she thinking playing
this song with Steve Vai?
Best New Artist India.Arie
Nelly Furtado
David Gray
Alicia Keys
Linkin Park
We
Picked: Alicia Keys
Winner: Alicia Keys. Let's see if she's the next
Sheryl Crow, or the next Debbie Boone.
Song of the Year "Drops of Jupiter" - Train
"Fallin'"- Alicia Keys
"I'm a Like a Bird" - Nelly Furtado
"Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" - U2
"Video" - India.Arie
We
Picked: "Fallin'" Winner:
"Fallin'." Now let's retire this song, thank you.
Record of the Year "Video"-India.Arie
"Fallin'"-Alicia Keys
"Ms. Jackson"-Outkast
"Drops of Jupiter"-Train
"Walk On"-U2
We Picked: Alicia Keys Winner:
U2. A surprise, but a very pleasant one-a well deserving
record.
Album of the Year India.Arie - Acoustic Soul
Bob Dylan - Love and Theft O Brother, Where Art Thou Soundtrack
Outkast - Skankonia
U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind
We Picked: U2 Winner:
O Brother. I thought this was long shot, but after
seeing this album win everything it was nominated for,
I could tell there was no stopping it. Being able to watch
a stellar roots/bluegrass performance in the middle of
this bloated catastrophe restored my faith in music for
an oh-so-brief-time.
It's
an hour after the Grammys as I write this, and somehow I
actually stayed awake until this point. This show was expanded
by 30 minutes, but yet it seemed like an extra three hours.
And what a crime it was, making people sit through the last
75 minutes to wait for the last two awards. A friend of
mine had a great observation about the evening's festivities;
"Every time someone performed, then won an award, it looked
more and more like the People's Choice Awards!" 
©
Figgle 2001-2003