If you want to see more praise for Beyoncé, stop reading this and go elsewhere. I'm not going to be so generous. Whatever you think of her "politics" and "statement" she made during the halftime show in the Super Bowl (not that I actually noticed this during the performance), she was way out of line. Whether you agree with her "cause", I will leave up to you, but I do have another reason.
I guess Kanye West is smiling very heavily right now. The self-proclaimed "biggest artist of all time", who ruined both Taylor Swift's and Beck's moments in the sun by charging on stage and proclaiming that Beyoncé's video and album, respectively is the best thing since sliced bread, and that others should respect artistry, you know, like Beyoncé has.
Let me start out by saying I don't dislike Beyoncé. She has talent, and has had a good, long career. Her music isn't my genre, but it is what is popular in this day and age of appealing to the least common denominator. But, like a good meal, it has to come with the trimmings.
Here is my problem. This was not Beyoncé's halftime show! That honor belonged to Coldplay, one of the very few rock bands out there that have commanded a presence in the last ten years or so. Chris Martin is one of the more charismatic figures in rock these days. Perhaps that might not be saying much, especially when you compare him to the likes of Mick Jagger, Steven Tyler, Bono and others, but in the new millennium, where rock's importance in the masses has steadily diminished, it's good enough.
But, can a rock band...make that a new rock band (and I realized that Coldplay has been around for quite a while)...., hold a Super Bowl show? They were given the chance, and although the sound system wasn't all too great, they did a decent job. Martin was out there front and center, playing what probably are my two favorite Coldplay songs, "Viva La Vida" and my current #1 "Adventure of a Lifetime". As I have said several times on my blog, there are some really good rock bands out there now. But, bands like Florence + the Machine, The Black Keys, and Fitz & the Tantrums aren't Super Bowl halftime show ready. The only other band from the 2000's that could be, is Maroon 5 (which actress Taraji P. Henson thought who was playing out there, incidentally), but I consider them more of a pop outfit than a rock one. In spite of the sound, Martin and company held their own very nicely.
Of course a Super Bowl halftime show in 2016 needed glitz, and apparently you couldn't have one act having the spotlight to themselves. Enter Bruno Mars. Okay, I like Bruno Mars a lot; two of his songs have reached my top 3 on my blog, one of them, "Uptown Funk" got a resounding round of cheers when it was performed. I don't mind Bruno being there at all; after all, wasn't it just two years ago that the special guests of his were the Red Hot Chili Peppers?. If it were just those two acts, that's fine.
But here comes Beyoncé with her controversy. Say what you will about her stance against police brutality--- as I said, I'll leave it to my political friends to argue about that, but, like her friend Kanye, she stole the show and not in a good way. My point is that this was not her show; she was not the headliner. If you want to respect artistry, then respect the headliner at least. She headlined three years ago, why wasn't that enough? Let someone else shine once.
The fact that people were talking about Beyoncé first, then Mars, and finally Coldplay last again shows the back seat that current rock music has taken. It wasn't enough that the genre has been removed from the top 40 airwaves, but it seems the public goes along with it. Pop fans don't care, and classic rock fans wish it was a 1970's band in there. And perhaps that might be the solution.
After the entire "wardrobe malfunction "in 2004, the show switched to classic rock acts for six years: Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Prince, Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen, before reverting back to current pop acts in 2011. So my question: would Beyoncé upstage a perform like Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street band? To quote my friend Steve Choppy, "Not a chance".
Afterwards, there was a comment from Carlos Santana, leader of the band that bears his name, questioning why, as the game was played in San Francisco, weren't area bands like his, Journey, Metallica, newly Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steve Miller and other bay-area greats, included, and accused the half-time show of not having "real music"? He's got a point for sure. Shouldn't the locals get representation when the game is in their area? When the game was at the Meadowlands two years ago, Bruno headlined, but it would have been nice to see Springsteen there, or even Bon Jovi.
Speaking of Santana, it appears that the original band from the Woodstock era and early 1970's is reforming for a new album. They were one of my favorites from that area and am looking forward to hearing it.
GOING GAGA PART 2: Lady Gaga did a very riveting performance of the National Anthem; some say it rivaled Whitney Houston's version some 25 years earlier She definitely nailed it. But there are some perpetual Gaga-haters who thought otherwise. Okay, okay, let me point out a few things. Yes, she dressed up in outrageous costumes and performed run-of-the-mill pop songs like "Born This Way", "Poker Face", "Bad Romance" and many others during her pop reign. But when the hits started to dry up with her most recent album, and she dropped out of the music business, she became a serious performer. Those who caught her at last year's Oscar's performing songs from The Sound of Music, and being commended by its star Julie Andrews, shouldn't be surprised by her performance. She has a brilliant voice, when used properly and not for the idiotic pop stuff, and she looks stunning dressed as....well, herself. She has gone into acting, as well as singing for motion pictures (she's nominated for Best Song). Kudos to her. Those who just dismiss her based on who she was are simply missing the point.
ANOTHER ICON LEAVES US: Here we go once again. Last week we lost Maurice White, the founder of the R&B/funk band Earth, Wind & Fire. The band, initially popular in the 1970's mixed R&B with other influences such as folk, jazz, and eclectic music. Some of their many hits were "Shining Star", "That's the Way of the World", "After the Love Has Gone" and "September". They had a great cover of the Beatles' "Got to Get You Into My Life" that was featured on the ill-fated movie "Sgt. Pepper". They were a steady band in terms of sales, with many hit albums in succession, and we one of my favorites in the genre in the 1970's. White will definitely be missed.
THIS COMING MONDAY: Another music showdown as the latest Grammy awards takes place. It's interesting how quick this comes after music is prominently featured in the Super Bowl, but that's how the thing works. As I had promised recently, here is a list of nominees in the pertinent SNS-oriented categories:
RECORD OF THE YEAR:
"Really Love", D'Angelo & the Vanguard
"Uptown Funk", Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
"Thinking Out Loud", Ed Sheeran
"Blank Space", Taylor Swift
"Can't Feel My Face", The Weeknd
I know they were all hits, but I have never heard the first one and the last one, and only had a passing glance at Swift's song. For me, it's between "Uptown Funk" and "Thinking Out Loud". The songs were 1-2 on Billboard's year-end list, with Sheeran's song topping my top 100 of 2015 (and still on my SNS 100, by the way in its 45th week). My personal pick would be "Thinking Out Loud", but I think "Uptown Funk" will be the clear winner here.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
"Sound and Color", Alabama Shakes
"To Pimp a Butterfly", Kendrick Lamarr
"Traveller", Chris Stapleton
"1989", Taylor Swift
"Beauty Behind the Madness", The Weeknd
OK, I am not an album person. I've always been song oriented, so I can't really discern what actually is the best album of last year. Swift's obviously has been the most successful, but the award rarely goes to the sales winner. Alternative gets a fair shake in this category as evidenced by Beck's win last year (sorry, Beyoncé!), so Alabama Shakes would appear to have the advantage. That would be my pick, except Lamarr has the rave reviews (and he leads all nominations with 11). Anyone who can recreate the Isley Brother's "That Lady" into the rap song ""I" gets strong mention. While I favor the Shakes, I think Kendrick will walk off with the Grammy.
BEST NEW ARTIST:
Courtney Barnett
James Bay
Sam Hunt
Tori Kelly
Meghan Trainor
For me, no contest, although Meghan Trainor is a good pop artist people should give more credit for--she's more than "All About That Bass". Perhaps she'll win, but the award really should go to Courtney Barnett, hands down. A #1 blog song and two top 25'ers speak volumes with me.
Here are some other categories that feature at least one of my favorite bands.
POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
"Heartbeat Song", Kelly Clarkson
"Love Me Like You Go", Ellie Goulding
"Thinking Out Loud", Ed Sheeran
"Blank Space', "Taylor Swift
"Can't Feel My Face", The Weeknd
I like Clarkson, but was disappointed in her current effort. For me, it's between Goulding and Sheeran, with the latter deserving the nod.
POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
"Ship to Wreck", Florence + the Machine
"Sugar", Maroon 5
"Uptown Funk", Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
"Bad Blood", Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamarr
"See You Again", Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth
Okay, Florence + the Machine pop? Well, it's my fave, but it doesn't belong in this category and thus won't win in it, so who will? "Uptown Funk" has the support, but "See You Again" might be a little more artistic, so I'm going with the Wiz and upstart Puth on this one.
POP VOCAL ALBUM
Kelly Clarkson, "Piece By Piece"
Florence + the Machine, "How Big How Blue How Beautiful"
"Before This World", James Taylor
"Uptown Special", Mark Ronson
"1989", Taylor Swift
Again, Florence should win hands down, but in the pop category it will be tough. James Taylor would be the sentimental favorite, and perhaps Grammy, which always favored classic artists, could win the not. Clarkson's was a disappointment, and was there any other song worthy besides "Uptown Funk"? "1989" may be the fave, so I'll give it a toss up between Taylor (Swift) and Taylor (James).
BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE
"Don't Wanna Fight", Alabama Shakes
:What Kind of Man", Florence + the Machine
"Something From Nothing", Foo Fighters
"Ex's and Oh's", Elle King
"Moaning Lisa Smile", Wolf Alice
NOW we're talking! All five I have heard and added to my SNS 100. How do you decide? Well, although Wolf Alice is a good band, they're weak compared to the others. Foo Fighters have the veteran factor and most always should be considered. But the other three have all hit the top 3 of my blog chart, with the Shakes going to #1. I think it'll be between King and Brittany Howard and crew (with apologies to Florence). At least the women have a shot here and I'll give the nod to King.
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
"Sound & Color", Alabama Shakes
"Vulnicura", Bjork
"The Waterfall, My Morning Jacket
"Currents", Tame Impala
"Star Wars", Wilco
The final meat & potatoes of the rock categories. I know they were all critically acclaimed, but lets eliminate Bjork (sorry). My Morning Jacket and Wilco have been faves, but for me the albums have a some unevenness to it. Tame Impala would be a worthy choice, but let's let the Shakes have their due. "Sound & Color" it is....
As far as the other categories, Leon Bridges is nominated for Best R&B album for "Coming Home" (in which the title song reached the top of my chart); Chris Stapleton, knocking on my top 20 with "Traveller", is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance with that song, and he and Sam Hunt ("Montevallo") are in the running for Best Country Album.
This blog is too long already so I will end it there, just noting that Coldplay's "Adventure of a Lifetime" stays at the top of my list, and also tops Billboard's Alternative and Triple-A airplay charts. A mix of new and established alt-rock bands, and a few pop items debut. As always, click on the link and listen for yourself.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100
February 7,
2016
| This Week | Last Week | ARTIST-Title | Weeks on List |
| 1 | 1 | NUMBER ONE:
"Adventure of A
Lifetime"
Album: A Head Full of Dreams
(2 weeks at #1)
|
10 |
| 2 | 2 | Elle King - Under the Influence | 5 |
| 3 | 6 | Iration - 867 | 11 |
| 4 | 9 | Adele - When We Were Young | 5 |
| 5 | 7 | Mutemath - Monument | 11 |
| 6 | 5 | Smash Palace - Haddontown | 14 |
| 7 | 4 | The Dreamers - Wolves (You Got Me) | 13 |
| 8 | 15 | Foals - Give It All | 3 |
| 9 | 10 | Cage the Elephant - Mess Around | 14 |
| 10 | 3 | Florence + the Machine - Queen of Peace | 15 |
| 11 | 8 | Leila Hegazy - Maybe If We Try | 12 |
| 12 | 18 | Phoebe Ryan - Ignition/Do You | 11 |
| 13 | 11 | Gwen Stefani - Used to Love You | 12 |
| 14 | 13 | Zac Brown Band - Loving You Easy | 15 |
| 15 | 24 | TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
"Lover
Come Back"
Album: If I Should Go Before You
|
9 |
| 16 | 17 | The Revivalists - Keep Going | 13 |
| 17 | 29 | Lake Street Dive - Call Off Your Dog | 7 |
| 18 | 14 | St. Paul & the Broken Bones - Broken Bones & Pocket Change | 19 |
| 19 | 16 | Brick + Mortar - Train | 11 |
| 20 | 12 | Thomas Rhett - Crash and Burn | 16 |
|
|
Songs
with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week.
● Songs
with 25 or more plays on my iPod.
▲ Songs with 50 or more plays on my iPod. 
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