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DISC uss ion s
By Greg Hall
Grammy Awards have
never been fair means of rating
talent, nor have they been
anywhere near an adequate
representation of public taste.
The annual Grammy Awards
presentation will be televised
Thursday at 9 p.m. on CBS.
This year there is an extra
effort to accurately feel the
pulse of the record-buying
public, evident in the nomina
tions for the various award
categories.
There are a couple reasons
why the Grammy has lost
stature and prestige. First are
the many new non-music
industry award programs insti
gated by producers like Dick
Clark and Don Kirshner. The
ARTS and CULTURE
second reason corresponds to
the first in that the rival
awards cater to popular tastes
with the hope of having a more
accurate survey. Grammy
Awards have never been
consistent with popular trends
or influential cultural move
ments. The Grammy committee
and judges have always been
biased, with an inner-industry
"snobbery," towards rather
cliched Establishment talent.
Quoting statistics, the
Beatles had won four
Grammies, Bob Dylan one, and
Elvis Presley three. Dylan's
nomination came from his
performance on the soundtrack
to the movie Banes Desh, and
Elvis won his three solely for
C.C. Reader
his gospel recordings. By
comparison, Henry Mancini has
won twenty, Roger Miller has
eleven, and even Bill Cosby has
eight. A solitary exception to
the odds is Stevie Wonder, with
his well-deserved twenty a
wards.
Thursday's Twentieth anni
versary show does include
many logical nominations, but
the end results in most
categories are predictable.
Following are some key
categories with their respective
nominees, my prediction of the
winner, and my personal choice
for winner. The complete list is
a reasonable summary of 1977's
musical direction: the result of
the Awards have always
provoked controversy, many
persons are bound to be
unhappy, and of course much
well-deserved talent has either
been omitted or not recognized.
Album of the year - "Aja,"
Steeley Dan; "Hotel
California," Eagles;
"Rumours," Fleetwood Mac;
"JT," James Taylor; and "Star
Wars," London Symphony
)rchestra.
No two ways about it, my
winner is Fleetwood Mac, and
theirs will be too.
Record of the year - "Blue
Bayou," Linda Ronstadt; "Don't
It Make My Brown Eyes Blue,"
Crystal Gayle; "Hotel
California," Eagles; "Love
Theme From 'A Star Is Born'
(Evergreen)," Barbra
Streisand; and "You Light Up
My Life," Debby Boone.
Although Streisand is a
favorite, my choice here would
be "Hotel California." Debbie
Boone will probably be the
bland darling this year, and the
odds are better than good that
she will take the award.
Song of the Year - "Don't It
Make My Brown Eyes Blue,"
Crystal Gayle; "Hotel
California," Eagles; "Theme
From 'A Star Is Born'
(Evergreen)," Barbra
Streisand; "Nobody Does It
Better," Carly Simon;
"Southern Nights," Glen
Campbell; "You Light Up My
Life," Debby Boone.
Streisand should get it, but
I venture Boone will unani
mously be requested to accept
February 23, 1978
the award on behalf of the
authors of "You Light Up My
Life."
Best new artist of the year -
Stephen Bishop, Debby Boone,
the British group Foreigner,
Shaun Cassidy and Andy Gibb.
None of these choices have
much potential, save the
British-American group
Foreigner. The others are
either pre-teen idols or one-hit
wonders. Last year's Grammy
disaster was choosing Starland
Vocal Band (remember them,
anyone?) over names like
Boston. I speculate their
decision would favor either
Gibb or Boone.
Best pop vocal performance,
male - "After the Lovin',"
Engelbert Humperdinck;
"Handy Man," James Taylor; "I
Just Want To Be Your
Everything," Andy Gibb; "On
and On," Stephen Bishop; and
"When I Need You," Leo Sayer.
Personal preferences are
inclined towards "Handy Man,"
but their choice could be any of
these nominees.
Best pop vocal performance
female - "Blue Bayou," Linda
Ronstadt; "Here You Come
Again," Dolly Parton; "Theme
From 'A Star Is Born'
(Evergreen)," Barbra
Streisand; "Nobody Does It
Better," Carly Simon; and "You
Light Up My Life," Debby
Boone.
Some good vocalists are
represented in this selection,
my favorite again would be
Streisand. Theirs will be Debby
Boone.
Producer of the year - Peter
Asher (James Taylor,
Ronstadt), Bill Szymczyk
(Eagles), Richard Perry (Leo
Sayer, Diana Ross), Gamble &
Huff (Philadelphia
International Records soul),
and Albhy Galutin and Karl
Richardson (Bee Gees).
All of these names signify
great talent. Peter Asher may
be a favorite, though.
After tallying awards, my
guess is that this year's
Grammies will not be much
different than previous years.
Sentimental favorites, especi
ally one that happens to be Pat
Boone's daughter, have an
undecided advantage, and the
statistics of past sentimental
favorites prove it. And no other
song characterized the bland
mood of '77 like "You Light Up
My Life," in which Ms. Boone
admits she was not singing to
her lover so much as to her
Savior. Cute and wholesome.
Elvis Costello, where are
you?
Come see Angela
[Estelle] the nymphoman
iac baby-killer in "No
Exit"
"Film Festival"
The Tarnhelm Film Festival
will resume in mid-March. The
final group of films in the series
includes a short art film,
Drelllocof the Wild Horses, and
Ow. classis dance film Moor's
Pavane, based,/ on
Shakespeare's Othello. Also
featured will be films on
contemporary poet Hart Crane.