Wow, what an amazingly nowhere show. Are sequins and skin the metric for success in the new era? Does the world need another robotic dance troop born of break-dancing circa '80-something? Might the falling ratings and sales figures for music in general have anything to do with the quality of the music? And why doesn't the Grammy Association take a chance and bring the best in music of all kinds forth to the television viewing public? Instead, we are treated to a one dimensional, over the top extravaganza of costumes, extras, and overwrought performances. Not to take away from Andrea Boccelli, Jeff Beck, Zac Brown and Kings of Leon, but for the most part, I really don't care about most of what I watched last night. And why don't the Grammys even scroll the pre-telecast winners as they used to do? Then it is capped with the In Memoriam segment. One wonders if the artists that are NOT on the telecast will be able to achieve consensus enough among the American audience to have their lives noted on future Grammys.

I do care about so many categories that the Grammys award, though, and we would like to give a shout out to Levon Helm for bagging the first ever singularly branded "Best Americana Album" category for Electric Dirt. And Kudos to Steve Earle, Buckwheat Zydeco, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Bela Fleck, Steve Martin, Derek Trucks, Loudon Wainwright III and Bill Miller for keeping it real!

-Jessie