Grammy's Rock Again!

Wow.

A few years ago someone at the Grammys got the bright idea to really focus on musicianship and well-prepared presentations.

This year, we had another show jam-packed with great performances.

The night got off to the right start with The Police reunited and the Dixie Chicks (did anyone else catch Will Farrell playing drums for both the Chicks and Chili Peps?). A lil later, Mary J. Blige finally, finally delivered on all her promise and gave the performance of her career --- what I thought at the time would be the standout of the night.

It wasn't it. Someone had the brilliant idea of having Christina Aguilera sing James Brown's "This Is A Man's World." Her over-the-top histrionics fit the song perfectly. With film clips of Brown in the background, Aguilera came through with a stunning and transcendent rendition of the classic.

Justin Timberlake exceeded my expectations and the Chili Peps didn't meet them.

The only real lull in the show came in the middle where - in what surely must have been a pandering gesture to the "Country" crowd - Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flats were allowed to combine for four painful long songs. Underwood started out with a Bob Wills piece that would have been a hit --- IF WE WERE WATCHING THE OPENING ACT AT THE COUNTY FAIR! The primped and preened Flats' boys followed with a karaoke version of the Eagles' signature hit "Hotel California." Unfortunately, the Eagles tribute was not done. The Flats and Underwood were then coupled together so that Underwood could deliver a soul-less and affected version of "Desperado." Then to show they could have fun, the Flats and Underwood kicked up their heels with a version of "Life In The Fast Lane." It only served to lift the whole shebang to the level of drunken karaoke.

I thought order would be restored when Smokey Robinson took to the stage --- but the dude showed up with the greenest fucking eyes to ever exist on the planet. In fact, it made him look like some alien not of this planet. Unbelieveably, it took Lionel Richie to bring us back by not oversinging the bittersweet ballad "Hello."

The show fully returned to its greatness when 17 year old Chris Brown stomped the shit out of the yard with an incredible, awe-inspiring dance number.

Oh ... and Shakira was there too.