Blogging the 2023 Grammys – Category 63 – Best Musical Theater Album

For albums containing greater 51% playing time of new recordings. Award to the principal vocalist(s), and the album producer(s) of 50% or more playing time of the album. The lyricist(s) and composer(s) of 50 % or more of a score of a new recording are eligible for an Award if any previous recording of said score has not been nominated in this category.

• Caroline, Or Change
  John Cariani, Sharon D Clarke, Caissie Levy & Samantha Williams, principal vocalists; Van Dean, Nigel Lilley, Lawrence Manchester, Elliot Scheiner & Jeanine Tesori, producers; Jeanine Tesori, composer; Tony Kushner, lyricist (New Broadway Cast)
• Into The Woods (2022 Broadway Cast Recording)
  Sara Bareilles, Brian d’Arcy James, Patina Miller & Phillipa Soo, principal vocalists; Rob Berman & Sean Patrick Flahaven, producers (Stephen Sondheim, composer & lyricist) (2022 Broadway Cast)
• MJ The Musical
  Myles Frost & Tavon Olds-Sample, principal vocalists; David Holcenberg, Derik Lee & Jason Michael Webb, producers (Original Broadway Cast)
• Mr. Saturday Night
  Shoshana Bean, Billy Crystal, Randy Graff & David Paymer, principal vocalists; Jason Robert Brown, Sean Patrick Flahaven & Jeffrey Lesser, producers; Jason Robert Brown, composer; Amanda Green, lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)
• Six: Live On Opening Night
  Joe Beighton, Tom Curran, Sam Featherstone, Paul Gatehouse, Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss, producers; Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast)
• A Strange Loop
  Jaquel Spivey, principal vocalist; Michael Croiter, Michael R. Jackson, Charlie Rosen & Rona Siddiqui, producers; Michael R. Jackson, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)

I like musicals. I like seeing musicals. I even like movie musicals. I guess I set the bar pretty high – I like the old school Rogers & Hammerstein style musicals. The last time I was in New York I opted not to see any of these shows. I made a good choice not seeing any of these, as it was a real slog getting through them.

I have been curious about Into the Woods for several years now, and after listening to this production I don’t feel like I need to see it in person. It is a beloved favorite, and I’m glad people like it. I prefer Sondheim the lyricist to Sondheim the composer. His melodies are too angular for my taste, whatever that means.

The only thing on here I even remotely could have enjoyed in person would have been Six, a silly show starring the six wives of Henry VIII. It sounds like it was very entertaining in person. Probably won’t age well with all the topical references. It did make me laugh in one spot, so good for them.

The MJ thing sounds fine for fans of Michael Jackson. There were a few songs in it I had never heard – I’m wondering if Jermaine slipped in one of his compositions to earn some extra money. Maybe Marlon did.

I have nothing positive to say about the other two entries, except to say I didn’t make it all the way through one of them. I am confident they have their audiences that loved them, and I’m ok with that. They just weren’t my thing.

Blogging the 2023 Grammys – Category 64 – Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

Award to the principal artist(s) and/or ‘in studio’ producer(s) of a majority of the tracks on the album. In the absence of both, award to the one or two individuals proactively responsible for the concept and musical direction of the album and for the selection of artists, songs and producers, as applicable. Award also goes to appropriately credited music supervisor(s).

• ELVIS
  (Various Artists)
• Encanto
  (Various Artists)
• Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4 (Vol 2)
  (Various Artists)
• Top Gun: Maverick
  Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga, Hans Zimmer & Lorne Balfe
• West Side Story
  (Various Artists)

Turns out the nominee here that I most dreaded listening to was my favorite of this bunch. We’ve become so accustomed to hearing vocalists auto-tuned into singing robots it’s a shock and refreshing to hear vocalists who can actually sing. West Side Story really surprised me. The recording is bright and full, and the singers here can really sing! What a concept. Why didn’t Leonard Bernstein write more for Broadway? The music here is still amazing, Sondheim’s lyrics are still insightful – I guess this is a tough one to mess up.

The ELVIS soundtrack plays much like the movie – a fever-dream of Elvis-ness. Mix in some EDM, Jack White, hip-hop, and Elvis’ disembodied vocals and here we are. It’s not terrible, but I don’t know why anyone would want to listen to this more than once.

The songs in Encanto are fine. It’s the vocals I have issue with. So much Auto-Tune! The tweaking makes this almost unlistenable. I’m not really sure what I need to say about the Stranger Things collection – it’s just a hodge-podge of 80’s stuff. Some good, some crap, whatever.

Top Gun: Maverick features a lot of Harold Faltermeyer. I’m not sure I need to say anything else about this one. Lady Gaga is there. Ok.

Blogging the 2023 Grammys – Category 65 – Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television)

Award to Composer(s) for an original score created specifically for, or as a companion to, a current legitimate motion picture, television show or series, or other visual media.

• The Batman
  Michael Giacchino, composer
• Encanto
  Germaine Franco, composer
• No Time To Die
  Hans Zimmer, composer
• The Power Of The Dog
  Jonny Greenwood, composer
• Succession: Season 3
  Nicholas Britell, composer

Out of these five scores, I liked the Jonny Greenwood the most, which is amazing considering the amount of dislike I have for his band, Radiohead. In OST-land he’s very creative and somewhat pleasing. I also didn’t mind The Batman score. Very moody and sounds great!

No Time To Die wasn’t a bad listen, but the most memorable moments tended to be when the old Bond Theme was thrown in. I’m not a f an of Encanto, but maybe I’ll watch the movie. I hated what little bit of Succession I watched, but the soundtrack was fine.

Blogging the 2023 Grammys – Category 66 – Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media

Award to Composer(s) for an original score created specifically for, or as a companion to, video games and other interactive media.

• Aliens: Fireteam Elite
  Austin Wintory, composer
• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn Of Ragnarok
  Stephanie Economou, composer
• Call Of Duty®: Vanguard
  Bear McCreary, composer
• Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy
  Richard Jacques, composer
• Old World
  Christopher Tin, composer

I listened to every minute of every one of these releases. I have played zero minutes of any of these video games. Musically, this stuff just sets a mood. Not much of it is very musical, oddly enough. Lot’s of dramatic whooshes and orchestral yelps, but there’s not much “there” there. Did I mention that each release has north of 25 pieces? I listened to it all hoping to find something nice to write about. The only one of the batch I enjoyed was Old World. It was lovely and evocative. I would listen to it again. I might even play the game.

Blogging the 2023 Grammys – Category 67 – Best Song Written For Visual Media

A Songwriter(s) award. For a song (melody & lyrics) written specifically for a motion picture, television, video games or other visual media, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• Be Alive [From King Richard]
  Beyoncé & Darius Scott Dixson, songwriters (Beyoncé)
• Carolina [From Where The Crawdads Sing]
  Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
• Hold My Hand [From Top Gun: Maverick]
  Bloodpop® & Stefani Germanotta, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
• Keep Rising (The Woman King) [From The Woman King]
  Angelique Kidjo, Jeremy Lutito & Jessy Wilson, songwriters (Jessy Wilson Featuring Angelique Kidjo)
• Nobody Like U [From Turning Red]
  Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (4*Town, Jordan Fisher, Finneas O’Connell, Josh Levi, Topher Ngo, Grayson Villanueva)
• We Don’t Talk About Bruno [From Encanto]
  Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter (Carolina Gaitán – La Gaita, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & Encanto – Cast)

The Bruno song will win. Is there anything else to add to this category? The Beyonce song is really good, but wasn’t Will Smith in this movie? No way it can win because of the slap heard ’round the world. What an idiot. The Taylor Swift song is the best one here. Lady Gaga is a great singer, a mediocre artist. I didn’t like the rest of the nominees. NEXT!

Blogging the 2023 Grammys – Category 68 – Best Instrumental Composition

A Composer’s Award for an original composition (not an adaptation) first released during the Eligibility Year. Singles or Tracks only.

• African Tales
  Paquito D’Rivera, composer (Tasha Warren & Dave Eggar)
• El País Invisible
  Miguel Zenón, composer (Miguel Zenón, José Antonio Zayas Cabán, Ryan Smith & Casey Rafn)
• Fronteras (Borders) Suite: Al-Musafir Blues
  Danilo Pérez, composer (Danilo Pérez Featuring The Global Messengers)
• Refuge
  Geoffrey Keezer, composer (Geoffrey Keezer)
• Snapshots
  Pascal Le Boeuf, composer (Tasha Warren & Dave Eggar)

I’m at the point in this process where my enthusiasm has left the building. Why are Tasha Warren & Dave Eggar in here twice? The votes for them will get split, and the victory may go to Geoffrey Keezer! Who the hell is Geoffrey Keezer and how did he get nominated for a Grammy?

Did you know African Tales is a clarinet / Cello (or is it Viola?) duet? Now you do! It’s almost ten minutes long and I have no listened to it twice. Why did I do that? It is a cool piece, I like it fine. But why was it nominated for a Grammy? Who are these nominations for? They don’t even broadcast them on television. You have to watch them online in the afternoon. Which, of course, I do!

Did you know El País Invisible is a chamber work for piano and saxaphone and some other instruments? Why isn’t this in the classical category? I don’t know! Did you know this piece was twelve minutes long? It also is a nice piece of music, but who is this for? Who is the audience for quasi-jazzy-chamber pieces? Composition majors? I don’t know!

Did you know Fronteras (Borders) Suite: Al-Musafir Blues is also twelve minutes long, and features a guy and gal singing wordlessly along with a violin, bass, and some other stringed instrument? It’s neat. Should you take a listen? You probably won’t like it. Who is this for?

Of course no one stands a chance against the powerhouse Geoffrey Keezer. He dips in with an eight and a half minute piece of instrumental music for orchestra. Why did he make this. Who paid the musicians. Why did it turn into a jazz thing. I am really confused.

Tasha Warren & Dave Eggar, as mentioned above, have two nominations. Why? Are they that much better than Geoffrey Keezer! Don’t misunderstand me, I liked all of these entries. But I am a musical carnivore chewing up dozens of hours of music each week. I like doing this Grammy exercise because I don’t have to decide what to listen to today. I just turn this on and let it take me where it will.

Blogging the 2023 Grammys – Category 69 – Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

An Arranger’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• As Days Go By (An Arrangement Of The Family Matters Theme Song)
  Armand Hutton, arranger (Armand Hutton Featuring Terrell Hunt & Just 6)
• How Deep Is Your Love
  Matt Cusson, arranger (Kings Return)
• Main Titles (Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness)
  Danny Elfman, arranger (Danny Elfman)
• Minnesota, WI
  Remy Le Boeuf, arranger (Remy Le Boeuf)
• Scrapple From The Apple
  John Beasley, arranger (Magnus Lindgren, John Beasley & The SWR Big Band Featuring Martin Aeur)

If there was ever a category that defied explanation (there are several) here’s one of them. Two of the pieces here are vocal groups, three are instrumentals. One is even part of a film score. Why? None of these stand out enough to actually win a Grammy. Why is there a smooth jazz / vocalese version of an old TV Theme song? What happened to Take 6? Did they turn into Just 6? What makes a choral version of a Bee Gees song shine above the others? How did Danny Elfman get in here? What the heck is this piece about Wisconsin? Lastly, why is there a random Latin Jazz piece? I don’t know. The Grammys are horrible.

Blogging the 2023 Grammys – Category 70 – Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

An Arranger’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• Let It Happen
  Louis Cole, arranger (Louis Cole)
• Never Gonna Be Alone
  Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Lizzy McAlpine & John Mayer)
• Optimistic Voices / No Love Dying
  Cécile McLorin Salvant, arranger (Cécile McLorin Salvant)
• Songbird (Orchestral Version)
  Vince Mendoza, arranger (Christine McVie)
• 2 + 2 = 5 (Arr. Nathan Schram)
  Nathan Schram & Becca Stevens, arrangers (Becca Stevens & Attacca Quartet)

Grammy voters are usually older. I predict Christine McVie will win this Grammy. The rules are as follows: Anyone who just passed away wins. Name recognition trumps everything. This category typically featured big band arrangements with vocals? Or did I dream that? These tracks are mostly gauzy, mellow blobs that just lay there. A song should move your head, your feet, or your heart. These selections are musical Xanax. The Louis Cole track is the mist boring piece of music I have ever heard. Oh wait, Jacob Collier is here with something even more boring. Cécile McLorin Salvant is in big trouble, because she got that Wizard of Oz song stuck in my head for a few weeks. Her piece devolves into a jazzy blob after the initial excitement. Oh well.

I have no idea why this Christine McVie thing exists. Do people still want to hear their favorite songs “with strings?” Didn’t that disappear in the sixties? If you want to hear a great, lost Christine McVie album, check out her record she recorded with Lindsay Buckingham a few years ago. It’s just about perfect.

I didn’t like the Becca Stevens & Attacca Quartet piece at all. Maybe you will!

Blogging the 2023 Grammys – Category 71 – Best Recording Package

• Beginningless Beginning
  Chun-Tien Hsia & Qing-Yang Xiao, art directors (Tamsui-Kavalan Chinese Orchestra)
• Divers
  William Stichter, art director (Soporus)
• Everything Was Beautiful
  Mark Farrow, art director (Spiritualized)
• Telos
  Ming Liu, art director (Fann)
• Voyeurist
  Tnsn Dvsn, art director (Underoath)

I don’t have the physical item here with me – but I did listen to the music. I’m not sure how Grammy voters select something from this category – I doubt many of them have the physical item in their hands, either. Pete Townshend was right!

I like the Tamsui-Kavalan Chinese Orchestra enough to ‘like’ two of the tracks – Snow in Sunny Spring which is on a traditional Chinese stringed instrument of some kind, and The Mist and Clouds over Xiao-Xiang Rivers. The rest of the pieces featured vocals and percussion and I just don’t understand what’s going on.

I really liked the drone-heavy Divers from Soporus. I listen to this stuff while I am traveling for work – this one really hit the spot in the airport. Music for Airports?

Spiritualized is a band I have been aware of I guess for a few decades. I’ve never listened to them before now – it didn’t change my life, and I did like Always Together With You. Not much else here caught my attention, though.

Fann is whispy precious music, not something I enjoy spending much time with. Underoath are a heavy band with lots of reverb. It’s the exact opposite of anything I would want to listen to.

Blogging the 2023 Grammys – Category 72 – Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

• Artists Inspired By Music: Interscope Reimagined
  Josh Abraham, Steve Berman, Jimmy Iovine, John Janick & Jason Sangerman, art directors (Various Artists)
• Big Mess
  Berit Gwendolyn Gilma, art director (Danny Elfman)
• Black Pumas (Collector’s Edition Box Set)
  Jenna Krackenberger, Anna McCaleb & Preacher, art directors (Black Pumas)
• Book
  Paul Sahre, art director (They Might Be Giants)
• In And Out Of The Garden: Madison Square Garden ’81 ’82 ’83
  Lisa Glines, Doran Tyson & Dave Van Patten, art directors (The Grateful Dead)

I wasn’t able to find the Interscope Reimagined album. I did listen to the Danny Elfman. I’ve never been a huge fan of his rock oeuvre, but I muddled through. Very dramatic and angsty for such a wealthy old guy. The Black Pumas limited edition package came out in 2019. No idea what it’s doing here. I don’t mind this band, but I don’t love them.

I used to detest They Might Be Giants. Their kid’s albums won me over. They have written the greatest song about the letter “e” known to man. Revisiting this album after suffering through it many afternoons while working at a record store, I found that it’s held up well. They still aren’t favorites, but I get it now and they are good at what they do.

I used to detest the The Grateful Dead. My opinion hasn’t changed much. I was able to find one of these concerts online, and I listened to it all the way through. There are so many crimes against music here I don’t know where to begin. A really lame cover of Marty Robbins‘ El Paso comes to mind. The ten minute drum solo called Drums followed by a ten minute thing called Space comes to mind. The keyboard player’s default synth patch tone comes to mind – the plinky thing you hear in their 80’s hit Touch of Gray wasn’t a fluke. This is what the guy wants it to sound like. Jerry Garcia‘s migraine-inducing noodling and piercing guitar tone comes to mind.

People who have musical tastes aligned with mine (Classic Country / P-Funk / Beatles / STAX Records / Hi Records / typical music nerd stuff) have revealed themselves through social media as fans of the Dead. I remain unconvinced and perplexed. Yes, I have broken my rul about not focusing on things I don’t care for, but I have made an exception here because I feel so strongly that the music this band made is terrible. You are free to come over to my place and listen to P-Funk bootlegs that you will probably hate as much as I hate the music of the Grateful Dead. Don’t take this as a personal attack. I worked in a record / CD store for 17 years, and people liking music I don’t like has never bothered me.