For the record

Author: Alex Blair

The 51st annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on Feb. 8 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and, as usual, there was plenty to talk about - between a great performance by Radiohead, Blink-182's momentous reunion and M.I.A. nearly giving birth on stage (she was over eight months pregnant at the time), the night was packed full of interesting moments. For many people, album of the year - the show's final and most prestigious award - garnered the most surprise. Always a controversial category, the 2009 version proved no exception.

This year's nominees were (drum roll please) "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" by Coldplay, "Tha Carter III" by Lil Wayne, "Year of the Gentleman" by Ne-Yo, "Raising Sand" by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss and "In Rainbows" by Radiohead. The winner, to the chagrin of many, was "Raising Sand." Why was there such hostility toward this album? The answer is simple: most people haven't heard this wonderful collection of country-tinged folk songs. That said, "Raising Sand," along with "In Rainbows," didn't belong in the album of the year category. In fact, they didn't belong in this year's Grammys at all. Both were released in October 2007, so they should have been honored at the 2008 ceremony. But the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has the inane policy that all albums released after September 30 cannot be nominated until the following year. That doesn't make much sense. Although "Raising Sand" and "In Rainbows" are both excellent, they should not have been considered for the best album of 2008. That leaves the "Year of the Gentleman," "Viva La Vida," and "Tha Carter III".

Ne-Yo's "Year of the Gentleman" is a good R&B album, but that's about all it is. It's not even the best R&B album of 2008. That distinction goes to Kanye West's "808s & Heartbreak" (yes, 50 Cent was correct in deeming it an R&B record). But "808s" was released in November, meaning it can't be nominated for a Grammy until about the year 2019. Highly unoriginal, "Year of the Gentleman" copies the same formula of Ne-Yo's two previous albums and, song-for-song, it's the weakest of this year's nominees. While tracks like "Closer" and "Why Does She Stay" are memorable, "Year of the Gentleman" lacks the consistency needed to leave a lasting impression.

"Viva La Vida" is Coldplay's best album. Fans of "A Rush of Blood to the Head" will be in an uproar over that statement, but unlike that album, "Viva La Vida" doesn't put me to sleep. Brian Eno's sonic production brings much needed energy and liveliness to Coldplay's songs. The upbeat "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love" and the title track, which deservedly won the Grammy for song of the year, are two highlights. "Viva La Vida" is one of 2008's best albums, and if Coldplay decided to include the tracks "Life in Technicolor II" and "Glass of Water" from their "Prospekt's March" EP (one of the year's best extended plays), it might have taken home the hardware.

The distinction for most original album of 2008 went to "Tha Carter III." No rap artist has ever made a song like "Dr. Carter" in which Weezy literally resuscitates the nearly dead hip-hop industry. The album also includes the number-one hit "Lollipop" and the E.T.-inspired "Phone Home," the latter including some of the best raps of '08 ("I'm rare/Like Mr. Clean with hair.") Years from now, "Tha Carter III" will be considered a classic not just in the rap genre, but in all music circles.

So if "Raising Sand" and "In Rainbows" did not receive nominations, what should have been named album of the year? That's easy: Vampire Weekend's eponymous debut. But of course that wasn't nominated, so the answer is "Tha Carter III." Song for song, none of the other nominees can match Weezy's output. He is - as he modestly declares on "Let the Beat Build" - "the best rapper alive."











The 51st annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held earlier this month at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and, as usual, there was plenty to talk about. From great performances by Radiohead to Blink-182's momentous reunion to M.I.A. nearly giving birth on stage (she was over eight months pregnant at the time), the night was packed full of interesting moments. For many people, album of the year - the show's final and most prestigious award - garnered the most surprise. Always a controversial category, the 2009 version proved no exception.

This year's nominees were (drum roll please) "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" by Coldplay, "Tha Carter III" by Lil Wayne, "Year of the Gentleman" by Ne-Yo, "Raising Sand" by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss and "In Rainbows" by Radiohead. The winner, to the chagrin of many, was "Raising Sand." Why was there such hostility towards this album? The answer is simple: most people haven't heard this wonderful collection of country-tinged folk songs. That said, "Raising Sand," along with "In Rainbows," didn't belong in the album of the year category. In fact, they didn't belong in this year's Grammys at all. Both were released in October of 2007, so they should have been honored at the 2008 ceremony. But the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has an inane stating all albums released after September 30 cannot be nominated until the following year. That doesn't make much sense. Although "Raising Sand" and "In Rainbows" are both excellent, they should not have been considered for the best album of 2008. That leaves the "Year of the Gentleman," "Viva La Vida," and "Tha Carter III".

Ne-Yo's "Year of the Gentleman" is a good R&B album, but that's about all it is. It's not even the best R&B album of 2008. That distinction goes to Kanye West's "808s & Heartbreak" (yes, 50 Cent was correct in deeming it an R&B record). But "808s" was released in November, meaning it can't be nominated for a Grammy until about the year 2019. Highly unoriginal, "Year of the Gentleman" copies the same formula of Ne-Yo's two previous albums and, song-for-song, it's the weakest of this year's nominees. While tracks like "Closer" and "Why Does She Stay" are memorable, "Year of the Gentleman" lacks the consistency needed to leave a lasting impression.

"Viva La Vida" is Coldplay's best album. Fans of "A Rush of Blood to the Head" will be in an uproar over that statement, but unlike that album, "Viva La Vida" doesn't put me to sleep. Brian Eno's sonic production brings a much needed energy and liveliness to Coldplay's songs. The upbeat "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love" and the title track, which deservedly won the Grammy for song of the year, are two highlights. "Viva La Vida" is one of 2008's best albums, and if Coldplay decided to include the tracks "Life in Technicolor II" and "Glass of Water" from their "Prospekt's March" EP (one of the year's best extended plays), it might have taken home the hardware.

The distinction for most original album of 2008 goes to "Tha Carter III." No rap-artist has ever made a song like "Dr. Carter" in which Weezy literally resuscitates the nearly dead hip-hop industry. The album also includes the number one hit "Lollipop" and the E.T. inspired "Phone Home," the latter including some of the best raps of '08 ("I'm rare/Like Mr. Clean with hair.") Years from now, "Tha Carter III" will be considered a classic not just in the rap genre, but in all music circles.

So if "Raising Sand" and "In Rainbows" did not receive nominations, what should have been named album of the year? That's easy: Vampire Weekend's eponymous debut. But of course that wasn't nominated, so the answer is "Tha Carter III." Song for song none of the other nominees can match Weezy's output. He is - as he modestly declares on "Let the Beat Build" - "the best rapper alive."