A Grammy to remember
The 5 most rocking moments
January 31, 2014
These are the top 5 highlights of rock music during the 56th annual Grammy Awards, held Jan. 26.
5. Paulvana rides again
The undisputed highlight of Dave Grohl’s “Sound City” documentary was his epic hard rock collaboration with Paul McCartney, “Cut Me Some Slack,” which was also a full reunion of the living members of Nirvana. The song finally got its due, winning the award for Best Rock Song. So up walked McCartney, Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, beaming with joy and delivering the most rock and roll speech of the night.
4. Metallica & Lang Lang bring the thunder
Metallica has mixed their blazing metal force with the grace of classical music before of the brilliant 1999 live album “S&M,” but it was still nothing like this. The addition of Chinese classical pianist Lang Lang to the classic “One” adds a new layer to the performance, including an ominous introduction and a crazy piano guitar between Lang Lang and guitarist Kirk Hammett. And singer James Hetfield? As pumped and angry as ever, of course. In a Grammy era that seems to be dominated by over-the-top pop performances, it’s always a breath of fresh air to see a group like Metallica just come on and rock.
3. Carole King proves she still has the voice
Carole King has written more classic songs than most people can count, and was the Musicares Person of The Year for 2014. The world became just a little brighter when Sara Bareilles and King performed an all-too-short medley of King’s “Beautiful” and Bareilles’ “Brave.” Simply put, King smoked Bareilles, adding extra pep and fire to both songs while proving that after over 40 years, her voice is still just as enticing and intimate, especially when given a partner.
2. Daft Punk get lucky for an epic funk-fest
From the minute it was announced, everyone was sure that Daft Punk’s Grammy performance of their unstoppable instant classic disco hit “Get Lucky,” was going to be one of the biggest highlights of the show, but no one could have expected it to this amazing. In a beautiful set meant to look like a recording studio, Pharrell, Nile Rodgers and Stevie Wonder, rocked out to an epic version of “Get Lucky.” Then, finally, Daft Punk emerged, kicking the song into high gear before throwing in parts of Rodgers’ “Le Freak,” Wonder’s “Another Star,” and their own “Harder Better Faster Stronger.” The epic performance had the entire arena dancing, and was the clear highlight of the show.
Except…….
1. Paul and Ringo reunite, perfection ensues
This year’s Grammys unsurprisingly ended up being a giant celebration of the 50th anniversary of The Beatles landing in America, and there was no better way to honor that than having Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the two living Beatles, share the stage. Running through a gorgeous version of Paul’s newest single, “Queenie Eye,” the two looked like rekindled brothers, savoring the reverie of the entire world just like 50 years ago. Though it was a short tease for the upcoming Beatles special presented by the Grammys, where the two will play more than one song, seeing Paul and Ringo together again was a moment that made everyone sit still and remember just why everyone is listening in the first place. It’s just history.