BLOG | JUN. 11, 2025

51st Grammy Awards


Okay, I'll admit I vote for the Grammies. Yup. Why? Besides the sometimes odd spectacle of the Grammy Awards, NARAS does some cool stuff in the music community (like the Seattle Studio Summit), MusiCares and the Producers and Engineers Wing. So I do vote for these Grammy Awards, and in many years past it's felt like a futile game, as the few half-interesting albums, songs and artists that DO make the final cut seemed to always get overshadowed by the act with the bigger sales or "legendary" status. This year was a bit different. Seeing Robert Plant and Alison Krauss take home all 5 awards they were up for, including Album of the Year, nearly made my cry. "What, real music won?" Damn nice, and seeing a few folks I'd met over the years, like T Bone Burnett and Gavin Lurssen up there grinning at the end was damn nice. Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical went to a great album, Consolers of the Lonely by The Raconteurs, and some cool dudes: Joe Chiccarelli, Vance Powell & Jack White III. Nice. I guess Rick Rubin won producer of the year, but man, I wish I could say I thought his records sounded good these days. I think he's fucking shit up more than helping some times. But all in all, the Awards had some better stuff than I expected, and more acts won that I had voted for than ever, but sitting through country-row music hacks Sugarland, and then watching them butcher Adele's way too brief set was excruciating. And if the Jonas Brothers, Justin Timbershit and John Mayer fell off the face of the earth it would not be a bad thing for music. But what the hell do I know - I'm not a 12 year old girl who has crap music shoved in her face by the Disney Corp. If some of these audio mixers involved were stone deaf then I'd understand why half the performances sounded completely out of balance and weird. At least we got to see 2/5's of Radiohead rock out with a marching band, although that mix was the worst I heard by far. Alright, back to work...

Tape Op is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the art of record making.

Or Learn More

MORE ENTRIES

Ronan's Recording Show features Jerks Behind Tape Op mag

BLOG

Ronan's Recording Show features Jerks Behind Tape Op mag

By Mike Caffrey

December 24, 2009

Our pal Ronan Chris Murphy does this cool "TV" show on his site, http://ronansrecordingshow.com, and the most recent one is with me and John Baccigalu...

Vinyl Lives?

BLOG

Vinyl Lives?

By Mike Caffrey

November 3, 2009

James Goss has interviewed many independent record store owners across the country to see how they stay in business and what they sell. Every month a ...

MICS FEATURED IN THE BEATLES?: ROCK BAND? VIDEO GAME

BLOG

MICS FEATURED IN THE BEATLES?: ROCK BAND? VIDEO GAME

By Mike Caffrey

October 26, 2009

So I just noticed an email in my inbox from a PR person with the headline: "XXXXX MICS FEATURED IN THE BEATLES?: ROCK BAND? VIDEO GAME". What's next? ...

Damian Wagner and the Sound of the Earth?

BLOG

Damian Wagner and the Sound of the Earth?

By Mike Caffrey

October 21, 2009

Ina previous blog post, we saw the beginnings of this project. Damian Wagner was in issue 64 - here's a crazy project where he's amplifying the sound ...

Meeting Your Maker

BLOG

Meeting Your Maker

By Mike Caffrey

October 17, 2009

Well, not my maker but the man behind the baby that is our RND5088 console at Jackpot! I got to spend a little time (and a photoshoot) with Rupert Nev...

This happens EVERY week

BLOG

This happens EVERY week

By Mike Caffrey

October 7, 2009

I didn't do this video. But the guy who did must be spying on me. You can replace the style of music with any style, but the conversation is the same....

Nashville Recording Summit Nov. 13-15

BLOG

Nashville Recording Summit Nov. 13-15

By Mike Caffrey

October 7, 2009

Tape Op contributor, Chris Mara, has organized an amazing studio event coming up. I wanted to go but sessions have stopped me. If you can make it, thi...

The solution, clearly, is more dissonance

BLOG

The solution, clearly, is more dissonance

By Adam Kagan

October 2, 2009

It's not Idol, technically, but America's Got Talent and its dentally-impaired overseas cousin are still franchises helmed by Simon Cowell, who I thin...

Bob Johnston live interview in Montreal October 2nd

BLOG

Bob Johnston live interview in Montreal October 2nd

By Mike Caffrey

September 30, 2009

Our pal Howard Bilerman will be interviewing legendary producer Bob Johnston in Montreal coming up. Should be a real hoot!