Monday, November 16, 2009

A Heavy Metal Epic Failure?

Twenty years ago in 1989, the Grammy Awards debuted an award for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Performance. Jethro Tull won the award as a "safe" decision by Academy voters. The decision was vociferously boo'd by 98% of folks from the four corners of the globe. (The remaining 2% of confused folks simply said "Huh? What was that?")

Even the band thought they had no chance at winning against fellow nominee Metallica, and they didn't attend the awards show thereby missing their chance to accept their award. After all, you knew it, they knew it, I knew it, and we all knew it. Music with a flute in it is barely in the rock category - much less hard rock or heavy metal. Perhaps only Jethro Tull and The Marshall Tucker Band had the stones to pull off flute tunes in the rock genre - then or now.





Fast forward 20 years: I saw this billboard near Times Square in New York City - an acoustic performance of Jethro Tull songs by frontman Ian Anderson.

An acoustic version of Aqualung - is that really the legacy the Grammy voters intended two decades ago? Ugh, that has to be considered one Heavy Metal Epic Failure.

TMC

5 comments:

  1. To be completely accurate, the failure is when narrow minded listeners like you lack the imagination to go with the music and see how it can evolve and extend. You have to be a complete moron, (accept that you are) to not accept Tull as Hard Rock. I am sure there is some phallic short coming(s) that prevent you from seeing the flute a rock and roll instrument, but that is a small thing to overcome, and I am sure you have been for year.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Is that you again Mom? How many times have I told you to stay away from my blog? Still love ya & we'll see ya on Turkey Day. - What? Its not Mom? You mean its really you Anonymous 6:48? Perhaps its YOU who has the phallic shortcoming for calling me a moron about my opinion but hide behind an anonymous alias. But hey, thanks for reading & enjoy your overnight shift at the Shell station.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Right now I got a fever and the only prescription is more flute.

    ReplyDelete
  4. How can a phallic shortcoming be either singular or plural? I would think the only shortcoming would be if you couldn't get a willing participant to play your flute, acustic or otherwise.

    ReplyDelete
  5. hello friends! that good information is obtained in places like this, thank you all for making this a reality

    ReplyDelete