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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Wyden, Merkley vow to reduce student debt ... Talent man faces new sex abuse charges ... Eagle Point will put pot issues to the voters ... Wyden, Merkley vow to reduce student debt ... Talent man faces new sex abuse charges ... Eagle Point will put pot issues to the voters ... The Farr Side: Smith dominates, Beck surprises at Grammys Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 12, 2015 at 7:07 AM Posted Feb. 12, 2015 at 7:07 AM » Social News By David T. Farr More Content Now Did you watch the Sammy Awards? I say “Sammy” because, as predicted, Britain’s Sam Smith was the talk of the night. But that depends on whom you ask. Smith won Grammys for Best New Artist, Best Pop Album, and Song and Record of the Year honors for his single’ “Stay With Me.” I was happy to see it. He deserved much of the attention. But it was a self-proclaimed loser who took the night’s top honors for Album of the Year. Beck, who sang “Loser” back in the ’90s, proved he was a winner after all. His album, “Morning Phase,” beat Smith’s “In The Lonely Hour,” “Beyonce” (Beyonce), “X” (Ed Sheeran) and “Girl” (Pharrell Williams). I was quite shocked to hear Beck’s name called, but not as much as Kanye West. Once again, West found himself up on a stage protesting the outcome. I don’t know what gives him the right to interject his thoughts like he does, but it needs to stop. I didn’t expect to hear Beck’s name, but it doesn’t mean he didn’t win fairly. It’s actually easy to see how Grammy votes can add up for a non-favored nominee to come out with the win. In this case, the other four nominees were all in the same genre (pop), while Beck rode the rock/indie rock genre alone. The votes for Smith, Beyonce, Sheeran and Williams were divided, while those who voted for Beck didn’t see their vote split. The same rang true a couple years back, when Arcade Fire came out of nowhere to clinch the honor. That’s the beauty of the Grammys. The Grammys have become more about the live telecast vs. the awards themselves. AC/DC opened with its newest “Rock Or Bust,” but it was the wild ride down the “Highway To Hell” that got the Staples Center guests on their feet. It was nice to see the band finally get its day, especially after all these years on top for its craft. Twenty-three live performances were feature, most of which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also found it rather cool to see so many other veteran artists perform during the nearly four-hour-long show. Highlights included Tom Jones with Jessie J on “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” Jeff Lynne and ELO with Ed Sheeran “Mr. Blue Sky/Evil Woman,” Tony Bennett with Lady Gaga on “Cheek To Cheek,” and my favorite performance of the night pairing rocker Hozier with Annie Lennox. Hozier started off the set with his nominated Song of the Year track “Take Me To Church,” in which Lennox joined before she sang “I Put A Spell On You” from her nominated album “Nostalgia.” Lennox is a true legend. Other notable performances included Miranda Lambert’s “Little Red Wagon,” Williams’ revised “Happy” song, and Madonna’s latest single “Living For Love.” Madonna has still got it, even at 56. I hope younger artists took notes from Lennox and Madonna and we’ll see in 30 years if they can do what these ladies have achieved and can still do. Email David T. Farr at [email protected]. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 12, 2015 at 7:07 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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