Thoughts from the 51st Grammys...

Tonight marks the 51st Grammy Awards from Los Angeles. Here's some random observations and thoughts from the evening from my brain...

Note: My commentary picks up about a half hour into the show since I got home after it had started. I missed U2's show opening performance of their whacky, off kilter "Achtung Baby" sounding new single, "Get on Your Boots," but I'll surely Youtube it before the night is over..


A "Sign of the Apocalypse" moment: Who in Sam Hill let the Jonas Brothers onstage with one of popular music's most legendary performers, Stevie Wonder. Please, someone tell me Stevie was tricked into this, heavily medicated, or lost some sort of Super Bowl bet on the Arizona Cardinals. Say it isn't so Stevie. How could you let these musical children of the Corn butcher one of the funkiest, hop in your step songs of the past 40 years "Superstition"? Why, Stevie, why?

Jumped the shark/worst haircut of the night: I have been a big fan of Kanye West ever since he exploded onto the scene a few years back, first as the producer of some of Jay Z's biggest hits, then as he came into his own as an incredible solo artist. But Kanye is stuffing too much of his Kanye-ness down our throats as of late, and his uber-mullet hairdo tonight was about as stale as his overuse of Auto Tune music software. I was initially hooked by the uniqueness of "Love Lockdown" and "Heartless," but the biggest musical contributions Auto Tunes will go down in history for having created will forever be Cher's "Believe," and the mediocrity of T-Pain. There's a reason singers used to get signed based on their natural abilities, not needing computer technology to correct their tone and pitch...it's called talent.
Why was Morgan Freeman at the Grammys? Morgan himself answered my question-- he's friends with Kenny Chesney, who'd have thunk it. Any film Morgan Freeman is in turns to cinematic gold, so I'll give Kenny the benefit of the doubt based on Morgan's assessment of his good character.


Best fashion accessory: P. Diddy's lavender Member's Only jacket. Members Only jacket=good, Kanye's uber mullet=bad. I only wish I had the prowace and fashion presence to be able to pull off this nylon coat of yesteryear.

Deja vu moment: Coldplay looking like they scoured the dumpsters outside of Abbey Road Studios for the Beatles old "Sgt. Peppers" uniforms. At least the band was noble enough to admit this with Paul McCartney sitting in the front row when they collected one of several awards on the night.

If Kanye should stop singing, Kid Rock should stop rapping: In his multi-song medley, Kid Rock gave the crowd an old fashioned decadent rock performance reminiscent of the mid 1970's. He's got the chops to be a hard rock frontman, and should keep the hip hop on the shelf for a while. I've thought so since his great cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" ten years ago at Woodstock '99.

Katy Perry kissed a girl, liked it, and lost her voice: This bi-curious top 40 radio smash hit sounded off key while accompanied with the stage setup of a Shop Rite can-can commercial. By the sound of her performance, it's pretty obvious her vocal lack of talent was polished like pair of Prada shoes with the help of studio magic.

Queen Latifah can't fool me into thinking "Swagga Like Us" was a Rat Pack song: Kanye, T.I., Lil' Wayne, and Jay Z aren't the Rat Pack as much as they like to reference them in their songs. Last time I checked Frank, Dean, and Sammy never had Kanye's mullet, Wayne's tone-deafness, or a pregnant M.I.A. onstage with them. I'm usually a big fan of Jay Z and Kanye, but their hodge podge, inconsistently paced performance was so choppy the crowd wasn't even sure when to start applauding.

The Walrus was Grohl?: Dave Grohl pummelled the drums backing Sir Paul McCartney, and made us all remember that before he fronted the Foo Fighters, he was the Keith Moon of the grunge era providing the backbeat for Nirvana. I was surprised at Paul's choice to play "I Saw Her Standing There," as I'm a bigger fan of the later Beatles stuff, and was equally surprised that this was the only song he performed. His appearance fee must be up there with the Super Bowl commercial rates.
Robert Plant is still a Golden God: The frontman of Led Zeppelin picked up some awards with collaborator Allison Krauss with whom he made a great album that abandoned his hard rock roots for some bluegrass ones, "Raising Sand." Recently, Plant totally killed all rumors of a Led Zeppelin reunion saying there wouldn't be anything to gain from it. I'm glad he made this decision, as he closed the door for the band to become another Spinal Tap punchline like so many others that refuse to hang it up when their time has come. As much as I love Led Zeppelin, I respect Plant more as an artist now that he refused to just fold to the financial fortune he could have made on this reunion that would have been nothing more than a nostalgic revisit of the band's mid 1970's peak. They would never sound as good, so their legend and memories can now live on.


Jumped the shark/worst haircut of the night Part II: Radiohead's performance with the USC marching band. (Also lead singer Thom Yorke's Jonas Brothers haircut deserved mention alongside the increasingly popular Kanye uber mullet.) So, what's the deal with Radiohead? I mean, I like them and everything, but why does everyone hail them as the absolute soul saviors of all things music? Their musical peak, according to most music critics, "OK Computer," I find second to what I feel is their best album musically, their previous, "The Bends." I like "In Rainbows" as well, and "OK Computer" is more than OK, but I still think "The Bends" is their best album; and I'm not budging on that stance. Sorry if I prefer melody and modern rock fare to music produced on Pluto. I continue to applaud them for abandoning the ordinary though.

T.I. and J.T. proves much better than T.I.'s previous "Swagga Like Us" debacle: The best part about the Grammy's? Most of the premier artists get countless chances to totally redeem their sub par performances that took place earlier in the evening. "Dead and Gone," was a great performance by an artist I haven't had too much familiarity with other than his music on the radio, T.I. Accompanied by Justin Timberlake, it was one of the surprisingly better performances of the night.

The President of the Grammy's, Neil-something looks like Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong: He then went on to introduce Smokey Robinson. So, a guy bearing striking resemblance to Tommy Chong introduces a guy known to the Motown-loving world as Smokey...that's some coincidence.

Performance we could have used more of: Keith Urban, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and John Mayer playing "Bo Diddley" in tribute to the late great blues virtuoso was a hearty buffet of guitar. This was a great performance I wish had gone on longer than it did. Maybe by next year Lil' Wayne won't have to be onstage four more times than one of the Beatles to make room for longer performances by these proven acts. Hopefully Katy Perry's out of tune 15 minutes of fame will be over by then as well.

A "Sign of the Apocalypse" moment Part II: Gary "Lieutenant Dan" Sinise introducing Lil' Wayne in one of his half dozen appearances of the evening. Even he probably asked himself what he was doing at the Grammys. Perhaps his involvement in a film with one of the greatest soundtracks of all time, "Forrest Gump," automatically qualifies him.

As the show was winding down: T-Pain's George Clinton-inspired outfit made P.Diddy's lavender Members Only jacket look like an evening coat for a United Nations diplomatic formal dinner at the Waldorf Astoria.
Robert Plant and Allison Krauss sounded as good live as they do on their record: Plant's voice is aged, and galaxies away from the high pitched hard rock wail from his Led Zeppelin days. It's a different voice, not better or worse, but one that he's grown into and made more great and alternate music with. It was fitting that less than 2 minutes after their performance they collected the award for album of the year.

The show closed with a performance by Stevie Wonder: Because the show's producers realized how royally they screwed Stevie hours before by making him share the stage with the haircare product endorsing Jonas Brothers.

"I AM A GOLDEN GOD!"- Robert Plant from the balcony of the Continental Hyatt (Riot) House in the mid 1970's. Back in town for the Grammy's tonight, he may be repeating the same proclamation.

Led Zeppelin Minus Plant?

After the rumor I previously posted about a Led Zeppelin reunion tour had been squashed, I vowed to no longer listen to the ramblings of British tabloids ever again. However, here's an interesting bit that proves the story to not be entirely untrue.

It seems Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and Jason Bonham are ready to make a gajillion dollars for a tour and are tired of waiting for Plant to come around. They've recruited American singer Robert Kennedy (not JFK's brother) who is most (or least depending on how you look at it) famous for being the lead singer of the rock group Alter Bridge. For those of you who don't know who they are, not to worry, they are the group formed by several former members of 90's monster balladeers Creed after their lead singer Scott Stapp got all crazy on account of the chocolate (in his case the "chocolate" being pills, booze, and other extracurricular activities. The remaining Zeppelin members have brought Kennedy in for rehearsals and Dee Snider (yes Twisted Sister lead singer Dee Snider) has said the band is putting an ultimatum in front of Plant which is, join us or be replaced!

This seems to have worked wonders in the past for bands like Journey, Van Halen, Lynyrd Skynyrd and countless others who turned themselves into a punchline of washed up, money milking, musical hacks, but I think this could have several outcomes for a band of Led Zeppelin's stature. Here are some of my thoughts on these possibilities:

1. Jimmy Page has gone on the road with Zeppelin tunes minus the iconic lead singer before, as he did in 1999-2000 with the Black Crowes. I was able to attend one of these shows and it was phenomenal, however, it wasn't billed as Led Zeppelin, it was billed as Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes, very distinctly. If this same approach is taken and they call it something other than Led Zeppelin, I think they'll still make a ton of money and sell out arenas all over the place. However, I don't see them getting the same money from a concert promoter if the name "Led Zeppelin" is taken off the bill. If Plant doesn't budge, this outcome is likely.

2. Maybe the scare tactic works and Plant comes back singing "I'm Gonna Crawl" to his bandmates as his expression of how he is returning. Think of this though; Plant is a proven musician who doesn't need the money, so I don't think this is likely. The only way he comes back to Led Zeppelin is if he truly wants it, he won't let anyone boss him around, and I'm sure he would fight the remaining members tooth and nail over using the name without his involvement. If he needed all this money they would have done this years ago, the same reason why the Beatles never reunited while all 4 members were still alive, they didn't need the money. Plus, if the Beatles did reunite, we would never have such Ringo Starr solo gems as "Back Off Bugaloo."

3. They put it to rest and stop pressing so hard to Plant can finish up his recent solo re-emergence and let him return on his terms. This would be the best scenario for everyone involved, as it would likely make for the best effort put forth by the four band members.

If Zeppelin goes back on tour with another lead singer, it shouldn't be called Led Zeppelin, they should name themselves after one of their songs, "Trampled Underfoot" as that's what they'll be doing to their lead singer Robert Plant. And of all people, Jason Bonham should not support this decision. His father was the original drummer, who's death caused the group to disband in the first place. Robert Plant is the one who brought John Bonham into Led Zeppelin as the two were great friends before meeting Page and Jones, and going ahead without Plant would be like beating Plant over the head with his father's old drumsticks while tarnishing Bonzo's memory. Unless Jason Bonham owes some shady characters out of a Guy Ritchie film tons of money, I can't see him supporting this without Plant's blessing, unless Page and Jones have a very strong influence on him. (Who knows, maybe Jimmy Page has gotten back into witchcraft lately) Whatever the outcome, whatever they call themselves, and whoever is singing, I'd still pay to see these guys in concert. I just hope it doesn't turn into a merchandising/money ploy that cheats the fans and some of the members of the band.

Here's a link to NME's article that broke the story. It also has a link to the Dee "What the hell am I doing involved in a conversation about a Led Zeppelin reunion" Snyder video reporting on this story: http://www.nme.com/news/led-zeppelin/40389

Ok, I know I've been slacking off as of late, but it is for good reason, which will come in a formal announcement soon. But not bad news at all, rather a new direction, and a huge undertaking I'm working on in the near future.
However, this bit of news is a drop everything and do a backflip in your cubicle news. My new favourite (notice my British spelling of "favorite") music news website, England's NME.com, has broken a story originating from British newspaper The Sun. Apparently the Led Zeppelin reunion tour is on like Donkey Kong, as Peyton Manning would say, for next summer. The lone member to be holding back this monumental tour, lead singer Robert Plant, seemingly couldn't take not being part of the reunion plans. The story reports Plant finally told other band members Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and new drummer Jason Bonham (replacing his father John) that he was ready, and they will soon set rehearsals with next summer in mind for their re-emergence.

Needless to say, I'm beside myself with excitement about this and can't believe it at the same time. I am skeptical to some degree, as the band has aged and their hard rocking songs aren't as easy to pull of as say, Paul McCartney still nicely managing shows showered with his old Beatles numbers. However, I'll be the first one in line for a ticket to this thing, and can't wait to see what they have in store, I'm sure they'll have some sort of wacky visual thing going on to make up with whatever they might be lacking or aged in sonically. As I listen to "The Rain Song" on this miserable day, I'll know that a Led Zeppelin reunion is "What Is and..." definitely not "What Should Never Be," and "That's the Way," it should be. I could go for a swim in "The Ocean" right now, even though I'd just look like a "Fool In the Rain," as they are showing their longtime fans a "Whole Lotta Love," with this reunion. Hopefully "Poor Tom" can make the gig if he's not busy still fighting "The Battle of Evermore"

Here's a link to NME's article: http://www.nme.com/news/led-zeppelin/40014

PS: I beat Rolling Stone to the news again.

Whole Lotta Holy Crap!!! Led Zeppelin Working on New Material???

While Jason Bonham (who replaced his deceased father John as Led Zeppelin's drummer for their reunion show last December) spoke to a radio station in Detroit 94.7 WCSX, he revealed that he has been working on new material with guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones. Bonham also revealed that the material could be the makings of what would ultimately be a new Led Zeppelin album (which hopefully means more touring!).

Music website NME.com broke the story and quoted Bonham on the radio show as stating, "I've been working with Jimmy and John Paul and trying [out] some new material. I don't know what it will be, but it will be something." He continued, "[The] possibility of doing something [like an album] is on the cards. I really felt it was on the cards from the moment we walked offstage at the O2." (Arena where the reunion took place in December)

It was also revealed that lead singer Robert Plant has been absent from these sessions so far, but one can assume this is due to his current tour with Allison Krauss in support of their recent album, "Raising Sand." (Which made my obscure list of duets)

I am a bit torn about this as this is a direction I didn't think the surviving members of Led Zeppelin would take. Don't get me wrong, if it takes a new album to get them out on tour, I'm all for it. However, part of their mystique and legendary status is due to the fact that they had roughly a ten year run and that was it. Recording a new album without their original drummer would make them no different than the cash cow incarnations of the recent Rolling Stones and The Who lineups who tour for millions of dollars but remain shells of their former selves. I would have expected them to just do a worldwide stadium tour like the recently reunited Police and leave it at that.

On the other hand, Jimmy Page hasn't recorded anything in some years and his production skills in the studio is part of what made the Zeppelin records so great. Plant's voice is different than what it once was, understandably, so it could make for an interesting album, maybe with more of the bluesy nostalgia that was on their first few records. Bonham is as worthy and justifiable of a replacement as they will find for his father, so this could be the makings of one of 2008's biggest stories in music.
Here is a link to NME's original article that broke the story:
http://www.nme.com/news/led-zeppelin/39271

The newest incarnation of the band with Jason Bonham backstage in December:

L to R: John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, Jason Bonham, Jimmy Page.

Editor's Note: This is the second time in as many weeks that I've beaten Rolling Stone magazine to the punch with a huge breaking music story (but who's keeping count?)

"My Super Obscure List of: Great, Yet Often Unnoticed or Overlooked Duets"

I've promised another super obscure list, and here it is:
Here is my list of the best duets that often go unnoticed or overlooked. Granted, half of them are cover songs, but the ones that are, were not duets in their original versions. Again, like my last list of notable beards on film, these are in no particular order, as they all bring something to the table, and make the list more complete. Each entry also includes a link to hear the song, while some are music videos, live videos, or just those weird YouTube videos that have pictures on them so you can just listen to the song. Either way, it gets the job done.

Tupac Shakur and Elton John- Ghetto Gospel: Don't adjust your monitor, you are reading this correctly; a collaboration between Elton John and Tupac Shakur does exist. Where is the connection between these two prolific artists from two very different genres, you ask? Slim Shady himself, Eminem. One of Tupac's many posthumous albums released using the hordes of unreleased material he left behind was produced entirely by Eminem. The album, "Loyal to the Game," is in my opinion one of his best posthumous records; "Makaveli," probably being the best (also, the first one to come out immediately after his murder). Eminem, a couple years after his legendary performance of "Stan" at the Grammys with Elton John, took a sample from the song "Indian Sunset," off John's fourth studio album from 1971, "Madman Across the Water." It is one of the few hip hop tunes out there that can give me the music chills when I hear it, and is a perfect blending of two artists among the best at their respective genres. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxR4AweLeXE The official music video for the song starring that guy from "The Wire" and "Oz."

Cream- Sunshine of Your Love: Labeled the first supergroup, made up of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker, Bruce and Clapton shared vocals on this classic rock masterpiece. With one of the most distinctive guitar/bass riffs in rock n' roll history, this song has remained a staple in Clapton's set lists for 40 years. It's probably the most popular or widely known song on the list, but definitely one that's also not traditionally considered a duet; that's why it made the cut. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zga4_09nWzY -this is some random YouTube video I'm copying here for the sole purpose of listening to the song, I don't know of what meth lab this makeshift video was produced in.

The Beatles- Two of Us: For anyone who said McCartney and Lennon hated eachother toward the end of the Beatles' run, songs like this are a testament to what they were still able to create musically, even if their friendship was declining. This is a great song, and still one of my favorite Beatles tunes, and shows that they were still the best of friends when they got into the studio and created some of the greatest music ever heard. This song could be about friendship, it could be about love, it could be about two old friends running into each other at a bar, having a few drinks, reminiscing about old times, and sharing a cab home. Either way, it's a great piece of music that two legends make complete. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ztr8j_-gD4 I don't know where this video came from or who made it, but it's spectacular and is probably one of the best unofficial Beatles music videos out there.

Queen and David Bowie- Under Pressure: Known as the riff Vanilla Ice stole so many years later to create the abomination to hip hop that is "Ice Ice Baby," this is a great song spearheaded by two legendary frontmen, Freddie Mercury and David Bowie. That part in the middle of the song where Mercury belts out "Why don't we give love, give love, give love," still gives me chills every time. Everyone knows "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We Will Rock You," and "We Are the Champions," but "Under Pressure," was ahead of its time, and is unlike anything else you've ever heard, or will ever hear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPoE7hVDJY4&feature=related -There's no video here, just a high quality version of the song, take a listen if you've never heard it.

Dave Matthews Band and Warren Haynes- Cortez the Killer: When the Dave Matthews Band took the stage in Central Park for a sold out crowd of 100,000 people a few years back, Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule and the Allman Brothers Band came out to lay his guitar down and share vocals on this old Neil Young tune. I was at the concert that night, and it was the first time I heard the song in general; a few years later, it's still the only version I'll listen to. Haynes's vocals are chilling and his guitar solos were highlights of the night for me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCiLCo-LoUg A live video of the performance from the show. They sell the concert in stores on CD or DVD, I have both, definitely one of the best live DMB concerts out there.

The Strokes feat. Eddie Vedder- Mercy Mercy Me: What happens when one of the most talented rock n' roll bands of the past decade gets together with one of the best frontmen of the past 20 years to record a cover of a classic Marvin Gaye tune? Some ridiculously insane funkdified rock infused musicality is what happens! They turn the soulful Motown staple into a funky guitar blazing tune that is all its own. Also, listen closely for Josh Homme's drumming along with the Strokes' Fab Moretti; in the second verse the beats start to overlap and it's a magical music moment, presto. It's hard to find this song on CD, I think it's on iTunes though, as it was originally released as the B-Side to the Strokes single of "You Only Live Once," from their last album, "First Impressions of Earth." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyZ0E8c2c-A&feature=related - the recorded version of the song, supplemented by a "Captain Planet" episode; very fitting for the subject matter.

Outkast feat. Norah Jones- Take Off Your Cool: Included on Andre 3000's disc of the Outkast album, "Speakerboxx/Love Below," this is just a damn sexy tune that sounds like Barry White could have written it with Jack Johnson. It's one of the shortest songs on the album, but still one of my favorites from it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUQHFqO6HvY The recorded song, over a photo collage video of Andre 3000 and Norah Jones.

The Raconteurs- Rich Kid Blues: I'm a huge fan of the White Stripes, but I must admit, some of Jack White's best work has been with his recently formed other band, The Raconteurs. Adding another singer/songwriter/guitarist in Brendan Benson, and an extended rhythm section serves White's musical talent well and adds another dynamic to his craft. The band's second album, "Consolers of the Lonely," is one of, if not the best album I've heard in 2008. This Terry Reid cover has Benson's soft melodic voice perfectly shared with White's hard rock howl that introduces the world to rock n' roll's newest powerhouse in fitting fashion. The song combines the organ, thundering drums, and a high squeeling guitar that makes me wish the album had 14 more songs on it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjT6DGlWyBs This is straight up audio of the song, with just a picture of the band displayed. Listen, but be warned, this will blow you away.

The Corrs feat. Bono- When the Stars Go Blue: U2 is U2, plain and simple; so anything Bono involves himself in, people will pay attention to. However, when he joined the Corrs onstage in his hometown of Dublin a few years back, very few remembered this great live version of this Ryan Adams original. I've heard Adams and Tim McGraw sing it, but this remains the definitive version, a song about despair, loneliness, and sadness, the song is sung by the perfect pair, and even if it's a girly song, I admit defeat; it's legit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdSpDrczo7w Live performance from VH-1.

Robert Plant and Allison Krauss- Killing the Blues: A bluegrass crooner with the voice of an angel and the screaming maniac lead singer of Led Zepplin get together to record an album of country/bluegrass/blues standards...Still waiting for the punchline? Well, there isn't one; this album is great, and the two very different voices blend unnaturally to make a perfect pairing. This song has been seen on commercials lately (for JC Penny's Home section, I believe), but it's still got a great sound, with two legendary vocalists from 2 very different genres showing the world that they still have it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHPrLifRhX4 This is a video of a live performance, I'm not sure where it's from though. They capture the same magic live that they do on the album.

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova- Falling Slowly: This one is from the film "Once," about two musicians who meet in Dublin and forge a friendship through music over a week. The film was really moving and authentic, as it was filmed with a documentary look, and the two stars are actually musicians, not actors. The soundtrack is a great pairing of the two and their alternate vocal styles invokes the same effect as the Robert Plant-Allison Krauss pairing. They went on to win an Oscar for "Best Original Song" this past year for it; rightfully so, since "Enchanted" got nominated for 3 songs in that category http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPbC2YrUUsI This is a clip of them performing the song on David Letterman.

Roger Waters feat. Van Morrison- Comfortably Numb: This performance was part of Roger Waters 1990 concert in Berlin, Germany, where he performed Pink Floyd's "The Wall," in its entirety shortly after the Berlin Wall came down. Members of the Band and the legendary Van Morrison joined him for this tune, but the most prevalent voices are Waters and Morrison, which contrast each other nicely. Morrison hasn't aged so gracefully, but he's still got the vocal chops to bring the house down, and as blasphemous as it sounds, I prefer this version to Pink Floyd's original. I was reintroduced to this song last year when it was featured in "The Departed," which like every Martin Scorsese film, has a phenomenal soundtrack to accompany it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLx3uSwv6VM - This is a video of the live performance from Berlin.

Temple of the Dog- Hunger Strike: When eventual members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden got together to record an album as a tribute to their friend Andy Wood who died of a heroin overdose in 1990, a modern rock masterpiece was made. Forming the group Temple of the Dog, Chris Cornell, Matt Cameron, Eddie Vedder, Matt McCready, Stone Gossard, and Jeff Ament, recorded one of the best non-traditional duets I have ever heard. After Soundgarden broke up in 1998, Cameron would join Pearl Jam permanently (as they've gone through a revolving door of drummers their whole career until Cameron came along), and Temple of the Dog had their only unofficial reunion in 2003, when Cornell joined Pearl Jam on stage for "Hunger Strike" and another Temple of the Dog number, "Reach Down." This is one of those songs that is as close to perfect as a song can get, so you tend to take notice when something like it comes along. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lln5i1N3J8g The official music video for the song with all the band members. Take notice of the vintage MTV music video tag in the bottom left corner of the screen at the beginning and end the clip, from the days when Music Television actually played music, who'd have thought?

Babyface feat. Eric Clapton- Change the World: Now, I know what you may be thinking, this was Eric Clapton’s song from that John Travolta movie, not Babyface’s. Babyface produced the track, appeared in the music video, and sang backup vocals on the album version of this tune, but the definitive version of this song has seldom been heard. While Babyface taped his MTV Unplugged special back in 1997, he opened the show with this number, and surprise guest Clapton joined him onstage for a blistering performance. The altered, acoustic blues guitar heavy live version was reminiscent of Clapton’s own Unplugged show which netted him several Grammy Awards several years earlier. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmsLQFqdiQE- The live clip from the MTV Unplugged special. Even sitting down, Clapton tears the guitar to shreds.

The Rolling Stones and Dave Matthews- Wild Horses: This performance came together in 1998 I believe, when Dave Matthews Band was opening for the Stones on their tour. Dave Matthews joined the Stones on stage for a duet of the classic song that got some new life into it. Dave's high pitched crooning is a stark contrast to Mick Jagger's historic howl, but the song is seen in a different light, and still as great as it ever was. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kAl5cUtxAc This is a video clip of the performance from the concert, wherever it was. A couple funny things to notice: Dave Matthews looking about 20 years old, also looking like he might nervously crap himself as he realizes he's on stage with the Rolling Stones, and Dave not knowing what to do with his hands without a guitar in them (he looks similar to Ricky Bobby in "Talladega Nights").