[Deep Freeze] Thursday, December 03, 2009 8:07:49 AM
You know, I am probably going to get a considerable amount of heat for this BUT, I find it interesting how we always qualify a comment about the Grammys with a statement like, "They really don't mean anything.." I have to say, I disagree completely. While they may not be as "legitimate" as we would like them to be, I think they mean an awful lot.
It is quite natural for us, as fans of Priest, to dismiss these "awards" as inconsequential but they are VERY meaningful in the music industry and actually quite coveted by artists. They are a vehicle through which an act can skyrocket sales. They are an acknowledgement of achievement. They are prestigious. There is a lot to be said for an act that can put "Grammy Award Winning" in front of their name.
I think that we, as Metal fans especially, tend to look upon the Grammys in a different way simply because our genre rarely receives the recognition we feel it deserves. And , when it does, we remember the debacle that was "Jethro Tull". Our music just does not generate the kind of respect we feel it should. Nonetheless, when a member of Rage Against the Machine gets SO upset that he stops the show by climbing onto the stage and refusing to leave, we must take note and understand that our 'heroes" think quite highly of these things. They do mean something.
