Lately, the music business seems to be in an even stranger state than usual. It feels as though things are coming just a little unglued. CD sales are in a steep decline (according to industry figures, they're down 10 percent from last year), and that has the record companies scrambling. The labels blame the decline in sales on digital downloading and file sharing, but many people believe it's the industry's own fault for putting out a steady diet of manufactured pop pabulum.
Meanwhile, there's dissension in the ranks as the Recording Artists Coalition — which includes heavyweights such as Sheryl Crow, Don Henley, and the Dixie Chicks — has become increasingly visible in its attempts to help artists right what they consider to be wrongs with regard to the way the labels treat them. The Coalition held two high-profile concerts on the eve of this year's Grammy Awards.
The Grammys themselves did nothing to dispel the impression that things are in a state of flux. First, there was a surprisingly strong presence of roots music, led by the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. Seeing deserving musicians such as Alison Krauss and Jerry Douglas performing in the national spotlight was a wonderful thing, and Ralph Stanley's chilling a cappella rendition of “Oh Death” was one of the most riveting Grammy show performances in memory. If this upsurge in roots music turns out to be more than just a movie-inspired passing fancy, it could be a really positive development.
On the negative side, however, was the puzzling absence of any new heavy rock at the show. Even though modern rock and nu-metal bands have been — and continue to be — major players on the charts, they were persona non grata on the Grammy telecast. What gives? Linkin Park came out of nowhere to have one of the most successful CDs (Hybrid Theory) in all of 2001, yet they won only one Grammy, which wasn't even presented during the prime-time telecast (nor was the award given to Tool). It's almost as if the Grammy powers-that-be wanted to sweep anything heavier than U2 completely under the rug. But, of course, things that are swept under the rug have a habit of bubbling up when you least expect them to.
So what's next? Perhaps we're at the precipice of something completely new, like just before the punk explosion in the '70s, or like the late '80s and early '90s when grunge became popular as a reaction against the “hair bands.” We'll have to wait and see, but it's sure interesting to watch.
Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't say a few words in memory of the late, great Waylon Jennings, who died in February. He was an artist who preferred to blaze his own trails rather than follow in the footsteps of others. Even if you weren't into country music, you had to respect him. True originals are hard to come by, and Waylon was definitely one of them.
