Alicia Keys and the Winehouse Conflict

We know she's no good but like her anyway

I recorded the Grammy's last Sunday so I can watch it without all the boring parts (i.e., commercials, tributes, winners and acceptance speeches) and focus on the music performances. I saw the end of Rihanna's "Umbrella", a Kanye West performance that went from Tron to emotionally riveting, a Beyonce and Tina Turner revue and a Foo Fighters performance that was oddly remiscent of Metallica's S&M album.

But the best performance of the night for me was Alicia Key's performance of her hit "No One". I've got to admit, before this performance I was not sold on this song. I just thought it was OK and at the MTV awards she was overshadowed by the Kid Rock/Tommy Lee debacle. But on the Grammy stage, Keys delivered a forceful performance and finally made me believe in this song. To cap it off, she had John Mayer come out and do what he does best-play guitar (the only John Mayer CD I own is Try (2005) where he gets his Stevie Ray Vaughan groove on).

Despite Key's great performance, she was again overshadowed. It would have been by Kanye West who kicked it off with a rap song I could tolerate ("Stronger") and then finished with a moving tribute to his recently deceased mother. But he too would be overshadowed by the living trainwreck that's not Britney Spears-Amy Winehouse.

When Winehouse appeared on the TV screen I was expecting a mess of "Gimmie More" proportions. I mean, this is the crack addled walking disaster that Scotland Yard is investigating for what seems like an endless series of charges. And even though Winehouse's dancing accumulates to looking like someone who has to use the bathroom really bad (she bounces and then crouches down with her hands on her knees) there was no denying she was, as Randy Jackson might say, in it to win it dawg.

Despite appeared to be reading her own lyrics off a teleprompter, she was charismatic and coy while she ran through "You Know I'm No Good" and her big hit "Rehab" which, ironically, is where she's been.

This brings me to the Winehouse conflict. I've heard four songs from her Back to Black album and thought they were all great. But if I buy her album, I will feel like I'm sponsoring her drug habit and ridiculous life style. But should that matter? I've listed to a lot of musicians who are addicted to drugs. Eric Clapton didn't sing JJ Cale's "Cocaine" because it sounded cute. Jim Morrision? Did he write any lyrics not being high? Sure, they did drugs under the subterfuge of "mind expansion" but I think we've all learned that was just code for "There's never been this many middle class Americans on drugs before." I'll have to give it more thought, I don't see Winehouse as a lasting performer though she's definitely talented but I do like her music.

What I do know is that Key's performance was my favorite of the evening. And here it is!

Alicia Keys and John Mayer - "No One"