Bono rocks at Grammy

U2, which won five Grammys this year, spells the revival of rock, report Saurabh & Gaurav

THE Grammy Awards, presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), are considered the most coveted music awards. Despite the honour the awards carry and the ratings success of the televised show, the Grammy also reflects the mainstream commercial success.

From soaring sentimental ballads to politically charged rock, from brash tongue-in-cheek hip-hop to melodious piano-led R&B, the nominations in the 108 categories for the 48th Annual Grammy Awards represented a good mix of what was popular in 2005.

The 48th Annual Grammy Awards were a rock revival for U2, a comeback party for Mariah Carey and a bizarre return to the real world for Sly Stone. The Irish rock band U2 cemented its position atop the music universe at the awards night, winning five awards, including album of the year and song of the year. It is after 2001 that a rock band has claimed the best album award. Then, Steely Dan was the surprise pick for the album Two Against Nature.

"This is our second ‘album of the year’, but we’ve lost twice earlier after being nominated for Achtung Baby and All That You Can’t Leave Behind, so we know how it feels — Kanye, you’re next," Bono, lead singer of U2, said.

The show opened with an odd mix of live performance and high-tech animation as five-time Grammy winner Madonna and the Gorillaz — the rock and hip-hop collective that is represented in music videos only as cartoon characters — performed their respective hits, Hang Up and Feelgood Inc. Bruce Springsteen interjected a political note, ending a gritty performance of Devils & Dust with a call to Bring ‘em home, referring to the soldiers in Iraq. The surprise of the show was the appearance of Sly Stone, the psychedelic pioneer who disappeared from the music scene decades ago and had not performed in public since 1993.

Green Day, the Bay Area pop punk band, took record-of-the-year honours for its pulsing, forlorn hit Boulevard of Broken Dreams from its American Idiot collection, an album that already had earned a Grammy last year for rock album. U2’s clutch of awards left Coldplay disappointed. They had been nominated in the rock album, rock song and rock performance categories but were pipped at the post by the Irishmen every time. An increasingly ecstatic Bono told the audience: "There’s the possibility with rock music... that it might just amount to something a little more than entertainment on an occasion and that you might be able to communicate some honest feelings."

In addition to the Grammy Awards, other honours are given by the Recording Academy. These awards recognise contributions and activities of significance to the recording field that fall outside the framework of the Grammy Awards categories, and include the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Trustees Award, the Grammy Hall of Fame Award, the Technical Grammy Award, and the Grammy Legend Award. David Bowie and Cream were honoured with lifetime achievement awards and there was a best musical show album gong for Monty Python’s Spamalot. The telecast also included a tribute to storm-ravaged New Orleans, featuring homegrown legends Allen Toussaint, Dr. John and Irma Thomas, known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans." The tribute also included Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen and The Edge from U2.

Other multiple winners included Mariah Carey, for her comeback album The Emancipation of Mimi, and hip-hop artist Kanye West, for his sophomore effort, Late Registration. One big winner was Kelly Clarkson, who in 2002 rocketed to fame as the winner of the first season of American Idol. Clarkson won two Grammys: best pop vocal album for Breakaway and best female pop vocal performance for Since U Been Gone, an infectious hit from that album.

The performances ended with Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Allen Toussaint, the Edge of U2, Dr John and others collaborating on a tribute to New Orleans with the Toussaint-penned song Yes We Can. They also belted out In the Midnight Hour, a signature hit for Wilson Pickett, who died last month at 64.

Playing at the Grammys for the first time, Paul McCartney performed Fine Line, a cut from his album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. After telling the house he wanted to "rock," he then launched into a hard-hitting take of Helter Skelter from his Beatles days. "This is the first time I’ve ever played at the Grammys. I finally passed the audition," Paul McCartney joked.

Top hits and performers

Album of the Year: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - U2 Record of the Year: Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day Male R&B Vocal Performance: Ordinary People - John Legend Pop Vocal Album: Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson Song of the Year: Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own - U2 Country Album: Lonely Runs Both Ways - Alison Krauss & Union Station

Rap Album: Late Registration - Kanye West Rock Album: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - U2 Female R&B Vocal Performance: We Belong Together - Mariah Carey R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: So Amazing - Beyonce and Stevie Wonder R&B Album: Get Lifted - John Legend Female Country Vocal Performance: The Connection - Emmylou Harris Male Country Vocal Performance: You’ll Think of Me - Keith Urban Compilation Soundtrack Album: Ray - Ray Charles.