James Bond’s new film SPECTRE finally hit the cinemas on November the 6th. Three years after Skyfall, the highest-grossing James Bond film ever, this new instalment received mixed reviews.
SPECTRE, a return-to-form film for the prolific franchise, has caused both praise and disappointment to an audience that had high aspirations. Lacklustre to some, spectacular to others, Sam Mendes’ second James Bond film continues to divide opinion. We won’t delve into SPECTRE particulars in this article –after all, we have already presented our argument in depth. Instead, we will take you on a fascinating trip down memory lane to look at some of the most iconic, exciting and memorable scenes in 007’s long cinematic career.
“Goldfiiinger… He loves gooold”
Source: Breaking Geek
It’s one of the most memorable theme songs in cinema history. Shirley Bassey’s biggest hit, written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse and composed by John Barry, opened the 1964 James Bond film starring Sean Connery. In addition to the captivating vocals and audio track, the sequence itself – a surreal set of shots where film is projected upon a beautiful gold lady – is remarkable. Dame Shirley Bassey famously never agreed to sing any song before hearing the lyrics but she was smart to make an exception in this case as, according to her website, the music gave her goose pimples. Bassey went on to sing two more James Bond songs, Diamonds are Forever and Moonraker.
“Bond, James Bond”
Among the literally dozens of memorable quotes the suave secret agent has given us, one is known best, and that is the way he introduces himself – only followed by “Martini – shaken, not stirred.”
It was first delivered by Sean Connery in the very first ever James Bond film, 1962’s Dr No. Over a green felt table of baccarat, Sylvia Tench asks 007 for his name, remarking that he has excellent luck, and the man replies “Bond, James Bond” while lighting a cigarette – it became legendary almost overnight. This scene also earned the high-stakes game of baccarat a place in pop-culture history, as it was James Bond’s casino game of choice. While recent Bonds have been shown playing poker and roulette, we see the spy play bacarrat in no less than seven of the series’ movies, spanning more than 30 years.
Interestingly, Dr No wasn’t supposed to be the first movie featuring the iconic agent: The producers’ top pick was Thunderball but it had to be postponed because of an intellectual rights dispute. Watch each and every actor who’s played James Bond introduce themselves to you in the following video. Who said it best?
“We have nothing to declare. Just this cello”
Source: NeedtoConsume.com
The year is 1987 and Timothy Dalton, James Bond’s fourth incarnation, is driving his Aston Martin with Kara Milovy in the passenger’s seat. Their attempt to flee from Czechoslovakia to Austria is threatened by the KGB and Czechoslovak police who are pursuing them. After a series of spectacular leaps, the car gives up on them and the duo slide downhill on Kara’s cello case, James Bond holding the instrument in his hands to the sound of an 80s version of the classic theme of the series.
Despite the skiers and vehicles, they manage to reach the Austrian border safely – with a single bullet hole on the cello, in a characteristically action-packed but strangely romantic moment for the series. Kara Milovy, played by Maryam d’Abo, was the last blonde main Bond girl for almost thirty years, until this year’s Spectre.
Parkour for the ages
Source: Fogs Movie Reviews
An action sequence fit for the 21st century, the parkour chase in Casino Royale shows that recent instalments of the series can indeed live up to the JB legend. Daring cinematography, breath-taking combat and a great soundtrack see a casually dressed Daniel Craig prove his worth as 007 in the best possible way. Terrorist Mollaka, the acrobatic villain being chased by Craig is in fact Sebastien Foucan, a renowned real-life parkour artist and founder of freerunning, who joined the movie to showcase his impressive stunts. In an interview, Foucan said he’s proud to have been part of the James Bond legend, and clarified that when they shot the scene where he spits on Daniel Craig’s face, he actually spat on the floor. Martin Campbell’s 2006 film marked the hero’s return after a four-year gap and managed to captivate audiences worldwide.
“Underneath the Mango Tree, My Honey and Me”
Source: Laura Blagogee
For 53 years now, Bond girls have been haunting the fantasies of men and women – but it was Ursula Andress who started it all, in 1962’s Dr No. Andress played Honey Ryder, the original Bond girl, in the quintessential scene where she emerges from the sea after diving for shells. James Bond, who believed he and Quarrel were alone on tropical Crab Key island, is very pleasantly surprised and joins in her song of “Under the Mango Tree”. Honey’s spectacular body – clad in a white bikini and knife belt – set the standard for the Bond Girls that followed.
This classic scene was mirrored in 2002’s Die Another Day, with Halle Berry wearing an orange bikini and emerging from the sea to be met by Pierce Brosnan. The latter scene, shot in Cadiz, Andalusia might look sunny and warm but it was quite the opposite. Berry had to be wrapped in thick towels to avoid catching a cold inbetween shots.
Drip… drip…
Source: FlickeringMyth.com
1967’s You Only Live Twice, the fifth James Bond movie, sees Sean Connery return as the superspy. Among its dozens of memorable scenes from this instalment, it is the poison scene that grabbed our attention for its restrained, tense action. James Bond spends the night with stunning Aki and the two fall asleep. An assassin targeting Bond sneaks into the building and attempts to slide a powerful poison down 007’s mouth using a piece of thread. The poison reaches Connery’s mouth but he shifts in his sleep. Instead, it is Aki who swallows it and meets her death. Bond gets his revenge right away, shooting the assassin dead. A true classic, this method was later paid tribute to in Grosse Pointe Blank.
It was not easy to choose our favorite classic scenes from the now 24 James Bond films. This franchise has evolved hand-in-hand with cinema and special effects, delivering breathtaking action, daring stunts, beautiful girls and witty punchlines almost each and every time. We attempted to touch upon every aspect that has made this series sucessful, from incredible chases to stunning female bodies and memorable quotes. Now it’s your turn – which is your favourite scene from James Bond? What have we overlooked? What do you expect from the franchise in the coming years?
The Recording Academy announced nominations for the 58th Annual Grammy Awards Monday morning.
Kendrick Lamar leads nominations with 11, followed by Taylor Swift and The Weeknd, who each earn seven. Music producer/songwriter Max Martin receives six nominations and mastering engineer Tom Coyne, rapper Drake, and engineers/mixers Serban Ghenea and John Hanes each earn five nominations.
The Grammys will be held Monday, Feb. 15, 2016, on CBS from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).
Is your favorite artist on the list?
RECORD OF THE YEAR
Really Love
D’Angelo And The Vanguard
D’Angelo, producer; Russell Elevado & Ben Kane, engineers/mixers; Dave Collins, mastering engineer
Track from: Black Messiah
Label: RCA Records
Uptown Funk
Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars
Jeff Bhasker, Bruno Mars & Mark Ronson, producers; Josh Blair, Serban Ghenea, Wayne Gordon, John Hanes, Inaam Haq, Boo Mitchell, Charles Moniz & Mark Ronson, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer
Track from: Uptown Special
Label: RCA Records
Thinking Out Loud
Ed Sheeran
Jake Gosling, producer; Jake Gosling, Mark ‘Spike’ Stent & Geoff Swan, engineers/mixers; Stuart Hawkes, mastering engineer
Track from: X
Label: Atlantic
Blank Space
Taylor Swift
Max Martin & Shellback, producers; Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Sam Holland & Michael Ilbert, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer
Track from: 1989
Label: Big Machine Records
Can’t Feel My Face
The Weeknd
Max Martin & Ali Payami, producers; Serban Ghenea, John Hanes & Sam Holland, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer
Label: Republic
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Sound & Color
Alabama Shakes
Alabama Shakes & Blake Mills, producers; Shawn Everett, engineer/mixer; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer
Label: ATO Records
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
Bilal, George Clinton, James Fauntleroy, Ronald Isley, Rapsody, Snoop Dogg, Thundercat & Anna Wise, featured artists; Taz Arnold, Boi-1Da, Ronald Colson, Larrance Dopson, Flying Lotus, Fredrik “Tommy Black” Halldin, Knxwledge, Koz, Lovedragon, Terrace Martin, Rahki, Sounwave, Tae Beast, Thundercat, Whoarei & Pharrell Williams, producers; Derek “Mixedbyali” Ali, Thomas Burns, James “The White Black Man” Hunt, 9th Wonder & Matt Schaeffer, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
Label: TDE/Aftermath/Interscope
Traveller
Chris Stapleton
Dave Cobb & Chris Stapleton, producers; Vance Powell, engineer/mixer; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer
Label: Mercury Nashville
1989
Taylor Swift
Jack Antonoff, Nathan Chapman, Imogen Heap, Max Martin, Mattman & Robin, Ali Payami, Shellback, Taylor Swift, Ryan Tedder & Noel Zancanella, producers; Jack Antonoff, Mattias Bylund, Smith Carlson, Nathan Chapman, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Imogen Heap, Sam Holland, Michael Ilbert, Brendan Morawski, Laura Sisk & Ryan Tedder, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer
Label: Big Machine Records
Beauty Behind The Madness
The Weeknd
Lana Del Rey, Labrinth & Ed Sheeran, featured artists; Dannyboystyles, Ben Diehl, Labrinth, Mano, Max Martin, Stephan Moccio, Carlo Montagnese, Ali Payami, The Pope, Jason Quenneville, Peter Svensson, Abel Tesfaye & Kanye West, producers; Jay Paul Bicknell, Mattias Bylund, Serban Ghenea, Noah Goldstein, John Hanes, Sam Holland, Jean Marie Horvat, Carlo Montagnese, Jason Quenneville & Dave Reitzas, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne & Dave Kutch, mastering engineers
Label: Republic
SONG OF THE YEAR
Alright
Kendrick Duckworth, Mark Anthony Spears & Pharrell Williams, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
Track from: To Pimp A Butterfly
Label: TDE/Aftermath/Interscope; Publisher(s): WB Music Corp., TDE Music, Hard Working Black Folks Publishing, EMI Music Inc., More Water From Nazareth, Sounwave TDE Productions, SonyATV
Blank Space
Max Martin, Shellback & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
Track from: 1989
Label: Big Machine Records; Publisher(s): Sony/ATV Tree Publishing/Taylor Swift Music/MXM admin. by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing, Inc.
Girl Crush
Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Little Big Town)
Track from: Pain Killer
Label: Capitol Records Nashville; Publisher(s): Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Songs Of Crazy Girl Music, Songs of Universal, Inc., Hoodie Songs, HillarodyRathbone Music admin. by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
See You Again
Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charles Puth & Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth)
Track from: Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Label: Atlantic; Publisher(s): Artist Publishing Group West/J Franks Publishing/Andrew Cedar Publishing admin. by WB Music Corp./Wiz Khalifa Publishing admin. by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Charlie Puth Music Publishing/Artist 101 Publishing Group admin. by Warner Chappell Music, Universal Pictures Music, UPG Music Publishing
Thinking Out Loud
Ed Sheeran & Amy Wadge, songwriters (Ed Sheeran)
Track from: X
Label: Atlantic; Publisher(s): Sony/ATV Music Publishing/BDi Music Limited
BEST NEW ARTIST
Courtney Barnett
James Bay
Sam Hunt
Tori Kelly
Meghan Trainor
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
Heartbeat Song
Kelly Clarkson
Track from: Piece By Piece
Label: RCA Records/19 Recordings Limited
Love Me Like You Do
Ellie Goulding
Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Label: Republic
Thinking Out Loud
Ed Sheeran
Track from: X
Label: Atlantic
Blank Space
Taylor Swift
Track from: 1989
Label: Big Machine Records
Can’t Feel My Face
The Weeknd
Track from: Beauty Behind The Madness
Label: Republic
BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
Ship To Wreck
Florence + The Machine
Track from: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Label: Republic
Sugar
Maroon 5
Track from: V
Label: 222 Records/Interscope
Uptown Funk
Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars
Track from: Uptown Special
Label: RCA Records
Bad Blood
Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar
Label: Big Machine Records
See You Again
Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth
Track from: Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Label: Atlantic
BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM
The Silver Lining: The Songs Of Jerome Kern
Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap
Label: RPM Records/Columbia Records
Shadows In The Night
Bob Dylan
Label: Columbia
Stages
Josh Groban
Label: Reprise
No One Ever Tells You
Seth MacFarlane
Label: Republic
My Dream Duets
Barry Manilow (& Various Artists)
Label: Verve Music Group
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
Piece By Piece
Kelly Clarkson
Label: 19/RCA
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Florence + The Machine
Label: Republic
Uptown Special
Mark Ronson
Label: RCA Records
1989
Taylor Swift
Label: Big Machine Records
Before This World
James Taylor
Label: Concord Records
BEST DANCE RECORDING
We’re All We Need
Above & Beyond Featuring Zoë Johnston
Andrew Bayer, Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness & Paavo Siljamäki, producers; Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness & Paavo Siljamäki, mixers
Label: Ultra/Anjunabeats
Go
The Chemical Brothers
Tom Rowlands & Ed Simons, producers; Steve Dub Jones & Tom Rowlands, mixers
Label: Astralwerks
Never Catch Me
Flying Lotus Featuring Kendrick Lamar
Steven Ellison, producer; Kevin Marques Moo, mixer
Track from: You’re Dead!
Label: Warp Records
Runaway (U & I)
Galantis
Linus Eklöw, Christian Karlsson & Svidden, producers; Linus Eklöw, Niklas Flyckt & Christian Karlsson, mixers
Track from: Pharmacy
Label: Big Beat/Atlantic
Where Are Ü Now
Skrillex And Diplo With Justin Bieber
Sonny Moore & Thomas Pentz, producers; Sonny Moore & Thomas Pentz, mixers
Track from: Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack Ü
Label: Owsla/Mad Decent/Atlantic
BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM
Our Love
Caribou
Label: Merge Records
Born In The Echoes
The Chemical Brothers
Label: Astralwerks
Caracal
Disclosure
Label: Capitol Records
In Colour
Jamie XX
Label: Young Turks Recordings
Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack Ü
Skrillex And Diplo
Label: Owsla/Mad Decent/Atlantic
BEST CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
Guitar In The Space Age!
Bill Frisell
Label: Okeh
Love Language
Wouter Kellerman
Label: Listen 2 Entertainment Group
The Gospel According To Jazz, Chapter IV
Kirk Whalum
Label: Mack Avenue Records
BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE
Don’t Wanna Fight
Alabama Shakes
Label: ATO Records
What Kind Of Man
Florence + The Machine
Track from: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Label: Republic
Something From Nothing
Foo Fighters
Track from: Sonic Highways
Label: RCA Records
Ex’s & Oh’s
Elle King
Track from: Love Stuff
Label: RCA Records
Moaning Lisa Smile
Wolf Alice
Track from: My Love Is Cool
Label: RCA Records/Dirty Hit
BEST METAL PERFORMANCE
Identity
August Burns Red
Label: Fearless Records
Cirice
Ghost
Label: Loma Vista Recordings
512
Lamb Of God
Track from: VII: Sturm Und Drang
Label: Epic Records
Thank You
Sevendust
Label: 7Bros Records
Custer
Slipknot
Track from: .5: The Gray Chapter
Label: Roadrunner Records
BEST ROCK SONG
Don’t Wanna Fight
Alabama Shakes, songwriters (Alabama Shakes)
Label: ATO Records; Publisher(s): Alabama Shakes Publishing/Break Mirrors Music
Ex’s & Oh’s
Dave Bassett & Elle King, songwriters (Elle King)
Track from: Love Stuff
Label: RCA Records; Publisher(s): Elle King Music/EMI Music Publishing, Inc./Bassett Songs/EMI April Music, Inc.
Hold Back The River
Iain Archer & James Bay, songwriters (James Bay)
Track from: Chaos And The Calm
Label: Republic; Publisher(s): B-Unique/Kobalt/Iain Archer/Kobalt
Lydia
Richard Meyer, Ryan Meyer & Johnny Stevens, songwriters (Highly Suspect)
Track from: Mister Asylum
Label: 300 Entertainment; Publisher(s): MCID
What Kind Of Man
John Hill, Tom Hull & Florence Welch, songwriters (Florence + The Machine)
Track from: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Label: Republic; Publisher(s): Rodeoman Music/EMI April Music/Universal Music Publishing
BEST ROCK ALBUM
Chaos And The Calm
James Bay
Label: Republic
Kintsugi
Death Cab For Cutie
Label: Atlantic
Mister Asylum
Highly Suspect
Label: 300 Entertainment
Drones
Muse
Label: Warner Bros. Records
.5: The Gray Chapter
Slipknot
Label: Roadrunner Records
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
Sound & Color
Alabama Shakes
Label: ATO Records
Vulnicura
Björk
Label: One Little Indian
The Waterfall
My Morning Jacket
Label: Capitol Records
Currents
Tame Impala
Label: Interscope
Star Wars
Wilco
Label: Anti/Dbpm
BEST R&B PERFORMANCE
If I Don’t Have You
Tamar Braxton
Track from: Calling All Lovers
Label: Epic Records
Rise Up
Andra Day
Track from: Cheers To The Fall
Label: Warner Bros. Records
Breathing Underwater
Hiatus Kaiyote
Track from: Choose Your Weapon
Label: Flying Buddha / Sony Masterworks
Planes
Jeremih Featuring J. Cole
Label: Def Jam Recordings
Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)
The Weeknd
Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Label: Universal Studios/Republic Records
BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE
He Is
Faith Evans
Track from: Incomparable
Label: Prolific Music Group/BMG
Little Ghetto Boy
Lalah Hathaway
Label: Entertainment One/8Th Floor
Let It Burn
Jazmine Sullivan
Track from: Reality Show
Label: RCA Records
Shame
Tyrese
Label: Voltron Recordz
My Favorite Part Of You
Charlie Wilson
Track from: Forever Charlie
Label: RCA Records
BEST R&B SONG
Coffee
Brook Davis & Miguel Pimentel, songwriters (Miguel)
Track from: Wildheart
Label: RCA Records/ByStorm Entertainment; Publisher(s): Art Dealer Chic, Pop Killer/Dleaurean
Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)
Ahmad Balshe, Stephan Moccio, Jason Quenneville & Abel Tesfaye, songwriters (The Weeknd)
Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Label: Universal Studios/Republic Records; Publisher(s): SONGS Music Publishing, LLC, o/b/o Songs Of SMP, Songs Of Universal,
Inc. and Sing Little Penguin, Universal Music Corp, CP Music Group, Inc., Universal Pictures Music and UPG Music Publishing
Let It Burn
Kenny B. Edmonds, Jazmine Sullivan & Dwane M. Weir II, songwriters (Jazmine Sullivan)
Track from: Reality Show
Label: RCA Records; Publisher(s): JazLady Publishing, Dwane M. Weir II/Sean Michael Anderson Music LLC/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Really Love
D’Angelo & Kendra Foster, songwriters (D’Angelo And The Vanguard)
Track from: Black Messiah
Label: RCA Records; Publisher(s): Ah Choo Music Publishing/12:00 AM Music admin. by Universal Polygram International Publishing, Ear Kandy Music, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Shame
Warryn Campbell, Tyrese Gibson & DJ Rogers Jr, songwriters (Tyrese)
Label: Voltron Recordz; Publisher(s): Peer Music/Sounds From The Soul/Campbell Kids Music/Warner Chappell/@PenTorious D.J. Rogers Jr. Sounds From The Soul/Gibson & Gibson Music Publishing
BEST URBAN CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
Ego Death
The Internet
Label: Odd Future/Columbia
You Should Be Here
Kehlani
Label: Tsunami Mob/Atlantic
Blood
Lianne La Havas
Label: Nonesuch
Wildheart
Miguel
Label: RCA Records/ByStorm Entertainment
Beauty Behind The Madness
The Weeknd
Label: Republic
BEST R&B ALBUM
Coming Home
Leon Bridges
Label: Columbia Records
Black Messiah
D’Angelo And The Vanguard
Label: RCA Records
Cheers To The Fall
Andra Day
Label: Warner Bros. Records
Reality Show
Jazmine Sullivan
Label: RCA Records
Forever Charlie
Charlie Wilson
Label: RCA Records
BEST RAP PERFORMANCE
Apparently
J. Cole
Track from: 2014 Forest Hills Drive
Label: Roc Nation/Columbia Records
Alright
Kendrick Lamar
Track from: To Pimp A Butterfly
Label: Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath Records/Interscope Records
Truffle Butter
Nicki Minaj Featuring Drake & Lil Wayne
Track from: The Pinkprint
Label: Young Money/Cash Money
All Day
Kanye West Featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney
Label: Def Jam Recordings
BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
One Man Can Change The World
Big Sean Featuring Kanye West & John Legend
Track from: Dark Sky Paradise
Label: Universal/Def Jam
Glory
Common & John Legend
Label: Def Jam Recordings
Classic Man
Jidenna Featuring Roman GianArthur
Label: Epic Records
These Walls
Kendrick Lamar Featuring Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat
Track from: To Pimp A Butterfly
Label: Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath Records/Interscope Records
Only
Nicki Minaj Featuring Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown
Track from: The Pinkprint
Label: Young Money/Cash Money
BEST RAP SONG
All Day
Ernest Brown, Tyler Bryant, Sean Combs, Mike Dean, Rennard East, Noah Goldstein, Malik Yusef Jones, Karim Kharbouch, Allan Kyariga, Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney, Victor Mensah, Charles Njapa, Che Pope, Patrick Reynolds, Allen Ritter, Kanye West, Mario Winans & Cydel Young, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney)
Label: Def Jam Recordings; Publisher(s): Please Gimme My Publishing/EMI Blackwood Music Inc./MPL Communications Inc./TYLER BRANT PUBLISHING/WB Music Corp./ Hard Working Black Folks Inc./Top Dawg Music/Excuse My French Music/EMI Blackwood Music Inc./Monarch Music/Abou Thiam Publishing/Victor Kwesi Mensah Publishing Designee/ALLEN KYARIGA/EMI Blackwood Music o/b/o Papa George Publishing/Kaya and Ethan Music/Primary Wave Brian/Noah Goldstein admin. by Reach Music Publishing/Ritter Boy LLC/Mario Winans Publishing Designee/Broken Locks/Songs of Universal Inc./Jabriel Iz Myne /Universal Music/Patrick Reynolds Publishing Designee/Smooth Thug Music/Noel Ellis Publishing Designee/Justin Combs Music Publishing administered by EMI April
Music
Alright
Kendrick Duckworth, Mark Anthony Spears & Pharrell Williams, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
Track from: To Pimp A Butterfly
Label: TDE/Aftermath/Interscope; Publisher(s): WB Music Corp., TDE Music, Hard Working Black Folks Publishing, EMI Music Inc., More Water From Nazareth, Sounwave TDE Productions, SonyATV
Energy
Richard Dorfmeister, A. Graham, Markus Kienzl, M. O’Brien, M. Samuels & Phillip Thomas, songwriters (Drake)
Track from: If Youre Reading This Its Too Late
Label: Young Money/Cash Money; Publisher(s): Sandra Gale/EMI Music Publishing, 1damentional publishing LLC/Sony/ATV Tunes, LLC, Matthew O’Brien/otek north/WB Music Corp./Jack Russell Music Ltd./Notting Hill Music Ltd.
Glory
Lonnie Lynn, Che Smith & John Stephens, songwriters (Common & John Legend)
Track from: Selma (Music From The Motion Picture)
Label: Universal/Def Jam; Publisher(s): Paramount Pictures/Pathe Productions Limited
Trap Queen
Tony Fadd & Willie J. Maxwell, songwriters (Fetty Wap)
Track from: Fetty Wap
Label: 300 Entertainment/RGF Productions; Publisher(s): RGF Publishing, Zoovier, BMG Gold Songs, Tony Fadd Beats
BEST RAP ALBUM
2014 Forest Hills Drive
J. Cole
Label: Roc Nation/Columbia Records
Compton
Dr. Dre
Label: Aftermath/Interscope
If Youre Reading This Its Too Late
Drake
Label: Cash Money/Young Money
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
Label: Aftermath/Interscope
The Pinkprint
Nicki Minaj
Label: Young Money/Cash Money
BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE
Burning House
Cam
Track from: Welcome To Cam Country
Label: Sony Music Entertainment
Traveller
Chris Stapleton
Track from: Traveller
Label: Mercury Nashville
Little Toy Guns
Carrie Underwood
Track from: Greatest Hits: Decade #1
Label: 19 Recordings/Arista Nashville
John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16
Keith Urban
Label: Capitol Records Nashville
Chances Are
Lee Ann Womack
Track from: The Way I’m Livin’
Label: Sugar Hill Records
BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
Stay A Little Longer
Brothers Osborne
Label: EMI Records Nashville
If I Needed You
Joey+Rory
Track from: Country Classics
Label: Gaither Music Group
The Driver
Charles Kelley, Dierks Bentley & Eric Paslay
Label: Capitol Records Nashville
Girl Crush
Little Big Town
Track from: Pain Killer
Label: Capitol Records Nashville
Lonely Tonight
Blake Shelton Featuring Ashley Monroe
Label: Warner Bros
BEST COUNTRY SONG
Chances Are
Hayes Carll, songwriter (Lee Ann Womack)
Track from: The Way I’m Livin’
Label: Sugar Hill Records; Publisher(s): Highway 87 Music admin. by BMG/Chrysalis
Diamond Rings And Old Barstools
Barry Dean, Luke Laird & Jonathan Singleton, songwriters (Tim McGraw)
Track from: Sundown Heaven Town
Label: Big Machine Records/McGraw Music; Publisher(s): Songs of Universal, Inc./Creative Nation Music/Twangin and Slangin Songs/Country Paper/Pulse Nation/BMG Gold Songs /Glassbean/We Jam Writers Group
Girl Crush
Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Little Big Town)
Track from: Pain Killer
Label: Capitol Records Nashville; Publisher(s): Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Songs Of Crazy Girl Music, Songs of Universal, Inc., Hoodie Songs, HillarodyRathbone Music admin. by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Hold My Hand
Brandy Clark & Mark Stephen Jones, songwriters (Brandy Clark)
Track from: 12 Stories
Label: Warner Bros Records; Publisher(s): Songs of Parallel/Vista Loma Music admin. by Amplified Administration and Harlan
Howard Songs
Traveller
Chris Stapleton, songwriter (Chris Stapleton)
Track from: Traveller
Label: Mercury Nashville; Publisher(s): WB Music Corp./Ken Tucky Music
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Montevallo
Sam Hunt
Label: MCA Nashville
Pain Killer
Little Big Town
Label: Capitol Records Nashville
The Blade
Ashley Monroe
Label: Warner Bros.
Pageant Material
Kacey Musgraves
Label: Mercury Nashville
Traveller
Chris Stapleton
Label: Mercury Records
BEST NEW AGE ALBUM
Grace
Paul Avgerinos
Label: Round Sky Music
Bhakti Without Borders
Madi Das
Label: Kuli Mela
Voyager
Catherine Duc
Label: MG Music Ltd
Love
Peter Kater
Label: Mysterium Music
Asia Beauty
Ron Korb
Label: Humbledragon
BEST IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO
Giant Steps
Joey Alexander, soloist
Track from: My Favorite Things
Label: Motema Music
Cherokee
Christian McBride, soloist
Track from: Live At The Village Vanguard (Christian McBride Trio)
Label: Mack Avenue Records
Arbiters Of Evolution
Donny McCaslin, soloist
Track from: The Thompson Fields (Maria Schneider Orchestra)
Label: ArtistShare
Friend Or Foe
Joshua Redman, soloist
Track from: The Bad Plus Joshua Redman (The Bad Plus Joshua Redman)
Label: Nonesuch
Past Present
John Scofield, soloist
Track from: Past Present
Label: Impulse!
BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM
Many A New Day: Karrin Allyson Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein
Karrin Allyson
Label: Motema Music
Find A Heart
Denise Donatelli
Label: Savant Records
Flirting With Disaster
Lorraine Feather
Label: Jazzed Media
Jamison
Jamison Ross
Label: Concord Jazz
For One To Love
Cécile McLorin Salvant
Label: Mack Avenue Records
BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
My Favorite Things
Joey Alexander
Label: Motema Music
Breathless
Terence Blanchard Featuring The E-Collective
Label: Blue Note Records
Covered: Recorded Live At Capitol Studios
Robert Glasper & The Robert Glasper Trio
Label: Blue Note Records
Beautiful Life
Jimmy Greene
Label: Mack Avenue Records
Past Present
John Scofield
Label: Impulse!
BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM
Lines Of Color
Gil Evans Project
Label: Blue Note/ArtistShare
Köln
Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band
Label: Alternate Side Records
Cuba: The Conversation Continues
Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Label: Motema Music
The Thompson Fields
Maria Schneider Orchestra
Label: ArtistShare
Home Suite Home
Patrick Williams
Label: BFM Jazz
BEST LATIN JAZZ ALBUM
Made In Brazil
Eliane Elias
Label: Concord Jazz
Impromptu
The Rodriguez Brothers
Label: Criss Cross Jazz
Suite Caminos
Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Label: 5Passion
Intercambio
Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet
Label: Patois Records
Identities Are Changeable
Miguel Zenón
Label: Miel Music
BEST GOSPEL PERFORMANCE/SONG
Worth [Live]
Anthony Brown & Group Therapy; Anthony Brown, songwriter
Track from: Everyday Jesus [Live]
Label: Tyscot Records; Publisher(s): Key Of A Music/Tyscot Music
Wanna Be Happy?
Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, songwriter
Label: RCA Records/Fo Yo Soul Recordings; Publisher(s): Aunt Gertrude Music Publishing admin. by Universal Music-Brentwood
Benson Songs and Irving Music, Inc. admin. by Universal Music Publishing
How Awesome Is Our God [Live]
Israel & Newbreed Featuring Yolanda Adams; Neville Diedericks, Israel Houghton & Meleasa Houghton, songwriters
Track from: Covered: Alive In Asia [Live] (Deluxe)
Label: RGM Newbreed/RCA Inspiration; Publisher(s): Integrity’s Praise! Music, RGM-Newbreed Publishing, Sound Of The New Breed, Aaron Lindsey Publishing, CCMG Publishing, Neville D. Publishing
Worth Fighting For [Live]
Brian Courtney Wilson; Aaron Lindsey & Brian Courtney Wilson, songwriters
Track from: Worth Fighting For [Live]
Label: Motown Gospel; Publisher(s): ACER/Aaron Lindsey Music/Capitol Christian Music Publishing admin. by Capitol CMG
BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC PERFORMANCE/SONG
Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)
Crowder; Ed Cash, David Crowder & Seth Philpott, songwriters
Track from: Neon Steeple (Deluxe Edition)
Label: sixstepsrecords/Sparrow Records; Publisher(s): sixsteps Music/worshiptogether.com Songs/sixsteps Songs/Worship
Together Music admin. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com/Alletrop Music
Because He Lives (Amen)
Matt Maher
Track from: Saints And Sinners
Label: Essential Records/Provident Label Group
Soul On Fire
Third Day Featuring All Sons & Daughters; Tai Anderson, Brenton Brown, David Carr, Mark Lee, Matt Maher & Mac Powell, songwriters
Track from: Lead Us Back: Songs Of Worship (Deluxe)
Label: Essential Records/Provident Label Group; Publisher(s): DATAMAMA MUSIC, Thankyou Music, Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, I Am
A Pilgrim Songs
Feel It
Tobymac Featuring Mr. Talkbox; Cary Barlowe, David Arthur Garcia & Toby McKeehan, songwriters
Label: ForeFront Records; Publisher(s): Achtober Songs/Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publishing/D Soul Music admin. by CapitolCMGPublishing.com/Castle Bound Music, Inc./We Be Pawtying
BEST GOSPEL ALBUM
Destined To Win [Live]
Karen Clark Sheard
Label: Karew Records/Entertainment One
Living It
Dorinda Clark-Cole
Label: Entertainment One/Light Records
One Place Live
Tasha Cobbs
Label: Motown Gospel
Covered: Alive In Asia [Live] (Deluxe)
Israel & Newbreed
Label: RGM Newbreed/RCA Inspiration
Life Music: Stage Two
Jonathan McReynolds
Label: Entertainment One/Tehillah Music
BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC ALBUM
Whatever The Road
Jason Crabb
Label: Reunion Records/Provident Label Group
How Can It Be
Lauren Daigle
Label: Centricity Music
Saints And Sinners
Matt Maher
Label: Essential Records/Provident Label Group
This Is Not A Test
Tobymac
Label: ForeFront Records
Love Ran Red
Chris Tomlin
Label: sixstepsrecords/Sparrow Records
BEST ROOTS GOSPEL ALBUM
Still Rockin’ My Soul
The Fairfield Four
Label: Fairfield Four Records
Pray Now
Karen Peck & New River
Label: Daywind Records
Directions Home (Songs We Love, Songs You Know)
Point Of Grace
Label: Word/Curb
BEST LATIN POP ALBUM
Terral
Pablo Alborán
Label: Warner Music Latina
Healer
Alex Cuba
Label: Caracol Records
A Quien Quiera Escuchar (Deluxe Edition)
Ricky Martin
Label: Sony Music Latin
Sirope
Alejandro Sanz
Label: Universal Music Latino
Algo Sucede
Julieta Venegas
Label: Sony Music Latin
BEST LATIN ROCK, URBAN OR ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
Amanecer
Bomba Estereo
Label: Sony Music Latin
Mondongo
La Cuneta Son Machín
Label: Round Whirled Records
Hasta La Raíz
Natalia Lafourcade
Label: Sony Music Latin
Caja De Música
Monsieur Periné
Label: Sony Music Entertainment
Dale
Pitbull
Label: Mr. 305 / Sony Music Latin
BEST REGIONAL MEXICAN MUSIC ALBUM (INCLUDING TEJANO)
Mi Vicio Mas Grande
Banda El Recodo De Don Cruz Lizarraga
Label: Fonovisa
Ya Dime Adiós
La Maquinaria Norteña
Label: Fonovisa
Zapateando
Los Cojolites
Label: Round Whirled Records
Realidades – Deluxe Edition
Los Tigres Del Norte
Label: Fonovisa
Tradición, Arte Y Pasión
Mariachi Los Camperos De Nati Cano
Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
BEST TROPICAL LATIN ALBUM
Tributo A Los Compadres: No Quiero Llanto
José Alberto “El Canario” & Septeto Santiaguero
Label: Los Canarios Music
Son De Panamá
Rubén Blades With Roberto Delgado & Orchestra
Label: Ruben Blades Productions
Presente Continuo
Guaco
Label: Latin Pulse / Sony Music Latin
Todo Tiene Su Hora
Juan Luis Guerra 4.40
Label: Universal Music Latino/Capital Latin
Que Suenen Los Tambores
Victor Manuelle
Label: Kiyavi / Sony Music Latin
BEST AMERICAN ROOTS PERFORMANCE
And Am I Born To Die
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Track from: Béla Fleck And Abigail Washburn
Label: Rounder
Born To Play Guitar
Buddy Guy
Track from: Born To Play Guitar
Label: RCA Records/Silvertone Records
City Of Our Lady
The Milk Carton Kids
Track from: Monterey
Label: Anti
Julep
Punch Brothers
Track from: The Phosphorescent Blues
Label: Nonesuch
See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
Mavis Staples
Track from: Your Good Fortune
Label: Anti
BEST AMERICAN ROOTS SONG
All Night Long
Raul Malo, songwriter (The Mavericks)
Track from: Mono
Label: The Valory Music Co.; Publisher(s): Big Machine Music/Raul Malo Music
The Cost Of Living
Don Henley & Stan Lynch, songwriters (Don Henley & Merle Haggard)
Track from: Cass County
Label: Capitol Records; Publisher(s): Wisteria Music (GMR) admin. by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Matanzas Music
Julep
Chris Eldridge, Paul Kowert, Noam Pikelny, Chris Thile & Gabe Witcher, songwriters (Punch Brothers)
Track from: The Phosphorescent Blues
Label: Nonesuch; Publisher(s): Chris Thile Music, Money Baby Music, Noam Tunes, Silver Hammer Music, Paul Kowert
The Traveling Kind
Cory Chisel, Rodney Crowell & Emmylou Harris, songwriters (Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell)
Track from: The Traveling Kind
Label: Nonesuch; Publisher(s): Criterion Music o/b/o Coolwell Music/Almo Music Corp. o/b/o Poodlebone Music/Chisel Publishing
24 Frames
Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell)
Track from: Something More Than Free
Label: Southeastern Records; Publisher(s): Songs Of Emchant
BEST AMERICANA ALBUM
The Firewatcher’s Daughter
Brandi Carlile
Label: ATO Records
The Traveling Kind
Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
Label: Nonesuch
Something More Than Free
Jason Isbell
Label: Southeastern Records
Mono
The Mavericks
Label: The Valory Music Co.
The Phosphorescent Blues
Punch Brothers
Label: Nonesuch
BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM
Pocket Full Of Keys
Dale Ann Bradley
Label: Pinecastle Records
Before The Sun Goes Down
Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley
Label: Compass Records Group
In Session
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
Man Of Constant Sorrow
Ralph Stanley & Friends
Label: Red River Entertainment
The Muscle Shoals Recordings
The Steeldrivers
Label: Rounder
BEST BLUES ALBUM
Descendants Of Hill Country
Cedric Burnside Project
Label: Cedric Burnside Project
Outskirts Of Love
Shemekia Copeland
Label: Alligator Records
Born To Play Guitar
Buddy Guy
Label: RCA Records/Silvertone Records
Worthy
Bettye LaVette
Label: Cherry Red
Muddy Waters 100
John Primer & Various Artists
Label: Raisin Music Records
BEST FOLK ALBUM
Wood, Wire & Words
Norman Blake
Label: Plectrafone Records
Béla Fleck And Abigail Washburn
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Label: Rounder
Tomorrow Is My Turn
Rhiannon Giddens
Label: Nonesuch
Dark Pie Concerns
Gustafer Yellowgold
Label: Apple-Eye Productions
Home
Tim Kubart
Label: Tim And The Space Cadets
How Great Can This Day Be
Lori Henriques
Label: Human Puppy Records
Trees
Molly Ledford & Billy Kelly
Label: Yay! Music
BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM (INCLUDES POETRY, AUDIO BOOKS & STORYTELLING)
Blood On Snow (Jo Nesbø)
Patti Smith
Label: Random House Audio
Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, And Assorted Hijinks
Dick Cavett
Label: Macmillan Audio
A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety
Jimmy Carter
Label: Simon & Schuster Audio
Patience And Sarah (Isabel Miller)
Janis Ian & Jean Smart
Label: Audible Studios
Yes Please
Amy Poehler (& Various Artists)
Label: HarperAudio
BEST COMEDY ALBUM
Back To The Drawing Board
Lisa Lampanelli
Label: Comedy Dynamics
Brooklyn
Wyatt Cenac
Label: Other Music Recording
Happy. And A Lot.
Jay Mohr
Label: Lolflix Inc.
Just Being Honest
Craig Ferguson
Label: Lionsgate Records
Live At Madison Square Garden
Louis C.K.
Label: Comedy Dynamics
BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM
An American In Paris
Leanne Cope, Max Von Essen, Robert Fairchild, Jill Paice & Brandon Uranowitz, principal soloists; Rob Fisher & Scott Lehrer, producers (George Gershwin, composer; Ira Gershwin, lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)
Label: Masterworks Broadway
Fun Home
Michael Cerveris, Judy Kuhn, Sydney Lucas, Beth Malone & Emily Skeggs, principal soloists; Philip Chaffin & Tommy Krasker, producers (Jeanine Tesori, composer; Lisa Kron, lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)
Label: PS Classics
Hamilton
Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom, Jr., Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos & Phillipa Soo, principal soloists; Alex Lacamoire, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bill Sherman, Ahmir Thompson & Tarik Trotter, producers; Lin-Manuel Miranda, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)
Label: Atlantic
The King And I
Ruthie Ann Miles, Kelli O’Hara, Ashley Park, Conrad Ricamora & Ken Watanabe, principal soloists; David Caddick, David Lai & Ted Sperling, producers (Richard Rodgers, composer; Oscar Hammerstein II, lyricist) (2015 Broadway Cast)
Label: Universal Music Classics
Something Rotten!
Heidi Blickenstaff, Christian Borle, John Cariani, Brian d’Arcy James, Brad Oscar & Kate Reinders, principal soloists; Kurt Deutsch, Karey Kirkpatrick, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Lawrence Manchester, Kevin McCollum & Phil Reno, producers; Karey Kirkpatrick & Wayne Kirkpatrick, composers/lyricists (Originial Broadway Cast)
Label: Ghostlight
BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA
Empire: Season 1
(Various Artists)
Label: Columbia
Fifty Shades Of Grey
(Various Artists)
Label: Republic Records
Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me
(Various Artists)
Label: Big Machine Records
Pitch Perfect 2
(Various Artists)
Label: Universal Music Enterprises/Republic Records
Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)
Ahmad Balshe, Stephan Moccio, Jason Quenneville & Abel Tesfaye, songwriters (The Weeknd)
Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey
Label: Universal Studios/Republic Records; Publisher(s): SONGS Music Publishing, LLC, o/b/o Songs Of SMP, Songs Of Universal, Inc. and Sing Little Penguin, Universal Music Corp, CP Music Group, Inc., Universal Pictures Music and UPG Music Publishing
Glory
Lonnie Lynn, Che Smith & John Stephens, songwriters (Common & John Legend)
Track from: Selma
Label: Def Jam/ARTium Records; Publisher(s): Paramount Pictures/Pathé Productions Limited
Love Me Like You Do
Savan Kotecha, Max Martin, Tove Nilsson, Ali Payami & Ilya Salmanzadeh, songwriters (Ellie Goulding)
Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey
Label: Republic Records; Publisher(s): MXM admin. by Kobalt, Wolf Cousin/Warner/Chappell Music SCAND, Shellbeck Industries, Universal Pictures Music
See You Again
Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charles Puth & Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth)
Track from: Furious 7
Label: Atlantic; Publisher(s): Artist Publishing Group West/J Franks Publishing/Andrew Cedar Publishing admin. by WB Music Corp./Wiz Khalifa Publishing admin. by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Charlie Puth Music Publishing/Artist 101 Publishing Group admin. by Warner Chappell Music, Universal Pictures Music, UPG Music Publishing
Til It Happens To You
Lady Gaga & Diane Warren, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
Track from: The Hunting Ground
Label: Streamline/Interscope; Publisher(s): Diane Warren Trust d/b/a REALSONGS/Sony ATV songs LLC/House of Gaga Publishing Inc./GloJoe Music Inc.
BEST INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION
The Afro Latin Jazz Suite
Arturo O’Farrill, composer (Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Featuring Rudresh Mahanthappa)
Track from: Cuba: The Conversation Continues
Label: Motema Music
Civil War
Bob Mintzer, composer (Bob Mintzer Big Band)
Track from: Get Up!
Label: MCG Jazz
Confetti Man
David Balakrishnan, composer (Turtle Island Quartet)
Track from: Confetti Man
Label: Azica Records
Neil
Rich DeRosa, composer (University Of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band)
Track from: Lab 2015
Label: North Texas Jazz
Vesper
Marshall Gilkes, composer (Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band)
Track from: Köln
Label: Alternate Side Records
BEST ARRANGEMENT, INSTRUMENTAL OR A CAPPELLA
Bruno Mars
Paul Allen, Troy Hayes, Evin Martin & J Moss, arrangers (Vocally Challenged)
Label: PMG Records
Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy
Ben Bram, Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan, Kirstin Maldonado & Kevin Olusola, arrangers (Pentatonix)
Track from: That’s Christmas To Me
Label: RCA Records
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Armand Hutton, arranger (Committed)
Track from: Home For Christmas
Label: Mixed Bag Music Group, LLC.
Ghost Of A Chance
Bob James, arranger (Bob James & Nathan East)
Track from: The New Cool
Label: Yamaha Entertainment Group Of America
You And The Night And The Music
John Fedchock, arranger (John Fedchock New York Big Band)
Track from: Like It Is
Label: Mama Records
BEST ARRANGEMENT, INSTRUMENTS AND VOCALS
Be My Muse
Shelly Berg, arranger (Lorraine Feather)
Label: Jazzed Media
52nd & Broadway
Patrick Williams, arranger (Patrick Williams Featuring Patti Austin)
Track from: Home Suite Home
Label: BFM Jazz
Garota De Ipanema
Otmaro Ruiz, arranger (Catina DeLuna Featuring Otmaro Ruiz)
Track from: Catina Deluna Lado B Brazilian Project Featuring Otmaro Ruiz
Label: Catina DeLuna
Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)
Maria Schneider, arranger (David Bowie)
Track from: Nothing Has Changed
Label: Legacy/Columbia
When I Come Home
Jimmy Greene, arranger (Jimmy Greene With Javier Colon)
Track from: Beautiful Life
Label: Mack Avenue Records
BEST RECORDING PACKAGE
Alagoas
Alex Trochut, art director (Alagoas)
Label: Better Problems
Bush
Anita Marisa Boriboon, art director (Snoop Dogg)
Label: Doggy Style/ Iamother/ Columbia Records
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (Deluxe Edition)
Brian Roettinger, art director (Florence + The Machine)
Label: Republic
My Happiness
Nathanio Strimpopulos, art director (Elvis Presley)
Label: Third Man Records
Still The King: Celebrating The Music Of Bob Wills And His Texas Playboys
Sarah Dodds, Shauna Dodds & Dick Reeves, art directors (Asleep At The Wheel)
Label: Bismeaux Records
BEST BOXED OR SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION PACKAGE
Beneath The Skin (Deluxe Box Set)
Leif Podhajsky, art director (Of Monsters And Men)
Label: Republic
I Love You, Honeybear (Limited Edition Deluxe Vinyl)
Sasha Barr & Josh Tillman, art directors (Father John Misty)
Label: Sub Pop
The Rise & Fall Of Paramount Records, Volume Two (1928-32)
Susan Archie, Dean Blackwood & Jack White, art directors (Various Artists)
Label: Third Man Records / Revenant Records
Sticky Fingers (Super Deluxe Edition)
Stephen Kennedy & James Tilley, art directors (The Rolling Stones)
Label: Universal Music Enterprises, A Division Of UM
30 Trips Around The Sun
Doran Tyson & Steve Vance, art directors (Grateful Dead)
Label: Rhino
What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World (Deluxe Box Set)
Jeri Heiden & Glen Nakasako, art directors (The Decemberists)
Label: Capitol Records
BEST ALBUM NOTES
Folksongs Of Another America: Field Recordings From The Upper Midwest, 1937-1946
James P. Leary, album notes writer (Various Artists)
Label: Dust-To-Digital/University of Wisconsin Press
Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection
Jeff Place, album notes writer (Lead Belly)
Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting To Be Danced
Joni Mitchell, album notes writer (Joni Mitchell)
Label: Rhino
Portrait Of An American Singer
Ted Olson, album notes writer (Tennessee Ernie Ford)
Label: Bear Family Productions
Songs Of The Night: Dance Recordings, 1916-1925
Ryan Barna, album notes writer (Joseph C. Smith’s Orchestra)
Label: Archeophone Records
BEST HISTORICAL ALBUM
The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11
Steve Berkowitz, Jan Haust & Jeff Rosen, compilation producers; Peter J. Moore, mastering engineer (Bob Dylan And The Band)
Label: Columbia/Legacy
The Complete Concert By The Sea
Geri Allen, Jocelyn Arem & Steve Rosenthal, compilation producers; Jessica Thompson, mastering engineer (Erroll Garner)
Label: Columbia/Legacy
Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, And Country 1966–1985
Kevin Howes, compilation producer; Greg Mindorff, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
Label: Light In The Attic Records
Parchman Farm: Photographs And Field Recordings, 1947–1959
Steven Lance Ledbetter & Nathan Salsburg, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
Label: Dust-To-Digital
Songs My Mother Taught Me
Mark Puryear, compilation producer; Pete Reiniger, mastering engineer (Fannie Lou Hamer)
Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, NON-CLASSICAL
Before This World
Dave O’Donnell, engineer; Ted Jensen, mastering engineer (James Taylor)
Label: Concord Records
Currency Of Man
Maxime Le Guil, engineer; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Melody Gardot)
Label: Verve/Universal
Recreational Love
Greg Kurstin & Alex Pasco, engineers; Emily Lazar, mastering engineer (The Bird And The Bee)
Label: Rostrum Records
Sound & Color
Shawn Everett, engineer; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Alabama Shakes)
Label: ATO Records
Wallflower
Steve Price, Jochem van der Saag & Jorge Vivo, engineers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Diana Krall)
Label: Verve Music Group/Universal
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL
Jeff Bhasker
• Ain’t Gonna Drown (Elle King) (T) • Burning Doves (Mikky Ekko) (T) • Burning House (Cam) (T) • Grand Romantic (Nate Ruess) (A) • Last Damn Night (Elle King) (T) • Never Let You Down (Woodkid Featuring Lykke Li) (T) • Runaway Train (Cam) (T) • Uptown Special (Mark Ronson) (A)
Dave Cobb
• Delilah (Anderson East) (A) • Little Neon Limelight (Houndmouth) (A) • Smoke (A Thousand Horses) (S) • Something More Than Free (Jason Isbell) (A) • Southernality (A Thousand Horses) (A) • 3 (Honeyhoney) (A) • Traveller (Chris Stapleton) (A)
Diplo
• B**** I’m Madonna (Madonna Featuring Nicki Minaj) (S) • Doctor Pepper (Diplo Featuring CL, Riff Raff & OG MacO) (S) • Golden (Travie McCoy Featuring Sia) (S) • Lean On (Major Lazer Featuring MØ & DJ Snake) (S) • Peace Is The Mission (Major Lazer) (A) • Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack Ü (Skrillex And Diplo) (A) • Where Are Ü Now (Skrillex And Diplo With Justin Bieber) (T)
Larry Klein
• Currency Of Man (Melody Gardot) (A) • Freedom & Surrender (Lizz Wright) (A) • Heartland (Indra Rios-Moore) (A) • I’m Leaving You (Florence K) (A) • Parker’s Place (Parker Bent) (A) • Speaking In Tongues (Luciana Souza) (A) • Tenderness (JD Souther) (A)
Blake Mills
• Sound & Color (Alabama Shakes) (A)
BEST REMIXED RECORDING, NON-CLASSICAL
Berlin By Overnight (CFCF Remix)
CFCF, remixer (Daniel Hope)
Track from: Berlin By Overnight
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Hold On (Fatum Remix)
Bill Hamel & Chad Newbold, remixers (JES, Shant, & Clint Maximus)
Label: Intonenation Records
Runaway (U & I) (Kaskade Remix)
Ryan Raddon, remixer (Galantis)
Track from: Runaway (U&I) Remixes
Label: Big Beat/Atlantic
Say My Name (RAC Remix)
André Allen Anjos, remixer (Odesza Featuring Zyra)
Track from: Say My Name Remixes
Label: Counter Records
Uptown Funk (Dave Audé Remix)
Dave Audé, remixer (Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars)
Label: RCA Records
Amused To Death
James Guthrie, surround mix engineer; James Guthrie & Joel Plante, surround mastering engineers; James Guthrie, surround producer (Roger Waters)
Label: Columbia/Legacy
Ask Your Mama
Leslie Ann Jones, John Kilgore, Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum & Justin Merrill, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (George Manahan & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra)
Label: Avie Records
Dutilleux: Métaboles; L’Arbre Des Songes; Symphony No. 2, ‘Le Double’
Dmitriy Lipay, engineer; Alexander Lipay, mastering engineer (Ludovic Morlot, Augustin Hadelich & Seattle Symphony)
Label: Seattle Symphony Media
Monteverdi: Il Ritorno D’Ulisse In Patria
Robert Friedrich, engineer; Michael Bishop, mastering engineer (Martin Pearlman, Jennifer Rivera, Fernando Guimarães & Boston Baroque)
Label: Linn Records
Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil
Beyong Joon Hwang & John Newton, engineers; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Charles Bruffy, Phoenix Chorale & Kansas City Chorale)
Label: Chandos
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3, ‘Organ’
Keith O. Johnson & Sean Royce Martin, engineers; Keith O. Johnson, mastering engineer (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony)
Label: Reference Recordings
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, CLASSICAL
Blanton Alspaugh
• Hill: Symphony No. 4; Concertino Nos. 1 & 2; Divertimento (Peter Bay, Anton Nel & Austin Symphony Orchestra) • Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil (Charles Bruffy, Phoenix Chorale & Kansas City Chorale) • Sacred Songs Of Life & Love (Brian A. Schmidt & South Dakota Chorale) • Spirit Of The American Range (Carlos Kalmar & The Oregon Symphony) • Tower: Violin Concerto; Stroke; Chamber Dance (Giancarlo Guerrero, Cho-Liang Lin & Nashville Symphony)
Marina A. Ledin, Victor Ledin
• Dances For Piano & Orchestra (Joel Fan, Christophe Chagnard & Northwest Sinfonietta) • Tempo Do Brasil (Marc Regnier) • Woman At The New Piano (Nadia Shpachenko)
Dan Merceruio
• Chapí: String Quartets 1 & 2 (Cuarteto Latinoamericano) • From Whence We Came (Ensemble Galilei) • Gregson: Touch (Peter Gregson) • In The Light Of Air – ICE Performs Anna Thorvaldsdottir (International Contemporary Ensemble) • Schumann (Ying Quartet) • Scrapyard Exotica (Del Sol String Quartet) • Stravinsky: Petrushka (Richard Scerbo & Inscape Chamber Orchestra) • What Artemisia Heard (El Mundo) • ZOFO Plays Terry Riley (ZOFO)
Judith Sherman
• Ask Your Mama (George Manahan & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra) • Fields: Double Cluster; Space Sciences (Jan Kučera, Gloria Chuang & Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra) • Liaisons – Re-Imagining Sondheim From The Piano (Anthony de Mare) • Montage – Great Film Composers & The Piano (Gloria Cheng) • Multitude, Solitude (Momenta Quartet) • Of Color Braided All Desire – Music Of Eric Moe (Christine Brandes, Brentano String Quartet, Dominic Donato, Jessica Meyer, Karen Ouzounian, Manhattan String Quartet & Talujon) • Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated! (Ursula Oppens) • Sirota: Parting The Veil – Works For Violin & Piano (David Friend, Hyeyung Julie Yoon, Laurie Carney & Soyeon Kate Lee) • Turina: Chamber Music For Strings & Piano (Lincoln Trio)
Dutilleux: Métaboles; L’Arbre Des Songes; Symphony No. 2, ‘Le Double’
Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony)
Label: Seattle Symphony Media
Shostakovich: Under Stalin’s Shadow – Symphony No. 10
Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Spirit Of The American Range
Carlos Kalmar, conductor (The Oregon Symphony)
Label: Pentatone
Zhou Long & Chen Yi: Symphony ‘Humen 1839’
Darrell Ang, conductor (New Zealand Symphony Orchestra)
Label: Naxos
BEST OPERA RECORDING
Janáček: Jenůfa
Donald Runnicles, conductor; Will Hartmann, Michaela Kaune & Jennifer Larmore; Magdalena Herbst, producer (Orchestra Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin; Chorus Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin)
Label: Arthaus
Monteverdi: Il Ritorno D’Ulisse In Patria
Martin Pearlman, conductor; Fernando Guimarães & Jennifer Rivera; Thomas C. Moore, producer (Boston Baroque)
Label: Linn Records
Mozart: Die Entführung Aus Dem Serail
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Diana Damrau, Paul Schweinester & Rolando Villazón; Sid McLauchlan, producer (Chamber Orchestra Of Europe)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Steffani: Niobe, Regina Di Tebe
Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors; Karina Gauvin & Philippe Jaroussky; Renate Wolter-Seevers, producer (Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra)
Label: Erato
BEST CHORAL PERFORMANCE
Beethoven: Missa Solemnis
Bernard Haitink, conductor; Peter Dijkstra, chorus master (Anton Barachovsky, Genia Kühmeier, Elisabeth Kulman, Hanno Müller-Brachmann & Mark Padmore; Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks; Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks)
Label: BR Klassik
Monteverdi: Vespers Of 1610
Harry Christophers, conductor (Jeremy Budd, Grace Davidson, Ben Davies, Mark Dobell, Eamonn Dougan & Charlotte Mobbs; The Sixteen)
Label: Coro
Pablo Neruda – The Poet Sings
Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (James K. Bass, Laura Mercado-Wright, Eric Neuville & Lauren Snouffer; Faith DeBow & Stephen Redfield; Conspirare)
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Paulus: Far In The Heavens
Eric Holtan, conductor (Sara Fraker, Matthew Goinz, Thea Lobo, Owen McIntosh, Kathryn Mueller & Christine Vivona; True Concord Orchestra; True Concord Voices)
Label: Reference Recordings
Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil
Charles Bruffy, conductor (Paul Davidson, Frank Fleschner, Toby Vaughn Kidd, Bryan Pinkall, Julia Scozzafava, Bryan Taylor & Joseph Warner; Kansas City Chorale & Phoenix Chorale)
Label: Chandos
BEST CHAMBER MUSIC/SMALL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
Brahms: The Piano Trios
Tanja Tetzlaff, Christian Tetzlaff & Lars Vogt
Label: Ondine
Filament
Eighth Blackbird
Label: Cedille Records
Flaherty: Airdancing For Toy Piano, Piano & Electronics
Nadia Shpachenko & Genevieve Feiwen Lee
Track from: Woman At The New Piano
Label: Reference Recordings
Render
Brad Wells & Roomful Of Teeth
Label: New Amsterdam Records
Dutilleux: Violin Concerto, L’Arbre Des Songes
Augustin Hadelich; Ludovic Morlot, conductor (Seattle Symphony)
Track from: Dutilleux: Métaboles; L’Arbre Des Songes; Symphony No. 2, ‘Le Double’
Label: Seattle Symphony Media
Grieg & Moszkowski: Piano Concertos
Joseph Moog; Nicholas Milton, conductor (Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern)
Label: Onyx Classics
Mozart: Keyboard Music, Vol. 7
Kristian Bezuidenhout
Label: Harmonia Mnudi
Rachmaninov Variations
Daniil Trifonov (The Philadelphia Orchestra)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated!
Ursula Oppens (Jerome Lowenthal)
Label: Cedille Records
BEST CLASSICAL SOLO VOCAL ALBUM
Beethoven: An Die Ferne Geliebte; Haydn: English Songs; Mozart: Masonic Cantata
Mark Padmore; Kristian Bezuidenhout, accompanist
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Joyce & Tony – Live From Wigmore Hall
Joyce DiDonato; Antonio Pappano, accompanist
Label: Erato
Nessun Dorma – The Puccini Album
Jonas Kaufmann; Antonio Pappano, conductor (Kristīne Opolais, Antonio Pirozzi & Massimo Simeoli; Coro Dell’Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia; Orchestra Dell’Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia)
Label: Sony Classical
Rouse: Seeing; Kabir Padavali
Talise Trevigne; David Alan Miller, conductor (Orion Weiss; Albany Symphony)
Label: Naxos
St. Petersburg
Cecilia Bartoli; Diego Fasolis, conductor (I Barocchisti)
Label: Decca
BEST CLASSICAL COMPENDIUM
As Dreams Fall Apart – The Golden Age Of Jewish Stage And Film Music (1925-1955)
New Budapest Orpheum Society; Jim Ginsburg, producer
Label: Cedille Records
Ask Your Mama
George Manahan, conductor; Judith Sherman, producer
Label: Avie Records
Handel: L’Allegro, Il Penseroso Ed Il Moderato, 1740
Paul McCreesh, conductor; Nicholas Parker, producer
Label: Signum Classics
Paulus: Three Places Of Enlightenment; Veil Of Tears & Grand Concerto
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Tim Handley, producer
Label: Naxos
Woman At The New Piano
Nadia Shpachenko; Marina A. Ledin & Victor Ledin, producers
Label: Reference Recordings
BEST CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL COMPOSITION
Barry: The Importance Of Being Earnest
Gerald Barry, composer (Thomas Adès, Barbara Hannigan, Katalin Károlyi, Hilary Summers, Peter Tantsits & Birmingham Contemporary Music Group)
Label: NMC Recordings
Norman: Play
Andrew Norman, composer (Gil Rose & Boston Modern Orchestra Project)
Track from: Norman: Play
Label: BMOP/Sound
Paulus: Prayers & Remembrances
Stephen Paulus, composer (Eric Holtan, True Concord Voices & Orchestra)
Track from: Paulus: Far In The Heavens
Label: Reference Recordings
Wolfe: Anthracite Fields
Julia Wolfe, composer (Julian Wachner, The Choir Of Trinity Wall Street & Bang On A Can All-Stars)
Label: Cantaloupe Music
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
LSD
ASAP Rocky
Dexter Navy, video director; Shin Nishigaki, video producer
Label: RCA Records/A$AP Worldwide/Polo Grounds Music
I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)
The Dead Weather
Cooper Roberts & Ian Schwartz, video directors; Candice Dragonas & Nathan Scherrer, video producers
Label: Third Man Records
Alright
Kendrick Lamar
The Little Homies & Colin Tilley, video directors; Brandon Bonfiglio, Dave Free, Andrew Lerios & Luga Podesta, video producers
Label: Aftermath Records/Interscope Records
Bad Blood
Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar
Joseph Kahn, video director; Ron Morhoff, video producer
Label: Big Machine Records
Freedom
Pharrell Williams
Paul Hunter, video director; Candice Dragonas & Nathan Scherrer, video producers
Label: Columbia
BEST MUSIC FILM
Mr. Dynamite: The Rise Of James Brown
James Brown
Alex Gibney, video director; Peter Afterman, Blair Foster, Mick Jagger & Victoria Pearman, video producers
Label: Inaudible Films
Sonic Highways
Foo Fighters
Dave Grohl, video director; John Cutcliffe, John Silva, Gaby Skolnek & Kristen Welsh, video producers
Label: RCA Records/Roswell Records
What Happened, Miss Simone?
Nina Simone
Liz Garbus, video director; Liz Garbus, Amy Hobby, Jayson Jackson & Justin Wilkes, video producers
Label: Netflix
The Wall
Roger Waters
Sean Evans & Roger Waters, video directors; Clare Spencer & Roger Waters, video producers
Label: Back Lot Music
Amy
Amy Winehouse
Asif Kapadia, video director; James Gay-Rees, video producer
Label: Universal Music Enterprises
Walking into the theater, the ticket taker rips the tickets and says, “Ooh Spotlight, gotten a lot of complaints about this one.” It’s laughed off. Then, halfway through the movie, an elderly couple gets up and walks out, the husband seemingly dragged out by the wife. They don’t return. When the movie ends, those of us who are left sit in silence for what feels like an eternity. Looking around, some people are shaking their heads, and it’s unclear whether they’re shaking at the events in the film, or the film itself.
Spotlight, directed and co-written by Tom McCarthy , is the story of the Boston Globe, and the 2001 Spotlight investigative team that broke the story of child abuse in the Boston Catholic Church, and the cover up that spread throughout the town. Read Monkeys Fighting Robots two reviews of the flick here and here.
The tales of abuse are horrifying, but maybe the even bigger shock is the depth of the cover up. Teachers, police, and even parents of victims, all burying their heads in the sand because they don’t want to believe that members of their church are capable of such actions. This is why it’s so disappointing, to see and hear about people walking out of this movie; it ignores the message the filmmakers (and the real life Spotlight team) tried to get across. The Spotlight team didn’t want to hear the truth – they were part of the problem for all those decades of abuse. But they knew that reporting the news isn’t about reporting what people want to hear, but what they need to hear.
While film is a source of entertainment for the masses, it can be so much more. Great films can educate, and open people up to new points of views. Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing is a tough watch, centering on incredibly flawed characters, and infuriating its viewers. But it’s this kind of movie that sparks conversation that leads to change. There’s a reason it made the AFI’s 100 Greatest American Films of All Time in 2007.
The dialogue in Spotlight is explicit, and makes its viewers uncomfortable. It’s supposed to; no one wants to hear a man recount putting a priest’s penis in his mouth when he was twelve. But instead of heading for the exit, understand that these are real things that happened because a society was too uncomfortable to listen.
Take two things away from this rant. One, go and see Spotlight, it’s an important film. Two, sit through it in its entirety, and listen to every disturbing detail. Leaving early, or denying that the events are true, will only allow atrocities like this to continue.
The original eye-opening story can still be found on the Boston Globe website, here.
Believe it or not, there is an entire class of Star Wars fan whose primary affectation for the series derives not from the movies, but rather the plethora of games that they have inspired. From Super Star Wars to Tie Fighter and Galactic Battlegrounds to Battlefront, players have experienced the campaigns of a galaxy far, far way from a number of perspectives. Some have followed the cast of the movies, some showed us what it was like to be a lone foot solider, some explored the role of the humble fighter pilot and others placed you as the tactical mastermind of an intergalactic conflict. However, only one series really made you feel like a Jedi; the Jedi Knight quadrilogy.
The first game in the series; Star Wars: Dark Forces, was your typical 90s first-person shooter. Taking place before and during the Original Trilogy, Dark Forces told the story of Kyle Katarn; mercenary hired by the Rebel Alliance to steal the plans for the original Death Star. Following this the Empire begins to develop the Dark Trooper program, forcing Katarn to sabotage their initiative before it can lay siege to the Rebellion. Despite being little more than a Doom clone, Dark Forces was one of the first games to truly immerse the player in the Star Wars universe. From the level design, music and sound effects, everything contributed to ensuring that player felt like they were (to borrow a phrase from Disney) part of Lucas’ world. Even the scope of the story was such to place the player as an integral part of the Rebellion. It helped that Katarn received orders from Mon Mothma herself. While critically acclaimed upon release, it would be the sequel that would truly turn the series into something special.
Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight was as the title suggests the first in the series to feature lightsaber combat. Indeed, it was the first 3D Star Wars game to feature an elegant weapon of a more civilised age. Once again starring Katarn, this game revealed the mercenary’s Jedi heritage. One year after the Battle of Endor, Katarn embarked on a quest to track down the Dark Jedi Jerec, learn the ways of the Force and avenge his father’s death.
As a newly awakened Jedi, players could choose from a variety of Force powers, both light and dark side in nature. It also was the first Star Wars game to feature a karma system with both Light and Dark Side endings being available. Players who succumbed to the temptation of the Dark Side, would see Katarn establish himself as the new Emperor. It also featured live-action cutscenes, marking the first time that lightsaber combat had been officially filmed since Return of the Jedi. An expansion pack dubbed Mysteries of the Sith featured both Katarn and his apprentice; Mara Jade (yes, that one) as playable characters. Released in 1998, it expanded the story and set the stage for the next game in the series.
Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast saw a Katarn who had returned to his mercenary ways and abandoned his Jedi powers following a brush with the Dark Side. When his long-time partner; Jan Ors is seemingly killed by Dark Jedi while infiltrating an Imperial stronghold, Katarn embarks on spiritual journey to regain his lost powers. Katarn had to prove to Luke Skywalker, the New Republic and, most importantly, himself that he was worthy of the title; Jedi Knight. It was a story that really explored what it meant to be a Jedi and analysed the burden of power. The nature of the Dark Side is examined wonderfully here with the central antagonist Desann, a former padawan of Skywalker, acting as perfect mirror for Katarn. What pressures lead one down that path and what keeps them in the light? These were questions that Jedi Outcast dared to ask in a market where even it’s immediate predecessor had tended to discuss the issue in the context of black and white morality. Katarn is a flawed character and one whom the player can relate to moreso than many of the holier than thou figures of the Prequels. It is arguably one of the more challenging and compelling pieces of Star Wars expanded universe material.
Jedi Outcast perfected the formula that had been established by its predecessors, with an engaging story and fluid combat that truly allowed a player to feel like a Jedi. Besides improving and expanding on the controls, lightsaber combat was reworked so that players could engage in extensive combos. It allowed players to forge their own path and customize Katarn’s powers with a mix of both Light and Dark Side with a number of upgrades available for each power. The powers were not intrinsically good or evil, it was the player’s choices which defined type of Jedi they wanted to be. While some may argue that Bioware’s Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) eclipsed Jedi Outcast in this regard, it is hard to deny the impact that it had on future games in the series such as The Force Unleashed. Were it not for Jedi Outcast, i’m not sure we would have gotten that level of customisation in KOTOR or any other game. It is the reason why we place such a value on such features in our Star Wars’ games and is deserving of recognition in that regard.
The things which distinguished Jedi Outcast above all was its superb multi-player. Until Battlefront many wouldn’t have associated Star Wars with solid multiplayer experiences, but two years beforehand Jedi Outcast nailed it. This shouldn’t come as a surprise considering Jedi Outcast was powered by the Quake III engine. With both local and online player supporter, Jedi Outlast featured arena battles with a number of game modes (death-match, capture the flag etc). Players could utilise a number of weapons and Force Powers to wipe out the competition across a multitude of maps spanning the films and expanded universe. Nothing was more satisfying than besting your friends in a one-on-one lightsaber duel that would put Darth Maul to shame. The PC version was also the subject of an extensive modding community which added jet-packs, skins and game-modes ensuring that the game remained viable even a decade after its release. If you wanted to run around as Boba Fett with a purple lightsaber, Jedi Outcast was the game for you.
In 2003, Jedi Outcast was given a sequel/spin-off in the form of Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. Jedi Academy starred Jaden Korr, the apprentice to Katarn as he/she tried to tie up the loose-ends of the previous game. It featured reasonable character customisation with respect to species, gender and clothing. Additionally, one of its key selling points was the ability to create your own lightsaber choosing the hilt, design and colour. Players could stick with their single lightsaber or branch out by dual-wielding or forging their own double-edged lightsaber; the saber-staff. While it too had a substantial multiplayer component, there was little to distinguish it from Jedi Outcast.
Next year Disney will release Rouge One; the first Star Wars spin-off film of its kind. The film will tell the story of the how the Rebels obtained the Death Star plans and it is more than likely that Kyle Katarn will not play a role. So until then, spare a thought for the mercenary turned Jedi and give the Jedi Knight series a try. For those yearning to experience what is truly like to be a Jedi, this is the Star Wars game you are looking for.
Join us tomorrow as we take a look at one of the most odd and rarest album every created; Empire Jazz. In the meantime, check out yesterday’s article on Heir to the Empire as we count down to Episode VII:The Force Awakens.
It does seem that with everyday the world gets closer to the premiere of ‘The Force Awakens’ that we get yet another tidbit of video in the form of a teaser or a featurette just to wet our Star Wars appetites. Well, Saturday night at Comic Con in Brazil, another video was released with the focus being on the “legacy” of Star Wars. What was striking about the video was just the amount of giddiness that everyone seems to be demonstrating on set from the director (J.J. Abrams) to the actors (Mark Hamill, John Boyega, Oscar Issac, and Daisy Ridley). They all seem to be truly in awe of the idea that they get to bring back such an amazing franchise back to theaters. The other part of the video that stuck out to me is just the level of respect that everyone seems to have for Harrison Ford. About forty-five seconds into the video you witness John Boyega not only getting his Han Solo action figure getting autographed but actually hugging his fellow actor out of respect. The video doesn’t give away anything at all but it certainly does get any Star Wars fan with a pulse excited to see what will be the most highly anticipated film of 2015.
This episode of Sakurako-san, ‘Grandmother’s Pudding’, gives us old ladies and pudding. But the episode itself..? Meh, it had some good points, many bad ones.
Review of Sakurako-san Episode 9 ‘Grandmother’s Pudding’
I’m going to try to stay positive throughout this review. This show has garnered a lot of perhaps unearned hate from me, and this review will try to rectify that. In order to achieve that kind of mood let’s get a lot of the negative things out-of-the-way first.
The body proportions are all kinds of messed-up looking here
Yuriko is kind of annoying this episode.
The line”But isn’t that too simplistic of a choice?” would insinuate that Yuri’s grandmother is trying to make it hard to find, even though if things had gone according to plan that wouldn’t be necessary. I mean, why would Shoutaro even say this? What do you think you live in… a mystery show?
The painting references go as such: reference to Yuri’s name, nice hidden meaning to their relationship has girl and grandmother, and… is kind related to some random poem.
The music choices are oddly suspenseful at times, the whole scene was really.
“You didn’t want the doll did you?”
*Yuriko clenches her fists*
“Sakurako-san! Don’t accuse people of such things!”
Sakurako rants about love for about two minutes and concludes with “And that’s why I can’t help you.” Wait… why? Because you don’t know anything about love? I’m confused.
Shoutaro’s line”There are things you value because they are pointless.” Makes literally no sense.
Why is Yuri even trying to find this painting in the first place? I thought her Grandmother would have given it to her for her wedding… so why look now? Doesn’t that seem a bit mean-spirited to search for it now? With not regard for the original plan for it?
“I thought I’d visit my grandmother’s grave.”
“You are so simple-minded, boy.”
WHAT!? That is so offensive! How could Sakurako say such a thing! Seriously! Just because Shoutaro is feeling sentimental about his own grandmother he’s simple-minded?
Whew, ok, with that out-of-the-way I can focus on the positive!
Um… well… I like the visuals of the story Sakurako was telling, that was nice.
Gran is a way better detective than Sakurako-san, so the detective work is actually pretty nifty this episode.
Finally, the episode seems to promise that the actual storylines (hinted at in either Episode 2 or Episode 4) are actually going to come. This being Sakurako’s little brother ‘Soutaro’ or the thing with her uncle.
There aren’t many episodes yet, and it’s clear the show is treating this as the ‘meat’ of the show. So either the Uncle storyline will be saved for a later season, or they’ll be connected. Unless they try to squeeze both in, which I do expect better from Sakurako-san than that.
The only worrisome thing is that at the very end we have a clear suicide, probably related to the teacher guy. It makes sense, he has a big spot in the OP, but really the focus should be on the Uncle and Soutaro.
Overall episode nine of Sakurako-san ‘Grandmother’s Pudding’ is just an okay episode. There have been worse, there have been better.
In the 12 days leading up to the release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, we take a step onto the larger world of Star Wars by examining the novels, games, comics, albums, TV series and audio dramas that have fed our imaginations over the years. Some of these you may be aware of and some you won’t, but regardless we hope that you seek out some of these works and give them the appreciation they deserve. May the Force be with you.
A long time ago in galaxy far, far away, there was the Expanded Universe (EU) . For over 20 years, games, books, comics etc all informed the universe that was Star Wars. Until the dark times, until Disney bought the rights. In a great purge only comparable to the Empire’s mass slaughter of the Jedi Order, Disney wiped the slate clean and established a new canon consisting of the films, The Clone Wars TV show, Rebels and any work subsequently approved by the new Lucasfilm Story Group . The old EU was labeled the “Legends” timeline and its stories relegated to the realm of “what ifs”.
Two key texts kick-started what is now known as the “Legends” timeline. Dark Empire (written by Tom Veitch and illustrated Cam Kennedy) ; dealt with a revived Emperor Palpatine tempting Luke Skywalker to the Dark Side. An interesting premise, no doubt. If you are curious as to why Luke would fall to the Dark Side, the answer is that the plot demands it and tries to pass it off as all part of cunning plan. As you could reasonably predict the young Jedi is redeemed thanks to the love of his sister; Leia Organa. The story-line was sloppily executed despite featuring some important long-lasting plot points such as the birth of Han and Leia’s son; Anakin, but the less said about it the better. The real powerhouse and re-vitaliser of the franchise, however, came in the form of Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire.
Set five years after Return of the Jedi, we are shown that despite
the victory at Endor, the Alliance has struggled to establish the New Republic as the bastion of hope and democracy that it so desired. The remnants of the Empire maintain a strong grip over much of the galaxy. Luke is struggling to find his place in the galaxy and desires to create a New Jedi Order. Meanwhile, the Imperials, led by Grand Admiral Thrawn search for their own trump card; a Dark Jedi to bolster their significant military might and restore the Empire to it’s former glory.
For many, Heir to the Empire and the Thrawn Trilogy as a whole served as the de facto sequel trilogy. The characters develop naturally and experience internal conflicts largely unexplored by the films. It’s also one of the first works to acknowledge that true political revolution doesn’t occur overnight and that the Battle of Endor was merely to first step. People often chastise the prequels and expanded universe for focusing too much on the politics of intergalactic war, but to ignore it would be a mistake. Zahn handles the issue quite well and makes the political context in which the novel takes place as compelling a setting as the conflict itself.
It’s not perfect in any respect. Leia is one of the characters who should benefit most from the space and character development opportunities a novel provides. Instead, her main role in the plot is as a goal for the Empire. By capturing Leia, the Empire captures her unborn twins which can then be manipulated into serving the Dark Side. Focusing on Leia as a protective mother is fine, but a missed opportunity. Were her story-line to center on the conflicting role as both diplomat and military commander, it would make for a more compelling piece. As it stands, despite having some stand-out moments, it hard to not feel that she is side-lined.
Early in the novel we get our last glimpse at Old Ben Kenobi as the Jedi Master reminds his pupil to pass on what he has learned noting that he isn’t the last of the old Jedi, but rather the first of the new. We get some interesting insights into the nature of the Force which suggests that Force Ghosts cannot maintain themselves in perpetuity. Once again demonstrating that Kenobi was exaggerating his claim of becoming “more powerful than you could possible imagine”. The lose of his mentor’s guidance further sends Luke into depression and an identity crisis of sorts which will continue to be explore throughout the trilogy. This is the first time he is truly alone and its central to his character development.
It also, to my knowledge, marks the first use of “Battle Meditation” a Force power which allows the user to improve their army’s combat-effectiveness through increased morale, stamina and battle-prowess. As abilities goes, the notion that the Force allows Jedi and Sith to co-ordinate fleets and troops as if they were one entity is fascinating. It arguably one of the most useful and intriging Force powers and explains somewhat why Jedi, in particular, were deemed to be suitable military commanders. It would be further explored to great effect in later works such as Knights of the Old Republic and Legacy of the Jedi.
Now for what you’ve all been waiting for. Heir to the Empire introduces the reader to Grand Admiral Thrawn; one of the greatest villains in the Star Wars universe. To say he isn’t your typical Star Wars villain is an understatement of Death Star proportions. He isn’t physically powerful, he isn’t Force sensitive and he, most importantly, isn’t Vader.
If he is to be compared to any of the established on-screen villains it would be Grand Moff Tarkin; a military strategist grounded in the world ofrealpolitik more so than ancient religions. Ideologically speaking, Thrawn doesn’t care about the Dark Side or the Force as a whole. The motivations of the Emperor mean nothing to him. He supports the Empire because he sees it as a source of stability and order within the galaxy. The use of Dark Jedi is merely a mean to an end for him. If it increases the effectiveness of the Empire’s military might then he will exploit it as such, no more and no less. In a universe where everyone is seemingly vying to be the next Dark Lord of the Sith, this is a welcome change of pace.
One of the most interesting aspects of his character is his appreciation for art. For Thrawn, to understand a culture’s art is to understand the culture itself. From this understanding, he is able to create military plans specifically designed to tackle that culture based on their values and social systems. He is Sherlock Holmes turned warlord with a fleet of Star Destroyers at his command.
There are other intriguing plot-points surrounding the character’s race and how that played into the xenophobic hierarchical structure of the Imperial Navy. There are not the primary focus of the piece and are explored more thoroughly in later works. Simply put, Thrawn knew that he was facing a glass ceiling and made himself so indispensable to the Empire that Palpatine could not but recognise his worth and grant him the title of “Grand Admiral”.
Just in case you haven’t twigged it, Thrawn is widely loved within the Star Wars fan community. Lucasfilm and Disney could probably appease many the EU fan by including a Thrawn cameo in one of their forthcoming movies. Indeed, if he happened to be played by Benedict Cumberbatch, then all would be forgiven.
The other major EU character who gets their introduction here is Mara Jade; a bounty hunter/smuggler with a grudge against Luke. In reality, Mara is a former Emperor’s Hand; an elite assassin trained in the ways of the Force by Palpatine himself. It’s probably best not to ask how many people Vader or the Emperor were training on the side because we’ll be here all day. To be honest, there isn’t much to say about Mara in this book, her primary goal is to kill Luke Skywalker thereby avenging the Emperor. The two have some nice dialogue exchanges, bur that’s really it. Its interesting from an indoctrinee viewing the Emperor as father figure perspective, but her character is fleshed out much better in the subsequent books of the Thrawn Trilogy.
There are a couple of ways that you can experience Heir to the Empire. You could, of course, read the book itself. The audio-book, like all Star Wars novels, greatly enhances the experience by providing suitably background music and sound effects to really immerse you in the action. Dark Horse also released a six-issue comic adaptation which is currently available through Marvel Unlimited. The disadvantage of that version is that you miss out on some of the inner monologues and beautiful descriptions which characterise Zahn’s work. Heir to the Empire has compelling villains, a gripping plot which takes its characters to their next level and cracking dialogue. If you are taking your first step into a larger world there is no better place to begin than Heir to the Empire.
Join us tomorrow for the next installment of the 12 Days of Star Wars; Jedi Outcast.
August 22. 2013. The day Ben Affleck was announced as Batman for Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice. This announcement was met with much consternation, gnashing of fanboy teeth, and cries of ‘Batfleck’ as an insult. There was even a Change.org petition to bar him from playing Batman (or any other hero) for 200 years. The White House denied the petition, just in case anyone had any ideas about going that route.
Why?
Is it because Affleck has starred in some high profile failures? Because of Daredevil? Because your significant other made you sit through Gigli, Forces Of Nature, or Bounce? These are all decent reasons. Gigli was the cinematic equivalent of trying to make ‘fetch’ happen. So yes, while Ben Affleck has had missteps, like Reindeer Games, he has also shown that he has learned from them. Solid, and in some cases award-winning, performances in films like Hollywoodland, The Company Men, The Town, State Of Play, and Gone Girl showcase his ability to turn in a good to great performance in a variety of films.
Not convinced yet? Understandable. Let’s talk about Argo. Affleck produced, starred in and directed the 2012 film about how the C.I.A. smuggled American embassy workers out of Iran during the 1979-1981 hostage crisis using a fake science fiction film. After all was said and done, Affleck came home with an Oscar for Best Picture to go with his BAFTA awards for Best Director and Best Actor and a number of other accolades for the movie.
Affleck accepts Oscar for Argo Photo: ABC/ACMPAS
So how is a two-time Oscar winner not fit enough in some eyes to don the cape and cowl of the Dark Knight?
Because you didn’t like him in Daredevil?
Affleck’s involvement in Dawn Of Justice does a number of things. It puts a big name in one of Warner Bros. biggest films in recent years, and that will put butts in seats. Yes, these movies have to make money so we can get more of them, and maybe even some different DC characters down the road.
Henry Cavill is solid as Clark Kent/Superman but he can not carry a film this big and important on his own. It also gives Cavill an excellent foil in Affleck. There is an age difference of 11 years between the actors, Cavill is 32 and Affleck is 43, and this difference looks to be at play in the film. While Superman has only been in the hero game a short time, Batman has been down in the trenches of Gotham City for a decade or more and has every reason to be distrustful of a being as powerful as Superman.
Without the mask, we get a chance to see what could be the right balance of Bruce Wayne in a film. Seen by many as the shallow, old money, billionaire playboy who thinks way too highly of himself, all of the previous actors to don the cowl did ok with Bruce Wayne, but they were just ok. Bruce Wayne is a great character on his own, but showing that on film has been a challenge, from Michael Keaton to Christian Bale. Affleck can bring that no limit self-assured bravado that we have seen flashes of, but not fully realized to Gotham’s favorite son.
Bruce Wayne (Affleck) in Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice Photo: Warner Bros
Warner Bros. is also giving Affleck the reigns for a Batman solo flick, release date sometime in 2018, which he will be starring and directing. So we will have an Oscar-winning director helming a superhero film. Not bad, right?
You may not like him, and no argument will convince you that ‘Batfleck’ is worthy of playing Batman. Your reasons may be marginally valid, be it the failure of Daredevil, Gigli, or Pearl Harbor or that you just don’t like his face. Here’s the thing, it doesn’t invalidate that he has more successes than failures, that he has done great films and knows what makes a movie good. The success of Batman v Superman will dictate the future of the DC slate going forward and like it or not, Batfleck is a part of that. Affleck will be donning the Batsuit not only in Dawn Of Justice, but in the upcoming Suicide Squad, and Justice League films.
Agree? Disagree? Think I am soft in the head? Leave a comment below
Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice releases March 25, 2016
“Heaven Sent” is an example of Doctor Who at its best. A dark, compelling and character driven episode and working as an introspective about The Doctor. It is one of the best episodes of the Nu-Doctor Who series and easily Peter Capaldi’s best episode.
After the events of “Face the Raven”, The Doctor is teleported to a mysterious castle in the middle of a sea that is one light-year away from Earth. All around him are clues on what he needs to do and is surrounded by memories of his past. Even worse, The Doctor is being chased by a creature in a white cloak, having to avoid it while he figures out who put him in the castle and why.
“Heaven Sent” is a truly bold episode, working as an intense mystery and psychological drama with Capaldi excelling in the role, having to work alone for most of the episode. This episode shows The Doctor suffering from grief and is in pain and despair. We get to see more insight into the The Doctor’s mind, particularly his fears and doubts – linking back to the Season 9 openers. The script is based on The Doctor being forced to reveal a dark secret so he can move onto the next part of the puzzle or to save his life. This is The Doctor at his lowest ebb and it is an emotional moment, relying on a pep talk from a character from his past to get him out of this point. The phrase “get off your arse and win” needs to become a meme.
The mystery in “Heaven Sent” was well crafted, with the information given to us in small doses. There are little clues littered throughout regarding the endgame of the episode but it only really comes together at the end when everything is revealed. It will not be spoiled here, but it was a cracker as it shows how all these little clues were signalling the ending without being too obvious. It is beautifully tied together and “Heaven Sent” has a fantastic montage at the end, having plenty of gravity to it. This episode show’s Steven Moffatt’s writing at its best, being tight and concise as it ties everything together and works on an emotional level.
Rachel Talalay returns to direct the final two episodes of Doctor Who. Her direction is exemplary, capturing the somber tone of Moffat’s writing and The Doctor’s despair and isolation. There are dark moments, whether it is The Doctor reflecting to himself, falling into a sea of skulls and constantly being chased by The Veil – forcing The Doctor to make personal revelations. Like Moffat’s writing, Talalay’s direction ties the twist to the preceding events together perfectly. If “Sleep No More” is an example of Doctor Who trying to be inventive and failing, “Heaven Sent” is a Doctor Who episode being different and succeeding.
Murray Gold also supplies some of the best music ever for the show, which is a massive achievement considering his work for Doctor Who. It is the best music from this season, sharing some similar beats to Mozart’s “Requiem”. It gives “Heaven Sent” an operatic feel which best describes the episode as a whole, having grand moments – when all the floors of the castle movie like sliding puzzle and showcasing The Doctor’s personal turmoil. The music was a perfect reflection to the episode as a whole.
“Heaven Sent” is deserving of all the praise it has been receiving and it will go down as a classic Doctor Who episode. “Heaven Sent” stands alongside “Blink” for quality and invention.
This episode of iZombie, wonderfully titled ‘The Hurt Stalker’, is quite wonderful itself. Brimming with great lines, Supermax development, struggles for Liv and Major, Gilda being Gilda, and Liv in jail.
Review of iZombie Season Two Episode 8 ‘The Hurt Stalker’
The most noticeable focus in this episode is definitely the long-awaited tension between Gilda and Liv, book-ending the episode. The brain featured this episode, an obsessive wedding planner, is the perfect opportunity to bring in the drama.
The largest of which is between Liv and Major. With Liv getting into Majors phone (Reason #528 not to use the fingerprint scanner), good thing ‘Rita’ didn’t text about Major’s night jogging. What’s interesting is primarily at the end of the episode, with Liv in Major’s phone, while Gilda texts a sexy photo. While the plan is almost assuredly going to work at first, Major won’t be happy about this. It will be clear that Gilda is trying to break him and Liv apart, and if she doesn’t have a good excuse for it, things could end badly for… someone.
Additionally, this stalker-brain-worried-about-Major-cheating almost led to Liv finding out about Major’s jogging routine. This leads us to the biggest flaw of the episode, which is the false tension brought here. Everyone was led to believe that Liv would find out, because last we saw the safe had Major’s hunting supplies, but much to everyone’s surprise it had been switched out with the engagement ring, yay… If I were writing iZombie (which I clearly am under-qualified for), I would have this interrupted, by Ravi or a case development, and played out for a few episodes longer. Even when Liv is off the stalker brain, she wants to know what’s inside, she isn’t obsessive enough to force Major again, but is suspicious. This would have removed the false tension in the scene, and wouldn’t have broken immersion, resulting in much more of a perfect episode.
Aside from this one moment, ‘The Hurt Stalker’ was spot-on. Supermax got some long-overdue screen-time, more about Clive was known, and the mystery was pretty great too.
The first Supermax development seen is when zombies get their hands on it. The subject then turns from a Dawn of the Dead shambling zombie to the sprinting zombies of 28 Days Later. Perhaps the more interesting moment is when Du Clark tests Supermax on himself. It did indeed boost his performances, though the violent tendencies haven’t quite been normalized yet. We can only hope no one is nearby when Major inevitably drinks one.
Despite not being involved in the investigation of this case, Clive really was the star of this episode. Much was learned about this man, from his food taste to idea of entertainment. The sad aspect of it however, is that this is not the first time Clive has been suspected of… shady dealings, last season there was a similar episode based around casting doubt on Clive’s character. Though Liv this time was more loyal to Clive’s word, it’s a little sad the only way we get to learn about Clive is if he’s accused of something.
The murder featured this episode was quite enjoyable as well. A nice touch to introduce the victim last episode, usually the best episodes of iZombie had their victims introduced prior. While the investigation was entertaining, the standout moment is when Liv is behind bars. Giving off a strong Orange is the New Black vibe along with the tension from a lack of brains gave this sequences equal parts humor and suspense.
The most curious moment was when the police captain was revealed to have cheated on his wife. This seems like an unnecessary addition, all it contributed was a reason the scrapbook was stolen (which itself is unnecessary), and give Clive an opportunity to jab at the captain. One can only hope this will develop into something later, (perhaps another crooked captain?) otherwise that was nothing more than a waste.
Overall, ‘The Hurt Stalker’ was another example of iZombie in top-form. The second season took a while to get going, but at this pace season two is leading up to an unforgettable climax.
As a newly awakened Jedi, players could choose from a variety of Force powers, both light and dark side in nature. It also was the first Star Wars game to feature a karma system with both Light and Dark Side endings being available. Players who succumbed to the temptation of the Dark Side, would see Katarn establish himself as the new Emperor. It also featured live-action cutscenes, marking the first time that lightsaber combat had been officially filmed since Return of the Jedi. An expansion pack dubbed Mysteries of the Sith featured both Katarn and his apprentice; Mara Jade (yes, that one) as playable characters. Released in 1998, it expanded the story and set the stage for the next game in the series.
Set five years after Return of the Jedi, we are shown that despite
