The Beat

GLANCING BACK: Reviewing the list of Grammy nominations and picking them apart is usually great sport for music journalists. The problem is they haven't given us much to complain about this year. Not one act in any of the major categories would make any critic groan and wonder how that act's label pushed them through.

Instead, this year's nominations, by and large, are fairly respectable. We'll print our predictions in a later issue, but we forecast a sweep for U2, which is up for eight awards. The band's stock is at an all-time high right now.

Of course, there were some nominations that make one take pause, especially in the country categories. In the male country vocal performance category, Tim McGraw is the only nominee who has received a smidgen of country airplay for his nominated song. There are a number of talented and commercially successfully male vocalists in country right now, and it seems like a downright slap in the face not to nominate more of them.

On the "Say what?" front, it's hard to imagine, but "sexpert" Dr. Ruth Westheimer is up for best spoken word album for children. Another head-turner is Ann-Margret in the best southern, country, or bluegrass gospel album category. But we're rooting for Rob Lowe, who's up for best spoken word album, along with a number of other actors, for War Letters—Extraordinary Correspondence From American Wars. He's up against, among others, Jimmy Carter, who's nominated for reading his book An Hour Before Daylight. They'd certainly liven up the backstage press room. The Grammys will be telecast Feb. 27 on CBS.



'DEVINE' INSPIRATION: Look for Tim Devine to be named Columbia Records' West Coast GM shortly. He continues in his role as senior VP of A&R. Devine has been with Columbia six years, and sources say his new title reflects his integral role in many facets of Columbia's operations. The title is a new one for the office.



WILL THEY OR NOT: As had been rumored before Christmas, Atlantic is in negotiations with Lava president Jason Flom to buy the 50% of Lava it does not own. "We are in talks," confirms Atlantic Group co-chairman/co-CEO Val Azzoli. "It's a 50/50 shot. We have two years left on the deal. It's up to Jason."

Flom confirms that talks are ongoing but declined to comment further. Lava, formed in 1995 by Atlantic and Flom, has had tremendous success with such acts as Matchbox Twenty, Sugar Ray, and Kid Rock.



FLY AWAY: The Black Crowes are on hiatus. Leader Chris Robinson is working on a solo career, drummer Steve Gorman has left the band, and Robinson's brother Rich will announce his plans shortly. The group, which can currently be heard covering "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" on the excellent I Am Sam soundtrack, has seen its sales and popularity dwindle in recent years. Its last album, Lions, released on V2 in May 2001, has sold 192,000 copies, according to SoundScan. The band's debut, 1990's Shake Your Money Maker (Def American), is certified for sales of more than 5 million units, according to the Recording Industry Assn. of America, and has scanned more than 3.5 million units since the 1991 debut of SoundScan.



SNOW BUNNIES: The Splinter Group, the marketing company run by former Mammoth Records execs, including Steve Balcom, has finished packaging Amplitude 02, a promotional music sampler targeted at "hip, young snowboarders and skiers" that will be given away at 15 winter resorts this season, according to Balcom.

The collection, whose first edition debuted last winter and was given away at eight resorts, includes material from Dilated Peoples, Earshot, Custom, Hoobastank, Riddlin' Kids, and OTEP.



SHORT TAKES: Mariah Carey will sing the national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVI, to be held Feb. 3 in New Orleans. U2 will perform during the half-time show . . . Mary J. Blige kicks off a world tour Feb. 5 in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Following the first leg of her U.S. portion, she will tour Japan and Europe before continuing stateside . . . Fieldy from Korn is the first member of the group to put out a solo album. Rock 'N Roll Gangster, which blends rock and hip-hop, comes out Jan. 22 on Epic . . . Rush will release its first album of new material in more than five years this spring. The project, to be released on Anthem/Atlantic, was produced by the band with engineer Paul Northfield.