GRAMMY NOMINATIONS: HIGHS AND LOWS : Influx of Newcomers May Have Broken Academy’s Conservative Posture

Amazing!

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which sponsors the Grammy Awards, has actually nominated what were unquestionably the two best pop albums of 1986: Peter Gabriel’s “So” and Paul Simon’s “Graceland.”

Maybe an influx of new members in recent years has made the academy membership more adventurous--as academy officers have claimed. Just think: if academy members in the ‘50s and ‘60s had been as in touch with what was happening in pop music as today’s group, they might not have ignored Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones . . . and on and on.

The traditional complaint about the Grammys is that the awards are too conservative--spotlighting mainstream best sellers rather than the figures, like Presley and Dylan, who redefined pop music.

But don’t start cheering about this year’s awards.

The Grammys won’t be handed out until Feb. 24 and history has shown there is still lots of room for error.

Remember: Grammy members also nominated the two most distinguished albums of 1984--Prince’s “Purple Rain” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.”--and then proceeded to award the Grammy to Lionel Richie’s “Can’t Slow Down.”

The Richie album was a pleasant mega-seller, but it had little of the sociological importance or musical ambition of either its competitors. In fact, Richie’s latest album, “Dancing on the Ceiling,” which wasn’t nominated this year, is a more adventurous work.

But the Richie choice in 1984 was only a minor embarrassment compared to the potential disaster this year: Barbra Streisand’s “The Broadway Album.”

We all know Streisand--who has already won seven Grammys--has one of the most commanding voices in pop, but it is equally true that she has frequently wasted the voice during the last decade on ill-suited material and/or pretentious exercises like “The Broadway Album.”

There is a self-congratulatory tone to the project that extends all the way to Alan and Marilyn Bergman’s liner notes. About the album, they declare, “There’s a glimpse of infinity in it.”

Amazing!

In the real world, “Graceland” and “So” had a strong rival in the album-of-the-year consideration: Bruce Springsteen’s live, five-record set “1975/1985.” But that album was released after the Sept. 30 Grammy deadline and will thus be eligible for next year’s awards balloting.

Though the absence of Springsteen makes the decision in this category easier, the Gabriel and Simon albums are so evenly matched that it seems almost unfair to have to nominate one over the other. If the worst thing that could happen is that the two records split the vote and allow the Streisand album to sneak in, the best thing that could happen is that the LPs end up in a tie.

Short of that, my vote goes to “Graceland.”

Both albums are inspiring works by veteran singer-songwriters who excel in weaving highly personal statements into richly accessible textures. The albums offer the bonus of celebrating the universality of pop by blending rhythms and musicians from various cultures (guests on “So” include Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour, while Simon relies heavily on South African musicians).

“So” has some extraordinary highs--from the raucous good-humor of “Sledgehammer” to the uplifting embrace of the romantic “In Your Eyes” to the gripping “Don’t Give Up,” a struggle against the loss of self-esteem. Yet, there are weak spots that prevent the album from flowing with the same elegance and vision of “Graceland,” a warm, endearing, yet sophisticated work that reflects on matters of both social conscience and personal serenity.

Of the remaining nominated albums, Stevie Winwood’s “Back in the High Life” is characterized by tasteful production and exquisite singing, but it is far outclassed in the areas of songwriting and overall ambition. Janet Jackson’s “Control” is spunky, dance-oriented music that brought Michael’s little sister credibility, but is an also-ran here.

Streisand’s album, the weakest of the field, was championed (by Streisand and Columbia Records) as a daring, even courageous work that defied all rules of commercial wisdom. In truth, it made perfect commercial sense. Streisand fans wanted nothing more than hear her tackle a series of Broadway tunes like “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man” or “Somewhere.” The problem is many of the arrangements ranged from overblown to timid.

Album of the year: “Graceland.”

In determining the year’s best single, it’s important to look at every aspect of the record-making process (vocal, song, production, theme) rather than be swayed by an overwhelming performance in a single area.

Narrow the field this year by throwing out Dionne Warwick’s “That’s What Friends Are For” and Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” on the basis of hopelessly sentimental songs and arrangements.

That leaves two wonderfully playful records--Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” and Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer”--pitted against Winwood’s classy “Higher Love.” While the latter scores highly on all the traditional measures of mainstream craft, “Sledgehammer” exhibits more imagination and its mix of high-tech style and exaggerated, blues-spawned sexual bravado exhibits a greater sense of individuality.

The disappointment is that Run-D.M.C.’s “Walk This Way,” which blended rap and heavy metal strains, was not nominated even though it was clearly the record in 1986 that came closest to reshaping pop boundaries.

Record of the year: “Sledgehammer.”