Bright, buffed and bare-backed

STYLE at the Grammy Awards is a whiplash-inducing variety show. How could it be anything else, given the nominees? Put R&B; artists, geezer rockers, hip-hoppers, country divas and crooners in one place and what do you get? Anything and everything -- from stunning to sleazy, to oh-my-God-she-must-be-kidding.

Stunning: Lisa Marie Presley in a sheer black minidress and Alicia Keys, radiant in a halter-necked, low-waisted white jersey gown that bared her back.

Sleazy: Ashanti glued into a sparkling, slit-and-slashed Gucci creation and country singer Jamie O’Neal, whose leopard chiffon dress flapped open to display her orange bustier.

Each of the televised award competitions has its own character, with the MTV Movie Awards and the Grammys competing for the most outrageous in the wardrobe department.

On the red carpet (which was green), not many women could steal the spotlight from the five Blind Boys of Alabama, wearing matching black shirts and fire-engine red suits. Perhaps Ben Harper could, channeling pre-bloat Elvis in a white suit with flaming orange appliques, or rapper Kanye West, dressed for a formal wedding in a white suit, shirt and satin tie. West had given thought to his total look and had a swirling mendhi pattern shaved into his hair.

Presenters Adam Sandler and Nelly were a study in contrasts: Sandler looked as if he hadn’t changed out of his dog-walking clothes. Nelly was duded up in a spiffy robin’s-egg blue jacket, white vest and pants with a tie.

Outfits picked for maximum effect on the green carpet gave way to performance-wear, and neither seemed influenced by television’s post-Janet Jackson call for decency. Eve arrived in a sequined red devil dress, slit to the navel in front and shredded at the hem, then replaced it with a shorter, tighter golden tube for her opening duet with Gwen Stefani, who still has a thing for pirate garb. Eve has obviously been to the gym. So has Sheryl Crow, who had Lance Armstrong on her arm and found an unusual way to bare her belly button and abs. Her gown, the bright yellow of a Live Strong bracelet, had a puzzle-piece-shaped cutout at the midriff. Jennifer Lopez chose an “I Dream of Jeannie” backless look for her number with husband Marc Anthony. In fact, the back was the body part many women chose to expose.

Regrettably, host Queen Latifah didn’t change out of her staid orange empire-waisted gown soon enough. Sure, she looked pretty, her long hair falling in loose waves. She just didn’t look Grammy in it, as she did later in a leather bolero and studded periwinkle bustier.