The Wait Is Over
Loyal readers of this column know I have a stick up my ass about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They induct people that probably should not be inducted and ignore ones that should be.
Like any Hall of Fame, people will have opinions and most of those opinions are well founded and legit. I think I am a little tougher on the Rock Hall because I somehow believe I know better than them.
Obviously I don’t but you know what I am saying. We all have opinions and here’s mine:
Peter Frampton. Deserves it and it’s overdo. Look at his history and he is more than Frampton Comes Alive. Which, even though it has been played to death, is still a great live album and sold like 700 million records. Check Plus.
Outkast. Eh, not a good selection. I don’t see their body of work holding up and yes, they were talented, I just don’t think they warrant entry. Besides the fact that they may say they have rock influences, they don’t. Trying to appeal to another segment of the population doesn’t work for me. No check here.
Cyndi Lauper. Cute and funny and she actually has a decent range but she really did nothing for most of her career. She plays the outdoor barn circuit now and deservedly so. No check here.
Bad Company. Overdo. Even though their career wasn’t really that long ( no matter what you think), they produced arguably the best debut album of all time and two pretty good follow ups. They were a true supergroup and I still say that Paul Rodgers should be in the Hall as an individual. Double check plus
Chubby Checker. I mean, if you had asked me two years ago if I thought Chubby Checker was in the Hall I would have said “Yes, for sure”. What are these people doing in Cleveland? Anyway, he deserves to be in their along with all his peers that got in with a weaker resume. Check plus.
Joe Cocker. An easy one. I could care less if people think he is just a spastic cover band artist. They obviously know nothing about Cocker. He put his imprint on every song he ever did, every time. His reworking of classics could never be duplicated and that alone sets him apart from every other artist. He respected the songs he covered and made them his own. Double check plus.
White Stripes. Again, another group that I don’t think had enough good material to warrant admission. What they did have is a unique setup and Jack White is an excellent guitarist. He also has respect for the music but still, one decent album with maybe three strong songs. Not really a resume for greatness. Check minus.
Soundgarden. Huh? Really? I know, along with Nirvana and Pearl Jam, they created the Seattle Grunge sound. Back then I thought that this new sound out of the Northwest might save Rock and Roll. They were like an American version of Punk, not new wave, and it was interesting but it just didn’t have the legs I guess. Kurt Cobain’s suicide pretty much ended it and while Pearl Jam still thinks they are relevant, they still suck. Soundgarden was lost in the fray and their story was pretty much over after their lead singer and inspiration, Chris Cornell committed suicide. Never a fan and I get that they may have been important but I am not sure what their importance will ever be, No check.
Again, this is only my opinion and if you think otherwise feel free to reach out to me.
The Hall is trying to make up for past mistakes with their Musical Influences award. It’s an award the trustees give out without admitting they messed up previously. This year it went to Warren Zevon and Salt and Peppa’. Not sure what the hell Salt and Peppa’ influenced as far as rock is concerned. There are roughly 25 artists I could think of that actually had influence in genre and are not inductees so why would these two be influencial. Don’t get me wrog, I like them, i do think they are pretty talented but putting them in this is just plain stupid. Warren Zevon on the other hand should be in on his own but this is entry is trying to correct that. Unlike S & P he did influence countless artists, especially in Los Angeles. One right one wrong.