By now, you all know that I get crazed about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. It really is wasted time because they will continue to induct people that aren’t deserving or should be enshrined somewhere else. It’s a farce actually.
Yet, here I am. Ready to rip and to roar!
Typically I write a piece when the list of potential inductees is announced and then I blow my top when they announce the Fat Boy Slim (not yet) got in.
Lets start with the easy ones.
Bernie Taupin should have been elected years ago. One of the greatest songwriters in history. Period.
Link Wray, another overlooked legend that should have been enshrined while he was still alive. A great guitarist with an equally great hairdo. Yes, he was almost as important an influence on a generation of guitarists as Jimi Hendrix.
Al Kooper should be in just from the fact that he discovered Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was one of the founding members of Blood,Sweat and Tears and he was the Kooper in the first supersessions. Great songwriter, great producer and a pretty good guitarist.
Those three would get my vote.
The next group I would say, maybe.
Rage Against The Machine. Eh. I could not say that I have ever listened to more than 34 seconds of anyone of their songs. However, Tom Morello is an incredible guitarist and I guess longevity and popularity in some subset of Rock and Roll qualifies you to be elected. It’s not the worst selection for sure, just not my cup of tea.
While I love Chaka Kahn and I do think a very strong case could be made for her induction, I am just not sure she had the catalog to back up inclusion. She’s in, I won’t complain.
I won’t complain about Willie Nelson either. Rock and Roll has always stolen from country (along with every other musical art form) and Willie is a titan, sort of. I have three Nelson albums and I honestly may listen to one of his songs once a year. I think his overall persona had a great influence here but again I won’t fault any Hall of Fame that wants to include him.
The Spinners and Don Cornelius are ok inductees as well. Cornelius did more for R&B, Soul,Motown and almost every black artist in the 60’s and 70’s than anyone else. He probably should have gotten the Ertegun award years ago. The Spinners had some success and probably are still borderline in my mind but having them in is ok in my mind.
Now we go with the WTF of this column.
Kate Bush? Stop already with putting one trick ponies in the Hall of Fame. You want a one trick pony? Put Zagger and Evans in or try Mason Williams. UGH
Missy Elliot. Now I don’t want “no More Drama in My Life” but seriously? Who thinks of these things?
George Michael. Tough call to say anything bad about Michael. He was in Wham! and sang one of my all time favorite songs but here me now and hear me clear, he does not belong in the same building as Buddy Holly or James Brown.
Now for this last joke. What is a DJ Kool Herc? No clue. He is an influencer? Of who? Some gangster rapper who spent $30,000 in a strip club in Miami but has yet to pay child support for his kid? Come on now. Enough with the pandering to a certain community. It is music, it takes some talent for sure but it has absolutely nothing to do with Rock and Roll.
Once again the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has failed the very constituency that it was supposed to pay homage to. Rock and Roll fans.
Lastly, Where is The J.Geils Band, War, Blood,Sweat and Tears, The B-52’s, Chic, Dave Matthews Band, Steppenwolf and the list goes on?
Another 10+ column......