Why Has No One Talked About The Rock Hall Of Fame Nominees.
I think I have the answer to this looming question. Simply put, it is a Friggin' Joke.
First off let's look at the nominees:
Guns 'N Roses: GNR, came on the scene in 1987 via MTV, they had that Rolling Stones/bad boy attitude like Motley Crue, but with out the make-up. They all had alcohol and drug problems, they had sex with groupies and they imploded like any other band from the era. They still sell millions of albums from their catalog every year, like the Eagles, Pink Floyd, etc. The band still retains the name (I call it Axl and Friends.)
Beastie Boys: I am a HUGE fan of most Beastie Boys music (except that instrumental album....ya, not so much). Licensed to Ill set the tone for White Boy rap. If it wasn't for Beastie Boys, Eminem wouldn't exist. Now that is a good and a bad thing, depending on your musical taste. The Beastie Boys sampled Led Zeppelin riffs on their debut album, which was ground breaking at the time. No one had the balls to sample the greatest Rock band of all time...but Rick Rubin and Beastie Boys did. Hell, even Kerry King from Slayer is on the album. Then the Boys had their very public falling out with Rick Rubin and they were able to stay in the public eye, with a much different sound, but still relevant.
Red Hot Chili Peppers: This is a band I am still on the fence about. Not because they don't deserve it. Not because they aren't talented, but I still remember seeing "True Men Don't Kill Coyotes" on MTV (back when they played videos) and I was hooked. This was Rap-fused Rock and it was VERY anti-establishment Rock. I was cranking every album up to Mother's Milk at top volume. They they broke through and changed their sound with Blood Sugar Sex Magik. They still kick ass, but they became a hit machine and have a new sound. They were able to ebb and flow into the Mainstream. (Oh ya, what I didn't mention, my 65 year old Dad is a fan of RHCP's as well...especially the first album). Hmmm...interesting to note, Rick Rubin was involved with them, as well.
Donovan was a Stoner and part of the Hippie generation, sang about drugs and drug trips. I get it, Oldies. My parents like it. Donovan was best served sampled in Rap and Pop music, IMHO.
The Faces/Small Faces. This is the same band, but different bands. The cool part is Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood would be in the Rock Hall as 2 different entries. What is stupid is, The Faces had 3 hits with Rod Stewart and Small Faces had one hit....That's it. They were done by 1974 as hit makers and it was over. How does this qualify. That would be like saying that Hanson deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Same.
Now, let's cover something that I think trumps bands like the ones listed above. The Rock and Roll Hall of SAME is a pathetic joke. Please explain to me how it is that bands like Kiss, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Deep Purple, Motley Crue, Motorhead, Rush, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bon Jovi, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Ted Nugent!!!!!! get over looked? Hell even major commercial Rock bands like Journey, Kanasas, Cars, ELO, and Steve Miller haven't been considered. This is a joke.
WTF is happening here?
I think I have it figured out, when you consider that bands like Kiss have given up on even being considered, it tells has to tell you something. Kiss has 28 Gold certified albums, more than any band in history. (Yes, more than Led Zeppelin and the Beatles).
I interviewed Paul Stanley a couple of years ago and I asked him how he felt about being snubbed for the Rock Hall for Alice Cooper (who, I will admit, deserved it). Paul was gracious and made it clear that Kiss is not Rock Hall material. His quote to me "Kiss performs for the fans who spend their hard-earned money to see the show, not for a few select people who deem them worthy."
That quote speaks volumes about what a joke the Rock Hall is, which is a bunch of elitist pricks who are not interested in determining who is and isn't worthy based on their impact on the world of music, but rather if the critics (the one's determining the artists worth) accolades and if they seem to fit into that David Byrne/Grateful Dead/Radiohead mold.
So how do you explain bands like Van Halen, Alice Cooper and Metallica who are in? Easy, we get morsel of music that will get those who complain to shut up...oh ya, and so they will sell tickets to the induction dinner (names that aren't big enough don't sell tickets that cost $10,000 or more). And there is why Guns N Roses are going in. They aren't Rock Hall-worthy, not until Judas Priest, Ted Nugent or Deep Purple go in. Again, we are being placated by those who are "smarter in their musical choices."
The bands who should be in, don't care if they do go in any more. And if they do go in, they go in graciously and accept, knowing what is really happening.
This is complete bullshit. And who do we blame? Rock Hall head, Jann Werner (former editor of Rolling Stone magazine) and his Rolling Stone magazine cronies and critics like Dave Marsh, Susan Evans and Jon Landau run the damn thing. They don't care what is popular, just what is in their iPod. F* the rest of us.
I stopped reading Rolling Stone back in the 80s when I discovered that in the 70s RS used to smack talk Led Zeppelin, but then turn around in the 80s and talk about how great they were. (Huh? They sucked in the past and are great now? Let me guess, you found the err of your ways) Rolling Stone spent more time telling us how great the Talking Heads and The Replacement were and how bad Metallica and Motley Crue were. You tell me who lasted longer and sold more albums, much less withstood the test of time.
It is elitist pricks like Jann Wenner and his ilk, who keep great artists out of the Hall and it is a shame.
I made the pilgrimage to Cleveland about 4 years ago and made my trip to, what I thought was, the Mecca of Rock Music and what a disappointment. I will not return. It is 3 levels of crap that no one cares about or has seen elsewhere. When you go to a museum, you want to learn something, I learned nothing and was NOT impressed. There is a whole level that is a gift shop. Out of the 3 or 4 levels of the Rock Hall, you have a whole level to shop. How giving of them. Not to mention, it is right next to the Cleveland Browns stadium, which just brings it down even more.
To give you some idea of what some artists think of the Rock and Roll Hall of Shame, the Sex Pistols refused to take part in their induction in 2006, referring to the Hall as a "piss-stain". Sadly, that was taken as a publicity stunt...for those who think it was, it wasn't.
If more people stopped giving a shit about Grammys, Rock Hall inductions, People's Choice Awards and stopped listening to critics, music may get even better. Who cares what someone else thinks. If you enjoy it, enjoy it and tell the ney-sayers to F*-off. Screw people, like the Rock Hall, who want to formulate public opinion.
Congrats to GNR, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Beastie Boys for your induction, but you are getting used.
What I am hoping for is for GNR to not show up and someone else to pull a Sex Pistols. It won't happen. They will all sit around laugh at bad jokes and stroke each other off while singing "Kumbyah" in their jam session at the end....BLAH
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