I have six months to reshape my life. I can do this.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Why Do I Care?

I am a person of varied interests and unusual distractions. My mind works in such a way that I find myself caring about things nobody else in my circle of immediate friends gives two thoughts to.

One thing I find myself spending too much time with is my music collection. I have a wide and varied collection, very eclectic. Music that ranges from polka, big band, lounge and folk to jazz, hard rock, 80's music, British invasion, 50's rockabilly, blues and even country. Sick isn't it.

One thing I find myself caring about WAAAAYYYY too much is that stupid Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I pride myself on having music from EACH member (including sidemen like King Curtis for example) of the infamous hall in my collection. I have problems, I know.

Each year when they announce who the new inductees are for the rock hall, I find myself getting either way too excited or way too upset. Here's why: there are people in the Hall who got in too early and there are way too many acts who NEED to be in there but aren't. It blows my mind all the time when I search the hall for certain inductees only to find out that they are NOT in the hall...wha???? So from time to time I feel the need to vent about that. I will do it here.

Here are a few people or groups who I am totally shocked are not yet in the HOF:

Chicago - Seriously? Does the Rock Hall just hate all non-punk music from the 70's? Let's see, Elvis Costello and the Attractions is in. The Talking Heads, Ramones, The Clash, Blondie, The Pretenders, The Velvet Underground, The Sex Pistols, Patti Smith and The Police (before Synchronicity they were punk) are all in. Have we FINALLY exhausted the punk movement that mercifully killed disco in the late 70's and early 80's? Do we need to put the English Beat in for good measure? And Chicago isn't? I can understand Reo Speedwagon or Styx not making it in. But Chicago? Really? Huge hits spanning the 70's and 80's? 25 or 6 to 4? Saturday in the Park? If they are not voted in the two or three years, the Rock Hall is just impotent. Peter Cetera's voice, those compositions, songs every teenager from the 80's danced or made out to...they HAVE to make it and soon.

John Mellencamp - He will get in. Once we flush out this backlog of over-important and over-hyped 70's punk bands and put in Run DMC. Check out this resume of music of which I will indicate its zenith on the Billboard charts: Jack and Diane (#3), Pink Houses, R-O-C-K in the USA (#6), Authority Song, I Need a Lover, Small Town (#2), Hurts So Good (#1), Crumblin' Down (#1), Lonely Ol' Night (#1), Rumble Seat (#4), Paper in Fire (#1), Cherry Bomb (#1), Hard Times for an Honest Man (#10), Check it Out (#3), Pop Singer (#2), Jackie Brown (#20), Martha Say (#8), Get a Leg Up (#1)...and there are STILL more #1's I have NOT included from the 90's. I assume the only reason Mellencamp is not in yet is because he is primarily and 80's and 90's success and they will wait a few years. But Prince is in. As is Michael Jackson. REM is in. U2 is in. Bruce is in. Mellencamp is the only one left. He will be in soon.

Rush - since every other culture defining and really unique group is in (heck, even The Lovin' Spoonful is in) Rush should be in too. If Percy Sledge can make it in for one song, you gotta let Rush in. YOU HAVE TO.

Boston - Sadly, they may be considered now that their lead singer has killed himself. Expect Boston to make it as soon as they induct The Boomtown Rats to help fill in that vague early 80's punk scene.

Cheap Trick - Again, another 70's band. Once the Rock Hall finally gets Iggy Pop and the Stooges in, they will have run out of reasonable punk influences. Then we will see some of these 70's bands make it in. There are PLENTY of lesser groups in the hall than Rush, Boston and Cheap Trick.

Genesis / Peter Gabriel's solo career - How is he NOT in? How is Genesis not in? You HAVE to put Genesis in NOW. And then, after a few years, put in Gabriel. Hasn't he done enough for poverty and trouble in Africa? Before Bono found Africa on a map, before Bob Geldoff parlayed one decent song into a career as rock's first statesman, there was Peter Gabriel. When Bono stepped off the plane into the black heart of that lost continent, Gabriel met him in the airport. These two acts have to be in. Everyone knows at least four Genesis songs. And at least three Peter Gabriel. Quick - how many Moonglows songs do you know? The Dells? Name two OTHER O'Jays songs...see?

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - Seriously, this woman rocks. If you put Patti Smith in, than you HAVE to put Joan Jett in. The good thing about Joan? She loves Rock and Roll and doesn't give a damn about her bad reputation.

KISS - Too bad they were so flashy and never really had big hits. They have only been one of the highest grossing rock acts of all time. If Gene Simmons had been more Paul Stanley and less himself, they would probably be in. But he is such a media whore and shameless promoter that he has really sullied and muddied up the whole KISS franchise. They may be the only ones on this list to NOT get in ever. Too bad. Cause last time I saw Ace Frehley, he looked awful. Like he had been snorting coke from a flaming bong bad. Ugh.

Pat Benatar - Again, she will get in. But I am afraid that this is an either or vote with Joan Jett. Either one or the other will get in. And that is too bad because they did not make that same deal with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bob Seger.

Steve Miller - Admit it...who reading this blog has not at one time owned the greatest hits collection of The Steve Miller Band? You can name five Miller songs right now...Joker, Take the Money And Run, Jet Airliner, Fly Like an Eagle, Abracadabra... and you had two or three others. Once the New York Dolls complete the brand new 70's punk wing, Steve Miller gets in. If Jackson Browne, Skynyrd and Seger can make it, you HAVE to let Steve Miller in.

The Dave Clark Five - How...never mind. They are the only great 60's band not in. And there are at least five more in who shouldn't be (paging The Ronettes, The Righteous Brothers, The Lovin' Spoonful, Del Shannon, The (Young) Rascals - your wake up call is here and it is called the DCF).

Alice Cooper - You have all this punk, all this heavy metal, no Alice? How? He has to be in soon. Has to be.

Todd Rundgren (he produced so many of the great punk albums of the 70's - NY Dolls, Patti Smith so you think he would be a mortal lock) but he also recorded some great stuff AND produced OTHER great acts (Cheap Trick, Badfinger, Hall and Oates, Janis Joplen, the Band, Paul Butterfield, Foghat, Grand Funk, Alice Cooper, Bad Religion...that is a partial list).

Anyone I left off? Anyone here you do NOT agree with? Comment a brother. And so help me, if any of you say The Monkees should be in there and are comparable to The Beatles, I will strangle you. Comparing The Monkees to The Beatles is like comparing Star Trek to NASA.

5 Comments:

Blogger david b mclaughlin said...

Dang good list. Mellencamp is my top five all time. Cheap Trick is my #1 most underrated band. I think KISS is overrated but definitely deserves to be in.

joan jett definitely. did i tell you i go tto drive her all over okc a couple years ago? have my picture with her too. benatar i love but not sure she's hall of fame worthy. i'll have to pray about that. boston definitely. chicago definitely. genesis definitely. rush-oh yeah baby.

didn't mention? some of these may already be in...

i dont think all of these are eligible yet but...journey, metallica, bryan adams (yes i mean it), is bowie in?-should be, madonna will be a shoe in, bon jovi, i could live with the cars, the byrds are in right?, def leppard, doobie brothers, earth wind & fire is in right? (where the heck is the last at the hof website?), fleetwood mac, heart, inxs, janet jackson, pat boone (yes i said it), three dog night, the ventures, zztop.

where the heck is the list of who is already in?????????? i cant find it!

7:45 PM

 
Blogger david b mclaughlin said...

btw, yes...alot of those are eighties artists but i'm getting old and some are already eligible and others will be soon.

7:46 PM

 
Blogger david b mclaughlin said...

oh yeah-forgot to amen ya on steve miller band who will be at the zoo amp 8/25/07. i'm in.

7:47 PM

 
Blogger david b mclaughlin said...

and one more thing...
can somebody please for the love of everything that is holy explain to me why patti smith deserves to be in the rrhof?

7:48 PM

 
Blogger absonjourney said...

i found dave white. check my friends onn myspace

3:43 PM

 

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home