Ladies and gentlemen, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of '06...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know there's a lot of hoo-hah surrounding the relevance and selection/induction process of the R&R Hall of Fame, but I rather like this year's roster:
Black Sabbath - AP reports that back in '99, Ozzy wrote a letter to the Hall asking them to drop him from consideration, citing induction as "meaningless." They go on to add that two years later, he said that he'd have to "go for it" if they did.
The Sex Pistols - My dream is that John Lydon and the boys will get up to do their speech and re-live good times, preferably along the lines of the Grundy show when Steve Jones dropped the f-bomb and a whole nation went nuts. December 1, 1976 - according to Wikipedia. I say we have a 30th anniversary celebration next year, how 'bout you? Big burning afterthought: will Glen Matlock be included in the ceremony? And will Lydon even show up?
Blondie - Yay! My favorite band from yesteryear and still an ass-kicking contender on my top five list. Now I know Chris Stein, Clem Burke and Jimmy Destri continue to play on their reunion tours - but will Gary Valentine, Nigel Harrison and Frank Infante be there for the festivities, too? Inquiring minds want to know...
Lynard Skynard - Isn't there a band called Lynard's Innards out there somewhere?
Miles Davis - I'm sure there are several people running around with chapped red asses over this one, but my guess is that "Bitches Brew," "On The Corner" and those other Miles fusion albums sealed the deal on this one. I had a jazz shift at my college radio station and a few listeners from the hardcore purist contingent would always - without fail - call up and whine if I played anything from those. And to my delight - I discovered that if I really wanted to piss 'em off, the "Zimbabwe" disc from Pangaea worked wonders. And hey, wasn't Miles Davis a big Stooges fan? Speaking of someone else who should be inducted...
Lifetime Achievement Award - Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, founders of A&M Records and the men who brought us not only the Police and Peter Fuckin' Frampton, but Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66. Bless. Because of that, I can forgive them for the Carpenters.
I have only one thing to add: Buzzcocks and Alice Cooper for the Class of '07!!!
Black Sabbath - AP reports that back in '99, Ozzy wrote a letter to the Hall asking them to drop him from consideration, citing induction as "meaningless." They go on to add that two years later, he said that he'd have to "go for it" if they did.
The Sex Pistols - My dream is that John Lydon and the boys will get up to do their speech and re-live good times, preferably along the lines of the Grundy show when Steve Jones dropped the f-bomb and a whole nation went nuts. December 1, 1976 - according to Wikipedia. I say we have a 30th anniversary celebration next year, how 'bout you? Big burning afterthought: will Glen Matlock be included in the ceremony? And will Lydon even show up?
Blondie - Yay! My favorite band from yesteryear and still an ass-kicking contender on my top five list. Now I know Chris Stein, Clem Burke and Jimmy Destri continue to play on their reunion tours - but will Gary Valentine, Nigel Harrison and Frank Infante be there for the festivities, too? Inquiring minds want to know...
Lynard Skynard - Isn't there a band called Lynard's Innards out there somewhere?
Miles Davis - I'm sure there are several people running around with chapped red asses over this one, but my guess is that "Bitches Brew," "On The Corner" and those other Miles fusion albums sealed the deal on this one. I had a jazz shift at my college radio station and a few listeners from the hardcore purist contingent would always - without fail - call up and whine if I played anything from those. And to my delight - I discovered that if I really wanted to piss 'em off, the "Zimbabwe" disc from Pangaea worked wonders. And hey, wasn't Miles Davis a big Stooges fan? Speaking of someone else who should be inducted...
Lifetime Achievement Award - Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, founders of A&M Records and the men who brought us not only the Police and Peter Fuckin' Frampton, but Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66. Bless. Because of that, I can forgive them for the Carpenters.
I have only one thing to add: Buzzcocks and Alice Cooper for the Class of '07!!!
posted by No, You Can't Watch at 10:03 PM
2 Comments:
That Blondie made it in makes my effin' life worth livin'!
I like the new name, girl.
Luvies,
Taj
Thank you mucho for stopping by, Tyler!
Imperial bias - you're absolutely spot-on. I stand red-faced and guilty, but pleased that someone has put it into words for me. That's exactly it. Cheese does sound better when sugar-coated in a foreign tongue. I wonder if I would've grown up feeling differently about the Carpenters if their lyrics had been sung in Portuguese, Spanish or Italian? Probably.
I'd love to hear how your girlfriend reacts when you sing Close To You to her, too. Does she laugh, or does she roll her eyes, recoil in horror, or throw her book at you?
I'll also have to check out that Sonic Youth cover - thanks for the heads up! That's on the same tribute album with Redd Kross and Shonen Knife, right? My best mate Danny has it, and I remember him saying it was totally collection-worthy.
My ex from England used to tell me about how the beloved and late BBC DJ John Peel would always play Goodbye To Love, because of its rather remarkable guitar solo, something I'd never associate with the Carpenters and probably should, as an amateur musicologist and sound sleuth, check out. God bless John Peel, for showing us the way and that no matter how much we may have disliked the output of a certain artist, there would always a welcoming place and audience for it out there somewhere. Hallelujah.
Flashback: Speaking of A&M and foreign cheese pop, I used to have the 45 of the Sandpipers' version of Guantanamera, when I was around 5 or 6. At the time, I'd been watching a lot of Gilligan's Island and thought the chorus was "One was a minnow..." Seriously.
Post a Comment
<< Home