Mean, Mean Pride

Time once again for me to ponder the latest inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a new class has been installed. And you know whom I'm going to start with:

Rush. They're in. Finally. And, after having made their case repeatedly, what can I say about the greatest power trio to ever come out of Canada that hasn't been said? I pretty much agree with guitarist Alex Lifeson's sentiments - "Blah bla-blah bla blah." I would also add blah bla-blah virtuosos blah blah deep lyricism blah bla-blah bla-blah, Fly By Night blah blah blah, and Moving Pictures blah, blah blah. Blah blah? Blah. :-D

Heart. In addiiton to being two of the nicest ladies in rock and roll, Ann and Nancy Wilson have made some of the best syntheses of the most melodic and most hard-driving rock of the seventies. Their sound from that decade suggested a cross between the folk leanings of Led Zeppelin's heavy metal and the metal leanings of Jethro Tull's folk rock (and, face it, boys and girls, this is as close to induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction that Tull is ever going to get) with Joe Walsh riffs thrown in for good measure, perfectly tailored to play in Camaro Z/28s all over America. And yet, with that sound, their cover of Aaron Neville's "Tell It Like It Is" still worked. What can I say, the Wilson sisters are geniuses.

Public Enemy. Although I continue to insist that rap isn't rock, despite the fact that even Crosby, Stills and Nash insist otherwise, and although I insist that rap doesn't belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I have to make an exception for Chuck D and Flavor Flav, if only because they were right - 911 is a joke.

Randy Newman. While other Los Angeles rockers were too smug to realize how self-aware they were, Randy Newman turned Southern California self-awareness into a hilarious critique of modernity with his sharp, witty songs and his biting wit. Sometimes he was too clever and sardonic; not too many people realized that his bigoted comments against folks lacking in height in "Short People" were meant to show just how ridiculous other forms of bigotry are. He also could show just how ridiculous other forms of songwriting are; I will forever appreciate Newman for calling out America's "A Horse With No Name" as a song "about a kid who thinks he's taken acid." Priceless!

Donna Summer. She was the exception to the rule that disco divas sang more to convey a beat more than to convey emotions. At heart, Donna Summer was a soul singer, having grown up singing in church, and her musical savvy allowed her to make records that were as much rock as they were disco ("Bad Girls," She Works Hard For the Money," et al.) While I have strong objections to a certain single-named performer being among the noble laureates of this hall (in case you don't know whom I'm talking about, she appears on women's fashion magazine covers more than on music magazine covers), I have no problem with Donna Summer being included here.

Albert King. My only complaint about the induction of Albert King is that the late blues guitarist hadn't been inducted sooner - like Rush. After all, another famous power trio - Cream, who covered his song "Born Under a Bad Sign" - owed their existence to this man, as did Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, and other heavy British bands of the seventies.

And, in addition:

Lou Adler. His roster of clients as a record producer reads like a who's-who of California rock - the Mamas and the Papas, the Grass Roots, Johnny Rivers - and that would be enough to justify his induction, but the slam dunk is his work with Sam Cooke and the lead-pipe cinch is his shepherding of Carole King's Tapestry album, a record that inspired pop songwriting for well over a decade.

Quincy Jones. How did he influence rock and roll? Jazz greats blah blah Michael Jackson's Off the Wall blah blah Ray Charles James Ingram blah blah . . . need I go on? :-D

Oh yeah, now that the Quince is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with several other famous producers, managers  and assorted impresarios, what the hell is taking so long to induct Brian Epstein? He discovered the Beatles, for Pete's sake, and Billy J. Kramer - another former Epstein client - has been right of late to ask why the Hall should keep ignoring someone whose taste and savvy helped change rock and roll history.  Paul McCartney has also said that it anyone was the fifth Beatle, Eppy certainly was.  How can you have Seymour Stein - the guy who discovered that unlistenable single-named dance diva I referred to earlier - in the Hall, but not Brian Epstein?  It's enough to make you want to tear the hair out of your head. Just make sure you're wearing a Beatle wig while you're doing it.

Right, we gotta get Eppy in next year.  And if we're going to get at least one Major British Band Most  Americans Have Never Heard Of in, let's get moving on behalf of Family - before Barclay James Harvest partisans steal our thunder. 

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was originally established to honor rock and roll performers but has since gone on to include performers representing a variety of pop styles. I'm sort of required to point that out.