Five for Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame elected five new members today. Let's see who's on the invitation list for March 14:
U2. Hard to argue, even if they have become annoyingly ubiquitous over the past several years. No band in history has made as big a reputation for being political and social activists, yet spent as much of their time flacking for various consumer goods, as has U2. When you can get an iPod with your signatures engraved on it, don't come pretending that you're not all about the Benjamins...or whoever the heck's picture is on the hundred euro bill.
The O'Jays. It's not their fault they happen to share a name with a guy who slashed his ex-wife and her boytoy du jour to death. Even if one of their biggest hits was entitled "Back Stabbers." Seriously, though: "Love Train." "For the Love of Money." "Give the People What They Want." "Now That We've Found Love." "Use'ta Be My Girl." Oh yeah, O'Jays.
Percy Sledge. Ehhh, I dunno. "When a Man Loves a Woman" was classic, sure, but what else did Percy ever do? "I'll Be Your Everything," I suppose. Borderline pick, in my opinion.
The Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde and her boys never did much for me, but staying power counts for something. The fact that I never figured out what the song title "Brass in Pocket" means annoys me to this day. What, are you packing a French horn in your BVDs?
Buddy Guy. Eric Clapton said it best: "Greatest blues guitarist ever." Buddy Guy taught Jimi Hendrix...well, maybe not everything he knew, but pretty darned much. Should have been chosen years ago.
U2. Hard to argue, even if they have become annoyingly ubiquitous over the past several years. No band in history has made as big a reputation for being political and social activists, yet spent as much of their time flacking for various consumer goods, as has U2. When you can get an iPod with your signatures engraved on it, don't come pretending that you're not all about the Benjamins...or whoever the heck's picture is on the hundred euro bill.
The O'Jays. It's not their fault they happen to share a name with a guy who slashed his ex-wife and her boytoy du jour to death. Even if one of their biggest hits was entitled "Back Stabbers." Seriously, though: "Love Train." "For the Love of Money." "Give the People What They Want." "Now That We've Found Love." "Use'ta Be My Girl." Oh yeah, O'Jays.
Percy Sledge. Ehhh, I dunno. "When a Man Loves a Woman" was classic, sure, but what else did Percy ever do? "I'll Be Your Everything," I suppose. Borderline pick, in my opinion.
The Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde and her boys never did much for me, but staying power counts for something. The fact that I never figured out what the song title "Brass in Pocket" means annoys me to this day. What, are you packing a French horn in your BVDs?
Buddy Guy. Eric Clapton said it best: "Greatest blues guitarist ever." Buddy Guy taught Jimi Hendrix...well, maybe not everything he knew, but pretty darned much. Should have been chosen years ago.
SwanShadow was randomly pounding the keyboard at 11:15 PM
4 insisted on sticking two cents in:
My two cents:
"Brass in Pocket" Brass is money, usually small denomination coins i.e. 1 and 2 pence pieces, 'cos they're made of 'brass' see. Well, not really they are made of some copper alloy, but it's close enough, if you don't want to be too pedantic.
Okay, that makes sense. I wouldn't have make that connection because American coins aren't made of brass, and I've never heard them referred to that way. Thanks for the tip, Soops!
I think this is a pretty good class even without considering U2. Sledge is pretty iffy, but "When a Man Loves A Woman" will be played at weddings until the Earth crashes into the sun. Buddy Guy I agree with you on; I was rather amazed he wasn't in already. My favorite Guy track is somewhat hidden. On the Hendrix tribute album "Stone Free" he covers "Red House", which is my pick for Jimi's best blues song. Just melts through it... astounding.
Lastly, I do like the Pretenders, I always have. But Chrissie Hynde needs to remember that she's NOT from England. You're from Cleveland Chrissie, CLEVELAND.
Bit pretentious for someone so cool, ain't she?
Yeah, Chrissie Hynde irritates me too, Frinklin. I think it's the overdependence on black eyeliner. Or the voice, which reminds me of what Karen Carpenter might have sounded like if she'd smoked five packs of unfiltered Lucky Strikes a day, washed the nicotine down with a fifth of Jack Daniels, and spent her evenings singing bad karaoke in a biker bar at the top of her lungs.
Of course, if Karen Carpenter had done all that and eaten the occasional sandwich too, she might be alive today.
And when you consider that people like Billy Joel and Jackson Browne are already in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it makes you wonder what took them so long to get around to inducting Buddy Guy. Billy Joel? Even "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" wasn't rock and roll.
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