Tuesday, November 29, 2005

2006 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

Next year's batch of RnR HoF inductees includes two bands best known for their shocking first albums:

  1. Black Sabbath
  2. The Sex Pistols
  3. Lynyrd Skynyrd
  4. Miles Davis
  5. Blondie


Of these inductees, I think that Skynyrd is an undeniable addition to the Hall, Free Bird is the Rock anthem for an entire segment of society -- not my part, but a part none the less. That shouldn't be read to mean that I don't like Skynyrd, I think they are pretty damn good, it just means none of their songs are life defining anthems for me. I won't be shouting Sweet Home Alabama anytime soon.

Miles Davis, too, unquestioningly deserves a place as well. Only Hugh Hewitt who doesn't understand the links between Jazz -- and the Blues -- and Rock and Roll could refuse Miles. Besides, this dude hung out with the early punk movement. To quote Ron Asheton of the Stooges (from the book Please Kill Me:

Every time we played New York, this guy would come by our show and give the Stooges a little bottle of coke, completely on his own volition. So we're sitting backstage with Miles Davis, and this guy finally arrives and just throws down a big old pile. We already had the straws ready. Imagine that great scene -- Miles Davis's head next to all the heads of the Stooges going "SNNNORRRT!"

We all just devoured that [expletive deleted, but it starts with f] pile, man. Later, Miles Davis said, "The Stooges are original -- they've got spirit," or something like that. It was great. My head next to Miles Davis, man


Now if that doesn't embody the "how fast can I kill myself" lifestyle that is Rock and Roll, I don't know what does.

And Black Sabbath...can you imagine being a forty-something mom wondering what the hell those bizarre sounds coming from little Jimmy's room are. You walk in and he's screaming out the lyrics to War Pigs"
Generals gathered in their masses,
just like witches at black masses.
Evil minds that plot destruction,
sorcerers of death's construction.
In the fields the bodies burning,
as the war machine keeps turning.
Death and hatred to mankind,
poisoning their brainwashed minds.
Oh lord, yeah!

Politicians hide themselves away.
They only started the war.
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor, yeah.

Time will tell on their power minds,
making war just for fun.
Treating people just like pawns in chess,
wait till their judgment day comes, yeah.

Now in darkness world stops turning,
ashes where the bodies burning.
No more War Pigs have the power,
Hand of God has struck the hour.
Day of judgment, God is calling,
on their knees the war pigs crawling.
Begging mercies for their sins,
Satan, laughing, spreads his wings.
Oh lord, yeah!


You'd run to the local church faster than the Pastor in Footloose, now that is Rock! But does Sabbath deserve the Hall? Ozzy...sure, but Sabbath? I guess, The Mob Rules is pretty bad-ass, so they outlasted Ozzy, but let's face it Paranoid is what defines Sabbath. Is one album enough for recognition?

That goes for the Pistols too. Is Bollocks enough? Sure the Pistols were a phenomenon, but they didn't create Punk. Maybe they defined its image and maybe that is enough for the Hall. I won't get into the whole poseur who created Punk argument, America vs. England and all that trash. We all know...no Who...no Punk.

But Blondie? Hmm...I know some major Punk/New Wave fan or discophile will hate me for this, but I don't think just hanging out in the right places makes you Hall worthy.

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