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ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2022

2/2/2022

1 Comment

 
What is Rock and Roll?

The nominating committee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just told us that all of the following are Rock and Roll artists:

Beck, Pat Benatar, Kate Bush, Devo, Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Judas Priest, Fela Kuti, MC5, New York Dolls, Dolly Parton, Rage Against the Machine, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, A Tribe Called Quest, and Dionne Warwick.
 
Uh, what?  A lot of those are very successful music acts, yeah.   But rock and roll?   Come on!   Only a handful ever rocked.   I thought we were done worrying about the Rock Hall, but really?

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees announced

10/5/2017

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  • Bon Jovi
  • Kate Bush
  • The Cars
  • Depeche Mode
  • Dire Straits
  • Eurythmics
  • J. Geils Band
  • Judas Priest
  • LL Cool J
  • MC5
  • The Meters
  • Moody Blues
  • Radiohead
  • Rage Against the Machine
  • Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
  • Nina Simone
  • Sister Rosetta Tharpe
  • Link Wray
  • The Zombies

um, what? Really? So yes Radiohead the most consistently challenging and innovative first time eligible artist. The modern day Pink Floyd.

Only Link Wray, The Cars and Motor City Five really worthy of much consideration here. Unfortunately we predict Bon Jovi will get in. Nina Simone was a tremendous artist, but far from rock and roll. A discouraging list.

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2017

12/21/2016

3 Comments

 
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As we do every year at this time, we look at this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class, officially the Class of 2017, which is:
  • Joan Baez
  • Electric Light Orchestra
  • Journey
  • Pearl Jam
  • Tupac Shakur
  • Yes
Award for Musical Excellence:
  • Nile Rodgers

Some well-deserving inductees, including first year eligible Pearl Jam. As we examined in last year's post, what great artists are on the outside looking in? Of our list from last year surveying the most eligible candidates, only Yes made it this year. We mentioned ELO and Journey as artists likely to be forever left out of the most elite. Once again, it is difficult to reconcile how these two were inducted before many other similarly situated artists in our lists.

Radiohead will almost certainly headline next year's class in its first year of eligibility.
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Our lists are below, revised to eliminate this year's inductees, and congratulations to them.

You can read all about this year's inductees everywhere else and debate their respective merits for inclusion. We can also all debate the criteria for induction, and officially "Criteria include the influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll," so says the Hall itself.

This year's ballot also says "Factors such as an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation and superiority in style and technique are taken into consideration."

But let's cut to the chase to the most popular topic of all. The rock acts absent from the Hall. Now that Kiss and Deep Purple and the Sex Pistols are in, who really is left out? I realize not a single person reading this will agree on every entry, and that's one of the beauties of music. I submit that the following eligible artists should get the most attention for induction. That's not to say I love these bands best. For example, I love The Replacements and Sonic Youth and The Pixies more than Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton. I just think that Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston were more influential and were at the apex of their genre, even if I don't necessarily like them best or want to listen to them. To add fuel to the ire, many will point to those already enshrined as less worthy than many left outside in the Cleveland cold, such as Percy Sledge, The Young Rascals, James Taylor, and The Lovin' Spoonful. All fine artists to be sure, but Hall worthy?

So without further adieu, the most eligible bachelors, alphabetically:

The Cars
John Coltrane
The Cure
Whitney Houston
Janet Jackson
Joy Division / New Order
Love
Mott The Hoople
New York Dolls
Dolly Parton
Gram Parsons
Roxy Music
The Smiths
13th Floor Elevators
T. Rex

How in the world these are not already enshrined baffles me.
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There are countless others who get mentioned by their fans, but can't really make as strong a claim to be considered among the most elite music acts ever. Fine artists, many with some very good songs, and many with plenty of influence, but never the best artist of their kind during their time. The Tony Perezes of rock. Not everyone gets in. There has to be a line of elite drawn somewhere. Some of the notable outsiders, alphabetically:

Bad Company
Bauhaus
Big Star
Black Flag
Blue Oyster Cult
Bon Jovi
Boston
The Buzzcocks
​The Cramps
The Damned
Dead Kennedys
Def Leppard
Depeche Mode
Dire Straits
The Doobie Brothers
Duran Duran
Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP)
Brian Eno
Foreigner
Free
Gang Of Four
Grand Funk (Railroad)
The Guess Who
Husker Du
INXS
Iron Maiden
J. Geils Band (Geils)
The Jam
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Jethro Tull
Judas Priest
Kansas
King Crimson
Little Feat
MC5
The Monkees
The Moody Blues
Motorhead
The Move
Willie Nelson
Nine Inch Nails
Ted Nugent
Pavement
The Pixies
The Replacements
Paul Revere and the Raiders
Johnny Rivers
Todd Rundgren
The Scorpions
Sonic Youth
Soundgarden
The Spinners
Styx
(The) Sweet
Thin Lizzy
Richard Thompson
Robin Trower
UFO
Johnny Winter
X
Warren Zevon
The Zombies

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Who do you think should be inducted next?


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3 Comments

Rick Derringer Eddie's Attic Atlanta November 30, 2016

12/8/2016

1 Comment

 
Let Me In sweet mama!

Derringer just played two shows in Atlanta.

If you're reading this, you likely know Rick Derringer beyond his single solo mainstream success, Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo. You likely also know Hang On Sloopy from when he fronted the McCoys in the Sixties. You likely also know Free Ride and other numbers from his work with Edgar Winter. Last week at Eddie's Attic, we got those songs and a lot more.
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Rick was back on tour with his longtime band to showcase his musical life in a Storytellers setting. Playing only an acoustic guitar, Rick took us through his early days in Ohio with the McCoys and some of their single hits. We got stories of opening for The Rolling Stones throughout their 1966 US tour. We got his story of talking with Ringo Starr about how Hang On Sloopy briefly kept Yesterday from reaching number 1. Ringo's classic reply: "I don't care. I didn't play on either of them!" Peace and Love.
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We got stories of the McCoys breaking free of the bubblegum scene and heading to NYC to play clubs including a residency at The Scene, and meeting such stars as Jimi Hendrix. We got stories of being the "And" in Johnny Winter And. We got an updated Still Alive and Well, with some additional faith based lyrics to remind us of his current world.

Read more about that here:

http://www.rickderringer.com/testimony.html
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By the early seventies, Derringer was a sought after hired guitar gun hot shot, playing on such great albums as Alice Cooper's Killer, Todd Rundgren's Something Anything, and most of Steely Dan's albums. He enjoyed moderate success throughout the seventies, never breaking big, but steadily rocking. We first found him on Derringer Live, which remains his best work.

We got stories of his work with The Edgar Winter Group (but didn't play Frankenstein) and Dan Hartman.

Success was more elusive after that, but the centerpiece of the evening was a series of stories about meeting Cyndi Lauper, her introduction for him to the world of wrestling, and his writing of Real American, co-opted since by everyone from Hulk Hogan to Barrack Obama.
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Before and after the show, Rick and his wife Jenda hung out, signed autographs, and talked with everyone.

Thank you Rick Derringer.
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His next trip through town was less fun: http://www.11alive.com/mb/news/local/musician-rick-derringer-caught-carrying-gun-at-atlanta-airport/385101999
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The 50 Best Live Albums of All Time

10/26/2016

2 Comments

 
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We started off so audaciously. With the bootleg responses of Live at Leeds and Ya-Yas, we were lulled and duped into thinking that capturing a great live performance and hoping a record company would release it on vinyl would be easy. Not so fast my friend. Some of the greatest live rock acts have never adequately captured the live experience on vinyl (think Bowie or the Dead)

What are the greatest live albums of all time? A few rules first.

Only one title per artist, made more difficult for artists such as The Rolling Stones with multiple quality official live releases.

It must be an official release, not a bootleg. Although so many former classic bootlegs are now receiving archival release, that line constantly moves.

It can be a bonus disc or discs in a reissue or anthology. And then there are monumental live sets like Bob Dylan's 36 disc The 1966 Live Recordings or The Grateful Dead's 73 disc Europe '72: The Complete Recordings or Pearl Jam and other artists releasing soundboard recordings of entire tours. In those cases we'll limit ourselves to a single show.

It must consist of all live performances in front of an audience, even if some studio clean up was performed later. Yes, that's you Kiss and Thin Lizzy. But that means no Let It Be, Wheels of Fire or Goodbye, Fandango, or Cheap Thrills. It also means no Live at the BBC or Peel Sessions titles.

We also recognize that the mid-seventies was the heyday of the live album, often acting as a de facto greatest hits set for many artists without a lot of hits. We're also a little light on the Grand Funk Wishbone Ash type sets as well as the poppier side like Neil Diamond and Elton John.

We love these greatest of all time lists not to justify our already-existing opinions, but to find great music we may have missed. And to let the debate begin. Not a single person reading this list will agree on every entry here. Therein lies a beauty and truth of music. It is art and speaks to each of us differently.

So, yes, I have very likely considered the album you were hoping I had listed but didn't ("this list has no credibility if Live Bullet and Tokyo Tapes are both missing!"), and I might simply not like it as much as you do. Yet maybe you'll find a title or five that you may not have listened to and will come to enjoy.
And then there were twelve. The Dirty Dozen

Rolling Stones - The Brussels Affair
Pink Floyd – Live At Wembley Stadium 1974 (Dark Side of the Moon bonus disc)
Nirvana – MTV Unplugged
James Brown – Live and Lowdown at the Apollo
Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series Volume 4 “Royal Albert Hall”
The Who - Live at Leeds
Elvis Presley - A Golden Celebration - 1956 Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show in Tupelo
U2 - Zoo TV Live
Bob Marley and the Wailers Live!
Jimi Hendrix – Jimi Plays Monterey
Velvet Underground - 1969 Live
Joy Division – Amsterdam (from Refractured box set)
This is a much harder task than anticipated. So many really monumental live performances to choose from. To pare down to 50. Then to rank em.

Let's start with our unranked honorable mentions, alphabetically. Each of these titles is a great live album.

AC/DC - If You Want Blood
Cheap Trick - at Budokan
​Delaney and Bonnie and Friends - On Tour with Eric Clapton
Dr. Feelgood - Stupidity
Peter Frampton - Comes Alive!
Humble Pie - Performance Rockin The Fillmore
J. Geils Band - "Live" Full House
My Morning Jacket - Okonokos
Tom Petty - Live Anthology

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2 Comments

David J Atlanta Living Room 2016

6/12/2016

0 Comments

 
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WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM LIVE

Is how Fee Waybill and The Fabulous Spooner once challenged us. What do you want? What David J wants is to share his music directly with his fans. Through his website (http://www.davidjonline.com/living-room-shows.html), the legendary musician is playing in living rooms across the country, self-funding and self-promoting.

​For our Atlanta show (Sunday June 12, 2016), our host was the lovely Lisa King at Electron Garden Studio in Avondale Estates, a perfect setting for a surreally perfect evening. We were told the event sold out. As the crowd of 40 or so devotees assembled in advance of the promised 8pm show time, Lisa's group, The Hot Place (http://www.thehotplaceband.com/) entertained us with a few of their original songs, performed as an acoustic trio. Introducing their last number, Lisa reminded us that we've lost too many icons, too many heroes already this year, before launching into an acoustic Ace of Spades.

​The Hot Space gathered up their gear, Lisa walked toward the microphone as David fucking J nearly ran to the same microphone, a few minutes before 8. And he was off with no fanfare. Just a beautiful bright yellow shirt that Tim had noticed as we arrived, an old acoustic guitar, and his iconic glasses and haircut, looking much the same now as he approaches 60 as he did in 1979 as Bauhaus 1919 began.

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Although most of the evening was simply David, acoustic guitar (wilting in the June Atlanta heat), and his adoring audience, he brought his friend Sasha Vallely to help with harmony vocals for a handful of songs.

​http://www.shortandsweetnyc.com/2012/05/spindrifts-sasha-vallely-discusses-their-new-album-spaghetti-westerns-and-more/
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​SOMEONE SHOT NOSTALGIA IN THE BACK

Anyone expecting a Beach Boys or Rolling Stones style oldies jukebox show wandered on this set by mistake. David J has claim to one of the coolest back catalogs in music, being able to draw from Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, and now over 30 years of solo and other collaborative material, yet eschews laurel resting for connecting with his audience. His song titles betray a lighter more humorous man than the iconic bassist who would face away from the audience during his spotlight sets with Love and Rockets. One stretch of four consecutive songs Sunday night were: Goth Girls In Southern California; Almost A Menage a Trois; Hot Sheet Hotel (replete with sing along chorus); and Where The Bloodline Ends (the vasectomy song).

There were no Bauhaus songs, not those he wrote (Bela) nor sang (Mr. Moonlight), and only two from Love and Rockets (No New Tale To Tell and Waiting For the Flood). There were three covers, and beautiful choices all. First up was Little Red Corvette, with no apparent irony. After a lengthy first set, his abbreviated second set started with a rocking rollicking What's So Funny Bout Peace Love & Understanding.

For his final number, David re-emerged looking all Captain Sensible in a black and white polka-dot dress and extreme white shades for a great cover of Queen Bitch, ostensibly in support of North Carolinians being able to use the public restroom of their choice.

After the show, David J stuck around to speak with any and everyone who wished to, signing merchandise, old records and concert tshirts, and taking pictures. We even got a quick smile from him. Mine has lasted days.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_J

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Please visit David's site for more information and to purchase his music and book:  ​http://www.davidjonline.com/music.html
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Pink Floyd The Early Years and Bob Dylan The 1966 Live Recordings

5/27/2016

3 Comments

 
Is November 11, 2016 the greatest day in archival release history?
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3 Comments

Lost Classics 1

5/14/2016

1 Comment

 
Ronald Koal and the Trillionaires.
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Remember when David Bowie fronted an Ohio surf punk band in the 80s? If you were there at The Agora on High Street or at Stache's, or maybe Zachariah's Red Eye Salloon, then you caught it and danced the night away. Surf rolled drums, raging sax skronk, and agit guitar frenzy fronted by kool. Or Koal. Ronald Koal and the Trillionaires were the best band in the Midwest in the early 1980s, at least until the Mats squirted out Let It Be. The Trillionaires released exactly one album and two singles, although I once owned a tattered cassette tape marked only "13th floor" with studio recordings of unreleased classics like Beach Bum, alongside alternate takes of the album trax. That tape is long lost, and I regularly rue its demise. Ronald himself graced the Monthly Planet cover in garish green relief. Legend sez that Zappa told Ronald that he made Bowie look like a fake.

They had the goods and their sole album is a Lost Classic.

Further reading here:

http://andywhitman.blogspot.com/2009/02/ronald-koal.html

https://www.facebook.com/Destinationzeromovie/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywefgUhjg44

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Uncut Magazine Top 200 Albums of All Time February 2016

1/2/2016

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All of the best seven albums of all time were released between 1966-1968? Only one album in the top 20 was released in the last 40 years!?!? Zero albums in the top 20 were released in the last 30 years!?!? None in the top 70 released in the last 25 years!!!! Is that possible? Is Pet Sounds really the best album? Ever?


1. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds - 1966

2. The Beatles - Revolver - 1966
3. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks - 1968
4. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico - 1967
5. The Beatles - The Beatles (The White Album) - 1968
6. Love - Forever Changes - 1967
7. Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde - 1966
8. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead - 1986
9. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited - 1965
10. Television - Marquee Moon - 1977
11. David Bowie - Hunky Dory - 1971
12. David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust - 1972
13. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On - 1971
14. Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue - 1959
15. The Beatles - Rubber Soul - 1965
16. The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street - 1972
17. The Band - The Band - 1969
18. Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks - 1975
19. David Bowie - Low - 1977
20. Kraftwerk - Trans Europe Express - 1977
21. The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - 1967
22. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back - 1988
23. The Clash - London Calling - 1979
24. The Beatles - Abbey Road - 1969
25. Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love - 1985
26. The Clash - The Clash - 1977
27. The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers - 1971
28. The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed - 1969
29. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced - 1967
30. David Bowie - StationToStation - 1976
31. Lou Reed - Transformer - 1972
32. Neil Young - After The Goldrush - 1970
33. Joni Mitchell - Blue - 1971
34. Neil Young - On The Beach - 1974
35. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme - 1965
36. Joy Division - Closer - 1980
37. The Kinks - The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society - 1968
38. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless - 1991
39. Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home - 1965
40. Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom - 1974
41. Otis Redding - Otis Blue - 1965
42. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland - 1968
43. The Stooges - Fun House - 1970
44. Sly And The Family Stone - There's A Riot Going On - 1971
45. R.E.M. - Murmur - 1983
46. Michael Jackson - Off The Wall - 1979
47. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (IV) - 1971
48. Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief - 1969
49. Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life - 1976
50. Nick Drake - Bryter Layter - 1971
51. Carole King - Tapestry - 1971
52. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground - 1969
53. Big Star - Third (Sister Lovers) - 1978
54. The Velvet Underground - Loaded - 1970
55. Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks - 1977
56. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses - 1989
57. Pink Floyd - Piper At The Gates Of Dawn - 1967
58. Blondie - Parallel Lines - 1978
59. Prince - Sign O The Times - 1987
60. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures - 1979
61. Primal Scream - Screamadelica - 1991
62. The Byrds - The Notorious Byrd Brothers - 1968
63. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours - 1977
64. David Crosby - If Only I Could Remember My Name - 1971
65. Orange Juice - You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever - 1982
66. The Band - Music From Big Pink - 1968
67. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions - 1973
68. James Brown - Live At The Apollo - 1963
69. New Order - Technique - 1989
70. Patti Smith - Horses - 1975
71. Joni Mitchell - Hejira - 1976
72. LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver - 2007
73. The Cure - Disintegration - 1989
74. Public Image Limited - Metal Box (Second Edition) - 1979
75. Can - Ege Bamyasi - 1972
76. John Martyn - Solid Air - 1973
77. Steely Dan - Countdown To Ecstasy - 1973
78. The Byrds - Younger Than Yesterday - 1967
79. Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator) - 2001
80. The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat - 1968
81. Radiohead - In Rainbows - 2007
82. The Who - Who's Next - 1971
83. Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - 1963
84. Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon - 1973
85. Jimi Hendrix - Axis: Bold As Love - 1967
86. Todd Rundgren - A Wizard, A True Star - 1973
87. Joni Mitchell - The Hissing Of Summer Lawns - 1975
88. Can - Tago Mago - 1971
89. Big Star - No. 1 Record - 1972
90. The Cure - Head On The Door - 1985
91. Neil Young - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere - 1969
92. Dusty Springfield - Dusty In Memphis - 1969
93. Radiohead - Ok Computer - 1997
94. U2 - Achtung Baby - 1991
95. The Flying Burrito Brothers - The Guided Palace Of Sin - 1969
96. Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run - 1975
97. The Cure - Pornography - 1982
98. The Incredible String Band - The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter - 1968
99. John Cale - Paris 1919 - 1973
100. Laura Nyro - Eli & The Thirteenth Confession - 1968
101. Radiohead - Kid A - 2000
102. Serge Gainsbourg - Histoire De Melody Nelson - 1971
103. Pulp - This Is Hardcore - 1998
104. Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison - 1968
105. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs - 1974
106. Talking Heads - Remain In Light - 1980
107. Spiritualized - Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space - 1997
108. Talk Talk - Spirit Of Eden - 1988
109. The Only Ones - The Only Ones - 1978
110. The Congos - Heart Of The Congos - 1977
111. Joni Mitchell - Court & Spark - 1974
112. New Order - Power Corruption & Lies - 1983
113. The Slits - Cut - 1979
114. David Bowie - "Heroes" - 1977
115. Tom Waits - Rain Dogs - 1985
116. The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet - 1968
117. The Specials - The Specials - 1979
118. Suicide - Suicide - 1977
119. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew - 1970
120. Big Star - Radio City - 1974
121. Can - Future Days - 1973
122. Prince - Parade - 1986
123. Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill - 1972
124. Nirvana - In Utero - 1993
125. Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True - 1977
126. Nick Drake - Pink Moon - 1972
127. Chic - C'est Chic - 1978
128. The Byrds - Sweetheart Of The Rodeo - 1968
129. Curtis Mayfield - Curtis - 1970
130. Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs - 1970
131. The Isley Brothers - 3+3 - 1973
132. The Human League - Dare! - 1981
133. The Who - Live At Leeds - 1970
134. Bruce Springsteen - Darkness On The Edge Of Town - 1978
135. The Beach Boys - Surf's Up - 1971
136. Ramones - Ramones - 1976
137. AC/DC - Back In Black - 1980
138. Van Morrison - Moondance - 1970
139. Gang Of Four - Entertainment! - 1979
140. The Beastie Boys - Check Your Head - 1992
141. Portishead - Dummy - 1994
142. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation - 1988
143. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Safe As Milk - 1967
144. Cocteau Twins - Heaven Or Las Vegas - 1990
145. Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish - 1993
146. Pixies - Doolittle - 1989
147. Jeff Buckley - Grace - 1994
148. Miles Davis - In A Silent Way - 1969
149. The Beatles - A Hard Day’s Night - 1964
150. Massive Attack - Blue Lines - 1991
151. Daft Punk - Discovery - 2001
152. Aretha Franklin - Lady Soul - 1968
153. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti - 1975
154. The Associates - Sulk - 1982
155. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - The Boatman’s Call - 1997
156. Tricky - Maxinquaye - 1995
157. Bjork - Debut - 1993
158. The Fall - The Nation's Saving Grace - 1984
159. Leonard Cohen - Songs Of Love And Hate - 1971
160. The Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers - 1993
161. Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones - 1983
162. PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me - 1993
163. Neil Young - Tonight's The Night - 1975
164. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds - 1980
165. Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets - 1974
166. GZA - Liquid Swords - 1995
167. Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92 - 1992
168. The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come - 1987
169. T.Rex - Electric Warrior - 1971
170. Laura Nyro - New York Tendaberry - 1969
171. Prince - Purple Rain - 1984
172. Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory? - 1995
173. John Lennon - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - 1970
174. Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure - 1973
175. My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything - 1988
176. Neil Young - Harvest - 1972
177. Super Furry Animals - Radiator - 1997
178. Black Sabbath - Paranoid - 1970
179. The Who - Tommy - 1969
180. Michael Jackson - Thriller - 1982
181. The Replacements - Tim - 1985
182. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black - 2006
183. Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left - 1969
184. Kraftwerk - The Man-Machine - 1978
185. David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World - 1970
186. Charles Mingus - The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady - 1963
187. Donald Fagen - The Nightfly - 1982
188. Talking Heads - Fear Of Music - 1979
189. The Smiths - The Smiths - 1984
190. Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen - 1985
191. The Who - The Who Sell Out - 1967
192. Gene Clarke - No Other - 1974
193. Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around - 2002
194. Joanna Newsom - Ys - 2006
195. T.Rex - The Slider - 1972
196. The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour - 1982
197. Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything? - 1972
198. Mercury Rev - Deserters' Songs - 1998
199. Dr John: The Night Tripper - Gris-Gris - 1968
200. Elvis Costello - Imperial Bedroom - 1982
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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:  Class of 2016

12/24/2015

1 Comment

 
As we do every year at this time, we look at this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class, officially the Class of 2016, which is Chicago, Deep Purple, Cheap Trick, Steve Miller, and N.W.A. A little underwhelming. Some good groups, but nothing really great. As we examined in last year's post, what great artists are on the outside looking in? Of our list from last year surveying the most eligible candidates, only Deep Purple made it this year. We mentioned Chicago, Cheap Trick, and Steve Miller as artists likely to be forever left out of the most elite. It is difficult to reconcile how these three were inducted before many other similarly situated artists in our lists.
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Our lists are below, revised to eliminate this year's inductees, and congratulations to them.


You can read all about this year's inductees everywhere else and debate their respective merits for inclusion. We can also all debate the criteria for induction, and officially "Criteria include the influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll," so says the Hall itself.

This year's ballot also says "
Factors such as an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation and superiority in style and technique are taken into consideration."

But let's cut to the chase to the most popular topic of all. The rock acts absent from the Hall. Now that Kiss and Deep Purple and the Sex Pistols are in, who really is left out? I realize not a single person reading this will agree on every entry, and that's one of the beauties of music. I submit that the following eligible artists should get the most attention for induction. That's not to say I love these bands best. For example, I love The Replacements and Sonic Youth and The Pixies more than Whitney Houston and Yes. I just think that Yes and Whitney Houston were more influential and were at the apex of their genre, even if I don't necessarily like them best or want to listen to them. To add fuel to the ire, many will point to those already enshrined as less worthy than many left outside in the Cleveland cold, such as Percy Sledge, The Young Rascals, James Taylor, and The Lovin' Spoonful. All fine artists to be sure, but Hall worthy?

So without further adieu, the most eligible bachelors, alphabetically:


The Cars
John Coltrane
The Cure
Whitney Houston
Janet Jackson
Joy Division / New Order
Love
Mott The Hoople
New York Dolls
Dolly Parton
Gram Parsons
Roxy Music
The Smiths
13th Floor Elevators
T. Rex
Yes

There are countless others who get mentioned by their fans, but can't really make as strong a claim to be considered among the most elite music acts ever. Fine artists, many with some very good songs, and many with plenty of influence, but never the best artist of their kind during their time. The Tony Perezes of rock. Not everyone gets in. There has to be a line of elite drawn somewhere. Some of the notable outsiders, alphabetically:

Bad Company
Bauhaus
Big Star
Black Flag
Blue Oyster Cult
Bon Jovi
Boston
The Buzzcocks
The Damned
Dead Kennedys
Def Leppard
Depeche Mode
Dire Straits
The Doobie Brothers
Duran Duran
The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP)
Brian Eno
Foreigner
Free
Gang Of Four
Grand Funk (Railroad)
The Guess Who
Husker Du
INXS
Iron Maiden
J. Geils Band (Geils)
The Jam
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Jethro Tull
Journey
Judas Priest
Kansas
King Crimson
Little Feat
MC5
The Monkees
The Moody Blues
Motorhead
The Move
Willie Nelson
Nine Inch Nails
Ted Nugent
Pavement
The Pixies
The Replacements
Paul Revere and the Raiders
Johnny Rivers
Todd Rundgren
The Scorpions
Sonic Youth
Soundgarden
The Spinners
Styx
(The) Sweet
Thin Lizzy
Richard Thompson
Robin Trower
UFO
Johnny Winter
X
Warren Zevon
The Zombies

Who do you think should be inducted next?


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