2011 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ballot

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame released its list of eligible artists for its 2011 ballot. They include the Beastie Boys, Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi, Donovan, Tom Waits, LL Cool J, Dr. John, the J. Geils Band, Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, Donna Summer, Joe Tex, and Chuck Willis. Most of these artists I know, so I want to take a minute or two to discuss who I think should go in.

Say that, of this list, only five could go in. Who should go? I think you put in the Beasties, LL, Neil Diamond, Bon Jovi, and Tom Waits. The Beastie Boys should be an obvious in, but they have been on the ballot since 2008. Why? They released a classic in Licensed to Ill, which brought praise and controversy for its lyrics and their party-all-the-time attitude on tour. They were following in the suit of rap groups such as Run-D.M.C. and Sugarhill Gang, amongst others. They mixed their raps together and made their styles one voice. Following a disputes with Def Jam, more specifically Rick Rubin, they bolted for Capitol Records and released another classic, Paul’s Boutique. The raps were still good, but the beats were the real deal here. This album, with beats that came from songs from the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and numerous other artists, was crafted by the Dust Brothers and was the last album to blatantly take samples from major artists before the copyrights thing came into play. Check Your Head followed two years later and was the first time where the Beasties played instruments in addition to providing raps. For me this album along with Ill Communication should put them in, because not only were they a unique rap group that effectively melded their individual raps into one voice, they were also playing instruments, making their own beats. They’ve released a few albums since then and have become internet pioneers for music in some of the things they have done.

Neil Diamond should be in, and this shouldn’t even be a discussion point either. He’s written hits for numerous artists over the last 50 years, and his own catalog of music should be enough. Even the Red Sox, whom I despise, recognize this by playing “Sweet Caroline” at every home game. This is the guy that wrote one of my favorite ‘60’s hits, “Cherry Cherry”. Sure, he has the stigma of being the glittered-up, sequin-wearing Vegas show guy, but he’s put out some very good stuff.

Bon Jovi has been popular on and off for the last 25 years. I grew up listening to New Jersey and Slippery When Wet, and they have more or less had continued success since. They even reinvented themselves for a larger country music audience when they released the Lost Highway disc. I guess the question is their impact on music in general. Did the music they recorded and performed help change the way we listen? I think they make it in. There’s enough there.

The questions may come with LL and Tom Waits. LL Cool J has been in rap music for many, many years, and his raps have varied from trashing fellow MCs to “crooning” on love. Some would question whether or not rap belongs in the Hall. While the Hall is technically titled “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame”, I think you have to include artists that have branched from the rock & roll tree, including rap. Was LL innovative? He has influenced a ton of MCs since his start. Would we have Jay-Z or Nas without LL? I don’t think so.

Tom Waits has been a prolific singer-songwriter for years. Primarily a folk singer, his songs have been covered by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, and Hootie & the Blowfish. In fact, his popularity is driven primarily by his songs being covered. As an artist, he’s distinctive by his voice. The best description I have read that sums up his voice is this from critic Daniel Durchholz, which he says sounds “like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car.” Has he been influential? Obviously, based on how many artists have used his songs. But has he been influential in terms of what musically he brought to rock & roll? That’s a tough call. It’s one thing to have your songs covered; it’s another to do them yourself.

Why not any of the rest? Well, you have to look at them in the context of the era and genres they worked in. J. Geils Band, while a great Boston band, has never really had the star power that bands like Aerosmith or the Cars had in their time, and their songs, while catchy, were never really groundbreaking. Donna Summer was a great R&B and disco artist, but was she groundbreaking? Alice Cooper is a tough call, similar to KISS. Both bands wrote some great songs and are great performers, but did either band move music compared to other artists in their era or genre? Maybe from a performance standpoint alone they should be in, but from a musical standpoint I am hard-pressed to find the innovation.

No Drama

I had a chance to listen to Stone Temple Pilots’ new self-titled album today. Let me say that I have been left disappointed. Maybe I’m jaded now that I have been going through a list of 200 critically-acclaimed records from Metacritic’s website () and have acquired a little bit better taste in music. But I am listening to the record now, and while there are some interesting tracks, overall I’m not that impressed with it. Let me explain.

Back in the ‘90’s STP was a pretty big band in the alternative rock (whatever that ultimately has meant) world, having released several well-received records in Core and Purple. Tiny Music wasn’t bad but was a departure from the previous two. That’s probably when I noticed they were changing for the worse. My brother and I saw them in concert with Local H, and I’ll be honest, I thought Local H was better. They were louder, there were only two of them (what is my affinity with two-member bands?!), and their songs were catchy. STP was too quiet for me. This is the band that sounded loud on Core with songs like “Crackerman”, “Sex Type Thing”, and “Dead and Bloated”. Why did they sound like they were in a vacuum? I can’t figure that one out.

Tiny Music came out after Weiland had had legal problems and the band had briefly split. Their sound changed when the album came out. It sounded as if they were transitioning from a harder, grungier sound to a softer, “pop”-ier sound but threw on the album a couple of “loud” tracks to keep their audience. Needless to say, that record (and subsequent records) was not as well received, and the band sort of sunk into oblivion. They broke up again for a longer time; Weiland formed Velvet Revolver with former members of G N’ R (a cool band, at least for the first record); the De Leo brothers did some other stuff. They recently reunited to do a couple of one-off concerts, and from there they did this album.

I was initially attracted to this record by the song “Between the Lines”, which is probably the closest song that resembles their stuff from Core and Purple. After that, it really felt pressed, as if the band was trying to fit in with other modern rock bands, but the tracks were really underwhelming. I really don’t feel they addressed their strengths from the past: loud/soft sections; heavy, distorted guitars; great interaction between the bassist and drummer; Weiland’s sly vocal stylings. That stuff was missing. There were some hints in a few of the songs, but those moments were fleeting. I don’t believe that their sound from the ‘90’s has died away, so I don’t see why they would ignore it.

Am I wrong in my assessment? If someone can tell me what I am missing, please enlighten me.

The Healing Powers of Rage Against the Machine

I think Rage Against the Machine doesn't get enough credit. Sure, they are lauded for their musicianship (particularly Tom Morello's impact on guitar playing) and their stances on numerous political issues. They released three punishing original studio records, a covers record, a live record, and other stuff that have been sold in millions around the world. They revolutionized the rap-metal movement that grew exponentially in the late '90s.

No, what they don't get credit for is their healing powers. Seriously, they have healing powers. Not medicinal, not physical, but mental and emotional. I'll give you an example. This morning I went to my office for the first time this week having had training the past few days, and I was presented with numerous "issues" the minute I arrived. Were they challenging? Not terribly. Were they huge projects? Hardly. Were they annoying to walk into first day back? Absolutely! But I know those things happen, and you have to roll with the punches. There is no use in getting upset.

But I got upset, or, more accurately, I got angry. The last thing I wanted to do was listen to anyone or anything. I tried to listen to a record for my other blog (shameless promotion), but I couldn't get into it. I was mad. So I plugged into my Zune and pulled up Rage. I listened to probably a dozen songs--"Testify", "Township Rebellion", "Settle for Nothing", "People of the Sun"--you get the picture. I got up after a few minutes, took a breath, and wham! I was fine! This is the healing power I'm talking about! You listen to something with so much angst, so much pain, so much power, it's hard to think about the things that are bothering you.

Now sometimes it might backfire, but I would guess those are few and far between. I have had numerous moments over the years where I listened to a little Rage and was better. If you are having one of those moments, listen to Rage. I know I'm not the only one.

The Black Keys

I am a huge fan of the Black Keys. Now, admittedly, I have only physically seen them once live, so most of my feelings are built off of listening to their albums. But that is enough for me to formulate my opinion. They are one of the best new bands I have heard, and they reinvigorate me to play guitar.

For a while I was trying to figure out whether or not I like Dan Auerbach's voice. He has a different voice, a sort of gravelly voice. For a while I couldn't place what it sounded like, but now I think I know. He has that bluesy, soulful voice that reminds me of blues guys like B.B. King (though not as soulful), Muddy Waters, and Willie Dixon. It helps that the music they play is heavily blues influenced, but it took a while for me to get into it.

Oh, by the way, the first few albums they have released were played by two people--Dan Auerbach on guitars, Patrick Carney on drums. That's it, and yet they get this huge sound out of that setup. It's not a loud sound, just a pure sound infused with blues, soul, rock, and many other things. As their recordings have progressed, the depth in their songs has improved, but also the recording techniques have changed with the style they are trying to achieve, whether they are doing soul like "Everlasting Light" or doing the blues like "Girl Is on My Mind". This is a band evolving with each record.

So, like I said, I have only seen them perform live once, but something bothered me at the concert. I'm standing up, jamming to "Strange Times", and the people next to us get up and go to the concourse. "Strange Times" was the second song. Why? What about the first two songs turned them off? To tell you the truth, one look at them and I thought they were at the wrong concert. They're at a Kings of Leon/The Black Keys/The Whigs concert, but they looked like they meant to go to a 1986 Bon Jovi/Def Leppard concert. And the kicker is one of them said they "liked" the blues, whatever that meant. They barely got a taste yet quickly made an opinion. It's a shame, because I think they missed out.

Should I be mad about this? I want to spread the word that the Black Keys are a great band, but at the same time I want to keep them as my dirty little secret. But seriously, I think they're giving rock music a healthy injection of blues music that needs to come back. It seems like some of the popular music right now (outside of new country) is too electronic. Nobody's playing instruments anymore...they're pressing the "p" button on their iMacs and singing along. It just seems too easy when music is supposed to be complex (so to speak). Part of the reason I play guitar (or any instrument) is the challenge in learning and reproducing what I do. I'm not saying that computer music isn't music...it just feels like a cop out.

So anyway, I will conclude this rant by suggesting sincerely to check out the Black Keys. If you want one song to start, listen to "Tighten Up". Then check out "10 A.M. Automatic". You can't go wrong here.