Songs Of Proof: The Class Of 2004

As we continue on in our celebration, we have now arrived at the Class Of 2004, which at the time was been as small as the classes had been.  Eight inductees, seven in the Performer category.  It's mostly classic rock, but aside from disco, which the Hall seems to be avoiding at this point, classic rock is pretty much what's newly eligible, so it doesn't seem like much of anything to complain about.  Blues rock, socially conscious rock, working man's rock... it's not stylistically stagnant, at least.  You'd be pretty surprised to see any two of these artists do a double-bill together, at least I would.

And for those who are wondering, either in the middle of this week, or the middle of next week, I hope to have my thoughts on the 2018 induction ceremony posted.  We'll interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for some more commentary.  In the meanwhile, it's 2004, and we're saluting this class with the following songs.

Jackson Browne:  A man with conscientious a view of the world that comes through as much in his music as in his politics, as evidenced by his No Nukes work.  His Running On Empty album is considered one of the seminal albums of the '70's.  And while many hate the song, I actually don't mind "Somebody's Baby" too much.  He was something of a blend of self-conscious and socially conscious, and I think the song that best depicts this balance between the two is his big breakout hit, "Doctor My Eyes," a song about the external causes of world-weariness, and the effects it has on the person suffering from it.  A plea for more right to be done in the world, and exasperation of how much it's killing the person on the inside.

The Dells:  For some reason, this remains one of the more unpopular inductees with fellow hobbyists.  Maybe it's because the Hall took so long to getting around to them that they're not viewed as nearly as essential.  Maybe it's because there're other soul acts they feel are more worthy, or maybe they just don't respect '70's soul vocal groups all that much, period.  Or it may just be a matter of them having a laundry list of acts that they've given higher priority.  Either way, I cannot think of a better way to show how the smooth soul of the '70's has its roots in the doo-wop of the '50's, and is therefore absolutely appropriate to honor in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame; than to induct a group that started out in the '50's singing doo-wop and by the late '60's, was leading the way in consistent, excellent, smooth soul that continued on through the '70's and beyond.  After the Flamingos got inducted in 2001, this was the second induction for Johnny Carter, making him one of the lesser known Clyde McPhatter Club members, and one of the few for whom neither induction was an eponymous effort of any kind.  Fun bit of trivia: this is the only group that was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame in the same year.  For this institution, I am using the late '60's re-recording of "Oh, What A Night," with which they originally charted on the R&B charts in 1956.  It's their classic song updated in a newer style, and ties the two eras together splendidly.  (Vocal Group Hall Of Fame Song Of Proof: "Stay In My Corner")

George Harrison:  I have never been apologetic or anything less than adamant about the merits of all four members of the Beatles getting a second induction for their solo careers.  One was already inducted and a second about to be inducted when I learned of the existence of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and a third one by the time I discovered the community of fellow hobbyists.  In my entry where I described at length why Ringo Starr deserved better than AME, I depicted the Beatles as a house of love.  The group effort was both the foundation and the capper, the roof of that house which served as a starting point for the solo careers, but a group whose success was held up by their individual talents, and each wall that is a member is a facet of love that holds up the roof and makes the structure firm.  George Harrison's solo career, in terms of love as a universal theme, really delved into both the spiritual and intellectual aspects of love, perhaps proving that spirituality and intellectualism are not necessarily mutually exclusive.  He pondered its existence at a subatomic level, and also sought to connect with the source which gives it purpose.  And while everyone else's mind might instantly jump to "My Sweet Lord," I actually chose to go with the more "rockin'" song that still probes deeply into the matter, "What Is Life."  Love that song so much, and a sizable hit to boot.

Prince:  The purple one.  As proof that geniuses aren't always the most stable at times, I would point to Kevin Smith's "A Night With Kevin Smith" movies where he does the gab session.  The two that became movies talk about his getting inside Paisley Park, and spending time with Prince and his staff and getting to know what drives the man a little more.  It's comical, revealing, but also inspiring in a weird sort of way.  In terms of his music, I'm actually a bit in the middle ground.  I like "I Would Die 4 U," "Delirious," "Let's Go Crazy," "Raspberry Beret," and "Little Red Corvette;" but I think "Purple Rain" is boring, "Kiss" is annoying, "1999" is slightly overrated, and "When Doves Cry" is ho-hum.    I realize I'll now have to go into witness protection for those comments, but he's neither deity nor villain to my ears.  I purposely made sure the song I used for Prince, though, is one that is not additionally credited to the Revolution or the New Power Generation.  With the Sideman category, which has become Award For Musical Excellence, the possibility of either of those outfits getting their own separate induction someday remains a possibility, and I wish to leave those doors open.  The song I'm actually using is "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man."  It's a song I just flat-out love because it's so reminiscent of earlier rock 'n' roll, despite the subject matter about turning down the chance to score with a sure thing.  It's about being smart, and for guitar aficionados and dilettantes, Prince's solo is amazing in its rhythmic steadiness and in how Prince just shreds.  Fantastic song, and one of the few that went big on the pop charts, but completely failed to make the R&B charts.

Bob Seger:  By now, most of you know that I'm from Michigan.  Little quirk about Michiganders: we like to refer to the rock and roll legends from our state as relatives: Uncle Bob, Uncle Ted, Uncle Alice, Uncle Iggy, our crazy Aunt Madge whom we try not to acknowledge too much in public but give big hugs to at family get-togethers... and if it didn't off as HORRIBLY racist, we'd openly refer to the Boy Genius Of Motown as "Uncle Stevie."  Back when we looked at the Class Of 1990, I mentioned that the Hall has yet to recognize any real stars from the Cameo-Parkway empire, but they have inducted two artists who were once briefly part of that family.  One of them was the Kinks (hence, mentioning it in that particular post), and this man is the other.  "Heavy Music" was a big enough regional hit that it almost broke the Hot 100.  His first band was the Last Heard, and as part of the Cameo-Parkway family, they had some interesting songs, like "Chain Smokin'" and "Persecution Smith."  With the Bob Seger System, and then his Silver Bullet Band, he carried on the tradition of working man's rock and roll that the Four Seasons began.  His music had a bluesy edge, and the catalog includes classics and non-classics alike with "Lookin' Back," "Her Strut," "Turn The Page," and even after his induction with "Wait For Me," which sounds very similar to "Against The Wind."  Some are probably gonna smack their foreheads or shake their heads, but I did go with the obvious one here.  It's the first song of his I encountered, it salutes the great music of yore, it's a guitar rocker averring what should be once and for all that blues, funk, and soul are ALL part of what we celebrate (though he did diss disco), and it's one everyone knows and most everyone loves if they aren't sick of it being played so much.  Yep, after avoiding the cliches for Prince, we go straight to cliche for Bob Seger with "Old Time Rock And Roll."

Traffic:  When it comes to the circumstances involving an act's induction, it sometimes helps to step back and take a look at more than just the act itself.  In the case of Traffic, it's worth noting that lead singer Steve Winwood had been nominated the previous year as a solo artist, but didn't make it.  It does make one wonder if the selection of Traffic was part of an effort to induct Winwood in some capacity, and if Traffic hadn't gotten through on this try, would the Nominating Committee have tried putting the Spencer Davis Group on the ballot for 2005?  We may never know, but I do wonder if that was why Traffic even ended up on the ballot in the first place.  And like the Yardbirds and the Buffalo Springfield, this is band that is also possibly more well-known for the people in the band than for their music itself.  In addition to Steve Winwood, you have Dave Mason, who had a solo career and was one of the "friends" with Delaney And Bonnie; as well as Jim Capaldi, who also had a few hits as a soloist; and Chris Wood, whose aerophonic talents allowed the band greater versatility.  That versatility could also be a key part of what got them into the Hall.  Not a band I'm really a fan of, and one that I can't understand the words to half the time, but I do respect their ability to shift from prog to roots to blues rock.  The key to this band though, really seems to be the keys.  The keyboard playing by Steve Winwood is a big part of most of their songs, and with his vocals, I chose to go with "Empty Pages" to salute this eclectic outfit.

Jann S. Wenner:  If not the most controversial Non-Performer (well, Lifetime Achievement, technically), certainly one of the top three.  If this doesn't plain reek of cronyism, what does?  I mean, besides the E Street Band, Nile Rodgers, Frank Barsalona, Seymour Stein... okay, I've made the point  Nevertheless, there is some truth to the idea that the ones who had the passion, the knowledge, and the wherewithal to found this institution in the first place, probably also had the passion, the knowledge, and the wherewithal to play a part in the evolution of the music they were honoring.  Even while taking potshots at Wenner while inducting Bon Jovi, Howard Stern, the self-proclaimed King Of All Media, also had to acknowledge the importance of Rolling Stone, and how its coverage of the music scene, as well as the political scene, helped bring those worlds together even more tightly, as well as helped bring a lot of up and coming artists to the forefront.  For the longest time, it was considered a rite and privilege, proving that you had made it, to be put on the cover of that magazine.  That's one of the reasons I chose the song that I did.  Another is that it's just plain obvious.  But the third reason for choosing the song I did is that much like getting on the cover of the magazine, getting into the Hall almost seems to require a little bit of sucking up.  After releasing "The Cover Of 'Rolling Stone'," Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show managed to make it onto the cover, which almost certainly would have never happened if it hadn't been for that song.  It's probably also the reason that the band has been considered, though never nominated, for the Hall, under their shortened, later name, "Dr. Hook."  Written by Shel Silverstein, this song may have been a satirical stab at the shallowness of how success can be measured, as well as poking fun at the lifestyle offstage, but it's still a fun song, and is used for the former head of the whole shebang.

ZZ Top:  As much as I enjoy good blues-rock, ZZ Top is really more one that I respect, rather than love.  "Sharp Dressed Man" is alright, but I'm not big on "Tush," "Cheap Sunglasses," "Tube Snake Boogie," or the songs in those veins.  The song I do love though is "Legs."  That's a song that gets me dancing, or at least my best attempt at dancing.  A rhythmic pulse that sounds a helicopter off in the distance, staccato guitar licks that accentuate the space between vocals, and yet a smooth flow to it.  That's my jam right there.  No shame to my game, that's the reason I chose that song to represent the band here.  I know it's not typical of their sound, but it's a fantastic song, and I won't apologize for the selection.

And ZZ Top is about as alphabetically last as any musical list gets, so that's gonna put a bow on this one.  Hope it made you think as well as entertained you.  Which songs would you have chosen?  The Comments section below awaits you.  Recapping:

Jackson Browne: "Doctor My Eyes"
the Dells: "Oh, What A Night"
George Harrison: "What Is Life"
Prince: "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man"
Bob Seger: "Old Time Rock And Roll"
Traffic: "Empty Pages"
Jann S. Wenner: "The Cover Of 'Rolling Stone'" by Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show
ZZ Top: "Legs"

And as for the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame, their Class Of 2004 reads as such:

Alabama: "Love In The First Degree"
the American Quartet: "Moonlight Bay"
the Beatles: "Nowhere Man"
the Cadillacs: "Speedoo"
the Crests: "Sixteen Candles"
the Dells: "Stay In My Corner"
the Diamonds: "She Say (Oom Dooby Doom)"
the Doobie Brothers: "Black Water"
the Everly Brothers: "When Will I Be Loved"
the Four Tunes: "Marie"
the Jordanaires: "(There'll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me)"
the Marvelettes: "Beechwood 4-5789"
the O'Jays: "Put Your Hands Together"
the Penguins: "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)"
the Ronettes: "Be My Baby"
the Stylistics: "You Are Everything"
the Tokens: "Tonight I Fell In Love"