Songs Of Proof: The Class Of 2014

We're inside the final five, folks.  We've now come to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's Class Of 2014.  The winds are definitely blowing, indicating a shift.  To what, we're not sure.  And we can't really tell by this class.  Diversity is sadly lacking, aside from two women and one Black man who was already deceased at the time of induction, it's all White men again.  The act that was hailed as the epitome of the '90's got in on its first year of eligibility; meanwhile, an act that epitomized theatricality is getting in after being passed over for years, including a previous nomination.  We've also got the most commercially successful duo of all time, a double inductee who attends his second induction after missing his first, a Southern rock pioneer, and a '70's singer/songwriter.  We're also seeing for the first time, inductees whose primary achievements were as managers.  There have been managers inducted before, but their inductions were primarily about other things they did, whether it was record label founding, songwriting, or producing.  This time, it's about being a manager.  Throw in a legendary ensemble, and you have a nine-inductee class with nine songs to pay tribute to them.  The songs themselves include one or two you might not have thought to use, but don't go too far into left field, except maybe one of them.  I hope you've made your lists ahead of time, because it's time to compare notes and see how they measure up.


The E Street Band:  Something of a cataloger's choice here.  While "P" is indeed before "S," I decided the space was the true second character, and chose to file this outfit ahead of Brian Epstein.  With ten members inducted, the number of people inducted from this outfit would have been half the people inducted this year if KISS had somehow missed out again.  As the backing band for Bruce Springsteen, some feel that maybe they should have been inducted in the Performer category.  Songs like "Dancing In The Dark," "Cover Me," and "Glory Days" wouldn't have been the same without those members working together as a single unit.  Bruce Springsteen himself discussed it in his induction speech in 1999.  The ultimate ruling was that because they didn't receive label credit on the singles, they wouldn't be inducted with the Boss.  It's a sensible call, overall.  There have been some records that credit the E Street Band, but those are largely live albums.  The induction of the E Street Band as a single entity was also big because they were the first ensemble inducted in the Award For Musical Excellence category, built from the ashes of the Sideman category.  There was never a group inducted in the Sideman category: they've inducted select members of the Wrecking Crew and the Funk Brothers, rather than the wholes.  In the cases of the Funk Brothers and the Wrecking Crew, it's my hope that they continue to honor the individual members, since they've already started doing that, and work their way through all the worthy members of those outfits over the years.  Otherwise, I do believe ensemble inductions in this category are a good thing.  The E Street Band should hopefully provide the pattern for similar outfits like Crazy Horse and the Mothers Of Invention, both whom were on-again-off-again for label credit with Neil Young and Frank Zappa, respectively.  Hopefully, it will also lead to the induction of the Jordanaires, as well.  It's also hopeful because with the inclusion of Patti Scialfa, the Hall finally inducts a woman in this category.  For the E Street Band, I chose the live rendition of "Trapped," which charted on the Album Tracks chart in the '80's, was credited to Bruce and the band, and has audible contributions, including prominent backing vocals, reminding you of everything they did to elevate Springsteen, and what he did to elevate them.

Brian Epstein:  The song that I chose for Brian Epstein is "I Want To Hold Your Hand," making it the second proper appearance by a Beatles' song in this project.  Passing away in 1967, it would be a bit inappropriate to use any of their later records to honor the man.  This particular song was chosen because of what he did for the Beatles, and thus the rest of the world.  The story goes that before Brian Epstein became their manager, the Beatles were a rather undisciplined bar band.  Sure, they were competent, but rather unruly.  Their onstage and offstage behaviors were rather reminiscent of a punk band, before there was punk of course.  With this kind of attitude, how Epstein got signed on as their manager may be one of the more overshadowed miracles of rock and roll.  Epstein cleaned them up, in stage presence, in appearance, and got them ready for the world to love.  Beatlemania would not have happened without Brian Epstein, which even John Lennon knew when the Beatles were bestowed their Member of the British Empire awards, and he joked that the "MBE" should stand for "Mr. Brian Epstein."  Epstein's work in creating the very image of "lovable lads from Liverpool" is why the world knows who they are, why they had massive commercial success, which provided them the security to experiment later on, and why the Beatles are still influential today.  The Beatles started without Brian Epstein, but Beatlemania started because of him, and so he is honored with the song that truly got Beatlemania kicked off.  Yes, "Love Me Do" is the official first recording of the four Beatles together (though Andy White was on drums and Ringo on tambourine), and "From Me To You" charted in 1963 in the Bubbling Under The Hot 100 chart, but the real beginning of the fruits of their labors, of Beatlemania, of the British Invasion, and of the rewriting of our whole understanding of what defines rock and roll began with "I Want To Hold Your Hand."  It's a fitting tribute to the man.

Peter Gabriel:  The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame delights in honoring and enshrining artists that elevated rock and roll as a form of art; so it's somewhat a mystery why it took so long to induct Peter Gabriel.  Then again, as a member of Genesis, a notable prog-rock band, it makes some sense considering the Hall has long been considered against prog.  I can't speak too authoritatively to it, but it seems to me that in some way, Peter Gabriel is a unique bridge between prog-rock and art-rock, another sub-genre that the Hall has dragged its feet on recognizing to any great extent throughout the years.  From his multiple eponymous albums, to the allegories of his personal life, to the embracing of non-Western conventions of music, Gabriel saw validity in expression, resilience in his own spirit, and experiences as chances to learn.  His grappling with his own fame is best expressed in the idea of being in that world, but not of it, like a tourist.  His imagery ranged from the everyday to the oblique, and whether he was being commercial or not, it was his choice.  The song I'm using for Peter Gabriel is "Solsbury Hill," one of his earlier hits, but not one of the songs that people immediately recall when they think of him.  Despite the unusual story, it's a song that isn't too much of one thing about Gabriel, but seems to hint at everything that would come later, a foreshadowing that maybe even he didn't see coming.

Daryl Hall And John Oates:  First of all, their records were almost always credited to their full names, Daryl Hall and John Oates.  Though they are commonly known and referred to as "Hall And Oates," even on the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's website, that's almost never been how they were credited on their records.  In fact, the word "And" didn't usually appear.  It was often "Daryl Hall John Oates" or "Daryl Hall: John Oates," with a colon.  In fact, it's something of a bugaboo for John Oates, who said that referring to them by just their last names makes them sound like a two-headed monster.  Somehow, I doubt Simon And Garfunkel would concur with that sentiment, but such as it is.  At their induction, ?uestlove was eager to tout their commercial accomplishments as the biggest-selling duo of all-time, surpassing the Everly Brothers.  It may have been a simple matter of that commercial success that got them in.  Not only were they the most commercially successful duo of all time, but among all acts that weren't soloists, they were the most commercially successful act of the entire decade of the 1980's.  As far as their style goes, I'm reminded of a person I once knew.  He was a punk enthusiast, knowing punk acts that even musicologists probably haven't heard of.  He also really hated U2.  I once asked him about it, since U2 were very heavily influenced by punk rock, particularly the Clash.  He responded by saying something to the effect that even though they may have been influenced by punk, they themselves were not punk, and didn't really sound like punk was among their influences.  Well, I think on Boy, you can hear the punk-rock influences, but that aside, I feel like that sentiment applies to Daryl Hall And John Oates with respect to soul music.  They may have been influenced by soul music, and I'll join their sides to fight for more Philly soul in the Hall, but they are not soul.  They're not even blue-eyed soul.  They're dinky, cheesy, White, synth pop.  They're not soulful.  Nope.  Don't hear it, won't acknowledge it.  As for the selected song, I chose "Did It In A Minute," because it's one of the songs I hate least by them.  I can tolerate it pretty well.

KISS:  And here's the can of worms.  Those who read the Future Rock Legends forum have read a few comments here and there I've made about KISS.  There's no denying their influence, though.  They're right up there with Led Zeppelin and the Velvet Underground in terms of bands that encouraged people to pick up guitars and start playing.  The only downside to their induction is that Gene Simmons' toxicity has gained traction and influence.  Still, KISS was more than just Gene Simmons' soapbox.  The infectious licks of the guitars, the steadiness of the drumming, and of course the theatrics.  I don't hail the accomplishments of a theatrical stage show too highly; in fact, that was the rebuttal I had to Tom Morello on my side of the television screen as I watched.  I'm reminded of the Broadway song, "Razzle Dazzle," with the lyrics "Give them an act with lots of flash in it / And the reaction will be passionate," and "Long as you keep them way off-balance / How can they spot you've got no talents?"  That's a bit of an exaggeration for KISS, but that's what the critics in the Nominating Committee have largely had to say about them, especially former committee member Dave Marsh.  And it somewhat drove my choice for their song.  As the winner of the fan vote for 2014, they are an act that has largely depended on the fans to get them in the Hall.  So, a live song seemed appropriate.  And in fact, it's their quintessential song, "Rock And Roll All Nite," the live version of course.  The live recording is much more exciting to listen to than the studio.  In fact, the studio version is extremely unimpressive and quite honestly, goes on far too long.  The live version, though, speaks better to their legacy, and perhaps helped give the band more direction for songs like "Detroit Rock City," "Heaven's On Fire," and "Let's Put The X In Sex." 

Nirvana:  The obvious choice for this class, it's actually kind of funny that they were inducted in the same class as KISS.  The arrival of Nevermind really laid waste to the musical landscape at the time.  They put an end to reign of popularity for classmates KISS and Daryl Hall And John Oates.  They took over the lead of being the most prominently influential band from KISS.  Their sound is still largely the template for the modern rock sound, though modern rock has moved in several different directions.  I remember that I wasn't a fan of alternative music back in the '90's.  I thought it all sounded the same.  Turns out the songs I remember most were all pretty much Nirvana songs, but I never cared to delve into them that deeply.  That's the pattern for me, getting into things long after they're done.  Didn't start watching "Friends" until 2010, and I'm still working on "Parks And Recreation."  Anyway, the song choice for Nirvana is the all-too-obvious "Smells Like Teen Spirit."  It really is one of those songs that would have put Nirvana in the Hall even if they never recorded another song.  That song single-handedly decimated hair metal, and even temporarily derailed other forms of metal.  It didn't even crack the top five of the Hot 100, but it's still considered the most important song of the entire decade of the 1990's.  It had to be that song.

Andrew Loog Oldham:  The other manager inducted this year.  Andrew Loog Oldham was the longtime manager for the Rolling Stones.  He managed other acts of course, just as surely as Brian Epstein managed more talent than the Beatles, but the Stones were Oldham's biggest client.  Just as Brian Epstein crafted the Beatles' image of Liverpool lads, Oldham created the "bad boys" persona for the Rolling Stones.   That was purely intentional, too.  Oldham wanted to clearly juxtapose the Rolling Stones as the alternative to the Beatles.  The Rolling Stones' first records still had that naughty edge that the blues often contained, but they still could have been a bluesy-sounding band with a clean cut image, and they probably would have been another band like the Animals or the Yardbirds.  Oldham heard the bad boy cry in Mick Jagger's voice and Keith Richards' axe, and worked it to absolute perfection, making them the tantalizing bad boys that might steal and corrupt the daughters of the world.  He's the reason the Rolling Stones were known as "the bad boys of rock and roll" at the time.  While you might think that the perfect song to honor Andrew Loog Oldham, therefore, might be "Let's Spend The Night Together," the bad boy image really became first fully realized in "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," and it continued on to give us songs like "Start Me Up," "Get Off My Cloud," and the aforementioned  B-side of "Ruby Tuesday."  And so, the all-time classic becomes the obvious choice for the Stones' former manager, Andrew Loog Oldham.

Linda Ronstadt:  Often dismissed as a cover artist, Linda Ronstadt proved that even in a post-Beatles era, you didn't have to prolifically write your own material to be worthy.  Though she did indeed cover many songs, the fact is it was the way she performed them that makes her a worthy inductee.  Her music took the lead in formulating Southern rock, the lead that the Big Bopper dropped when he was killed nearly ten years earlier.  In a way, the Eagles were for Linda Ronstadt what the Band was for Bob Dylan.  That should say quite a bit.  As a powerful female with a powerful voice, she also touted quite a large load of influence.  That kind of innovation and influence more than make up for the lack of originality of her catalog.  Throw in the stylistic diversity over the years, and her talent can only be describe as undeniable.  The choice of song for her, I do believe, reflects all that.  She took an R&B record that was about ten years old at the time, gave it some country licks without completely losing the R&B DNA of the song, gave a powerful vocal performance and had a monstrous hit with it.  And lyrically, it works as a feminist anthem when sung either by her, or in the moody original by Betty Everett.  But this is Linda Ronstadt we're talking about, and with her induction, it no longer measures up to denounce her by simply telling her "You're No Good."  She is, and the song is.

Cat Stevens:  If there's one downside to this project of going through each class individually, it's that reaching these later classes creates a bit of awkwardness.  I've blogged about these artists in terms of their merits and how much I enjoy their catalogs, and have said some pretty strong things, both positive and negative, and now having to write about these acts as inductees is a little awkward when it comes to artists that I wasn't too enthusiastic about.  Enter Cat Stevens.  Ranked dead last in merits and taste on the ballot this class came from, Cat Stevens is someone I didn't even consider being all that worthy.  I believe the descriptor "third-rate singer/songwriter" escaped my fingertips a time or four.  But he is in, and there had to be a reason.  When I recall the induction of Genesis, I recall Trey Anastasio hailing them as the "quiet rebels of rock and roll."  In his own way, I think the same might be said of Cat Stevens, only it wasn't so much "quiet" as it was "gentle."  Recently, a clip from "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" has been making the rounds on Facebook, showing Fred Rogers soaking his feet with a Black person, and drying both pairs of feet himself with a towel, which was considered very revolutionary at the time, showing different races as equal, and doing it calmly, lovingly, gently, and without chastising those who didn't share his views.  Cat Stevens' songs have a very similar spirit.  They are primarily calm, positive, and while they acknowledge the imperfections of our world, they don't rebuke those imperfections harshly.  It's that kind of positive spirit that made icons of Fred Rogers and Bob Ross, and also Cat Stevens.  The song chosen for him is "Peace Train," which very much captures all those qualities of Cat Stevens' music, but also doesn't come off as sounding like it was being sung by a creepy dude, as "Weird Al" Yankovic so accurately pegged and lampooned in his "Jackson Park Express."

And that brings us to the end of the Class Of 2014.  At present, this is the last class that has been burned to CD.  My desktop computer went on the fritz shortly thereafter.  The files are all safe and secure, but I need to transfer them to a new desktop to begin burning again.  For now, the last tangible disc of inductees is the one with the Classes Of 2013 and 2014, but our celebration will go on.  The playlist is an ongoing commitment, with or without actual discs.  They can be created in digital playlists now, though I do indeed intend to burn more CD's in the future.  Follow the link provided, and you'll see that I went 3/6 predicting the inductees this time.  Meanwhile, start thinking about the Class Of 2015, as we will continue through the current class.  Recapping:

the E Street Band: "Trapped" (live)
Brian Epstein: "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles
Peter Gabriel: "Solsbury Hill"
Daryl Hall And John Oates: "Did It In A Minute"
KISS: "Rock And Roll All Nite" (live)
Nirvana: "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Andrew Loog Oldham: "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones
Linda Ronstadt: "You're No Good"
Cat Stevens: "Peace Train"