You've been on a trip through the past. A past that began in 1986. You are now hurtling forward in time. There's the signpost up ahead. There went the signpost up ahead. No worries, that wasn't the correct destination anyway. Welcome back to present day. It is 2018 once again, and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has returned to normal... You are travelling back in time, back to when the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame made more sense....
Just kidding. We've finally made it to the most recent class, and it seems the trajectory of classic rock domination has held strong. Four of the six inductees are bands that have at least one song still in fairly regular rotation on classic rock stations. The other two inductees are the only people in this class who aren't White men. They're both Black women... and they're both dead. And yet in spite of it all, come time for the ceremony, that proves the least of the travesties. I don't know who was on staff for the ceremonies of classes past that was let go before this one, but hire them back, NOW! Or whoever was hired in time for this one, can them immediately. Fortunately, the songs for my playlist have nothing to do with how the ceremony went. The video clip package for Van Halen helped me pick their song for them in 2007, but for the most part, no, no bearing whatsoever. So let's try to ignore the ugliness and just celebrate the music.
Bon Jovi: And of course, we try to ignore the ugliness by starting with the most infantile act at the ceremony this past year. The inductees were the youngest, they acted the most immature, and so did their presenter. But there's no denying the impact that their music has had over the years. They were one of the biggest of the hair metal acts of the '80's, they managed to survive and remain popular after grunge and other forms of alternative rock broke big and became more popular. Their use of hooks, whether in their songwriting or instrumental breaks, made them a band you couldn't ignore. You were going to know who they were one way or another. Even as a child, I knew several of their songs, perhaps primarily because I have older siblings. Growing up, one of my older siblings tried to turn me into a metalhead and made me mix tapes of '80's metal. Songs that I liked. Hair metal comprised the vast majority of those mix tapes. Guns N' Roses, Van Halen, and of course, Bon Jovi appeared frequently. "Born To Be My Baby" and "Bad Medicine" were my two favorite songs. However, neither of those songs were the choice here. That honor, of course, goes to "Livin' On A Prayer," because despite the musical diversity that the '80's brought, that song has been named the song that epitomized the decade of the 1980's. That's a pretty significant achievement, and it makes it the obvious choice to represent Bon Jovi here.
The Cars: As many people have noted, this is the band that just befuddles everyone how they missed their first two times. Critics loved them, and fans loved them. Maybe they just didn't have enough pull with their fellow musicians the first two times. Whatever it was that held them back the first two times, the third time was the charm. It was a little sad that they didn't quite sound as good at their induction as they did on their records, but it was great to see them on stage again, as complete as they could be, giving it to the people one more time. Their infectious new-wave stylings, the diversity afforded by having two lead singers, the guitars, the driving drums, the keyboard fills, the occasional background vocals that could tastefully fill a record.. there's a lot to like about the Cars. And I say that as someone who absolutely hates "Drive." It really seemed germane to say that because that seems to be the song everyone loves. I really enjoy the Cars, even if I despise that particular song. So I didn't use it. I wanted to go with something a bit more upbeat, that really utilizes their unique synthesizer sound and really captures the way they made new-wave a bit more rocking. And what could be more true to rock and roll than an open invitation to celebrate life with judgment-free dancing? If rock and roll is more of an attitude than a style of music, then the apotheosis of that attitude, reflected in the music, is the call to self-expression, particularly through dancing without fear of judgment. In the case of the Cars, they wanted you on the floor, even if all you could do was "Shake It Up."
Dire Straits: We've just gotten over the one low point of the ceremony, and we've come now to the other. Whatever amazing accomplishments Dire Straits achieved, they had to be inferred, because there was no presenter to rattle off the statistical and the emotional highlights that the music of Dire Straits meant for him, her, or them. All we know is what being in Dire Straits meant to the members of the band who didn't have the surname "Knopfler." However, the music of Dire Straits opened up the doors for members of the band, particularly Mark Knopfler, to become firmly established and build strong bridges to other members of the industry. At least, that's my theory on how they got in, particularly since fellow musicians comprise a decent chunk of the voting bloc. As legendary as "Money For Nothing" is, I didn't use that one. It has everything and nothing to do with the particular word that once referred to a bundle of wood and is now considered offensive. It's not an aversion to the word itself, but to use the rest of the lyrics that surround that word or not to use those lyrics, you now have to decide which version you want to use. Rather than choose between the edited and unedited versions, I just chose a different song. My personal favorite is "Walk Of Life," but it's just too joyful with its vivacious keyboard riffs that it's just too atypical of the band's general style. With that, I've determined that the low-key, moody "Sultans Of Swing," with its licks in between the cracks, best fits the bill to represent Dire Straits in the great playlist project.
The Moody Blues: At long last, we come to Kristen Studard's favorite band. Or not. It's fun to bring up though. The importance of the Moody Blues, though, is monumental. Arguably the first prog-rock band, the Moody Blues also managed to continue to incorporate driving rhythm while infusing classical themes. It's a balance that not every prog-band managed to maintain, and it makes the Moody Blues a bit more enjoyable for me. There's intellectual stimulation, and then there's drug-addled mumbo-jumbo. The Moody Blues did a bit of both with their songwriting, but even when they strayed into the nonsensical, they at least managed to keep it melodically interesting. The song I've chosen to salute this band with is "I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)." The choice is partially due to the proclivity of choosing songs that are about rock and roll, but it's more than that. Its symphonic arrangement plays off the drums and guitar playing in a way that is both frenetic and controlled. It's far from archetypal of progressive rock, and yet it captures its potential for linking itself firmly within the traditional parameters of what many consider rock and roll. It gently, yet noticeably pushes the envelope. They were more than just singers, they were a tremendous rock and roll band, and long overdue for their induction. (Vocal Group Hall Of Fame Song Of Proof: "Ride My See-Saw")
Nina Simone: When Future Rock Legends predicted her as a nominee a few years ago, I thought it was a left-field prediction with no chance of fruition. Moral of the story: keep learning. My first encounter with her magic and music was "For A While" written by Bob Gaudio of the Four Seasons. The second encounter was a commercial that used "Color Is A Beautiful Thing." I don't remember what the product was that was being advertised, but I do remember the song's simple beauty, and that it made me happy to listen to it. That's some amazing power, to make people feel good about a message of change, and of civil rights. And that was far from the only time Nina could do it. "The Other Woman" is a song of such heartbreaking beauty, and she makes the homewrecker a person to sympathize with. She had compassion for people, but had fire, too. Between her condemnation of Mississippi and "(You'll) Go To Hell," she showed compassion without embracing a message of "I'm okay, you too!" Since she only cracked the Top 40 once, I didn't feel quite as bound to use a hit song for her. And as a jazz artist who never considered what she did to be rock and roll, we are once again faced with the need to use a song that connects her enough to the diaspora to justify her Performer induction. In the case of Nina Simone, the problem wasn't finding a song, it was narrowing it down to a single song. Having covered Screamin' Jay Hawkins and the Animals, there are plenty of choices. I actually narrowed it down to two songs. I especially love "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free." Nina's tickling the ivories on it, but it reminds me of Booker T. Jones' work on "White Christmas" from his group's Christmas album. And the song's overall feel would fit right in with the rest of Otis Redding's catalog. When I hear this song, I like to sing along and try to sing it like Otis Redding: "I wish I could give/All I'm longin' To give/I wish I could live/Like I'm LOOONNGGIN' to live ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-I wish I could do..." You get the idea. But I didn't use that song. The song I did use is a bit more plodding of a song, but could still pass for a soul song, just not an Otis Redding song. Instead, the song I chose sounds like it could have been performed by a soul vocal group, like the Chi-Lites, the Stylistics, or especially the Dells. Still a great song whether you call it jazz or soul, it's "To Be Young, Gifted And Black."
Sister Rosetta Tharpe: For the hobbyist community, or just for music lovers in general, the omission of Sister Rosetta Tharpe was probably the greatest oversight of all by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Some have even gone so far as to credit her as the primary inventor of rock and roll. An axe-slinger with a powerful gospel message and singing voice. I wouldn't go so far as to say she invented rock and roll, but boy did she have a hand in its creation, both in her work with Lucky Millinder and songs of her own credit afterwards. Speaking of Lucky Millinder, I was absolutely floored by the record, "Shout, Sister, Shout" and wanted to use that to represent Sister Rosetta Tharpe here, but then I learned that that song was in fact credited to Lucky Millinder, and not her. Shucks. Fortunately, she has enough solid material to pick an alternate song. The record that ended up being chosen for her is "Strange Things Happening Every Day." It's definitely one of her bigger hits, and one of the most cited tunes of hers as being important. She was such an obvious choice for the Early Influence category, it really does make one ponder again, what was she doing on the main Performer ballot in the first place? Whatever the reason was, they inducted her correctly... I guess strange things really are happening every day.
The rest of the inductees from this class are actual songs. The Singles category. The truth is, I really haven't decided on including those six songs. We don't know what's going on with this category, and there are so many questions and concerns surrounding it, that until the ill-ease surrounding the category itself is resolved, our celebration of the Class Of 2018 will remain at just six songs, and not twelve. Which means this review is wrapped up. For those who include my seeding Sister Rosetta Tharpe to make the Early Influence category, it could be argued I went 4/6 in my predictions this last go round. And we may be done with our celebration of the inductees, but we are not done with the great playlist yet! Start thinking about those past nominees that haven't quite made it yet. We'll be honoring them next week! Meanwhile, recapping:
Bon Jovi: "Livin' On A Prayer"
the Cars: "Shake It Up"
Dire Straits: "Sultans Of Swing"
the Moody Blues: "I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)"
Nina Simone: "To Be Young, Gifted And Black"
Sister Rosetta Tharpe: "Strange Things Happening Every Day"
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