It's time now to officially add songs to the great playlist: the Songs Of Proof. We're about to canonize another fourteen songs to the list. I do say canonize a bit ironically, though, as some Songs Of Proof have changed, or at least changed as appearing on Spotify. There's no single medley track of "We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions" on Spotify, so to keep it a single song, on Spotify it's "Bicycle Race." Neil Young's catalog has largely been pulled from Spotify, as has Joni Mitchell's, so I can't play the ones I want. Until those issues are resolved, I'm using "Journey Through The Past" for Neil Young and a live performance of "Hejira" for Joni Mitchell. I hope I don't have to have a caveat that I have to be able to find the song on Spotify or YouTube. That's kind of a dickish way to have to operate, that you can't have a well-known song available for a huge artist. So, let's hope that issue is so infrequent that I can largely ignore it. They don't have Holland-Dozier featuring Brian Holland's version of "Don't Leave Me Starving For Your Love," which is an admittedly obscure song, so finding a faithful cover by a group called the Jagged Edges was good enough for me. Nesuhi Ertegun's has officially been changed to "Beyond The Sea" by Bobby Darin, and Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five's has been changed to "The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel." And Pete Seeger's is now "Talking Atom (Old Man Atom)."
Looking to this class, there were only a few that really seemed to come to me easily. I wouldn't call them obvious, but some of the choices I knew had to be them when I heard them. Some of them I'm still grappling with, trying to decide which is the song that satisfies me best, because they have so many that could do the job. But that's also where I hope to facilitate discussion either in the Comments below, or on the Future Rock Legends site, or on social media. So let's celebrate this class. As I said in my previous post, the fanfic Playlist Wars playlist, I'm going to include some thoughts about the ceremony, as I viewed it on HBO, because what I saw helped me choose some songs. Let's get into the list.
Harry Belafonte: A lot of dismay has been conveyed about the lack of a presenter for three of the inductees, and I think of those three, the disservice was greatest to Harry Belafonte. There was a lot of skepticism about the inclusion of Harry Belafonte as one of the inductees. I remember years ago, listening to Oldies radio, when they would do the Top 5 at 5 from that date in rock and roll history from a certain year. Along with including the songs, the deejay would include tidbits of trivia, such as news of the world or trivia about the songs, or whatnot. One particular date, when they were focusing on the Top 5 from a date in the late '50s, there had been a trivia tidbit that around that time, so-called experts of pop culture predicted that rock and roll music would disappear into the annals of history as a footnote, and that calypso music would rise victorious over the raucous rock and roll. Harry Belafonte's star was heavily on the rise at the time, so he was especially touted as the one leading the charge. So, his induction into this institution is a bit puzzling based on the music, even though he really explored many types of world music and not just calypso. But the adversarial marketing of calypso initially seemed to make this induction almost akin to inducting Mitch Miller or Perry Como. There was also a lot of talk that the primary reason Harry was being inducted was because of his political and humanitarian efforts in the world, and the Hall definitely loves to enshrine artists who are heavily political in their music, and also exhibit at the museum moments when rock music helped change or shape the political landscape. The video package for Harry Belafonte's induction touched on both aspects but ultimately failed on both parts, and a presenter or inductor would have helped clarify the vision. His video package did do one thing right: they showed Harry Belafonte as a well-rounded interpreter and creator of songs, embracing various styles. They just didn't show how all that music was influential. Nor did the video sufficiently convince me that his social activism was of paramount importance to this inclusion. The overall impression I was given is that Harry Belafonte was inducted for the same reason Dolly Parton was. He wasn't inducted because of his music, nor because of all the good he's done in the world; they inducted him because he's a national treasure, because he's Harry fucking Belafonte. But I care about the music more. So, because Gary U.S. Bonds did an interpretive cover called "Twist Twist Senora," and because Mary of the Hall Watchers podcast mentioned how people cheered and got on their feet when they heard this song playing in the package, the song chosen is "Jump In The Line."
Pat Benatar: I'm gonna be that guy. The purist who sticks to what the label says. I'm not listing Neil Giraldo. Nothing personal. Neil is of course a huge part of shaping their sound, but promoting her as a soloist was the correct call. To credit them as a duo would give potential listeners and radio programmers the preconceived notion that they should expect a fun and different interpretation of "Muskrat Love" or something like that. So, promoting Pat as a solo act was pretty prudent, unless you wanted to give the band behind her a name a la the Blackhearts. That would have been cool, but that didn't happen. And why not fight for the rest of the long-time members of her band to be inducted too? The whole ordeal is messy, and I'm just gonna refer to this induction by the credited artist on the legendary recordings. That said, hearing his point of view was pretty cool, because nothing happens in a vacuum. And as an olive branch, I'm going to make sure the song used is also one that has kick-ass riffs. After all, his shredding is a big part of the reason why those who think inside the Trunk agree that Pat absolutely belongs. But I also wanted to include a song that showcases her vocal range, even if only momentarily. So that's why I didn't use "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." It has nothing to do with her protest against gun violence; it just doesn't do justice to her ability to soar and hit high notes so beautifully. There were a couple really strong contenders. "We Live For Love" very nearly was the choice, as was "Treat Me Right." In the end though, I think I'm going to default to the other obvious selection, the one that actually does show her voice in the high range for a few bars. "Heartbreaker" is the choice.
Elizabeth Cotten: The second of the three inductees who didn't get an inductor, but luckily the case for Cotten isn't marred as badly as Belafonte's. The video package for Libba focused on her style of playing that was hugely influential and the songs that have become part of the fabric of folk lore (but not folklore). Her selection as an Early Influence was, as a I said in a previous post, "out of the blue, out of the park." Unsurprisingly, her Song Of Proof is "Freight Train." There are so many other amazing songs of hers, and I particularly love "When I Get Home," a song that shows undeterred faith in the midst of hardships. I think "Freight Train" shows a little bit of that too, but also a sense that to really leave this world behind for the next, it shouldn't be easy to make a pilgrimage to where one made that transition. I think there's an interesting theological discussion there, which includes not being certain where the tomb of Jesus was, nor the stable where he was born, so that those locations don't become sites of idolatry. But I digress. This is one induction where I'm willing to be flexible on calendar timelines. Her songs sound much older than the recordings, because they were written decades before being recorded. Definitely have to go with the obvious on this one.
Duran Duran: So many songs to choose from. Which one would you select? I have to admit I prefer picking songs where the single version is the same as the album version, though as we get further into the MTV era, that is going to be less feasible, since the big hit records were many times pared down from the album cuts. I guess I'm just going to have to deal with that, just like I will with the abuse of categories. As I said in my personal preferences list for the nominees, Duran Duran is a band that I haven't been able to appreciate fully because of other people ruining their music for me. Admittedly though, their legato songs like "Rio" and "Hungry Like The Wolf" and even "Ordinary World" are the ones I'm drawn to more, whereas the songs with pronounced, almost staccato enunciation, particularly on the choruses, like "Wild Boys" or "Girls On Film" don't do much for me. I'm not sure I'm making a great differentiation between those kinds of songs, but I will say that "A View To A Kill" is a pretty good bridge between the songs I really enjoy and the ones I might change the station because of. I don't love it, but I don't hate it. It's a little annoying, but not enough to change the station. It's pretty good, and it has a lot of the synthesized sound that is pretty emblematic of the band and the era. When I think of the music of the 1980s, the synth-pop sound is what I think of first and foremost, and Duran Duran is the banner band for that sound. It may not be the apex of the James Bond franchise, but this theme will be the Song Of Proof for the band that played Robert Downey Jr.'s fiftieth birthday party.
Eminem: As much as I enjoy the graduate level child psychology class you could make out of his Slim Shady songs, it'd be pretty disingenuous to make "My Name Is" or "We Made You" the song to use. I think the fact that he eschewed his iconic "Lose Yourself" during his induction performance speaks to how he'd like to be known for more than that one song. Nevertheless, whether he's being Slim, Em, or Marshall, the song to use for this inductee should have some feel of anger in its delivery. Sadly, this also knocked out "Not Afraid," another song I truly love. And as long as possible, I do intend to keep Songs Of Proof ones where the inductee is the only artist of credit (save Charlie Christian, cherry-picked out of the group he was in). So, that ruled out of a few other songs. "The Way I Am" wasn't a big enough hit, or it would have been that. "Berzerk" nearly made the cut, as did "Rap God," but it was fellow album track "Survival" that I feel best encapsulates what makes the man tick and drives his music. Whether it's a catharsis of childishness that has yet to be confronted, a fury at the world for what it is, or the need to rip into one's self; survival is a basic sentiment that we don't question as an end to itself, and perhaps everything we do, say, or think is because we've processed it as being necessary for survival, whether our own physical selves, our legacies, our ideologies, our society, or even our species. The song itself isn't quite that profound, but it does push the listener in that direction, and I've chosen it to represent Eminem.
Eurythmics: Even though I loathe the song, the choice has to be "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)." As much as I dig so heavily on "When Tomorrow Comes" and to a lesser extent "Would I Lie To You," I feel those songs are peace and friendship gestures to cishet White guys like me, and not what makes them a truly revolutionary and artistic band that is worthy of induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. And those aren't the only two songs I like, either. (Plus, the former didn't even make the Hot 100!) But "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" is also credited to Aretha Franklin and is disqualified under my guidelines. "Missionary Man" is a fun one, but isn't as iconic or emblematic of their sound. When it comes to the overall image, the sound, and the Britishness of Eurythmics, "Here Comes The Rain Again" also falls short. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" is deceptive in how simple it sounds and also makes Annie Lennox seem more imitable than she actually is. Not my favorite track, but it's the clear choice to represent her and Dave.
Allen Grubman: Allen Grubman's induction is part of a disturbing and growing trend that is hopefully stemmed by the retirement of Jon Landau from the Nominating Committee. Whatever else you have to say about Jann S. Wenner, his vision of this category as he wanted it seemed to be something most of us agree on: industry people who either create quality or know it when they hear it and take an active part in facilitating its permeation into our culture. That understanding maybe got challenged a mite by the induction of Paul Ackerman, though writing favorably about it can fit within those parameters, and maybe even be said about Jann S. Wenner. Brian Epstein and Andrew Loog Oldham as managers definitely slid under the radar because their stories are known in how they actually helped shaped a band's sound, by first reshaping their image, to make them successful. It got really fuzzy with Landau, who produced a fair amount but may not have an extensive enough resume to warrant induction; and Irving Azoff who appears to do nothing directly with the creative aspects. Some could argue that's what Clarence Avant's induction continues too, though he did run a couple record labels as well. Allen's induction is of course the new height of cronyism in the Hall. But if we're looking for the positive, let's reflect on the testimonies in the video package and of John Mellencamp. Grubman's role is indirect, removing the obstacles that can hinder the creative processes of artists, the legal obstacles in his case. When an artist can't receive the revenues they should because they don't own their masters or other rights, it makes it more difficult, impossible sometimes, for an artist to invest in their future and flourish. I think of TLC, who had to file for bankruptcy at the height of their popularity because they weren't being taken care of properly. And even the doo-wop groups of the '50s who were taken advantage of, not least because they were Black. If Mellencamp's testimony is to be believed, and if people like Grubman can stem the tide of tragedy that befalls creative talents who aren't prepared for the business side of things, and help bolster their future and legacy, then maybe it is worth enshrining lawyers, agents, publicists, and the like. That said, that entire spiel is the mental gymnastics I have to do to justify this, whereas the people at the Hall are content to just honor him simply because he's one of them. His portion of the ceremony and induction as was shown left me lukewarm. You might even say it left me... "Numb." And since U2 was one his clients, let's go with it. That's not a total insult on my part either. I love the Zooropa album, including that song, and the lyrics are a legalistic, almost pharisaic laundry list of thou-shalt-nots, so to use this song for a lawyer actually fits pretty darn well.
Jimmy Iovine: Jimmy Iovine suffers from being inducted the same year as Allen Grubman. If he had been inducted before Jon Landau, there wouldn't have been one ounce of skepticism over his induction, I'm guessing. It is a little surprising though, that he hadn't been inducted sooner. Perhaps the door truly got opened to that possibility with the rise of John Sykes at the helm for the Hall. Being more focused on the MTV era probably makes it more possible to shine the light on the non-performing movers and shakers of that era. A producer extraordinaire, he is also a problematic figure. However, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has zero issues with courting controversy. Admittedly, his heyday is a little outside of my comfort zone, though as a huge U2 fan, the founding of Interscope Records is important to me. But I just used U2 for Allen Grubman, and he's much more known and legendary for his work earlier than working with those Irish lads. Thanks to Stevie Nicks' induction as a soloist in 2019, we got a to learn a lot more about Jimmy Iovine, possibly more than we wanted to, but we're probably all a little better off knowing about it. Maybe not. And if you're a classic rock freak, there's probably a good deal of reverence for his work with Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers. Since Songs Of Proof for Non-Performers and Sidemen inductees don't have to be by a single artist, standout collaborative efforts are an excellent opportunity to honor such inductees. And for that, we're saluting this defiant man with "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around."
Jimmy Jam And Terry Lewis: Oh, that problematic word "and." I actually spent way more time than anyone else would dare wondering if the Mort Shuman rule should apply here, and give one song to Jimmy Jam and another to Terry Lewis. I decided not to for a couple reasons: one, they're in the Award For Musical Excellence category, and not the Non-Performer (Ahmet Ertegun Award) category; two, I only gave one song to the E Street Band and only one for the next entry; three, their induction really shows them as two people with a common mind. Not in an "all orange cats share one brain cell" kind of way, but in a synergistic way of great minds thinking alike. Even though they have had disagreements, they always have the same goal and can agree when its right. And it was a charming moment when Jimmy Jam led the crowd in an abridged alphabet song, to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" to focus on music education. And even though the Song Of Proof doesn't have to be by Janet Jackson, it has to be by Janet Jackson. There were actually two strong contenders, and to show how strong the field was, the one that lost out was the album title track, "Rhythm Nation," considered for them having an iconic sound and touch. But Janet and the video package really showcased that the true magic of their process was listening to their artists and getting their input. They asked the soil what type of crops it wanted to produce. In a business where artistic agency and trajectory can be manufactured and molded and frequently is, Jimmy and Terry helped facilitate a more organic method of creation, essentially giving the artists control of that. So, a title track got beaten out by another album title cut. It's "Control" by Janet Jackson.
Judas Priest: The Hall doesn't want you to know they're not a Performer inductee, and many among us don't care. So, I'm not going to change my selection of their Song Of Proof based on the category that they're in. They're a Performer inductee in my book, for what little that means, and I hope the Hall seriously considers my suggestion regarding propositions as a way of making things less confusing without resorting to the "obit just gonna say 'inductee'" line. That dog doesn't hunt. But getting back to Judas Priest, I loved Alice Cooper's speech, and I'd love to see him play a man who's hired to be a contract killer only to have him turn out to be an undercover cop who puts someone behind bars. Maybe that's just me, but his speech makes a really good case for making "Hellbent For Leather" to be the selection. And the broadcast that shows "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight" was fantastic. The fact that Rob can still hit those notes is just marvelous. It shows dedication and discipline to what he does that many stars simply lack. Ultimately, though, I think the elevation of heavy metal music and spirit of rebellion and defiance is best depicted in "You've Got Another Thing Coming." It's about celebrating life and not letting other people quell that. It's about shutting people out of your life who bring you down. It rebels in a way that has purpose, which places it in very good company with less-metal inductees. Maybe not the most beloved song, but it is the one that crossed over, and with good reason. Same song I wanted to use all along.
Dolly Parton: When I said "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" would make an ideal all-star jam, we were all still under the assumption that Dolly would open the ceremony, not close it. "Jolene" made a great song to end on (even if only in broadcast), even if it's not one of my favorite Dolly songs. Pink's speech was phenomenal, too. Dolly really is the epitome of being as gentle as a dove, but crafty as a serpent. And it doesn't have to have a White Stripes sound for "Rockin'" to be a rock and roll song. It's as rocking a song as a Jerry Lee Lewis or Bill Haley song. Country is after all one of the parent genres that help comprise rock and roll music, and her influences on rock musicians, especially women rockers, is inescapable. That said, I'm still following my general guideline that when an inductee is firmly a part of one of the parent genres, to the point where they don't feel any part of them is rock and roll, choose a song that maybe shows otherwise, even if only slightly. In many instances, that means a song with enough pop sensibilities to have some commonalities with rock and roll music. For Dolly, that actually means "Baby I'm Burnin'" is being used to justify her induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Part of it is the preference to occasionally use a less obvious song, but it's also important to remind folks that her contribution to the rock scape is more than just "9 To 5," though I absolutely love that song too.
Lionel Richie: Lionel had a really great acceptance speech. I think his comment about creative artists versus created artists cuts to the heart of why some artists make the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and why some don't. Or at least what the Rock Hall tries to be about. I very easily see the Rock Hall apologists and insiders using that excerpt from Lionel's speech to justify why some extremely popular favorites are still on the outside looking in. His performances were okay, and of course, like many others in the community, my heart sank when I found out he performed a Commodores song as part of his set. The Hall has been erratic and unfavorable to R&B, especially the voting bloc. So while the Singles category wasn't supposed to be a mortuary for the artists of the listed songs, it absolutely has been. The induction of Nile Rodgers in the Award For Musical Excellence was the death knell for the rest of Chic, not that the NomComm cared one iota about any of the other members of that group, though. Likewise, it sadly is most likely that the induction of Lionel Richie will be the excuse to never discuss the Commodores again. Boo. Meanwhile, for Lionel's solo work, I've decided that the rhythmically driven, yet accessible "Running With The Night" is going to be his selected song. It has a very '80s vibe, yet isn't cheesy, and isn't one of the songs that gets played to death. It's the quiet song that remains timeless.
Sylvia Robinson: Welp, ope, and uffda, I gave away the store on this inductee in my previous post. I flat out said that Sylvia Robinson's Song Of Proof was going to be "It's Good To Be The Queen," and that has not changed. There were a few good reasons to induct her. "Love Is Strange" is iconic enough during the foundational years that inducting Mickey And Sylvia, even as an Early Influence, might be justifiable. And even if I don't personally care for her '70s soul that much, it was certainly very different, innovative even, so that would be justifiable as well. But as with Lionel Richie, it's likely that this will be the only time she will be inducted, and of the three reasons, founding Sugarhill Records is the clear, obvious winner. Even if the heyday of the label was short lived, the cultural impact and ripples created have been impossible to overstate. And as everyone else has said, not having an inductor for her was an absolute travesty. If you want us to swallow the bilge of all categories being equal, then make some frigging effort to treat them equally. Leave the worrying about time to the editors of the broadcast version. You just do the inductees right for the the actual induction. It's good to be the queen, and you disrespected the queen. But yeah, that's the clear and obvious song to use for her.
Carly Simon: Carly Simon's path to the Hall has been a strange one. She was long touted as a big, missing piece, especially for both women in rock and roll and as a part of the singer/songwriter scape of the '70s. Yet, when she was nominated, the response was initially enthusiastic, but dropped off quickly. Or so it seemed to me. And when she was announced as an inductee, the sense of being underwhelmed was palpable because so many of us had picked this class either completely correctly or nearly so, as well as the fact it was so heavily mainstream. That was really no one person's fault, and certainly not Carly's, but there was a feeling I got that if we could have swapped out one of the inductees for a less mainstream and more "dangerous" nominee, many would have dropped Carly (or Dolly, because she tried to have her nomination rescinded). And then there was the jagged little fiasco with the tribute performance. For the record, I believe Alanis was treated badly. In addition to the entertainment industry just having misogyny in its DNA, there were probably people behind the scenes who had worked with her in the past and figured she was still as easy to usurp and abuse as she was when she first became popular. And boy howdy, were they wrong. Either way, when an artist like Carly Simon is recognized, the temptation to naysay stems from the way her legacy has been poorly preserved. She has long been treated as a one-trick pony by Oldies radio, or if they remembered a second song, it was her duet with James Taylor, covering "Mockingbird." And I'd seen internet message boards calling "Nobody Does It Better" the worst James Bond theme, with the possible exception of "Die Another Day." Yet, the reality and introspection she offered in songs like "Anticipation," "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be," and "Haven't Got Time For The Pain" are every bit as profound as songs by the male singer/songwriters of that era, arranged and styled similarly, and hold up just as well. That said, "You're So Vain" is still a step above all those other songs, in terms of empowerment, catchiness, mythology, and overall impact. Maybe that's a little anticlimactic, but at the end of the day, it's the correct choice. That song isn't the entire reason she's in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame; it just best demonstrates why she belongs.
And with that, we put the bow on celebrating the Class of 2022. It's a fun class and a fun mental exercise to pick a song to celebrate each inductee. Where did I nail it? Where did I miss? Feel free to add your thoughts in the Comments below. And of course, to recap:
Pat Benatar: "Heartbreaker"
Elizabeth Cotten: "Freight Train"
Duran Duran: "A View To A Kill"
Eminem: "Survival"
Eurythmics: "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)"
Allen Grubman: "Numb" by U2
Jimmy Iovine: "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks (with Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers)
Jimmy Jam And Terry Lewis: "Control" by Janet Jackson
Judas Priest: "You've Got Another Thing Coming"
Dolly Parton: "Baby I'm Burnin'"
Lionel Richie: "Running With The Night"
Sylvia Robinson: "It's Good To Be The Queen" by Sylvia
Carly Simon: "You're So Vain"
No comments:
Post a Comment