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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Finally)


Travis In Austin

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From @synthfreek forum member in Austin, from his FB.

 

"The following is my take on this year's inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

First, let’s get the list of inductees out of the way:

The Cure
Def Leppard 
Janet Jackson
Stevie Nicks
Radiohead
Roxy Music
The Zombies

IMO, this is certainly a better list than most recent years. There will be many screaming, “But Janet Jackson isn’t even rock!” even though non-rock acts have been being inducted since the very inception of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Do I like Janet Jackson’s music? Not really. Does she deserve to be included? Possibly. Are there others more deserving? Absolutely. 

IMO, The Cure should have been in a decade ago. Their induction is a promising sign of things to come. One year soon their peers such as The Smiths, Joy Division/New Order, Depeche Mode, Pixies and a slew of others will be there alongside them.

Many only know Def Leppard from their megahits like “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Love Bites.” They weren’t always this slick-sounding band and don’t deserve the flack they get. Their debut album, On Through the Night and follow-up, High ‘N’ Dry are raw and fit right in with the other New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands of the late ‘70s/early ‘80s. Pryomania saw a more polished sound with a pronounced contribution from mega-producer Mutt Lang. I think their hits, “Foolin’” and “Photograph” fueled their desire to take over the airwaves so it wasn’t much of a surprise that Hysteria was loaded with songs that had “for the radio” written all over them. I still like that album but realize their sound has now changed forever. I left the Def Leppard train at this point and haven’t explored much post Adrenalize. They most definitely deserve to be in as their influence was monumental.

Stevie Nicks, what can I say. She’s already in with Fleetwood Mac. If you removed Mac from the equation, would her solo career warrant induction? IMO, no. Kate Bush should be in before both Stevie and Janet.

Radiohead was an obvious shoe-in. They’ve released (and are still releasing) some of the most challenging and memorable mainstream rock music of the last 20 years. OK Computer, Kid A and In Rainbows are all phenomenal, and the rest of their albums aren’t too shabby either.

It’s long overdue for Roxy Music. While they haven’t filled the charts with a ton of hits and they haven’t sold a Pink Floyd-level number of albums, they were influential to many, MANY artists. Brian Eno, Bryan Ferry, Andy Mackay and company were the alternative to the Grand Funk Railroads and REO Chuckwagons of their day. Their debut through Avalon run of albums is legendary.

The Zombies are being included because of nostalgia and certain people feel as though they MUST belong. A few hits and one iconic album is simply not enough. How often do you hear a band and think, “Damn, they really sound influenced by The Zombies.”? I DO believe that The Decemberists got their entire sound from the song “Butchers Tale (Western Front 1914)" but that’s about all I can come up with. Look, I love “She’s Not There” and “Time of the Season.” They’re legendary songs and will be remembered long after I’m gone. That does not make them a worthy enough pick.

Well, there you have it, my take on the 2019 picks. Whose time is long overdue? Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Kraftwerk, T. Rex, Kate Bush, Scorpions, Joy Division/New Order, Buzzcocks, The Undertones, New York Dolls, Black Flag, XTC, Jethro Tull, Eric B. & Rakim and a ton of others. This year was at least a step in the right direction."

 

I agree Eric, a major step in right direction even 8f we had to take JJ and 

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