In a world already burdened with the absurd and toxic reality of a President Trump, I admit that it's silly to get worked up over the chronic shortcomings of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. That simple truth will not stop me from whining. The 2020 nominations once again include some worthies, some WTFs, and--as always!--a continued snub of The Monkees, the Hall's most egregious ongoing omission. The Monkees should have been inducted a long, long time ago.
But it's not a surprise, and a change in figureheadship (as John Sykes prepares to replace uberschmuck Jann Wenner as the Hall's chairman) isn't likely to bring any positive changes. If anything, I fear the Hall's already-myopic nominating process will almost certainly continue (and perhaps even double down on) its turn away from honoring anything tainted as "old." Forget about The Monkees, Chubby Checker, The Marvelettes, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Link Wray, Dick Dale, Lesley Gore, The Shangri-Las, Tommy James & the Shondells, Arthur Alexander, The Searchers, The Shadows, Jan & Dean, P. P. Arnold, The Turtles, or any other act whose heyday predates the first issue of Rolling Stone in 1967. They're not getting in. They are probably never getting in, any of them.
As the Hall's door also seems ready to start closing on '70s icons, Warren Zevon, Harry Nilsson, and perhaps The New York Dolls may still have a shot, maybe, but Suzi Quatro, The Spinners, The Stylistics, The Jam, The Runaways, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Big Star, Mott the Hoople, and Badfinger will remain on the outside looking in. The '80s? The Go-Go's probably aren't getting in. Rick James isn't getting in. The list of snubs will grow longer, not shorter.
Here are the nominees for the Class of 2019: Pat Benatar, The Dave Matthews Band, Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Judas Priest, Kraftwerk, The MC5, Motörhead, Nine Inch Nails, The Notorious B.I.G., Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, Todd Rundgren, Soundgarden, T. Rex, and Thin Lizzy.
I'm surprised but happy to see T. Rex nominated (and even more surprised to see Thin Lizzy), appalled to see The Dave Matthews Band nominated, and resigned to the dead certainty that the three that interest me the least--Matthews, Houston, and B.I.G.--are possibly shoo-ins to hog three of the five spots available this year. I guess I just wasn't made for these times.
My five? Among those nominated, I would vote for T. Rex, Todd Rundgren, and The MC5 for sure, and be torn between Benatar (worthy, even though I don't really listen to her), Rufus (I thought Chaka Khan was the sexiest thing on AM radio in 1974), and Motörhead for my last two votes. I'd wish I could still spare a vote for Thin Lizzy, too. I wouldn't vote for the Doobies, but they deserve to be honored even though I don't like them.
That said, I'd endorse honoring The Doobie Brothers as part of my larger wish: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should induct more acts, not a mere five per year. I don't think this dilutes the perceived honor, because the current system doesn't do justice to the many acts who should be honored, not snubbed. Make the inductions a twice-a-year event, inducting ten acts each year. I wouldn't even care if they took voting out of it entirely, and instead put together a committee--a different committee!--of people who know and understand rock history (and who don't have any vested interest in any of the acts), and have them name the acts who will be inducted. No nominees, no popularity contest; just the honor.
Yes, The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is ultimately not something that should affect one's blood pressure, peace of mind, or general sense of copacetic mojo. Outrage should be reserved for more important things. I know that, but I'm gonna complain anyway. Rock 'n' roll should honor its own, and the hall of fame that claims to do that isn't doing its job.
And, ferchrissakes, induct The Monkees already.
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Fans of pop music will want to check out Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, a new pop compilation benefiting SPARK! Syracuse, the home of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl. TIR'N'RR Allstars--Steve Stoeckel, Bruce Gordon, Joel Tinnel, Stacy Carson, Eytan Mirsky, Teresa Cowles, Dan Pavelich, Irene Peña, Keith Klingensmith, and Rich Firestone--offer a fantastic new version of The Kinks' classic "Waterloo Sunset." That's supplemented by eleven more tracks (plus a hidden bonus track), including previously-unreleased gems from The Click Beetles, Eytan Mirsky, Pop Co-Op, Irene Peña, Michael Slawter (covering The Posies), and The Anderson Council (covering XTC), a new remix of "Infinite Soul" by The Grip Weeds, and familiar TIRnRR Fave Raves by Vegas With Randolph, Gretchen's Wheel, The Armoires, and Pacific Soul Ltd. Oh, and that mystery bonus track? It's exquisite. You need this. You're buying it from Futureman.
(And you can still get our 2017 compilation This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4, on CD from Kool Kat Musik and as a download from Futureman Records.)
Hey, Carl's writin' a book! The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) will contain 100 essays (and then some) about 100 tracks, plus two bonus instrumentals, each one of 'em THE greatest record ever made. An infinite number of records can each be the greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Updated initial information can be seen here: THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! (Volume 1).
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