For Those Who Have Rocked, We Analyze You

11

Author: Michael Darling

Well my friends, it’s that time of year again. The leaves are changing colors and out of Cleveland has come a pronouncement. Yes, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced the nominees for the class of 2009. The actual inductees won’t be announced until next February or so, but in the meantime we have the ballot of nominees.

Now, you’re probably thinking, is this the year that Tom Waits, Nina Simone, T-Rex or Stevie Ray Vaughn finally get inducted? Well, I’ll cut to the chase and say that the answer is no. Instead, your 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees are Jeff Beck, Chic, Wanda Jackson, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Metallica, Run-DMC, The Stooges, War, and Bobby Womack.

I find myself just a little disappointed in this year’s selections. Yeah, a few of them are locks but most of these acts just leave me asking “Huh?”

I’ve heard of all of these artists, I know songs by them, but I mostly find myself thinking that there are so many better acts not being considered. Now, I’m not going to turn this into a piece critical of the Hall’s nominating procedure, that would be too easy. Instead, I’m just going to look at each artist on a case by case basis.

First, let me just say that Metallica, Run-DMC and the Stooges should all get their entry ticket punched immediately. Metallica is one of the best metal bands and they’ve done some really interesting work, like the instrumental “Orion.” Although some of their recent work has been subpar, an induction into the Hall would be a perfect topper to the release of their new, critically liked, album Death Magnetic.

As 2009 will mark the 25th anniversary of their debut album, this is Run-DMC’s first year of eligibility for the Hall. They were greats of the early hip-hop scene. Many of their songs featured a little bit of guitar, and their collaboration with members of Aerosmith on a cover of “Walk This Way” not only returned the then-washed-up rock band to the spotlight, but also paved the way for many other instances of rock-rap fusion. Unfortunately, this also opened the door for steroidal Nü-Metal bands like Limp Bizkit. Well, not all legacies can be perfect. However, Run-DMC had something that has unfortunately gone missing in modern rap—a sense of the fun. The video for “It’s Tricky” features Penn & Teller making fools of themselves, and Raising Hell’s back to back combo of “You Be Illin” and “Dumb Girl” are funny but are also sick songs.

The Stooges were Iggy Pop’s first successful band. Their fuzzy, screeching guitars would inspire many future punks to form a band. Their do-it-yourself style would become the artistic aesthetic for many artists that followed. The band’s style left a message that anyone can be in a band, even you. Funnily enough, the Stooges covered a few Madonna songs at this year’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony when she was inducted earlier this year. Iggy looked great as his usual shirtless godfather of punk self, especially when you consider he’s 61. This is the Stooges’ seventh time on the Hall ballot and I think it’s about time for them to get their due.

So those are the ones who deserve to be in, but what about the rest of the nominees? Well, that’s a good question. Each of these performers have had some impact on the shape of popular music, but are they really worthy of enshrinement in what is supposed to be a pantheon of musical greats? Well, considering that Gene Vincent and Brenda Lee are in the Hall, it’s a bit questionable as to what defines Rock greatness. That being said, let’s take a look at the rest of the ballot.

Jeff Beck famously took over for Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds. Along with Pete Townsend of the Who and Jimi Hendrix, Beck influenced the sound of rock guitar in the 1960s. Although he is very talented, Beck does not receive the accolades that many of his peers have received.

Wanda Jackson is widely considered to be the Queen of Rockabilly, and although she isn’t too well -known, she has many admirers, Elvis Costello included. It would be pretty cool if she was inducted, as she was the first woman rocker. Based on the options presented, Beck and Jackson would be my other votes on the ballot.

I’m a bit ambivalent on the qualifications of Chic. Founding member Nile Rodgers has produced albums by many current inductees. That being said, their credentials are spotty. I try not to make assumptions based on the number of hits a band has. If I were to do this, many of my favorite bands would be considered poor. However, Chic’s legacy seems to rest on only one song. Their hit “Good Times” has been sampled by many rappers and was the inspiration for the bass riff in Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust.” Outside of this song though, there isn’t much to say about Chic. It’s like when Percy Sledge was inducted, he didn’t have many highlights on his resume outside of “When a Man Loves a Woman.” In fact, the rest of the nominees seem to have the same credentials. They all had one or two hits, but nothing truly substantial. It’s not like Little Anthony and the Imperials or War had a deep back catalogue.

So to summarize, this year’s ballot is pretty subpar. Yes, there are some slam dunk nominees and a couple of lesser known pioneers, but the rest of the nominees could easily be met with a shrug. If I were given a vote the decision would be easy. Metallica, Run-DMC and the Stooges should be in no questions asked and Jeff Beck and Wanda Jackson should get in because, although not as well-known as other artists in the hall, they’ve influenced many who came after them.

Michael Darling is a junior History major. He can be reached at mdarling@oxy.edu.

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