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Monday, August 14, 2006

Shake, Rock, and Roll

Strange things are afoot in Ohio.

Suburban Cleveland in particular has been experiencing something odd. Every couple of weeks, folks there feel a tremor.

And it’s not just horror upon realizing they live across a narrow body of water from the war-mongering Canadian hordes.

In fact, Lake County is Ohio’s earthquake headquarters. With a trembling about every two weeks since the start of the year, the ground there is shaking more than Shakira’s ass.

Quakes have measured up to magnitude 3.8, enough unsettle some residents. Seismologists know that there is a fault down below causing all this, but they can’t figure out why the earth is rocking and rolling so often lately.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m no earthquake expert. It seems obvious, however, to point our fingers at the menace lurking just a few miles away in Cleveland.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

I think the earth itself is revolting against the Hall of Fame’s tendency to shun deserving artists from admittance. Performers become eligible 25 years after releasing their first LPs, so any artist that put an album out in 1981 or earlier could be honored.

Recently, KISS fans protested in Cleveland because the group continues to linger outside the hall after been eligible for more than five years. And they have a point—many worthy artists have been passed over for some questionable ones.

Let’s look at the record.

Deep Purple, despite widening the scope of hard rock and helping create metal music, remains absent. But the Hall and Fame does include Clyde McPhatter.

King Crimson, Yes, and Genesis, despite defining progressive rock in the 1970s and—for Yes and Genesis—finding huge commercial success in the 1980s, remain absent. But the Hall and Fame does include The Lovin’ Spoonful.

Rush, despite mixing complex music with compelling lyrics and setting a high standard for the genre, remains absent. But the Hall and Fame does include Frankie Lyman & The Teenagers.

Journey, despite selling more than 45 million albums in the United States alone and topping the charts throughout the 80s, remains absent. But the Hall of Fame does include Little Willie John.

Van Halen, despite laying the foundation for most of 80s rock and giving us some of the best riffs of all time, remains absent. But the Hall and Fame does include Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys.

Maybe these earthquakes would fade if the hall focused on these worthy artists. The Cleveland area could be spared the danger of a more serious tremor.

And if not, at least the new inductees will give everyone some good vibrations.

53 Comments:

At August 14, 2006 7:50 AM, Blogger Death Warmed Over replied to my musings ...

Good points. Deep Purple-every rock and roll collection disk always has "Smoke on the Water." I probably own 50 copies of it unintentially. Genesis-any group willing to put out a song entitled Abacab should be in. Rush-Tom Sawyer no need to say more. Journey-uuhhhmmmm? Moving on to- Van Halen-no brainer as long as its the David Lee Roth years. Maybe KISS should have written Cleveland Rock City and they wouldn't have been snubbed. Hall of Fame indeed.

 
At August 14, 2006 8:07 AM, Blogger Metal Mark replied to my musings ...

Earthquakes, the Rock and roll and fame and the Browns. Doesn't sound like a real fun area to live in.

 
At August 14, 2006 8:23 AM, Anonymous Anonymous replied to my musings ...

Oh we just WANT you to think its earthquakes.

- one of the war-mongering Canadians. Err...I mean...

 
At August 14, 2006 8:36 AM, Anonymous Anonymous replied to my musings ...

Boo! Hiss! The punning zone is alive and well ;-)

Rock and Roll ALWAYS shakes things up. Well said.

 
At August 14, 2006 9:07 AM, Blogger Cinderella replied to my musings ...

How could Journey NOT be in the Rock and Roll hall of fame?? Are they smokin something?!? Everyone loves Journey!! Now I am highly upset!!

 
At August 14, 2006 9:22 AM, Blogger On My Watch replied to my musings ...

You've made excellent points and I agree. If they're not careful a large crack will form underneath and the entire Hall of Fame will disappear into the depths.

Wait, are we still talking about Shakira?

 
At August 14, 2006 9:39 AM, Blogger Unknown replied to my musings ...

Although they were cartoon characters, we shouldn't forget "The Chipmunks," David. In my mind, their "Chipmunk Rock" and "Urban Chipmunk" albums rate them right up there with inductee Frank Zappa.

 
At August 14, 2006 10:03 AM, Blogger Perplexio replied to my musings ...

Chicago is also conspicuously absent from the RRHOF. They've been elgible since 1992. Not only have they not been inducted... In their 14 years of elgibility they've never even been nominated. I will concede that their eighties prom fodder killed some of their street cred, but I would argue that their first 3 albums alone are plenty of reason for their induction.

And if someone wants to argue that they've not been influential... 25 or 6 to 4 has been covered by numerous groups over the years and even had its bass line stolen by Green Day, not to mention some of their songs have been sampled in rap and/or dance songs (in 1995 their pathetically failed 1979 attempt at disco, Street Player was heavily sampled by The Bucketheads for their dance/techno hit The Bomb).

 
At August 14, 2006 10:15 AM, Blogger Jeff replied to my musings ...

Awesome post. What is with music critics and their hate of Prog Rock. To deny King Crimson, Yes, and Genesis of spots in the Hall of Fame is criminal. They all created some of the greatest pieces of music ever heard and withstood the test of time, but yet the Hall is always willing to put in some lame band that has such little importance to the music. The bands you listed were pioneers in their respected genre but for some unthinkable reason aren't in the Hall.

 
At August 14, 2006 10:26 AM, Blogger David Amulet replied to my musings ...

DWO: "Cleveland Rock City" just doesn't have a good ring to it.

Mark: Don't forget the polluted lake.

Jenna: Just watch out if we ever have a shortage of hockey pucks and maple syrup. Then you Canadians are in trouble.

Lisa; And here I thought I was controlling my pun tendencies pretty well.

Cinner: I think Death Warmed Over (above) is blocking Journey's entry.

OMW: I almost stopped the post when I got to Shakira. It seemed like a good ... end.

Curare: Hall of Shame for the Chipmunks!

Perplexio: I'm with you. There were few bigger bands in the 1970s, I agree. Methinks they are discriminating against the Windy City. We'll find out when Liz Phair is eligible.

Jeff: Thanks. I'm totally with you on the prog--Pink Floyd is the closest they have come. It makes the whole hall suspect in my eyes.

-- david

 
At August 14, 2006 10:41 AM, Blogger Mike replied to my musings ...

Well, maybe Cleveland is rebelling against it's very existence. I've been there. Or it's paying for the evils of the Van Sweringen brothers and their robber baron ways.

But really, with our luck we'll see Erasure or EMF in the Hall before Genesis. We need the Hall of Fame brought to the Hall of Justice...

At least they didn't build a nuke power plant over a fault line like Indian Point 2 in Westchester County, NY. Now THAT'S planning!!!

 
At August 14, 2006 11:17 AM, Blogger David Amulet replied to my musings ...

Funny you should say that, Mike--Lake County is the home of Perry Nuclear Power Plant. Plant engineers designed it to handle a magnitude 6.0 earthquake, for what that's worth.

-- david

 
At August 14, 2006 11:17 AM, Blogger Perplexio replied to my musings ...

Speaking of prog, hasn't ELP also been left out?

 
At August 14, 2006 11:33 AM, Anonymous Anonymous replied to my musings ...

My uncle used to live in Cleveland(literally a block away from the lake), and the nickname "Mistake by the Lake" was, and still is, well deserved. The R&R HOF is a joke, really.
It's being in Cleveland is karma, IMO.

 
At August 14, 2006 12:08 PM, Blogger Will replied to my musings ...

There's a good reason to introduce all of those acts and I wouldn't argue one bit.

Now, being an old Disco boy as you know, I think they've badly overlooked the introduction of Chic to the list.

 
At August 14, 2006 12:54 PM, Blogger Allena replied to my musings ...

I love your blog! I linked it to mine, let me know if you prefer me not to. I agree - the Hall of Fame is pissed off at these exclusions! (wellmaybe with the exception of Journey)

 
At August 14, 2006 2:58 PM, Blogger Phats replied to my musings ...

haha I saw that about KISS fans protesting that's funny. I am surprised they don't just include them.

My hometown has a mysterious hum

 
At August 14, 2006 3:13 PM, Blogger David Amulet replied to my musings ...

Perplexio: Yes, ELP and Kansas and any band vaguely "progressive rock," except for Pink Floyd, remains outside the hall.

Bruce: I thought many places made more sense, but the founders thought that it should be in Cleveland because Alan Freed supposedly made the phrase "rock and roll" widely known when he was a DJ there. Weak.

Paige: Oh no! I fear--assuming no sarcasm--that dyou're confusing Genesis with the schlock that Phil Collins has turned out as a solo artist. I'm almost as manic about early (Peter Gabriel-era) Genesis as Perplexio is about early Chicago ... so it hurts me to think that your comment may not have been sarcastic.

Ben: As much as I did NOT appreciate disco, Chic probably does belong in the hall. (The Bee Gees are in, after all.)

Scarlett: I appreciate the compliment. I'll link to you as well. Journey is the weakest of the contenders I list, but it's probably one of the bands that has sold the most records and has NOT been inducted.

Phats: A mysterious hum? There's so many directions I could go with that ... but I'll just you explain. OK?

Mimi: I picked some obscure ones to make that point exactly. I mean, Little Willie John and not Van Halen??

-- david

 
At August 14, 2006 3:32 PM, Blogger T-_Bone replied to my musings ...

C'mon Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys RULE!!

 
At August 14, 2006 3:36 PM, Anonymous Anonymous replied to my musings ...

"Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys"

I can't believe they put Bob Wills and his cronies in there and completely disregard Journey. The first thing I think of when I hear 'Journey' is Power Ballad. Isn't that enough!?!

 
At August 14, 2006 4:31 PM, Anonymous Anonymous replied to my musings ...

Ooh are YOU going to come after my maple syrup and hockey pucks? I don't let just ANYONE get ahold of my hockey pucks and syrup, David. Will this be in the buff? Because, well, wear a toque so you don't catch a cold.

 
At August 14, 2006 5:07 PM, Blogger Mike replied to my musings ...

I agree that more than half of the bands you listed should be in. How do you leave out Yes, Genesis and VH? Come on.

 
At August 14, 2006 5:16 PM, Blogger Janet replied to my musings ...

How do the lyrics go, I hear ya knockin but you can't come in?:)

 
At August 14, 2006 7:11 PM, Blogger Bar L. replied to my musings ...

Hey David - LOVE THE SUBJECT of rock and roll! Yep, I can see why the earth is shakin!!! (as native of CA I can tell you that a 3.8 is hardly noticeable around here).

RUSH! How and RUSH not be in the Hall???? It's blaspheme!

 
At August 14, 2006 8:04 PM, Blogger ChickyBabe replied to my musings ...

David, You shook me all night long! :P

 
At August 14, 2006 8:35 PM, Blogger Alex replied to my musings ...

Yeah, the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame is pretty confusing in who they let in and in who they don't. Kind of makes me not want to visit 'cos it seems like kind of a joke. I mean, no Rush? C'mon.

 
At August 14, 2006 9:02 PM, Anonymous Anonymous replied to my musings ...

No King Crimson, Genesis or Rush? The microscopic amount of respect that I have for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was just flushed down the toilet. What a joke.

 
At August 14, 2006 9:23 PM, Blogger Mike replied to my musings ...

Hmm, "Artists are eligible 25 years after releasing their first LP", makes me hold out hope that they'll keep to the real rock bands since no one has released a true vinyl LP in how long?

 
At August 14, 2006 9:33 PM, Blogger Trundling Grunt replied to my musings ...

Ok, Genesis/Yes/King Crimson I'm ok with...but Rush? Sorry but they're best CD was "Crimes Against Humanity"..... but that was all of them.

 
At August 14, 2006 11:49 PM, Blogger X. Dell replied to my musings ...

If Cleveland has been experiencing earthquakes, I'd check to see if Drew Carey is back in town.

Either that, or there's a lot more good sex in Cleveland than I first thought, and the Earth's moving for everybody.

BTW, I would make a case for McPhatter being in there--more than, say, Fleetwood Mac.

 
At August 15, 2006 12:10 AM, Blogger ~ good girl ~ replied to my musings ...

Everyone makes such witty comments on your blog, Mr Amulet. I have to put on my thinking cap just to see if anything intelligent can be squeezed out of my peabrain.

Hmm.

Mmm.

Well..

Yep, just as I'd suspected. Nothing.

Ok, how about I nominate New Kids on the Block in a few years? They rocked my world! And then they rolled down the hill. Will this do??

Dammit.

GG x

 
At August 15, 2006 12:41 AM, Blogger Michelle replied to my musings ...

You forgot Jefferson Starship!!

 
At August 15, 2006 6:28 AM, Blogger David Amulet replied to my musings ...

T-Bone, Mojotek: Bob Wills is no Geddy Lee, Peter Gabriel, or even Steve Perry, IMO.

Jenna: I guess I'm going to have to do a bilstering anti-Canadian post one of these days just to get you riled up.

Mike, Alex, Fred Charles, Layla, Trundling Grunt: Not only am I a fan of King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, and Rush, but I also see their influence in many, many groups in the 70s, 80s, and beyond. They belong in.

Janet, Chicky Babe: Good ones. I'm not sure any of these bands really care--I don't see Robert Fripp begging for induction. At least AC/DC is in.

Mike: Nice catch. I just got sick of typing "album." Someone once told me that English has no true synonyms ... we see the results of that!

Paige: Sarcasm is good. I use it myself sometimes.

X. Dell: I don't think I'd argue that any of those lesser-known artists need to leave the hall--I just don't know the full reason for their induction, and ignorance is no reason to change things--but these others surely belong.

GG: You made me laugh, so no worries. And if I weren't already virtually boycotting the hall, I would do so if NKOTB made it in.

Michelle: Jefferson Airplane was inducted in the 1990s--they got that one right.

-- david

 
At August 15, 2006 8:33 AM, Blogger :P fuzzbox replied to my musings ...

The R&R Hall of Fame is a bad idea anyway. Rock at it's best is anti-establishment. Having an anti-establishment establishment is weird.

 
At August 15, 2006 9:49 AM, Anonymous Anonymous replied to my musings ...

rrrowr.

 
At August 15, 2006 10:04 AM, Blogger Perplexio replied to my musings ...

David, if you do an anti-Canadian post you'll get me riled up too.

 
At August 15, 2006 1:19 PM, Blogger DaBich replied to my musings ...

C'mon, people, give Journey some credit. You can't sell all those albums and stink...

Kiss being left out is criminal.

 
At August 15, 2006 4:29 PM, Blogger Zen Wizard replied to my musings ...

The earth is shaking in protest because its b!tch, Al Gore, did not win Best Actress.

Seriously, I think there is a "primacy effect" to who is considered "historically important."

Clyde McPhatter and Little Willie John were earlier than some of the progressive rock acts you mentioned--so it is probably presumed that they "laid the groundwork."

In other words, a one-hit wonder occurring in 1958 was probably more influential than a group that had a lot of hits in 1975.

A highly influential and overlooked artist is probably Screamin' Jay Hawkins, who only really had one hit.

Well, "I Put a Spell on You" and maybe a minor hit, "Alligator Wine."

But he "begat" the whole Goth rock thing from Alice Cooper to Marilyn Manson, et al. I.e., if it weren't for him, they wouldn't exist.

 
At August 15, 2006 4:43 PM, Blogger Phats replied to my musings ...

I personally have never heard it, but I know they spent tons of money to figure out the "hum" You must remember this a city where thousands showed up to watch a water tower get taken down, here is a link if interested

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=91912&page=1

 
At August 15, 2006 10:22 PM, Blogger Jamie Dawn replied to my musings ...

I couldn't agree with you more. If I learn that Tiny Tim has been inducted in the Hall of Fame while Van Halen sits outside the gates begging for bread, I may have a meltdown. I hope they keep on shaking until it knocks some sense into them.

 
At August 16, 2006 12:02 AM, Anonymous Anonymous replied to my musings ...

Just to comment quickly..the reason Journey SHOULD be inducted, is because that is one of the few bands I've seen live that sounds exactly like the album. No gimmicks, no do overs, no fancy shmancy tricks. They played exactly what you heard. That's good music.

Was that quick or am I beginning to get on my high horse?

 
At August 16, 2006 5:44 AM, Blogger Martin replied to my musings ...

I do agree whole-heartedly with your suggestions and remain upset with the "Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame" inclusion of blues and country artists when... hello, it's rock 'n' roll! Sure Bob Wills and Little Willie John are important musicians but it's like putting Tiger Woods in the Tennis Hall Of Fame. I sometimes don't think the people voting in the inductees remember what Rock is? I'm just waiting for Kenny G's induction speech.

 
At August 16, 2006 7:12 AM, Blogger David Amulet replied to my musings ...

Fuzz: Agreed. It's kind of like having a convention of anti-social people, it just doesn't make sense.

Jenna, Perplexio: When I find a hook, watch out.

Dabich, Miss Hobby: Journey may not be as technically complex or inlfuential as some of these other non-inducteees, but they produced album after album of solid rock for years in the 70s and 80s. Not to mention many a prom theme.

ZW: The selections certainly have favored the roots of r&r over metal, for exmaple. And non-US or -UK bands have been slighted, too. Where are the Scorpions?

Phats: That is truly weird.

Jamie, 80s Nut: If Tiny Tim or Kenny G should walk into the hall, it would cause some kind of tear in the fabric of space and time.

-- david

 
At August 16, 2006 11:16 AM, Blogger DaBich replied to my musings ...

Miss Hobby, ride that horse, it rocks!

 
At August 16, 2006 12:18 PM, Anonymous Anonymous replied to my musings ...

war-mongering Canadian hordes


LMAO!!!!!!

 
At August 16, 2006 1:39 PM, Anonymous Anonymous replied to my musings ...

Just be careful where you put that hook, Mr. Amulet.

 
At August 16, 2006 9:43 PM, Blogger Gyrobo replied to my musings ...

The earthquakes are really caused by 1960s super-villains. Where do you think they all ended up?

Bwa ha ha ha!

 
At August 16, 2006 11:10 PM, Blogger On My Watch replied to my musings ...

David - that 'anti-social convention' remark is the funniest thing I've heard in... forever! HA. I can't stop laughing.

Reading all of the comments, I think you've started a riot here. All I can say about Journey is I'm sure they'll never stop believin' and pretty soon the Hall will accept them with Open Arms.

 
At August 16, 2006 11:59 PM, Blogger Lee Ann replied to my musings ...

Love those groups!
Hope the earthquakes don't get too bad!

 
At August 17, 2006 2:20 PM, Blogger Will replied to my musings ...

Yeah, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has got some explaining to do. A lot of the recent inductees have been not-so-deserving. As for Van Halen, well those later years may be working against them.

 
At August 17, 2006 2:22 PM, Blogger Will replied to my musings ...

I agree on Deep Purple and Genesis ... but Little Willie John, Clyde McPhatter and the Lovin Spoonful are all pretty tight.

 
At August 17, 2006 11:16 PM, Blogger Ray Van Horn, Jr. replied to my musings ...

but you DO have a kick ass art museum there with an original Dali...that's all I had time to see there, plus the Arboreum...and you have Billy Morris, former Warrant guitarist, who I understand is a local guitar god and owns a club and music studio?

then an hour away you have Cedar Point, the best theme park EVER!

You may not have B Bumble and The Stingers in the RNRHOF, but you can't have everything, can you? ugh...

 
At August 20, 2006 10:54 AM, Blogger Godwhacker replied to my musings ...

I was never a big fan of Rush, but I went to one of their concerts with some friends once.... they rocked!

 

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