2005-09-21

Apparently, I have a thing for boots.

The newest kids are nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Morphing from Johnny Cougar then evolving back into John Mellancamp, gave the world "Hurts so Good" "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)" "Jack & Diane" and "Crumblin' Down" and on and on and on. Although not my kind of music, I can't deny the man's talent. He writes stick in your head songs and sings them with grit and emotion.

I can't tell you how many times I heard "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" as I slinked and slithered my way through the eighties. For a Mid-West white girl like me, this was the first taste of Rap I had after Blondie's "Rapture". Grandmaster Flash ushers rap into the Hall like no one else can.

Miles Davis, the "Picasso of Jazz," was a genius. A jazz genius. So, not sure what he's doing here but I bow to the man. Bitches Brew should be in every collection.

Mention Blondie and the yap leads to Debbie Harry, her looks, her bod. All of it undeniable. Damn, I wanted the green boots from Parallel Lines sooooooo bad. What made and still makes Blondie one of my favorite bands is the amazing music. "Fade Away and Radiate" from Parallel lines is still one of my favorite songs. Attitude you can listen to, dance to and keep in your collection despite outgrowing your first leather jacket.

Cat Stevens was nominated. I'm very happy to see him nominated. We all know the recent history - let's not debate it. "First Cut is the Deepest" (not the Sheryl Crow monstrosity - Rod Stewart did a damn fine job), "Wild World" and the first and only song I learned to play on the guitar, "Morning has Broken". Still love the man.

The Patti Smith Group was nominated. I can't even begin to explain the full on worship I have when it comes to Patti Smith. I wept listening to her music. When I saw her on television I was transfixed. She was moving. Patti moves. I won't even start listing the songs because they'd all end up on here.

The Sex Pistols were nominated.

The Stooges were nominated. Baby, "I Wanna be your Dog". Yeah, yeah, I know. "Lust for Life". Ruined. Destroyed by a cruise line. And it's not with the Stooges. I had the great fortune of seeing Iggy Pop perform; all sinew and twisted man power. Loved it. I'd lick his boots. Passed by him on 2nd Avenue in New York. He was a grinning bastard. I love that city for that moment.

Lynyrd Skynyrd was nominated. OK. "Free Bird". Skynyrd was more than that. They sang with balls and brains. This is another band that could have me rattling off songs 'til dawn. Their legacy is huge and spawned one of recent favorites, the Drive by Trucker's Southern Rock Opera.

Black Sabbath was nominated. I linked to the box set. You're not going to going to cover them with a greatest hits album. We can all name bands that changed rock forever - Black Sabbath did that in dirty black spades.

The Dave Clark Five was nominated. Honestly, don't know the music. "Catch Us If You Can!" I know that one.

The J. Geils Band was nominated. I feel bad for them - you know, for "Freeze Frame". The eighties wrecked a great band. "Love Stinks" - that was a great damn song. I linked to a live album that shows what those Boston boys could do.

Chic was nominated. I really, really didn't like disco. There's no way, after hearing this song bellowed by stupid pre-teens in the locker room after class, that I can say anything good here. Sorry.

Joe Tex was nominated. Classic soul music and a favorite of mine - "I Gotcha!"

The Sir Douglas Quintet was nominated. Try "Mendocino", "Wasted Days & Wasted Nights", "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone?" - you'll know it! Total Texas.

Musicians, industry professionals and journalists vote the results of which will be announced in December.

UPDATE: I should add that if the Sex Pistols end up in the Hall, this world is even more fucked up than a jaded little shit like me thought.

8 comments:

John Schramm said...

Love Stinks was a great album. All good songs.
NO ANCHOVIES, PLEASE

Anonymous said...

Cheap Trick has been eligable to be nominated for the RHF for the past 3 years and haven't been nominated. I think it is because they have been to mouthy about how screwed up the Record company system is. After having been forced to do some really stupid thing in the 80's they have the right to be pissed off. As for Patti Smith she is to talented to be in there. And she pushes to many peoples buttons.

LiVEwiRe said...

Love Iggy Pop... he's such a shit, isn't he?! And I, too, remember when Rapture came out... it was soooo different. I actually loved it and everyone just looked at me like I was smoking crack. Which no one even knew of then, but you get the idea. I live about an hour East of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. One of my favorite things in there are George Clinton's Atomic Dog slippers...lol!

Anonymous said...

Um, why did we not talk music in Chicago???

Well, you did mention my Pixies shirt...

Jen Jordan said...

There is never enough time at Bouchercon. It's a time warp every single time.

I am a music hound and would have yapped your ear if if we'd really gotten into major music talk.

SMASHED said...

"UPDATE: I should add that if the Sex Pistols end up in the Hall, this world is even more fucked up than a jaded little shit like me thought."

I agree! Rotten is as rotten does!

Anonymous said...

Not only were the Sex Pistols pre-fab, but they where also put together by Malcolm Mclaren to perform before fashion shows and promote his shop by wearing the shops clothes. So not only are they prefab, but they are a marketing tool. Talk about poseres. There is also a rummor that Dee Dee Ramones pee'd in Johnny Rottons bear the first time the Ramones toured England

Jen Jordan said...

The idea of Rotton sucking up a beer full of Ramone pee will keep me happy for the rest of the day.