The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame nominees for 2014 are in and the list is a bit of a stunner for those of us not quite ready to face the fact that bands we grew up listening to have actually been around the requisite 25 years to gain consideration.
Here are our thoughts on each of this year's nominees and which FIVE stand the best chance of getting in:
Nirvana - IN
It's a slam dunk, considering that this is the band to last change the face of rock & roll, breathing new life into a slumping music industry. Sadly, part of me thinks that when Kurt Cobain died, rock & roll died with him. More accurately, Nirvana splashed paint on the last remaining blank space on a mostly-filled rock & roll canvas spanning five decades. It's been 22 years since Nevermind came out, but it still seems like a lot of bands are trying to be a Nirvana, albeit one on steroids.
Kiss - IN
ABOUT FUCKING TIME. Of course, this is only a nomination at this juncture, but if they don't get in, there will be an uprising that will make the L.A. riots like a church picnic. Lots of old guys in make-up, but the pyrotechnics will be amazing. They really should have gone into the RRHOF on the very first ballot, seing how absolutely influential this band has been. Next to the Beatles, no other band is more responsible for enticing multiple generations of young kids to pick up instruments and start their own bands. Plus, they were groundbreaking in a visual and marketing sense, not to mention that a few of those early albums are actually pretty good. Destroyer and Love Gun are to many what Rubber Soul and Revolver had been to their parents.
The Replacements - OUT
I hope with all of my being that I'm wrong about this one. As much as they were an influence on countless bands and deserve to go in on the first ballot, they've never wanted to be a part of any club that would have them. Maybe that sentiment is what'll make it very easy for a selection committee to say, "Eh". Ah, who am I kidding? They were on Sire, which was headed by Seymour Stein, who is now a notable RRHOF committee member. Plus, everybody wants an all-star jam featuring KISS and the Mats.
Hall and Oates - IN
This one is sooo overdue. Forget the songs and albums that we all know and love, there is so much genius to be found in their early albums for those who care to listen. Abandoned Luncheonette, Beauty On A Back Street, Along The Red Ledge, each an amazing album that completely embodies a time when the barriers of rock and soul often overlapped. Still not convinced? Listen to Voices and witness the exact moment that they hit upon the, dare we say, formula that would propel them to the top of the charts for much of the '80s. On a side note, those making fun of John Oates for being short and not doing anything are totally missing the fact that he looks like Cheech Marin in the above video.
Paul Butterfield Blues Band - OUT
Their greatness notwithstanding, this is an odd addition to an otherwise stellar list. I just don't see them elevating the ceremony by getting in, but if they are owed a favor or Seymour Stein is a big fan, they could get in.
Chic - IN
This is, what, their third time being nominated? Wow, you wanna talk about influential. A band with just Nile Rodgers would be an amazing band but this one also had Bernard Edwards. Add established funk drummer Tony Thompson and a stunningly beautiful singer by the name of Norma Jean Wright to the mix and you have a band that remains just as groovy and funky as when we first heard them in 1977. Those already familiar with the classic early Chic records, should check out Norma Jean, the "solo album" cut by Wright and the rest of the band immediately following the massive success of their debut. It's essentially the band's second album.
Deep Purple - OUT
For all of their greatness, these guys are the Charlie Brown and Rodney Dangerfield rolled into one. They should be held in the same high regard as Black Sabbath, if you ask me, but they never seemed to get the respect they deserved. Maybe that's starting to change, as I swear that I've been hearing their songs in those new Ford commercials, but is it enough to get them into the Hall?
Peter Gabriel - OUT
This guy has always marched to his own drum. He's a maverick. Would there by a Roxy Music without Peter Gabriel first dressing as a flower? His solo career has flown at a pretty high altitude for many years without Gabriel making a single artistic concession. Sure, he let the record company call the album "So", but that album alone warrants induction into the Hall of Fame and anyone who disagrees has simply not heard the album.
LL Cool J - IN
A rap act will get in, no two ways about it, but will they induct two in the year? I'm not so sure these aging music industry heavyweights have it in them, so, of the two, LL Cool J gets in. Despite his attempts to prove otherwise (Mama Said Knock You Out and what appears to be a lifetime membership to 24 Hour Fitness) he always seemed like a lightweight to be. Having said that, I can't deny the impact he had on the mainstream rap community.
N.W.A. - OUT
Second time nominated for this pivotal West Coast rap act. The impact on the underground rap community made by Straight Outta Compton was seismic. It was so huge that its influence was felt by the mainstream rap community, who were now forced to toughen up their act or be forgotten (and why LL was essentially forced to make Mama Said Knock You Out). They were the first rap act to provide a 100% real, unadulterated snapshot of the urban Beirut that was (and is) South Central L.A.. Listening to the album 25 years later, it still unfolds like a movie and bursts aflame with an adrenalin-filled intensity. Like the Sex Pistols, they prove sometimes it only takes one album to make your mark. They deserve to get in, but LL will get the nod. Hope I'm wrong.
Link Wray - OUT
I think more people know the name than they know what the name means, even so, the man deserves his own fast lane into the RRHOF for inventing the "power chord". But he just doesn't have the massive catalog of hits to warrant entrance into the Hall, if you ask me.
The Meters - OUT
Let's face it, the Meters are New Orleans. Though they never seemed to get their just due in the mainstream, their influence is felt far and wide. They still don't quite get in, though.
Linda Ronstadt - OUT
She's already gone on-record saying she doesn't care one way or the other if she gets in, but she's also suffering from a serious illness that makes her unable to sing anymore. She should be inducted based on her first two albums alone. Everyting after that was just a hat that she tried on in hopes of continuing her chart success. As it became more and more evident, she became less and less regarded, but
Cat Stevens, Yes and the Zombies, all worthy picks, just don't have the necessary OOMPH to warrant induction. Having said that, they all belong in the Hall, especially my beloved The Zombies.
Here are our thoughts on each of this year's nominees and which FIVE stand the best chance of getting in:
Nirvana - IN
It's a slam dunk, considering that this is the band to last change the face of rock & roll, breathing new life into a slumping music industry. Sadly, part of me thinks that when Kurt Cobain died, rock & roll died with him. More accurately, Nirvana splashed paint on the last remaining blank space on a mostly-filled rock & roll canvas spanning five decades. It's been 22 years since Nevermind came out, but it still seems like a lot of bands are trying to be a Nirvana, albeit one on steroids.
Kiss - IN
ABOUT FUCKING TIME. Of course, this is only a nomination at this juncture, but if they don't get in, there will be an uprising that will make the L.A. riots like a church picnic. Lots of old guys in make-up, but the pyrotechnics will be amazing. They really should have gone into the RRHOF on the very first ballot, seing how absolutely influential this band has been. Next to the Beatles, no other band is more responsible for enticing multiple generations of young kids to pick up instruments and start their own bands. Plus, they were groundbreaking in a visual and marketing sense, not to mention that a few of those early albums are actually pretty good. Destroyer and Love Gun are to many what Rubber Soul and Revolver had been to their parents.
The Replacements - OUT
I hope with all of my being that I'm wrong about this one. As much as they were an influence on countless bands and deserve to go in on the first ballot, they've never wanted to be a part of any club that would have them. Maybe that sentiment is what'll make it very easy for a selection committee to say, "Eh". Ah, who am I kidding? They were on Sire, which was headed by Seymour Stein, who is now a notable RRHOF committee member. Plus, everybody wants an all-star jam featuring KISS and the Mats.
Hall and Oates - IN
This one is sooo overdue. Forget the songs and albums that we all know and love, there is so much genius to be found in their early albums for those who care to listen. Abandoned Luncheonette, Beauty On A Back Street, Along The Red Ledge, each an amazing album that completely embodies a time when the barriers of rock and soul often overlapped. Still not convinced? Listen to Voices and witness the exact moment that they hit upon the, dare we say, formula that would propel them to the top of the charts for much of the '80s. On a side note, those making fun of John Oates for being short and not doing anything are totally missing the fact that he looks like Cheech Marin in the above video.
Paul Butterfield Blues Band - OUT
Their greatness notwithstanding, this is an odd addition to an otherwise stellar list. I just don't see them elevating the ceremony by getting in, but if they are owed a favor or Seymour Stein is a big fan, they could get in.
Chic - IN
This is, what, their third time being nominated? Wow, you wanna talk about influential. A band with just Nile Rodgers would be an amazing band but this one also had Bernard Edwards. Add established funk drummer Tony Thompson and a stunningly beautiful singer by the name of Norma Jean Wright to the mix and you have a band that remains just as groovy and funky as when we first heard them in 1977. Those already familiar with the classic early Chic records, should check out Norma Jean, the "solo album" cut by Wright and the rest of the band immediately following the massive success of their debut. It's essentially the band's second album.
Deep Purple - OUT
For all of their greatness, these guys are the Charlie Brown and Rodney Dangerfield rolled into one. They should be held in the same high regard as Black Sabbath, if you ask me, but they never seemed to get the respect they deserved. Maybe that's starting to change, as I swear that I've been hearing their songs in those new Ford commercials, but is it enough to get them into the Hall?
Peter Gabriel - OUT
This guy has always marched to his own drum. He's a maverick. Would there by a Roxy Music without Peter Gabriel first dressing as a flower? His solo career has flown at a pretty high altitude for many years without Gabriel making a single artistic concession. Sure, he let the record company call the album "So", but that album alone warrants induction into the Hall of Fame and anyone who disagrees has simply not heard the album.
LL Cool J - IN
A rap act will get in, no two ways about it, but will they induct two in the year? I'm not so sure these aging music industry heavyweights have it in them, so, of the two, LL Cool J gets in. Despite his attempts to prove otherwise (Mama Said Knock You Out and what appears to be a lifetime membership to 24 Hour Fitness) he always seemed like a lightweight to be. Having said that, I can't deny the impact he had on the mainstream rap community.
N.W.A. - OUT
Second time nominated for this pivotal West Coast rap act. The impact on the underground rap community made by Straight Outta Compton was seismic. It was so huge that its influence was felt by the mainstream rap community, who were now forced to toughen up their act or be forgotten (and why LL was essentially forced to make Mama Said Knock You Out). They were the first rap act to provide a 100% real, unadulterated snapshot of the urban Beirut that was (and is) South Central L.A.. Listening to the album 25 years later, it still unfolds like a movie and bursts aflame with an adrenalin-filled intensity. Like the Sex Pistols, they prove sometimes it only takes one album to make your mark. They deserve to get in, but LL will get the nod. Hope I'm wrong.
Link Wray - OUT
I think more people know the name than they know what the name means, even so, the man deserves his own fast lane into the RRHOF for inventing the "power chord". But he just doesn't have the massive catalog of hits to warrant entrance into the Hall, if you ask me.
The Meters - OUT
Let's face it, the Meters are New Orleans. Though they never seemed to get their just due in the mainstream, their influence is felt far and wide. They still don't quite get in, though.
Linda Ronstadt - OUT
She's already gone on-record saying she doesn't care one way or the other if she gets in, but she's also suffering from a serious illness that makes her unable to sing anymore. She should be inducted based on her first two albums alone. Everyting after that was just a hat that she tried on in hopes of continuing her chart success. As it became more and more evident, she became less and less regarded, but
Cat Stevens, Yes and the Zombies, all worthy picks, just don't have the necessary OOMPH to warrant induction. Having said that, they all belong in the Hall, especially my beloved The Zombies.
What about Yes? They are more deserving than LL Cool J
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