Random Thoughts On The Rock Hall, The End Of Summer And A Good Cause

Random Thoughts On The Rock Hall, The End Of Summer And A Good Cause:

On The Rock Hall debate….
I want to thank everyone (and there were hundreds) who took the time to email me about last week’s story on the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees and I have to tell you, people are pissed off.

I was going to do another story this week on the subject as an open letter to the committee but the more I research this, the madder I get so I am going to wait until the finalist are announced and with what I find out, I’ll put it all out there for you.

Just a couple of things I found out and don’t want to wait and have to get off my chest. Some of these members who hold themselves in such high esteem (ie: Robert Hilburn - LA Times music critic) don’t even bother to go to the nomination meeting and I’m sure there are others who didn’t bother to go but Bob made it public last week “tweeting” about it. Hey Bob, don’t complain about who the 12 finalists are if you don’t think it’s important enough to attend the meeting not just this year but the past several years. Here is his comment to futurerocklegends.com (a very cool site that I came across and covers the Rock Hall process) about this “unable to attend ny meetings in recent years; sent my choices to the chairman. so don't know how debate went this time”.

Bob if you can’t be there to advocate for your choices then RESIGN. Let someone that cares enough about their choices and feels strong enough about them come in and take your place. I know you said “Here are Rock candidates I would have preferred: Lou Reed, the Replacements, Gram Parsons, Tom Waits, Kraftwerk, Randy Newman, NY Dolls” but it wasn’t important enough for you to even go and voice your opinion so you know what, you get to vote for ABBA this year as you said you were going to.

If you guys on the committee feel as several have stated “keep seeing tweets about disco, punk, soul etc not being valid for rock hall--not true. the hall should embrace the great acts of rock era” and “The Rock Hall uses the word rock in the broadest possible definition, which makes a lot of sense” then as you embrace disco artists, rap artists, etc which performed during this “rock era” and this is the criteria you are using then where are the country artists such as Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson (true songwriters) or vocal artists such as Sinatra, Streisand, Dean Martin. Why are they not being considered based on your own criteria? During this time period they were as important to music as any artist out there. Look I love Willie, Frank and Dean but do they belong in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?.....No! But under your strange rationalization your telling me Donna Summer had a bigger impact on music than Frank Sinatra or LL Cool J was a bigger influence than Willie Nelson let alone artists that actually should be in the Hall Of Fame such as Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, Leon Russell, Stevie Ray Vaughan, etc. That is actually what you are saying to us with your nominations. You are so arbitrary with what you deem to be “important” in music and how and who you make your choices for, it absolutely makes no sense.

Remember it’s only Rock And Roll.

It’s great to get comments from the readers like “keep up the fight”, “you are right on about this”, “you’re speaking for all of us”, “Thank you” because at times you don’t know if it is just you (or the voices in your head!) or is this how others feel (Except for Bob The Cop who let’s me know very strongly how he feels each week!). I will keep up the fight alongside people like Bob (The Cop not Hilburn) because this process they using and who is on this committee, is just wrong.

______________________________________

On The End Of Summer….
Now that summer is gone, the Browns are officially eliminated from the playoffs (they are aren’t they?), the Indians AAA team is playing out the season at the Jake (I can’t get myself to say The Prog) and I just don’t care about the Cavs (what is everyone in Cleveland going to do next year when he is wearing someone else’s jersey) I have time on my hands so my good friend Matt from addictedtovinyl.com has a great feature on his site called the “Monday Morning Mix Tape” where you can submit your version of the old mix tape everyone used to make. It can have a theme, no theme, random songs or just whatever you like. Just put together your music for everyone to see.

I started mine to submit and it is “The End Of Summer” with songs that just remind me of summer days when I hear them. They don’t have “summer” in the title, they just have something that sparks some hidden memory for me. These are the songs I turn the radio up with the top down on the Jeep on those warm summer nights. So far I got Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison), Three Little Birds (Bob Marley), Grand River Lullaby (Alex Bevan), I’m Your Captain (Grand Funk), Baby Blue (Badfinger), Two Of Us (Beatles), My Whole World Ended (David Ruffin), Gimme Gimme Good Lovin (Crazy Elephant), Two Lane Highway (Pure Prairie League), Out In The Country (Three Dog Night), Got To Give It Up (Marvin Gaye), Time Won’t Let Me (The Outsiders), 6th Avenue Heartache (The Wallflowers), Ripple (Grateful Dead), Trick Of The Tail (Genesis).

Wow, what an eclectic mix. I swear I picked these “not under the influence”. That’s my Mix Tape so far. Now I just got to figure out which order to put them on the CD. Let me know your mix tape and make sure to send them into Matt.

_____________________________________

On Doing A Good Thing….
On October 10th Michael Stanley and Alex Bevan, two of Cleveland’s beloved musicians are doing a benefit at the Beachland Ballroom for the organization Roots Of American Music (ROAM). ROAM is a non-profit organization that focuses on presenting and preserving roots music (Blues, Jazz, Bluegrass, Folk) and using the music as a academic vehicle to help kids reach their benchmarks and educational goals.

This show features these two great artists for the first time ever together doing an intimate all-acoustic show of their best loved songs along with the stories and tales of their colorful careers.

So think about it readers, you get a great night of music and you get to do something good for the community and for a great cause.
Call Roots Of American Music at 216-321-9353 or visit http://www.rootsofamericanmusic.com/ for benefit reservations or www.beachlandballroom.com.

Well that’s it for this week. Let me know what you think good or bad of my random thoughts at bear@clevelandrockandroll.com.

Nuff said, least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

The Rock Hall Induction Committee Steps Into It Again

Today the Rock And Hall Induction Committee announced their list of finalists for the 2010 Class for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and as we say year in, year out….What were they thinking?

The finalists are the Red Hot Chili Peppers, LL Cool J, Kiss, Genesis, The Stooges, Donna Summer, ABBA, Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, The Chantels, The Hollies, and Jimmy Cliff.

I would like to know. Which member of the Induction Committee stood up and argued as the advocate for ABBA? Seriously!

Can we see some problems here?

By looking at the list, you can almost imagine the conversations in the room when you see a Genesis alongside Donna Summer or Kiss next to Darlene Love or The Hollies beside LL Cool J. Each of these artists have someone nominate them, argue for them and make deals to get them on that final list. “I’ll vote for Kiss if you vote for ABBA.”. Is this the way an artist should be honored?

By looking at the list and seeing Genesis (eligible since 1993 and first time on ballot), Kiss (eligible since 1999 and first time on the ballot), The Hollies (eligible since 1989 and again first time on ballot) it is like they said amongst themselves “We better put some classic rock bands on the list or we’ll get crucified in the press again.” Dave Marsh, a member of the Induction committee, was quoted last year about Kiss “Kiss is not a great band, Kiss was never a great band, Kiss never will be a great band, and I have done my share to keep them off the ballot.” Then when pressed on the Kiss issue by City Scoops Magazine he responded by email “I oppose Kiss because I think it was a shitty rock band, not worthy of induction. What else is there to say?”

Then why are they on the ballot now Dave?

You know what Gene Simmons response was? “There are disco bands, rap bands, Yiddish folk song bands in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but not Kiss. I believe we have more gold records in Americathan any other group, but it’s OK.”

No it’s not Gene. (Bear’s Note: As my readers know, I am not a huge Kiss fan, I like a couple of songs but to not acknowledge their impact on music in general is a travesty)
Little Steve Van Zandt of The E Street Band and a member of the Induction Committee in the new issue of Rolling Stone is quoted as saying “There's dozens and dozens of early rock & roll groups that should be in. I notice a bias toward the post-art-form rock critics' sensibility as opposed to the pre-art-form rock & roll sensibility. That's why I had so much difficulty getting the Rascals and the Dave Clark Five in. We'll probably never get Paul Revere and the Raiders in. Anybody who didn't eventually get into Important Personal Lyrics is not regarded seriously. It's very difficult for me to justify the Talking Heads being in the Hall of Fame before the Hollies, or Michael Jackson being in before Johnny Burnette.

Now there’s some insight into the process folks!

It is like they are trying to placate us by throwing us a bone here folks. Don’t get overexcited by seeing Kiss or Genesis, The Hollies, Jimmy Cliff, or The Stooges being on this list. Remember in the end, they don’t have to vote for them and only 5 of these bands will get in. So throwing us the bone now maybe lessens the blow later when we see Donna Summer get it.

As Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee Madonna put it so clearly when she learned she was inducted "I heard about it and I kind of felt ambivalent, like, 'What is that, the place they put musical dinosaurs?' ".

Committee Members and Rock Hall Voters….Nice Job! This is who you honor by putting them into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?

Last spring we did a poll on http://www.clevelandrockandroll.com/ (here is the link for the archived story http://clevelandrockandroll.blogspot.com/2009/03/votes-are-in-readers-vote-on-hall-of.html) and the Top 10 bands the fans wanted to see inducted were Rush, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Kiss, Genesis, Doobie Brother, Heart, Jethro Tull, ELO, Cheap Trick. You know what they all have in common, not one disco song among them!

Looking at this list and based on the past voting here’s how I see the Class Of 2010. LL Cool J, Donna Summer, Jimmy Cliff, The Stooges and The Chantels. Next in line would be the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

No Genesis, No Hollies and it seems if Dave Marsh has his way NO KISS!

Sad is all I can say, hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think so. The real rock fans just don’t seem to matter.

Maybe next year Stevie Ray……..

Nuff said, least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

Beatles Rock Band or The Decline and Fall Of Civilization

Okay maybe the title is a little strong, exaggerated, maybe even over the top but………

This past week it seemed every time I turned on the television, two things hit me on the screen. 1. A commercial for Jay Leno’s new show and 2. the commercial for the Beatles Rock Band game.

My opinion, (and you are reading my column, whose opinion would it be?) I have to tell you something. 1. Leno’s show is going to suck no matter how much promotion NBC gives it and 2. Is that Beatles commercial the creepiest thing you have ever seen!

It is well known here that I am a Beatles fan, love the Beatles but come on, the cut ins of John especially in that commercial are really creepy. Do you think with the millions of feet of footage available of the Beatles they could not come up with a better image of John to use? It looks like a commercial that 7 year old doing the Windows commercial would do on her laptop cutting and pasting and telling us “I’m 7 and I’m a PC and I just did a Beatles commercial”

Okay, enough about the commercial. The real problem I have here is with the game itself or the whole genre of Rock Band and Guitar Hero games. When this first came out I originally thought it was pretty cool that the gaming industry was bringing gamers into the music world but what it seems to be doing now is losing a generation of musicians.

What do I mean? I have seen so many kids playing these games that they think playing guitar is simply pressing a series of plastic buttons on the neck, that’s all you have to do. I had a friend that was showing me the game one day and was flying thru “Welcome To The Jungle” by Guns N Roses, I mean flying thru it! The way he was acting you thought Slash was in the room with me. When he was done, he looked at me with a huge grin on his face, sweat rolling off and said “What do you think, cool huh!” I just looked at him with a blank stare and reached over and handed him one of my guitars lined up against the wall and said “Now play it, that’ll impress me.”

This guy spent weeks, months playing this game. Learning the songs or should I say learning which button to press to be a rock god. You know the worst thing; his kids are the same way with the game.

How about this for a novel idea parents. Buy them a real guitar to play on! Sign them up for lessons! If the kids I know spent the time they did learning how to play this game on a real guitar, we would have a whole new generation of Eddie Van Halens. Maybe I’m becoming an old “fuddy duddy” (wow, I just used the words “fuddy duddy” in a story. Man I am getting old!) but in my day (double wow, I just said “in my day” in a story, I am channeling my father here folks!) a game system didn’t replace the real thing, whether it was playing baseball, football or being a rock musician!

Remember your first guitar? The one where the strings were so high off the frets that your fingers bleed trying to push them down to play a single note but you kept coming back and you built up the calluses and you got better guitars as you got better and the next thing you knew you were playing in your first band. How cool was that!

Now you can have your first band without ever learning to play a note. Play guitar, bass, drums and microphone without a single music lesson. (Can someone explain to me…. How the hell do you play microphone? Do you fake singing? Is it like a Brittney Spears concert?)

What could be better for your kids in this day and age? The new life lessons…No work, no sacrifice, no commitment. Just turn on the game and be a rock star…Does fake tattoos come in the box also?

Nuff said….least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

Taking The Speakers For A Test Drive

A couple of months ago I went to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for a talk on Springsteen with my good buddy Matt from addictedtovinyl.com. Sitting in the hall for the couple of hours I was there, what stuck with me most wasn’t the great history of Springsteen’s career, but “man I need to upgrade my sound system”


Now I’ve been wanting to change up my audio system for awhile but just been putting it off, because simply it is a pain in the ass.


The problem is 1. When you try out speakers in an audio store, nothing ever sounds as good as it does at the store. 2. Most speakers can sound great with certain types of music but get lost with others. 3. The biggest hassle, the salesman who thinks he knows what you like more than you do. So how do you get around these problems?

First I make them move the speakers from their acoustically perfect sound room and move them in the general show room. This way the acoustics are closer to what I would hear when I bring them home. Second I bring my own CD (or vinyl at a really, really good store!) to test drive the speakers. This also eliminates problem #3 as the salesman is virtually eliminated and I can listen to the speakers in peace.


I don’t want to hear just any song or album to test drive the speakers. I want to hear certain parts of songs. The parts that are real genius, the parts that make your hair stand up on your arm. It’s that parts that make you love the music as a whole.


So what are the song parts needed to test drive the speakers.


First I want to try out a couple of my favorite songs just to get a feel of the speakers.
There’s No Way Out Of Here (David Gilmour) – Tough song for a speaker to reproduce without sounding muddled in spots where it should sound rich and full.

Dirty Work (Steely Dan) – Again another song that should be rich and full while the chorus, horns and keyboards should be clean and sharp.

Baby Blue (Badfinger) - The first 1 minute has enough changes to give the speakers a start and just a fun rock song that's one of my favorites.


Now lets test out the vocals.
Fly Me To The Moon (Live) (Frank Sinatra) – Live At The Sands is Sinatra at his best. Clear, crisp. A great sound recording. I’ll listen to the first 25-30 seconds where he transitions from talking to the first couple bars of the song. You’ll know if the speaker can handle it very quickly.

I Can’t Make You Love Me (Bonnie Raitt) – Bonnie’s voice is like butter on this song and that’s the way it should sound, like it’s being poured out of the speakers.

Into The Mystic (Van Morrison) – The speakers better make it sound like Van’s in the room with me. They’ll be playing a lot of him!

Death On Two Legs (Queen) – skip to about a minute in to hear if Freddy’s vocal range. Should be driven hard.

How about the other parts.
Starman (David Bowie) – First the acoustic guitars, then the great transition from the drum roll to Bowies voice in the first 20 seconds. Three distinct sounds.

Save Room (John Legend) – The bass in the opening of this song is so over produced that most speakers distort. Terrible production on a great song.

Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd) – I want to hear if the speakers can reproduce the mistakes in the beginning. The cough, the sniffling on the song then Gilmour’s acoustic should just punch out of the speaker right after.

We Belong Together (Rickie Lee Jones) – This song has so many delicate hidden sounds in the first 30 seconds of it, it has to be tested out. Then around the 2:30 mark is one of the best drum parts I ever heard in a song that changes the dynamic of the song.

Couldn’t Stand The Weather (Stevie Ray Vaughn) – Close your eyes and listen to the first minute of the song. You should be able to actually visualize his fingers moving so smooth and effortlessly.

The E Street Shuffle (Bruce Springsteen) – right after the carnival horns, the guitar riff here is amazing then right into Bruce’s voice in his gravely best.

Badge (Cream) – Jack Bruce’s bass line in the first 15 seconds is all I need to hear.

Money (Pink Floyd) – Roger’s bass line in the beginning, same as Jack’s above, need to hear it.

Dance On A Volcano (Genesis) – The first 25 seconds of the song is a plethora of different sounds.

So Very Hard To Go (Tower Of Power) – It’s all about the horns!

I’m Your Captain (Grand Funk Railroad) – Love the first minute of the song. Farners guitar, Brewers drums coming in and not to be outdone, Schacher’s great bass riff all classics in the first 30 seconds of the song plus I want to hear all the mistakes including the engineers talking in the background. Listen closely!

Journey Of The Sorcerer (Eagles) – Just need a straight instrumental using a lot of different instruments to see if I can pick each one out.

You Shook Me All Night Long (AC/DC) – The speakers need to be able to just rock out and LOUD!

Let’s Stay Together (Al Green) – and they need to be soft and soulful at other times.

Okay I test drove um all and finally picked out a pair of vintage Voice Of The Theatres. Got them in the truck, got them home and now the hard part. Sneaking the new speakers past Mrs. Bear! She’ll never notice, they are only the size of a small car……


But hunny I need them for my job….Do you think that will work?


Nuff said…..least till next time.
Peace Out
Bear

Musical Footprints Parts 1 and 2

Sorry for not getting a new story up on the site this week but I have been recovering from surgery and simply put, it's kicking my butt!
So I decided to re-post two (actually Parts 1 and 2) of my favorite stories from the archives for some of my new readers that may have missed it and for my old readers, maybe you want to read it again.
Nuff said...least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

Musical Footprints or The Mix Tape Of Life - Originally Posted March 9, 2009

The other day when it was pouring outside I did as I usually do when bored, I put on a movie that I have watched so many times. I watched the great John Cusack movie "High Fidelity" and it rang true to me how music is a footprint of our lives.

Most of us listen to music daily. We listen to music when we wake up on our alarm clocks, while were getting ready for work, in our cars on the way to work, sometimes while at work, on the way home, when we get home and are cooking dinner, sitting in front of a roaring fireplace, on a plane with our ipods, working out, etc, etc, etc.



Music is always around us and for good times and bad we connect songs and bands to moments in our lives.
Musical footprints are everywhere in our lives. We might not even know we have them stored in our minds until a single moment when they are triggered when a song comes out of the blue on the radio, when a good feeling comes over us and we relate it to a song that we heard the last time we felt it or on the opposite when a song is related to a bad time in our lives. This is why music is so important to us and why we surround ourselves with it.

Every time I hear "Born To Run" it throws me back to Friday afternoons with Kid Leo's kicking off the weekends on WMMS as well as "Good Morning" by The Beatles as the wakeup call with Jeff and Flash in the mornings. When I'm out of town and Colbie Calliat comes on the radio I think of my wife because she plays the cd all the time and it makes me happy. "We Belong Together" by Rickie Lee Jones bring back memories of listening to it in the first house we lived in. "I Believe" by Stevie Wonder is pictures of my kids when they were little. "Just One Victory" by Todd Rundgren and "Magicians Birthday" by Uriah Heep take me back to the college dorms. "Captain Fantastic" takes me back to an old girl friend who stole my copy of the album back in 1975 that I would love to forget but can't (hey, can I at least have it back!). Marvin Gayes "Let's Get It On"..... well we'll leave that one alone.

These footprints can also change as new memories happen as a song is playing. "Comfortably Numb" use to have a totally different meaning to me but now when I hear it, it reminds me of seeing David Gilmour on his last tour with my son. We made the trip to Chicago and after the show, the first thing he did was call his college room mate and tell him "I just heard Comfortably Numb live!". This footprint changed because the importance of the footprint changed. I now relate it to the excitement and feeling my son had hearing the song live for the first time.

Our musical footprints can change like we used to do with our old cassette tapes. We record over them and over them, but some are so strong in our psyche that no matter what, for good or bad, they are there in back of our minds waiting to be released. They are our mix tape of life.

Enough writing, I think it's time to go put on "Let's Get It On"

Nuff said, at least till next week

Peace Out

Bear

Musical Footprints Part 2, Your Stories - Originally Posted March 16, 2009

I have to thank the readers here. When I hit on a subject you respond and respond you did. I had over 400 emails this week on this subject alone. The story (Musical Footnotes or The Mix Tape Of Life) was just a little thing about how when I hear a certain song it triggers memories for me and it registered with you also. That is why I am posting Part 2, using your stories.



Just a note here on the stories below. I emailed everyone back and asked their permission first before publishing their stories. Most said "sure go ahead" others were not sure about the statue of limitations!

Most of the ones sent in were funny but some were sad. I did not post the stories where the songs reminded the reader of a loss of a loved one as It seemed personal and I didn't want to bring that back to them in print.

So go ahead and enjoy, maybe some will trigger a new musical footnote of your own. If it does send it to me. There might be a Musical Footprints 3. I definitely have enough material!

"Rockin Down The Highway by The Doobie Brothers" Every time I hear it, it reminds me of going cross country with 2 of my high school buddies and the tape got eaten by the tape deck in Oklahoma. 400 more miles to go and no tunes. (Frank from Bay Village)

"I Love You More Today Than Yesterday by Spiral Staircase" My husband played in a band in the early 70s and that is how I met him. He sang it to me then and on our 30th wedding anniversary he surprised me by having the band to play it and he got up and sang it to me there. (Sue from Mayfield Village)

"Reflections Of My Life by Marmalade" My first girlfriend, if you could call it that in the 5th grade broke up with me and I remember playing that 45 over and over until my older brother broke it in half. God I hate that song! (Mark from Columbus)

"Boogie Shoes by KC and the Sunshine Band" Going out with my girlfriends to the Cosmopolitan and dancing every Saturday night (Nancy from Mentor)

"Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac" It reminds me of a summer vacation boyfriend in Myrtle Beach. It was only 2 weeks, but a great 2 weeks (Gina from Cleveland)

"Dancing In The Moonlight by King Harvest" Bonfires, drinking wine and dancing in the moonlight, It was great being young (Susan from Avon Lake)

"Melissa by The Allman Brothers" It used to be my favorite song by them but now every time I hear it I'm reminded of that stupid phone commercial! I’ll never buy one of their phones after ruining that song. (Chuck from Toledo)

"Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana" Brings back memories of high school and wanting to get out of there. Seeing the video on MTV for the first time, I related to the people in it. Now I see it and think, I really should have washed my hair and showered more (Mike from Canton)

"Give Me Just A Little More Time by Chairman Of The Board" A girl named Theresa who played it on the jukebox all the time. Every time I hear it her face still pops into my head. (Michael from University Hts)

"Rockin Into The Night by 38 Special" Cruising from bar to bar on the weekends with my friends. This song was always on the tape we played. (Alan from Kent)

"Paradise By The Dashboard Light by Meatloaf" My ex wife. That song could have been the story of our whole life. (Kurt from Cleveland)

You can tell a lot of my readers are from Cleveland as a lot of Cleveland bands and their songs were mentioned, here is a few:

"Tonight by The Raspberries" Anna Marie P_________., what a girl! (Dom from Little Italy) Note: I took out Anna Maries last name, just in case she's reading this

Waste A Little Time On Me by Michael Stanley Band" Stage Pass. I remember being at the Agora when they recorded it and when the album came out. I love that album. Do you think Jonah still has those suspenders he wore on the album? (Marcy from Westlake)

"Skinny Little Boy by Alex Bevan" Seeing him play at the Agora for the Christmas Coffee Break Concerts. It was such a great time in my life. (Alice from Tremont)

"Grand River Lullaby by Alex Bevan" Having Alex play it twice one night at my old bar Cafe Rock because it is my wife's favorite song (Bear - I had to put my own Alex moment in)

"Go All The Way by The Raspberries" The Friday night dances at Marymount High School. Catholic school girls and the Raspberries were always a hit for a 15yr old guy. (Tom from Garfield Hts)

"Stop Wait And Listen by Circus" This song takes me back to the school dances every time I hear it. (Mary from Bedford)

"Funky Poodle by Wild Horses" I put on the Pride Of Cleveland album a few months ago and when Funky Poodle came on it took me right back seeing Billy and the boys playing around the Cleveland bars (Dennis from Cleveland Hts)

Weddings were a big theme for a lot of readers, some very cool choices also:

"Come And Get Your Love by Redbone" It was our first dance at our wedding. (Brenda from Wooster)

"Into The Mystic by Van Morrison" Our wedding song. A little different but so are we. (Erin from Cleveland)

"Always And Forever by Heatwave" It was our wedding song. (Pam from Painesville)
"Get Ready by Rare Earth" It was our wedding dance song. a very cool wedding! (Angela from Mayfield)

"In A Little While by Uncle Kracker" Our first dance at our wedding. (Mark from Lakewood)
"Sweet Child Of Mine by Guns And Roses" She picked it for our first dance at our wedding. (Bob from Cleveland)

"You're My Best Friend by Queen" Our first song we danced to at our wedding. She was right in picking it, she is still my best friend. (Ryan from Chagrin Falls)

"White Wedding Day by Billy Idol" He picked it for our wedding dance. Might be why it didn't last! (Sally from Twinsburg)

There were some other themes that are not hard to figure out:

"The Wanderer by Donna Summer" The first stripper I ever saw, this was playing at the Crazy Horse. (Don from Cleveland)

"Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard" The Crazy Horse. They played this all the time in the late 80's. (Sam from Parma)

"Cherry Pie by Warrant" Reminds me of Tiffanys downtown whenever I hear it. (Tony from Berea)

"One Toke Over The Line by Brewer And Shipley" What else do you think it reminds me of. (Tommy from South Euclid)

"Up On Cripple Creek by The Band" Me and my buddies used to get together on Saturdays. We used to put the album on, roll a couple and the next thing I remember it would be Monday. (Jim from Cincinnati)

"Brain Damage by Pink Floyd" It reminds me of listening to Dark Side Of The Moon at the Pink Floyd light show they used to have at Geauga Lake and just being toasted and sitting in the stands and staring into space with the lights and music all around us. (Bruce from Hudson)

"Panama Red by New Riders Of The Purple Sage" Being able to actually buy Panama Red. The good old days. (Mort from Cleveland)

"Maggot Brain by Funkadelics" They used to play it every Friday at midnight on WMMS, Driving around with by buddies. It would come on and it was time to roll another one. (Phil from Parma)

"Fins by Jimmy Buffett" Summers at Blossom. (Paula from Bath Twp)

"Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett" Blossom in the summer. What a party. (Mike from Medina)

"Cheeseburger In Paradise by Jimmy Buffett" Blossom every summer. (Mark from Akron)

"Let's Get Drunk And Screw by Jimmy Buffett" The parties at Blossom. (Allison from Cleveland)

And one song that became legendary in Cleveland history:

"Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen"

.....Kid Leo and Fridays (Dave from Long Island, NY, formally Cleveland)

.....Kid Leo and WMMS. You knew the weekend started when you heard it. (Owen from Parma)

.....The weekend started when you heard Murray Saul and The Boss (Billy from Cleveland)

.....WMMS. The buzzard was the place to tune to on Friday afternoons (Ralph from Geneva)

.....Kid Leo and MMS. I still get that great feeling. I miss Cleveland (Susan from Nashville, TN)

.....The Get Downs from Murray. I couldn't wait to hear what he had to say. (Rick from North Royalton)

.....The right way to start the weekend. The Boss. (Frank from Slavic Village)

.....The Kid and The Boss. What else would you think of. (Dave from Strongsville

Nuff said, At least til next week
Peace Out
Bear

An Open Letter To The Rock Hall Induction Committee

To: Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Committee
Fr: Rock And Roll Fans everywhere

Ladies and Gentlemen,
It’s just a month away before the 30 or so of you get together and throw out your picks on who gets into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2010 so I am asking, no begging you, please look to our past and get some of the greats you have overlooked into the hall. I can’t figure out your reasoning on your past nominations but now is the time to right the wrongs and honor the greats that have been passed over year after year. So please, pull your heads out of your …..., no I won’t go that far. How about just think about us when placing your vote, the true rock fans.

Sincerely
Rock Fans Across The World

Next month the secretive society (well not really anymore. Click Here to see the list of voters courtesy of futurerocklegends.com) we call the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Nominating Committee will meet and argue, wheel and deal, and whatever else they do to get who they put up for nomination into the hallowed halls of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

How all this all goes about, we don’t know.

Who nominates Chic every year, we don’t know.

Who the hell votes for Chic every year to get them to the final list the past couple of years, we sure as hell don’t know.

This I do know, the fact that they continue to overlook bands such as Genesis, Rush, Yes, Deep Purple, Electric Light Orchestra, Alice Cooper, Kiss, The Doobie Brothers, Todd Rundgren, Steve Miller Band, Emerson Lake And Palmer, Faces, Gram Parsons, The Hollies, J. Geils Band, Lou Reed, The Moody Blues, Peter Gabriel (with or without Genesis), Heart, Three Dog Night, Blood Sweat And Tears, Steve Winwood, Tom Waits, etc, etc, etc…. makes you wonder, what the hell do they talk about in their secret meetings. It can’t be rock and roll.

Before the Induction Ceremony this year I put a poll on the website and the music fans that visit http://www.clevelandrockandroll.com/ responded in surprisingly huge numbers. They voted and they want to see inducted into the Hall Of Fame in order:

1. Rush
2. Stevie Ray Vaughan
3. Kiss
4. Genesis
5. Alice Cooper
6. Doobie Brothers
7. Heart
8. Electric Light Orchestra
9. Jethro Tull
10. Cheap Trick
Now, personally I am not a big fan of some on the list but I can’t argue with anyone of the Top Ten getting the nod but will they?

I don’t know, probably not!

Artists such as Chic, Run DMC, Grandmaster Flash, Earth Wind And Fire, Madonna and others keep getting nominated and even inducted over those older “classic rock” artists. It seems a trend with this committee is emerging. They are going away from rock, punk, and metal of the past and toward “popular music” artists representing disco, dance, and rap. There also seems to be a trend of “newer is better”. How does John Mellencamp get in before Steve Winwood, Leon Russell or Todd Rundgren or how does Metallica get in before Deep Purple? Now don’t get me wrong, I think Metallica should be in the Hall, but come on, before Deep Purple? Even James Hetfield in his induction speech went on a rant about the innovators of the past that should have been in the Hall already like Deep Purple, Rush, Judas Priest, Kiss, Motorhead, and Thin Lizzy.

You know who is up for nomination this year? Whitney Houston….

Do I think she will get nominated? Yes.

Do I think she will get inducted? Absolutely

Do I think she belongs in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? Hell no but she seems to be exactly the type of artist the committee loves and wants in the hall. She was a money making machine for the record industry right along the lines of Madonna, how could they not vote her in with the logic they have used in the past.

I am starting to think Madison Avenue should be represented on the committee. Why? Have you listened to commercials lately on television? They are like listening to a classic rock station at times. ELO, ELP, Moody Blues, George Thorogood, Grand Funk Railroad, The Cars, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Deep Purple, Bad Company, Canned Heat, Donovan, Edgar Winter, Faces, Jethro Tull, Rare Earth, and Styx to name just a few are the soundtracks for the commercials Madison Avenue throws at us daily. Why do they do this? Because even they know these are classic songs from classic bands that we love and guess what, none of these bands are in the Hall Of Fame. Is Madison Avenue smarter than the so called music experts on the committee? I am starting to think so.

Scott Rowley, the editor of the U.K.-based magazine Classic Rock suggests the Hall is creating its own misconceptions about what rock evolved into. Rowley said in a recent interview “Rush and Yes and ELO are as good and as loved and as worthy as most of the acts in the Hall,” noted Rowley “I think it’s very damaging to the Hall of Fame’s credibility to continually ignore bands that they perceive to be on ‘the fringes,’ whether they’re prog, punk or metal acts. It makes you wonder if the selection committee is actually run by music fans.”

Well maybe this year (and in future years) the committee, will open their ears and eyes and put some deserving bands into the hall and maybe I won’t have to write this column in the future.

PS: Remember committee, if you put Whitney in this year, next year Bobby Brown is eligible! Oh boy…I would put in a whole new wing just to run episodes of their reality show!

Nuff said, least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

The Underappreciated And Overlooked Of Rock

A little while ago WNCX had a poll of the Greatest Voices of Rock. Their list included in order rock legends Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, Paul Rogers, Roger Daltry, Ann Wilson, Bob Seger, Stevie Nicks, Jim Morrison, Steve Perry and Steven Tyler. I love all of them (well not really Morrison but that will be another story in another time) and but are they really the Greatest Voices Of Rock ever?

This past weekend working around the house and listening to a lot of music (and drinking a lot of beer) and as songs kept coming on and different bands played, I got to thinking, if the above singers are the Greatest Voices Of Rock, which singers are really overlooked and underappreciated in the world of rock?

I don’t mean those artists who were left off the list by WNCX. You know the ones you can roll off your tongue, artists like Phil Collins, David Gilmour, Rod Stewart, Van Morrison, Elton John, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney (really WNCX listeners, Paul McCartney didn’t get your votes!!! What were you too busy watching Biggest Loser or the Bachelorette to vote for Sir Paul, c’mon Cleveland)

I mean artists that if you were sitting around a fire, drinking beers with 9 of your buddy’s and each guy or girl picked 5 of the best voices in rock, none of the one’s below would have would have even crossed your mind and afterwards if someone mentioned one of them you would have said “how did I forget him (or her) I love him! The sad thing is over time you forget about them and the work they did and they are as good or in some cases better than the so-called Greatest Voices Of Rock on the list.

So in no particular order, here is my list of the Greatest Underappreciated Voices Of Rock.

Steven Georgiou (Cat Stevens) – Cat Stevens was one of the biggest stars of the late 60’s thru the 70’s but is basically a forgotten footnote in rock history since giving up music in 1979 for his religious views. His voice was so unique and for a lack a better word “pure”. I don’t know of anyone in the 70’s that didn’t have a copy of either Tea For The Tillerman, Catch Bull At Four, or Teaser And The Firecat and when you went to their house for a party, it seemed Cat was always on the speakers. I recently saw him perform on Jay Leno and I have to tell you, he still sounds amazing. I hope he tours again so I can hear him live one more time.

Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac) – She is in my opinion one of the best female voices of rock ever. How the listeners of WNCX voted Stevie Nicks onto their list and overlooked Christine is sad. Even on Stevie’s best work, it was Christine’s fullness in the background that enriched the song for me. Most of my favorite Fleetwood Mac songs were not sung by Stevie but by Christine. Sit back and listen to Songbird or Over My Head and listen to richness of her voice. When Mick Fleetwood and John McVie say every time they would hear her sing Songbird live, they would cry, that’s good enough for me.

Pete Ham (Badfinger) – First off most people would never even know who Pete Ham is let alone call out his name as one of the best vocalist of rock but every time I hear Baby Blue or Day After Day on the radio, it hits me in the gut, how good he really was. How this band did not become bigger than they did is one of the mysteries of rock.

Leon Russell (solo) – Okay time to get up on my soapbox. Listen up Rock Hall committee. Put Leon Russell into the Hall Of Fame already!!! He was instrumental in the careers of many inducted into the Rock Hall and one of our greatest American songwriters ever! Okay time to step off the soapbox. Obviously I love Leon Russell as an artist but I can put on his debut album Leon Russell and just be swept away by his vocals. He created the Tulsa Sound and it amazes me how overlooked he is as a singer. His vocals on “This Songs For You” is unique and one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. He put everything he had inside him into that song. Just powerful.

Toy Caldwell (Marshall Tucker Band) – This is the man that got me into Country Rock plain and simple. He blended the country rock sound with a blues twang that just grabbed me and didn’t let go and I have been a fan ever since. His voice was powerful and again one of those unique voices that can’t be replaced. The right voice for the right band for the right type of music, that’s how simple it was. Listening to “This Ol’ Cowboy” and how Toy sings “this ain’t gonna be the first time this ol cowboy spent the night alone” reinforced me thru many nights in bars during my college days!

John Lyon (Southside Johnny And The Asbury Jukes) – I know this is going to hurt most of you Bruce fans(especially my good buddy Matt from addictedtovinyl.com) but when I want to hear someone from Jersey, I turn on Southside Johnny. I’ve seen and worked security for most of Bruce’s shows in the early days here in Cleveland and love Bruce but from the first time I heard Johnny I was blown away and still am. The bluesy, bourbon soaked voice makes him one of my favorites singers. He does an acoustic version of “Walk Away Renee” with Little Steven that can bring tears to ya.

Jeff Lynne (Electric Light Orchestra) – You know you can listen to a band for years or even decades and it doesn’t hit you how much a voice really identifies the band but this one really came to light for me as I went to see ELO in Detroit last Friday and seriously seeing them live without him reinforced to me what a great singer he is and how important he was to ELO.

Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron, Cory Wells (Three Dog Night) – I know, I know this is three singers not one but all three were fantastic singers in their own right and together, made a powerful lineup. Three Dog Night was a hit making machine because of the talent of their 3 lead singers and we never seem to remember how good they were individually. To remember, put on their greatest hits album and you can hear all three of them take the lead.

Greg Lake (King Crimson and Emerson Lake And Palmer) – This is one that usually after the discussion about singers someone says those famous words “How could I forget him?” How could you forget him especially with the vocals he produced on Lucky Man and From The Beginning. An amazing voice that somehow we seem to forget about.

James Hetfield (Metallica) – Okay, I know your now looking at your computer screen with your eyes crossed saying “James Hetfield?” Yea, James Hetfield! Rock music to me encompasses everyone from Cat Stevens and his laid back storytelling to Metallica and beyond. Look Metallica didn’t become the goliath of heavy metal just by pounding out ear shattering riffs. There had to be a voice that could match the dynamic of the band and James does just that plus he can tone it down when needed and render as great a vocal as anyone. Listen to him on Hero Of The Day and tell me I’m wrong. Definitely overlooked.

Joe Elliott (Def Leppard) – I was never a fan of the so-called hair bands of the 80’s but with Def Leppard something about them was different and it was the voice. Joe Elliott brought something to the table the other bands of the era couldn’t plus they have produced some of the best music ever heard in a strip club. Seriously what would strippers dance to without “Pour Some Sugar On Me” or “Bringing On The Heartache” or “Armageddon It” or "Rocket" or ohhhh I could go on and on but seriously Joe Elliott has a great rock voice that doesn’t usually jump to the front of your mind when thinking about great rock voices.

There are others I didn’t mention. Here’s a few more you can think about. Artists like Ian Gillian (Deep Purple), Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Tim Buckley (solo), Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Joe Jackson (solo), Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad) and Graham Parsons (The Byrds).

Well go ahead and discuss among yourselves. Agree with me or not, at least you don’t have to be corralled into such a narrow funnel of musical taste that we call radio.

Nuff said, least till next week
Peace Out
Bear