Let
me start with an admission: I do actually like the band Bon Jovi. I saw them
perform at Mississippi State’s Humphrey Coliseum (a.k.a. “The Hump”) in 1988 on
the Slippery When Wet tour, and it was a great show by a band that already knew
how to entertain even though it was their first national tour as headliners. I also
have to say that was the wildest concert audience I’ve ever witnessed. I remember that it
had been a particularly rough semester, but that crowd was ready to party.
However,
Bon Jovi’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame took up more than forty-nine minutes of the three-hour
televised portions of the ceremony that recently aired on HBO. By comparison, the
Cars got just thirty minutes, Nina Simone and the Moody Blues each had twenty-nine
minutes, Dire Straits only got nine minutes, and the great Sister Rosetta
Tharpe got a scant eight minutes. I mean, Bon Jovi is a very popular band and
all, but they don’t deserve six times a much air time as Sister Rosetta Tharpe
when both are being inducted into the same Hall of Fame.
Part
of the problem had to do with the person inducting them, Howard Stern, who took
more than nine minutes to induct them. His speech was ridiculous, comparing of
the number of people who died from bubonic plague (50 million) and in the Civil
War (625,000) to the 130 million albums that Bon Jovi has sold. There was even
a reference to “Harry Chapin’s jizz” that was just weird and rather pointless.
Also pointless? The digs at Cream, Blondie, and Leonard Cohen, all of whom sold
fewer albums than Bon Jovi but who were inducted earlier into the Hall of Fame.
Of course, album sales are no measure of true worth of an act’s lasting musical
influence or impact, and Leonard Cohen also had to wait quite a long time to be inducted.
Then
Jon Bon Jovi took more than ten minutes to recount almost his entire history in
the music business and to thank, seemingly, every single person in the audience
at the ceremony individually. As intriguing as it is to discover that he sang
backing vocals on the Star Wars Christmas album, when Jon’s overarching point
was about how important time is, should he have taken up so much of our time
recounting every minuscule occurrence for the past 30 years? Apparently, he
actually spoke for almost twenty minutes at the ceremony itself, and half of it
was cut for the broadcast. It’s tough to imagine what else he could have
included. Stern mentioned and Jon seemingly was responded to a prevailing
theory that Jann Wenner, founder and publisher of Rolling Stone, had prevented
the band from being inducted earlier. Even if that’s true, it doesn’t mean that
the induction of Bon Jovi is such a life-altering moment for the rest of us.
How indulgent of the hall and the other members of the band to let Jon take the
spotlight away for his self-serving speech.
And
now on to the rest of the ceremony…
THE CARS
Brandon
Flowers inducted the Cars, claiming that they were the first band he fell in
love with. It’s good to see some of the New Wave and MTV-era bands starting to
join the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I'm not certain I would have chosen the Cars compared to others from the same era (Duran Duran, for instance). The members paid lovely tribute to their
parents and grandparents who instilled a love of music in their lives. Ric
Ocasek, a founder and lead singer of the group, was loose and funny, joking
that he was “supposed to be the good looking one in the band” until Benjamin
Orr joined them. Orr passed away almost two decades ago, but his son was in
the audience, and he was even more handsome than his dad. It’s sad that he wasn’t
allowed on stage to accept the award on behalf of his father. It’s also sad to
learn that Ocasek and his wife, Paulina Porizkova, who was so happy in the
audience that night, are now separated after almost three decades of marriage.
Performances: “Just What I
Needed,” “My Best Friend’s Girl,” and “You Might Think”
As
an aside, it was odd to see a performance of “You Might Think” without the
visuals associated with the award-winning video. It’s not quite as impactful,
to be honest.
SISTER ROSETTA THARPE
The
“Godmother of Rock and Roll” was inducted by Brittany Howard from Alabama
Shakes in the category of “Early Influences.” That’s a rather condescending
category for someone who taught most of the early rock stars how to play
electric guitar. Sister Rosetta was the heart at the intersection of rock and
gospel music, and she was, as Little Richard noted, “hot as cayenne pepper.” It’s
a shame that the ceremony didn’t mention Tharpe’s bisexuality, given how inspiring that might have been to queer artists and music lovers, but it’s
actually rather amazing that she was included in this year’s class of inductees
anyway.
Performance: “That’s All,”
performed by Howard, a most appropriate choice given that she is a
successor to Tharpe’s legacy of soulful guitar-accompanied singing.
DIRE STRAITS
I’m
not certain that Dire Straits truly deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame, but despite my (and other people’s) personal feelings about their worthiness,
they were ill-treated by the organizers of the event. No one was there to
induct them, and because Mark and David Knopfler were both absent, there was no
performance by the band. It’s sad that they can’t get along with each other and
the rest of the band for even one night. Several bands that have been inducted have
had bad blood among the members, but for a couple of hours, you’d think they
might take the honor of being inducted as reason enough to acknowledge the
prestige of being one of the few musical acts selected for inclusion. (I mean, Richie Sambora joined Bon Jovi for their performance five years after splitting from them.) Even the
televised portions of the ceremony gave the members of Dire Straits who were in attendance just a few
minutes of air time.
NINA SIMONE
The
amazing and long-overdue Nina Simone, the “High Priestess of Soul,” was inducted
by the amazing Mary J. Blige, and Simone’s award was accepted by her brother,
Dr. Samuel Waymon, who almost stole the show by telling the audience that Simone’s
spirit was in the area: “She’s sitting next to you!” He also gave some advice
that his sister would have given: “If you want to be a queen, you are a queen.
If you think you’re a king, you are a king.” Simone was a huge influence on
music and one of the most politically engaged performers of her time. She was,
along with the Moody Blues and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, arguably the most deserving of
this year’s inductees.
Performances: “”I Wish I Knew
How It Would Feel to Be Free” and “I Put a Spell on You” by Andra Day and the
Roots. “Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair,” “Ain’t Got No – I Got Life,”
and “Feelin’ Good” by Ms. Lauren Hill.
Day
is one of the most exciting performers today, and she took everyone to church,
as the younger generation says. Hill had a true diva moment (with the dress to
match) as she rapped and scatted her way through Simone’s songs, proving that they
are just as relevant today as they were when first performed.
THE MOODY BLUES
The
Moody Blues, inducted by Ann Wilson of Heart, had to wait almost three decades
after becoming eligible before becoming a part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The prog rock pioneers released their seminal album Days of Future Passed the
same year as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles. They’ve had
a long successful career due to the unwavering support of their fans, whom they
thanked more profusely than the other inductees in attendance. Drummer Graeme Edge also
thanked all of the people who had helped the band over the years, but he also
(rightfully) said, “To all the people who haven’t helped me, screw you.” Loved it.
Performances: “I’m Just a
Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band),” “Nights in White Satin,” and “Ride My
See-Saw.”
That
last song was an unusual choice. Why not something from the band’s 1980s-era
comeback? Maybe "Your Wildest Dreams," one of the band's three Top 10 singles from throughout their career?
BON JOVI
I
have already mentioned that Bon Jovi was inducted by Howard Stern in a speech
designed to suggest that the delay in including the band in the Hall of Fame
was one of the greatest slights ever to occur in the history of music. However,
having the bandmates introduce each other was a nice touch, and keyboardist
David Bryan talking about bringing his bowling ball along on their first tour “because
I AM from Jersey” was quite funny.
Performances: “You Give
Love a Bad Name,” “When We Were Us,” and “Livin’ on a Prayer”
SINGLES
Steven
Van Zandt (a.k.a. Little Steven) introduced a new category at this year’s
ceremony: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Singles. The selected records can’t be
performed by an artist who’s already in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Other
than that, it seems like this is an attempt by the hall to include work by
artists who, honestly, seem unlikely ever to make it into the Hall of Fame on
their own.
“Rocket
88” by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats (1951)
“Rumble”
by Link Wray and His Wray Men (1958)
“The
Twist” by Chubby Checker (1960)
“Louie,
Louie” by The Kingsmen (1963)
“Whiter
Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum (1967)
“Born
to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf (1968)
TRIBUTES
The
opening of the broadcast featured Brandon Flowers and the Killers performing
Tom Petty’s “American Girl” (and a little bit of “Free Fallin’” at the end but done
at the same tempo as “American Girl”). By the way, Flowers looks so much like Matt
Damon from the School Ties era. Well, maybe the Good Will Hunting era. Either
way, it was disconcerting to see him with his crooked smile.
This
year’s “In Memoriam” honored several artists who are members of the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame: Fats Domino, Pete Moore of the Miracles, Walter Becker of
Steely Dan, Dennis Edwards of the Temptations, Nokie Edwards of the Ventures, Tom
Petty (again), Malcolm Young of AC/DC, Yvonne Staples of the Staples Singers, Greg
Allman, and, tragically, Ray Thomas of the Moody Blues (who died in January and was mentioned several times by
his bandmates during their induction).
The
highlight among the tributes was a performance of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” by
Ann Wilson and Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains. Cornell, who was the lead
vocalist for Soundgarden and Audioslave, committed suicide in 2017, and Wilson’s
rendition plumbed the the emotional depths of the song. It was a touching
moment.
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