On Eddie Trunk's radio show last night, original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley disclosed that Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons are preventing the original four members of the band from reuniting onstage at the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony to take place in New York in April.
While the Hall of Fame has been clear that they are inducting the original four members of the band, Simmons and Stanley contend that they should have the new version of KISS, which has Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer posturing as Frehley and original drummer Peter Criss.
If there is to be a live performance I think this is a slap in the face to the original lineup of KISS and especially to the legion of lifelong fans who campaigned long and hard to get the band into the Hall of Fame in the first place.
Gene and Paul have always said that the fans were number one and that the fans were "the boss" but clearly that is not the case. This is nothing but a self-serving slap in the face designed to continue to promote the new version of KISS as the only version of KISS and to disregard the legacy started by the original four members.
Reading a post by Trunk who has insight into the Hall of Fame process, this is mostly a Paul Stanley call. Paul made it very clear that he doesn't care about the Hall of Fame and he does not feel honored to be involved.
Granted the Hall of Fame took 15 years to induct KISS, but the fact of the matter is that without Peter and Ace coming back into the band for the reunion tour Paul and Gene would still be would be playing small theaters wouldn't be living in their giant mansions.
I first got into KISS in 1978 when I was 10 years old and they literally changed my world. I became a lifelong guitar player primarily because of Ace. I stuck with the band to the disco era and while I lost touch with them in the 80s, I happily reengaged with the band for the reunion tour farewell tours.
Even though I was not comfortable having Eric Singer or and Tommy Thayer take on the personas of Peter and Ace, I stuck with the band because I really wanted my children to be able to see what I saw when I was a kid and to experience whatever magic and bombast was still left in the group.
But after this move, if it's true, I am done with these guys. They will get no more of my money.
Just saw the news that KISS, Nirvana, Peter Gabriel, Linda Ronstadt, Hall and Oats and Cat Stevens have all made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2014. That means Deep Purple and Yes did not.
Looking at the list of inductees, I was most intrigued by Peter Gabriel, because I have lately been getting back into him big time (no pun intended).
Been particularly digging the Live in Athens 1987 double live CD, which was pulled from the So tour. I saw him on this tour in the Bay Area in the mid-80s and it’s still one of the best concerts I have ever been to.
Also been doing a fair amount of writing and recording, finally getting into MIDI (welcome to 1985, Isorski), and Gabriel is really one of the first pioneers of the technology. That, and sampling.
For proof, check out this highly cool video about the making of his fourth album, Security.
Gabriel was really on the cutting edge of using samples, writing songs based around sequenced drum patterns, and also bringing world music into the world of rock. That plus his humanitarian effort outside of music. The more I think about it he’s like a prog rock, modern day George Harrison!
Anyway, glad he’s being recognized as a solo artist (he’s already in the Hall as part of Genesis). Hopefully he’ll make it to the ceremony this time!
Peter Gabriel was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010, but the ceremony fell during the middle of his tour rehearsals with a large orchestra in England and he didn't have time to take a trip across the Atlantic. "There was no indication at the time I'd have a second opportunity," he says. "I'm very grateful to have gotten in again. It's a huge honor since it's for your whole body of work and not just a specific project."
Gabriel chatted with Rolling Stone in the lobby of a New York hotel not long after he learned he was being inducted as a solo artist.
Congratulations on the big news.
Thanks. It's a fantastic acknowledgment from your peers and people who work in music.
You're going to go this time, right?
Yeah, I will definitely go. The last time I got in, it was like two days before my tour started. I would have otherwise gone. I just thought, "I can't go. We've given ourselves very little rehearsal time." But it was a great honor. . . Unfortunately, my bass player, Tony Levin, is committed to a prog-rock cruise the week of the event. I have to see if I can do something about that. We want to steal him for a night. The idea is that people have to play, right?
They generally do, but not always. Genesis didn't play.
Oh. I didn't know not performing was even an option. (laughs) Generally, you can either fret about playing and worry about it all night, or you can sit back and have a glass of wine and enjoy the evening. I have to think about that, but this is just great news. . . I'll probably play, though if I do "In Your Eyes," it'll take 10 minutes and that might be all the time I have.
Nirvana are getting in, too. I've seen photos of you and Kurt Cobain talking backstage at the MTV Video Music Awards.
We did talk. I expected to be dismissed as part of the old generation, but he wasn't like that at all. I didn't have long with him, but he definitely changed things, particularly in America. And it had a different sort of quality than what the Sex Pistols in the UK did. I thought that was more contrived in some ways. I was more into the Clash because despite presentation of what Johnny Rotten was doing, there was nothing new to me about the music. But with Nirvana, some of it, just in their choice of chords, there were some musical differences.
With Kiss, they were first putting on their makeup and costumes right as you were putting on a costume- and makeup-heavy show with Genesis.
[Casablanca Records founder] Neil Bogart [who signed Kiss] said that I was quoted as an example of why they should wear makeup. I don't know if that's true or not, but they did create cartoon-like figures. I saw it was very well-executed pop music. I know it was heavy-looking at the time, but I think it was smart.
There tends to be a huge jam at the end of the night between all the inductees. It's hard to imagine you playing a part in that.
I'm not a great jammer. I'm not a great musicians in terms of a player. I think of myself as a writer.
Just saw the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees and it's a doozy of a list: Nirvana, Kiss, the Replacements, Hall and Oates, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chic, Deep Purple, Peter Gabriel, LL Cool J, N.W.A., Link Wray, the Meters, Linda Ronstadt, Cat Stevens, Yes and the Zombies.
Yeah I know, there are plenty of acts listed that are arguably not 'rock and roll' but I set that all aside when I attended the induction ceremony for Rush (and others) this year and it was a blast. If even a few of those 'more rock than not' acts get in, it will be a hell of a show.
My faves:
Yes: - I have been down on Yes, pretty much done with them, the last few years as a live act. But if they were to really induct Yes and include most if not all of the 19 or 20 players in that band over the 40 years of its existence, it would be a hell of a thing. And this is just the kind of event that forces reunions that ought to happen - i.e. Jon Anderson rejoining the band. I might have to travel to the event again this year if Yes gets in. They deserve inclusion, no doubt. Highly influential band, lots of success in the 70s and again in the 80s but re-born. No question.
Kiss: Kiss needs to retire. I am done with these guys, Paul Stanley's voice is gone and they are just too old to pull it off. The magic of the reunion, seeing all four original guys together, has long worn off. An induction to the hall might force the original four back together one last time. If not, it would be a shame.
But at the same time, how does KISS perform at an awards show? Watching Rush sit in their seats for five hours, then get up and rock, was one thing. How do you get the makeup on? How do they set up a KISS stage? Would be interesting. And they'd have to play. You can't be KISS and not play if you get in. So, interesting to be sure. Do they deserve to get in? Hell yes. Sure they suck but they have influenced too many bands that don't, and they have sold more records than anyone but the Stones and Beatles, so enough already. They get in.
Peter Gabriel: Oh hell yeah. He'd be great. Witty speech, dry humor and then he'd rock the shit out of everyone. Shock the Monkey and Sledgehammer. That's my prediction. Maybe he doesn't get in this time, but he will eventually if not for the music then for his humanitarian work, which I think plays well with the judges.
Deep Purple: Should have been in last year. Would be interesting to see if they'd get Richie Blackmore off the bench but I doubt it. He's too busy playing lute at the Renaissance Fair. Totally deserve to be in.
Lots of great other artists. Paul Butterfield, Hall and Oats, Linda Ronstadt, the Meters, Cat Stevens. Any of them would be cool.
Oh shit and Nirvana! I almost forgot. I'd be shocked if they did not make it in their first year. Would be great to see what musicians they would put together to do Nirvana songs with Grohl and Co.
Yeah this is a pretty good year for the Hall. Better start saving my frequent flyer miles.
HBO ran the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2013 induction program over the weekend but cut the intro where the Rush fans went apeshit during Jann Wenner's intro speech. But HBO did post it online. I was proud to be one of the hundreds of screaming voices. Check it out!
And here are some other 'official' HBO vids from the night:
The 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame show was for the most part a five hour thrill ride with a really boring middle segment. Of course the whole reason I was there was for Rush but there was a lot of talent in the theater and overall (except for that middle piece) it was a well-paced, well-produced night.
Rush fans were by far the most prevalent in the audience. There were acres of Rush shirts and, shall we say, lots of energy.
Take for example the first ten minutes of the show. Rolling Stone founder and target for the ire of many a Rush fan Jann Wenner strolled out to give a fairly canned intro/welcome speech. He was booed by the audience. It will be interesting to see if they fix that in the HBO broadcast next month. What they won’t be able to fix is how absolutely BATSHIT the audience went when Wenner read down the names of the inductees and got to Rush.
It was absolutely deafening. The entire house rose to its feet and screamed for at least two or three minutes while Wenner stood there, amazed. I don’t know that the Hall has seen anything quite like it, to be honest. I do think he got the message.
I turned to the guy next to me, who was crying by the way, and said “well, that sure felt good.” And it did. Lots of pent up frustration – maybe in some cases a lifetime – was released in that moment. It was group therapy.
Then the show got underway. Randy Newman kicked it off with a fun version of I Love LA, with guests Tom Petty, John Fogerty and Jackson Browne on guitar. They each took a verse. Don Henley inducted him, and once I realized that Paul Shaeffer’s band included Waddy Watchel, Jim Keltner and Tom Scott, I realized that the SoCal music scene from the 70s was well-represented.
The next few inductees were either not performers, or not alive. Producer Lou Adler was inducted by a very funny Cheech and Chong, and was then serenaded by Carole King, who he had produced. The late Donna Summer and Albert King were inducted and then followed up with some fine live music too.
For King, blues guitarist Guy Clarke Jr. and John Mayer ripped some spot-on electric blues numbers. For Summer, a killer Jennifer Hudson seriously shredded some of Summer’s biggest hits. I never would have paid to go see Hudson but I am glad I saw her sing, because she is talented.
Then things got a little wonky. Oprah Winfrey showed up to everyone’s utter shock to induct Quincy Jones, who gave the longest piss break worthy speech ever. I got back and still had to wait ten minutes for him to wrap it up. I mean, yes, the man has had a six or seven decade career and ought to be inducted for his work with Michael Jackson alone, but MAN was he long-winded.
Next it was time for Public Enemy. Whew, where do I start? Spike Lee started the speech and then oddly handed it over to Harry Belafonte who quietly rambled about things. What? I dunno I was Tweeting.
Public Enemy gets up and Flava Flav (dude who wears the giant clock around his neck) talks and talks and rambles and talks some more and at some point you realize this guy has a screw loose and then you wonder if he is just kidding? By the end the crowd was loudly encouraging him to WRAP IT UP.
He basically filibustered the ceremony.
Chuck D’s speech was respectful. He made a comment about people who say rap does not belong in a rock hall of fame and rightly pointed out that it all came from the same place, which was blues. Given Flava’s train wreck it was ironic that Chuck D’s speech was really the one that unified all the performers in the house, who he name-checked, including Rush. I got the sense there was a mutual respect there.
Public Enemy performed and it was fine. I mean I don’t know them so it was nice to see but I didn’t care that much. They did do a really cool thing which was to use records from the other inductees in one of their jams. Scratching the Tom Sawyer intro and also the same with an Albert King lick.
Now we are about four hours into it but we all know it’s about to get good. Heart is up. Chris Cornell inducts them with a very respectful and funny speech. It’s perfect. Ann and Nancy Wilson’s speeches seem a little canned but are fine. Original guitarist Roger Fisher slightly asses out in his speech because he basically knows he fucked up big time to get kicked out of that band. He tries to show love to the band but he calls them ‘these people.’
Things seem to be running long so they cut the mic before the rest of the original guys can speak and then it’s live Heart.
I have never seen Heart live. They open with Nancy Wilson on acoustic for the intro to Crazy on You. Most of the original band is together for the first time since the late 70s and they sound really good. The dueling guitar harmonies are spot on, Ann’s voice is excellent if a tad aged and honestly, it’s pretty magical.
Then everyone leaves and we get acoustic Ann and Nancy on Dreamboat Annie. It’s very gorgeous and well executed. But then I realize the original guys are not coming back. The current band plus Cornell and Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell join and do Barracuda. It’s pretty epic. I am totally sold on Heart and can’t wait to see them live this summer. They still have it. You have to wonder how weird it was for that original group to get back together and rehearse and perform. I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that.
Now of course we are ready for Rush. Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins from the Foo Fighters do the induction speech and it is funny as hell, but it’s also intense. You can tell Dave feels the way the rest of us do, that it’s about time this has happened. He jokes about getting turned onto 2112 by a ‘cool older stoner cousin’ and how everything changed from there.
His overall premise was ‘when did Rush become cool?’ and the answer was, they have always been cool! However, he also razzed them about the kimonos on the back of the 2112 album sleeve. The camera cut to Neil Peart and he was laughing and shaking his head. It was nice to see Neil get honored. In fact, Hawkins doted pretty heavily on him and of course the crowd was right there too – we want to give Neil his props, maybe even more so because he is so modest.
Rush’s speech was interesting. Neil led off with a very ‘prepared’ and verbose speech that was OK. Geddy was shorter and more heartfelt. He said something like, “we’ve been saying for years that this doesn’t matter, but you know what? It kind of does matter.” And everyone went nuts.
***update*** - it was Neil who said that, and after viewing on YouTube, it was a really nice speech. Sorry, my mind was foggy at 2 a.m. when I typed this!
He [Geddy] also gave a shout out to the fans and all of us attending, and you could tell he was moved at the turnout. Rush fans really are some of the most devoted. It’ll be interesting to see if that comes through on the HBO broadcast.
Alex Lifeson? Well, he started his speech with “blah blah blah” and stayed that course for about a minute too long. But it was funny and irreverent, and, well, very Alex.
Then the lights dimmed and we all noticed a small drum kit in front of Neil’s. The intro to 2112 rang out and Grohl, Hawkins and the Foo Fighters bass player launched into 2112, as Rush – complete with wigs and white jump suits a la 1977. It was funny but they really nailed the song. Right near the end, Rush came out and joined them so you had six guys playing. They did not go into Temples – at that point, the crew quickly got the Foo’s gear off and Rush did incendiary versions of Tom Sawyer and Spirit of Radio.
I was thinking how many people in the audience, certainly the majority of the industry and music folks seated up front, had never seen Rush. They have likely heard those two songs but never live. I am so glad Rush really brought it, to show those people what the hype is all about. There is really nothing quite like live Rush and they kicked ass. It was celebratory, and rightly so.
The end jam was way more organized than I expected. It started with Neil and Geddy laying down a groove, over which half of Public Enemy did a rap – so we did get a Rush/PE jam, which was really cool to see. Then they did Crossroads - it was Rush, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Hawkins on second drums, two of the Public Enemy guys, and on guitar Fogerty, Grohl, Clark Jr., Cornell and Tom Morello. They all traded verses and guitar solos and then it was over.
It was so neat to see Rush share the stage with others. They just never really seem to do that, so it was very cool to have the mix of folks up there. I’ll be pretty high for a few days from this. It was well worth the trip and I’ll be eager to see how they execute an edit for the HBO broadcast May 18.
***update*** - There are already Youtubes of the night up!
Grohl and Hawkins' awesome induction speech:
Rush acceptance speech. See what I mean about Alex?
Foos do Rush
Heart rip Barrauda with Cantrell and Cornell
They were super tight about photos in the venue so I only have a few from before the show. In the back of the theater I happened to catch Ann and Nancy Wilson getting into the venue:
The front of this guy’s jacket was laden with hundreds of Rush buttons. People were taking their photo with him like he was a rock star. Classic.
Isorski at the Hall of Fame. Photo taken by a guy like me, who came to LA by himself to pay homage. There were tons of us there, all wandering around outside waiting for the doors to open. Ha ha!
When I heard about Rush finally being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after 14 years of snobbery, I was elated. It seemed like the media and institutions that had written off Rush specifically and progressive music in general were finally realizing that there are a LOT of fans of this music.
And yeah, in the end who cares, but the vindication is nice. I have to admit that.
Hearing the ceremony would be in Los Angeles (at least on the same coast as where I live), I thought I’d look into tickets. But no thanks. After just a few minutes, the ones left were all $350 to $750. However due to a fortunate moment of procrastination, I was surfing the RushIsABand.com site a few weeks later and noted that there were a limted number of those spendy seats now open for $100 a pop.
I decided to buy one and figure out the rest later. I travel to the Bay Area for work frequently and actually had a plane ticket from a cancelled trip that I needed to use. Adding a leg to LA actually brought the overall ticket price DOWN (whatever, but I’ll take it!) so here we are.
I am sitting in the fabulous downtown LA Double Tree, counting out time until the ceremony this evening.
I will certainly post something tonight or tomorrow. Will TRY to take a video or photo but I am sure they will be cracking down on that and I do just want to enjoy this moment as opposed to trying to preserve it. Hell it’ll all be on HBO next month anyway.
Also excited to see Heart and Randy Newman, and additional performers that turn my crank include John Mayer, Christina Aquilera, Cheech and Chong and yeah even Don Henley.
Looking at how I labeled each of my blog posts for easy future reference, I have posted about Rush 97 times since I started this blog in 2006. Um, sorry about that.
Christmas has come early this year – Rush has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band was voted in by the Hall foundation nominating committee, which is made up of “more than 600 artists, historians and members of the music industry” plus for the first time, one vote from a public survey, which Rush won hands down.
A lot of people complain that Rush should have been in ages ago (true), or that the Hall is a joke and not important anyway (up for debate). But the fact is, they are in now, and Rush fans can now move on with the pride that their band is finally in. Also, it will be great to see the band appear to accept its award – I can only imagine incredibly funny speeches from the boys, and if they get to actually play a song or two, even better.
If they decide NOT to play (or are not asked), it will be very interesting to see other bands take a stab at it – think Genesis’ induction, where Phish tackled Watcher Of The Skies (great) and No Reply At All (not so great).
The band is on a break right now, having just completed its 2012 North American tour. They are gearing up for a trip overseas next year and then back to North America in 2013. I just saw the guys in Seattle and they are tighter than ever, still pushing the envelope with the set list by digging deep into the back catalog and busting out almost an hour of new material. My review is here.
Hell has truly frozen over. After a 13 year wait from the first year the band was eligible, Rush has been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame boys' club.
And while it doesn't matter to the band if they are in it or not, I do care. This band deserves to be in there, if the Hall is to be legit at all.
--Rush has 22 consecutive gold records, and is fourth behind the Beatles, Stones, and Kiss in all-time gold records for a band. Fourteen of those albums have gone platinum. --Rush has inspired such bands as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, The Tragically Hip, Smashing Pumpkins, Primus, Queensryche, and many more. --Rush's lineup has remained unchanged since their first major tour in 1974. --Rush has consistently put out records that reflect their own artistic growth and change, without compromising the band's integrity for the sake of sales.
I'd add that they are still vibrant and as active as ever, currently on yet another tour to full arenas and amphitheaters. They are one of the only bands from the 70s who are still around, still adding fans to their base, where for example a band like Yes is shedding fans like fleas.
So do they have a chance to actually get into the Hall once the 600 board members and previous inductees vote? Rumor from industry insiders as reported on RushIsABand.com say that the real hurdle was getting on the ballot and that its assumed they will be voted in now.
I will believe it when I see it but it's still exciting to think about these guys finally being able to show up and rock the shit out of the Hall, if not for themselves, for all of us fans.
Oh and for the first time, this year there is a public poll put on by the Hall where the winner gets additional votes. The other notable and deserving nominees include Deep Purple (for sure highly awesome, influential and deserving but on the State Fair circuit and not very vibrant for at least a decade), Heart (why are they not in already?), Albert King (ditto), the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Randy Newman and others listed in full here.
To vote, go to this link, and click 'Rush' - :). You actually can vote for five bands. They show the results and no shock, Rush is in first place at the moment.
Reading reports of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame event last weekend makes me think it was a big wet fart.
Now, I wasn't there and I have to say that the Guns and Roses semi-reunion sounded great on YouTube. But where were the reunions or even full attendance from inductees this year?
OK no one expected Axl Rose to perform with Slash but not even showing up? Come on dude. He even asked the Hall to not induct him. Ok I guess that is typical Axl but a great opportunity missed.
But what about The Faces? Why didn't Rod the Mod show up? Is he too big for his britches for Woody and company? That would have been a live reunion worth seeing. (Ooops - reports are that he had the flu. Hmmm...)
Only 2/3 of the Beasties showing up is excusable because one of them has cancer.
But how about this: induct bands who can actually show up, not in wheelchairs, but in the flesh to show why the fuck they are still vibrant and deserving to be chosen by Springsteen, Wenner and Van Zandt's boys club.
For example:
Rush. Still touring, putting out new material, selling out venues (and they are not casinos). Maybe on the top of their game after 35 years. A live performance by Rush at a RARHOF event would literally peel people's faces off.
KISS. Ok I get it. Shlock. Hype. Merchandising. But again, still touring and recording. Many millions sold. And that would be a reunion worth seeing just one last time for closure. Peter Criss is not getting any younger and Ace is sober at the moment.
Iron Maiden. I know. Never going to happen. But you don't have Metallica and probably GNR without Maiden. And again, a band still touring amphitheaters, huge around the world, all members currently living. Bruce Dickinson's acceptance speech would be a real keeper, laden with F words and digs at the Hall. Great PR!
OK rant over but a guy can dream, right?
Who do you think ought to be in the Hall? Living or dead?
I guess this ought to be no surprise at all, but Rush has yet AGAIN been passed over for nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Yeah I know it's a closed club led by a so-called expert panel but the bias is infuriating. If you are going to have a rock and roll hall of fame, put the best rock and roll bands in it, for fuck's sake.
Rush has great momentum right now. The band is selling out arenas and amphitheaters in a year when artists are canceling tours or selling tickets for $10 to get warm bodies in the door. The movie Beyond the Lighted Stage is critically acclaimed and is turning even more new fans onto the band. Rush is in the top 75 of all-time record sales by any artist, and has more consecutive Gold records in the US than ANY band except the Stones, Beatles and Who.
So who, you might ask, did get nominated this year? Donovan. WTF, he sucks ass and influenced um, NO ONE except he may have influenced me to pull my eardrums out... Donna Summer. Hmmm.... Alice Cooper. Good... Beastie Boys. OK, but really? Before Rush? Bon Jovi? Really? More influence, record sales, longevity? Not compared to Rush. Oh forget it, this is a futile post.
I mean look at this nominating committee. Who in the fuck are these people? I recognize a bunch of them from Rolling Stone magazine, and of course Robbie Robertson and Steven Van Zandt. Well, you know what? Fuck you Robbie, fuck you Steven and fuck you Rolling Stone. My subscription just ended and I won't be renewing. This is bullshit and everyone knows it. Man up and put Rush in the HOF.
I have not watched the DVR'd Rock and Roll Hall of Fame show yet but I did check out the Genesis portion thanks to YouTube. No Peter Gabriel as expected, but Phish busted out a pretty cool version of Watcher of the Skies and it was nice to see Steve Hackett alongside the others for a change.
The shots of bemused suited attendees during the keyboard intro of Watcher are pretty priceless and underscore what I said last time, which is that the Hall is an exclusive club and that the Hall events are more about awards and less about performances, as much as the Time Life people want to tell you differently. And is probably one of the giant reasons they won't have KISS or Rush in yet -- their live shows would completely fry the attendees!
Anyway, check it out before they yank it down. It's pretty awesome, and I have always thought Trey was heavily influenced by Hackett. They do an incredible job and it's pretty cool to see all the Genesis guys checking out the performance. Was probably pretty emotional for them (and boring for everyone else - but it's prog rock so handle it!)
Well, this sucks balls. Peter Gabriel told Rolling Stone he has no intention of performing any songs with his former bandmates when Genesis is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Lame in March.
That's no shocker. But he also said he may not even show up. Now THAT would suck. Come on, Pete. You and the boys did some great things back in the 70s. Yeah you were kids, but you're getting a Goddam AWARD for it, so at least have the courtesy to show up for the speech and photo opp.
The short Rolling Stone article says:
In two months Genesis will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but fans hoping to see Peter Gabriel sing with his former band for the first time in nearly 30 years are probably in for a disappointment. “As far as I know, I’m definitely not going to sing,” Gabriel tells Rolling Stone. “I learned at our last reunion [in 1982] that you can’t just get up there. You have to rehearse.” Gabriel is actually not even positive he’ll be able to attend the March 15th induction ceremony in New York, since he’ll be in the midst of rehearsing for a European solo tour. “I’m trying to find a way to do it,” he says. “It’s not easy. If I can work it out, I’ll go.”
Five years ago Gabriel held a meeting with the classic Genesis lineup of Phil Collins, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Steve Hackett to discuss a possible staging of their 1974 prog-rock epic The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. “Initially I was open to it,” Gabriel says. “But then it seemed to be growing. I know what it’s like once you’re in it — these things tend to expand. I always describe it as going back to school, since this was a school group for me. It’s a fun place to visit and see your old friends, but its not a place you want to live.” Might he be open to a reunion show at some point in the future? “Phil has had trouble with his wrists and his back, so it’s pretty unlikely,” he says.
A Christmas gift I just cracked open this week was Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live, a four DVD set that features numerous induction speeches, reunions, all-star jams and band performances over the 25 years of the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
The problem with this set is how it is positioned. According to Eric Clapton, hall co-founder Robbie Robertson cajoled Clapton into supporting the hall by saying "Magic happens here."
Well, maybe.
The magical moments touted in the promo for this set all revolve around the all-star jams that inevitably happen at the end of the evenings. "Where else can you see Mick Jagger jam with Bruce Springsteen, Bono and Paul McCartney?"
Well, nowhere else. But the problem is, those all-star jams are train wrecks, every time. They pick a three-chord song that everyone can hack along to. They have 25 guitar players onstage - all huge stars who could rip killer solos under different circumstances but here are all sloppy side-men at best.
A bunch of mega-stars cramped onto a small stage, with no one in charge and no one calling the shots. Of course the singers don't know the words to other stars' songs so you get Springsteen with that apey grin of his looking at Jagger like "Man isn't this awesome?! Hey what's the next line?" Paul Shaffer tries his damnedest to conduct this behemoth into something slightly organized.
Yeah it is awesome - for Bruce. But the rest of us, not so much. So don't buy this for the all-star jams 'cause it's a bunch of hype.
OK I got that off my chest. Now for the good stuff and there is a lot of it.
Predictably the good bits happen when things are a bit more organized. For example, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne with George Harrison's son rip out a fantastic version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps with Prince (yes, Prince) on lead guitar at the end. I posted that video a while ago here and it is truly, dare I say, magical.
Santana with guest Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac) is unreal. They do Black Magic Woman - a song I grew tired of about 20 years ago - but with Gregg Rolie back on vocals and keys, and Santana doing his usual job of leading his slaying band through a blistering arrangement. It's something I will watch again.
Eddie Vedder fronting the Doors is very cool, as is ZZ Top's set - yep, ZZ Top. In their own words "35 years, the same three guys playing the same three chords." But they are excellent and get two songs on the set where most bands just get one.
Springsteen's set with the E Street Band is high energy and is probably a real treat for Bruce fans, as it's when the group got back together with Bruce after a very long hiatus. Robbie Robertson playing The Weight with Rick Danko and Garth Hudson (and guest Eric Clapton) is nice, but it would have been better had Levon Helm shown up.
An excellent-sounding Crosby, Stills and Nash are joined by Tom Petty, who does a fantastic Neil Young impression on guitar for For What It's Worth. AC/DC deliver a nice Highway to Hell, and Metallica destroys the place with Master of Puppets, complete with two bass players onstage - Robert Trujillo and the man he replaced, Jason Newsted.
Good as they are, the Metallica bit underscores another issue I have with these shows. They are not in a concert hall. They take place in what looks like a banquet hall. The whole floor is loaded with round dinner tables with tuxedo'd industry luminaries and Yoko Ono seated, and anyone else who ponied up $15,000 a head or whatever.
That is a rough crowd to play for. Only a few performers are able to get everyone out of their seats -- a feat in and of itself became some of the attendees look old enough to require help to stand upright from a seated position. I wonder if that is why REM's Peter Buck literally throws his amp offstage at the end of Man On The Moon - a weird moment and not magical at all.
There are a lot of cool behind the scenes bonus clips like John Fogerty walking Springsteen and Robertson through old CCR songs he hadn't played in years. Cool footage of Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart talking to Paul Kantner, Jack Cassidy and Jorma Kaukonen before the Jefferson Airplane takes the stage. To say Kaukonen looks nervous is a vast understatement! Someone get him a bag.
The bonus footage also includes many complete induction speeches such as Pete Townsend lobbing insult after insult as he inducts the Stones. Or Paul McCartney inducting John Lennon, looking very out of place as he takes credit for everything from the Beatle haircut to introducing John to Yoko. But I watched all the bonus footage too, because I love shit like this.
One last gripe -- no matter how good Springsteen is, he is the Phil Collins of the R&R Hall of Fame. Meaning, he is ubiquitous and jams with - oh, everybody. Let's vary it up a bit, huh?
So in sum -- I will watch about half of these performances again and the other half I will skip. If you can get this set at a discount, it's worth it for the handful of great moments. But don't buy the hype - it ALL ain't magical.
What is that gross, watery sound? Oh, it’s the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame people slowly pulling their heads out of their own assholes.
Today among the announced nominees were KISS (who have sold more albums than anyone expect the Beatles), and Genesis, who deserve to be in there as much as many of the other nominees who were around many fewer decades, influenced far fewer people and wore less interesting costumes in the 70s.
Me? I think the whole notion of the Hall is bogus. Unlike awards that are voted on by fans and the general population, the HoF has always been run by a panel of various musicians, industry people, journalists etc. And while many of those are well respected and have good taste, it’s always been a bit of a private club. The only reason KISS is nominated is because you just cannot continue to ignore those record sales numbers forever. Which is why Rush will eventually make it in as well.
And no, I don’t really care. BUT, if Genesis were to win, we would hopefully finally see the original five guys reunited if just for one night (if Phil could pull himself out of retirement), and it would be a damn shame to not see all four original KISS guys kiss and make up for one night as well.
I play guitar for various Portland bands (colorfield, Flat Stanley, The Floydian Slips). Find out more about me on my Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/mULCrf
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