Keith Richards once said that if you can’t hear Chuck Berry in it, it isn’t rock ’n’roll.
That’s always been a pretty good acid test to me. Besides, who wants to argue with Johnny Depp’s pirate dad?
Greatest anything lists are always good places to start a discussion if not a downright battle. There are few better ways to cause a bar brawl than to start talking about the best team in anything right up to and including tiddly-winks.
Taking that into consideration, what the heck was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thinking with its list of this year’s nominees?
They are: pop icon Madonna, Heartland rocker John Mellencamp, rappers Beastie Boys, dance acts Donna Summer and Chic, rap pioneer Afrika Bambaataa, poet/ songwriter Leonard Cohen, British Invasion band The Dave Clark Five and surf rock instrumentalists The Ventures.
Out of these, the 500 voting members of the HOF will choose five for induction.
Some of the choices seem obvious because the others have little to do with rock ’n’ roll music. Mellencamp, the Ventures and even the little remembered Dave Clark Five all have solid credentials.
Mellencamp has a string of hits as long as your arm. Every dance band in the mid-1960s had to know at least one Ventures song. Few may recall any hits by Clark and the quintet except “Glad All Over.” But in the heady days of the British Invasion, they were up on the crest with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
But Chic? That ain’t rock ’n’ roll.
The disco band’s guitarist Nile Rogers and bassist Bernard Edwards went on to become hugely successful and influential producers in funk, dance music and hip hop. I’ve even seen a video of Slash playing “Le Freak” with Chic.
That still doesn’t make them a rock band.
Donna Summer worked hard for her money but it was singing disco and pop.
There are many, many deserving rock bands that have been overlooked by the HOF.
Two fine examples, in my opinion, are the Monkees and a little Canadian trio called Rush.
Millions of kids grew up watching the Monkees. Musically, the band reflected many of the changes coming into music such as the rise of country rock and the use of synthesizers. The pre-fab four also used the show to introduce more avant garde artists such as Frank Zappa to a prime-time audience.
Former Monkee Mike Nesmith has also been honored as one of the pioneers of music videos. As far as Rush, well quite simply Geddy Lee, Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson are three of the finest musicians in rock. Even I can see that and I don’t even like their music.
Over a 30 year career, Rush has amassed a huge following for its heavy, yet cerebral sound. Songs such as “Tom Sawyer” and “New World Man” have become radio staples.
I have nothing against Donna Summer. The “Queen of Disco” has a wonderful voice and scored many a well-derserved hit on the dance charts. But the idea that the moan behind the disco hit “Love to Love You, Baby” may be in the HOF and not Rush makes me think the hall has lost its way.
