Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions
Damn, I wish I could get through even one of these things without crying. But how do you not cry when you hear Neil Young say to Chrissie Hynde, "I know you had many offers to leave your band and go solo (regret leaving CSN, Neil?), but, you're a true rocker and it's in your heart". As if that wasn't bad enough, and I'm crying again, just writing all this, next up was Eric Clapton and BB King inducting Buddy Guy... and then they all three played together.... watching these masters in their bliss as they do their thing... holy shit, it doesn't get any better than that.
Just watching these music legends and the relationships they have with each other, the mutual respect and humility, the deference to the music itself, the sharing, the common language, the playing together. That's the real deal. Watching guys like the O'Jays and Percy Sledge (and Guy) getting in only because they were fought for after giving 40-50 years of music. U2 of course, gets in the day they turn 25, but, not everyone can sell iPods.
Not to diminish U2, they are Irish, not exactly in their favor. Their music breaks a lot of rules, never followers, and Bono seems to have a genuine aware heart, accomplishing some amazing things with his fame.
For a musician, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is the highest honor there is, and deservedly so because of their attention to the music itself, its evolution and meaning in our society. It's about lifetimes of contribution to rock and roll music, in its widest sense. Cleveland rocks.
So, here is the ultimate truth of rock & roll. Those with a rocker soul never grow old. Don't take my word for it, ask Bo Diddley or Jerry Lee Lewis, both of whom tore it up at this year's festivities.
Those adhering to the Bible tend to atrophy in it. It's supposed to be a living document, but it's really not. It's a fairly static paradigm. And the power structure that has grown up around it is basically in control of the message as it operates in our world. Rock is ever changing and alive as each new generation interprets it. It's about critical comment on our society, it's energetic and open and rebellious. Rock is dead? Long live rock!
Just watching these music legends and the relationships they have with each other, the mutual respect and humility, the deference to the music itself, the sharing, the common language, the playing together. That's the real deal. Watching guys like the O'Jays and Percy Sledge (and Guy) getting in only because they were fought for after giving 40-50 years of music. U2 of course, gets in the day they turn 25, but, not everyone can sell iPods.
Not to diminish U2, they are Irish, not exactly in their favor. Their music breaks a lot of rules, never followers, and Bono seems to have a genuine aware heart, accomplishing some amazing things with his fame.
For a musician, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is the highest honor there is, and deservedly so because of their attention to the music itself, its evolution and meaning in our society. It's about lifetimes of contribution to rock and roll music, in its widest sense. Cleveland rocks.
So, here is the ultimate truth of rock & roll. Those with a rocker soul never grow old. Don't take my word for it, ask Bo Diddley or Jerry Lee Lewis, both of whom tore it up at this year's festivities.
Those adhering to the Bible tend to atrophy in it. It's supposed to be a living document, but it's really not. It's a fairly static paradigm. And the power structure that has grown up around it is basically in control of the message as it operates in our world. Rock is ever changing and alive as each new generation interprets it. It's about critical comment on our society, it's energetic and open and rebellious. Rock is dead? Long live rock!
posted by Intervision at 9:46 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home