THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME'S BALLOT

Well, today the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the artists on this year's ballot.  If I were a voter, of course I'd be writing in KISS on my ballot, as they were passed over again.  That said, there are some cool artists on the ballot as it stands, and I'd have a hard time voting for just five.  But if I was a voter, I'd go with:


The Beastie Boys: no other band has jumped from style to style like them and done it all well.  Hardcore punk, hip-hop, hard rock and instrumental funk.  Add in one of the funniest phony phone calls of all time, and the fact that they introduced a generation to the plight of Tibet and the concept of non-violent protests, these guys absolutely deserve to get in.  I just hope that they do... and that Adam Yauch is healthy enough to perform at the ceremony.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers: When they started out in the '80s, I doubt many people would have expected this band to last twenty five years, or to be able to age so well.  I love their early albums with drummer Jack Irons and the late guitarist Hillel Slovak, but they really came into their own when drummer Chad Smith and guitarist John Frusciante joined for Mother's Milk.  Of course, the followup, Bloodsugarsexmagik, is a classic, as is lots of the band's second era with Frusciante (Californication is one of the best comeback albums ever). I imagine Anthony Keidis, Flea, Iron, Slovak, Smith and Frusciante will be included if the band is inducted.  I wonder if they'll include Dave Navarro and current guitarist Josh Klinghoffer.

Eric B & Rakim: I was impressed to see them included on the ballot (while being disappointed that LL Cool J, on the ballot in the past but as of yet not inducted, wasn't included). Ask any MC who knows what he's talking about: Rakim is one of the greatest of all time, if not the greatest.  I don't know if their influence on rock and roll is as obvious as that of LL, Run-DMC or Public Enemy (who are not eligible until next year).  But a lot of rock artists were listening to hip-hop during the golden era of the late '80s and early '90s, and if you were listening to hip-hop at that point, you were definitely listening to this incredible duo.  I wonder if they'll perform together if inducted.  Rakim has been doing their music in concert, but is never that cool when talking about Eric B.

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts: Every few years there's someone who comes along and kicks everyone's ass and reminds them what rock and roll is about. That's what Joan Jett did in the '80s.  She can do gigs with indie punk bands, then do the county fair with Meat Loaf or someone, and then tour with a metal band. She's respected by everyone and rightfully so.  I would vote for her if only for her song "Bad Reputation," it's just righteous.  I should also mention that she's a great music fan, and anyone who heard her former radio show on The Underground Garage would agree.  I wish she still did that show.

The Cure: as long as there as moody kids into weird dark music, there will be a place for The Cure.  They have a pretty incredible body of work, and they really developed over time.  I mean to go from "10:15 Saturday Night" to "Fascination Street" to "Just Like Heaven," that's a lot of ground and they don't really get credit for their diversity.  I wonder which members would be inducted (other than Robert Smith, of course).

I'd have a hard time not voting for The Faces/The Small Faces.  I love The Faces, they are one of the greatest pure rock and roll bands ever.  I always thought that they deserved to be inducted more than Rod Stewart did for his solo career. I think his best vocal performances were with them. I have to confess though, I don't really know much about their precursor, The Small Faces.

I'd also like to see Guns N Roses inducted. Like anyone else who was alive in 1987, Appetite For Destruction rocked my world, and they deserve to get in just for that album. And of course, who wouldn't want to see who shows up for their induction? They shouldn't get in before KISS though.

Heart is a great group, I don't know if I'd vote for them, but I certainly wouldn't object to it if they got in. I wonder which members (other than Ann and Nancy Wilson) would be included? Ann Wilson is one of the great classic rock singers.  Freddie King is a great blues guitarist, a huge influence on Clapton (as well as Beck and SRV). Definitely wouldn't object to his induction, I'm not a huge expert on the guy beyond "Hideaway." Rufus with Chaka Khan is a cool funk group, but I wouldn't vote for them. The Spinners were a great Philly soul group, I wouldn't object to them either. I've discussed Donna Summer as a Hall of Famer with Larry Flick: I don't mind a disco diva being in the Hall of Fame, especially because I think "I Feel Love" is pretty radical and badass.  But if disco is going to be represented, I'd lean more towards voting for Chic (not on the ballot this year). I think War is actually a really underrated group, I'd like to see them get in at some point. The two artists on the ballot I would object to: Donovan (I just can't take his music, its way too hippie for me) and Laura Nyro (great songwriter, but not a rock and roller).  

ROCK THE BELLS: LAURYN'S COMEBACK, TRIBE'S TRIUMPH

This weekend, the Rock The Bells festival hit NYC, and it was a great time.  The story of the day was the comeback of "Ms." Lauryn Hill. I'm a huge fan of her classic album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and I was hoping for a great performance. But, like a lot of other people, I didn't know what to expect.  Would she show up?  Would there be a meltdown?  Was it going to be like her MTV Unplugged? The answer was a bit more complex.  She showed up with a very large band (most of the main stage acts were MCs and DJs, Lauryn had two drummers, guitar, keyboards, backing singers, etc.).  All the mics caused feedback and sound problems, but Lauryn powered through her set, victoriously.

She kicked off with a fast version of "Lost Ones" followed by a few more songs from Miseducation (but not "Doo-Wop" or "Everything Is Everything").  She also did her classic but not-super-well-known cover of Bob Marley's "Turn Your Lights Down Low." She also did three Fugees songs: "How Many Mics," "Fu-Gee-La" and "Ready Or Not." I was kind of surprised by that - but she did incredible versions, and I guess the point was that she doesn't need Wyclef to perform those songs.  Her band was super-tight and obviously well-rehearsed and Lauryn was in top form: her singing sounded great, but she was spitting rhymes with fire. She was also inspired by the crowd on the side of her stage, including her children (five or six of them!), plus celebs like Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, John Legend and Chris Rock. I don't know what her next move will be, but it should be interesting!

The other huge highlight of the day (for me) was A Tribe Called Quest's performance of Midnight Marauders. Last time I saw Tribe it was at Rock The Bells two years ago, and that night Q-Tip performed one solo set and then one with Tribe. This time it was all about the Tribe, and they were amazing.   They are so tight and well-rehearsed, they don't rap over their record, they rap over the beats that were used on the record. Ali Shaheed Muhammed is a great DJ, and Tip and Phife Dawg have a great bond and vibe going. Later on in the set, founding member of the group Jarobi joined them.  Also joining them for a few songs: Large Professor and Main Source for "Fakin' The Funk." Then of course towards the end of their set, Busta Rhymes for "Scenario." Incredible show and the highlight of my day.

Wu-Tang Clan: nothing to fuck wit', apparently!  Last time I saw them was at Rock The Bells a few years back, in my pre-blogging days.  They were great, it amazes me that a group with so many MCs keep it together for a tight set.  I've seen some messy Wu-Tang shows over the years, but they were great this year, sticking with material from their debut album, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Ol' Dirty Bastard was represented by his son, Boy Jones, who sounded just like his dad.

It was great to see KRS-One and Rakim at the same show. I'd never seen Rakim before, and I heard he was boring live.  Not true.  He was supposed to be performing the Eric B. & Rakim album Paid In Full, and he played most of it, throwing in just a purfunctory 5 seconds of the instrumental "Chinese Arithmatic." It's a bummer that he and Eric B. can't get it together to reunite.  KRS-One did a cool set, but talked a bit too much.  Unfortunately, I got there too late to see Slick Rick, and I left before Snoop Dogg (there were only two ferries to take everyone to and from the island, and I didn't want to wait on an hours-long line). But it was a great show, and I have to give props to the Rock The Bells people for always putting on a great show.

RAKIM MAKES HIS RETURN THIS WEEK

A couple of weeks ago on The Morning Jolt with Larry Flick on SIRIUSXM OutQ, I talked about current hip-hop music. I don't pretend to be an expert, but I've been listening to the art form since about 1985 (Run-D.M.C.'s King Of Rock came out that year, I was in high school) so I feel I can claim it a little bit.

Anyway, one of the callers lamented the lack of "actual content" in current hip-hop music. I don't disagree, I consider myself a big hip-hop fan, but I am rarely impressed with most of the big names today, without mentioning any names. To be fair, I wouldn't want to compare too many of today's rock bands with The Beatles or Zeppelin, either.

Anyway, one record that won't get the same promotion or press that, say, Lil Wayne's every move does, is the new Rakim album, The Seventh Seal, which comes out Tuesday. For a long time, he was working with Dr. Dre on his album, which was supposed to come out on Dre's Aftermath label (also home to Eminem and 50 Cent). Eventually Rakim bailed on what seemed like a great opportunity, because Dre was trying to position Rakim for maximum sales by making him "gangsta." In this interview with 17 Dots, he explains why he wasn't cool with that.

Anyway, I predict that this will be a really good album, and hopefully it will be a great one. On a similar note, here's hoping that Eric B & Rakim will be nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one of these days. I think they're that influencial on hip-hop and all the music that is inspired by hip-hop.

COOL NEW MUSIC: BAUHAUS, KATHLEEN EDWARDS, BLACK CROWES, RAKIM AND ALAN JACKSON

I bought one song each from all of the above. Maybe I'll go back and buy the rest of the albums later. In the $14.99 CD era before downloads, I might not have tried any of these albums. Anyway, here's my lowdown:

Bauhaus release their final album today, called Go Away White, a great title for the curtain call by this seminal goth band. I remember in one of the greatest comic books of all time, Sandman, the title character went from being all black to all white by the end of the comic's run. I saw Bauhaus on their reunion tour a few years back. I was never an expert on the band, but I had a respect for them. And they were great. I saw them again a few summers ago, opening for Nine Inch Nails at the most ungothly of venues, Jones Beach. But still, they were great. Apparently during the recording of this album, "an incident" occured, ensuring that the band will never work together again. Wow. Anyway, judging by "International Bulletproof Talent," they're taking thier final bow on a pretty cool note.

Today The Black Crowes release thier first album since reuniting a few years back, Warpaint. Like Maxim magazine, I have only heard "Goodbye Daughters Of The Revolution," and unlike Maxim, I'm not going to pretend I heard anything else. This is a pretty groovy song. I'm not a hardcore Black Crowes fan, but I enjoy lots of thier songs, and this is a good one.

Kathleen Edwards' "Oil Man's War," from her new one, Asking For Flowers, appeals to me on its title alone. On her last album, Back To Me, I really loved two songs (the title track and "In State"), but not the rest of the album. This is a pretty cool song, though, so I'll have to investigate the album further.

Rakim's "Love 4 Sale" is from a new collection called The Archive: Live, Lost & Found. He's one of the best MCs of all time, and it's too bad that he can't seem to get his career back on track. At one point, he was signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records, but got dropped before he released anything. As he proved on last year's track "Classic (Better Than I've Ever Been)" remix (produced by DJ Premier and also featuring Kanye West, Nas and KRS-One), he smokes pretty much any MC who is considered hot these days. Anyway, this is a pretty cool track.

Alan Jackson's "Small Town Southern Man" is from A-Jax's new album, out today, called Good Time. It's actually his first album where he wrote all the songs himself. I know he's lumped in with all of the "hat acts," many of whom I'm indifferent to. I don't have his albums, but I used to work in a record store and we played him sometimes, and I found myself liking his music. This is actually the record I'm most likely to pick up of this batch.

1988: HIP-HOP'S GREATEST YEAR?

RollingStone.com just did a cool feature on the best hip-hop albums from 1988. Indeed, it was a great year for hip-hop. RS cites Public Enemy's It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back at #1, and I'd definitely agree. I don't know if I got into that album in 1988 - I think I happened upon it the following year - but, wow, I still remember being blown away by how awesome/different/aggressive the album was. And I'm still knocked out every time I hear it today.

At #2 was Run-DMC's Tougher Than Leather. At the time that it came out, they seemed kind of over, but when the album was reissued a year or two ago, I felt like it was a pretty good album that I "slept on."

Soon after I got into P.E., I also got into Ice Cube and Ice-T, both of whom are represented on this list. N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton is on the list, as is Ice-T's Power. Both are great, but I got into Cube from his solo debut, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, which I actually prefer to N.W.A. I know, blasphemous. My favorite Ice-T albums were The Iceberg/Freedom Of Speech... Just Watch What You Say and O.G. - Original Gangster.

The list also included great albums by EPMD, Eric B & Rakim, Boogie Down Productions and even DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Yeah, it's easy to just say, "Yeah, hip-hop was better back then." But, it was. Still, there are great albums being put out today, look at Kanye West, Common and Nas to name three. Like the No Expiration masthead says, "There's always great new music being made."