CONGRATS TO THE STOOGES

I was really happy to see Genesis and Jimmy Cliff getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tonight. I've been listening to Genesis for almost as long as I've been listening to music, and Jimmy Cliff was the second reggae artist I ever got turned on to (after Bob Marley of course). I like The Hollies. And ABBA... well, I think they belong in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

But for me, and probably many others, it's all about The Stooges. They influenced almost every band who followed that I love. Not every band, but almost every band. Punk rock, "alternative," heavy metal, it wouldn't be the same without them. And their performance tonight was classic Stooges, they were as bad-ass as ever, they didn't water it down for the millionaire audience. They even invited the audience up on stage, and Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready, the Green Day dudes and some non-rock star folks obliged. It was amazing. For a lot of us, it was our first time seeing the band with James Williamson back. I will go to see them wherever they play, whenever they play there. I just read a quote by Henry Rollins, who said that he loves lots of older rock bands, but he isn't too into the idea of seeing guys in their '50s or '60s doing their old hits. Except for The Stooges. I get it. Congrats Iggy Pop, Scott Asheton, Dave Alexander, James Williamson and Ron Asheton. I wish the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame could have given this honor to you last year, so Ron could have been on stage with you guys.

THE STOOGES AND JIMMY CLIFF WILL PERFORM AT ROCK HALL INDUCTION

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation President and CEO Joel Peresman tells The Cleveland Plain Dealer that The Stooges and Jimmy Cliff will perform at thier inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the 15th. This is a cool opportunity for The Stooges to show off their new lineup, including reinstated guitarist James Williamson (I hope he is being inducted with the rest of the group, since he played on their classic album Raw Power).

It seemed pretty obvious that Genesis wouldn't be performing, since Peter Gabriel said he wouldn't (and he is in fact not even attending the ceremony, a bit of a dick move). Phil Collins, who will be there and who can sing, can't play the drums due to an injury.  So, I think that Phil, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, Steve Hackett (and maybe Anthony Phillips, he is the band's original guitarist/leader, I think he's being inducted as well) will attend and not perform. I'm not an ABBA expert, but I don't think there's a chance in hell that they will perform.

The Hollies can't perform, because original singer/leader Allan Clarke can't sing anymore, and two of the other former members can't be there. But Graham Nash is apparently planning on performing Hollies songs backed by some of the members of Maroon 5.

The Plain Dealer article also says that Faith Hill, Chris Isaak, Ronnie Spector, Peter Wolf and Eric Burdon will be among the other artists who will appear, but it wasn't clear if all or any of them were performing. The show will air live on Fuse Monday night.

ROCK HALL ANNOUNCES PRESENTERS: LITTLE STEVEN BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG, WYCLEF, TREY

Today Rolling Stone announced the presenters for this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day for The Stooges. You know I love Green Day. But Billie Joe, to me, isn't the right guy.  In my mind, it would have been Anthony Kiedis or Perry Farrell.  Even Kris Novoselic.  Of course, Billie Joe and Green Day did back Iggy Pop on his Skull Ring album, so there is some connection.

Trey Anastasio of Phish for Genesis. A weird pick, and I really thought Muse would have perfect for this. I know that when Trey split up Phish, he was really influenced by Peter Gabriel's solo song "Solisbury Hill," which was written about quitting Genesis.  I'm not sure that makes him the right guy to celebrate Genesis, especially the trio lineup from the '80s and '90s.

Wyclef Jean for Jimmy Cliff. That's who I would have picked. He does a great "Many Rivers To Cross," and at one point I heard that The Fugees were going to star in a remake of The Harder They Come.

Little Steven Van Zandt for The Hollies. I kind of picked that also. If you listen to Little Steven's amazing SIRIUS|XM channel The Underground Garage, you know that Steven is a huge champion of the more pop and harmony based '60s garage rock bands.  He gives a great speech: his speech about The Rascals in the '90s is what got him his role on The Sopranos.

And Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees will do the speech for ABBA, which makes sense. I was kind of thinking Madonna or Lady Gaga or even Elton John, but the Gibbs is a great choice.

Anyway, I can't wait for the ceremony, which airs on March 15 on Fuse.

TOMORROW ON OUTQ PART 2: THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME

As I mentioned in my previous post, tomorrow morning (December 16) I will be on SIRIUS XM channel OutQ's The Morning Jolt with Larry Flick for a full hour (rather than my usual half hour) starting at 9 am ET. My original topic was going to be last minute holiday gifts, but since The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction class has been announced, we'll be addressing that as well. Feel free to call in with your opinions! 866-305-6887.

I've written a lot about The Stooges over the past few years: to me, if they don't deserve to be in, hardly anyone does. They didn't sell a lot of records, were probably never on the radio, classic rock radio doesn't play them today (instead opting for Boston, Styx, The Eagles, etc), didn't get much love in the press during their era. And yet. They influenced David Bowie, Patti Smith, The Ramones, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, U2, R.E.M., Jane's Addiction, PJ Harvey, Hole, Nirvana, Soundgarden, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails and many more. Music would be really different if they never existed, and I don't know how many other bands you can say that about. They've been eligable for 15 years, they've been on the ballot and rejected I think eight times, but better late than never. Although it is really sad that guitarist Ron Asheton passed away just a few months before this announcement. If you're not that familiar with the band and want to get into them... well, there's no real "best of." But do yourself a favor, just pick up their three albums: 1969's The Stooges, 1970's Fun House and 1973's Raw Power (which I think is getting a deluxe reissue soon). Their 2007 reunion album The Weirdness is cool, but it's the first three that you need, trust me on that.

Jimmy Cliff is the only other inductee that I would have voted for. I don't remember why, but the soundtrack to The Harder They Come was one of the first reggae albums I ever owned. I'm not a reggae expert, but I do enjoy it a lot. Jimmy Cliff starred in that film, and is all over the soundtrack, which is the best non-Marley reggae album ever and maybe the best overall. It has a great song for children "You Can Get It If You Really Want It," a beautiful gospel tune (perfect for funerals!) "Many Rivers To Cross" and a rebel anthem "The Harder They Come, The Harder They Fall," which has been covered by Joe Strummer, Rancid, Jerry Garcia and Cher. "Sitting In Limbo" is another classic from the album. He also has other great songs like "Viet Nam" (not many reggae singers addressed Viet Nam) and "Trapped" (famously covered by Bruce Springsteen). If you're just looking to try out Jimmy Cliff, check out the deluxe edition of The Harder They Come (featuring lots of other great reggae artists like Desmond Dekker and Toots & The Maytals, the later of whom I might also nominate for the Rock Hall) and the 2 CD Anthology, released in 2003 on Universal.

Genesis? Would I have voted for them, despite the fact that I am a big fan? Maybe not. That said, I'll be glad to see a band that has recieved such sharp and venomous critical barbs through their entire career get this great honor. That said, it is terrible timing, because Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett might have performed with the other three, but now that Phil Collins is injured and can't play the drums, the opportunity to see the classic five-man lineup will probably never play again. My suggestion? Have Muse perform a Gabriel-era song, and then have Rob Thomas join them for a Phil-era song. If you are looking to get into Genesis, I would start with Turn It On Again, which concentrates on the Phil era. If you prefer Peter, the best albums are The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway and Selling England By The Pound.

The Hollies? They wouldn't have gotten my vote, although I love some of their songs, especially "Look Through Any Window." Still, I'm sure this is the result of much campaigning by Little Steven, maybe his speech about them will convince me. He is a great advocate of the more poppy '60s-era rock bands, which I respect. I certainly wouldn't own any Rascals or Dave Clark 5 if not for Little Steven. I only have one Hollies CD, Epic Anthology.

ABBA? Sorry - and I know that this may not be popular tomorrow on the radio - but no. Hell no. If this were the Songwriter's Hall of Fame? Sure. I'm not a "rockist" snob - I have no problem with Madonna in the Hall of Fame, or Michael Jackson. They both have a certain edge that makes them rock and roll to me, which ABBA lacks. I just don't think they should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and certainly not over KISS, Alice Cooper, The MC5, etc.

FINALLY! THE STOOGES INDUCTED INTO THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME

Time and time again, I have criticized the fact that The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - an institution that I respect and generally am a fan of - has not yet inducted one of the best and most influencial bands of all time, The Stooges. I'm glad to say that's over - they are finally getting in this year, after fifteen years of eligibility and being rejected eight times. Better late than never! Although it's a shame that it finally happened just months after the death of founding guitarist (and bassist) Ron Asheton. Hopefully they will perform at the ceremony, and it will be one of thier first performances with guitarist James Williamson, who joined the band for thier classic album Raw Power (bassist Dave Alexander had been fired, and Iggy Pop forced Ron to switch to bass). If you are a fan of rock and roll, you should have The Stooges, Fun House and Raw Power, period.

The rest of the inductees: reggae legend Jimmy Cliff (the soundtrack to The Harder They Come, which he starred in, features most of his greatest songs, and is maybe the best non-Marley reggae album ever, and one of the best albums ever in any genre).

Genesis - a band I am a big fan of.  Were they super influencial on rock and roll?  Hard to say. But the timing couldn't be worse: Peter Gabriel may be willing to peform with the band, but Phil Collins is sadly unable to play the drums at the moment.

The Hollies - I'm sure Little Steven campaigned hard for this one, as he did in years past for The Dave Clark 5 and The Rascals. I wasn't convinced about either of those bands either, until I heard Little Steven and Tom Hanks' speeches about them, respectively. 

ABBA - If this was the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, no question.  I wouldn't have voted for them in a million years.  I feel the same way about Hall of Famers James Taylor and Leonard Cohen.  Great songwriters, not rock and roll.

My ballot would have featured The Stooges and Jimmy Cliff, as well as The Red Hot Chili Peppers (maybe they pulled themselves off the ballot due to their recent lineup change), KISS and LL Cool J. 

And the Hall of Fame still needs to induct Alice Cooper, The New York Dolls, The MC5 and Motorhead!