GUITAR WORLD'S 100 GREATEST (MY ADJUSTMENTS) (part 2)

This is part 2 of my "adjustments" to Guitar World's list of 100 Greatest Classic Rock Guitar Songs. Part 1 is here.

26. The Stooges - "1969" I just inserted it here. The Stooges kick the shit out of most bands that "classic rock" radio plays.  I could have chosen lots of Stooges songs, but "1969," leading off their self-titled debut from that same year, was a roaring counterpoint to lots of the hippie Woodstock stuff going on at the time. More people need to check out The Stooges.  I'm glad they finally got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  R.I.P guitarist Ron Asheton.

27. KISS - "Detroit Rock City (live)" I moved this up a few notches, GW had it at 33. And I replaced the studio version with the one from Alive II. "You wanted the best, you GOT the best! The hottest band in the world..."

28. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - "Cinnamon Girl" Neil and the late Danny Whitten were a great team. This song is really simple, but if it was easy, everyone would write songs like this. Incredible riff. GW had this at 31, I bumped it up.

29. Led Zeppelin - "Whole Lotta Love" which shows off Jimmy Page's godly power, not just as a guitarist but as a producer. Moved up from 35.

30. Yes - "Starship Trooper" Well, I may come off as a bit of a snob sometimes, but on the other hand I am a huge Yes fan. I'm glad GW choose this song instead of one of the more obvious ones. From their third LP, but their first with guitarist Steve Howe, The Yes Album. I never get tired of this song.

31. Derek & The Dominoes - "I Looked Away." Of course GW went with "Layla," but "classic rock" radio has kind of driven that one into the ground for me also. It's a great riff, a great anthem (and a great piano song as well as a great guitar song). To me, Derek is Eric Clapton's best period ever. Putting Eric and Duane Allman on the same record, it's still incredible to hear them together. I think "I Looked Away" is one of the most underrated songs in the Clapton cannon.

32. Bill Haley & The Comets - "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" It sounds quaint now, but in 1954, I'm sure it was pretty radical.  And the guitar is tasty as hell, props to Danny Cedrone who played guitar on the track.

33. Iron Maiden - "Iron Maiden" GW had "Run To The Hills" at #37, but I replaced it with this song, because I prefer the Paul Di'Anno era to the Bruce Dickinson era. Iron Maiden is creepy and evil sounding.  At the same time, "Run To The Hills" was the first Maiden song I'd ever heard, and really turned me on to them, so lets call it a tie, OK? I knew Maiden's imagery was very horror-film-like, and I was surprised to hear them do such a political song. Anyway, guitarist Dave Murray rocks on both songs.  On "Iron Maiden," he plays with co-guitarist Dennis Stratton, and on "Run..." with Adrian Smith.

34. The MC5 - "Kick Out The Jams" in the place of "Carry On Wayward Son." It's just a matter of opinion, but I think "classic rock" radio would actually rock more with more Stooges and MC5.

35. Cheap Trick - "Surrender" They always seem a bit underrated. GW had it at 39, I moved it up four spots.

36. Alice Cooper - "School's Out" Glen Buxton and Michael Bruce were a great guitar team, and Alice Cooper was a great BAND. This song is also a bit overdone, but it's timeless (at least as long as there are schools and summer break).

37.  Michael Jackson - "Beat It" I was glad to see GW include this song, even though no rock stations would ever play a Michael Jackson song.  The fact that he used Eddie Van Halen on this song was pretty radical at the time.  Michael often choose cool guitarists to work with, including Steve Stevens and Slash, but this was his best rock moment.  The fact that you couldn't hear this song on rock radio made rock radio, to me, seem old and out of touch (their very limited playlists didn't help either).

38. The New York Dolls - "Personality Crisis" I used this song to replace a Motley Crue song that was included by GW.  I don't like GW, but I respect that Nikki Sixx has always given a lot of credit to the Dolls for their influence, and even gave them the opening slot on their summer tour (which I think is still going on). But the Dolls are another great, underrated band. They deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and they deserve to be on the radio also. Sylvain Sylvain and the late Johnny Thunders: great guitar team.

39. Bob Dylan - "Subterranean Homesick Blues" I'm not sure who the guitar players were on this song, but it's got great playing. Also, it marks one of the most radical artistic departures from a major popular music artist.  Going from folk to rock (or funk) like this... these days, everyone plays electric and acoustic music, but it was a radical idea back then.

40. The Rolling Stones - "Jumpin' Jack Flash" I moved this up from #46. Yes, it's a bit overplayed, but what a classic.  Undeniable riff. Keith Richards and Brian Jones on guitars.

41. AC/DC - "Hells Bells" Obviously "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Back In Black" are bigger songs from the Back In Black album, but I love how this song opens the album. It's their sendoff to Bon Scott, and the first time we hear his replacement, Brian Johnson. As always, Angus and Malcolm Young are devastating.

42. Dick Dale & The Del-Tones "Miserlou" I moved this up from 50.  It's truly an iconic piece of music, and bless Quentin Tarantino (one of the greatest soundtrack curators) for putting it in Pulp Fiction.

43. Crosby Stills Nash & Young "Carry On" I used this to replace CSN's "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes." I think this is better, and, plus, Neil Young is on it (I think: I know all four guys were on every song together on Deja Vu). When you see it live, it's cool to watch Stephen Stills and Neil go back and forth on lead guitars. David Crosby is a good rhythm guitarist, and Graham Nash is just a great musician. It's a great song to open a concert with.

44. The Grateful Dead - "Bertha (live)" I replaced "Truckin'" with this, I don't need to hear "Truckin'" anymore. This live version opens the "Skull Fuck" album, and they opened with this the first time I ever saw them. I'm not always into the hippie/jam band thing, but Jerry Garcia was a cool guitar player.

45. Link Wray & His Wray Men - "Rumble" Another badass instrumental used in Pulp Fiction, but not included on the soundtrack. I moved this up from 62.

46. The Beatles - "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" Another great George Harrison composition, and in this one, the Fab Four gets an assist from Eric Clapton. I moved this up from 63.

47. Heart - "Barracuda" Yes, also driven into the ground by radio, but what the hell, it's  great riff.  Nancy Wilson is an underrated guitarist, and in the interest of fairness, it's worth mentioning that Roger Fisher was the other guitarist in the band at this point. I moved this up from 64.

48. Pearl Jam - "Corduroy" GW choose "Evenflow," which is a great (and has a monster riff that I think Stone Gossard came up with), but "Corduroy" is probably my favorite Pearl Jam song. When they play it live, it just raises the entire arena. People don't talk about Mike McCready enough when they talk about the best lead guitarists around today, but he is one of the best.

49. Van Halen - "Hot For Teacher" You just can't deny how huge Van Halen were in their day, and how great they were. I used to sort of "blame"them for hair metal, but I realized that was ridiculous.  This song is one of Eddie Van Halen's coolest moments.

50. The Yardbirds - "Over Under Sideways Down" This is from the Jeff Beck era, which is my favorite.

TOMORROW ON OUTQ: ROCK!

Tomorrow morning at 9 am ET on SIRIUS XM OutQ, I will be talking about some classic albums from rock history. The Stooges just reissued Raw Power, restoring the original mix (done by David Bowie). I will compare it to a re-release that came out over a decade ago, that was mixed by Iggy Pop (which I prefer). I'll also talk about the reissue of Judas Priest's classic British Steel.

Plus, I'll be talking about new albums from The Hold Steady, Hole and The Dead Weather.

40 REASONS TO GET EXCITED ABOUT MUSIC

So, as promised, I'm posting my "40 Reasons To Get Exicted About Music," in response to Rolling Stone magazine's recent cover story. It turns out that I agree with half of theirs.  Here, then, are twenty of my reasons to be excited.

Bob Dylan. Not including his recent Christmas album, he has released four classic albums in a row: 1997's Time Out Of Mind, 2001's "Love & Theft," 2006's Modern Times and last year's Together Through Life, which was my favorite album of 2009. Plus, his concerts are getting good again. It's just inspiring how great he is, as he approaches the big seven-oh. Plus, he's been allowing Sony Legacy to put out great releases from his vault.

Speaking of approaching the big seven-oh, there's also the legend, Solomon Burke.Two weeks ago, I talked about Solomon's latest album, Nothing's Impossible, on The Morning Jolt with Larry Flick on SIRIUS XM OutQ, and people loved it. The man still makes incredible albums, and has been doing so since his 2002 record, Don't Give Up On Me.

The Underground Garage. Anyone who reads No Expiration, anyone who listens to me on OutQ, or anyone who talks to me about music ever, knows my love for the Underground Garage, which I write about often. As someone who has not been interested in music radio for decades, the Underground Garage got me back into it. You can hear new and old music, famous bands, obscure bands, brand new bands that haven't gotten to the pop culture radar yet, well know songs, rare tracks, and it doesn't discriminate by race or sex. In fact, I don't think you'll hear more female fronted bands, or all girl groups, anywhere else. The Underground Garage, in fact, introduced me to one of my favorite bands, The Cocktail Slippers. Other bands it turned me on to: The Boss Martians, The Hawaii Mud Bombers, The Jessica Fletchers, The Woggles, The Chesterfield Kings, The Charms, The Contrast, The Grip Weeds, and more. These are some of the best bands you haven't heard of. I hear tons of great new music on this channel all the time.

I need to mention The Cocktail Slippers again. Their last album, Saint Valentine's Day Massacre was one of my favorite albums of last year. I can't wait to hear what they will do next.

Everyone knows that Little Steven Van Zandt runs The Underground Garage, but he is also the force behind Outlaw Country, a truly awesome channel, that combines every generation of country music, with a sort of rock and roll spirit. It seems pretty crazy that there aren't radio stations that play Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Loretta Lynn, Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams in high rotation. Luckily, Outlaw Country does. They've also introduced me to some great artists, including Reckless Kelly, (DJ) Elizabeth Cook and one of my favorite bands, The Drive-By Truckers.

The Drive-By Truckers deserve their own entry! Their new album, The Big To-Do, is my favorite album of 2010 so far. They've been doing their thing for over a decade now, and I'm glad that people are starting to notice.

Speaking of the Truckers, they played on Bettye Lavette's last album, The Scene Of The Crime. What an inspiring story this lady has. She's been working for decades, almost having breaks a few times over the years, and finally in the mid-00's, Anti- Records (owned by Epitaph, they have also put out records by Tom Waits, Solomon Burke and Joe Henry) gave her a deal, and now the world is starting to get to know her. Better late than never: what a voice. She is a great song interpreter.

Another great singer/song interpreter with an inspiring story is Miss Sharon Jones. She started getting her first break in her 50s! Her new album I Learned The Hard Way is really great. She loves old-school sounds so much, it's like the last few decades haven't happened, but her songs are great, so it's cool (the same could be said of Jack White).

And yet another great singer/interpreter with a great story is former Band drummer/singer/mandolin player Levon Helm. A couple of years ago, Levon was on the brink of bankruptcy, foreclosure and was staring down cancer. Today, he is healthy, does really popular concerts at his home (which wasn't foreclosed), tours, and has made two great albums.

The Stooges. One of the best bands of all time. They are finally getting the credit they deserve. And they are touring. They will destroy bands one third of their age.

Robert Plant. For years, his ambition seems to outreach what he was capable of as a solo artist. Then he let go of a bit of control, worked with Alison Krauss (and, it must be said, producer T-Bone Burnett)and put out a true classic with Raising Sand. Now he's working on a solo album (he doesn't rule out another album with Alison though) but he's sticking in the Americana vein: he's got Buddy Miller and Patty Griffin in his touring band, and Buddy is producing his next album.

Bruce Springsteen. Although I didn't love his latest album, Working On A Dream, I thought that Magic was a classic. I think Bruce still has classics in him. His latest tour was maybe his best yet. The E Street Band is one of the best combos in the world. And Bruce can still turn around and so something great with his other group, The (Seeger) Sessions Band or as a solo acoustic artist.

Talib Kweli. I think he is one of the best MCs around, I like his solo music, I like what he does with Hi-Tek in Reflection Eternal, and I hope that he and Mos Def do another Black Star album that lives up to the first one. Honestly, I don't care if Jay-Z retires, I hope Kweli makes music for a long time.

Two more reasons together: Aimee Mann and Ben Harper. Two of the best songwwriters in the world. They are always honest, make no concessions to anyone, and keep putting out great albums. Actually, I'll add Steve Earle to that.

Jack White: I write about him often, and it is a running joke on Larry Flick's show that I keep coming up with ways to play his music on the show (Larry isn't a Jack White fan). For all three of his bands, and for his great label, Third Man Records. Jack was my "Artist of the '00s."

Kanye West: he is a commerical hip-hop artist whose music I sometimes like and he keeps things interesting!

Roger Waters taking The Wall on tour. I wasn't old enough to go to concerts when Pink Floyd toured for The Wall!

Green Day: because they can rock Broadway, do a guitar hero game, tour stadiums and still do club shows as Foxboro Hot Tubs.

Those are my reasons: here are the Rolling Stone reasons that I was down with: U2's tour, LCD Soundsystem, concerts sound better than ever today, Them Crooked Vultures, Chuck Berry still performing, concert tickets are sometimes under $50 (I have to look for more sales like that!), T.I. is out of jail, M.I.A., "cloud based music," Tom Morello still fights the power, great tribute bands (I'm kind of iffy on this, I don't really see too many tribute bands, although I kind of want to check out The Fab Faux), Keith Richards is writing an autobiography, Mike Campbell rocks out on the new Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers album, The Gaslight Anthem (cool young punk rock band), The Roots, country newcomer Jamey Johnson, vinyl sales tripled since 2006, R-Bone Burnett's productions and artist vaults with lots of great stuff in them (Dylan, Springsteen, Young).

THE STOOGES ON CNN???

It's great that The Stooges are finally getting their due. It is so weird to me that they were featured on CNN, but as is the case with all of the accolades they've been getting, better late than never. Watch it at the new Iggy & The Stooges website.

THE STOOGES DEBUT TO GET DELUXE REISSUE

Today I read that Rhino is going to be doing a deluxe reissue of The Stooges' classic 1969 debut album. I don't know if it is going to be as tricked out as the Raw Power reissue that is coming out on Sony Legacy next month.

The Stooges reissue is supposed to have some of the original mixes by producer John Cale and some bonus tracks as well.

As you can probably tell, I can't get enough of The Stooges. I hope to see them touring at some point this year, I'm looking forward to seeing them with James Williamson and hearing some of the Raw Power-era stuff.

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.

STOOGES "RAW POWER" REISSUED IN APRIL

It makes sense that right after The Stooges are finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and right after they reunited with former guitarist James Williamson, Sony Legacy will  be reissuing the band's sole album for that label, the classic 1973 Raw Power.

The album itself has a weird history. It was sort of the band's "reunion" album, and featured a different lineup.  Iggy Pop forced the late guitarist Ron Asheton to switch to bass, as he brought in Williamson to be the new guitarist. David Bowie mixed the album, much to the chagrin of many fans. For years there were "Bowie-free" bootleg Raw Power albums out there. Then, about ten years ago, Sony had Iggy remix it, and it does sound better (in my opinion anyway).

Now, they are putting out an expanded box set version of the album. The first disc contains the original Bowie mixes, which have been out of print ever since the aforementioned reissue. The second disc is the "Georgia Peaches" bootleg, which was a live concert recorded in 1973 in Georgia. It also includes two previously unreleased songs. Disc three has more unreleased tracks and a few remixed ones.  The box also comes with a doc about the album and a book. I think it's kind of annoying that it doesn't include the last Bowie-free remixed album, but I already have that.  I recommend you get that, and if you love it, check out this box set.

With Williamson back in the band, The Stooges are going to be playing Raw Power start to finish on their tour, which is cool, because they didn't play much of that on their recent tours, sticking instead with the first two albums which featured Ron Asheton on guitar, The Stooges and Funhouse.

THE STOOGES, NOT THE STROKES!

Well, that was depressing! I was on Amazon, looking for some old albums by The Stooges, and on top of the results, it asked "Are you looking for The Strokes?" HELL, no!  I'm looking for The Stooges!

A few years ago, I saw both bands, back to back, at Little Steven's Underground Garage Rock Festival at Randall's Island in NYC. The last three bands of the day were, in this order, The New York Dolls, The Strokes and The Stooges. It was the Dolls' first NY gig in, like, three decades.  The Strokes were way out of their league, and lets leave it at that.

Anyway, I was looking for The Stooges, because I was listening to their 1969 self-titled album yesterday and thinking, "wasn't this remastered?" It was, in fact, a few years ago.  So I'm going to get the remasters of that album and 1970's Fun House. Those are both on Rhino, because at that point The Stooges were on Elektra. Raw Power, meanwhile, will be reissued by Sony Legacy later this year.

THE JAM FOR RON ASHETON

It was a year ago that Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton died. A week from tomorrow, The Roxy in in L.A. will host a tribute concert to the man, which will feature his brother and bandmate, drummer Scott Asheton, Stooges touring bassist (and legend in his own right) Mike Watt and longtime Stooges sax player Steve Mackay, as well as Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. It is particularly fitting that members of Jane's and the Chili Peppers will be there, as neither bands would have existed without the influence of The Stooges.  Hopefully Iggy Pop will show up also. If you're in L.A., you can get info about tickets here.

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!

PUNK ROCK SUMMIT: IGGY MEETS HANDSOME DICK

Back in May, I attended the Road Recovery concert at the Nokia Theater in New York. The great Iggy Pop was a special guest performer, and he didn't seem too impressed with many of the artists on the bill. Except for Dictators frontman and Underground Garage DJ Handsome Dick Manitoba. As an employee of SIRIUS|XM, I sometimes see Handsome Dick, and got to talk to him about the show a few days later. He told me that having Iggy tip his imaginary hat to him onstage was one of the highlights of his career. So, I know getting the chance to interview him for the Underground Garage was a big deal for him too. The interview aired Friday night (hopefully they will replay it at some point), but the above clip was a good moment. The interview was to promote the book The Stooges: The Authorized and Illustrated Story by Robert Matheu. The book comes out just as The Stooges are up for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the eighth time, in their fifteenth year of eligibility.

STOOGES, KISS, LL, CHILI PEPPERS AND JIMMY CLIFF ON THE ROCK HALL BALLOT

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced the artists on the ballot for their next induction class. This isn't the inductees: it's who is will appear on the ballot. For the millionth time, The Stooges are on. Their classic self-titled debut came out 40 years ago. They are one of the best and most influential bands of all time, and it's embarrassing that they aren't in yet. I hope that not only the original members are eligible, but also later-day guitarist James Williamson, who played on Raw Power, and who recently rejoined the band.

Shockingly, KISS is on the ballot. I say shockingly, because Rolling Stone founder and Rock Hall co-founder Jann Wenner famously hates them. But they are also one of the most influential bands in rock and roll, like it or not. They totally deserve to be in. Although they may be on the ballot just because of the hype that that will generate - especially with a new album coming out. And sorry to KISS fans, I would think that the only members being inducted would be the original four (with apologies to the late, great Eric Carr).

Hip-hop legend LL Cool J is on the ballot, and I would definitely be voting for him also. The first artist to release anything on Def Jam, he is more of an actor/celebrity these days, but his early records had a definite rock and roll attitude if not a rock and roll sound the way Run-DMC did. I am totally cool with some hip-hop artists being in the Rock Hall, especially LL. I'm surprised that The Beastie Boys aren't on the ballot - they were last year. Maybe the Hall wants to wait for them to be able to perform - and right now they can't since Adam Yauch is still recovering from surgery.

Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff is also on the ballot - I'd vote for him too. Bob Marley is the only reggae artist in the Hall, and while it isn't the Reggae Hall of Fame, some reggae artists have certainly influenced rock and roll, and I think Jimmy definitely has. How many rock bands have covered "The Harder They Come"? I'd also think that Peter Tosh would deserve to be inducted.

Also, The Red Hot Chili Peppers - I can't believe they are 25! They'd get my vote also. One of the greatest bands of the modern era, and they are still relevant, unlike so many of thier peers. I wonder who will be included: I think original members, the late Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons should get in, along with John Frusciante and Chad Smith, but I wonder if Dave Navarro will be included?

Also on the ballot: Genesis (who I like but wouldn't vote for this time around - and it would be nice if Phil Collins is healthy and could play drums if they were to be inducted - I'd actually favor Peter Gabriel as a solo artist), The Hollies (cool, but they wouldn't get my vote), Darlene Love (ditto, but I bet she gets in), Laura Nyro (a Rolling Stone favorite), and Donna Summer.

Big omissions in my mind: the aforementioned Beastie Boys, Alice Cooper, The MC5, The New York Dolls, Motorhead and Tom Waits. And Bill Withers.

JAMES WILLIAMSON TO REJOIN THE STOOGES

James
Williamson
is the guitar player who was on The Stooges' third album, the classic Raw Power. The Stooges had broken up, and reunited, but Iggy Pop decided he wanted Williamson on guitar, and he moved guitarist Ron Asheton to bass (bassist Dave Alexander had been fired already anyway). After that album, the band broke up for decades. Williamson collaborated with Iggy on a few things, but they haven't talked in decades and he hasn't played a gig of any kind since, until this week! Dude has been working in Silicon Valley for a while, was about to retire, was in the parking lot at his dentist's office when his phone rang: it was Iggy, asking him to rejoin the band! (Of course, the great Ron Asheton passed away earlier this year) Read more of the story at Rolling Stone.

When The Stooges reunited in 2003, they only played songs from thier first two albums, The Stooges and Funhouse. Now, they are going to obviously focus on Raw Power, but also play stuff from the first two records. It's too bad that they STILL haven't gotten into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but hopefully they will this year, and hopefully James Williamson will be included.

1969: NOT JUST ABOUT WOODSTOCK

So, there's been a lot of hype about
Woodstock's 40th anniversary and how big of a deal it was. I realize it was a big deal, but lots of other stuff was happening in 1969. It was the year I was born! Here's a few other cool music events from that year: Former Buffalo Springfield member Neil Young went solo: his first solo album, Neil Young, wasn't great, but the follow-up, released later that year, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere was his first album with Crazy Horse. Led Zeppelin and The Stooges released classic self-titled debuts (Zep also released their second album in '69), and The Allman Brothers Band and Santana and Yes also released their debuts. Sly & The Family Stone released Stand!, Bob Dylan went "country" with Nashville Skyline, The Velvet Underground released thier self titled classic, Creedence Clearwater Revival released Green River and Blind Faith released thier only album. The Beatles wrapped things up with Abbey Road, The Rolling Stones had Let It Bleed and The Who unleashed Tommy. Also in 1969, Earth changed thier name to Black Sabbath (they'd release their debut in early 1970). A good year for music, and not just hippie stuff.

THE NUGE TO REUNITE WITH THE AMBOY DUKES

The single greatest song that Ted Nugent has ever been involved with is "Journey To The Center of the Mind," with his former band, The Amboy Dukes. He claims he didn't know it was about drugs. OK.... And now for the first time in 30 years, Ted is reuniting with them to perform at the Detroit Music Awards April 17. More importantly, the show will feature a tribute to the late Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton.

CLASSIC ALBUMS BY THIS YEAR'S ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAMERS (and The Stooges)

Yesterday on OutQ, I talked about this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, as well as The Stooges, who should be getting in. But you may wonder, "OK, I'm interested in these artists, where should I start if I want to check them out?" I'm glad you asked! Here's my beginner's guide:

The Stooges: The Stooges don't have any kind of best-of retrospective. Which is fine, they really only made three albums, plus their comeback album, The Weirdness, in 2007. I'd say just start with their classic debut, The Stooges, from 1969. Just go in order from there! Fun House, from 1970, is also a classic. After that, they broke up, but then reunited with a slightly different lineup for Raw Power in 1973. That was their last album until The Weirdness. Of course, Iggy Pop had a pretty great solo career post-Stooges, and you can get an overview on the 2 CD set A Million In Prizes, which includes a bunch of Stooges songs.

Metallica also doesn't have a best-of, which is probably smart: when they finally release one, it will probably sell tens of millions... unless CDs are totally extinct. They may actually have missed a chance to make millions of dollars! Anyway, with them, I'd also start with their debut, 1983's Kill 'Em All. Then, their second album, 1984's Ride The Lightning and 1986's Master Of Puppets. That's their best music, right there. After that: 1988's ...and Justice For All and then I'd go with 1998's Garage Inc., a two disc set with all of their covers up to that point, and a full disc of newly recorded covers. After that, 1991's Metallica ("The Black Album") and 2008's Death Magnetic.

Run-D.M.C. has a couple of best-ofs, I think the best one is probably Greatest Hits from 2001. But really, I would just start with their debut album, 1984's Run-D.M.C., and then skip ahead to their third album, 1986's Raising Hell. Then, back to their second album, 1985's King Of Rock. Then their fourth one, 1988's Tougher Than Leather.

Surprisingly, Jeff Beck doesn't have many best-ofs, and I don't love the track list on the one that is still in print, 1995's The Best Of Beck. It only has one song from the original Jeff Beck Group, which included singer Rod Stewart and bassist Ron Wood. I'd rather spend the extra money on the 1991 3 CD box set, Beckology, which includes stuff from The Yardbirds and his entire solo career up to that point. Otherwise, I'd recommend getting the two albums by the original JBG, 1968's Truth and 1969's Beckola, and then Jeff's first instrumental album, 1975's Blow By Blow.

As for this year's other inductees, Bobby Womack, Little Anthony & The Imperials and Wanda Jackson, I'm not enough of an expert to make recommendations, but I'll look into them and hopefully make some recommendations in the next few months.

FRIDAY (NOT THURSDAY) ON OUTQ

Due to Larry Flick's interview schedule and my busy work schedule, I unfortunately won't be on OutQ Thursday. Which is a real bummer, because I want to take to the airwaves to blast the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, who will NOT be inducting The Stooges this year. I know Larry feels the same way. I'm very happy for Metallica, one of my favorite bands ever (when I was a kid, I thought they were talking to me on their albums), Run-D.M.C. and Jeff Beck. But if The Stooges don't deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, then no one does. Just looking over the list of inductees over the past few years, I ask this: has Leonard Cohen/Percy Sledge/Jackson Browne/Brenda Lee/Steely Dan/The Eagles really influenced more artists? I'll be on Larry's show Friday morning to talk about all this, and list the artists who wouldn't exist if it weren't for The Stooges' influence.