Journey and Yes don't belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fa

[tater1977]

Journey and Yes don't belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Updated: December 20, 2016

by Dan DeLuca, Music Critic

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inth ... -Fame.html


On Tuesday, the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame announced its 2017 inductees, with Pearl Jam and Tupac Shakur leading the way in a class of a half dozen that also included Joan Baez, Journey, ELO and Yes. Nile Rodgers of Chic also will receive a special Award for Musical Excellence.

Do all those artists belong in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame? No.

Pearl Jam and Tupac are the no-brainers. Even if you prefer Nirvana as the greatest band of the Seattle grunge era, as discerning people do, the quarter century career that Eddie Vedder and crew have sustained filling arena demands respect.

And Tupac’s career, brief as it was before he was gunned down on the Las Vegas strip at age 25, is a genuinely iconic tragic story of a bountifully talented hip-hop poet who lived and died by the thug life. He's the first rap solo artist to be inducted. (The Notorious B.I.G. should be next.) Both he and PJ go in deservedly in their first year of eligibility.

After that, it gets iffy.

Yes have been knocking on the door for years. The Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe led band - always massively popular in Philadelphia thanks in part to ardent fan classic rock deejays like the late Ed Sciaky - are the prototypical Brit early 70s prog-rock virtuosic noodlers. As I was reminded during the recently completed WXPN-FM (88.5) marathon, there are bad rock lyrics, and then there are Yes lyrics. “Mountains come out of the sky, they STAND THERE!”

If I had a vote, they wouldn’t have gotten it. But in its 31st year of inductions with most of the good and the great in already, the RRHOF is hard-pressed to find much-loved bands to honor at its annual ceremony, which this year will be held at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn in April 8. And once Canadian prog trio Rush got in in 2013, it was inevitable that the day would come when the RRHOF would day Yes.

There’s a stronger case to be made for ELO. Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra scored scads of hits in the 1970s that have stood up nicely over the years: “Turn To Stone,” “Don’t Bring Me Down,” “Strange Magic,” “Evil Woman,” “Telephone Line.” And Lynne gets added points for the work he did producing George Harrison and Tom Petty, and as the musical glue holding together the Traveling Wilburys.

Journey? C’mon. Seriously? Yes, “Don’t Stop Believin’” is a karaoke classic, an ‘80s rock at-the-top-of-your-lungs clenched fist ironic-but-not-ironic singalong immortalized long before the screen went black on Tony Soprano in 2007. But th Steve Perry-fronted band are going into the Rock Hall on the strength of what else? As Steve Van Zandt as Silvio Dante might say: “Fuggedaboutit!” Their induction looks even sillier when you consider the more worthy acts which were passed over, including Bad Brains, Janet Jackson, the MC5, the Cars, Chic and Kraftwerk.

Joan Baez is a folk singer, of course, but, as she pointed out in a statement, “as part of the folk music boom which contributed to and influenced the rock revolution of the ‘60s, I am proud that some of the songs I sang made their way into the rock lexicon.” For me, she’s always fit into that category of artists that are easier to admire than listen to - her too pretty, trilling vocals are a taste I’ve never acquired. But sure, for a remarkably enduring career, she’s worthy of induction.

One more note: Awarding Rodgers with a musical excellence award while not inducting his band Chic is a strangely perverse move that doesn’t make any sense. Chic has been nominated a staggering 11 times, so the tastemakers who guide the Hall clearly know that the “Le Freak” funk band are deserving.

But when they were not voted in again this year, get in against the Rock Hall awarded Rodgers - who went on to produce Duran Duran, INXS, Madonna and - crucially this year - David Bowie, as an individual. “I’m a little perplexed because even though I’m quite flattered they believed I was worthy, my band Chic didn’t win," he told Rolling Stone. "They plucked me out of the band and said ‘You’re better than Chic.’ That’s wacky to me.”

[tater1977]

This guy's mom probably forgot to change his shitty diaper today, so
he's having a bad day eh.

[perryfan61]

This guy's mom probably forgot to change his shitty diaper today, so
he's having a bad day eh.

As soon as I saw "music critic" I knew what was coming. Not one of them dares to stand up for good music, and any band that was hated in the 80's is still hated now, by these " critics".
I'll give them one thing, I am definitely critical of anything that they might have to say. If that makes me a critic, then so be it.

[Eric]

HAMMER HIM!

ddeluca@phillynews.com


Do it. And spread it around.

[scarab]

its funny that the Cars, who I do like, went the synth arena rock route in the mid 80's (like so many did) is praised as a "cool rock"
band going after the time of the music at the days, and Journey was crucified for it.

[scarab]

Journey, in addition to selling millions did not only AOR music, but progressive, jazz like, pop, R&B, the Blues, soft rock, and even some straight up hard rock (which the hair bands stole) and probably the reason Journey is so dissed by "rock critics".

Journey were never the critics darlings, even though they were AOR pioneers, solidify, in a HOF that is so against them making this even so great!


and Yes, so do they!

[tater1977]

I wonder if this guy really even knows whats in the Journey catalog, not just DSB
Then again, I wonder if many of their new fans know anything besides the dirty dozen

[JourneyHard]

I can't believe Bad Brains was passed up for this unknown band Journey!

Journey only had one decent song, DSB! None of their other songs were ever played on the radio ever!



(I am, of course, joking. Who the hell are Bad Brains? I couldn't name one of their songs if you put a gun to my head!)

[tater1977]

I can't believe Bad Brains was passed up for this unknown band Journey!

Journey only had one decent song, DSB! None of their other songs were ever played on the radio ever!



(I am, of course, joking. Who the hell are Bad Brains? I couldn't name one of their songs if you put a gun to my head!)

[perryfan61]

HAMMER HIM!

ddeluca@phillynews.com


Do it. And spread it around.

Sent him an earful.....not that will make any difference, but I feel better!

[DracIsBack]

Ahh music critics. Once you give them a column, they get this disease which causes them to think their opinions are facts and that they are the edict of good taste

[MysteryMountain]

yes because Tupac personifies what R&R is all about... wtf

At least Bad Brains was a punk band, I can take that. However, this delusion that Rap/R&B somehow belong in the R&R HOF is absurd (btw BB was a black punk band, so don't say I'm playing some imaginary race card). Someone explain how Tupac influenced R&R or drew upon it? Start a Rap/R&B HOF if you must, but cripes, if the only tune that dolt knows from one of the biggest draws over a 40 year career is DSB then he should have his license to write about R&R revoked, and clearly knows nothing about Musical composition beyond "hits". If I could I'd punch him right in the nose for such a horrible article that raised NO good points I would.

[Jana]

Janet Jackson should be inducted over Journey? Give me a break.

[yogi]

I thought that Janet Jackson was suppose to be fronting Journey after Jeff Scott Soto was shown the door.

Or was that Whitney???