Writing (Andrew has the ability to do it)

Out of all the music that I enjoy listening to, there is nothing like the bands that play rock music, and out of all of the bands that play rock it is my humble opinion that there has never been, or ever shall be, a band greater than Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin incorporated elements of Blues, Folk, and Psychedelic into the then popular Rhythm and Blues music of the sixties to create something so heavy it was christened as the first ever metal music (However, nowadays they would be categorized as “Hard” or “Classic” rock). So being the natural Zeppelin enthusiast that I am, it is no surprise that I have chosen to look into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum website to write about, which Led Zeppelin was inducted into. The Rock and Roll hall of Fame foundation was founded in 1986 and the museum was opened in 1995. The sole purpose of the foundation is to acknowledge the work of performers and non-performers that were important and influential in the music industry. Some of the inductees include Run- D.M.C, Madonna, John Mellencamp, Prince, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and Michael Jackson (How cool!). So What does this all mean?Ok, I will.

Absolutely nothing! Right about now you might be confused, and might have not realized that some of the things I wrote contained fake enthusiasm. For example, out of the Six inductees I mentioned, what do all of them have in common? They do not play Rock and Roll music, and were not critical to the shaping of Rock and Roll music in any way. Quick quiz! What is more Rock and Roll than John Mellencamp? Everything. In fact, the foundation was not even founded until 1986. Rock, Punk, Blues,Folk, and R&B had already gone through their glory days by this time. It was even founded 16 years after the Beatles, probably the band that best represents every phase of Rock and Roll as it was happening in the 60s. So it seems as if the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation doesn’t have to do so much with Rock and Roll as you may think. So instead of giving more facts about it, I’d like to instead look into a band called The Who. They were a sixties R&B band which turned out to be one of the most well known and powerful acts in Rock. Now it’s time for…

Four cool facts about The Who that many people might not fully appreciate

1. During a performance on the television show “The Smother Brothers”, drummer Keith moon detonated his bass drum which he filled with explosives during the destructive finale of the song “My Generation”, causing hearing damage to Pete Townshend, guitarist of the Who.

2. The amp company “Marshall” designed 100 watt full stack amplifiers for Pete Townshend because he wanted more volume. The 100 watt “Superlead” later became the standard amplifier used in rock and metal performances up until present day.

3. According to legend, a groups of scientists conducted a series of experiments that “proved” that no human being can possibly have enough energy to move their arms as fast as Keith Moon. Although this is very questionable, the fact that a myth like this is circulated is amazing!

4. The Who was the first band to ever destroy their instruments on stage. The Who’s performances included kicking over drums, smashing in speakers, tossing instruments, smashing guitars against the floor, and the occasional rocket flying through the stage (I kid you not).

“Wow, I bet the Who was the first Band to ever be inducted into the Hall of Fame!” If this is what you are thinking, then I am sorry to say that the Who wasn’t even inducted until 1990, 14 years after the organization was founded. So why exactly is it necessary to have a Rock and Roll hall of fame? All rock and Roll needs to live is great music and the sweet over the top BS stories, like those of the Who.

I will admit that up to now I wasn’t being completely fair because I haven’t even began reading any sort of article from this website. So seeing as how I am writing a Blog, I find that the most appropriate thing to do is to visit the RnR Hallo’Fame Blog. I quickly find an article on the process of selection for the inductees.

“The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Nominating Committee – a diverse group made up of about 30 rock and roll experts, including music executives, music journalists, historians and even a couple of musicians… Each member of the group can suggest up to three potential nominees. In addition, there are three subcommittees – one on progressive rock and heavy metal, one on hip-hop and one on early rock and rollers and rhythm & blues…”

Hip-Hop? Heavy Metal? I though this was Rock and Roll! You know, Chuck Berry playing the same three chords over and over again in different keys talking about cars and his girl problems! How can anyone possibly screw up Rock and Roll, one of the simplest kinds of music, so bad? I have come to the conclusion that the Museum should either a) be torn down, or b) should be  renamed The Hall of Fame of Popular Music, a title that is much more befitting of it.

Oh no, I’m being pigeonholed into the “Angry Teenager badmouthing any form of organization” category! Well, people, the sad truth is that yes, regarding matters of music I am against any sort of Organization, for example the Grammy awards. Organizations like these should be shown for what they truly are; a dirty extension of a dirty business otherwise known as the music industry. I suppose I’m just young and full of piss and vinegar, a regular revolutionary. And like many other young revolutionaries  nation wide I express my feelings by listening to and wearing t-shirts of the band the Jonas Brothers because they are the true spirit of Rock and Roll. Now that we are on the topic of the Jonas Brothers and the music industry, I would like to finish up with a quote that horrified me when I first read it (I am not kidding).

“We live in an age of music for people who don’t like music. The record industry discovered some time ago that there aren’t that many people who actually like music. For a lot of people, music’s annoying, or at the very least they don’t need it. They discovered if they could sell music to a lot of those people, they could sell a lot more records.” T Bone Burnett.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation; Pointless, Contradictory, or Both?

http://www.rockhall.com/rockhallblog

http://www.earth-photography.com/photos/Miscellaneous/Animals/Animal_CatStaring.jpg

http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/keith-moon/

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/SO-111-MusicBizQuotes.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rock_and_Roll_Hall_of_Fame_inductees#Performers