Rocky Roll Hall of Fame

The 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees have been named. Let us take a quick look at the list, shall we; Heart, Donna Summer, Rush, Quincy Jones. Lou Adler, Albert King, Randy Newman and Public Enemy.

I don't want to sound like a killjoy but are we starting to get to the grounds at the bottom of the mug, or what? Some of these people stuck around for a while and endurance is certainly a godly virtue, but let's face it, they could barely hit their way to the Mendoza line. All in all, this field is strictly Pedro Borbon, don't see a Seaver or Koufax in the group.

Personally, out of this batch I would make a case for Donna Summer and Randy Newman. That's it. Heart were a solid and musical band, but their sound was neither groundbreaking or exceptional. Two chicks with chops, but not all stars in my book.

Rush found favor with a certain midwestern high school set who liked to bong cheap dirtweed behind the haybarn. Their sound always grated on me personally. I understand that they are supposedly great instrumentalists, I just never got it.

If Quincy Jones is a rocker, we should put Pavarotti in next year too.

Lou Adler was responsible for some of the worst sounds to ever come out of the sixties, prepackaged L.A. drivel. He gets a nod for Monterey Pop but no coronation in my book.

Albert King was a great bluesman, the most inconsistent of the three Kings, sirs B.B. and Freddie. A sure contender for the Blues Hall of Fame but not this one.

Public Enemy, well I guess I'm showing my age. Couldn't tell them apart from Legs Diamond or Al Capone. If they had any influence on the rock genre, my guess it was not a very good one.

Randy Newman's nomination was long overdue and Donna Summer, while not necessarily extraordinarily talented, helped create a significant movement. No problems there.

The other nominees were Deep Purple, N.W.A., The Marvelettes and Procol Harum (quck, name another song they did besides whiter shade of pale and conquistador), Chic, Kraftwerk, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Paul Butterfield Blues Band and The Meters.

I would have probably given my vote to Deep Purple (the loudest band ever recorded), possibly the Marvelettes and definitely Paul Butterfield Blues Band but who the hell asked me? Think we are nearing the bottom of the rock barrel.