from an email I sent earlier to DD:
The R&RHofFame induction ceremonies last night - I watched it. The whole damn thing and I felt like I had some monstrous narcissistic suppository shoved up my a**. Jann Wenner sucked up to Ahmet Ertegun - dang that dude must be powerful to be this feared in death. Aretha Franklin could go on a diet and a Third World country would then not starve. Ronnie "Spector" Bennet's speech went on and on and why the heck are The Ronettes even invited when Phil "Pull My Trigger" Spector is already in the Hall with plans afoot to switch himself with the wax dummy model of himself if he gets convicted of shooting more than his mouth off. Next up was the first artist of the night I used to idolize: Patti Smith. She went on too long and then decided to make a political statement by becoming a cover band. She should have been booted from the place as soon as she launched into what she said was an "anti-war" song "Gimmie Shelter" instead of performing one of her own songs. Sidebar digression: my own interpretation of "Gimmie Shelter" is that the song is addressed to the protestors in the streets instructing them to cool out or their actions could lead to civil war in their own cities while eventually the song admits that even love could start war too; a typically ambivalent Jagger/Richards composition that's open for discussion so IF Patti wants to equate it as a simple bromide against WAR "ugh what is it good for" then so be it, but dammit do your own song chick! I would have enjoyed a marathon stretch of "Horses" fer sure. I did like "Rock n Roll N-------r" even if it was ragged sounding since I thought the word "n------r" was verboten these days [it got censored here - see]. Next up was VAN HALEN or in this case Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar: a truly tedious and crapulent filled segment. Velvet Revolver's induction was complete product placement (themselves) garbage - not one true word of appreciation spoken and then, oh SH*T then, they proceeded to butcher the hell out of "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love" including Weiland singing the wrong words. "You've got to set me free, baby" WHAT was up with that. It's "You've got to bleed for it, baby." Ugh. Then Paul Schaeffer and his band of crum bums managed to do damage to one of Van Hager's best moments with Anthony and Hagar assisting. I'm surprised they had the time to play since they seemed to mainly be busy kissing up to Eddie Van Halen all night. The dude needs help yada yada so what - he fired both of you a**clowns. Take a shot at him instead of being whimpering turds. Al Sharpton wouldn't take such crap, but he darn sure knows how to interject himself into media events as he took another podium in honor of James Brown. Blah!!!!!! The highlight of the night was up next when Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five got in. Melle Mel told the gangster rappers of now where to stick it and let us know he was a grown 45 year old man. REPRESENT, hell yeah. Then they went out and tore the roof off the sucka - the first 5 minutes or so being transcendent (they looked they actually rehearsed unlike the other acts) and almost bringing me to tears every time they got to a part once rapped by the deceased Cowboy (always my fave of the Five). This was followed up by the verbose Eddie Vedder (please keep him away from making speeches someone) who went on and on about REM and while it was heartfelt and at times touching he really needs an editor. I was staying up just to hear Bill Berry say love to his family and then he didn't even get to talk after Stipe went on and on and on thanking everybody and their mama even including a little bit to the people that should have been thanked first, the FANS. Then they had to go and remind me of why I once adored them by doing "Begin The Begin" and "Gardening At Night" before lapsing into crap REM in the end. The all-star jam with Patti and the others was completely uninspiring dreck and now I'm tired and cranky since I didn't get all the sleep I usually get. Never again will I watch such garbage, life is just too short, unless KISS finally get in of course.
