The Kids in the (Rock) Hall
By David Budin

You know what’s my least favorite Cleveland argument? Not that I have a favorite one – but the worst is the one about who should or shouldn’t be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

There are people who say the whole thing is a joke because Del Shannon’s not in. There are those who say it’s a joke because the Sex Pistols are in. Some say it’ll never be legitimate until Freddy Cannon is inducted. Others say there’s no way that the Beach Boys should have been inducted. It’s like any art form; everyone likes different parts of it.

I watched a guy-on-the-street interview on MTV, where a long-haired 50-year-old Brooklynite yelled, “I know that one day KISS will be abducted in the Hall of Fame.”

Well, that may be the only way they’ll get in. But wait – there I go, showing my bias. I mean, sure, I have opinions on which artists deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, but it’s not about me. And it’s almost not about opinion. If it were only about opinion, then everyone would be in. Or no one would be in.

There are various conspiracy theories about how and why artists get inducted, and some of those may be at least partially true. But, on the other hand, a lot of people vote, and it seems difficult to coordinate a conspiracy among more than 1,000 people around the country. They’re voting for artists who, as the Rock Hall says, “have had a significant impact on the evolution, development and perpetuation of rock and roll.”

And you may love this or that artist, but it’s not about your favorite artist getting in; it has more to do with things like artists’ innovations, and their influence over future artists. So, even though I would hate to see, for instance, Paul Anka get inducted, maybe it’ll turn out that he influenced Bruce Springsteen, U2, Green Day and Marilyn Manson. And it is a fact that Paul Anka was part of one of the most historically significant rock tours ever – the one on which Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash. And, of course, Paul Anka did sell millions and millions of records. So just because I thought his music was disgusting, I was obviously in the minority.

I heard Chubby Checker doing a live phone interview a couple of years ago on WELW AM1330 – back when it was a real radio station, playing oldies from a playlist that was many times larger than WMJI FM105.7’s, before WELW started selling its airtime to companies that broadcast things that sound like talk shows but are often, I think, dangerously misleading “medical” or financial infomercials, plus some things that are, in a way, actual talk shows – but with hosts such as Bill O’Reilly ... but I digress. In that interview, Chubby Checker was railing about how he should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and not only that, but that they should erect a statue of him, because he started a dance craze, the Twist, in 1960. So, what do you think about that?

His arguments included that facts that he was a real innovator and a real original. Except he left out the parts about not writing the song, not making up the dance and not being the first artist to record the song. He was just covering an earlier release by the song’s author, Hank Ballard – which sounded exactly the same, so Chubby Checker (which, of course, was not this originator’s real name) didn’t even add anything of his own to it; he simply sang it.

So everyone has his or her opinions on who should be in the Hall of Fame. I, for instance, think that the vastly underrated Ricky Nelson should be in the Hall of Fame.

Wait! He already is.

Hmm. So that makes me right.

Okay, then – I think he should have a much larger exhibit there than he does. I was fortunate enough to get the chance to talk to Ricky Nelson’s son, rock musician Gunnar Nelson, a few weeks ago, thanks to his manager, Cleveland rock-radio legend David Spero. I told Gunnar that I thought the Rock Hall should have a larger exhibit about Rick than the one they have, and he said, “Oh – you know, they have a big new exhibit on him.” And I said, “Yeah, that’s the one I’m talking about; it’s too small.” He liked that. But I meant it. In fact, I think Rick Nelson should be the subject of a future American Music Masters conference – a terrific event the Rock Hall presents every fall – and I can give them about 30 reasons why.

But that’s my opinion.

I do a lot of research on rock music history, which includes checking various Web sites – hundreds of them – about rock artists. Occasionally, I’ll find a discussion group about one artist or another. Invariably someone brings up the subject of the Rock Hall, which touches off an explosion of opinion on that subject, with people pontificating on how the place is a joke, and why rock music was never meant to be shown in a museum.

Invariably the people who say the Rock Hall is a joke live in cities far from Cleveland and have never been to the Rock Hall and have no idea what’s there. Maybe they really wouldn’t like it if they visited the place, but it would make sense to see it first, and then give an opinion on it.

And as for rock not having been meant to be in a museum – well, what was? The wild animals that are dead and stuffed and mounted in displays at the Natural History Museum certainly were not meant to be in a museum, but the displays certainly are interesting and edifying. What about the suits of armor at the Art Museum? Those were used in battles, they were not created as works of art; but now they’re sitting in art museums. Rock history goes back more than 50 years. Most of its pioneers are dead. What’s wrong with showing its history – and it’s present, for that matter?

I’ve talked to people, usually, it seems, in their 60s or older, who have visited the Rock Hall and got little out of the experience. They say things like, “It’s just a bunch of guitars and costumes.” Then it usually turns out that they stayed for about an hour and just walked past everything in the place without stopping to look or to read the signs and the placards at exhibits, or to watch the videos, or watch the movies, or use the interactive computer displays, or, well, anything. You could breeze through an art museum, too, and say, “It’s just a bunch of pictures.”

And besides the exhibits in the museum, the Rock Hall also presents lots of really valuable programs – lectures, interviews, demonstrations – featuring rock artists and behind-the-scenes types, like producers, songwriters and managers, who have (usually) fascinating stories to tell, not just of their experiences in rock music, but of that time in history as well. The Rock Hall got lucky when it found its former education department head Bob Santelli (now working at Seattle’s Experience Music Project) and its most recent one, Warren Zanes – who will be moving on soon to work on other projects. They were instrumental (so to speak) in putting together these programs. It’s obviously important that the Rock Hall finds someone of equal caliber to take over the job, though that will take some searching.

Here’s another thing that amazes me: Besides those out-of-towners whose comments I read on-line, I also talk to a surprising number of Clevelanders who have never visited the Rock Hall. It’s been open for 10 years now, and they’ve never seen the exhibits, they’ve never attended one of those programs. It’s not that they have any problems with it; they just haven’t gone.

You know who does visit the Rock Hall? Rock stars. I’ve seen some there. And I’ve read about them going there. Many rock artists, young and old, head to the Rock Hall the first chance they get when they’re playing in town. I just read an article about Pearl Jam in the most-recent issue of Rolling Stone magazine. The article mentions that the group’s lead guitarist, Mike McCready, visited the Rock Hall and seemed to enjoy it.

He’s in Pearl Jam and chances are you’re not. Maybe you should check out the Rock Hall, too. Then go argue about who should or shouldn’t have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. But not with me. (:divend:)