Treated Like A Fly By Night Outfit,The Rock and Roll Hall's Shame

Canada National Post ^ | November 29, 2005 | J. Kelly Nestruck

[My Favorite Headache]

Treated like a fly by night outfit

The rock and roll hall's shame

J. Kelly Nestruck, National Post Published: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 Rush was given the brush-off by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame again yesterday, exasperating fans who have been petitioning for the Canadian rock giants' inclusion for six years. Yesterday, the Cleveland-based institution announced the induction of Black Sabbath, Blondie, The Sex Pistols, Lynyrd Skynyrd and even jazzman Miles Davis, but Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart once again felt the caress of steel as the Hall of Fame's door slammed in their faces.

Since Rush became eligible for induction in 1999, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has repeatedly denied the band that wrote the classic rock megahit Tom Sawyer even a nomination. In response, Rush-heads have created at least two online petitions and numerous Web sites pleading their case -- but they are getting tired of the constant rejection.

"2006 inductees include Skynrd [sic] and The Sex Pistols??" Illinois fan Mike Beard wrote on one petition yesterday. "It is getting to the point where I do not care if [Rush] gets in or not. With all of the mediocre artists in the HOF, it just doesn't seem like the induction is as prestigious as it once was!!!"

As of yesterday, the Rush Hall of Fame Campaign Petition at www.petitiononline.com had collected 21,936 e-signatures. According to the petition's writer, one Suzanne Bonney, Rush is worthy because:

- With 22 consecutive gold records, they are fourth behind The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Kiss in all-time gold record acquisitions for a band;

- They inspired such bands as Metallica, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, The Tragically Hip, Smashing Pumpkins, Primus and Queensryche; and

- "Rush consists entirely of men your children can look up to. No scandals, no embarrassing National Enquirer moments, nothing like that. Just really good music from generally decent human beings."

Other Rush fans, however, embrace the band's status as perennial hall of fame bridesmaids. "Actually, I think the lack of respect Rush has received for 30 years makes them that more endearing," wrote Andrew Tuttle, petitioner number 21,933 from Tualatin, Ore. "[P]erhaps it's a disgrace if they are ever inducted into the RRHF."

Still, some like petitioner Mark Stulz will keep fighting -- even if it takes until 2112. "It must be done for music's sake," Stulz wrote.

© National Post 2005

[jjmcgo]

Tommy James before Rush. Tommy James is the most important rock'n'roller excluded from the Hall.

[synbad600]

Opinion from Jump the Shark:

"I used to think that Republicans were cool because they liked Rush. But then I realized they were talking about that dumbass Rush Limbaugh, not the hard rock trio from Canada."

LOL!!!

[weegee]

With the inclusion of the Sex Pistols, yet another band that appreciated Link Wray (who passed away this/last month at 76)) gets inducted.

Add to that list The Who, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen. I'm sure there are more. In fact Bob and Sid met backstage at a Link Wray concert in 1978. Fire was written for Link. And Pete Townsend picked up a guitar because of the guy.

Miles Davis is "cool", no argument there, but Link Wray had more impact on rock and roll. It would be pointless to nominate him now that he's dead. He knew and the Hall knew what he'd contributed. Instead he is "honored" as a one hit wonder. That puts him the same category as Right Said Fred and Buggles.

[weegee]

Alan Freed started spinning in Cleveland and the history of Rock and Roll is on the small labels across the country, not the songwriting shops of NYC.

Wasn't Philly more doo wop in the 50s?

[weegee]

If Miles Davis is going to get in (and he did play the Isle of Wight festival), then why not Sun Ra Arkestra (who played numerous times with the MC5 and other bands, and recently have played some big shows with them again).

Those guys are up in their 70s, played with all sorts of famous musicians, and helped to break ground for more avant gard rock with free jazz.

[Revolting cat!]

Thanks for the link. That's where I should have been. Billy Joe Shaver is more of a rock'n'roller than Miles Davis ever was, and for all we know Miles might have actually hated rock'n'roll, as many jazzmen do, and as another inductee, unrepentant Stalinist Woody Guthrie did. Go figure. In any case,Miles did play that mongrel genre called 'fusion' which might have been invented by Michal Urbaniak, actually, who put out one excellent album and the kinda exhausted that pool.

As for Link Wray, yeah, he influenced more musicians than he had non-musician fans, apparently. He's the guy who took what Duane Eddy started to the limit.

There is something out there called the Rockabilly Hall of Fame which isn't controlled by the record companies.

By the way, I just saw in the record store that Robert Gordon has a new album full of mostly forgotten classics. (Don Gibson's Sea of Heartbreak? Ah! Gotta hear that!) Neil Diamond too, has an album produced by boy wonder Rick Rubin, but it's Sony, so watch yourselves (they had stickers on it - I thought Sony was exchanging them?!)

[mcg2000]

"Alan Freed started spinning in Cleveland and the history of Rock and Roll is on the small labels across the country, not the songwriting shops of NYC.

I didn't intend to single out NYC as the benchmark ... although the city qualifies a thousand times over vs. Cleveland.

"Wasn't Philly more doo wop in the 50s?"
Good one!! It was absolutely huge! The biggest at the time ...

[jjmcgo]

Good points but the most important point is that when those guys were playing, rock wasn't.
Folks need to read a little history about the hall -- it's has an excess of Atlantic and Stax folks because execs from those companies dominate(d) the board, along with Wenner.