The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame – 2009

Without FUSE TV, I had to rely on the internet to see what I missed and didn’t want to wait until next weekend to possibly see a repeat on FUSE’s site.  I didn’t see it all, but I saw most of what I wanted to see.  Thanks be to YouTube!

Over the years, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has spread out into different areas of music, which is what they’ve needed to do.  However, this also seems counter to the name, being more of a Music Hall Of Fame than the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.  Naturally, people will question including the likes of Grandmaster Flash, Madonna and Run-DMC, but the same might be said of including metal bands like Black Sabbath or Metallica, though the connection to rock and roll is more obvious with metal.  That’s not to say that rap doesn’t have a connection – but to many, hard rock and metal is closer to rock and roll.

I think the HOF needs an overhaul and a hard look at what it is they’re doing now versus what they’ve done in the past.  I do think that the inductees, past and present, are worthy of recognition, among many others that get passed by.  At least this year’s ceremony was held in Cleveland, where the actual Hall Of Fame is located, and will return there on a more regular basis.

Inducted by fellow Yardbirds member Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck became one of the handful of two time nominees (which includes Jimmy Page), this time as a solo performer, having previously been inducted as a member of the Yardbirds.  Bobby Womack, Little Anthony & The Imperials, Bill Black, DJ Fontana and Spooner Oldham also got in this year, either for their work as a performer or a sideman.  Wanda Jackson also received recognition for her early influence on music, a category that is handled differently than the others. 

But, there were two others.

Run-DMC, inducted by Eminem, is probably the one inductee this year that people are going to cite as being the wrong one.  I disagree.  Sure, they come from the rap/hip-hop side of music, pioneers of what we have today.  But what they did then changed things from that point on.  While I’m not a fan of most of today’s rap, I do find some of it tolerable, which I haven’t always been able to say.  But when Run-DMC was at their prime, rap was a far cry from what we have today, although what the earlier rappers did is still around.  Worthy of recognition?  Absolutely.

Very nice speech, by the way, starting off by thanking the late Jam-Master Jay’s mother for not turning down the music when the were working on their routines in the living room.  After Run and D had their turns, Jay’s mother talked about what it was like in the beginning and how it was after Jay’s death, then turned the mic over to Jay’s widow, who was on the stage with their three kids and Jay’s brother.

Then, there was Metallica – the band that most people in attendance were probably there to see, inducted by Flea, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Cliff Burton’s father was first to speak, which was cool to see.  He didn’t take too much time, handing things over to the band.

Jason Newsted was invited to be a part of the induction ceremony, which was the right thing to do.  He was a part of Metallica longer than Cliff Burton and Robert Trujillo combined and, even though songwriting credits may not reflect it (more on that a bit later), he left a mark on Metallica that’s too big to ignore.  Newsted and Metallica may not have parted on the best of terms, but it’s not all bad blood between the guys.  During his time at the microphone, he even managed to put in a mention of Flotsam & Jetsam while Robert Trujillo mentioned Suicidal Tendencies when it was his turn.  Either way, it was cool to see him share the stage with James, Kirk and Lars again.

Kirk Hammet threw out mentions to their producers, Bob Rock, Fleming Rasmussen and Rick Rubin, all the while looking and sounding the most nervous of the five men.  Unlike Jason and Robert, he didn’t throw out a mention of his previous band, Exodus, which he wasn’t in long before getting the offer to join Metallica.  He did, however, make mention of the guitarists in the audience who helped pave the way for him to pick up guitar.  Lars Ulrich didn’t use notes, which helped make his contribution to Metallica’s speech one of the better points – and more natural.  James Hetfield was up last, starting off with a short list of bands who should also be recognized for what they’ve done: Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, KISS, Rush, Alice Cooper, Iron maiden, Judas Priest and Motörhead.  He also thanked the band’s management, giving them credit for helping the band be in the right place at the right time.

Of everything Hetfield said, in the end, he said it best: “Dream big, and dare to fail.”

Armed with two bassists, Metallica took to the stage to show everyone why they were there, and then ended the show with a killer performance of “Train Kept A Rollin”, which also featured Flea, Ron Wood, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page.

Of course, there is debate over whether Dave Mustaine should have been included.  He was there at Metallica’s beginning. was on No Life ‘Til Leather and his material was used even after he was ousted from the band.  Some will point out that Dave only received writing credits for a few of their songs from Kill ‘Em All and Ride The Lightning, but I’d like to counter that he contributed more than that.  I’d say that a big part of Dave Mustaine and what he brought to the band remained after he was no longer in Metallica.  Maybe it was a conscious effort, maybe it just happened.  Either way, Mustaine’s mark on Metallica stuck around, even after Kirk was brought in.

As for the Hall Of Fame itself, if I’m not mistaken, they only take into account people part of the band as of the first release, which Dave was not on.  Now, I’m not saying Dave Mustaine doesn’t deserve recognition.  He does.  But I’m not sure if he’d be eligible, or if the Hall Of Fame (or rather, the people who vote for the inductees) are able to grant an exception.

Still, I doubt that Dave Mustaine will ever NOT be associated with Metallica, for better or worse.  Most fans of Metallica know about Dave and Megadeth, while most fans of Megadeth know about Metallica.  Some like both, some fans praise one band and put down the other.  But both bands are forever linked, like it or not.

Dave might not have been in Cleveland, but his music was represented there, even if they didn’t mention him by name.  It should be noted, however, that Dave Mustaine was mentioned in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s biography for Metallica , as was Ron McGovney.