Rock & Roll Hall of Fame podcast - 2019
2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction - Rating the performances
“How’ the artists do technically/ performance-wise, did they miss a song you really wanted to hear, were there any other notable or surprising things about their performance.
Stevie Nicks - First woman inducted twice (side note, I forgot that “Everywhere” was a Fleetwood Mac Song, but that’s my absolute jam for some reason. That’s from their 1987 record, “Tango in the night” - which is interesting that they were still making new hits after Stevie went solo.
“Stand Back” is her opener - she sounds great. Huge pops from the crowd.
This is a lady who still does this for a job, and while she might not have her 1970’s and 80’s fast ball - she’s still a major leaguer
Great synchro dance moves by her backup singers.
Her backup band is so good they make me like Stevie more than I thought I did.
Janet Jackson even loved it
Radiohead - didn’t perform. I’m not bummed out, but you can tell that the two guys in radiohead who actually did show up to accept the award were pretty bummed out. David Byrne Inducted them - High Praise
Janet Jackson - this is HEARTBREAKING THAT JANET DIDN’T PERFORM LIVE. Heart Breaking.
“Leather & Lace” - Sounds good and Props to her from bringing out Don Henley and keeping him off stage til right before his verse started. The Pop from the crowd, really effective. Don still sounds good too.
Stevie brings out Harry Styles of One Direction Fame to fill in for Tom Petty on “Stop Dragging My heart around” - amazing story about how Jimmy Iovine basically stole this song from Tom Petty’s record and put it out as Stevie’s first solo hit single.
Solid performance - maybe not as great as Stand back, Steve is a good entertainer though. Harmonies are still good - This feels like a real show, versus a final acknowledgment
“Edge of Seventeen” aka One winged dove - fans LOVE the opening notes. great sign as always. This song has been big more than once, including with Destiny’s Child — Jimmy Iovine is there are standing with his wife rocking out.
These songs are like 40 years old - and really good man, really strong.
Stevie whips out the Tamborine for the big ending — crowd freaking loves it - Big ending — really comes off well.
Stevie’s speech was good, too
The Cure “We’ve only got time for one more, Goddam Damn, Stevie Nicks. Just Joking”
Trent Reznor - the inductor - lot of street cred in that, in my opinion. Really strong speech.
The Cure invented gothic/ alternative rock
I’d rather wrap up the speech so we an play more songs in our allotted times.
They Open with “Shake dog Shake” from 1984 - this was a good jam. Not well known to me. So i list this as a surprise.
“Boys don’t cry” - Huge pop for this one from the crowd.
“Love Song” - Just a great, great song — they sounded great. Janet Jackson and Susanna Hobbs from the Bengals both rocking out to it, so you know it’s good.
“Just Like Heaven” - I think this is a perfect pop song — cover bands can play it, it’s in movies, tv shows, it’s a monster track. The fans loved it. his one seemed to test Robert Smith the most. Still nailed it, still owned it.
I would’ve liked to hear “Close to Me” // good for them to not play “Friday I’m in Love” and no “Pictures of you” either - Odd Reading Football Club flag next to the drum set. Hard core Hooligan move.
Robert Smith is just so Effing Authentic
Roxy Music - I’d forgotten which songs were their’s. Seems like they were pretty experimental and found a way to have pop sensibilities.
“Love is the Drug” is a song I knew — didn’t know it was them, but that’s a pretty amazing song - and it really holds up.
“More than this” is a song I knew and thought it was the “Moody Blues” who are also Hall of Famers.
HBO cut out their 2 biggest hits from the show - but i found them on YouTube and they were good — kind of a D move by HBO. Though these guys did sneak in 6 songs, which is pure Cajones.
I never would’ve guessed that those two songs were from the same band.
Duran Duran guys are their inductors and that’s awesome. Calls them a “Pop Culture Bomb” on the British Public. Calls them “Pulp Science Fiction”
Without Roxy Music, there would be know Duran Duran.
These guys were best dressed dudes of the night — and they’ve a ton of Bass Players — which reminds me of a lesser know band out of Massachusetts called “Drilling Threes”
They open with a jam featuring the Oboe as the lead “hook instrument” - they’ve got a good groove. I don’t know this song, but i like it. “It’s called out of the Blue” from 1974 album Country Life. Crazy Violin at the end — this song is almost 50 years old — it’s good man.
Second jam is a slow jam — good saxophone, good groove. Back up singer dude is loving it — it’s called “Avalon” from 1982 — never heard it before. I’m ok with it. Female back ground singer kills it. Crowd gives her props. This is pretty decent stuff for never hearing it before
Third Jam - also don’t know this one - Cool Synthesizer on this tune - sax, violin, it’s called "Editions of you"
Somebody should check and see if the United Kingdom has the most inductees to the Rock Hall of Fame - it’s gotta be close.
The Zombies - More British dudes
She’s not there is a Jam, Tell her NO is a jam, Time of the season is a jam
Tom Petty apparently loved these guys. Susanna Hobbs Loved these dudes and inducted them. She’s easily in her 60’s and looks great.
The Seem like sweet old guys - and that’s why they need 2 drummers — their drummer, plus the guy who used to be their drummer who can’t quite do it any more.
Lead Singer can still get it. Harmonies are great. And their Key Board player is apparently a virtuoso, and though he’s an older dude - he RIPS it up on the Hammond B.
Time of the season is the opener — Def Leppard Drummer likes it, Harmonies are literally really great. Bass Line GROOOOOOVES.
Tell her No is second — feels a little “jazz loungish” version of itself to start, but they get there and the harmonies are still great.
She’s not there is EFFFING FIRE - and the crowd agrees. This song just sounds great. They get a real time little jam going in the middle… little Give me some lovin’ melody in the middle, then take it double time, everyone gets a little solo and then back to the chorus. Pretty tight. great way to end it. They’ve super pumped to be there. This was cool.
Def Leppard - HERE WE GO! They killed it, they love each other, great story. And great choice to close the show. Brian May inducts them - big deal.
Joe Elliott struggles a little at the highest falsetto notes… but that’s ok still got the presence and the rest of his tool kit. Harmonies are really tight. The Guitar player - no shirt, he’s absolutely ripped, and like over 60 easily. Good for that guy.
Animal, Hysteria, Love Bites, Armageddon it, Too Late for Love, Rocket, Foolin’ — so many great songs
Rock of Ages, Photograph, Pour Some Sugar — solid AF — Photograph and Pour some Sugar are unassailable choices.
Here’s my take their best song is Photograph / Their bring the house down down song is Pour Some Sugar — it’s just so damn well known.
Took me 20 years to realize how good Photograph is — took planet Earth 20 seconds to realize how good Pour Some Sugar on Me is.
I would’ve liked Hysteria or Animal
the final song “open jam” might have been the worst i can ever remember. Bad song choice, bad execution. Ruined the end of Def Leppard’s set by being adjacent to “Pour some sugar on me”.