# 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 29, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486 "2010-09-29T16:41:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/41 "2010-09-29T23:40:03Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > Its strange, I enjoy music, and more importantly I enjoy a wide range of music. I’m not an expert by any standard, but I have a good knowledge of bands, both established and more recent. > > **And the ONLY place I have ever even heard of the band “Rush” is here on this board.** I have no idea of their music, they have zero presence in this country now, nor have I heard anything by them in the many countries I have travelled to. As stated upthread, Rush is a band beloved first and foremost by nerds, geeks, and dorks. And the SDMB is nothing if not a haven for nerds, geeks, and dorks. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/42 "2010-09-30T01:00:56Z")
40 million albums moved. That’s a lot of nerds. I think your characterization is off. Again, in the 1980s every young male in my high school was into them. Most of them didn’t go on to be network admins. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/43 "2010-09-30T01:09:10Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Sigmagirl, thanks for the validation. I figure I’ll go back at some point and see the thing properly, but we only had an hour and a half before we had to be on the road again, and I couldn’t justify my brother-in-law, who was paying, spending that kind of money on me, on something I wasn’t really all that interested in anyway, so I happily let them go on in and just wandered around, watching the Air Show and the people and the place and had a great time. It’s a beautiful campus, and there’s WiFi outside. > > > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > > > Who the hell is Laura Nyro? never heard of her. > > You embarrass yourself. Not because you don’t know who she is, but because that “the hell” in there shows a disdain that’s not only not deserved, it makes you look like an ignorant jerk who can’t be bothered to do a [little research](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Nyro). > > Good: “Who is Laura Nyro?” = “I’m curious as to who she is and why her name is on the list.” > > Bad: “Who the hell is Laura Nyro?” = “Hey everybody, I’m a disrespectful dick and don’t care who knows it.” > > I’m not one to say that Laura will or should get in the HoF before other artists, but damn, a little respect please! For her music and legacy, but also because she died an untimely death of ovarian cancer and the world lost a great singer-songwriter. She influenced artists as diverse as Janis Ian, Suzanne Vega to Todd Rundgren and Rickie Lee Jones. > > Laura Nyro’s [“Stoned Soul Picnic”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwSNbC9zK-w) > The 5th Dimension’s “Stoned Soul Picnic” > > Laura Nyro’s [“Wedding Bell Blues”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8kuo-TRZU8) > The 5th Dimension’s [“Wedding Bell Blues”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZlnSGn_OrI) > > Laura Nyro’s [“And When I Die”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUa8mbgKex8) > Blood, Sweat & Tears’ [“And When I Die”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9Omtd44Y-s) > > Laura Nyro’s [“Eli’s Coming”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnTxC8i9lf0) > Three Dog Night’s [“Eli’s Comin”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A2eet1bttY) > > Laura Nyro’s [“Stoney End”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRBHBSTIedo) > Barbra Streisand’s [“Stoney End”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j__OhNPutzA&feature=related) > (Also covered by [Linda Rondstat](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxgDB-YZJVo), [Maynerd Ferguson](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdUjWkmWZCc), [The Blossoms](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrHyVMUKbso), [Peggy Lipton](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woGlVJ_-dfk) (who also [wonderfully covered](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFIQxIA2iPI) Laura’s [“Lu”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQT0KbqcFxE)), Diana Ross and others. > > Laura Nyro’s [“Sweet Blindness”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFTBERaBWL8) > The 5th Dimension’s [“Sweet Blindness”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYmn2aS9KWU) > > Laura Nyro’s [“I Never Meant To Hurt You”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShOZKLUAJU8) > Barbra Streisand’s["I Never Meant To Hurt You"](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdwBkgLNcoo) > > That’s just scratching the surface with some of her best-known songs, but there are dozens of others. I’d list them but I’m off to a movie. Here’s one though: > > [“New York Tendaberry”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoLfWiSGRZ4) I’ve never heard of any of those titles (though maybe I’d recognize the tunes if I heard them), and I’m a fucking rock encyclopedia. I mean, come on, she wrote songs for Barbara Streisand and Linda Rondstadt? Those are not rock and roll acts. No way she deserves to be nominated ahead of Rush or Kiss (or Lemmy. Where the fuck is Lemmy? This HOF will never have any credibility until it has Lemmy in it). ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/44 "2010-09-30T01:11:47Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > > [@bucketybuck](#): > > > > I have no idea of their music, they have zero presence in this country now, nor have I heard anything by them in the many countries I have travelled to. > > Rush was most broadly promulgated on AOR stations or stations specializing in what would later be classed as “classic rock.” IMLE, that format or genre of station was not prevalent (if it existed at all) outside North America. > > Second, few if any people outside N. America would get the Rand stuff (I’m sure many of their fans didn’t care about it either). > > Third, IME Rush concerts were a big part of their appeal (I never went). As one acquaintance put it, Rush was right up there with the bands that dozens of your classmates would be wearing the t-shirt of the day after the show. I just glanced at their (super long) touring history and while I’m sure they’ve done a lot of shows internationally, the bulk have been in the U.S. and Canada, so to the extent that their stage dynamism drove popularity, it may not have translated to, say, Ireland if they rarely made it there. I believe they once rode a train to Bangkok. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/45 "2010-09-30T01:18:23Z")
> [@MTCicero](#): > > > [@bucketybuck](#): > > > > Its strange, I enjoy music, and more importantly I enjoy a wide range of music. I’m not an expert by any standard, but I have a good knowledge of bands, both established and more recent. > > > > **And the ONLY place I have ever even heard of the band “Rush” is here on this board.** I have no idea of their music, they have zero presence in this country now, nor have I heard anything by them in the many countries I have travelled to. > > As stated upthread, Rush is a band beloved first and foremost by nerds, geeks, and dorks. And the SDMB is nothing if not a haven for nerds, geeks, and dorks. Rush is extremely well respected by musicians. They are the quintessential musicians’ musicians. Their music tends to be more sophisticated and complex than the mean (almost bordering on jazz fusion at times), and their individual musicianship is fantastic. Neil Peart is probably the best drummer in rock history, and Geddy Lee is right up there with the best bassists. I played in a lot of hard rock bands for a lot of years, and I never met a serious musician who didn’t respect (if not revere) those guys for their sheer chops at playing their instruments. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/46 "2010-09-30T01:45:48Z")
Okay, my votes before a scan of the thread: Alice Cooper Bon Jovi Neil Diamond Laura Nyro Donna Summer I do agree that it’s a fucking travesty that KISS and Rush haven’t made it. Here’s why I voted that way: Alice Cooper: C’mon! He BIT THE HEAD OFF A BAT! And then he went on the fuckin’ Muppet Show! How cool is that? Seriously, you wanna talk rock god? Try getting your albums burned by every single “rock is the devil’s music” revival preacher and then hitting a gig on the Muppet Show. You pull that off, you are a rock GOD. All others are posers. Then, just to top it off, he gets a primo spot on Wayne’s World like 30 years later. Out. Of. Control. Cool. Bon Jovi: Defined the 80s. Still sounds good. Pretty good writers within their genre. Actually seem like really cool guys even after all these years. The only 80s hair band I would give it to above Jon and the gang is Motley Crue. Neil Diamond: Well, duh. Dude’s been around for like 40-something years? Great songwriter, great performer. Plus, you know, my Mom is _still_ in love with him. Mom, this votes for you! Laura Nyro: Great songwriter. Way too short a career. She’s my bubble vote. Donna Summer: Look, I know disco is frowned upon. I know many don’t consider it rock. Disco is dead, etc, etc. Still, it can’t be denied that it held sway for a long time and when you think disco you see John Travolta, but you _hear_ Donna Summer. That’s Hall worthy, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/47 "2010-09-30T02:06:04Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Alice Cooper…Seriously, you wanna talk rock god? Try getting your albums burned by every single “rock is the devil’s music” revival preacher… Note to those preachers: Alice is a devout Christian…maybe you should invite him to your next revival! ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/48 "2010-09-30T02:25:01Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Note to those preachers: Alice is a devout Christian…maybe you should invite him to your next revival! Heh! Did not know that. One quick true story: From 1979 to 1985 I went to a VERY Christian school. The folks felt I needed it and spent a ton to send me there. Unfortunately that was money we really didn’t have and so I was “the poor kid” at the school. I was also very into rock - particularly ‘hard’ rock. One year (probably Fall '83) we had an old school tent revival preacher come. Given the nature of the school, we pretty much got the week off to go hear him rant. He was big into the ‘rock is the devil’s music’ thing (you know, play the Beatles backwards, blah, blah, blah). So his crowning moment is Friday night when we’re going to have a giant bonfire and “send all that Devil’s stuff back to him by burning it!” So, Thursday everyone brings their shit to the school and we make a huge pile of it on the practice field. Well, me and a buddy snuck back that night. From that moment on, this poor boy’s metal collection was the envy of everyone I knew. Funny thing though. A lot of what we grabbed was still wrapped! These people actually went to the store and BOUGHT stuff, just to have something to burn. Still cracks me up. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/49 "2010-09-30T02:31:03Z")
Sorry, Rush fans, but if Yes doesn’t get in, Rush shouldn’t get in. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/50 "2010-09-30T02:46:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Seriously, does anyone here really thing that most of that list has been as successful, famous, or influential on music as the members of Rush? Just because many on the list don’t belong there, that doesn’t mean that Rush does. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/51 "2010-09-30T02:48:17Z")
Here are my votes: Alice Cooper Donovan Dr. John J. Geils Band LL Cool J mmm ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/52 "2010-09-30T02:58:57Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Seriously, does anyone here really thing that most of that list has been as successful, famous, or influential on music as the members of Rush? > > Just because many on the list don’t belong there, that doesn’t mean that Rush does. > mmm They belong there because they belong there. It doesn’t matter who else is there or not there. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/53 "2010-09-30T03:14:59Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I’ve never heard of any of those titles (though maybe I’d recognize the tunes if I heard them) Well why don’t you take a few minutes and listen to at least 30 seconds to a minute of each cover version? I don’t remember how old you are, but I seem to remember you’re somewhat of an old fart. Unless you lived under a silent rock in the late 60’s and early 70’s, you’ve heard them. I take that back if I’m wrong and you’re a young whippersnapper who wasn’t even alive back then. > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I’m a fucking rock encyclopedia. I don’t know whether to snort or laugh at that. > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I mean, come on, she wrote songs for Barbara Streisand and Linda Rondstadt? Those are not rock and roll acts. Neither are a lot of the people already in the HoF, unless you think Exapno Mapcase is full of shit. I don’t think he is. Barbra is arguable, but Linda could definitely and often did rock the fuck out. She’s always been one of the most eclectic performers around, skipping around from genre to genre. But I guess Mr. Rock Encyclopedia hasn’t heard much Linda Rondstat. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/54 "2010-09-30T03:34:12Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > > > I’ve never heard of any of those titles (though maybe I’d recognize the tunes if I heard them) > > Well why don’t you take a few minutes and listen to at least 30 seconds to a minute of each cover version? I can’t play videos on my computer. I’m sure I’d probably recognize one or two melodies if I heard them. > [@](#): > > I don’t remember how old you are, but I seem to remember you’re somewhat of an old fart. Unless you lived under a silent rock in the late 60’s and early 70’s, you’ve heard them. I take that back if I’m wrong and you’re a young whippersnapper who wasn’t even alive back then. I was born in 1966. I was alive but very young. I like some of the music from that era, but what I like is all guitar rock. > [@](#): > > I don’t know whether to snort or laugh at that. It’s a fact, I have a pretty deep knowledge of rock history, but I like actual rock, not soul or funk, and not whatever Barabara Streisand was. > [@](#): > > > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > > > I mean, come on, she wrote songs for Barbara Streisand and Linda Rondstadt? Those are not rock and roll acts. > > Neither are a lot of the people already in the HoF No, they aren’t. That’s why I think the Hall lacks credibility. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/55 "2010-09-30T03:36:09Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > I don’t know whether to snort or laugh at that. His performance in this thread notwithstanding, I’ll have to go to the mat for him on that claim. Dude knows his music (just not today, it would seem). ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/56 "2010-09-30T03:38:32Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > > [@Bearflag70](#): > > > > Duran Duran should be on that list! > > So should Todd Rundgren. And Kate Bush. Indeed. Todd should be in there, at the very fricken least, as a record producer! Meatloaf’s _Bat Out of Hell_? Grand Funk’s _We’re An American Band_? The New York Dolls? XTC? Cheap Trick? The Tubes? > [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > > [@RickJay](#): > > > > Yeah, it’s a little confusing. I’m not even a Rush fan, but it doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense to not nominate them, but nominate Chic, who had a very short run and weren’t half as influential. > > I don’t like Rush, but yeah, it seems that someone in that band pissed someone off in the R&R HOF committee. The problem, as far as I can tell, if that Jann Wenner has veto power. And while he publishes a magazine I like, he personally, is a weaselly little shit. > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > > [@Equipoise](#): > > > > Sigmagirl, thanks for the validation. I figure I’ll go back at some point and see the thing properly, but we only had an hour and a half before we had to be on the road again, and I couldn’t justify my brother-in-law, who was paying, spending that kind of money on me, on something I wasn’t really all that interested in anyway, so I happily let them go on in and just wandered around, watching the Air Show and the people and the place and had a great time. It’s a beautiful campus, and there’s WiFi outside. > > > > You embarrass yourself. Not because you don’t know who she is, but because that “the hell” in there shows a disdain that’s not only not deserved, it makes you look like an ignorant jerk who can’t be bothered to do a [little research](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Nyro). > > > > Good: “Who is Laura Nyro?” = “I’m curious as to who she is and why her name is on the list.” > > > > Bad: “Who the hell is Laura Nyro?” = “Hey everybody, I’m a disrespectful dick and don’t care who knows it.” > > > > I’m not one to say that Laura will or should get in the HoF before other artists, but damn, a little respect please! For her music and legacy, but also because she died an untimely death of ovarian cancer and the world lost a great singer-songwriter. She influenced artists as diverse as Janis Ian, Suzanne Vega to Todd Rundgren and Rickie Lee Jones. > > \*\* > > Massive list of CLICKABLE LINKS to Laura Nyro songs songs deleted.\*\* > > I’ve never heard of any of those titles (though maybe I’d recognize the tunes if I heard them)… Yeah, it’s kind of a shame that Equipoise didn’t supply you with a whole huge list of CLICKABLE LINKS. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/57 "2010-09-30T03:46:20Z")
Once more, I can’t play videos on my computer. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/58 "2010-09-30T03:52:48Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Once more, I can’t play videos on my computer. I was writing that post before Equipoise replied. Is it because of a slow connection, or slow computer? Either way, you picked two you could make a weak argument against, rather than two could NOT argue against, two huge hits that were written by Laura Nyro that were undeniably rock - Blood, Sweat & Tears’ “And When I Die” and Three Dog Night’s “Eli’s Comin” - two songs that any self-professed “rock encyclopedia” should already know. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/59 "2010-09-30T04:04:06Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > > > Once more, I can’t play videos on my computer. > > I was writing that post before Equipoise replied. Is it because of a slow connection, or slow computer? There’s something wrong with my audio lately. For some reason my computer keeps saying there are no speakers connected even though there are. I can see the visual (albeit kind of herky jerky, I have a shitty computer), but that doesn’t really help in this case. > [@](#): > > Either way, you picked two you could make a weak argument against, rather than two could NOT argue against, two huge hits that were written by Laura Nyro that were undeniably rock - Blood, Sweat & Tears’ “And When I Die” and Three Dog Night’s “Eli’s Comin” - two songs that any self-professed “rock encyclopedia” should already know. Those titles do not look familiar to me, but those are bands that I’ve never gotten into. Blood Sweat and Tears weren’t even really rock, they were like a big band, soul kind of thing, which is something I’ve never been into. I like guitars, not horn sections. I’m familiar with a couple of Three Dog Night’s big songs (“Joy to the World,” “Mama Told me Not to Come”), but it’s not a band I’ve ever had any real interest in. I have a pretty good knowledge of rock music (I was a working musician and songwriter for years), but it’s not without holes. Three Dog Night didn’t appeal to me because they didn’t write their own songs. I’m attracted to strong songwriting and tend to be dismissive (with rare exceptions) of acts or musicians who don’t write their own material. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486/60 "2010-09-30T04:05:04Z")
Let me just get this out of the way. [ol] [li]I like Rush. No, wait, let me amend that: I _really_ like Rush. As far as musicianship, few musicians working in the rock (and Rush is nothing if not “rock”), as opposed to the rock and roll (difference spelled out (sorta) in an earlier post o’ mine), idiom are as skilled at playing their instruments as are Messrs. Lifeson, Lee, and Peart.[/li][li]One question, though: Where are the _songs_? With a relatively few exceptions (“The Spirit of Radio”, various singles off of **Moving Pictures** , and a few more), memorable, catchy-as-hell songs are not this band’s forté.[/li][li]Another question: Does anyone write lyrics as ponderous as Neil Peart’s? Here’s just _one_ example: “The snakes and arrows a child is heir to / Are enough to leave a thousand cuts / We build our defenses, a place of safety / And leave the darker places unexplored”. Now, compare that to, as just one example: “I was born by the river in a little tent / Oh and just like the river I’ve been running every since / It’s been a long, a long time coming / But I know a change gonn’ come, Oh yes it will”. If that’s not evocative, I don’t know what is.[/li][li]Most music critics (and, face it, the RaRHoF is nothing if not a bastion of music critics and tastemakers) share a philosophy of Less Is More (very much akin to the Show Don’t Tell (see what I did there?) philosophy beloved by movie/TV critics), and one thing that Rush (among other bands) is not known for is musical or lyrical economy.[/li][/ol] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2011-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees/555486.md?page=4)