This
year’s sextet of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees can be evenly halved:
three iconic artists of modern music, and three artists from the past who are
relatively obscure today.
As far as
analyzing the inductees, we’ll skip the first threesome. It is unconscionable
to imagine anyone over the age of 20 who does not know AT LEAST ONE song by
Guns N' Roses, Beastie Boys AND Red Hot Chili Peppers by heart. There is nothing
to be said about these groups that hasn’t already been uttered by Kurt Loder
and/or Matt Pinfield. Side note: what the fuck happened to MTV??
The
latter trio, on the other hand, deserves some mention, since ‘mention’ is the
one thing these talented artists don’t have going for them. With that, here are
your 2012 underdog inductees to the RnR HOF.
Donovan
OK, Donovan isn’t that obscure. He shouldn’t be, anyway. This Scottish
balladeer has been strumming his green guitar since the early 60’s. The
artist—born Donovan Philips Leitch—essentially created his own genre out of spare
parts from folk rock, jazz and psychedelia. He also had a signature, plucking
guitar style, which he taught to numerous disciples including John Lennon and
Paul McCartney. Additionally, he earned counterculture icon status in 1966,
when he became the first high-profile musician to be busted for pot.
Sadly, there wasn’t much room for Donovan’s enchanted musings when music took a turn for the hard, beginning in the late 70’s. Thankfully, he earned a comeback with his 1996 album Sutras, which was produced by (who else?) Rick Rubin. His songs have appeared in a number of films, including Goodfellas, Children of Men, Zodiac and The Rules of Attraction.
Laura
Nyro
The late
Ms. Nyro wasn’t long for this world; she died of ovarian cancer in 1997 at the
age of 49. But during her brief visit, this American chanteuse and pianist
became an iconic performer, and was among the first to create pop medleys by
combining jazz and folk. Her music inspired many of the strong ladies who
followed her, including Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Alicia Keys and Norah
Jones. At one point, she almost became the lead singer of Blood, Sweat and
Tears.
She is also considered a pioneering voice of musical activism. “I was always interested in the social consciousness of certain songs,” she noted in her anthology. “My mother and grandfather were progressive thinkers, so I felt at home in the peace movement and the women's movement, and that has influenced my music.” She became an early feminist icon, and played women’s musical festivals long before Sarah MacLachlan founded Lilith Fair.
The
Small Faces/The Faces
If you
enjoy Brit pop, a simple doff of your cap to The Small Faces will suffice. This
London quartet was fronted by singer/songwriter Steve Marriott, a man who
became one of the first mod icons. If you don’t know what a mod is, the
movement can be summed up with sunglasses, tailor-made suits, scooters and lots
(and lots) of cigarettes and drugs. Velvet Underground, The Kinks and The
Yardbirds made the style famous, though credit for its origins should be given
to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
In 1968, three years after the Small Faces formed, Marriott left for good to join Humble Pie, and the band’s name was shortened to The Faces. The new line-up included a young vocalist named Rod Stewart and former Jeff Beck Group guitarist Ronnie Wood. The Faces recorded four studio albums before Stewart left to pursue a solo career (we hear he did quite well), while Wood joined The Rolling Stones. The original members staged a brief reunion in the late 70’s, but The Small Faces weren’t successful the second time around. Sadly, two original members have since passed away: Marriott in 1991, when he was killed in an apartment fire, and guitarist Ronnie Lane in 1997, from complications from multiple sclerosis.
Congratulations to all six 2012 Hall of Fame inductees!
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