Monday, March 15, 2010

Trophies for the Dispossessed

One of the things I really like about my weird little genre is that we are never called upon to "take sides" as it were. "Power pop" as a term may have come from Pete Townshend, but there's no question that--in its 1978-82 incarnation, at least--it was the bastard child of both the British Invasion and the punk movement.

Thus there's no real reason to take sides in tonight's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction dilemma: here at PowerPop, we recognize both The Hollies and The Stooges as our progenitors and are glad to see them both get the recognition they deserve.



9 comments:

steve simels said...

And may I just add that tonight's performance by the Stooges will feature the incredibly great James Williamson on guitar?

Doing "Search and Destroy," apparently. There are going to be a lot of really flummoxed younger punk guitarists tonight when the see the master at work.

Don't know if the Hollies will be playing, though -- founding members Tony Hicks (guitar) and Bobby Elliott (drums) have apparently unbreakable tour committments.

Singer Allan Clarke, who retired from the biz ten years ago apparently due to illness, will be there tonight, along with Graham Nash. There will be nary a dry eye at Casa Simels, I can tell you that for free.

TMink said...

Wow, it is weird watching Ig with that huge smile on his face early in the tape!

Will Mike Watt play bass for Iggy tonight?

Trey

Terry Flamm said...

Very well put. As an avid fan of British Invasion and punk, I can see how the two come together in power pop. I'll definitely be watching The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame tonight. Incidentally, I think Terry Sylvester, who replaced Nash in the line-up and left in 1981, will also be there.

Unknown said...

Graham Nash wouldn't miss such a show-biz event. Elliott and Hicks, you ain't missin' nothin'. Maybe Nash will jam w/ earlier inductees, Billy Joel and James Taylor. Farce.

edward said...

Kinda hoping Iggy and ABBA will do a little Brill Building medley;>

Dave said...

Many people have argued that this is the weakest crop of inductees yet. But this year, the writers dominate: Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry, Jesse Stone, Otis Blackwell, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, and Mort Shuman.

My favorite moment of the show was Cynthia Weil's speech. Kind of amazing that she and Mann wrote songs as disparate as "He's Sure the Boy I Love," "Kicks," "Magic Town," "Just Once," "On Broadway," "Uptown," We Gotta Get Out of This Place,""You've Lost That Lovin' Feelling," and "Blame It on the Bossa Nova!"

It pains me that Ellie Greenwich didn't live to see her induction. She would have loved it.

Dave said...

Peter Wolf looks like a mashup of Richard Belzer and Patti Smith.

weaseld said...

Did anyone notice the great moment when, during "Long Cool Woman", Terry Sylvester, clearly drunk, grabbed the microphone from the guy from Train who was singing lead, and started the verse after the solo himself? When Allan Clarke realized what was happening, he was noticeably mortified, and grabbed the microphone and gave it back to the guest lead vocalist! It was a hoot! A shame that Clarke couldn't sing it himself anymore. I really liked his voice back in the day. And those harmonies that the 3 of them used to do! Sorry too to not see Hicks there. He was such a big part of their sound.

Anonymous said...

the whole r&r hall of fame is a joke - bon jovi's in. what else could it be?