After much thought (and sadly, you know that I have actually spent some time pondering this issue), I have revised my lists of who I would vote for out of those nine and who I actually think will be inducted.
It is an annual ritual for me to investigate each nominee. For one, it is an excuse for me to delve into some music I may have overlooked. Secondly, I like to have informed opinions, even though I do not have an actual ballot to vote. Each year when the list of nominees is announced, I buy at least one compilation disc for each nominee. Since my collection is the grotesque size that it is, I generally already own material for a majority of the nominees. This year I had to go grab a disc each for Womack, Jackson and Little Anthony. I already owned plenty of material from the others. The pleasant surprise this year: I am now a big Bobby Womack fan. I would recommend this killer compilation (love the album cover, too)...
I've been groovin' to this album for the last couple of days. Womack is a triple threat. He's a great songwriter, performer and guitarist. "Across 110th Street" is one of the best depictions of ghetto life that I've come across. (And I know ghetto life, people, growing up on the mean streets of West Houston. "Across Briar Forest Street / Is a hell of a tester"). Anyway, Womack has an interesting mix in his discography. He's got funky, straight soul music, but he also takes interesting covers like James Taylor's "Fire and Rain," "California Dreamin'" or even Sinatra's "Fly Me To the Moon" and turns them into burning soul grooves. Very cool choices. Then he'll unleash an impressive guitar solo here or there. As a songwriter the guy is even more impressive. I didn't realize how many tunes of Womack's were covered by others. Soul legend Wilson Pickett recorded 17 of Womack's compositions, including "I'm a Midnight Mover" and "I'm in Love" (always a favorite of mine, only this week did I realize that Womack wrote it). He wrote Janis Joplin's gorgeous "Trust Me." Also The Rolling Stones' "It's All Over Now" is a Womack tune (and a killer duet version with Bill Withers is on the album suggested above). I am converted. Bobby Womack is the sh*t.
I find Little Anthony & the Imperials to be very mediocre doo wop. A ridiculous nomination. Wanda Jackson is also negligible. From what I understand, she is a favorite of Elvis Costello's, who holds a lot of sway on the nominating committee. Jeff Beck is rivaled only by Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman for rock guitar greatness. Metallica, of course (although there are others in that genre who should go in first, such as Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, etc.) Run-DMC were rap innovators and helped to bridge the divide between rap and rock. Absolutely. The Stooges (nominated for the 7th time) were the punk godfathers. Chic were decent disco pioneers, but I accept the nomination as legit mainly because of the contributions of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards through Chic and post-Chic as producers. War were great, but not Hall of Fame worthy.
So, here is who I would now vote for from this list of nominees: Jeff Beck, Metallica, The Stooges, Run-DMC and Bobby Womack. That actually looks like a pretty solid class of five right there.
My revised prediction? Here is how I see it going: Metallica, Run-DMC, The Stooges, Wanda Jackson and Little Anthony & the Imperials. I hope that I am wrong. But I know that there is a large group of fogies who vote that still feel that 50's/doo wop is underrepresented, and Little Anthony has nobody to split that vote with. They often try to fit a woman in each class if they can, and Wanda looks to be that token choice. Plus, evidently Costello and Little Steven Van Zandt are both lobbying heavily for her. Don't know why.
ABOVE: I'll leave you with a double shot of Bobby Womack. Solo acoustic renditions of "California Dreamin'" and "Across 110th Street."
1 comment:
Thanks for the update. I'll go check out Bobby Womack....
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