Monday, December 5, 2011

Kickin' Em Out: 1992

Two headed monster: Beck and Page.
The Traveling Wilburys consisted of three monoliths of rock in Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and George Harrison. It also featured Tom Petty, another mega-star not quite on that level but definitely on the next shelf.

They are all Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.

Throw in Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra and we’re talking about the most amazing supergroup ever assembled.

But will the Wilburys ever be inducted into the Rock Hall? Should they be inducted? Aside from boasting a lineup that is the musical equivalent of the 2010 Miami Heat and 2011 Philadelphia Phillies starting rotation rolled into one, did they do enough - one really good album (1988’s “Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1") and one wildly uneven and maybe even horrid follow-up (1990’s “Vol 3,” haha where is “Vol. 2”)  - to warrant induction as a group?

Of course not.

Second from right: Nerdy Eric Clapton.
So given the photo and headline above, you know where I’m going with this: CDNR is kicking The Yardbirds out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Yeah, we went there.

So they had Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck at different points, or all at once, or two at a time, or who really cares - I’m not going to sift through their boring history.

Their "hits" included "For Your Love," "Heart Full of Soul," "Shapes of Things” and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago."

Quick - hum the last three? Ah, knew you couldn’t.

And tell me with a straight face that “For Your Love” is a great song. Again, I knew you couldn’t. It sucks, right?
Fab Five? Killer Quintet? Super-duper-group?

If you want to say the Yardbirds laid down some awesome jams, I’m with you there.

If you want to say they’re significant because they contained Clapton before he did Cream and Page before he did Zeppelin and Beck before he did whatever he went on to do, I’m with you there too.

But they’re a supergroup, not unlike the Wilburys or Bad English or Golden Smog.

Maybe 25 years from now, when there are no more bands to put in the Rock Hall because music sucks, they can come back in.

Pardon the Bad English, but for now, their asses is out.

Bobby "Blue" Bland
Booker T. and the MG's
Johnny Cash
Leo Fender
Bill Graham
The Yardbirds
The Isley Brothers
Elmore James
Doc Pomus
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Professor Longhair
Sam and Dave

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