Tuesdays with Paulie 10/02/07

It's Only Rock'n Roll or is it?
Rolling Stone Magazine Founder Ruining Hall of Fame

When I was about seven years old I fell in love with Rock'n Roll. I remember listening to the original home of Rock music in the Midwest, Chicago's own AM89 WLS. I remember singing along to all the songs, while my parents drove us around in our 1977 Plymouth station wagon. A year later my grandmother bought me my first radio, which had this unique feature called FM. I was in heaven.

A year or so later, I began identifying with bands. My friend Steve and I used to listen to his older brothers records after school. The Rolling Stones, Thin Lizzy and Heart were our standards, which meant I became very finicky when it came to music. In my world Disco did suck and when I got older, Rap music was missing the letter "C" in front of its name.

As I matured my taste in what life had to offer often changed or at least expanded. For myself, the latter is definitely true. Muddy Waters said it best, "The Blues had a baby and they named it Rock'n Roll." In my world Rock'n Roll still rules, but it's mother (Blues) is the real monarch. Disco doesn't suck, it's fun. Rap or it's culture term Hip Hop has it's place, but it's violent tendencies are very troubling. Too often we forget about Jazz, which if Blues gave birth to Rock'n Roll then Jazz impregnated her.

Unfortunately like everything else in life, people with big Ego's and personal/political agendas often destroy what was once pure and easily defined. For many years that has been the case regarding the Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame. Established in 1985, no one could predict the sham it would one day become.

When Rolling Stone magazine creator and publisher Jann Wenner founded the Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame with Atlantic Records legendary co-founder, the late Ahmet Ertegun, Wenner apparently decided he was the ultimate authority on what was and is Rock'n Roll. Fox News Entertainment reporting Roger Friedman has been covering the R&R Hall of Fame and what appears to be Wenner's dictatorship over the institution. He recently wrote about the current nominees and the fact that Wenner has incorporated various genres of music under the Rock'n Roll banner as well as his history of interfering with the nomination process.

This years list of nominees looks like a music set in any Dance club in America. Disco icons Chic and Donna Summer are on the list as well as Madonna, Hip-Hop artists Afrika Bambaataa and the Beastie Boys. The only Rock'n Rollers are John Mellencamp and the Dave Clark five.

Friedman reported last year that the Dave Clark Five had been elected to the Hall, but Wenner interfered with the voting and dissed DC5 for rap/hip-hop legend Grand Master Flash. Insiders claim that Wenner feared the Hall would look bad if they went another year without inducting a hip-hop artist.

I have two arguments with how the Hall selects it's nominees. For starters, it's called the Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame not the Disco or Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. Dance music or Pop music is also not found in the title. These other genres of music have their place and undoubtedly their fans. Their artists belong in a separate place to be honored, not the R&R Hall of Fame. If we put every genre of Pop music in the Hall then call it the Popular Music Hall of Fame.

My other complaint is how Wenner passes obvious candidates for artists that fit his politically correct image. In my opinion this is the core of the problem. With minority groups such as African Americans, Woman and Hispanics playing a limited role in Rock music for the past three decades, he is concerned that the Hall will be become a Whites only club. That notion is ludicrous since Rock'n Roll only exists because of the black man's Blues. Nevertheless, Wenner has solved his problem by placing hip-hop, pop and dance music under the Rock'n Roll banner.

So while Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Chicago, "fifth Beatle" Billy Preston, Genesis, Kiss and Tina Turner are not members of the Hall of fame, Grandmaster Flash is and the Beastie Boys and Chic are on the current nomination list.

In the grand scheme of things does it matter who is in the Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame? Not really. However in a world where fairness is too often lacking and political correctness ruins lives and institutions, people crave for certain aspects of society to remain dignified. Music has been called the "universal language." I agree whole heartily with that analogy. So it is troubling when purity of Rock'n Roll is corrupted by an egomaniac who believes he is sole authority of the music. If you are going to nominate Madonna for the Hall of Fame, why not nominate Barbara Streisand and Barry Manilow. Is any one of them less Rock'n Roll than the other?


Democratic Reaction Defines Hypocrisy
Silence over Moveon.org, Condemnation for Limbaugh

Hypocrisy in Washington has been the norm ever since I can remember. However it used to be not as public, with politicians trying to hide their character flaws. Today Democrats have decided to display their hypocrisy openly and with great pride.

As I write this posting, Democrats on the Senate floor are demanding that conservative talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, apologize for insulting our troops. According to the Democrats, Limbaugh has made “hateful” and “unpatriotic” attack on U.S. troops opposed to the war in Iraq.

If you listen to the actually words Limbaugh spoke he was never going after the troops who disagree with the war in Iraq. The truth is he was attacking one man who claimed to be a soldier in Iraq, Jesse Macbeth. This now convicted criminal was used by the anti-war movement to make our soldiers look like baby killers, when in fact he never served in Iraq.

Macbeth was released from the Army in 2004. Afterwards he began telling horror stories about our troops in Iraq murdering innocent men, woman and children. The anti-war movement brought him to rallies and he got more than his fifteen minutes of fame from the mainstream press. The truth is, he served for 44 days and was released from duty, declared unfit. This is who Limbaugh is calling a "phony soldier."

Two weeks ago Macbeth plead guilty in federal court for faking his war record. He has been sentenced to five month is prison and three years probation.

Did the media outlets and anti-war movement that allowed Macbeth to spread lies about our men and women serving in Iraq ever apologize for not verifying his military history? No. Has any of them printed or broadcasted retraction statements? Of course not. What about the politicians who used his lies to condemn our military? Yeah right!

Today the same men and women in the Democratic Party who refused to denounce the Moveon.org advertisement calling General David Petraeus, General "Betray us," are now jumping on the anti-Limbaugh bandwagon, demanding he apologize. What could be more hypocritical?

Sadly, the Democratic leaders probably never heard the actual words of Limbaugh. They are relying on the reporting and editing job of the far-left website Media Matters, who has become the mouthpiece of the Progressive left, which controls the Democratic Party.

Like or dislike Limbaugh is not the issue. Even if every accusation against Limbaugh was true, the fact is that nobody in America has been a stronger advocate for all the men and women in uniform. The fact he has publicized the lies of a "phony soldier," only adds credence to his support for our troops.

Paulie