Finishing Off 2014 Rock Hall Year

A friend of mine posted on Facebook that this was one of the worst Hall classes. But he never said why. I don't agree.  And the edited HBO show was good entertainment. Chopping the actual ceremony by 2 1/2 hours, it was the usual good advertisement of what the Hall is about.

I'm not going to go over all that was screwed up by Joel Peresman & Co. With the 2014 inductions. But watching and reading about the ceremony you still scratch your head at some things. No KISS tribute, an E Street segment that dragged, waiting until Linda Ronstadt's Parkinson's announcement before finally nominating her and the Brian Epstein/Andrew Loog Oldham one that barely existed on TV.  Oh, and it took a new NomCom member in Questlove to get Hall & Oates on the ballot.

There were good performances. Everyone came through. Although it probably flowed better on TV than in person.

The 2015 ballot can't get here soon enough.

Playlist for 5/30

Now 50
Lily Allen - Sheezus
Bob Dylan in the 80's - Various
Tribute to Jackson Browne - Various
War on Drugs - Lost In The Dream
Tune-Yards -Nikki Nack
Ray Lamontogne - Supernova

Bob Dylan Poll

Another Poll:

1.  Like A Rolling Stone

2.  Positively 4th Street

3.  Tangled Up In Blue

4.  Knockin' On Heaven's Door

5.  Don't Think Twice, It's Alright

6.  Lay Lady Lay

7.  Masters of War

8.  Subterranean Homesick Blues

9. Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall

10.  It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding

11. Highway 61 Revisited

12. Shelter From The Storm

13. I Want You

14. Ballad of A Thin Man

15. It Ain't Me Babe

16. You Ain't Goin' Nowhere

17. Mr. Tambourine Man

18. Blowin' In The Wind

19. Maggie's Farm

20. Just Like A Woman

21. I Shall Be Released

22. All I Really Want To Do

23. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

24. If Not For You

25. All Along The Watchtower

26. Visions of Johanna

27. Stuck Inside of Memphis

28. Love Minus Zero/No Limit

29. My Back Pages

30. Tombstone Blues

31. Simple Twist of Fate

32. Tomorrow Is A Long Time

33. Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll

34. She Belongs To Me

35. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome

36. Chimes of Freedom

37. Desolation Row

38. Blind Willie McTell

39. To Ramona

40. Gotta Serve Somebody

41. Brownsville Girl

42. Times They Are A-Changin'

43. Tight Connection To My Heart

44. Dirty World

45. Things Have Changed

46. Hurricane

47. Forever Young

48. Tweeter and the Monkey Man

49. Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35

50. Isis

Top 20 Albums

1.  Highway 61 Revisited

2.  Blonde On Blonde

3.  Blood on the Tracks

4.  Another Side of Bob Dylan

5.  Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

6.  John Wesley Harding

7.  Basement Tapes

8.  Bringing It All Back Home

9.  Love and Theft

10. Nashville Skyline

11. Desire

12. New Morning

13. Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Live 1966)

14. Times They Are A-Changin'

15. Slow Train Coming

16. Time Out Of Mind

17. Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3

18. Modern Times

19. Before The Flood

20. Bob Dylan s/t (1962)

Covers

1.  All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix

2.  Mr. Tambourine Man - Byrds

3.  Tomorrow Is A Long Time - Elvis Presley

4.  I Shall Be Released - Band

5.  You Ain't Going Nowhere - Byrds

6.  If Not For You - George Harrison

7.  It Ain't Me Babe - Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash

8.  Blowin' In The Wind - Stevie Wonder

9.  It's All Over Now, Baby Blue - Them

10. Mighty Quinn  - Manfred Mann

11. Tomorrow Is A Long Time - Rod Stewart

12. She Belongs To Me - Ricky Nelson

13. Emotionally Yours - O'Jays

14. Make You Feel My Love - Adele

15. Knockin' On Heaven's Door - Warren Zevon

16. Highway 61 Revisited (Live 30th Anniversary) - Johnny Winter

17. Absolutely Sweet Marie - Jason & The Scorchers

18. All I Really Want To Do - Byrds

19. Tears of Rage - Band

20. Masters of War (Live 30th Anniversary) - Eddie Vedder

2014's Big Story

Almost halfway through 2014 and the Music biz's biggest story, according to my Twitter and Facebook feeds, seems to be streaming royalties.
Everyone can agree that people aren't buying physical albums or digital singles like before.  But listeners have discovered the wonders of streaming.  Everything right there on your smartphone, Ipad, laptop, computer, etc., for a mere $10 a month.  Right now, I subscribe to both Rhapsody and Spotify, although I don't know why I need both.  Rhapsody was first, so I'll stay with it for a little while longer.

For someone who listens to a lot of music, these sites have become essential habits.  But I use them mostly to stream albums.  Others are using them, like they would Pandora, to stream from those sites' radio stations.

Yet, I'm amazed at the lack of revenue artists are getting.  Oh, and I should note that Sony, Warner and Universal are suing SiriusXM and Pandora for back royalties, as those channels don't pay for any pre-1972 songs played.  How crazy is that?

My hope is that as streaming continues to climb, that these companies will pay what is owed.  You can generate thousands of plays and get paid less than the minimum wage.  This is going to continue to be the big story of 2014 and next year.

SRV & The Rock Hall Mystery

Andy Langer writes about Stevie Ray Vaughan's absence from the Rock Hall in the June 2014 issue of Texas Monthly.

It's a good column. But he misses what I feel is an important piece of SRV's absence.

The possibility that the NomCom wants to make sure that they haven't overlooked any other Blues greats before getting to him, knowing that SRV will make in on his first try.

So, they've nominated Albert & Freddie King recently, and both go in right away.

With that in mind, it's also likely that a Johnny Winter could get nominated before SRV.

I don't believe the NomCom has forgotten about him. But are just waiting for the perfect moment.  I still say he'll be inducted first ballot.  

Here's the Texas Monthly article:

http://bit.ly/1nrEBKb

Playlist for 5/18

Lykke Li -I Never Learn
Dolly Parton -Blue Smoke/Fairest of Them All
Old 97's - Most Messed Up
Ray Price - Beauty Is/Burning Memories
Nick Waterhouse - Time's All Gone

Playlist for 5/10

Bob Willis - For The Last Time
Bob Wills - Tiffany Transcriptions Vol. 2
Delfonics - s/t
Future  Islands - Singles
Parker Millsap - s/t
Leon Russell - Life Journey
David Crosby - Croz

Big 5-0

I don't feel 50.  That's the answer I'm going to give to what I know will be the #1 question.  How does it feel to be 50?  To be honest, little physical things began to change when I hit 40.  I think I made more Doctor visits the last 10 years than in all of my previous 40.  Nothing major, but still, small changes.
It's a milestone, to be sure.  But it also means the clock is ticking more than ever before.
And the days seem to go by faster as well.  I'm writing this in May and the year is almost halfway through.
I hope my health holds up, but I also hope I've left enough of an impression on people in my first 50 years, that they will only say positive things about me should I not make it to 100.  Well, that's the goal isn't it?  Maybe not 100, but certainly to live a healthy and happy life  for as long as we can.  I'm shooting for it.  And I hope my family and friends are with me on this ride.