Annual Rock Hall Nominee Shit Show thread

[Rikk]

Stone Temple Pilots should be in the Hall too. Eligible since 2017. Had a #1 album in Purple, “Interstate Love Song” was the #1 Mainstream Rock Song for a record (at the time) 14 weeks. Millions of sales.

Soundgarden should be in too. Chris Cornell is literally my favorite singer of all-time. He's not a Dave-level performer, but when people try and talk about how Sammy Hagar has a "great voice," I love to correct them by saying that Chris Cornell not only had cool lyrics (Sammy NEVER did) but also could sing circles around Hagar. Cornell had (I believe) an over four-octave range.

Soundgarden should have been in the Rock Hall YEARS ago...Nirvana is already in (and they DO deserve it, no matter what Kristy says)...but the fact that fucking Foo Fighters got in and Soundgarden haven't is just another reason why the Rock Hall is a fucking joke.

Audioslave (Cornell's band with the members of Rage Against the Machine) was also very good...but they were not as excellent as Soundgarden.

Cornell's solo albums were also really creative and really good. His solo debut, EUPHORIA MOURNING (also sometimes called EUPHORIA MORNING) is maybe the best album he ever recorded.

And Temple of the Dog (the album he made in 1990 with Matt Cameron and members of Pearl Jam) was also a great, great album...and not just for HUNGER STRIKE.

Both Chris Cornell & Scott Weiland should have been inducted into the so-called Rock Hall many, many years ago.

(Velvet Revolver, Scott's band with the members of G N' R, is also really good...though not as good as STP. Their 2nd album, LIBERTAD, didn't do as well as their debut, CONTRABAND...but I actually think LIBERTAD is better.)

[Kristy]

Also the last time you got a proper dicking, I'd bet!

This is exactly why you're such a F A T piece of shit

[Rikk]

I saw them the week after I saw Ozzy with Randy Rhoads, literally a week or two before the plane crash. After seeing Ozzy, Foreigner seemed like bubblegum pop music. But I can understand why you think they were so great, they're essentially the same type of music as Van Hagar and Mean Machine.

I'll admit...I like Foreigner...but more in a guilty pleasure kind of way.

I fucking hate Journey...and no one is going to change my mind by going on about how many hit singles they had or how "great" Steve Perry's voice is. I just find songs like DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' pure shit. (It's basically the same kind of music Van Hagar is.)

I also am not a Styx fan.

I don't like REO Speedwagon.

But I guess I'll admit...I like Foreigner. But am I going to call them a great band the way Zeppelin or The Stones or VH were? No.

[Rikk]

By the way, Ozzy's solo career has never had the consistency or mind-blowing excellence that Black Sabbath had. But that line-up with Rhoads...those first two albums...they are INSANELY AWESOME.

Ozzy's first two albums are the only albums I personally think he's made that are as good as Black Sabbath. Both BLIZZARD OF OZZ and DIARY OF A MADMAN are just perfect albums in every way.

Von, I hope you realize how fucking lucky you are that you got to see Ozzy with Rhoads.

[Kristy]

I'll admit...I like Foreigner...but more in a guilty pleasure kind of way.

[Terry]

By the way, Ozzy's solo career has never had the consistency or mind-blowing excellence that Black Sabbath had. But that line-up with Rhoads...those first two albums...they are INSANELY AWESOME.

Ozzy's first two albums are the only albums I personally think he's made that are as good as Black Sabbath. Both BLIZZARD OF OZZ and DIARY OF A MADMAN are just perfect albums in every way.

Von, I hope you realize how fucking lucky you are that you got to see Ozzy with Rhoads.

Was literally thinking this (and not for the first time, as in thinking it wasn't some recent revelation or anything) not too long ago, in that really the only studio albums Ozzy was involved with post-Sabbath that were on the same level of excellence and consistency as the, say, first 5 or so Sabbath albums were the first two Ozzy solo albums with Rhoads and Daisley basically writing the entirety of the music and the vast bulk of the lyrics and melodies.

The first time I can recall making that realization was when The Ultimate Sin album came out. I had liked the Bark At The Moon album, mostly on the strength of the title track, but even though I first saw Ozzy on the BATM tour I remember thinking even back then that BATM on the whole wasn't as good as Blizzard or Diary. It wasn't even a case back then of me thinking "Randy Rhoads is the best guitarist Ozzy will ever work with" and not giving Jake E. Lee a chance from the get-go. BATM had the great title track, a couple of decent tracks and a lot of tracks that were second-rate compared to Blizzard and Diary. With The Ultimate Sin, I can't even point out to a single track on the record that stands out to me as being particularly excellent. I actually thought No Rest For The Wicked was a step up from The Ultimate Sin in terms of both the songs and the guitar playing. Then with No More Tears I liked the title track and thought the rest was varying degrees of piffle. None of Ozzy's stuff I've heard since No More Tears has been worth the bother of listening to it.

The test of time for me would be if I opted to see Ozzy live, in that if all Ozzy played from his solo career were tracks off of Blizzard and Diary I wouldn't feel cheated in the least.

[Von Halen]

I'll admit...I like Foreigner...but more in a guilty pleasure kind of way.

I fucking hate Journey...and no one is going to change my mind by going on about how many hit singles they had or how "great" Steve Perry's voice is. I just find songs like DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' pure shit. (It's basically the same kind of music Van Hagar is.)

I also am not a Styx fan.

I don't like REO Speedwagon.

But I guess I'll admit...I like Foreigner. But am I going to call them a great band the way Zeppelin or The Stones or VH were? No.

I'm not sure how one can like Foreigner, and not Journey, Styx or REO. I like Foreigner. I spent many evenings street drag racing with "Rev On The Redline" blasting through my Mindblower speakers. As I said, I went and saw them when they were in their prime and the original band. I am pretty sure I'd have loved the live show much better had it not been a week after Ozzy and Rhoads. (By the way Rikk, I totally know how lucky I was. Only regret, not taking pics like I did at the VH shows,) Anyway, I'm of course talking about the early outputs of these bands, before they succcumbed to Top 40 radio. The Journey Infinity and Evolution albums are great. Styx "The Grand Illusion" through "Pieces Of Eight" were stellar albums, and they were a great live band too. That fucking Mr Roboto shit ruined them. REO...fuck...talk about a live band in the 70's. Wow. Fucking Gary Richrath was a monster with absolute killer tone. The "Live You Get What You Play For" album is phenomenal.

[Terry]

I'll admit...I like Foreigner...but more in a guilty pleasure kind of way.

I fucking hate Journey...and no one is going to change my mind by going on about how many hit singles they had or how "great" Steve Perry's voice is. I just find songs like DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' pure shit. (It's basically the same kind of music Van Hagar is.)

I also am not a Styx fan.

I don't like REO Speedwagon.

But I guess I'll admit...I like Foreigner. But am I going to call them a great band the way Zeppelin or The Stones or VH were? No.

I've always liked Foreigner, precisely because they were mindless bubblegum pop rock music. Also, because I listened to their stuff from 1978-1981 when I was a pre-teen and at that age I hadn't been 'told' that I wasn't supposed to like Foreigner.

This, I've never been disappointed with Foreigner until the Agent Provocateur album because Foreigner never pretended to be something they weren't. Even in the late 1970's when their tunes were more guitar-based than keyboard-driven, Foreigner was mindless bubblegum pop rock. Like, Foreigner were never trying to pull the wool over anybody's eyes and attempt to pass themselves off as Led Zeppelin.

I didn't dislike what Journey did. Or Styx. Or REO Speedwagon. Wasn't over the moon about any of those bands in anything resembling or coming close to the same way as I was with Led Zeppelin. However, each of those bands had their moments...or at least the totality of their careers would equal a half-dozen or so tunes I kinda liked.

[Terry]

I'm not sure how one can like Foreigner, and not Journey, Styx or REO. I like Foreigner. I spent many evenings street drag racing with "Rev On The Redline" blasting through my Mindblower speakers. As I said, I went and saw them when they were in their prime and the original band. I am pretty sure I'd have loved the live show much better had it not been a week after Ozzy and Rhoads. (By the way Rikk, I totally know how lucky I was. Only regret, not taking pics like I did at the VH shows,) Anyway, I'm of course talking about the early outputs of these bands, before they succcumbed to Top 40 radio. The Journey Infinity and Evolution albums are great. Styx "The Grand Illusion" through "Pieces Of Eight" were stellar albums, and they were a great live band too. That fucking Mr Roboto shit ruined them. REO...fuck...talk about a live band in the 70's. Wow. Fucking Gary Richrath was a monster with absolute killer tone. The "Live You Get What You Play For" album is phenomenal.

With Foreigner, Journey, Styx and REO, much along the lines of what you were alluding to with each of those acts I liked them up until a certain album and there was a definite demarcation point.

With Foreigner, it was up to and including 1981's Foreigner 4. After that, no use for 'em.

With Journey, it was up to and including 1981's Escape. After that, a track or two from Frontiers.

With Styx, it was up to and including 1981's Paradise Theater. Fuck Mr. Roboto.

With REO, it was up to and including 1980's Hi Infidelity. Sadly, after that the band dissolved into a bunch of schmaltzy piffle.

[Catfish]

I'm not sure how one can like Foreigner, and not Journey, Styx or REO. I like Foreigner. I spent many evenings street drag racing with "Rev On The Redline" blasting through my Mindblower speakers. As I said, I went and saw them when they were in their prime and the original band. I am pretty sure I'd have loved the live show much better had it not been a week after Ozzy and Rhoads. (By the way Rikk, I totally know how lucky I was. Only regret, not taking pics like I did at the VH shows,) Anyway, I'm of course talking about the early outputs of these bands, before they succcumbed to Top 40 radio. The Journey Infinity and Evolution albums are great. Styx "The Grand Illusion" through "Pieces Of Eight" were stellar albums, and they were a great live band too. That fucking Mr Roboto shit ruined them. REO...fuck...talk about a live band in the 70's. Wow. Fucking Gary Richrath was a monster with absolute killer tone. The "Live You Get What You Play For" album is phenomenal.

None of 'succumbing to Top 40 radio' bothered you during the Van Hagar years, when you proudly traded your rock stripes for mom rock! You shit on these bands' later albums while celebrating horseshit like For Lawful Carnal Knowledge and Ballast! WTF are you talking about Von Halen!

Did you also take pics at all your Van Hagar shows like you did at all the Journey, Styx and REO shows you went to? All those bands are for fags. WTF is the difference between Van Hagar and those 3 bands? All gay almost-rock-songs. It makes sense that you worship them. Foreigner was more straight-forward rock, with the obvious exception of a couple of homo ballads. But those probably make your nipples like pencil erasers, too!

[Mushroom]

I'm not sure how one can like Foreigner, and not Journey, Styx or REO. I like Foreigner. I spent many evenings street drag racing with "Rev On The Redline" blasting through my Mindblower speakers. As I said, I went and saw them when they were in their prime and the original band. I am pretty sure I'd have loved the live show much better had it not been a week after Ozzy and Rhoads. (By the way Rikk, I totally know how lucky I was. Only regret, not taking pics like I did at the VH shows,) Anyway, I'm of course talking about the early outputs of these bands, before they succcumbed to Top 40 radio. The Journey Infinity and Evolution albums are great. Styx "The Grand Illusion" through "Pieces Of Eight" were stellar albums, and they were a great live band too. That fucking Mr Roboto shit ruined them. REO...fuck...talk about a live band in the 70's. Wow. Fucking Gary Richrath was a monster with absolute killer tone. The "Live You Get What You Play For" album is phenomenal.

And that is what a hard on looks like put into words

[Rikk]

But those probably make your nipples like pencil erasers, too!

OK...I really love talking with Von. But THAT made me laugh so hard, I almost spit my coffee all over the screen.

[Rikk]

In all seriousness, Foreigner peaked with their 2nd album (that one is their best). They were good at writing Beatle-y sort of rock/pop music. Songs like BLUE MORNING, BLUE DAY are admittedly as cheesy as Hagar's breath...but they're catchy as hell. The third Foreigner album also had some really good material. There's a non-single cut with acoustic guitars (but not a ballad) that I really like called DO WHAT YOU LIKE. Their 4th album was their last solid album. Good material. After that...eccchh! I have no use for I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS. That song makes me feel the same way something like WHEN IT'S LOVE makes me feel...a once good band reaching the barf-bag point.

I have to admit, I don't really know much Styx stuff. The only song I REALLY know is MR. ROBOTO. I would maybe recognize a couple of other songs.

It's like the Scorpions...a buddy of mine told me that I should stop associating them with ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE and check out their earlier stuff. I've always said I hate them...but one of these days, I will check out their EARLIER stuff and give them a fairer judgment.

I used to make fun of UFO...then I heard their 70s stuff with Michael Schenker and realized that there is some great material there.

I guess I just have never heard stuff by REO SPEEDWAGON or JOURNEY that was before 1980 (except maybe WHEEL IN THE SKY, which is ok, I guess).

I've been wrong about other bands. I used to hate Boston...then I finally listened to the first two albums (from the 1970s) and realized that there is some immaculately-written and produced material on them. So, yeah...I like Boston (at least their first two albums).

[Rikk]

Looking past cheesy songs can make a music-listener find good stuff. I have ALWAYS loved Deep Purple...but it took me a while to realize that Rainbow is also REALLY worth checking out.

Ritchie Blackmore is my all-time favorite guitarist on Earth. (Yes, even more than Eddie.)

TWO things will never change for me:
1) Steve McQueen will ALWAYS be my favorite actor on Earth (I have every film and even got an authenticated double-autograph of McQueen, which is very rare and cost me a lot through a close friend who deals in rare autographs)...Larry Hagman, by the way, is my second-favorite actor.
2) Ritchie Blackmore will ALWAYS be my favorite guitar-player on Earth. I just love his tone and style.

Blackmore is another one who I had to eventually get used to and appreciate his cheesy era. His guitar-sound, the approach of his guitar solos...the riffs he writes...the musicians he plays with. Even the lesser stuff is still something I will willingly listen to. With Eddie, his lesser albums are mostly crap to me. Yes, I might put on one of the non-Roth albums once in a while...but I roll my eyes a lot. If I'm listening to one of the weaker Rainbow albums (later albums) or even his medieval music, I still admire what he's doing.

I used to be a Deep Purple purist...and then I heard the first three Rainbow albums (with Ronnie James Dio). I love all three of those albums...AS MUCH as I love Deep Purple. THEN...I even managed to work through the cheesier later Rainbow stuff (with Joe Lynn Turner and Doogie White). Blackmore may be a cantankerous asshole, but he's a genius. Anyone who claims that he isn't a brilliant guitar player is just a fucking idiot, I'm sorry to say.

[Rikk]

AND...we talk about all these cheesy arena rock bands with cheesier material...and the big question is:

Where does Van Hagar fit into all this?

I won't even claim I hate every single Van Hagar song. I have ALWAYS maintained that there's sort of unspoken rule on this (still amazing) forum that nobody is allowed to ever say anything good about anything Van Hagar ever did. But I've always suspected that there are songs that some of our members here secretly like.

I may have started the Sheep Pen, but I have no need to lie. I learned (maybe around the age of 30) that there is no need to be ashamed of or hide music I like, even if it's cheesy.

While I will always state without question that ANYTHING Van Hagar did never came even close to ANYTHING the original band did, there are songs here and there I like. I like the song "5150," I like BLACK 'N' BLUE, I like a song from BALANCE called FEELIN', I like HUMANS BEING... There's probably not one fucking song from that monstrosity FOR UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE that I remotely like...well...actually, there is ONE song I like called PLEASURE DOME. That one is actually good. But for the most part, Van Hagar is Eddie being mostly uninspired and even the really good music is ruined by a bleach-haired, fat moron (with ZERO style) who thinks writing songs about "dreams," "feelings" and "love" put him in the same league as Robert Frost or Walt Whitman.

So...I think (overall) Foreigner is a better band than Van Hagar. Just my opinion. Their guitar player (while talented) may not be as strong a player as Edward Van Halen...but there are far less embarrassing songs on those first four Foreigner albums than most anything off the entire Van Hagar catalog.

Just my opinion.