Sean Spillane On Music

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its Class of ’07 Monday and set for enshrinement are Van Halen, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, R.E.M., The Ronettes and Patti Smith.
It would be hard to argue against any of these acts although Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five will be the first rap act inducted into the hall and that may ruffle a few feathers of the rockers-only crowd.
Personally, I’ve always liked Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, but it would have been fitting if Run DMC made it in beforehand as that was the first really big rap-rock crossover act.
Van Halen and R.E.M. are the no-brainers of the group and it should be a lot of fun seeing who shows up for Van Halen at the March 12 ceremony in New York. If the group performs that night, does Sammy Hagar or David Lee Roth sing? What about Gary Cherone? Will Michael Anthony be allowed to play bass or will it be Eddie’s son Wolfgang, who has reportedly taken his place after some more group infighting?
The answers to these questions could be the only thing that keeps me slightly interested in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I’ve been to the Cleveland site and wasn’t that impressed – although I should add that my visits to the halls of fame for baseball, pro football, basketball and hockey also aren’t among my most cherished memories.
It’s not that my trips were awful or that there was no value in going, but I can only look at so many old uniforms, costumes, bats, balls, guitars, etc., before I get bored.
What I remember about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is being a bit taken aback by the fact that you weren’t allowed to take pictures of the exhibits. Would a flashbulb really do any damage to these costumes that were worn under the bright lights of a concert stage?
Besides, you can see tons of music artifacts at any Hard Rock Cafe and you get the added bonus of eating over-priced mediocre food and imbibing equally over-priced drinks. What a deal!