Steve Miller Entered the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, and vomitted.

I read a lot of news about Steve Miller and the Black Keys and the Hall of Fame induction that happened in my home town this past week. Yawn.

But looking at it a bit more closely there are two important streams of thought:

The Black Keys were pissed that Steve Miller didn’t really care who they were.

And Steve Miller pretty directly explained why the RnR HoF process is even stupider than those of us who only pay partial attention think it is.

So, Miller is an asshole for dissing the Black Keys and a hero for taking on the Rock ‘n’ Roll HOF foundation? I’m not sure how to do the math, but I personally give him a lot more credit for railing against the machine than I do the Black Keys dissing an artist.

Plus Joker (for Maurice):

7 thoughts on “Steve Miller Entered the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, and vomitted.

  1. Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame is a joke, of course. To begin with, they should change the name to the American Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. That would explain no T. Rex, Slade, etc. Nothing explains no MC5. All these blues and country and soul pioneers etc., but let’s leave out a kick ass rock ‘n’ roll pioneer?

    As an aside, I saw “Gimme Shelter” last week for the first time. Have to say, my strongest opinion about the Stones live in this movie was simply “weak.” Jagger carried the show by a long shot. The rest of the sound was tinny and, well, weak. I know they’re different kinds of bands, but compare that to the MC5 black & white “Looking At You” video I post here every so often from, I believe, the same year, 1969. No wonder one of my favorite legendary MC5 tales is of the Five opening for Cream, blowing them away, then taunting them afterward.

    Movie was great overall, by the way. Ignorant Steve never realized that the guy the Hell’s Angels killed pulled a gun. Now I’m sorry, but that changes everything for me. My friend read a book about this and told me the guy died saying, “I wasn’t going to shoot you, man.” That’s great, pull a gun on the Hell’s Angels and then die saying that. Sheer genius.

    As for Steve Miller, good for you. Anyone who rips the Hall and the music industry for any reason is fine by me.

    As for Black Keys, sure, they’re better than most of the garbage classified as popular music these days, but how they got so far as a White Stripes rip-off band, I know not.

  2. First, the Keys have been around just about the same length of time as the Stripes. My pal (and guitar guru) Steve Gibson burned a disc of each band’s first album for me the same day, 10 or more years ago.

    Second, Slade doesn’t belong any more than KISS does. Popular does not mean good.

    Third, while I will not defend any HOF as they are all the result of some subjective voting logic that does not seem to understand or delineate between popular and artistry (where is Yo La Tengo?), if Miller was so angry about the Hall and process, why the fuck did he even bother to show up?

    Just to self righteously rail on it? If he was that indignant, why did he not release a statement and simply stay home? I mean, talk about grandstanding for god’s sake.

    I still have issues with Jim Kaat and Tommy John and Bill Buckner and Dwight Evans and Al Oliver not being in the baseball HOF, but I have no issues with the Pop Lloyds and Bid McPhees being in any more than I do the Robert Johnsons and Big Joe Turners, cos they are the guys who made the game/music what it is today.

    And, I like Steve Miller and I love a lot of his albums. But his popularity and induction is on the sales and power of “Book of Dreams” and “Fly Like an Eagle.” Those are as fun and poppy listenable as any record ever, but they are hardly anything earth shattering. I like “Number 5” and “Brave New World” a whole lot more and I will bet most of the HOF voters and attendees don’t even know “Going to the Country.”

    https://youtu.be/zcTo7lsDYPU

  3. so in two years the keys copied the stripes and released an album right away? bah. this is more like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden all developing a sound and one making it really big first. This shit happens all the time.

    maybe KISS stole their costume ideas from Paul Revere and the Raiders, too?

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