Let me start by saying I still hate KISS. I still feel they ruined rock and roll for me.
But that's MY vision of rock and roll and that's all it is - my vision. Who am I but some rock blogger? Somehow, the executives at the Rock Hall think they know better than me. That they know better than everyone. And that's bullshit.
There's been 12+ days of blogging about KISS here at pencilstorm, lots of different guest writers, and I can't believe that none of us picked up on one fact that I think it the biggest piece of bullshit that the Rock Hall has ever done.
The other nightt, only the four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. That's right. Only the four original guys.
No Bruce Kulick. No Eric Carr. No Tommy Thayer. All guys that contributed to the overall, long-term success of the band. But none of them received the Rock Hall honor. They were forced to sit in the audience.
By comparison... you know how many Grateful Dead members were inducted back in 1? Twelve. Members of the Eagles in 1998? Seven. How many from the E. Street Band this year? 10. Heck the E. Street Band soaked up at least 30 minutes of stage time giving their "Thank you's."
Here's the thing - the President and CEO of the Rock Hall decided that only the four original members of KISS should be inducted.
And to that I call "Bullshit." A band is a band, and whether one guy sings in it today and another tomorrow, it's still a band. When Van Halen was inducted, they accepted David Lee Roth right along with Sammy Hagar. Anything else would have just been wrong.
Here's the crazy thing. The Rock Hall has turned into "The Establishment." The type of organization that rock n roll was set up to hate and rebel against.
It's time to stand up and voice our opinion. We all need to email the Rock Hall and call "Bullshit." Some guy in some boardroom shouldn't be making these decisions - the fans should. That way bands like Cheap Trick, Journey, and Mott the Hoople all have a fighting chance to get into the Rock Hall. Because what the fans say matter.
Instead of some Boardroom Rock Hall Executives inducting bands like ABBA. That's right folks. Let me poor salt in your wound. You're at home right now complaining that your beloved band isn't in the Rock Hall, but ABBA is.
I guess the Rock Hall thinks that Agnetha Fältskog rocks it out better than Vinnie Vincent.
Wal Ozello is the author of Assignment 1989: The Time Travel Wars and is the lead singer of the Columbus hairband Armada. He's a resident of Upper Arlington, Ohio and a frequent customer at Colin's Coffee.
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