I have watched 12 hours so far (it debuted last night at 8) of the 25th annual Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame Concert. It is a four hour show; meaning I've watched it twice in its entirety plus four additional hours. Now, I've slept 5 and worked 8 and watched 12 hours of the special. I suppose I need to get a life; the week before last I watched about 20 hours of the ten hour History Channel special WWII in HD. If I had an HD TV it would make a little more sense. In my defense these have been excellent, groundbreaking TV shows. It isn't called a vast wasteland for no reason and these two shows have been exceptions. Now, if you didn't see the concert - this is what you missed.
Tom Hanks doing a soft spit on rock n roll history. I'd have preferred Chuck D or even a retro Dylan dropping cue cards but it set the stage for the venerable and old, 74 year old Jerry Lee Lewis' lid lifter Great Balls of Fire. At the end of this seminal, pre-dinosaur rocker, he managed to kick his stool and toss it without getting hurt.Next was CSN and friends Jackson Browne, a reformed drunk chic whose name escapes me - izzit Bonnie Waite or something like that, Rait??? I dunno way to soft she should stay sober in Williamsport. James Taylor who delivered a stellar Love the One Your With (backed by Stephen Stills guitar), CSN without Y isn't quite the full deck but as a warmup they weren't bad.
They yielded to Stevie Wonder and guests Smokey Robinson, John Legend (featured On Demand but limited in the debut package), Sting, B.B. King and Jeff Beck. Perhaps the highlight is Stevie fighting genuine tears in his Michael Jackson tribute.
On to Paul Simon for some NY roots music. He did his " Call me Al" which featured a full, talented and well displayed band. Simon then brought out Little Anthony & the Imperials followed by Dion DeMucci (the king of NY streets), and then Crosby & Nash to sing Here Comes the Sun "for George." Then ... the necessary, requisite, pairing with Art Garfunkel ... three songs - Sounds of Silence, The Boxer and Bridge over Troubled Waters.
Aretha's turn - some gospel, soul, r & b, joined by Annie Lennox, later Jeff Beck. No respect. wtf.
Metallica ... who I have held a grudge against since they dissed Mick once as too old to rock n' roll. Well, no more. After one of their songs they brought out (in the wrong order IMHO) - Lou Reed (Sweet Jane on the TV, White Light/White Heat perhaps on the DVD), Ozzy (Iron Man), and Ray Davies (All Day and All of the Night). For me the Reed bit was the highlight up to the moment. It was the one where I shook the neighbors (the neighborhood?). Metallica finished with Enter Sandman as pictures of an entering put to sleeper - Mariano Rivera - crawled across the background.
They yielded to Stevie Wonder and guests Smokey Robinson, John Legend (featured On Demand but limited in the debut package), Sting, B.B. King and Jeff Beck. Perhaps the highlight is Stevie fighting genuine tears in his Michael Jackson tribute.
On to Paul Simon for some NY roots music. He did his " Call me Al" which featured a full, talented and well displayed band. Simon then brought out Little Anthony & the Imperials followed by Dion DeMucci (the king of NY streets), and then Crosby & Nash to sing Here Comes the Sun "for George." Then ... the necessary, requisite, pairing with Art Garfunkel ... three songs - Sounds of Silence, The Boxer and Bridge over Troubled Waters.
Aretha's turn - some gospel, soul, r & b, joined by Annie Lennox, later Jeff Beck. No respect. wtf.
Metallica ... who I have held a grudge against since they dissed Mick once as too old to rock n' roll. Well, no more. After one of their songs they brought out (in the wrong order IMHO) - Lou Reed (Sweet Jane on the TV, White Light/White Heat perhaps on the DVD), Ozzy (Iron Man), and Ray Davies (All Day and All of the Night). For me the Reed bit was the highlight up to the moment. It was the one where I shook the neighbors (the neighborhood?). Metallica finished with Enter Sandman as pictures of an entering put to sleeper - Mariano Rivera - crawled across the background.
I'm missing an act ... hmm. Time to quit but lets do one more. U2 - with Bruce & Patti Smith on their song - albeit separately styled Because the Night. Then, my highlight for the evening. They did a Stones cover - Gimmee Shelter with Will I Am & Fergie. As the first few chords were hit the crowd began to buzz and eventually roar. It was Mick. Seemingly coming out of the audience at the front of the stage. The 66 year band fronter enjoined the song with as much enthusiasm as ever ... another tour? I doubted it but he can carry the geezers - Watts, Richards; and, if necessary Jeff Beck can spell the drunk. In any case it was a good rendition and a highlight. Time for bed. It looks like it will be the aforementioned Mr. Beck putting me too sleep if thats possible as it is his time in the show. I'm approaching 12 hours (i.e. 80% of my non-sleeping, non-working time of the past 28).
Sorta puts me in mind of the time the mighty 340 Club Juke Box earned $21 bucks in one day. The math - 3 songs for a quarter, 3 minutes to a song - indicated that the juke box had operated for 13 or so hours (or about 70% of that days waking hours). I suppose Mr. Kratzert heard about that day. Speaking of Mr. Kratzert; he is alive and well and managing (or owning) a hotel in East Hempfield Township. Good Night Phil.
