To Whom It May Concern,
I would like to formally request to nominate the band X to
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. To make sure that the band is eligible, the
criteria will be checked and noted.
First recording must have been released at least 25 years
ago. X released a single on Dangerhouse
records in 1978 and their full length Los
Angeles in 1980. Check.
The potential nominee must have demonstrated “unquestionable
musical excellence.” Whew-E! Is that vague and colloquial or what? I mean,
hello, music is subjective and let’s face it, tastes differ. Who are these 600
voters? Do they like punk rock? Female vocals? Ray Manzarek production values?
I have so many questions, which I will never find the answers. So, I will do my
best to state my case.
For your consideration-
X has had minor success on the music charts, but the Velvet
Underground were inducted and they did not have much commercial success when
they were a band. X is considered by
many music critixs and musicians as the “seminal LA
punk band.” To me their
music is a snapshot into a moment that can be different things to different
people. The first time I heard them I was 13 years old and just discovering
punk rock on my local college radio station. Though I favored hardcore, X
provided me with a more colorful soundtrack to my teenage angst. X emerged out
of the Los Angeles punk rock scene in the late 1970s. The band’s two songwriters
John Doe and Exene Cervanka are poets first and their lyrics painted
expressionist scenes of California water colors. Billy Zoom’s rockabilly twang
guitar with tape echo effect added to the beauty of poison and DJ Bonebrake is
still one of the best drummers to hear and see live. His hard hitting is done with
finesse and precision and the guy is like sixty years old. “Johnny Hit and Run Pauline,” is a rocking
tune with anti-rape lyrics, “Los Angeles” is a punk classic according to many
lists on most alterna-mags and of course, the internet. “See How We Are,” explores “progress,” and
those who are left behind. With a hue of ennui, the music is acoustic (for the
most part) and the message is presented with a quiet frustration. “Burning House of Love,” is about Exene and
John Doe’s divorce, bittersweet with super guitar hooks. The entire record,
“More Fun in the New World,” is a love letter to the United States in the early
1980s. There are anecdotal songs, “I See Red,” which seems to be about the ills
of touring. “The New World,” is a call to point out the confusion of the
politics of the day, though done in a way where it could be relevant for the
last few presidents.
The last time I saw X, which was just two weeks ago, they
played “I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts.” My roommates in the 1990s can testify
that is one of my favorite songs. The music is not hard hitting punk tune, but
a meandering adult lullaby about the anxiety of living in a world of extreme
poverty, social unrest, and violence. Using band names from the scene from
which they emerged, they quip that popular music is a new British Invasion and
that one cannot hear their own comrades on the local radio stations. Perhaps the
band is eluding that the problems at home are clouded by distraction of the
other.
Of course I recommend that you listen to the songs mentioned
in my letter as well as, “Hungry Wolf,” We’re Desperate,” “Black and White
Ghost,” “Fourth of July,” “Love Shack,” “Blue Spark,” “ The Have Nots,” and
“Riding with Mary.” Unquestionable musical excellence? Check.
My favorite musicologist, Eddie Vedder is a big fan of X and
the band opened for Pearl Jam on their 2012 European and South American tour
dates. Ray Manzarek loved the band and produced their first four records. The
song “Los Angeles,” is part of a curated piece in your museum, “500 Songs That
Shaped Rock and Roll.” Is Cheap Trick on that list?
Thank you for your time,
Erica Watson
https://rockhall.com/inductees/induction-process/
No comments:
Post a Comment