Rant #817: Listen to the Music

OK, let me get this out of the way right at the get-go: I have lost all faith in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to get anything right.

Their nominations are usually brutal, serving no purpose but to glorify acts that generally aren’t worthy, and to create great public debate.

Well, this year’s list of nominees takes the cake as probably the worst set of nominees ever.

First-time nominees Rush, Deep Purple, N.W.A., Public Enemy, Albert King, the Marvelettes and Procol Harum join previously nominated acts Chic, Heart, Donna Summer, Kraftwerk, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Randy Newman, Paul Butterfield Blues Band and The Meters.

My question: Do any of these acts really deserve to be in there?

I will give a nod to the Marvelettes. They had numerous hits, including “Please Mr. Postman” and, my personal favorite, “The Hunter Gets Captured By the Game,” and they paved the way for a group like the Supremes to make it big.

But beyond that, who else truly merits consideration?

Rush? Maybe. They are the true FM-oriented act, never garnering much airplay on pop radio at all, but having numerous FM airplay hits and LPs to garner a solid consideration.

Deep Purple? Maybe. I loved “Hush” and “Smoke on the Water,” but their time was brief, very brief. They have reformed a few times, and I kind of like their music, so I will give them a maybe.

The rest of the acts reek of political correctness. N.W.A. and Public Enemy will probably get in, for the thinking is that the Hall of Fame must be all inclusive, including musical acts that have absolutely nothing to do with rock at all.

Kraftwerk was basically a one-hit synthesizer wonder, it that at all, and Heart is important as the first true self-contained rock and roll act led by women to make it big.

The rest don’t even merit the least bit of consideration.

I do get why these acts were nominated, but I simply, as a true rock and roll fan, do not understand why, let’s say, Glen Campbell is not in there.

I don’t understand why Chubby Checker is not in there.

I don’t understand why Paul Revere and the Raiders are not in there.

I don’t understand why the Monkees are not in there.

But on the other hand, I do understand.

They do not fall into the vision of the man who runs the place, initials J.W., so these acts aren’t even on the map as far as this person is concerned.

Again, it is this person’s personal choice, and I have made my personal choice.

Until a more representative group of acts is nominated and gains entrance, I won’t ever bother to visit the place.

I mean, what’s the point?

My suggestion: Allow fans in on the nominations. Fans look at acts differently than supposedly in the know industry types do. You cannot have a representative Rock and Roll Hall of Fame without consideration from the fans.

And without such consideration, I repeat, what's the point?

Rant #816: Wally and the Beav

It is hard to believe, but 55 years ago today, “Leave It To Beaver” premiered on CBS.

The show, about a “typical” 1950s family living in suburbia, was never a ratings winner, never garnered an Emmy award, and, in fact, it was actually cancelled after its first season on CBS.

But it remains the penultimate late 1950s-early 1960s sitcom, and one of the best TV shows ever to appear on the small screen.

The idea for the show came from the Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, the show’s creators/producers/writers. More to the point, the basic themes used in the show, and many of the comic situations, came directly from their own families.

The characters of Beaver, played by Jerry Mathers, and Wally, played by Tony Dow, came directly from Connelly and Mosher’s own children, and even the friends, like Larry Mondello, played by Rusty Stevens, and Eddie Haskell, played by Ken Osmond, were based on real-life friends of their children.

The basic theme of the show was simple: we are all judged by our actions, and we must all learn from our own experiences.

Hugh Beaumont, who played Ward Cleaver, and Barbara Billingsley, who played June Cleaver, were the perfect parents, but “Leave It To Beaver” was perhaps the first sitcom to see the world through kids’ eyes.

And seeing it through those eyes, June and Ward were perfect, Wally was the perfect brother, and Beaver … well, Theodore was truly the runt of the litter.

As the youngest member of the family, Beaver was the most naïve one, the one who could be the most taken by the pranks of others. He also wasn’t as good looking or athletic as his brother was, and he often got into mischief because he wasn’t as forward thinking as his brother.

But that is where the comedy came in.

Beaver got into scraps like getting weird haircuts, taking in pets that he tried to hide from his parents, ordering weird things in the mail, and climbing up onto a huge billboard to see how it worked.

He was often taken advantage of by not only his brothers’ friends, but his friends, too.

But when he got into these situations, his parents, and primarily his father, was able to dole out advice that would make the Beav understand what he did and why he was wrong.

No, Ward and June were not hitters, they were more psychological in the way they doled out punishment.

With a full six seasons of shows—one on CBS and five on ABC—Beaver, Wally and the others became a benchmark of that era, the pre-JFK assassination era which appeared to be a time of innoncence.

These kids had few cares, other than combing their hair the right way, and many have derided the show as being artificial.

I completely disagree. They did what they could during their era, and often dealt with situations, like divorce and minorities, in a calm, but insightful way.

Sure, the Mayfield that “Leave It To Beaver” was situated in was almost from a Norman Rockwell painting, but that was the era and time.

And without “Beaver,” there would not have been a Kevin Arnold character, nor a “Wonder Years,” which was really “Leave It To Beaver” 20 years later. I also often thought that there is also a link to the Beav with the "Our Gang" comedies, which put down the groundwork for a series seen through a child's eyes. Without the "Little Rascals," there would certainly had not been a "Beaver."

The show ended in 1963, and ended at the right time. Going off the air a few weeks prior to JFK’s assassination, “Beaver” could still show off its innocence without an unnecessary spotlight of being “old fashioned” negating its charms.

In fact, the last episode of the show was fully planned. Mathers wanted to leave acting and attend a regular high school, while Dow planned to go to college. So, the final episode was probably the first time a network TV show actually had a farewell, final episode: the Cleavers sit around in the living room looking at a scrapbook, and series highlights spring from the pictures that they see in the scrapbook.

I loved the show as a child, seeing it in endless reruns. As an adult, I own all the shows on DVD and whenever I watch a show, I still laugh and get a big kick out of it, much the same way I did decades earlier.

It truly is one of TV’s timeless shows, and its humor, and humility, holds up to this day.

So happy 55th birthday to “Leave It To Beaver,” and let’s be honest about it, haven’t you wished that you would have known both Wally and the Beav at one time or another when you were growing up?

(And on a side note, onto the playoffs--the Yankees are the American League Eastern Division champs once again, and will face the winner of the one-game Wild Card playoff between the Texas Rangers and the Baltimore Orioles. Also, congrats to the other teams who made the playoffs. This thing is so wide open, it's ridiculous. Any team can win, but I am pulling for the Yankees, of course.) 

Rant #815: So Much Happening, So Little Time

Wow!

There is so much happening right now that I am ready to burst.

Well, not really, but there's lots going on to talk about.

You have the Presidential debates coming right up.

Personally, I am not in love with either candidate. I ask myself, "Is this the best the Democrats and Republicans can offer?"

I shake my head.

This is the hand that we've been dealt, and we, as a country, had better make the right choice.

Then we have some other things ...

Today is Chubby Checker's 71st birthday.

Hard to believe, but Ernest Evans, his real name, has been in our lives forever, or so it seems.

More than 50 years ago, he took an obscure song, "The Twist," and made it into a phenomenon that still resonates today.

Sure, he had many, many other hit records, but "The Twist" is one of the signature tunes of the rock generation.

And the guy is still going strong.

My question: "When will he be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?"

This is also the 61st anniversary of something else that continues to resonate today, "The Shot Heard 'Round the World."

The New York Giants played the Brooklyn Dodgers in a game to determine who would be the National League champions, going on to face the hated New York Yankees in the World Series.

Back then, if you did not win your league title, you didn't go to the postseason.

Well, Bobby Thompson of the Giants took care of that, hitting a home run to give the Giants the pennant.

And broadcaster Russ Hodges' call of "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!" is one of the greatest, and most famous, broadcasting calls of all time.

And then we take you to the present time, where Major League Baseball finishes up its regular season today.

Or does it?

The Yankees won a thriller last night against the Boston Red Sox, a 12-inning, 4-3 win where Raul Ibanez was the hero, stroking a tying home run in the eighth inning and then the winning hit in the 12th.

The Yankees had to win to stay ahead of the Baltimore Orioles, who beat the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 in a thriller of its own.

The Yankees win kept them one game ahead of the Orioles with one game to play.

If the Yankees win, they win the Eastern Division championship and take that into the playoffs. If they lose and the Orioles win, the two teams will be tied, and a one game playoff in Baltimore will be played to determine who wins the division and who goes in as the wild card team.

As you know, I am a big Yankees fan, and will root for the team from the Bronx to finish it up tonight, and it will be especially gratifying to see it be done against the hated Red Sox, who absolutely are the pits this season.

But you have to give the Orioles a lot of credit. They came out of nowhere to be in this thing, and one way or the other, they are going to the playoffs for the first time in a generation.

Wow! I am out of breath.

Just let me say that I have to continue physical therapy for the next two months, and I hope I survive it.

There's just too much going on not to ...

Rant #814: 61 Is the Magic Number

Baseball is the greatest game in the world.

It is a six-month, 162-game, almost daily grind that takes a lot out of not just the players, but fans, too.

And the pennant races this year are a testament to how great the game continues to be.

In my neck of the woods, my beloved Yankees and the Orioles are flat out tied after 159 games, and the next three games are likely to determine who wins the division and who is one of the two wild card teams in the American League.

That aside, let's go back 51 years to 1961, when there was no talk of a "wild card" and there were only two divisions in Major League Baseball, the American League and the National League.

And there was absolutely no room for failure. If you did not have the best record in your league, you did not go to the World Series.

And then there was Roger Maris ...

Maris was an excellent addition to the Yankees team during that era. Coming to the Bronx Bombers via a trade, Maris fit in well with the homer happy team, and he could actually do it all; he was also an excellent outfielder and base runner.

But 1961 was something else altogether.

Both Maris and Mickey Mantle were challenging fellow Yankee Babe Ruth's all-time single season home run record that year.

It was neck and neck all year, as the "M and M Boys" were hitting homers at a record pace.

Mantle was injured towards the end of the season, so it was left to Maris to try to battle the Babe.

And today, 51 years ago, Maris did it, hitting his 61st home run to eclipse Ruth's prior single-season record.

It was an incredible accomplishment, even all these years later.

There were no steroids, no strength boosters like they have today.

Maris did all of his damage with just cigarettes and beer.

The record was looked down upon at the time because Ruth hit his 60 homers in 154 games, while it took Maris 162 games in an expanded season to hit his 61.

But looking back, how stupid was that argument?

And it is even more stupid when you take into account that supposed steroid users Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa have since beaten that mark ... but with the help of substances that helped them to do this.

Maris is not in the Hall of Fame, which is a slight that really boggles the mind.

Sure, that one season stands out, but in the early 1960s, he was one of the best players in the game.

I think there remain some people who believe that his record is as tainted as the more than 60 homer seasons Bonds, McGwire and Sosa had.

But that is ridiculous.

Maris did what he did in the season that he played in. How is that the same as taking power boosters?

I don't get it, I really don't.

Roger Maris had a fabulous career aside from that season--he won the American League MVP Award twice--but funny, I think his career was somewhat obscured by those 61 home runs.

People forget about how good he was aside from those homers and that season.

And that is a shame.

He is one of several players from that era--among them Jim Kaat and Tony Oliva--who you have to scratch your head and say, "How are they not in the Hall of Fame?"

Here's to Roger Maris. He had a Hall of Fame season in what should have been a Hall of Fame career.

Maybe one day it will be.

I will be taking the day off tomorrow for some medical tests, but I will be back on Wednesday.

Rant #813: Another Day, Another Heartache

You might think that by that title, I was talking about myself personally, but I'm not.

As you know, I enjoy going through my record collection, and picking out songs I haven't heard in ages.

Well, here's another one of them.

This song by the 5th Dimension, "Another Day, Another Heartache"-- written by Steve Barri and P.F. Sloan--only made the top 50 on Billboard's Hot 100 charts after its debut in April 1967, but it was another step up the ladder for a group that would have many, many hits throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Sort of a black Mamas and Papas, the five-member act--led by Florence LaRue, Marilyn McCoo and her husband, Billy Davis--had the perfect sound for pop radio at the time--light, airy and full of harmony.

It was the antidote for a lot of the heavier sounds that were permeating rock and radio at the time.

Each member--including Lamont McLemore and Ron Townson--could have been a lead singer, but those duties were usually given to LaRue, McCoo and Davis.

They had many, many hits--including "Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In," "Stone Soul Picnic," and "Last Night, I Couldn't Get To Sleep At All"--and their fame made them ubiquitous on television.

Not only did they appear on "The Ed Sullivan Show" numerous times, they also had their own specials.

They started out as part of the Versatiles, an aptly named group out of California which included later members of the successful Friends of Distinction, of "Grazing in the Grass" fame.

The single act split into two, and under the wing of Johnny Rivers, the 5th Dimension scaled great heights.

The two ladies in the group were former beauty contest winners, and television loved them.

But they had the talent to match--it wasn't just really good looks.

And this song was one of the first to bring them to the national stage.

It has always been one of my favorite 5th Dimension tunes. I guess I like the harmony, and the upbeat attitude that the song takes, even though the title might suggest otherwise.

And yes, that is my actual copy of the record, with the great picture sleeve intact.

This was released just before "Up Up and Away" catapulted them to international stardom, thus the picture sleeve is kind of appropriate.

Anyway, check it out if you haven't heard it already, or rediscover it again.

It is that good, even more than 40 years after its initial release.

Speak to you next week.

Rant #812: Yom Kippur and Moon River

Somehow, I am going to try to weave two disparate items together into one.

Please hear me out before you slide over to another site.

Last night marked the end of Yom Kippur, the highest of the holy days for Jews around the world.

For the first time in my life, I worked on the holiday. I had to, because weeks before, when I first was diagnosed with a pinched nerve, I took a week off from work due to the rest that was prescribed by my doctor.

I needed to make up the time, so this year, I worked on both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

It felt kind of weird working on the holiday yesterday, and not fasting to boot.

Some people at work actually asked me why I was there, and I told them that I felt funny being there, but circumstances dictated what I did.

And while I was at work, I found out that Andy Williams, one of the all-time and longest-lasting crooners in music history, had passed away after fighting bladder cancer for years.

I was never a fan of Williams' style, which was so laid back that I am surprised he never fell over.

He had many, many hits, and was really the last of the non-rock and rollers to continue to have hits through the first 20 years of the rock era.

"Moon River" was, of course, probably his most famous song, but, ironically, it was never released as a single.

Other hits he had included "Canadian Sunset," "Lonely Street," and probably my favorite song of his, "Can't Get Used to Losing You" from 1963.

He was a major presence on television, and his long-running TV show--along with his annual Christmas specials--always drew high ratings.

He lived pretty much a clean life, except for his relationship with the notorious Claudine Longet, his former wife. During her trial for the murder of skier Spider Sabich, he stood by his ex-wife's side like old gum sticks to your shoe.

And he was a friend of the Kennedy's, often seen escorting Ethel Kennedy around town.

He will be missed.

And I miss the old-time Yom Kippur for me.

Maybe next year, when I am better, I can participate like I want to, and not be forced to pretty much ignore the holiday because of my own circumstance.

Well ... I did tie the two together, didn't I?

Rant #811: The Fast and the Yom Kippur

The holiest day on the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur, begins at sundown today, and lasts roughly until sundown tomorrow.

It is not a joyous holiday, but a time of reflection, for Jews around the world.

A few years ago I posted a Rant about the holiday, and it pretty much still stands.

So, with some alterations, here it is again:

"Yom Kippur begins tonight at sundown.

For Jews around the world, this is the holiest time of the year, the time where we pause to reflect on what we did the past year and how we can begin anew in the new year.

Even many non-observant Jews follow this holiday, and this is the only time that they venture into a synagogue during the entire calendar year.

Prayer and reflection are paramount here, as is refraining from drinking or eating anything for the duration of the holiday.

Some Jews don't even bathe, watch television, drive cars or do anything but pray and fast during this period, which ends tomorrow night at sundown, or when the shofar is blown at Yom Kippur services.

I, personally, don't go to that extreme. I do not go to synagogue, and this year, I will not be fasting, since I am under medication. Jewish law provides for that. God will not strike me down. I fasted for years, but unfortunately, I can't do it anymore.

However, from my personal experience, fasting is not hard to do. Sure, it takes you out of your routine, but it really isn't that difficult to do for a day.

What is difficult is doing it while you are in synagogue. The constant getting up and sitting down--when the Torah is displayed--makes it very difficult.

I remember in the old days, you would hear women crying in the back of the synagogue. Not eating can do that to you.

As far as my family, my wife has tried and can't do it, my son the same, my daughter, I know she has tried but she can't do it, either..

I have to tell you, after I fast I feel very, very good. It is almost as if everything bad in my body has been cleansed out of it by fasting. I might have a little buzz headache, but this is something I had been doing continually since I was 12 or 13, so I was pretty much used to it.

But those days are now over. It happened to my mom and dad too, and now it has happened to me. I wish I could do it, but health-wise, I simply can't anymore.

So to all my Jewish friends, and to all of those people I know who aren't, Happy New Year to everyone."

I will be taking a day off for the holiday tomorrow, and I will speak to you again on Thursday.