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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- The Cheap Trick Edition

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced their entries the other day. I've always had problems with that organization. How can they not have Yes, Jethro Tull, or any band Paul Rodgers (Bad Company, Free) has been a part of? Oh, and The Cars. What an amazing group. They have three albums that didn't have a single bad song on them (self-titled debut, Panorama, Candy-O). And each year, they let in bands that don't deserve to get in. This year it's rap group N.W.A. I don't say that because they're rap. The Hall has already explained, with people like Miles Davis, and a few previous rap groups, that's popular music, not "rock" per se. The problem is that N.W.A. only released 3 albums, and only one of those was good (well, to me it was good because I grew up playing basketball, and constantly heard it being blasted out of car stereos and boom boxes). Sure, the band is influential, but so what.

I am on the fence about how I feel about Cheap Trick getting in. Now, I've seen them in concert four times. I own four albums, and four CDs (two of those I bought because they were in the $1 bin). I've gotten many many autographs from them. I'm just not sure they're worthy of the "hall of fame." I like to use this analogy -- Steve Garvey, who got the Padres to a rare World Series with a home run...and was a 9-time all-star, isn't in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame shouldn't be for people that were good, but people that were great. Is Cheap Trick "great"? Read Rick Nielson's song lyrics. I'd say...good, but not great. Now, as autograph signers, they were always great. Well, aside from drummer Bun E. Carlos. And that's what leads me to this story.

The first time I got their signatures, a DJ I worked with was introducing them onstage before the concert. I gave him a photo to get signed backstage. Nielson did his classic caricature with the signature, and it was framed promptly.

After a few concerts, I would get a few members of the band, and they were always very nice. Yet before one concert, we were scolded by Carlos, who was reluctant to sign, but eventually shouted "Two per person" (there were only four of us waiting, but we were thrilled).

At one radio station a few years ago, the producer saw my Cheap Trick shirt and told me it was his favorite band. He also worked with them in some capacity, and he told me singer Robin Zander has always disliked Carlos and how he treats the fans. I told him the one time he was nice to a fan, was when it was the son of somebody he knew in college.

The last time I saw Cheap Trick at a small club, Carlos wasn't behind the drums, but guitarist Neilson's son Daxx. He's been the drummer for almost six years. He sounded fine, but when you've come to know the members of a 4-piece band, you want all the originals. And Carlos had that distinctive look. He didn't look like a rock star, but your 10th grade algebra teacher. He had round glasses, a mustache, was wearing a dress shirt and tie, and sometimes had a cigarette dangling from his lips.

Carlos has said in interviews that he hasn't gotten along with Zander for awhile, and that it all came to a head when they had shows in Las Vegas doing a tribute to The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." He said that they were offered 100 shows for a lot of money, but Zander wanted to do half that, explaining he didn't want his daughter going to kindergarten in Las Vegas. Carlos supposedly said, "We're scheduling shows around your daughter's kindergarten classes?" That prompted Zander to tell him to F-off, and that was that.

Things weren't improved when Carlos had to sue the band, wining money as being part of Cheap Trick, despite not playing shows with them. It was the same situation The Doors drummer John Densmore (a great autograph signer) was in when they reformed.

Carlos said there won't be a problem playing with the guys on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame show, but we'll see.

Tags: Bad Company, Bun E Carlos, Cheap Trick, Rick Nielson, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Steve Garvey, The Cars

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Comment by JJKANDLAK on January 6, 2016 at 7:05am: Saw Cheap Trick in 1978 and 2012, great band!

Comment by Barry S on January 6, 2016 at 8:19pm: Cheap Trick should absolutely go in. Also Priest, Maiden, Motörhead, ELO, Hagar, Scorpions, Bad Co, RJ Dio, Ozzy, Megadeth. Bon Jovi, Duran Duran and Pat Benatar should go in before the Cars.

Comment by Ian Baldock on January 6, 2016 at 8:34pm: Def Bad co. ELO, Benatar!

Comment by Josh Board on January 8, 2016 at 9:38am: I'm glad nobody had a problem with me posting the photo of the Cars album. I just always loved the artist (was it Vega? something like that), and the Cars drummer married that model. How lucky is that dude? (well, not as lucky as Cars singer Rick Ocasek, who isn't the best looking bloke on the block, and he married model Paula Porizkova...who was in the "You Might Think" video! Damn. I so should've stuck with those piano lessons my parents got me as a kid.

Anyway, the baseball Hall of Fame made me think of this thread again. You see, Ken Griffey Jr, who EVERYONE would agree deserves to be in, had 3 idiotic sports writers that DID NOT vote for him. Piazza had a lot more that didn't vote for him. I just wish the Rock Hall of Fame were like that. Well, not as hardcore as baseball seems to be (I think even Willie Mays had a few people that didn't vote for him on his first ballot), but...

Comment by John Bailey on January 9, 2016 at 1:52pm: HappyNew Year to allChicago still blazes the trail musically usinga mix of mellow and moderatly progressive songs with jazz rock fusion.I believe this band still has a lot to offer musically,given it's huge catalog with album sales in the millions.I have seen them perform 20 times!they neer fail to dissapoint and with the kick ass horn section
They don't disappoint.