My new-found respect fro Steve Miller

[The Dark Elf]

If Steve Miller was pissed off, he shouldn't have shown up. Although I don't think much of them, at least the Sex Pistols refused to show up. Here's the letter they sent:

4985477009_72b5b6d0ab_o.jpg

It seems that this whole RRHoF gouging artists for $10,000 to $25,000 per table is not new.

[GuitarGeek]

I always thought Book Of Dreams was a pretty good album. Threshold was probably one of the very first synthesizer tracks I ever heard.

[spellbound]

Well that commentary was a bit light.

I agree. But it's only Salon, which has articles ranging from 'very good' to 'WTF does this have to do with anything?' I attempted to follow the 'Rolling Stone' link in the article, but it didn't work. Not surprising. I went to the Rolling Stone site but did not find an article on Steve Miller and his comments about the RRHOF. Again, not surprised.

[Baribrotzer]

The Salon article brings up that Miller "never really should have been part of a rock hall of fame to begin with". Why? I mean, I don't think much of his music - indeed, there are few songs I find more irritating than "The Joker"; and besides "rock 'n roll elevator music" I've described his tunage to people as "rock n' roll that doesn't rock or even roll," as well as "rhythm & blues with no rhythm and no blues". But that's just my opinion. Millions of people from the Seventies generation just love him to death, and I'm sure he's still making a good living on the casino circuit.

But the Salon writer just puts that opinion out there without any supporting argument, or even qualifying it as his opinion. What gives? Yeah, I agree with him, but if you're going to say something like that you should say something about why you think so.

[The Dark Elf]

The Salon article brings up that Miller "never really should have been part of a rock hall of fame to begin with". Why? I mean, I don't think much of his music - indeed, there are few songs I find more irritating than "The Joker"; and besides "rock 'n roll elevator music" I've described his tunage to people as "rock n' roll that doesn't rock or even roll," as well as "rhythm & blues with no rhythm and no blues". But that's just my opinion. Millions of people from the Seventies generation just love him to death, and I'm sure he's still making a good living on the casino circuit.

But the Salon writer just puts that opinion out there without any supporting argument, or even qualifying it as his opinion. What gives? Yeah, I agree with him, but if you're going to say something like that you should say something about why you think so.

Miller had four U.S. platinum-selling studio albums in the 70s, and only one album in the 60s went gold, Sailor. So, by numbers he's probably outsold half the bands in the Hall. But how do these hidden voters come to their conclusions? Sales? Reputation? In some cases it has to be simply album sales, as in the case of ABBA (I mean, really, who did they influence, the Ace of Base? ). Often it comes down to out and out bias, maybe even hate for progressive bands. Let me explain:

• Every ELP studio album went at least gold from 1970 to 1992, as did Pictures at an Exhibition and Welcome Back My Friends ...still, not elected.
• The Moody Blues? How about 10 gold or platinum albums, and top ten albums in three different decades: Days of Future Passed (1967), A Question of Balance (1970), Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971), Seventh Sojourn (1972), Long Distance Voyager (1981) and The Other Side of Life (1986).
  
• Tull? How about at least 16 studio, live and greatest hits albums with gold or platinum status (placing them in the top 100 best-selling artists of all time), and two albums that went to #1 without a single - nearly continuous music (Thick as a Brick and Passion Play).
• Yes? 6 platinum studio albums and 1 platinum live album (Yessongs) and another 4 gold studio albums (not mention various gold and platinum greatest hits albums).

It is rather indefensible, particularly considering bands that started 20+ years after these bands are in the hall with questionable musical abilities.

To put it in perspective, Lou Reed never had a U.S. platinum album, he had 2 gold studio albums (Transformer and New York) and a gold live album (Rock and Roll Animal). Tom Waits? Two U.S. gold albums (Rain Dogs and Mule Variations). Joan Jet had 2 U.S. platinum albums (I love Rock and Roll and Up Your Alley) and one gold album (Album). Randy Newman? Has never had a gold or platinum studio album. Ever. He wrote one song for Three Dog Night that hit #1 (Mama Told me Not to Come) and he had a #2 single with "Short People". That's it.

Lucy, you've gotta lotta splainin' to do!

[rcarlberg]

Here's the letter they sent.

Wow, is that real? Frighteningly illiterate.

I don't get why people get all wound up by the RRHOF anyway. It's not like it's anything official, or important. It's just a commercial venture (like the Creation Museum), representing a few people's viewpoints, and the "honor" of being nominated is frankly dubious at best.

[Yodelgoat]

I love his earlier stuff - up through The Joker. When he did the Jet Airliner and stuff like that, I had the feeling he was almost flipping the system off. Those songs are so simple - and sucky compared with his earlier material.

[Trane]

My new-found respect fro Steve Miller

he always had mine.... Even in the later-70's, I always liked his hits... He kind of lost me with Abracadabra , but I don't think he never sold out... did he??

all I got from him is a CD-r comp from his early album (with Boz), but I'm contemplating buying a 70's best of or sumthing of that ilk.

[Halmyre]

Wow, is that real? Frighteningly illiterate.

John Lydon taking the piss.

At least Lydon knows he's taking the piss. The R&RHOF are unwittingly taking the piss.

[happytheman]

Well, as I recall, his hit albums from the middle late 70's are square in the RNR HOF target demographic.
They were senior summer break soundtrack material for me and my friends.

Yeah.. Fly Like an Eagle was one of the first albums I remember where nearly every song got radio play in my area..

[Vic2012]

Here is a link to The Black Keys side of the story: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/fe...sults-20160413

Steve sounds like a huge prick in that article. Yeah he had some big hits and all but no humility at all. Couldn't he just bite his toungue for one night?

[JKL2000]

I'm not saying Steve Miller shouldn't have bothered to find out, but I've never heard of The Black Keys either. Are they AT ALL similar to Steve Miller's own music?

[Yves]

I don't get why people get all wound up by the RRHOF anyway. It's not like it's anything official, or important. It's just a commercial venture (like the Creation Museum), representing a few people's viewpoints, and the "honor" of being nominated is frankly dubious at best.

Please archive this post and use it every time somebody starts a "The RRHOF Sucks Because [insert prog band name here] Got Snubbed" thread.

Thank You.

[Facelift]

I don't know if "respect" is necessarily the word I would use, but I do remember discovering those early San Francisco albums long after having the mid '70s hit drilled into my head through classic rock radio rotation, and being very pleasantly surprised.

[SteveSly]

I'm not saying Steve Miller shouldn't have bothered to find out, but I've never heard of The Black Keys either. Are they AT ALL similar to Steve Miller's own music?

The Black Keys are actually quite good. They are a duo (guitar and drums) out of Akron Ohio that have been around for about 16 years or so, but hit the big time about 5 years ago with their album “Brothers” which produced several big hits. Their music is what I would call blues based rock I guess. I have a couple of their albums and like them a lot. They are worth checking out if you like their style of music.

[GuitarGeek]

he always had mine.... Even in the later-70's, I always liked his hits... He kind of lost me with Abracadabra , but I don't think he never sold out... did he??

Italian X-Rays (the follow up to Abracadabra) might be considered a "sell out". It was heavy on the synths, drum machine, and Synclavier. But his next album after that, I've forgotten the title, but I recall side two of the album was all blues tunes, and done totally straight.

Then after that, he changed labels (because his old label was only interested in pushing Megadeth, not him), and from what i remember, he went even further into the blues/R&B/jazz direction. So those couple mid 80's albums might have been more or less "contractual obligations", then when he changed labels he decided to make music he wanted, and I always got the feeling he just stopped giving a damn about singles, airplay, marketability, etc.

[JKL2000]

Please archive this post and use it every time somebody starts a "The RRHOF Sucks Because [insert prog band name here] Got Snubbed" thread.

Thank You.

Why does Madame Tussaude's have Madonna but not Christian Vander?

(The iPhone wanted to change Vander to Vanderbilt! Nuff said...)

[JKL2000]

Italian X-Rays (the follow up to Abracadabra) might be considered a "sell out". It was heavy on the synths, drum machine, and Synclavier. But his next album after that, I've forgotten the title, but I recall side two of the album was all blues tunes, and done totally straight.

Then after that, he changed labels (because his old label was only interested in pushing Megadeth, not him), and from what i remember, he went even further into the blues/R&B/jazz direction. So those couple mid 80's albums might have been more or less "contractual obligations", then when he changed labels he decided to make music he wanted, and I always got the feeling he just stopped giving a damn about singles, airplay, marketability, etc.

The next album was Living in the 20th Century, right? I love the song World Turn Around.

[GuitarGeek]

The next album was Living in the 20th Century, right? I love the song World Turn Around.

Yeah, that's the album. I think I remember World Turn Around, I think that was the big single. They put that out, did a video, and MTV picked up on it, etc. It wasn't as big as Abracadabra, but I do remember MTV pushing it. Then apparently, to appease Steve (I imagine), the next single was one of the blues tunes on side two, but I believe that didn't get as much airplay. I don't remember seeing it so much until much later on, after the advent of VH-1 Classic.

As I recall, Miller's main axe at the time was a silver Schecter Telecaster copy with sort of a combination Tele/Strat electronics/pickguard.

I also remember VH-1 showing a couple videos by Ben Sidran, who I gather was one of Miller's early bandmates, but by the late 80's had established himself as a...I guess jazz pianist/vocalist. Anyway, these clips were live performances, with Miller on guitar and second vocals. As I recall, one of the songs was a version of Space Cowboy. At the time, Sidran was hosting the New Visions show (which had gone from being a jazz/fusion/new age showcase to being...well, let's just say it was less about "new age" and more about "airplay", they tossed out the Phillip Glass videos and starting airing bebop stuff).

[fiberman]

Here's a nice live concert video from the Ordway Theater in Minneapolis, 1986. Ben Sidran featuring Billy Peterson, Gordy Knudtson, Ricky Peterson, Steve Miller and Phil Woods. Includes the definitive version of "A Good Travel Agent"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRL-5bp10Js