Get in the Ring!

While watching the 2012 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on HBO, seeing the bulk of the original Guns N' Roses lineup (minus Axl Rose) accept and perform I was reminded of Van Halen's induction because ironically it was the members who were no longer in the band on both occasions who were present to accept the honor and perform.  However, I have far more disdain for Axl's absence than Eddie and Alex Van Halen, or David Lee Roth, for theirs.

Guns N' Roses were inducted by Green Day, and during singer Billie Joe's speech, after commenting on each band member's contributions, he came to Axl and the audience knew it and made their disapproval well-known.  Billie quickly quieted the crowd, "No, shut the f**k up, shut up, shut up! This man’s a bad ass f**king singer. He’s one of the best frontmen to ever touch a microphone. Your lyrics are heartfelt, passionate, angry and you tell the truth, no matter what the cost."  Later, bassist Duff McKagan further commented on Axl's absence by saying that it wasn't about who was there that night but that it was about the music that band made, and their fans.

I was 11 years old when Guns N' Roses arrived with 'Appetite For Destruction' or, as Billie Joe calls it,  "the best debut album in the history of rock and roll".  I disagree but that's not to say it doesn't belong among the very best.  At that age, I was just getting familiar with Rock music since most of my collection up to that point was more like what you'd hear at an 80's-themed party.  I had the LP of Van Halen's '1984' and Def Leppard's 'Pyromania', and the cassette of Van Halen's '5150', and I remember taking blank cassettes to my uncle Paul's house to raid his massive collection; a trip to his house was like a music lover's shopping spree.  I got the cassette of 'Appetite', and loved the drum intro to "Paradise City" and the opening riff and solo on "Sweet Child O' Mine", and loved "Welcome to the Jungle".  I was constantly trying to imitate the "sha-na-na-na-na-na, knees" line from Axl.  When 'G N' R Lies' came out, I was a bit confused as the first video for the album was "Patience", an acoustic ballad featuring a very subdued Axl, minus the screech heard on 'Appetite'.  I really enjoyed the change in his vocal style, although I knew better than to assume it was permanent.  A few years went by and other releases stole my attention, mainly Aerosmith's 'Pump' which is among my top 5 favorite Rock albums of all time.  However, my ears perked up when the video for a new song from the Terminator 2 film arrived on MTV.  The song was "You Could Be Mine", written by Elton John, with a ridiculously Punk bass line from Duff and some soaring opening riffs from Slash.  It instantly became my favorite G N' R song, until they released not one but two new albums, titled 'Use Your Illusion I' and 'Use Your Illusion II'.  MTV was flooded with videos from both albums, but the one song from both albums that became my favorite piece of music from the entire G N' R catalog is "Civil War" from 'Illusion II'.  It was the last song that original drummer Steven Adler performed on before being replaced by Matt Sorum from The Cult, and brought back Axl's 'Patience' voice.

As with many bands at the peak of their popularity, and the peak of my interest, things began to fall apart.  They released an album of covers called 'The Spaghetti Incident?', and later recorded a cover of "Sympathy for the Devil' by the Rolling Stones for the soundtrack to "The Vampire Diaries".  It was the last recording to feature Slash, McKagan and Sorum, as Slash and McKagan left and Sorum was fired.  Rhythm guitarist Gilby Clarke, who replaced original member Izzy Stradlin, had been fired by Axl at the end of the 'Illusion' tour, with Axl calling him "a hired hand" while Slash credits him for saving the band when he came on.  Axl moved on with an 8-piece touring band that carries the G N' R name, which has only released one album, 15 years after the 'Spaghetti' album, the once mythical "Chinese Democracy".  Not much has changed though, as Axl continues to have issues with tardiness, which comedian Chris Rock touched on during his induction speech for the Red Hot Chili Peppers by saying “A lot of people are disappointed that Axl Rose isn’t here, but let’s face it, even if he was going to be here, he still wouldn’t be here yet.”  While Axl is out capitalizing on past success with his self-tribute act, Slash, Duff and Matt have released two albums with their band Velvet Revolver, with STP frontman Scott Weiland, and Slash is soon to release his second solo album, this one exclusively featuring vocals by Myles Kennedy from Alter Bridge (Creed's off-spin).

Axl has been very vocal over the years regarding his dislike for Slash, going as far as calling him a "Cancer", which proved to be a poor choice of words as Slash's mother died from Cancer just a few months later.  Axl released an open letter to his fans explaining his position on not attending the Hall of Fame induction with the other members, to which he said he received an overwhelmingly positive response.  Apparently, those were not the fans in the crowd booing the mention of his name during Billie Joe's speech.  After seeing Slash, Duff, Gilby and Steven Adler play "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City" at the induction with singer Myles Kennedy, it's obvious they could go out and perform as Guns N' Roses and do a far better job with the music than Axl's act.  I'd feel much better spending my money to see the band that played at the Induction who showed up and who care about their fans and honor the music they made, despite any problems that came up later, over Axl who constantly disrespects his fans.  As the post title says, taken from the song of the same name from the 'Illusion II' album, GET IN THE RING!

Farewell, youth

As Dean Stanforth so profoundly laments in the latest installment of the Indiana Jones franchise, "We seem to have reached the age where life stops giving us things and starts taking them away".

The music industry has received one dismal blow after another following the deaths of Ronnie Montrose, Levon Helm and Dick Clark, only to be shaken further with the untimely passing of Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, just weeks after their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  Celebrities, fans and fellow musicians flooded Twitter with well wishes for the families of these beloved figures.  Considering the indelible mark they've left over several decades it's hard to escape the feeling that a piece of our youth has died with them.

Ronnie Montrose, the legendary guitarist whose band Montrose was the launching pad for a very young Sammy Hagar, spawning two of Rock's most highly regarded albums, passed away before what would have been a full reunion of the original Montrose lineup.  That original lineup, including Ronnie, Bill Church, Denny Carmassi, and Sammy have not performed publicy together since 2005.  Following news of his death, Sammy put together an all-star tribute show in San Francisco recently, including the remaining members along with special guests Joe Satriani and members of Journey, Tesla, Mr. Big, Styx and Kiss.  Ronnie had successfully battled Prostate Cancer in 2009, but it returned.  Ronnie battled depression all his life, and January's back to back losses of his beloved dog and an uncle took its toll.  With a BAC of .31, Ronnie ended his pain with a single gunshot following a haunting text to his wife proclaiming his love, and his exit.

Dick Clark was responsible for launching many careers and introducing many new acts and genres to mainstream audiences, erasing color lines through music.  Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve was the most watched show of that evening for decades.  Throughout his career, he received several accolades for his contributions including 4 Emmy awards and inductions into the Hall of Fame for Rock and Roll, Broadcasting, and National Radio, to name a few.  Many 80's icons, such as Madonna, got their start on American Bandstand, hosted by Dick Clark.  It was on that show that Clark asked what she hoped to achieve for the remainder of her career.  Madonna quietly responded, “To rule the world.”

Just two weeks after their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Beastie Boys lost founding member Adam "MCA" Yauch, just 47 years old.  Adam was unable to attend but fellow Beastie Boy Mike D. read a letter from Adam thanking fans and family, most notably his wife and daughter.  Adam had fought Cancer for years, which kept him from performing  hindered his involvement in the group, mostly during the recording and release of their final album "Hot Sauce Committee, Pt.2".  The Rock Hall induction ceremony was aired on HBO the day after Adam passed, and the show was dedicated to him.  The Beastie Boys' impact, not only on Hip Hop but music in general, has been celebrated more in the past week than ever before.  Fellow 2012 inductees the Red Hot Chili Peppers paid tribute by performing a few Beastie classics on the first show following news of his death, with singer Anthony Kiedis wearing a green shirt adorned with handwritten label "MCA".

Many Hip Hop legends have been very vocal about owing a great deal of their success to the Beastie Boys, including an admittedly "teary-eyed" Chuck D, and LL Cool J who revealed that it was the Beastie Boys who got him his first record deal by playing his demo for producer Rick Rubin.  LL mentioned that they weren't just the first white rappers, but that they helped other artists get into the business.  I feel like they helped to break down racial barriers, being the only white rappers, which no longer Adam has been heavily lauded for his supportive nature as well as his humor and overall personality and willingness to help others.  I watched a video recently of the Beastie Boys performing at the 2006 VH1 Hip Hop Honors, and it was amazing to see these 3 Jewish white guys rocking the stage and seeing some of Hip Hop's biggest names, including rappers like Ice Cube, a hardcore gangsta rapper, and Def Jam mogul Russell Simmons, among others, nodding their heads in rhythm.  To see the look of admiration and respect for these unlikely Hip Hop heroes was a beaming example of the power Music has to shatter racial barriers and unite people.  Eminem has spoken out about Adam's death, saying that their impact on his career is obvious as Eminem, like the Beastie Boys, is one of the most respected artists in the Hip Hop community.  Aside from Em and the Beastie Boys, there really aren't any white rappers out there who are even marginally relevant, which makes them an elite crowd.  I'll be rocking "Sabotage" and many others in Adam's honor....NO SLEEP TILL BROOKLYN!!

Music is a very important part of my life, even though it's not my career and I'm not involved in it beyond being a huge fan of many genres and artists.  To lose artists such as Adam or Ronnie, or Levon, and iconic figures like Dick Clark who have such an impact on other artists and fans, whether you followed their music or not, is tragic and can make people feel like a part of their life is over because music is the soundtrack of our lives.
At the same time, it can be a reminder of their impact on the world thanks to the outpouring of love and respect from fans.  It's unfortunate that many artists' contributions aren't celebrated until their passing, and I hope the loss of Adam and Ronnie leads to more and more of their fans passing on their music to future generations.  May the Bad Motor Scooter ride on, and may everyone continue to "Fight For Your Right (To Party!)".

For Whom The (School) Bell Tolls

Joanna Ramos was laid to rest 8 days before what would have been her 11th birthday. A week earlier, she was rushed to ER after vomiting and complaining of a headache after a fight with a classmate. Her death has been ruled a homicide, the result of blunt force trauma to the head.

The fight, which was pre-planned to take place in a nearby alley between the end of class and the beginning of an after-school program, was witnessed by 7 students, including a friend of Joanna who said she and other friends tried to stop the fight but were held back by boys who wanted it to continue. The friend, Maggie Martinez, said "They took off their backpacks, and they put their hair in a bun, and then that's when they said `go' and that's when they started hitting each other." According to police, the fight lasted less than a minute, no weapons were used and neither Joanna or the other girl were knocked to the ground. Another of Joanna's friends noticed blood on her knuckles from wiping her nose as she reported to the after-school program said Cristina Perez, the friend's mother, who also says her daughter heard about plans for the fight during recess earlier in the day and knew to stay away from the alley after school. "We've just got to pay more attention to our kids too, not just dropping them off at the school. I'm always on my daughter, always," Perez, 30, said as she gathered with other concerned parents outside the school Monday. "I tell her, `You see a fight (and) you stay away from it.'" Police have interviewed the family and friends of both girls, and the witnesses of the fight, and there was no indication that Joanna was bullied in the matter prior to the fight.

According to Travis Brown, a national expert on bullying and school violence, fights involving young children, including girls, are increasing nationally. "Children used to have a disagreement at school and would have a night or a weekend to cool down, but social media and text messaging mean students can continue their dispute 24 hours a day. There was a time when a kid had a way to escape the things at school, but now there's no escape, that stuff just escalates to a point where it gets out of hand. This is an everyday occurrence."

Social media may be an enabler for disputes to escalate and continue beyond school grounds, but the potential for sites like MySpace and Facebook to be used for bullying or any type of harmful activity is well known and well documented and any parent whose child uses these sites needs to be fully aware of their usage. Parental involvement and monitoring in this age is more required than ever before and many parents believe they can relinquish responsibility once their kids are on school grounds. That responsibility should also be passed on to the kids going to school, because they are enablers as well when they know of these kinds of activities and take no action against it.

Aside from the most disturbing fact that a 10-year old girl has died from fighting with a classmate over a boy, there are many aspects of this type of situation that demand attention and change. More could have been done to prevent this tragic ending for Joanna, and more needs to be done in the future to prevent more senseless violence. The witnesses all knew about the fight and knew where and when it was happening, and nothing was done to stop it. The excuse of ignorance for not knowing either girl could have died is no longer valid.

Although there was no bullying reported that led up to the fight, online bullying is at an all-time high. A recent example of this was the suicide of 14-year old Jamey Rodemeyer of Buffalo, New York, who hung himself on his childhood swing set after being harassed and taunted for his sexual orientation after announcing that he was gay. Messages were left on his personal blogs urging him to commit suicide and calling him fat, gay and ugly. His story was told during an episode of "Oprah's Next Chapter" which was a spotlight on Lady Gaga and her efforts to fight bullying. Jamey was a fan of Lady Gaga, and posted a tweet to her thanking her for what she's done for Gay rights. She dedicated a performance to Jamey, telling the crowd "I just wanted to take a moment because we lost a little monster this week. Jamey, I know you’re looking down on us and you’re not a victim, you’re a lesson to all of us.” Lady Gaga, along with her mother, has started the Born This Way Foundation. As found on the webpage, "The Foundation is dedicated to creating a safe community that helps connect young people with the skills and opportunities they need to build a braver, kinder world." Regarding Jamey's death, Lady Gaga tweeted "Bullying must become illegal. It is a hate crime."

To continue with that same idea, bullying, like any crime, will only exist until it is no longer tolerated. I've been working on sending proposals to a number of outlets to reform the sentencing process for a number of crimes to send a theme of intolerance. Behavior can and will change when the option to continue negatively is no longer available. I hope the families and friends of
Joanna Ramos and Jamey Rodemeyer can find peace in time, and find joy in the memories they have, and the same to all families who have lost a child to bullying or school violence.

"The Voice" Silenced

On the eve of Music's biggest night, the world lost of one our most beloved, celebrated and respected voices, as Whitney Houston was found dead at 48. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Whitney is the most awarded female artist of all time, with with two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards and 22 American Music Awards among a total of 415 career awards through 2010. She is also one of pop music's best-selling music artists of all-time, with more than 170 million combined albums, singles, and videos sold worldwide.

Another accolade that may never be surpassed is her standard-setting rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, performed at Super Bowl XXV in Tampa Bay in 1991. Due to overwhelming response to her rendition, it was released as a commercial single and video of her performance, and reached the Top 20 on the US Hot 100, making her the only act to turn the national anthem into a pop hit of that magnitude. Houston donated all her share of the proceeds to the American Red Cross Gulf Crisis Fund. Her rendition was considered the benchmark for singers and critically acclaimed. Rolling Stone commented that "her singing stirs such strong patriotism. Unforgettable", and the performance ranked No. 1 on the 25 most memorable music moments in NFL history list.

Unfortunately, her mainstream appeal began to fade by the late 90's as missed performances and weight loss led to rumors of drug use which were later confirmed. In 2000 at a Hawaii airport, Marijuana was found in both Whitney's and husband Bobby Brown's luggage. In a 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer, Whitney addressed the rumored drug use and firmly denied tabloid reports that she had used crack cocaine. "Crack is cheap. I make too much for me to ever smoke crack," she said. "Let's get that straight, OK? I don't do crack. I don't do that. Crack is whack." She also told Diane that she was determined not to let drugs become a problem in her life again, but when asked if she will completely stay off drugs, she said "Well, I'm not going to tell you that," but added that she is not self-destructive and does not want to die.

Prior to the Diane Sawyer interview, back in 2001, Whitney had just signed the biggest record deal in Music history, for $100M to deliver six new albums. The first album on the new contract, "Just Whitney" was released in December 2002, which went Platinum in the U.S. and sold 3 million albums worldwide but remains her least successful album. In 2006, Whitney separated from husband Bobby Brown, and quickly filed for divorce, gaining custody of their only daughter, Bobbi Kristina, when the divorce finalized in April 2007. Whitney gave her first interview in 7 years with Oprah in September 2009, after just releasing her album "I Look To You", with her best opening-week sales of 305,000 copies, marking Houston's first number 1 album since The Bodyguard soundtrack, and Houston's first studio album to reach number 1 since her 1987 album "Whitney". During the interview she admitted to using drugs with her husband, including Marijuana laced with Cocaine, and said that "By 1996, doing drugs was an everyday thing...I wasn't happy by that point in time. I was losing myself."

In December 2009, Whitney began what would become her last tour, billed as the "Nothing But Love World Tour", her first in over 10 years. Whitney canceled some concerts due to illness and received widespread negative reviews from fans who were disappointed in the quality of her voice and performance.

Her final days were filled with both joyous and erratic behavior from Whitney, as she and daughter Bobbi attended a party for Grammy nominee Kelly Price at the nightclub Tru Hollywood where she and Price performed a duet, her final performance. Later that night, she was involved in a tense exchange with X-Factor finalist Stacy Francis and R&B singer Ray J and was escorted from the club, appearing disheveled and agitated. As reported by TMZ, she spent most of Friday night at the bar of the Beverly Hilton Hotel with friends, drinking and being very loud. Whitney was staying at the hotel to attend music industry executive Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy bash on Saturday. On Saturday, during morning or early afternoon, Whitney spoke to her cousin, singer Dionne Warwick, and spoke with her mother just 30 minutes before she was found unresponsive in the bathtub by hotel security. Police, who were already onsite in preparation for Clive's party, arrived quickly and after 20 minutes of CPR she was pronounced dead at 3:55pm. Officials have reported that she died from what appears to be a combination of Xanax and other prescription drugs mixed with alcohol.

Whitney's death is one of many alcohol and drug-related tragedies that have shaken the entertainment industry and the fans of its most beloved talents. The list is long and distinguished, yet no matter how shocking or tragic, the pattern continues. Her untimely death, like many before her, is a haunting reminder that no one is immune to the long-lasting harm that drugs can do. Even after years without using, even the slightest relapse or an evening of heavy drinking is all it can take, once the damage has been done.

Regardless of her struggles, Whitney's legacy will always be her stunning voice and film career, both of which shattered racial barriers and captured the attention and respect of fans and peers. To remember her any other way would be a dishonor to the indelible mark she's left on the world.

The Second Coming of the Seattle Music Scene

For those who embraced the Grunge movement, otherwise known as the Seattle Music Scene, which saw its peak during the 90's, prepare yourself for the second coming as a trio of the biggest bands of that era could all be releasing new music this year.

Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains are all on schedule to have new music ready this year, an assumed unplanned but very exciting alignment of their individual timeline. In 2011, Pearl Jam celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of their massively successful debut album "Ten" in fine style by headlining a series of shows featuring many guest appearances. During that year, the band also began working on a new album to follow their 2009 release "Backspacer". The band also released reissued versions of their second and third albums, Vs. and Vitalogy, respectively, in 2011 as part of the celebration. They had previously reissued "Ten" in 2009, in a number of fan-friendly and budget-friendly variations. Before that, at the dawn of 2010, Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell announced that the band's hiatus had ended, and new music was being written. The band played several shows and worked on new material, which is tentatively scheduled for a 2012 release. Back in 2007, Alice In Chains returned with an impressive album, "Black Gives Way To Blue", its title track a stunning tribute to founding member and singer Layne Staley who died tragically 5 years before. After touring for the album, the band returned to the studio and has been working on new music, which could be released this year as well.

Another band of that area, widely recognized as the most popular, was Nirvana, who disbanded following the death of singer/guitarist/lyricist Kurt Cobain, the result of an alleged suicide. Drummer Dave Grohl formed his own band called Foo Fighters, with Dave on lead guitar and vocals, and Foo Fighters released "Wasting Light" in 2011, nominated for album of the year at the 54th Grammy Awards.

While Soundgarden took a hiatus and Alice In Chains and Nirvana both disbanded due to the tragic loss of their frontman, Pearl Jam remained active and is one of my all-time favorite bands. Over the last couple of years, through the reissues of their early albums and Backspacer and their anniversary shows, it's easy to see that these guys are really grateful to have lasted and are more solid than ever. With an album already behind them since their return, and a positive outlook on the future, the second chapter in the career of Alice In Chains may prove to be a lasting one as well. Only time will tell if the return of Soundgarden will last, but fan reaction to their first shows since reforming have been very positive.

There are many highly anticipated albums being released this year, but for me, none more highly anticipated than the ones from these three bands. Please share your excitement for new music from these bands, or any other releases you're waiting for.