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Life Is Beautiful

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Everything posted by Life Is Beautiful

  1. Life Is Beautiful

    Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Predictions

    Let's see what we have here... Radiohead is a lock. The Moody Blues, The Cars and The Zombies will get in on account of the Hall's obvious hard-on for anything 60's/70's-related. (the Paul Butterfield Blues Freaking Band anyone?) RatM is the perfect political pick at the moment, so I doubt they'll let that slip in. Nina Simone and Sister Rosetta are WTF picks in the sense that they have no business being in a ROCK hall of fame, in the category of PERFORMERS nonetheless. As great as these two wonderful women are, they never made a single rock record in their lives. But expect one of them to get in as the mandatory "female pick" who has nothing to do with ROCK (Joan Baez, I'm looking at you). J. Geils Band is the perfect sentimental induction that the Hall is so fond of. They might get in. (bring tissues!) Bon Jovi is like the Eagles, loved by the people and hated by the critics. Their chances are 50/50 Rufus and the Meters are long overdue. Chaka Khan too, but sadly she's not part of the ballot this time. I hate to play the race card, but I''ll just go full Spike Lee on this one (and another big one, further down the list) Link Wray is the definitive "guitarist's guitarist". Completely (and rightfully) adored by critics and artists for his huge contributions to the most important instrument in the genre (popularizing the power chord and a heavier, ominous sound on the guitar), yet obscure and only known by a small niche of connoisseurs. (The complete opposite of Bon Jovi, if you want) Dire Straits have a respected name in Knopfler, and Eurythmics have one in Lennox, but both suffer from being so 80's-related (a freaking CRIME in the eyes of the Hall). Most importantly, both of their peaks were slim and sporadic and that can hurt their chances Kate Bush....sigh... The MC5 are important in developing proto-punk, and have a groundbreaking live album as well. They have their chances. Judas Priest HAVE to get in just to fix the Hall's injustified BIAS toward ANYTHING Metal. Like Joey Russ said, 2 metal bands in more than 30 years is a joke, especially compared to the 655485147 bands from the 60's. Like most metal stars they have very little in the way of crossover songs to make them more familiar to the mainstream and indicates to voters an appeal to notoriously loyal metal fans only. Unfair perception maybe, but true. NOW, on to the big question: HOW THE FUCK IS LL COOL J NOT IN YET?! The most dominant solo star in rap's first 15 years, LL Cool J was among those most responsible for bringing the style from the fringes of music to the mainstream. His role as rap's first sex symbol and setting much of the fashion trends and style of hip-hop were vital in ensuring its growth, but it was his rapping skills themselves that pushed the envelope at the time. He was rap's first successful solo artists, setting the trend for Pac, Biggie and the others to follow. and yet, he has to BEG the Hall to get in in what is now his 4th try, while the freaking Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Laura Nyro (yes, THAT Laura Nyro) roam free there. It's just infuriating. Hey look! Statistics! Since 1997 in fact, 69 percent of the nominees and a staggering 75 percent of the inductees are white. The overall rates since the Hall opened its doors in 1986 are equally disturbing. Fifty-three percent of the total nominees are white, which is reasonably fair, but 63% of the inductees are white, meaning they have a ten percent increased likelihood of getting in, a staggering number in statistical probability terms. By contrast black artists see a ten percent drop in their chances from nomination to induction, despite being nominated less to start with. This is for a music INVENTED BY BLACKS FOR BLACK AUDIENCES and whose stylistic evolutions within the field, including soul, funk, disco and hip-hop, are among the most far-reaching, popular and influential of rock's many subgenres. Somehow the Hall of Fame forgot that minor fact. The Hall refuses to publicly admit to its many sins, such as the stagnant nominating committee which is made up almost exclusively of white males with an average age now in their mid sixties whose selections disproportionately reflect that background long after their era has passed. Or the demographic one-sidedness of the voting body, which resembles the Aryan nation, and the resulting lack of cultural awareness of the many forms of black dominated rock 'n' roll, including disco, funk, Philly Soul and hip-hop, who routinely get passed over in favor of far less successful and less influential fifth tier white acts. So what I hope for is: LL Cool J - Radiohead - The Meters - Link Wray - Rufus and Chaka Khan - Judas Priest but what would happen will probably look something like: Radiohead - RatM - some 60's/70's 5th tier white band (choose your pick) - An undeserving female outsider - another 60's/70's 5th tier white band (again, choose your pick) - J Geils Band (don't hold your tears!) Just where THE HELL is Robert Mugabe when you need him?!!!! PS: Chic was nominated for the ELEVENTH time in 2017, and just when I expected them to easily get in this year, THEY ARE NOT EVEN ON THE BALLOT. Apparently, they didn't stand a chance against the universal acclaim and almost God-like musical influence of Kate Freakin' Bush.
  2. Life Is Beautiful

    Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Predictions

    Because only one of them is rock (Link Wray). Nina Simone is a blues artists and Sister Rosetta is a gospel singer. So even if they want to include theses two women, they should put them in the Early Influence category. The whole thing is just stupid.
  3. Life Is Beautiful

    Desmond Tutu

    Why are you so RACIST? Seriously tho, did we even get any legitimate news about him for the last two years or so? He seems like that kind of pick that will either live for another 15 years, or drop dead next week.
  4. Life Is Beautiful

    Kirk Douglas

    Even before Photo-Googling that I knew he was going to be a UK something...I just wish I hadn't read his wiki in depth
  5. Life Is Beautiful

    Kirk Douglas

    Wow! Really? Well that changes everything then! Just kidding
  6. Life Is Beautiful

    Kirk Douglas

    Heeey now! be cool, they're centenarians. Also, when was the last time we saw a hundred-something sporting a full head of manly mane? Kirk's a genetic freak.
  7. Life Is Beautiful

    Kirk Douglas

    How can something be white AND dirty?
  8. Life Is Beautiful

    Leslie Phillips

    Three questions: 1- Are you Nigerian? 2- Are you a prince? 2- Did you scam any European grandmas into sending you their "monies" lately?
  9. Life Is Beautiful

    Barbara Walters

    Watch the first minute. Richard Nixon: To this day, the only man to make Barbara Walters shut up! For that, he's my favorite president.
  10. Life Is Beautiful

    Tom Petty

    Yesterday I was hoping he'd survive, then I woke up to this. What a Petty.
  11. Life Is Beautiful

    Tom Petty

    Well now we already have our biggest death of October EDIT: I've been on a Tom Petty songs loop for almost two hours now, strange how all my favorite artists are now dying one after the other... EDIT 2: STILL ALIVE...which proves once again that a huge part of the problem is media focusing on being ‘first’ instead of ‘fact’ I'm not sure if Tom Petty is alive or not but journalism sure is!
  12. Life Is Beautiful

    14. Sandy Gall

    maryportfuncity and CaptainChorizzo, I love how you are trying to make me look like a shallow Millenial Yank (I'm 27 btw!!) even though I had to Google half the names you thought kids like (Chance the Rapper and Katie Price) to know who they were.
  13. Life Is Beautiful

    Bollywood Stars

    New picture of Dilip Kumar, celebrating the New Islamic Year. Looks a lot better. PS: I've heard some wonderful things in this forum in the past but "Dilip Kumar isn't big/famous enough" certainly trumps everything! He's without a doubt bigger than at least half the picks on this year's Deathlist. Umm Sandy Whatshisnameagain anyone?
  14. Life Is Beautiful

    Gord Downie

    Sorry. Fixed now! Joey Russ, you can strike "A" from your list.
  15. Life Is Beautiful

    Stan Lee

    Some pictures from yesterday, in Tampa. He was also raising money for Hurricane Relief with American actor and eternal fat manchild Kevin Smith.
  16. Life Is Beautiful

    Kirk Douglas

    Is set to co-release a book with his wife that features letters from their life together in Hollywood. + Recent picture:
  17. Life Is Beautiful

    Gord Downie

    Is set to release a new solo album Yep, let's just forget about him for this year.
  18. Life Is Beautiful

    King Michael Of Romania

    A huge charity concert will be held to celebrate his upcoming birthday, but it doesn't say if he'll be there or not.
  19. Life Is Beautiful

    Vera Lynn

    Was presented with a Charity cheque at her Sussex home. Looks reasonably healthy and happy.
  20. Life Is Beautiful

    Marilyn Manson

    You're preaching to the wrong crowd Lord Fellatio: I'm a BIG fan of the Stones.
  21. Life Is Beautiful

    Marilyn Manson

    I'm sure you wouldn't say the same thing about Alice Cooper, his major influence. He was a shock artist that had a tremendous impact on the rock scene (especially live concerts) and pushed boundaries (which is what rock is all about when you think about it). Not to mention he comes of as extremely intelligent in all interviews I've seen of him. There was even one particular interview with Letterman (who apparently has the same mentality as you) where Dave was trying his best to make Manson look like a dolt, without success. For the record I'm not a fan of his music or voice (I'm more of a classic rock type of guy), and I'm only really familiar with Tainted Love (which is a cover anyway), but I don't get he deserves all the hate he gets, especially when he was treated VERY unfairly by the media and the entire US people at one moment when Columbine happened (despite the fact that there was no real correlation between his music and what those kids did that day). Very harsh stuff. Oh, and if you are against 50 old men with man boobs who do not dress their age (literally 90% of the people in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame now), next time try to address the issue of Mick Jagger. Now THAT's a 70 year old man who shouldn't even be near skinny jeans.
  22. Life Is Beautiful

    Marilyn Manson

    That's a little extreme even for this forum. Guy's a celebrated artist, show some respect.
  23. Life Is Beautiful

    Most Significant Death Of Each Month

    I can honestly say that I definitely shed some sort of salty discharge in his honor.
  24. Life Is Beautiful

    Most Significant Death Of Each Month

    He also fought for women's right for birth control and campaigned for LGBT rights in the FREAKING SIXTIES, long before it was cool to do so.
  25. Life Is Beautiful

    Jimmy Carter

    Jimmy Carter: The fourth American president to reach the age of 93.
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