Take The Money And Run (Pt. 2)

[John A Arkansawyer]

Steve Miller Inducted Into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; Immediately Runs Into a Great Big Hassle

On a night that includes N.W.A., no one expects Steve Miller to be the act that causes a controversy but that’s what happened Friday at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 2016 induction ceremony in Brooklyn. N.W.A.’s MC Ren called Gene Simmons out by name in his speech for hoping for the death of hip-hop, but he had nothing on the Space Cowboy.

[chuckrh]

He has a point. I've felt for a long time there was too much NYC cultural imperialism involved.

[John A Arkansawyer]

Apparently, he was just getting started:

This whole industry fucking sucks and this little get-together you guys have here is like a private boys' club and it's a bunch of jackasses and jerks and fucking gangsters and crooks who've fucking stolen everything from a fucking artist. Telling the artist to come out here and tap dance.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to forgive and forget over Abracadbra.

[DiamondDave]

Apparently, he was just getting started:

This whole industry fucking sucks and this little get-together you guys have here is like a private boys' club and it's a bunch of jackasses and jerks and fucking gangsters and crooks who've fucking stolen everything from a fucking artist. Telling the artist to come out here and tap dance.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to forgive and forget over Abracadbra.

Good on Steve.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

Apparently, he was just getting started:

This whole industry fucking sucks and this little get-together you guys have here is like a private boys' club and it's a bunch of jackasses and jerks and fucking gangsters and crooks who've fucking stolen everything from a fucking artist. Telling the artist to come out here and tap dance.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to forgive and forget over Abracadbra.

You are better than me, that is unforgivable

Abracadra, Steve Miller I wanna reach out and stab ya

Steve Miller should know his role, shut his yap, and be thankful for having a career. This is a poor man's Mike Love R&R HOF rant. Enjoy your moment Mr Irrelevant

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

Miles Davis said it best when it comes to Steve Miller:

“I remember one time - it might have been a couple times - at the Fillmore East in 1970, I was opening for this sorry-ass cat named Steve Miller. Steve Miller didn't have his shit going for him, so I'm pissed because I got to open for this non-playing motherfucker just because he had one or two sorry-ass records out. So I would come late and he would have to go on first and then we got there we smoked the motherfucking place, everybody dug it.”

[John A Arkansawyer]

Miles Davis said it best when it comes to Steve Miller:

“I remember one time - it might have been a couple times - at the Fillmore East in 1970, I was opening for this sorry-ass cat named Steve Miller. Steve Miller didn't have his shit going for him, so I'm pissed because I got to open for this non-playing motherfucker just because he had one or two sorry-ass records out. So I would come late and he would have to go on first and then we got there we smoked the motherfucking place, everybody dug it.”

On the other hand, Paul McCartney (the musical Beatle) liked him well enough to cut a track with him--a darn good one, too, and one I think was important to Paul:

[Rocky]

You guys are being kinda harsh on Steve Miller. Read what he says in the Rolling Stone link. "The whole thing is sort of an amateur production...."

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/featu ... z45hxlmasM

He totally blasted those guys like a bunch of us have been doing for years.

[Smitty]

I like some SMB - he's not what I think of as a legend or anything but he made some perfectly decent music to listen to while riding around high.

I don't change the station when Take the Money and Run comes on either.

[John A Arkansawyer]

I like some SMB - he's not what I think of as a legend or anything but he made some perfectly decent music to listen to while riding around high.

He's one of those guys I liked before I got too hip to like him. Now that I'm not hip any more, I like him again.

[Tequila Cowboy]

You guys are being kinda harsh on Steve Miller. Read what he says in the Rolling Stone link. "The whole thing is sort of an amateur production...."

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/featu ... z45hxlmasM

He totally blasted those guys like a bunch of us have been doing for years.

I like Miller. His early stuff was stellar and some of the 70's hits were fine. When I had my CD/record stores one of my regular customers at my Wisconsin store was a buddy of his growing up in Milwaukee and originally headed west with him to play keyboards but hated it instantly and came home. He was in touch with him still at that point in the early nineties and got me into a meet and greet at a show in Milwaukee. He was perfectly pleasant and yes, I can forgive Abacadabra . Also at various times in my life I have been all three of a joker, a smoker and a midnight toker. Seriously though I don't think his statements were all that wrong here. The HoF is kind of a joke in it's selection and old industry kind of vibe. I'm glad it exists but Rock & Roll deserves better. Rock on SM.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Black Keys: We Regret Inducting Steve Miller After Rock Hall Insults
"He said, 'The whole process was unpleasant,'" Dan Auerbach says. "And for Pat and I, the most unpleasant part was being around him"

You know, maybe Miller is a raging asshole and yeah, he probably should have known who the Black Keys were. What the hell do I know? The thing is I don't think there is more disingenuous duo in Rock than these two so I'm just going to take this with a grain of salt.

[Duke Silver]

I don't care about SMB one way or another, but fuck the Black Keys. What assholes. Comedian Jimmy Pardo (world's biggest Chicago fan) did a write-up on the ceremony for the AV Club:

After that, Steve Miller was inducted by The Black Keys; I didn’t understand why they were there to begin with. It really looked to me like The Rock Hall was trying to get the “younger demographic.” “We’ll get The Black Keys. That’ll make the young kids to watch!” Then I thought, “Well, maybe I’m being cynical. Maybe The Black Keys are going to come out and talk about how Steve Miller is the most influential artist of all time. Who knows?”

Turns out I’m right. The Black Keys opened up their speech by saying, “Hi, I’m so-and-so, and I’m so-and-so of The Black Keys. When we started researching on Wikipedia for this speech…” So you’re even admitting you don’t give a fuck? You felt the whole audience stop listening. Especially after Lars gave this heartfelt speech about Deep Purple, here are these two guys who are literally reading a teleprompter. They have no emotional investment at all.

Everybody feels like the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should either use artists that are already inducted that are now bringing their friends into it, or a young artist who was influenced by the band in some way, like Rob Thomas with Chicago. When it was neither of those, you felt an entire arena stop listening to these two guys talking. So much so that when Steve Miller got up there, he grabbed the microphone and said, “Let me tell you how it really happened.” And then he gave an amazing speech.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

You guys are being kinda harsh on Steve Miller. Read what he says in the Rolling Stone link. "The whole thing is sort of an amateur production...."

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/featu ... z45hxlmasM

He totally blasted those guys like a bunch of us have been doing for years.

I'm not being harsh on him for the HOF stuff- he's right- I am being harsh on him because of him

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Some folks only know of Steve Miller from his 70's radio hits and have no knowledge of the more blues based version of the Steve Miller Band that preceded the more radio friendly version. Before knocking him, folks should take the time to get the complete picture but in a world that's been reduced to 10 second soundbites and 140 character posts they have neither the time or the inclination.

As for the Black Keys inducting him and Kid Rock inducting Cheap Trick, it seems the choices have become far less inspired in recent years.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

Some folks only know of Steve Miller from his 70's radio hits and have no knowledge of the more blues based version of the Steve Miller Band that preceded the more radio friendly version. Before knocking him, folks should take the time to get the complete picture but in a world that's been reduced to 10 second soundbites and 140 character posts they have neither the time or the inclination.

As for the Black Keys inducting him and Kid Rock inducting Cheap Trick, it seems the choices have become far less inspired in recent years.

I'm well aware of the early Steve Miller stuff, that's the only work of his I like. Who knows what might have happened if he and Boz Scaggs had stayed together. It's possible to "get the complete picture" and still not care for him

[John A Arkansawyer]

Who knows what might have happened if he and Boz Scaggs had stayed together.

Oh, that would've sucked! Then I wouldn't've gotten to see X at Slim's.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Some folks only know of Steve Miller from his 70's radio hits and have no knowledge of the more blues based version of the Steve Miller Band that preceded the more radio friendly version. Before knocking him, folks should take the time to get the complete picture but in a world that's been reduced to 10 second soundbites and 140 character posts they have neither the time or the inclination.

As for the Black Keys inducting him and Kid Rock inducting Cheap Trick, it seems the choices have become far less inspired in recent years.

I'm well aware of the early Steve Miller stuff, that's the only work of his I like. Who knows what might have happened if he and Boz Scaggs had stayed together. It's possible to "get the complete picture" and still not care for him.

Agreed but I see a whole lot of folks knocking him that are basing their opinion solely on his more well known radio hits from the latter stage of his career. Yes, some of the songs from the original Steve Miller Band were also hits but as time has gone by you rarely, if ever hear those on the radio anymore. I see a lot of folks bash the Grateful Dead too, the majority of whom have never heard a note of their music. It's all conjecture based on the noodly nature of the live shows and the fanaticism of Deadheads. Same thing with Jimmy Buffett, a lot of folks only know of his image as the "Mayor of Margaritaville" and the Parrothead fanbase. These people nothing about his career prior to the Parrothead phenomenon taking off in the late 80's and early 90's.

[Dean]

Black Keys: We Regret Inducting Steve Miller After Rock Hall Insults
"He said, 'The whole process was unpleasant,'" Dan Auerbach says. "And for Pat and I, the most unpleasant part was being around him"

You know, maybe Miller is a raging asshole and yeah, he probably should have known who the Black Keys were. What the hell do I know? The thing is I don't think there is more disingenuous duo in Rock than these two so I'm just going to take this with a grain of salt.

they're (the Keys) are just pissed they couldn't figure out a way to license the whole thing to a Buick commercial and make some fast cash off of the whole deal

[Smitty]

Black Keys: We Regret Inducting Steve Miller After Rock Hall Insults
"He said, 'The whole process was unpleasant,'" Dan Auerbach says. "And for Pat and I, the most unpleasant part was being around him"

You know, maybe Miller is a raging asshole and yeah, he probably should have known who the Black Keys were. What the hell do I know? The thing is I don't think there is more disingenuous duo in Rock than these two so I'm just going to take this with a grain of salt.

they're (the Keys) are just pissed they couldn't figure out a way to license the whole thing to a Buick commercial and make some fast cash off of the whole deal

I thought we'd all grown past getting ill about licensing deals - if you haven't noticed, the biz has changed drastically in the past twenty or so years...

Not a big Keys fan at all, but the reasons to dislike them shouldn't include them licensing a song to some car company.

[John A Arkansawyer]

Black Keys: We Regret Inducting Steve Miller After Rock Hall Insults
"He said, 'The whole process was unpleasant,'" Dan Auerbach says. "And for Pat and I, the most unpleasant part was being around him"

You know, maybe Miller is a raging asshole and yeah, he probably should have known who the Black Keys were. What the hell do I know? The thing is I don't think there is more disingenuous duo in Rock than these two so I'm just going to take this with a grain of salt.

they're (the Keys) are just pissed they couldn't figure out a way to license the whole thing to a Buick commercial and make some fast cash off of the whole deal

I thought we'd all grown past getting ill about licensing deals - if you haven't noticed, the biz has changed drastically in the past twenty or so years...

Not a big Keys fan at all, but the reasons to dislike them shouldn't include them licensing a song to some car company.

After The Who licensed Love, Reign O'er Me to Pepsi, I pretty much gave up caring.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Y'all have probably never heard of 'em but this band lent their name to this car. I believe one of the folks from the band also may have voiced a couple STP commercials for radio and TV.

[Rocky]

After The Who licensed Love, Reign O'er Me to Pepsi, I pretty much gave up caring.

Believe that was My Generation mate.

[John A Arkansawyer]

After The Who licensed Love, Reign O'er Me to Pepsi, I pretty much gave up caring.

Believe that was My Generation mate.

Are you sure it wasn't both? I remember because I wrote a blurb about it at the end of a column back in '85, plus or minus a year.

I can see licensing most stuff. My Generation? No problem. Love, Reign O'er Me? I wouldn't've let that one go unless I was hurtin', and maybe not even then.

[Tequila Cowboy]

The Black Keys aren't assholes because they license their songs, any artist trying to make a living has to consider that when the big boys come a callin', instead they're assholes because they're pretentious. preening jerks who made a few interesting albums and then seemingly forgot how. Their interviews have always shown a remarkable level of self importance and in this one they call out Miller for not knowing who they were while admitting they hadn't researched his music before they gave his induction speech. Hip, vapid and hypocritical is no way to go through life son.

[beantownbubba]

Bob Dylan did a Victoria's Secret commercial. I figure that ends any debate about musicians licensing music for commercials.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Bob Dylan did a Victoria's Secret commercial. I figure that ends any debate about musicians licensing music for commercials.

I consider Bob Dylan doing that Victoria's Secret commercial a substantial win for the common man.

[John A Arkansawyer]

Bob Dylan did a Victoria's Secret commercial. I figure that ends any debate about musicians licensing music for commercials.

I consider Bob Dylan doing that Victoria's Secret commercial a substantial win for the common man.

Between that and the IBM commercial, I think it's a whole new artistic outlet for him.

[beantownbubba]

Bob Dylan did a Victoria's Secret commercial. I figure that ends any debate about musicians licensing music for commercials.

I consider Bob Dylan doing that Victoria's Secret commercial a substantial win for the common man.

Between that and the IBM commercial, I think it's a whole new artistic outlet for him.

Anything's better than Renaldo and Clara

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

instead they're assholes because they're pretentious. preening jerks who made a few interesting albums and then seemingly forgot how. Their interviews have always shown a remarkable level of self importance

yeah, they just can't seem to get out of their own way on those fronts