CLEVELAND, Ohio — You've already been to a Hard Rock Cafe where you probably saw a few autographed guitars and outfits from various rock bands. So why bother with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Well, there are about 55,000 square feet of reasons to visit this homage to the music that drives parents crazy.
Here are some of them: 1. Location, location, location. Cleveland is not often considered the top of the destination heap, but it's where disc jockey Alan Freed of WXEL-TV (and later WINS radio in New York) first coined the term, "rock 'n' roll.
" And this is the state whose lawmakers voted "Hang on Sloopy" the official state song to honor its native sons, The McCoys. For members of the LDS faith, Cleveland is just a half-hour's drive from the Kirtland Temple. If your teens complain of feeling "churched-out" after a couple days of touring historic Kirtland sites, give them a break with history from a more rowdy point of view.
When I visited there with my family in June, we found that the Hall of Fame was a pleasant 15-minute walk from the Embassy Suites where we were staying, although a shuttle bus provided hourly transportation to and from the museum.
The Hall of Fame rises above the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland's North Coast Harbor. It's next to the Cleveland Browns Stadium, if your timing is right to catch a football game.
It's also next door to the Great Lakes Science Center, which offers more than 340 interactive science exhibits and a six-story-tall Omnimax theater.
2. Everybody's there.
Where else can you find tributes to Bob Dylan and Bobby Sherman; Michael Jackson and Jackson Browne; Jim Morrison and yodeler Jimmie Rogers; Paul McCartney and Les Paul; Christina Aguilera and Christine McVie — all co-existing under one roof? There's everyone from wannabes to has-beens to real legends. Older fans may enjoy the "early influences" such as Hank Williams or Buddy Holly.
My 15-year-old daughter, Amy, liked the costumes worn by current stars like Britney Spears, Mandy Moore, Jessica Simpson and Justin Timberlake in a special section on teen idols (although she said the mannequins "kinda creeped me out.")
Youngsters are surprised to find out that the songs on today's advertisements, like "Lime in the Coconut" and "Daydream Believer," were actually top hits back in their parents' (or grandparents') heyday. A word of advice, though: parental advisory signs warning of "mature themes" are posted in several places.
"They are mainly for the videos on the fourth floor, because they deal with frank and candid discussion about drug use and sexuality in rock 'n' roll," said Todd Mesek, vice president of marketing and communications. "It's not explicit, but we want parents to know that some of those subjects are broached upon."
It's easy to spend four or five hours on the six different levels of exhibits — and still not see everything.
3. Stories and sagas. Artifacts are just junk if you don't know the stories behind what you're seeing.
Curators have organized things to give perspective on how the music, and the musicians, evolved.
One area shows the distinctive "sounds" that came from various cities. Among the memorabilia in the Memphis display, titled "A Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On," is a Carl Perkins arrangement of Blue Suede Shoes, and old 45 records of Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley.
(Vinyl records are a historic novelty to those who grew up in the CD era.)
Detroit, dubbed "Dancin' in the Street," shows a white Smokey Robinson performance suit and memorabilia from the Temptations, the Supremes and Martha Reeves the Vandellas. The London sound features the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits, the Yardbirds, the Hollies and Billy J.
Kramer. San Francisco showcases the psychedelic era, with items from Santana and the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane (including a fringed vest worn by Grace Slick). New York is highlighted for the "Blank Generation" of 1975-80, and Seattle features the "teen spirit" of Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Nirvana.
In "Fifty Years of Rock 'n' Roll," you can walk along a time line that chronicles major music events. As part of 1968, for instance, there's Mama Cass' silky white muumuu with a golden sunburst from the Mamas and Papas heyday. From the Beach Boys, you'll find Al Jardine's Gibson Les Paul electric guitar, circa 1969 and Carl Wilson's 1967 Epiphone 12-string.
The year of 1971 is highlighted with the argyle-patterned red/gold/green lame vest and bell bottoms worn by Greg Errico — "Sly" of the Family Stone. Elton John's 1972 release of "Rocket Man" is marked with his fur-trimmed jacket. The Music of Ohio exhibit looks at the state's artists, including Dean Martin, The Raspberries, Devo and the "Hang on Sloopy" McCoys.
There's a separate display on the Rolling Stones, with video clips and Mick Jagger outfits (what a tiny waistline! All that jumping around on stage keeps him slim). A Rick Nelson exhibit chronicles his teen idol days on the "Ozzie and Harriet" TV show, to his 1985 death in a plane crash.
The focal point is Nelson's 1971 Madison Square Garden concert that inspired his comeback hit, "Garden Party." Nelson was booed by the audience for his long hair and new songs: "They didn't recognize me, I didn't look the same," as the song goes. Nelson's hand-penned "Garden Party" lyrics, his outfit and guitar from the Madison Square Garden concert, the flowered suit and guitar from the "Garden Party" album cover, and footage from the "Ozzie and Harriet" show are all there.
The Jim Morrison exhibit peers into the childhood of the Doors' turbulent front man. Items such as his Cub Scout uniform, baby-book pages, elementary-school report cards, family photos and the letter he earned in swimming at Alameda High School in California. There are even homemade cards, including one that says, "I love you, Mother.
James." The museum hosts traveling exhibits in the two top floors. "Bob Dylan's American Journey: 1956-1966" was there from May 20-Sept.
7, with more than 150 items — guitars, handwritten lyrics, concert posters and handbills, signed albums and photographs. One interesting item was a letter from Joan Baez to her mother, when she and Dylan were a couple. It says, "We have such FUN!
And he takes baths and everything." When the Dylan exhibit ends, taking its place will be traveling exhibits on the punk rock band, the Clash, and Rolling Stone magazine artist Philip Burk, beginning in October.
4.
Listen to the music. Stations with earphones let you hear any of the top 500 songs that influenced rock 'n' roll. The songs are organized by decade, with a display screen that tells a little about the song's history — who wrote and recorded it, how far it moved up the charts, and what set it apart.
We found some oldies we hadn't heard in years: Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," from the '60s; then "Wooly Bully," by Sam the Sham the Pharoahs. I found out that Sam the Sham was really Domingo Samudio, but unfortunately, the display didn't include the lyrics, which I could never figure out. We also listened to "96 Tears," although we never found out who the artist, "?
" of ? and the Mysterians, really was. (Maybe a forerunner to the artist formerly known as Prince?
) Another listening station is dedicated to the contribution of early disc jockeys. However, none of them were from Salt Lake City. There's also a computerized "jukebox" where you can choose from almost every song done by every Hall of Fame inductee.
5. Extreme fashions. Rock stars have always taken styles to the max — affording some good laughs at foot-high Afro hairstyles, disco jumpsuits, and yard-wide bell-bottoms.
You'll see:
• Elvis' tan hand-stitched jacket from the movie "Viva Las Vegas," and white jumpsuit worn in 1970.
• Sgt. Pepper uniforms of John Lennon and Ringo Starr.
• Thigh-high platform-heeled boots worn by Alice Cooper during his Billion Dollar Babies Tour.
• Elegant beaded gowns worn by Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong of the Supremes while performing for Queen Elizabeth II in 1968.
• Michael Jackson's "Billy Jean" outfit, with the famous sequinned glove.
• Prince's "Purple Rain" coat.
• Madonna's bustier worn in her "Like a Virgin" video.
• David Byrne's "big suit" from the Talking Heads' video movie "Stop Making Sense.
"
• Maurice Gibb's white jumpsuit from the Bee Gees' "Saturday Night Fever" era.
6. Chilling out.
In a lot of museums, there's nowhere to drop when your feet start aching. But here, there are theaters on just about every floor. You can cool your heels while watching George Harrison's Bangladesh concert, or footage from early influences of rock 'n' roll such as Hank Williams and Buddy Holly, or an excerpt of "Hendrix Live at the Isle of Wight.
" There's also a snack bar where you can relax with a soft drink or sandwich.
7. The Legends.
The Hall of Fame multimedia show, which runs about an hour, is another chance to sit down. It combines film footage, music, interviews, animation and still photography in a film on three huge screens recounting the careers and music of the Hall of Fame inductees. At the end of the program, there's a walkway with etched-glass signatures of all the inductees and some of their artifacts.
The multimedia show is where you'll see a pint-size Michael Jackson warbling away in a purple cowboy hat; the O'Jays strutting and high-kicking to "Get on the Love Train" (making rich-voiced Brenda Lee seem pretty tame by comparison). The name Del Shannon may not register until you hear him singing "My Little (Run, Run, Run, Run-a) Runaway." Since influential music people are honored as well as artists, you'll see Dick Clark and Berry Gordy Jr.
, (who established Motown Records) as well as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Gladys Knight and the Pips. You won't see any new faces, because artists aren't eligible until 25 years after they release their first record. The nominees are voted on by an international group of music-industry professionals.
Since 1986, about 180 artists have been honored. This year's inductees were Miles Davis, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blondie, Black Sabbath and the Sex Pistols. Unfortunately, the feel-good vibes grind to a halt when a handwritten note from the Sex Pistols is flashed on the screen, expressing in crude language why the British '70s punk band wasn't going to attend the induction ceremony.
When next year's inductees are added to the program, this might not seem so jarring. But as an ending, it hits a sour note and offers a jarring reminder of the lewd and rude side of rock 'n' roll.
8.
Shop til you drop. The ground-level shop goes way beyond the usual souvenirs, with a huge selection of music CDs, books, T-shirts, guitar picks, drum sticks — even earrings made from guitar picks. This is a good place to find your favorite "oldies" music.
My favorite: the T-shirt that says, "If it's too loud, you're too old."
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