Rock Hall Inductees

I'm glad the Red Hot Chili Peppers are among the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. Also glad the ceremony will actually be held in Cleveland for the first time in many years.

I've been a Chili Peppers fan for almost 20 years, starting with 1992's "Blood Sugar Sex Magik." That album inspired me to go back and discover some of their older stuff, such as "Mother's Milk." I like that they combine rock with funk and have done collabo's with George Clinton.

Last year I read "Scar Tissue," the autobio by Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kedis. He's done so many crazy things, it's amazing he and the band are still alive and kicking after all these years!

Another 2012 Rock Hall nominee is the late singer/songwriter Laura Nyro. I recently listened to her greatest-hits CD, which my good friend Kim Tolley passed on to me a couple years ago.

I'd always heard Laura Nyro influenced a lot of female artists. I expected her sound to be folkier and jazzier, sort of like Joni Mitchell, considering folky artists like Suzanne Vega who say they were influenced by Nyro. Her sound is more pop than anything and her voice reminds me a lot of Irene Cara. Nyro's music also sounds dated, very 60/70s-specific, not the timeless classic I expected. She does have a dash of soul; I can see why she once worked with Patti LaBelle.

Of the 16 or so songs on Nyro's greatest hits, maybe 2 or 3 I'd listen to again, including "Stoned Soul Picnic," upbeat tune perfect for a cookout or any kind of outdoor gathering.