No one has figured out why they chose Cleveland, but nonetheless, that's where the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Museum opened its doors last September, with a seven-hour concert that revealed just how integrated American music has become in the second half of this century. And the whole family made it to this reunion. On the rich, eclectic and thoroughly enjoyable double CD package that Columbia Records has put together to commemorate the event, some of the sweetest moments belong to rock's extended family. Fittingly for a collection saluting rock's elders and those who have passed on, there are a number of top-notch cover versions.
Slash smokes on a guitar with just the right amount of fuzz.
Soul Asylum backs two of the New York music scene's legendary warriors, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed. Punctuated with his trademark whoops and shrieks, he makes the song his own. At 60, Lewis apparently still has the energy and the vocal ability he did in his early 20's. While those covers make for some of the album's best moments, a good portion of the album is devoted to songs performed by the original artists. The performances recorded here are a well-chosen sampling of rock's sometimes dysfunctional but always colorful family, and the energy of this reunion is both palpable and infectious.