Rockin' in the Free World

Let's not mention the bus trip to Cleveland, eh?  Let's just say that, in life, you should try everything once.  In the case of long-haul bus trips, I think once per lifetime is probably plenty, although I'll be back on one in a week or so for the DC-NYC trip.  So unpleasantness aside, I ended up in Cleveland, Ohio.  And why does one go to Cleveland, you ask?  Perhaps to campaign for the Presidency?  With its 18 electoral college votes, Ohio is one of those bellwether states that often determines election outcomes.  But no, I was there to visit Cleveland's most noteworthy tourist attraction, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, housed in this impressive pyramid down by the waterside.

And why does Cleveland, of all places, play host to this iconic attraction?  Legend has it that local DJ Alan Freed was the first to popularise the term 'rock and roll' to describe the radical new music he started playing in the early 1950s.  The city of Cleveland latched onto this bit of trivia, and won the bid to host the museum.

Inside is all manner of wondrous things, so I've selected some of my highlights, and given a bit of a story for some.  Like these signs, which hang in the massive foyer:

You might recognise them from the video clip to this awesome song:

One of the first sections of the museum is devoted to the 'early influencers', people like Hank Williams Jr and Billie Holliday, who weren't really rock and roll, but paved the way for those who followed.  You might be interested to know that one of these is the musician known as 'Leadbelly', who popularised the song 'Good Night Irene'.  Good song; not so great a person, apparently he liked to do a bit of murdering in his spare time.  Who'd have known?

Of course, there are a huge number of guitars on display - here are guitars that have been used by Chris Martin, Barry Gibb, Elvis Presley, Chris Cornell, Kurt Cobain, Paul Simon, John Lennon and Slash.

Among the more unusual exhibits are these - a pair of Roy Orbison's trademark sunglasses, some wreckage from the plane that Otis Redding died in, and Kurt Cobain's death certificate.

There were also some of the iconic outfits that various artists have worn - like this jacket, worn by Bjork on the cover of her album Post.

And this famous jacket, which Michael Jackson wore to the Grammys in 1984:

In the same exhibit was one of his famous white gloves, as well as the pin-striped white suit he wore in the Smooth Criminal video:

In the hip-hop section was this jacket worn by Pepa, she of Salt-N-Pepa fame, in the video for Push It.

And this is a dreadful photo, but it's the dress and boots worn by Shirley Manson of Garbage in the Stupid Girl video.  I lovelovelove the album this song came from.

And there was Lady Gaga's crazy, twirling metallic-ball-with-underwear thing from Bad Romance.

But of course the one outfit which needs no introduction is John Lennon's iconic Sgt. Pepper's jacket.

The other big highlight for me was some of the original lyrics that were on display, like a little Bruce Springsteen - here's Hungry Heart and I'm On Fire.

Here's How Can You Mend a Broken Heart by the Bee Gees, who sadly will never perform it live again now that there's only one man standing.

And this, which is my equivalent of musical heaven, Brian Wilson's handwritten lyrics to God Only Knows.  If ever I was compiling a list of my favourite songs of all time, this would be so close to the top it's not funny. It's just divine.

And then this, which was also seriously impressive - the rap delivered by Debbie Harry in Blondie's Rapture - widely regarded as the moment that rap crossed over into mainstream.  It's a great song too.

The museum also has the Grammy Award won by Paul McCartney & Wings for Band On The Run.

Outside, you have a view across the water (thar be Canadians, somewhere in that general direction).

And you can also take a tour of Johnny Cash's tour bus, which still runs but stays at the Museum (semi-) permanently.  I went inside, and saw the Man in Black's chair, but it's a bit cramped inside to get good, blog-worthy photos, so you'll have to settle for the exterior and take my word for it :)