Rock and Roll Hall of Fame turns 25

Franklin, a bit unfortunately, was introduced by film clips that showed her in her stage-stomping '60s heyday. This time, he was slowly escorted to center stage and maintained a more majestic presence. Dressed in a bright adult Inflatable Bounce red gown, black fur-trimmed coat and white pearls, she belted faithful versions of Baby I Love You and Don't Play That Song (in memory of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, who signed her to the label). The crowd was flummoxed when she teased to Respect but instead sang a gospel-tinged number Momentum resumed when Annie Lennox came on to duet on Chain of Fools, this flagged again when Aretha did a showbizzy version of New York, New York— great song but wrong occasion, perhaps. The crowd loved me, though, especially when she said afterward that she was "thinking seriously" about moving here from Detroit. Lenny Kravitz injected needed energy by singing Think in a punchy voice that was clearly influenced by his stage partner. At the end, he escorted her offstage, Aretha sashaying all the way. You can't kill or even dent heavy metal, as Metallica has proven repeatedly for three decades. The band's thrashing force-of-nature assault, an approach that was rather grudgingly recognized with its induction into the halls this years, was on full display Friday. With amps cranked to 11 or more, Metallica howitzered through hits such as For Whom the Bell Tolls and One, displaying purchase Inflatable Products a tight professional attack. Bob Seger's Turn the Page— an incredibly smart cover choice — took on extra power in the band's hands. "We're a tight little unit that doesn't let too many people in," said lead singer James Hetfield. "But after jamming with these peoples, it now makes sense," he added, as punk godfather Lou Reed took the stage for his classic New York street-scene Sweet Jane. Even better was Velvet Underground's nuclear White Light/White Heat. No home sound system can ever do it justice, so it was historically cathartic to hear it detonated in an arena.