U2/McGuinness/Oseary

McGuiness could never break another hit act.

That's the mark of a great manager, the ability to do it more than once.

One of the best managers most people have never heard of? Gary Borman. He built Faith Hill, Lady Antebellum and Keith Urban, and knows it's who's onstage who counts, not the genius behind the curtain. That's the downfall of the music business, the belief that suits count more than artists. Blame Clive Davis. Blame Tommy Mottola, who eclipsed him. Today if you're not famous you don't count. Only that's untrue. If you need a public victory lap to rationalize your life don't become a manager, a thankless job to begin with, although sometimes financially lucrative.

Credit Paul McGuinness with building U2.

But now's a good time to get out. Because the band is at a crossroads. It took all the money out of the market with a multi-year stadium trek, and without a hit single, it will probably never be able to tour at this scale again.

Hits.

That's what U2 is dependent upon. If it wants to keep the mantle of the world's greatest rock and roll band, which it sole from the Stones decades ago, even if Mick Jagger doesn't know.

But rock is dead. At least on Top Forty radio, where hits are made.

What's a poor boy to do?

Become a VC, like Bono did with Roger McNamee and Elevation.

Or try and save the world, which Bono is also doing.

But if he wants to stay a relevant musician, that's a much harder goal to achieve.

But he's got Guy Oseary in his corner!

To believe Guy Oseary is a great manager is to think Cliff Burnstein can front a band and Irving Azoff can play in the NBA. What Guy does best is get into the head of Madonna and make her believe he's indispensable, which he's not, Madge has had a series of managers since she broke through, even the aforementioned Mr. Burnstein, who helped her stay relevant with "Ray Of Light."

But Madonna's relevant no more. Pains her, but athletes retire. And in music, the game changes. It's less about age than fads and desire and other elements elder people just can't keep up with, who oftentimes look bad trying to keep up with. It's like seeing your mom in skinny jeans, even worse, guys with toupees. If you're not willing to admit your age, you're gonna have a hard time in popular culture.

And so often music is youth culture.

And you can tour to your core, but as you age that core cannot fill stadiums, not usually.

What we're seeing here is a generational transition. And I'm worried that U2 is playing with the B team.

If you know McGuinness, he's a force of nature. Someone who's all what he's promoting 24/7. It's not easy to find someone like that, who lives and dies for you. He's essentially Colonel Parker, but with a fairer deal and a worldwide viewpoint.

In other words, no one's gonna care as much.

So U2 has lost its rudder.

And although Arthur Fogel is brilliant at what he does, one of the absolute best, U2's problem is not touring financials so much as creative issues.

They need Cliff Burnstein. Or the equivalent. Someone with vision who will argue with them. Because they're in a crisis.

As for Madonna... She's so over the hill she doesn't realize it. She's chasing what once was, poorly. She'd be better off admitting she's done and establishing a residency in Vegas. But the moment she ceases to believe she's relevant is the moment Madonna dies inside. That's her hunger, to always be on top. It's a fascinating movie to see her descend. Arguing with Lady Gaga?

So it's sad. To see our heroes lose their individuality, just like the concert promoters before them.

The best label in the world is XL. Because it's fiercely independent. Martin Mills doesn't ask his boss before he goes on the record, there are no public shareholders, Richard Russell's only goal is to make great music, that's not repetitive.

Unlike U2, which is hiring producers du jour in a desperate effort to have a hit.

And the only person who seems to be able to deliver those hits these days is Mr. Russell. Who makes you think about where his productions are coming from. Even Rick Rubin has lost the thread, his hit ratio is way down.

Music has always operated best when unrestricted. When those involved were free to reinvent the wheel at their leisure, to test limits, be offensive and charm us all at the same time.

Tying up with Live Nation is no different from selling out to Google or Microsoft. Where you'll get paid, but you'll lose control, happens every day, the founders get frustrated and leave, and their products often go into decline.

But music is not a product. When done right it's not evanescent. It pricks our hearts and stimulates our brains and makes us believe life is worth living.

Bono once had that power.

He's sacrificed it.

So goodbye eighties rock. And goodbye eighties pop too.

We're in a new era, where the most stimulating productions emanate from bedrooms, get traction on YouTube and are shared virally by the general public.

There's business and there's music.

Business ain't bad.

But music's in sad shape. Because everybody's looking to sell out.

But true artists just want to get in. By doing it their own way. Leading generations away from the powers-that-be to the promised land.

Gene Simmons may be all about money, but great artists are not. They're about music first.

Bono's lost the plot. Madonna too.

I'm stuck in the middle with you.


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