CURATORS/FILTERS
They're everything in the modern world. Unless you attach yourself to someone/something that already has an audience, your chance of succeeding is incredibly low, because there's just too much noise.
So, despite the bitching about challenging economics, that's the power of the newspaper. It's filtered news. And ads. And listings.
Most competing with traditional news outlets are amateurs. They're bad writers in an era where no one has time for that. So people gravitate to those who already have the power.
That's the magic of the "Huffington Post." It's link-bait on steroids, but it's got an audience. Same deal with "BuzzFeed." The rich get richer and the poor are irrelevant.
NEWS
Is the entertainment of today. In an alienated world, we all have a desire to belong. Pre-internet, when we lived in a monoculture, going your own way, going deep into your own niche, was a badge of honor. Today, you're just irrelevant. And this judgment hurts. If you're rebelling and those you're rebelling against don't care, don't react, then you feel alone. Which is why we all desire to be part of the scene. That's why we post on social networks, we want to belong. And the glue is news. It's what we talk about. Whether it be Charlie Hebdo or the shenanigans of some celebrity.
Children believe that school is the world. Their ignorance is bliss. But this hotbed of sharing helps parents be clued in. But if you've got no children, or you're out of school, you're hungry for information, so you can have discourse. Sure, you could discuss the obscure record or TV show...IF YOU COULD FIND SOMEONE WHO'S HEARD IT OR SEEN IT!
NUMBER ONE AIN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE
Whether it be the weekly winner of the movie grosses or Taylor Swift's "Blank Space," you can read that something tops the chart and never encounter it. This never happened before. The hits were ubiquitous. But television ratings are a fraction of what they once were. And you never have to listen to a radio station you don't want to, never mind the commercials. In other words, Kanye West is more famous for his inane outbursts of superiority and being married to Kim Kardashian than he is for his music. Most people know Kanye is a boasting boor, but they don't know his music.
INSULARITY IS KING
When life becomes incomprehensible, when you feel powerless with no hope of upward mobility, you trumpet that which you are into, believing that others should feel the same way, completely ignorant that they too are flummoxed by modern life and cannot separate the cultural wheat from the chaff. Everybody is overwhelmed, nobody is ever bored. And to think that which you find to be important is truly such is oftentimes to be delusional.
TRIBES RULE
You collect your colors and they establish your identity. Sure, you could favor the obscure, but the American story is glomming on to the mainstream. That's the essence of sports. They give you something to believe in and someone to be against. Competition is cut and dried with a limited number of teams, there's a defined winner when the normal game of life...you're not even sure who the players are.
CURATORS/FILTERS 2
That's why the festival is more important than the act. And the hang is more important than the music. The festival is a party. The goal of a party is to have a good time. Eat some fun food and have some laughs. Other than dance/EDM acts, which are party central, the soundtrack to the revel, the rest of the bill is irrelevant. And the big money goes to the promoter. Just check AEG's Coachella grosses.
FEWER CAN WIN
When we're overwhelmed, we gravitate to the blockbuster. So, despite the ability to play, it's even harder to get any traction, never mind succeed.
TIME CHALLENGES
Everybody complains that no one marinates in their art, meanwhile the creators are jumping from item to item just as frequently. It's not about a short attention span, it's about a fear of missing out, and even more powerfully, a fear that something better is just a click away.
NEWS IS RARELY FUNNY
TV is selling entertainment. Which is why it's lost purchase on the news business. People want the facts. And no one's got time to waste watching a program with commercials. If you leave the TV on all day to be informed you know nearly nothing.
BEWARE OF FADS
Used to be musical acts were one hit wonders. Now MySpace disappears and youngsters move from Facebook to Snapchat. As hard as it is to make it, it's even harder to sustain.
STORY
Story is everything. That's what too many publications and websites don't realize. In a puzzling world we're attracted to humanity, something that reflects our condition. The most important tech story this week? Nick Bilton's "New York Times" piece "Be the Star of Your Own Snapchat Story": http://nyti.ms/1sAu0Uw This is not a fad. Narrative is forever. Immediacy is key. Which is why Netflix and Amazon release all episodes of their series at once. Oldsters think they're missing out on marketing, and buzz. But the truth is today buzz comes after the fact, long after the release. The buzz empire driven by purveyors and news outlets does not square with modern society. Every week we're sold new stuff, but we only find out months later if it's got any traction, when we hear about it from our friends...or not. This week it's Sleater-Kinney and "Broad City." They're featured in every news outlet known to man. But over the last year we've seen not only movies disappear in a weekend, but
complete albums. Furthermore, albums that start off as stiff suddenly gain traction, like "Kansas City" from the New Basement Tapes. You know you have a hit if people are still talking about it six months later. If not, you wasted your time.
MISUNDERSTANDING RULES
In a world where we rarely speak to one another, where we broadcast our thoughts, often ineptly, to the masses, miscommunication is rampant. Readers want encyclopedias behind every pronouncement, needing to nail the writer for mistakes in order to feel good about themselves, and feuds are caused by statements that would evaporate into thin air prior to the internet. The end result? Fear of communication. That's the story of today, not how everybody is busy building their brand online, but how they've become gun-shy, fearful of participating, because of the backlash.
DATA, NOT STATISTICS
Everybody's number one at something. To advertise this is to make us laugh and ignore you. But if someone parses the numbers, tells a story with data, then we're interested.
AUTHORITIES, NOT NOBODIES
At least entertainment knows it's about stars. The "New York Times" let Nate Silver and David Pogue go, and now their data stories are written by nobodies without authority and they've ceded tech to other outlets. Cherish your stars. Compensate them well. Meanwhile, David Pogue has faltered at Yahoo because Marissa Mayer knows nothing about news and entertainment. Only go where people understand your core business. Nate Silver is doubling-down on fivethirtyeight.com, but he's almost starting all over. Once again, the team is everything, and the team needs its stars.
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Friday 16 January 2015
Rhinofy-Top Ten-Week Ending September 25, 1965
1. "Eve Of Destruction"
Barry McGuire
"The Eastern world it is exploding"
One can argue strongly that music took hold, evidenced its potency, with this 1965 "protest" single. The Vietnam war was amping, the baby boomers were aging, everybody looked around and said...WE HAVE THE POWER!
There's not a boomer alive who doesn't know this track, from the acoustic intro to the above first lyric. It emanated from transistors all over the beach, when it first made inroads during the summer, and then it went all the way to number one.
The way Barry McGuire emoted...it sounded like he believed it. And if he did, couldn't you?
Barry never had another hit. He went on to star in "Hair." But the song's writer, P.F. Sloan, had numerous successes, when records were not about the beat, but the melody, when they had something to say.
Could this happen again today?
That would require listeners to question authority, acts to challenge the baby boomer rulers only interested in cash.
But one thing's for sure, when something like this comes out of the speaker, you never forget it.
2. "Hang On Sloopy" The McCoys
Was that the REAL McCOYS? Like the TV show with Walter Brennan?
Or was it "Sloopy," like the star of "Peanuts"?
Meanwhile, no one in the band was named "McCoy." And the Derringers in the band were really named "Zehringer." And they didn't write it. But it was on Bert Berns's Bang Records.
This was a staple of basement and bar mitzvah parties, if you didn't slow dance to this one, if you didn't make out to this one, you missed a rite of passage.
The band was all over TV, we couldn't believe how young they were. And we were stunned when Rick Derringer went on to his own success, years later, with "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo," which he wrote and Johnny Winter covered, but I still prefer Rick's solo take.
3. "You Were On My Mind" We Five
Yes, the original was written by Sylvia Tyson, of Ian and Sylvia, but this cover had magic their initial iteration did not, proving that arrangement makes a difference.
This cover by We Five is so magical, it will put a smile on your face and have you believing life is an endless series of upbeat moments, after all, with stuff like this pouring into your ears, how could life go wrong?
This hits the same note as Herman's Hermits' "I'm Into Something Good," but from a slightly older perspective.
Hearing this on the radio just made you feel good.
It still does today.
And no one who wasn't there knows it.
Come on, the breathy, intimate vocal...you just wanted to know these people, you just wanted to sing along yourself!
4. "Catch Us If You Can" The Dave Clark Five
From the movie, the echo of "A Hard Day's Night," and I still haven't seen it, but I want to.
Really the band's last big hit. After this, they faded. But this delivered.
Not on Spotify, Dave Clark licenses last.
From the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NfTwLuiPeA
5. "Help" The Beatles
Come on, when they enter through four different doors and it's the same apartment?
Originally entitled "Eight Arms To Hold You," that's what it said on the "Ticket To Ride" single, "Help" was not quite as good or as big as "A Hard Day's Night," but that did not mean it was not monstrous. This was an obvious hit single, but really the album tracks were the essence, from "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" to "The Night Before" to "I Need You"...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCGvZgDvtkU
6. "The In Crowd" The Ramsey Lewis Trio
A live instrumental that SWINGS!
Back when this was still possible, to hit the top ten without words.
Meanwhile, Dobie Gray's original, with lyrics, made it to number 13 in the same year!
7. "Like A Rolling Stone" Bob Dylan
The victory lap, when Dylan went from underground folkie, writer of classics, to a star in his own right.
It didn't sound so different musically from the rest of what was on the airwaves, but the words and the nasal vocal...they were unique! Many people hated this record, they imitated Bob's voice, but through sheer repetition we knew every lyric, and the words pop up in our brains on a regular basis.
I mean once upon a time...
8. "It Ain't Me Babe" The Turtles
The name seemed a cheap shot rip-off of the Beatles, but Howard Kaylan's heartfelt vocal was so endearing... We ultimately learned it was a Bob Dylan song, but the Turtles definitely made it their own. And when they hit, we had no idea they'd continue to have success, when so many non-writers were one hit wonders, and we certainly were not prepared for their "original" nearly two years later, "Happy Together," which is seen as lightweight fluff all these years later, almost a joke, but in 1967 it was seen as touchingly sincere...the soundtrack to one of my very first romances.
9. "Heart Full Of Soul" The Yardbirds
Yes, that's Jeff Beck's stinging guitar, but really it's Keith Relf's vocal delivery that pushes this Graham Gouldman song over the top.
Meanwhile, as great as the song is, this is definitely a record. Something otherworldly you heard on the radio which made you want to immediately fly to England to get closer, at least go to the show.
10. "Laugh At Me" Sonny Bono
Where Sonny tries to prove he doesn't need Cher, and does an admirable job of it!
Sure, he was too old, he didn't have the look, but he definitely had the sneer, check out this video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=berHdguUts0
Spotify playlist: http://spoti.fi/1KM2dq1
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Barry McGuire
"The Eastern world it is exploding"
One can argue strongly that music took hold, evidenced its potency, with this 1965 "protest" single. The Vietnam war was amping, the baby boomers were aging, everybody looked around and said...WE HAVE THE POWER!
There's not a boomer alive who doesn't know this track, from the acoustic intro to the above first lyric. It emanated from transistors all over the beach, when it first made inroads during the summer, and then it went all the way to number one.
The way Barry McGuire emoted...it sounded like he believed it. And if he did, couldn't you?
Barry never had another hit. He went on to star in "Hair." But the song's writer, P.F. Sloan, had numerous successes, when records were not about the beat, but the melody, when they had something to say.
Could this happen again today?
That would require listeners to question authority, acts to challenge the baby boomer rulers only interested in cash.
But one thing's for sure, when something like this comes out of the speaker, you never forget it.
2. "Hang On Sloopy" The McCoys
Was that the REAL McCOYS? Like the TV show with Walter Brennan?
Or was it "Sloopy," like the star of "Peanuts"?
Meanwhile, no one in the band was named "McCoy." And the Derringers in the band were really named "Zehringer." And they didn't write it. But it was on Bert Berns's Bang Records.
This was a staple of basement and bar mitzvah parties, if you didn't slow dance to this one, if you didn't make out to this one, you missed a rite of passage.
The band was all over TV, we couldn't believe how young they were. And we were stunned when Rick Derringer went on to his own success, years later, with "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo," which he wrote and Johnny Winter covered, but I still prefer Rick's solo take.
3. "You Were On My Mind" We Five
Yes, the original was written by Sylvia Tyson, of Ian and Sylvia, but this cover had magic their initial iteration did not, proving that arrangement makes a difference.
This cover by We Five is so magical, it will put a smile on your face and have you believing life is an endless series of upbeat moments, after all, with stuff like this pouring into your ears, how could life go wrong?
This hits the same note as Herman's Hermits' "I'm Into Something Good," but from a slightly older perspective.
Hearing this on the radio just made you feel good.
It still does today.
And no one who wasn't there knows it.
Come on, the breathy, intimate vocal...you just wanted to know these people, you just wanted to sing along yourself!
4. "Catch Us If You Can" The Dave Clark Five
From the movie, the echo of "A Hard Day's Night," and I still haven't seen it, but I want to.
Really the band's last big hit. After this, they faded. But this delivered.
Not on Spotify, Dave Clark licenses last.
From the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NfTwLuiPeA
5. "Help" The Beatles
Come on, when they enter through four different doors and it's the same apartment?
Originally entitled "Eight Arms To Hold You," that's what it said on the "Ticket To Ride" single, "Help" was not quite as good or as big as "A Hard Day's Night," but that did not mean it was not monstrous. This was an obvious hit single, but really the album tracks were the essence, from "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" to "The Night Before" to "I Need You"...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCGvZgDvtkU
6. "The In Crowd" The Ramsey Lewis Trio
A live instrumental that SWINGS!
Back when this was still possible, to hit the top ten without words.
Meanwhile, Dobie Gray's original, with lyrics, made it to number 13 in the same year!
7. "Like A Rolling Stone" Bob Dylan
The victory lap, when Dylan went from underground folkie, writer of classics, to a star in his own right.
It didn't sound so different musically from the rest of what was on the airwaves, but the words and the nasal vocal...they were unique! Many people hated this record, they imitated Bob's voice, but through sheer repetition we knew every lyric, and the words pop up in our brains on a regular basis.
I mean once upon a time...
8. "It Ain't Me Babe" The Turtles
The name seemed a cheap shot rip-off of the Beatles, but Howard Kaylan's heartfelt vocal was so endearing... We ultimately learned it was a Bob Dylan song, but the Turtles definitely made it their own. And when they hit, we had no idea they'd continue to have success, when so many non-writers were one hit wonders, and we certainly were not prepared for their "original" nearly two years later, "Happy Together," which is seen as lightweight fluff all these years later, almost a joke, but in 1967 it was seen as touchingly sincere...the soundtrack to one of my very first romances.
9. "Heart Full Of Soul" The Yardbirds
Yes, that's Jeff Beck's stinging guitar, but really it's Keith Relf's vocal delivery that pushes this Graham Gouldman song over the top.
Meanwhile, as great as the song is, this is definitely a record. Something otherworldly you heard on the radio which made you want to immediately fly to England to get closer, at least go to the show.
10. "Laugh At Me" Sonny Bono
Where Sonny tries to prove he doesn't need Cher, and does an admirable job of it!
Sure, he was too old, he didn't have the look, but he definitely had the sneer, check out this video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=berHdguUts0
Spotify playlist: http://spoti.fi/1KM2dq1
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Thursday 15 January 2015
The Oscars
It'd be like restricting Taylor Swift to vinyl.
Or having Jason Isbell play the Grammys instead of Luke Bryan.
How in hell did the movie business lose touch with America?
The Oscars used to be an international rite. A veritable holiday. Movies drove the culture, especially after classic rock decimated credibility in music and disco took over... Hell, isn't that the exact same thing? Pandering to the lowest common denominator and as a result losing your core audience? The music business imploded in 1979, if it weren't for MTV's appearance in 1981 it would have been a dark, cold, lonely winter for much of the eighties. And then rap killed the lowest common denominator hairbands. Don't the movie studios realize they're killing their own business?
Happened in music too. We called it Napster. Whereupon it was proven everybody wanted everything and they wanted it now.
But now, there's an endless hype cycle for mostly unworthy movies, and those that are good require a trip to the theatre. Who wants to go to the theatre? Certainly not me. I love the experience, of a big screen and good sound, but the problem is movies don't start when I want them to. We live in an on demand culture, and movies are not on demand.
So I don't go.
I don't know anybody who goes, except for my octogenarian mother, who grew up believing in the religion of attendance.
I too used to go, every night in the midseventies. But that was back when movies were part of the national discussion. Does anybody discuss "The Lego Movie" or "Guardians Of The Galaxy" other than the grosses?
Meanwhile, Amazon steals the Academy's thunder by making a deal with Woody Allen, that's the big story this week, not these nominations for films most people have not seen.
At least the Grammys now get it right. They nominate what the labels push, at least in the big categories. If you're not successful, you can't play. But the holier-than-thou film folk sell candy every Friday but once a year want to turn on those who keep them alive and focus on foie gras. Huh?
Meanwhile, the bankrupt media trumpets the nominations as if they matter. They don't matter. They're as interesting as lacrosse statistics to those who never played the game.
People want story. Isn't that the essence of the television renaissance?
And big time movies are all whiz-bang, with cartoon characters made for adolescents who have now stopped going to the theatre too. That's the latest bad statistic for the film business, the cratering of teen attendance.
But ain't how that always is in modern society. You rule until you die, suddenly.
Everybody thought digital photography was a joke, it was on the horizon for years. And then in the space of twenty four months, film cratered.
Same deal with CDs. They may still be a strong revenue source, but they're miniscule compared to streams and stolen files. Thank god the labels authorized Spotify, otherwise they'd be like the movie companies, protecting dying retail, in this case movie theatres, and sacrificing their audience in the process.
At least you could see "The Interview" when demand was hot, when the publicity peaked. I was invited to a viewing party. Who wants to go to a viewing party months after the marketing? When the buzz is done. Quick, name the winner of last year's NBA championship, even the World Series! There's so much going on today that we can't even remember what went on yesterday.
I used to record the films when they hit HBO. But then I stopped even that, because I wasn't watching them.
Meanwhile, now you've got to subscribe to HBO, Netflix and Amazon Prime. That'd be like shopping for groceries at multiple stores. Who's got the time, never mind the money?
But no one wants to bite the bullet. No one in the film industry wants to rock the boat. They don't realize they're balkanizing the market.
But the truth is few care. Hell, even the ratings for the Golden Globes went down.
Do you even recognize the Oscar nominees?
You can tell me how many iPhones there are, and what their storage configurations are. But who cares about this dreck?
You've got to make it easy today. Talk to music people. The hardest thing is getting people to listen. And continue to listen. If you're about windowing and restrictions, you're ignorant.
And if Amy Pascal wasn't caught up in the hacking scandal, you wouldn't even know her name. Hell, I bet more teens and twentysomethings know who Chris Sacca is, he's got a better track record and he's on the bleeding edge, changing society.
That's right, our films used to reflect society and change it.
And for all the endless hype about "Boyhood," where was I supposed to see it?
How successful do you think "1989" would be if you couldn't stream the hits on YouTube? Imagine that, a record release that you couldn't hear. That's the movie business, you can't SEE the flicks!
I'm sure Woody Allen likes the money. And he's so damn old, it's like when Fred Silverman made that deal with Lucille Ball... But one thing he knows is you can reach many more eyeballs online, and that Amazon doesn't mess with your creativity, something the movie studios cannot help but doing.
So there you have it.
All the talent, and there's not much of it, not top-draw, dependable icons, is migrating to TV and the new banks/distributors... Who make the entire series viewable on a single date. And the movie business's answer?
HOLD AN AWARDS SHOW HONORING FILMS PEOPLE HAVEN'T SEEN AND DON'T CARE ABOUT!
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Or having Jason Isbell play the Grammys instead of Luke Bryan.
How in hell did the movie business lose touch with America?
The Oscars used to be an international rite. A veritable holiday. Movies drove the culture, especially after classic rock decimated credibility in music and disco took over... Hell, isn't that the exact same thing? Pandering to the lowest common denominator and as a result losing your core audience? The music business imploded in 1979, if it weren't for MTV's appearance in 1981 it would have been a dark, cold, lonely winter for much of the eighties. And then rap killed the lowest common denominator hairbands. Don't the movie studios realize they're killing their own business?
Happened in music too. We called it Napster. Whereupon it was proven everybody wanted everything and they wanted it now.
But now, there's an endless hype cycle for mostly unworthy movies, and those that are good require a trip to the theatre. Who wants to go to the theatre? Certainly not me. I love the experience, of a big screen and good sound, but the problem is movies don't start when I want them to. We live in an on demand culture, and movies are not on demand.
So I don't go.
I don't know anybody who goes, except for my octogenarian mother, who grew up believing in the religion of attendance.
I too used to go, every night in the midseventies. But that was back when movies were part of the national discussion. Does anybody discuss "The Lego Movie" or "Guardians Of The Galaxy" other than the grosses?
Meanwhile, Amazon steals the Academy's thunder by making a deal with Woody Allen, that's the big story this week, not these nominations for films most people have not seen.
At least the Grammys now get it right. They nominate what the labels push, at least in the big categories. If you're not successful, you can't play. But the holier-than-thou film folk sell candy every Friday but once a year want to turn on those who keep them alive and focus on foie gras. Huh?
Meanwhile, the bankrupt media trumpets the nominations as if they matter. They don't matter. They're as interesting as lacrosse statistics to those who never played the game.
People want story. Isn't that the essence of the television renaissance?
And big time movies are all whiz-bang, with cartoon characters made for adolescents who have now stopped going to the theatre too. That's the latest bad statistic for the film business, the cratering of teen attendance.
But ain't how that always is in modern society. You rule until you die, suddenly.
Everybody thought digital photography was a joke, it was on the horizon for years. And then in the space of twenty four months, film cratered.
Same deal with CDs. They may still be a strong revenue source, but they're miniscule compared to streams and stolen files. Thank god the labels authorized Spotify, otherwise they'd be like the movie companies, protecting dying retail, in this case movie theatres, and sacrificing their audience in the process.
At least you could see "The Interview" when demand was hot, when the publicity peaked. I was invited to a viewing party. Who wants to go to a viewing party months after the marketing? When the buzz is done. Quick, name the winner of last year's NBA championship, even the World Series! There's so much going on today that we can't even remember what went on yesterday.
I used to record the films when they hit HBO. But then I stopped even that, because I wasn't watching them.
Meanwhile, now you've got to subscribe to HBO, Netflix and Amazon Prime. That'd be like shopping for groceries at multiple stores. Who's got the time, never mind the money?
But no one wants to bite the bullet. No one in the film industry wants to rock the boat. They don't realize they're balkanizing the market.
But the truth is few care. Hell, even the ratings for the Golden Globes went down.
Do you even recognize the Oscar nominees?
You can tell me how many iPhones there are, and what their storage configurations are. But who cares about this dreck?
You've got to make it easy today. Talk to music people. The hardest thing is getting people to listen. And continue to listen. If you're about windowing and restrictions, you're ignorant.
And if Amy Pascal wasn't caught up in the hacking scandal, you wouldn't even know her name. Hell, I bet more teens and twentysomethings know who Chris Sacca is, he's got a better track record and he's on the bleeding edge, changing society.
That's right, our films used to reflect society and change it.
And for all the endless hype about "Boyhood," where was I supposed to see it?
How successful do you think "1989" would be if you couldn't stream the hits on YouTube? Imagine that, a record release that you couldn't hear. That's the movie business, you can't SEE the flicks!
I'm sure Woody Allen likes the money. And he's so damn old, it's like when Fred Silverman made that deal with Lucille Ball... But one thing he knows is you can reach many more eyeballs online, and that Amazon doesn't mess with your creativity, something the movie studios cannot help but doing.
So there you have it.
All the talent, and there's not much of it, not top-draw, dependable icons, is migrating to TV and the new banks/distributors... Who make the entire series viewable on a single date. And the movie business's answer?
HOLD AN AWARDS SHOW HONORING FILMS PEOPLE HAVEN'T SEEN AND DON'T CARE ABOUT!
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Mailbag
From: Daniel Kortchmar
Subject: Re: Joe Cocker
I'm so proud to have produced and played on "Love is Alive".... To be in the studio and hear Joe tear that song to pieces was a monumental thrill...it's sad that NO modern singer can achieve that level of intensity...but that was then...
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Joe Cocker
From: RICHARD ZITO
Hi Bob,
I had the pleasure of working with Joe Cocker when I Produced "You Can Leave Your Hat On" for the Movie 91/2 Weeks.
Since I knew the song intimately, having Played Guitar with Randy Newman on a European Tour, a couple of years prior, I was a bit unsure of the best way to make the song work.
I was on a Phone Call with the Director Adrian Lyne, who I had met briefly working on Flashdance, discussing how to Arrange /Produce the Song and credit where credit's due….he said he envisioned it sounding like something from MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN!
I knew exactly what he meant….and now it's one of the Records I'm most proud of having made…..as well as one of the greatest memories of my life!
Rest In Peace my Friend!
Richie Zito
As a side note, Speaking of Woodstock... An added bonus was that Joe's manager at the time was Michael Lang, F#@%K YEAH!
_______________________________________
From: Mark Gaide
Subject: Re: Joe Cocker
In 1987, I got a call from a manager friend of mine. He asked if I'd be interested in engineering a vocal session with Joe Cocker at Greenstreet Studios in the Village. Without hesitation, I booked the date. Nervous as hell, I entered the control room to sit at the Trident TSM console, flanked by Charlie Midnight and the late Dan Hartman. We were working on one song, "A Woman Loves A Man" which appeared on the "Unchain My Heart" album.
I'd been hearing Joe Cocker's voice and watching his unique persona since I was a kid -- long before I'd ever set foot in a recording studio. Now the man was on the other side of the glass, warming up to sing on an AKG 414. Charlie and Dan sensed that I was a young engineer, but they still treated me with respect, kindness and patience.
But that kindness and respect AND humility overflowed from Mr. Cocker all throughout the session. When we were finished, Joe made a point of walking all around the studio to personally thank BY NAME and shake hands with not only me, but also every assistant, intern and coffee runner who had worked that day.
To this day, I've always loved telling this story. It was one of the most memorable days of my career.
The world will miss you, Joe.
Mark Gaide
_______________________________________
From: Don Grierson
Subject: Joe Cocker
Hi Bob,
We lost not only one of the most unique artists of our time with the passing of Joe, but my favorite "soul man". When I signed Joe to Capitol Records in 1984, I found a man who truly sang from his heart and, although he wanted to be heard, wouldn't compromise his art for commerciality.
I'm with you re "Shelter Me", a song I found for him in Nashville. That was Joe Cocker singing only as Joe could.
Thank you for the kind words you wrote about Joe.
Don Grierson
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Joe Cocker
From: Rob Giles
Beautiful letter, Bob. Thank you.
Greatest honor to be had by a songwriter? Joe covering one of your songs.
He sang one of mine a few years back on his "Fire It Up" record and I'm not sure I'll ever be more proud of any accolade.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6-kLmX_c9-M
Keep writing, please.
Rob Giles
_______________________________________
From: Peter Asher
Subject: RE: Rhinofy-Heart Like A Wheel-The Originals
Thanks for the interesting and thoughtful "Heart Like a Wheel" (and "Black Rose") notes.
I confess that the first version I ever heard of "You're No Good" (and then I went backwards and listened to the ones you mention) was the Swinging Blue Jeans' excellent cover which was a big UK hit.
Probably more than you need to know, but MIX Magazine (attached below) recently ran a piece about our track, how Andrew and I arranged it, how Val made it sound the way it did and so on. Not to mention my favourite girl singer in the world singing brilliantly and contributing great ideas of her own!
Peter
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newbay/mix_201411/#/30
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Rhinofy-Heart Like A Wheel-The Originals
From: Garay Val
Interesting side bar to "When Will I Be Loved".
I'd mixed "That'll Be The Day" 2 or 3 different times and Peter never felt it had come to fruition.
Although we did get finally it right and re-cut it for "Hasten Down The Wind".
So in the 11th hour just prior to finishing "Heart Like A Wheel" we ran in and cut "When Will I Be Loved".
Once Al Coury had finally claimed the album for Capitol and we'd played him everything, I remember him saying to Peter, Linda and myself that "You're No Good" is an elegant record and he was sure a hit single but he said clearly that "When Will I Be Loved" would be a bigger hit.....Both went to number 1 but "When Will I Be Loved" was a bigger hit.
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Mailbag
From: jeremiah chechik
was wonderful to see/hear VH's "when it's love" i directed that video in what now seems the stone age and remember it fondly - eddie even gave me a guitar which i have to this day.
in the original cut an old couple dances slowly in the ballroom and begin to burn until they are completely on fire, reduced to ash and swept away. MTV felt it was "inappropriate". i was bummed then but the sammy's electrifying performance that day more than made up for the network's conservative (that's right) view.
i hadn't watched it for years and years and thank you for bringing back to the surface. it feels as modern and powerful as the day they sung it.
jeremiah chechik
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Rhinofy-Clapton Guest Appearances
From: Peter Godwin
Hi Bob,
As you know I co-wrote "Dirty City" (and "I'm Not Drowning" and the rest of "Nine Lives") with Steve Winwood and I'll never forget the first time I heard Clapton's solo on the end of that tune. For me it recalls one of my favourite Clapton guitar moments, his (originally unsung) solo-ing on the Fabs' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"- especially in how it builds and builds in intensity, but also the sound. Of course, Eric only plays the solo at the end, the rest of the guitar being Mr Winwood himself, often underrated as a player probably because his extraordinary voice tends to overshadow his other gifts.
Eric's wondrous soloing was probably at least partly responsible for "Dirty City" being #1 on AOR rock formats non-stop for many weeks and that helped "Nine Lives" reach #12 in The Billboard album charts - Steve's highest chart position since the 1980's. So, I don't think I'd quite agree that "Nine Lives" was put out "to almost no effect". Steve did Letterman and played to almost a million people across the US with Tom Petty that summer of 2008 - which together with the 3 nights sell-out Clapton/Winwood gigs at Madison Square Garden all put Steve back in the high life again (sorry haha!) for a while.
I actually think of "About Time" and "Nine Lives" as very much as two chapters of the same story. Same producer- the wonderful Johnson Somerset bringing it home both times- and pretty much the same band. When I first met Steve, he played me jams from the sound-checks of the band touring "About Time"- and it was those jams we wrote the songs for "Nine Lives" over, with a couple of exceptions- ""I'm Not Drowning" being one- a lyric I gave Steve that he wrote to, like Elton John and Bernie Taupin do it. So I think the two albums have some common DNA actually.
Anyway Bob, thanks for highlighting that magical and passionate Clapton guitar moment on "Dirty City" as the friends reunited on record for the first time (I think) since Blind Faith- about time, you might say, haha! Hearing that was certainly a special moment in my musical life - now a few more out there can share it and understand perhaps why back in the day the graffiti "Clapton is God" was daubed all over London town!
All the best,
Peter Godwin
_______________________________________
From: Aku Valta
Subject: RE: Rhinofy-Clapton Guest Appearances
Hi Bob,
there are two version of "It's Probably Me": the smash single from Lethal Weapon 4 soundtrack with Clapton's not only on guitar but also on snare drum with his Zippo! The Ten Summoners Tales arrangement is slow and Clapton is replaced with Dominic Miller, a Sting regular.
_______________________________________
From: Margaret Moser
Subject: Re: Rhinofy-WABC All American Survey for Week of 15 December 1964
But about "She's A Woman" ... Take that song and throw in some Mexican polka inflection and you've got the Sir Douglas Quintet's "She's About A Mover" (changed from the banned title "She's a Body Mover") from 1965. And who else than Huey Meaux would have thought to shadow on their debut album cover a couple of white boys and three young Chicanos in English mod drag? Yeah, he was despicable in his peccadillos, but the man was one of the old-school geniuses of regional music there on the Texas-Louisiana border. He worked with Don Robey and ran someof the Chitlin Circuit in San Antonio. That's the story few remember and the little ones don't understand, how powerful the regional salesman was.
In 1969, the Quintet was back on the charts with "Mendocino," with Doug Sahm ahead of the progressive country curve. In 1973, Sahm releases Doug Sahm & Friends on Atlantic with Bob Dylan and Flaco Jimenez. In 1989, Sahm forms the Texas Tornadoes with Flaco. In 2014, Flaco gets a lifetime Grammy. Sometimes, there is justice.
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Rhinofy-WABC All American Survey for Week of 15 December 1964
From: Paul Santo
Good article....but John played the opening lick to "I Feel Fine" on his Gibson J-160 through a Vox AC30 on the record and live! Dig it!! :)
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Shark Tank Update
From: Travis Laurendine
Thought you might be interested in this insight into how Shark Tank works
I did a joke app airpnp for Mardi gras in New Orleans and it became a viral hit as the story of airbnb for bathrooms on parade route... first with full local coverage and talk of the town status then usa today and quartz and thenextweb and being #2 on hacker news Mardi gras day with inbound requests coming in at lightning speed for 3 days in a row and sure enough...
That's when Shark Tank casting got in touch then asked me to be on the show and skip the line. And when we didn't immediately say yes... They kept hounding us. Calls, emails. Dude wouldn't quit. We wisely passed.
So they are searching for these sucker stories and trying to set people up for hilarious humiliation on tv. They take submissions sure but to bring you the guilty pleasures everyone loves they hire specialized casting companies looking for people to exploit like any other reality tv show.
_______________________________________
From: Tom Goldfogle
Subject: Chuck Brown
Bob –
Thanks for shining the spotlight on the DC Go-Go scene and letting your readers know what DC and Go-Go fans around the world have known for decades. As Chuck Brown's manager I was fortunate to witness night after night this legend of a man give his all for his fans in DC and around the world. With 2 – 3 hour sets without a break from when the first drumbeat started, there was never a set list – it was a new musical journey each night, based on the vibe between Chuck and the audience. It was always about the music and the fans. Not only was Chuck Brown a music innovator, pioneer, and accomplished musician, he was an incredible human being, a humble man, a father figure and mentor to many. He was so important in the Nation's Capital that a 1.8 million dollar commemorative park was unveiled last year on what would have been his 78th birthday. He is missed by a huge following of fans, but Big Tony and Trouble Funk, Rare Essence, Back Yard, Bela Dona, Familiar Faces, The Chuck
Brown Band and others continue to carry the torch and keep the beat alive. Many thanks to Dave Grohl for his love for the music.
Best,
Tom
Tom Goldfogle, President
Full Circle Entertainment, Inc.
_______________________________________
From: Chris Blackwell
Subject: Re: Sonic Highways-Austin & D.C.
I LOVED THE GO GO MUSIC OF DC
I thought it needed a film like The Harder they Come which gave a context to JAMAICAN music in order to break it. The film was called GOOD TO GO and sadly was lousy & almost brought down Island.
I loved the music and the people who made it.
So happy to see it being recognized by you.
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Subject: Re: Joe Cocker
I'm so proud to have produced and played on "Love is Alive".... To be in the studio and hear Joe tear that song to pieces was a monumental thrill...it's sad that NO modern singer can achieve that level of intensity...but that was then...
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Joe Cocker
From: RICHARD ZITO
Hi Bob,
I had the pleasure of working with Joe Cocker when I Produced "You Can Leave Your Hat On" for the Movie 91/2 Weeks.
Since I knew the song intimately, having Played Guitar with Randy Newman on a European Tour, a couple of years prior, I was a bit unsure of the best way to make the song work.
I was on a Phone Call with the Director Adrian Lyne, who I had met briefly working on Flashdance, discussing how to Arrange /Produce the Song and credit where credit's due….he said he envisioned it sounding like something from MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN!
I knew exactly what he meant….and now it's one of the Records I'm most proud of having made…..as well as one of the greatest memories of my life!
Rest In Peace my Friend!
Richie Zito
As a side note, Speaking of Woodstock... An added bonus was that Joe's manager at the time was Michael Lang, F#@%K YEAH!
_______________________________________
From: Mark Gaide
Subject: Re: Joe Cocker
In 1987, I got a call from a manager friend of mine. He asked if I'd be interested in engineering a vocal session with Joe Cocker at Greenstreet Studios in the Village. Without hesitation, I booked the date. Nervous as hell, I entered the control room to sit at the Trident TSM console, flanked by Charlie Midnight and the late Dan Hartman. We were working on one song, "A Woman Loves A Man" which appeared on the "Unchain My Heart" album.
I'd been hearing Joe Cocker's voice and watching his unique persona since I was a kid -- long before I'd ever set foot in a recording studio. Now the man was on the other side of the glass, warming up to sing on an AKG 414. Charlie and Dan sensed that I was a young engineer, but they still treated me with respect, kindness and patience.
But that kindness and respect AND humility overflowed from Mr. Cocker all throughout the session. When we were finished, Joe made a point of walking all around the studio to personally thank BY NAME and shake hands with not only me, but also every assistant, intern and coffee runner who had worked that day.
To this day, I've always loved telling this story. It was one of the most memorable days of my career.
The world will miss you, Joe.
Mark Gaide
_______________________________________
From: Don Grierson
Subject: Joe Cocker
Hi Bob,
We lost not only one of the most unique artists of our time with the passing of Joe, but my favorite "soul man". When I signed Joe to Capitol Records in 1984, I found a man who truly sang from his heart and, although he wanted to be heard, wouldn't compromise his art for commerciality.
I'm with you re "Shelter Me", a song I found for him in Nashville. That was Joe Cocker singing only as Joe could.
Thank you for the kind words you wrote about Joe.
Don Grierson
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Joe Cocker
From: Rob Giles
Beautiful letter, Bob. Thank you.
Greatest honor to be had by a songwriter? Joe covering one of your songs.
He sang one of mine a few years back on his "Fire It Up" record and I'm not sure I'll ever be more proud of any accolade.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6-kLmX_c9-M
Keep writing, please.
Rob Giles
_______________________________________
From: Peter Asher
Subject: RE: Rhinofy-Heart Like A Wheel-The Originals
Thanks for the interesting and thoughtful "Heart Like a Wheel" (and "Black Rose") notes.
I confess that the first version I ever heard of "You're No Good" (and then I went backwards and listened to the ones you mention) was the Swinging Blue Jeans' excellent cover which was a big UK hit.
Probably more than you need to know, but MIX Magazine (attached below) recently ran a piece about our track, how Andrew and I arranged it, how Val made it sound the way it did and so on. Not to mention my favourite girl singer in the world singing brilliantly and contributing great ideas of her own!
Peter
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newbay/mix_201411/#/30
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Rhinofy-Heart Like A Wheel-The Originals
From: Garay Val
Interesting side bar to "When Will I Be Loved".
I'd mixed "That'll Be The Day" 2 or 3 different times and Peter never felt it had come to fruition.
Although we did get finally it right and re-cut it for "Hasten Down The Wind".
So in the 11th hour just prior to finishing "Heart Like A Wheel" we ran in and cut "When Will I Be Loved".
Once Al Coury had finally claimed the album for Capitol and we'd played him everything, I remember him saying to Peter, Linda and myself that "You're No Good" is an elegant record and he was sure a hit single but he said clearly that "When Will I Be Loved" would be a bigger hit.....Both went to number 1 but "When Will I Be Loved" was a bigger hit.
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Mailbag
From: jeremiah chechik
was wonderful to see/hear VH's "when it's love" i directed that video in what now seems the stone age and remember it fondly - eddie even gave me a guitar which i have to this day.
in the original cut an old couple dances slowly in the ballroom and begin to burn until they are completely on fire, reduced to ash and swept away. MTV felt it was "inappropriate". i was bummed then but the sammy's electrifying performance that day more than made up for the network's conservative (that's right) view.
i hadn't watched it for years and years and thank you for bringing back to the surface. it feels as modern and powerful as the day they sung it.
jeremiah chechik
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Rhinofy-Clapton Guest Appearances
From: Peter Godwin
Hi Bob,
As you know I co-wrote "Dirty City" (and "I'm Not Drowning" and the rest of "Nine Lives") with Steve Winwood and I'll never forget the first time I heard Clapton's solo on the end of that tune. For me it recalls one of my favourite Clapton guitar moments, his (originally unsung) solo-ing on the Fabs' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"- especially in how it builds and builds in intensity, but also the sound. Of course, Eric only plays the solo at the end, the rest of the guitar being Mr Winwood himself, often underrated as a player probably because his extraordinary voice tends to overshadow his other gifts.
Eric's wondrous soloing was probably at least partly responsible for "Dirty City" being #1 on AOR rock formats non-stop for many weeks and that helped "Nine Lives" reach #12 in The Billboard album charts - Steve's highest chart position since the 1980's. So, I don't think I'd quite agree that "Nine Lives" was put out "to almost no effect". Steve did Letterman and played to almost a million people across the US with Tom Petty that summer of 2008 - which together with the 3 nights sell-out Clapton/Winwood gigs at Madison Square Garden all put Steve back in the high life again (sorry haha!) for a while.
I actually think of "About Time" and "Nine Lives" as very much as two chapters of the same story. Same producer- the wonderful Johnson Somerset bringing it home both times- and pretty much the same band. When I first met Steve, he played me jams from the sound-checks of the band touring "About Time"- and it was those jams we wrote the songs for "Nine Lives" over, with a couple of exceptions- ""I'm Not Drowning" being one- a lyric I gave Steve that he wrote to, like Elton John and Bernie Taupin do it. So I think the two albums have some common DNA actually.
Anyway Bob, thanks for highlighting that magical and passionate Clapton guitar moment on "Dirty City" as the friends reunited on record for the first time (I think) since Blind Faith- about time, you might say, haha! Hearing that was certainly a special moment in my musical life - now a few more out there can share it and understand perhaps why back in the day the graffiti "Clapton is God" was daubed all over London town!
All the best,
Peter Godwin
_______________________________________
From: Aku Valta
Subject: RE: Rhinofy-Clapton Guest Appearances
Hi Bob,
there are two version of "It's Probably Me": the smash single from Lethal Weapon 4 soundtrack with Clapton's not only on guitar but also on snare drum with his Zippo! The Ten Summoners Tales arrangement is slow and Clapton is replaced with Dominic Miller, a Sting regular.
_______________________________________
From: Margaret Moser
Subject: Re: Rhinofy-WABC All American Survey for Week of 15 December 1964
But about "She's A Woman" ... Take that song and throw in some Mexican polka inflection and you've got the Sir Douglas Quintet's "She's About A Mover" (changed from the banned title "She's a Body Mover") from 1965. And who else than Huey Meaux would have thought to shadow on their debut album cover a couple of white boys and three young Chicanos in English mod drag? Yeah, he was despicable in his peccadillos, but the man was one of the old-school geniuses of regional music there on the Texas-Louisiana border. He worked with Don Robey and ran someof the Chitlin Circuit in San Antonio. That's the story few remember and the little ones don't understand, how powerful the regional salesman was.
In 1969, the Quintet was back on the charts with "Mendocino," with Doug Sahm ahead of the progressive country curve. In 1973, Sahm releases Doug Sahm & Friends on Atlantic with Bob Dylan and Flaco Jimenez. In 1989, Sahm forms the Texas Tornadoes with Flaco. In 2014, Flaco gets a lifetime Grammy. Sometimes, there is justice.
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Rhinofy-WABC All American Survey for Week of 15 December 1964
From: Paul Santo
Good article....but John played the opening lick to "I Feel Fine" on his Gibson J-160 through a Vox AC30 on the record and live! Dig it!! :)
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Shark Tank Update
From: Travis Laurendine
Thought you might be interested in this insight into how Shark Tank works
I did a joke app airpnp for Mardi gras in New Orleans and it became a viral hit as the story of airbnb for bathrooms on parade route... first with full local coverage and talk of the town status then usa today and quartz and thenextweb and being #2 on hacker news Mardi gras day with inbound requests coming in at lightning speed for 3 days in a row and sure enough...
That's when Shark Tank casting got in touch then asked me to be on the show and skip the line. And when we didn't immediately say yes... They kept hounding us. Calls, emails. Dude wouldn't quit. We wisely passed.
So they are searching for these sucker stories and trying to set people up for hilarious humiliation on tv. They take submissions sure but to bring you the guilty pleasures everyone loves they hire specialized casting companies looking for people to exploit like any other reality tv show.
_______________________________________
From: Tom Goldfogle
Subject: Chuck Brown
Bob –
Thanks for shining the spotlight on the DC Go-Go scene and letting your readers know what DC and Go-Go fans around the world have known for decades. As Chuck Brown's manager I was fortunate to witness night after night this legend of a man give his all for his fans in DC and around the world. With 2 – 3 hour sets without a break from when the first drumbeat started, there was never a set list – it was a new musical journey each night, based on the vibe between Chuck and the audience. It was always about the music and the fans. Not only was Chuck Brown a music innovator, pioneer, and accomplished musician, he was an incredible human being, a humble man, a father figure and mentor to many. He was so important in the Nation's Capital that a 1.8 million dollar commemorative park was unveiled last year on what would have been his 78th birthday. He is missed by a huge following of fans, but Big Tony and Trouble Funk, Rare Essence, Back Yard, Bela Dona, Familiar Faces, The Chuck
Brown Band and others continue to carry the torch and keep the beat alive. Many thanks to Dave Grohl for his love for the music.
Best,
Tom
Tom Goldfogle, President
Full Circle Entertainment, Inc.
_______________________________________
From: Chris Blackwell
Subject: Re: Sonic Highways-Austin & D.C.
I LOVED THE GO GO MUSIC OF DC
I thought it needed a film like The Harder they Come which gave a context to JAMAICAN music in order to break it. The film was called GOOD TO GO and sadly was lousy & almost brought down Island.
I loved the music and the people who made it.
So happy to see it being recognized by you.
--
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--
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Wednesday 14 January 2015
Shark Tank Update
Why is everybody so DELUSIONAL?
Needless to say entrepreneurs are the new singer/songwriters, albeit with a bigger upside. It's the American Dream, create something and get someone else to blow it up. For every Ian MacKaye, there's someone polishing a turd, just hoping that Lucian Grainge will make a seven figure deal with them. Everything's about the deal, everything's about cashing out and using the proceeds to enjoy a large lifestyle.
But you know who's getting really rich? MARK BURNETT!
It's kind of like prospecting, better to sell the tools than to pan for gold.
As for being a shark... The money ain't so great, did you see that Mark Cuban was offered 30k an episode?
But what they get is publicity.
Mark Burnett has created a hit show. And the main beneficiary for those who appear is the eyeballs, it can blow up your product, if you've got a real one.
But what I keep seeing is the equivalent of the blooper reel on "American Idol," people who have no chance of making it, who have nothing but blind faith in themselves.
Yes, the greats had no guarantees. They broke through from nowhere. But that does not mean you will!
But you can't say this. That's what I love most on "Shark Tank," when everybody says no. The contestants are truly dumbfounded. And then they walk off saying they're gonna show the sharks.
Give me a break.
All they've got is this appearance. The publicity. If their business was so good, investors would be clamoring to give them money.
So we've got three Korean women with incredible pedigrees hawking a dating site. Don't they seem to know IAC has this territory locked up? That Barry Diller is going to protect his cash cow? And sure, there are other competitors, we've even got Tinder, but the internet is laden with fads. The best example being turntable.fm...on everybody's lips for a month, and then history.
Want to break through, want to make it? DO SOMETHING UNIQUE!
But the problem is these highly-educated people, with MBAs from Stanford and Harvard, can't do this. That's what separates the creative people from the grinds. Mark Cuban didn't go to Harvard, he went to Indiana. Because success is about personality, not your C.V.
Your C.V. will do you well if you want to play it safe, if you want to go work for the bank. But if you want to go off on your own, you've got to have pluck. Not only ingenuity and perseverance, but a unique idea that you can see to fruition. If Microsoft couldn't compete with Google, losing billions on Bing, what makes these women think they can reinvent online dating, where the barrier to entry is zilch!
But doggone it, they believe in themselves.
You sit at home and convince yourself you're gonna make it and then you get to the gatekeepers and you give your spiel and the investors' eyes roll into the back of their heads. If you've got a smash hit record, the plan is secondary, if not irrelevant. If you've got a great plan and no hit, no one is interested in.
And the hardest thing is finding a hit. You can find someone who can analyze the charts all day long, someone who lives for music, but what do they bring to the table?
So "Shark Tank" is a sorry commentary on America. The truth is while the rich are raping and pillaging in traditional ways, although you've got to give the banks credit for coming up with credit default swaps, and getting the government to insure them, the great unwashed underclass is reading self-help books, listening to testimonials by one-dimensional celebrities, deciding if they just believe in themselves, they'll be successful.
But it don't really happen that way at all!
Furthermore, just because you can write a business plan that does not make your business successful. Once again, the idea, the germ, the creative spark is the key. It's nothing without execution, but once again you can't polish a turd.
But you can't tell people this.
"Mark Cuban Threatened To Leave Shark Tank Over Sony's 'Insulting' Offer Of $30,000 Per Episode": http://read.bi/17JRcGM
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Needless to say entrepreneurs are the new singer/songwriters, albeit with a bigger upside. It's the American Dream, create something and get someone else to blow it up. For every Ian MacKaye, there's someone polishing a turd, just hoping that Lucian Grainge will make a seven figure deal with them. Everything's about the deal, everything's about cashing out and using the proceeds to enjoy a large lifestyle.
But you know who's getting really rich? MARK BURNETT!
It's kind of like prospecting, better to sell the tools than to pan for gold.
As for being a shark... The money ain't so great, did you see that Mark Cuban was offered 30k an episode?
But what they get is publicity.
Mark Burnett has created a hit show. And the main beneficiary for those who appear is the eyeballs, it can blow up your product, if you've got a real one.
But what I keep seeing is the equivalent of the blooper reel on "American Idol," people who have no chance of making it, who have nothing but blind faith in themselves.
Yes, the greats had no guarantees. They broke through from nowhere. But that does not mean you will!
But you can't say this. That's what I love most on "Shark Tank," when everybody says no. The contestants are truly dumbfounded. And then they walk off saying they're gonna show the sharks.
Give me a break.
All they've got is this appearance. The publicity. If their business was so good, investors would be clamoring to give them money.
So we've got three Korean women with incredible pedigrees hawking a dating site. Don't they seem to know IAC has this territory locked up? That Barry Diller is going to protect his cash cow? And sure, there are other competitors, we've even got Tinder, but the internet is laden with fads. The best example being turntable.fm...on everybody's lips for a month, and then history.
Want to break through, want to make it? DO SOMETHING UNIQUE!
But the problem is these highly-educated people, with MBAs from Stanford and Harvard, can't do this. That's what separates the creative people from the grinds. Mark Cuban didn't go to Harvard, he went to Indiana. Because success is about personality, not your C.V.
Your C.V. will do you well if you want to play it safe, if you want to go work for the bank. But if you want to go off on your own, you've got to have pluck. Not only ingenuity and perseverance, but a unique idea that you can see to fruition. If Microsoft couldn't compete with Google, losing billions on Bing, what makes these women think they can reinvent online dating, where the barrier to entry is zilch!
But doggone it, they believe in themselves.
You sit at home and convince yourself you're gonna make it and then you get to the gatekeepers and you give your spiel and the investors' eyes roll into the back of their heads. If you've got a smash hit record, the plan is secondary, if not irrelevant. If you've got a great plan and no hit, no one is interested in.
And the hardest thing is finding a hit. You can find someone who can analyze the charts all day long, someone who lives for music, but what do they bring to the table?
So "Shark Tank" is a sorry commentary on America. The truth is while the rich are raping and pillaging in traditional ways, although you've got to give the banks credit for coming up with credit default swaps, and getting the government to insure them, the great unwashed underclass is reading self-help books, listening to testimonials by one-dimensional celebrities, deciding if they just believe in themselves, they'll be successful.
But it don't really happen that way at all!
Furthermore, just because you can write a business plan that does not make your business successful. Once again, the idea, the germ, the creative spark is the key. It's nothing without execution, but once again you can't polish a turd.
But you can't tell people this.
"Mark Cuban Threatened To Leave Shark Tank Over Sony's 'Insulting' Offer Of $30,000 Per Episode": http://read.bi/17JRcGM
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Tuesday 13 January 2015
Sonic Highways-Austin & D.C.
You used to be nobody. Los Angeles and New York were a dream. Rather than build a shrine to yourself on social media, you became engrossed in media, in music and films, and you went to the theatre, to the show, to get closer.
Nowhere as much as in Washington, D.C. Where there was a live Go-go scene that most of the country never heard of when it was peaking and still have no idea how to characterize. We had the Go-Go's. The sound was big at the beach. Was this some kind of surf music? Or soul, akin to "Under The Boardwalk"?
"Sonic Highways" is the first explanation of Go-go music to make it comprehensible. As an interviewee claims, it was what shoulda been rap. If you don't feel like you missed out when you see the Go-go show, if you don't want to get in your car and drive there right now, you've got no soul, and certainly no ears. It was about the drums, the beat, it was participatory, it was about the interaction between performer and audience.
That's today's conundrum. All the action is at the show and all the publicity surrounds the record. It's hard for musicians to flip the switch, to realize live has triumphed over recordings. That they can make it if they really try. But they must try harder.
It's easy to fake it in the studio.
It's almost impossible to fake it on stage. And that's one of the reasons so many acts carry huge production, to cover up. If they had to be there naked it would all fall flat. But not for Trouble Funk at the Go-go show.
You're watching Dave Grohl talk to this big black guy and you ask yourself...WHO IS THIS? Just another guy from the Chocolate City? No, it turns out to be Big Tony, Trouble Funk's majordomo. But then Big Tony starts to testify about Chuck Brown. WHO?
But once you see the recently departed Mr. Brown on stage you get it, he was the progenitor of Go-go.
And that was the highlight of these two episodes, along with Steve Earle singing his Townes Van Zandt song. How is it that someone we all know the name of could be broke? Especially before the days of the internet, when it was nearly impossible to get noticed. But being a songwriter used to be enough, it still is, if you're great.
And once upon a time a song was a story. Something heartfelt, that would make you cry, as Nanci Griffith does when Steve sings on "Austin City Limits."
But the point is the seventies and eighties were a long, long time ago.
If you think music ruled in the sixties... It was even more dominant in the seventies, when it had an established place in the firmament, when FM ruled and the hardest part of going to the show was getting a ticket.
In the eighties... What can I say, we had MTV. Musicians triumphed. You wanted to be one.
And then VH1 catalogued everybody's exploits on "Behind The Music" and the past imploded. The scorched earth formula took what was personal and special and made it pedestrian, with the arc of a film, and the truth is every band has its own arc, every band tells its own story.
So you're in Austin and a blues fanatic, Clifford Antone, opens a club to showcase his favorite sound. Was he doing it to get rich? Of course not! That was the difference between then and now. Today everybody wants to ring the bell, make a billion, back then we thought if we were paying our bills, if we were doing what was important to us, if it was fulfilling, we were happy. You remember happiness, don't you? That's when you pursue your dream. And if you take the money out of today's dreams, do they still fly?
Rarely.
And the highlight of the Austin episode, other than Mr. Earle's performance, is the Roky Erickson footage. And just when you figure he's never going to be on camera, Roky is. Not all there mentally, but certainly all there physically. It's astounding these people are still around.
That's what you don't realize, your heroes, the icons, they're reachable, they're here, touch them while you can.
And Willie Nelson only triumphed when he returned to Austin. Footage of his Fourth of July picnic will also have you lamenting you missed it. Once again, this was a minor story in "Rolling Stone," most people were unaware of it back when, the boomers did not yet control the mainstream media, music was huge, but it was still outside.
And now Austin is booming. Willie just says to move west. The way the arts have taken hold in the old industrial areas of western Massachusetts. Artists need time to be able to create, they need to pay almost no rent and no overhead. But today that's impossible in the cities.
And the cities pay the price, our whole country pays the price. Money has certainly triumphed over music. We want statistics, data. That which touches the heart is unquantifiable, and therefore doesn't get much press.
And although Dave Grohl can be sycophantic, the truth is he's doing God's work here. He's treating the music and the history with respect. Want to inspire the next generation? Show "Sonic Highways" in schools.
Because that's not what music is today.
Stardom has triumphed over art. How do you look? What is your plan? Who do you know? As opposed to inspiration, and following it.
If you haven't watched "Sonic Highways," borrow someone's HBO GO log-in and log on. Because it will take you to a different place, one you remember if you lived through it, one that will be intriguing if you did not.
When you had to make the record sleeves yourself, as they did at Dischord, as opposed to clicking a button and pushing your music into the online abyss.
I'm not saying that the internet is bad, I'm just saying you lose something with every advancement. And what we've lost is the local scene. The same way we've lost it in radio and concert promotion. The entire nation is homogeneous. It's the same everywhere, the same TV shows and fast food. Maybe that's why the restaurant scene is burgeoning. Cuisine is different at each and every establishment. Sure, Danny Meyer may rise above, but that's the same way the Beatles and the Airplane rose above. But that didn't mean we didn't play music at home, that we all weren't happy where we were.
Now no one's happy where they are. They have to measure themselves against the titans of not only music, but tech. Everyone feels inadequate, and burdened by the self-promotion online. Everybody wants to be important and with everybody vying for attention, almost no one is.
But it used to be different. You used to be part of your own local community. Your identity was three-dimensional, your influences more important than your number of followers.
Then again, this insularity caused bigotry, caused us to leave and go to the big city to find our people.
Like I said, something is gained and something is lost in every revolution.
Chuck Brown "Wind Me Up": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM1vSfrQQgQ
Chuck Brown "Go Go Live": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sICtAySqjW8
Steve Earle (fast-forward to 9:30): http://strangerintown.podcastpeople.com/posts/49864
Trouble Funk, "Drop The Bomb": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg5IRsPs5E8
Roky Erickson "Two Headed Dog": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7aLXehSXAo
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Nowhere as much as in Washington, D.C. Where there was a live Go-go scene that most of the country never heard of when it was peaking and still have no idea how to characterize. We had the Go-Go's. The sound was big at the beach. Was this some kind of surf music? Or soul, akin to "Under The Boardwalk"?
"Sonic Highways" is the first explanation of Go-go music to make it comprehensible. As an interviewee claims, it was what shoulda been rap. If you don't feel like you missed out when you see the Go-go show, if you don't want to get in your car and drive there right now, you've got no soul, and certainly no ears. It was about the drums, the beat, it was participatory, it was about the interaction between performer and audience.
That's today's conundrum. All the action is at the show and all the publicity surrounds the record. It's hard for musicians to flip the switch, to realize live has triumphed over recordings. That they can make it if they really try. But they must try harder.
It's easy to fake it in the studio.
It's almost impossible to fake it on stage. And that's one of the reasons so many acts carry huge production, to cover up. If they had to be there naked it would all fall flat. But not for Trouble Funk at the Go-go show.
You're watching Dave Grohl talk to this big black guy and you ask yourself...WHO IS THIS? Just another guy from the Chocolate City? No, it turns out to be Big Tony, Trouble Funk's majordomo. But then Big Tony starts to testify about Chuck Brown. WHO?
But once you see the recently departed Mr. Brown on stage you get it, he was the progenitor of Go-go.
And that was the highlight of these two episodes, along with Steve Earle singing his Townes Van Zandt song. How is it that someone we all know the name of could be broke? Especially before the days of the internet, when it was nearly impossible to get noticed. But being a songwriter used to be enough, it still is, if you're great.
And once upon a time a song was a story. Something heartfelt, that would make you cry, as Nanci Griffith does when Steve sings on "Austin City Limits."
But the point is the seventies and eighties were a long, long time ago.
If you think music ruled in the sixties... It was even more dominant in the seventies, when it had an established place in the firmament, when FM ruled and the hardest part of going to the show was getting a ticket.
In the eighties... What can I say, we had MTV. Musicians triumphed. You wanted to be one.
And then VH1 catalogued everybody's exploits on "Behind The Music" and the past imploded. The scorched earth formula took what was personal and special and made it pedestrian, with the arc of a film, and the truth is every band has its own arc, every band tells its own story.
So you're in Austin and a blues fanatic, Clifford Antone, opens a club to showcase his favorite sound. Was he doing it to get rich? Of course not! That was the difference between then and now. Today everybody wants to ring the bell, make a billion, back then we thought if we were paying our bills, if we were doing what was important to us, if it was fulfilling, we were happy. You remember happiness, don't you? That's when you pursue your dream. And if you take the money out of today's dreams, do they still fly?
Rarely.
And the highlight of the Austin episode, other than Mr. Earle's performance, is the Roky Erickson footage. And just when you figure he's never going to be on camera, Roky is. Not all there mentally, but certainly all there physically. It's astounding these people are still around.
That's what you don't realize, your heroes, the icons, they're reachable, they're here, touch them while you can.
And Willie Nelson only triumphed when he returned to Austin. Footage of his Fourth of July picnic will also have you lamenting you missed it. Once again, this was a minor story in "Rolling Stone," most people were unaware of it back when, the boomers did not yet control the mainstream media, music was huge, but it was still outside.
And now Austin is booming. Willie just says to move west. The way the arts have taken hold in the old industrial areas of western Massachusetts. Artists need time to be able to create, they need to pay almost no rent and no overhead. But today that's impossible in the cities.
And the cities pay the price, our whole country pays the price. Money has certainly triumphed over music. We want statistics, data. That which touches the heart is unquantifiable, and therefore doesn't get much press.
And although Dave Grohl can be sycophantic, the truth is he's doing God's work here. He's treating the music and the history with respect. Want to inspire the next generation? Show "Sonic Highways" in schools.
Because that's not what music is today.
Stardom has triumphed over art. How do you look? What is your plan? Who do you know? As opposed to inspiration, and following it.
If you haven't watched "Sonic Highways," borrow someone's HBO GO log-in and log on. Because it will take you to a different place, one you remember if you lived through it, one that will be intriguing if you did not.
When you had to make the record sleeves yourself, as they did at Dischord, as opposed to clicking a button and pushing your music into the online abyss.
I'm not saying that the internet is bad, I'm just saying you lose something with every advancement. And what we've lost is the local scene. The same way we've lost it in radio and concert promotion. The entire nation is homogeneous. It's the same everywhere, the same TV shows and fast food. Maybe that's why the restaurant scene is burgeoning. Cuisine is different at each and every establishment. Sure, Danny Meyer may rise above, but that's the same way the Beatles and the Airplane rose above. But that didn't mean we didn't play music at home, that we all weren't happy where we were.
Now no one's happy where they are. They have to measure themselves against the titans of not only music, but tech. Everyone feels inadequate, and burdened by the self-promotion online. Everybody wants to be important and with everybody vying for attention, almost no one is.
But it used to be different. You used to be part of your own local community. Your identity was three-dimensional, your influences more important than your number of followers.
Then again, this insularity caused bigotry, caused us to leave and go to the big city to find our people.
Like I said, something is gained and something is lost in every revolution.
Chuck Brown "Wind Me Up": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM1vSfrQQgQ
Chuck Brown "Go Go Live": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sICtAySqjW8
Steve Earle (fast-forward to 9:30): http://strangerintown.podcastpeople.com/posts/49864
Trouble Funk, "Drop The Bomb": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg5IRsPs5E8
Roky Erickson "Two Headed Dog": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7aLXehSXAo
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Monday 12 January 2015
The Billy Joel Book
http://www.amazon.com/Billy-Joel-Fred-Schruers/dp/0804140197
It really was different.
It bugs me that people claim otherwise, the youngsters who were not around and the oldsters hanging on by a thread.
First and foremost, as Malcolm Gladwell said in "Outliers," timing is everything. Jason Flom's father may have been blackballed because he was Jewish, but he found an opportunity in a Jewish law firm doing hostile takeovers, something that didn't exist previously. So, you've got to be bright, you've got to be ready, but timing is everything.
And the truth is when Billy Joel took piano lessons, he could not foresee the advent of the Beatles, he could not foresee music driving the youthquake and the culture. But when it did, he was ready. He started off as the piano player in the band, and ended up the lead singer too. You've got to make the most of your opportunities.
And opportunities came his way. But they never worked out. It's kind of like tech today, where failure is a badge of honor because you learn something. The Hassles, Attila, they proved what Billy did not want to do. And unlike his compatriots Billy stayed at it. That's right, most people give up. Not only are they frustrated, life gets in the way. They want a new car, a house and a family. Billy didn't even know how to drive. He was about music and girls only.
And music could keep you alive. You could play six nights a week, honing your chops without realizing it.
And then there was the deal with Artie Ripp.
The book makes the point that the two worst deals Billy made were what ensured his success.
Yes, Billy had to pay Artie Ripp seemingly forever, but no one else believed in him, no one else was giving him a chance. And it was the initial album and the resulting tour that gave him traction.
And Howard Kaufman gives credit to Billy's wife Elizabeth. She fought harder as his manager, she believed.
So as you sit at home trying to get it right, know that if you insist on winning every time you're probably holding yourself back.
And there was the switch to Phil Ramone as producer, and Walter Yetnikoff believed in Billy and got back his publishing, but the truth is Billy had the music in him. Still does.
It's very different from today. When people are focusing on money from day one. When they want to expand their brand. The music is enough, it will get you through, if you believe in it, if you trust in it, if you're good at it.
And despite all the naysayers, at this late date Billy Joel even gets respect. Last long enough and the flavor of the moment disappears and only the great remain, and Billy Joel is great.
And this is the book that was supposed to be the autobiography. And, unfortunately, some of the deepest questions remain unanswered. We hear some of the Artie Ripp story, find out that Mike Lang was the link between the two, but just when the story should slow down it speeds up. Billy's tale is not unknown. If you're reading this book it's because you want to know more. And you learn tidbits, but you still want more depth.
But what struck me most was I could not put it down.
I was going through a stack of books, scanning them, getting them out of the way. But I got hooked by this and spent hours reveling in the way it once was. When the album mattered, not because it made more money but because it made a statement, and the public wanted to hear it.
SHE'S GOT A WAY
My favorite album is "Songs From The Attic," wherein Billy re-records all his old songs the way he wants to hear them. I'm not sure I ever heard the original from "Cold Spring Harbor," I was a latecomer to Billy's oeuvre. But the original is astounding, because it's intimate and heartfelt. You dropped the needle on stuff like this and you owned it, it spoke to you. And it still speaks to me today.
"She comes to me when I'm feelin' down
Inspires me without a sound
She touches me and I get turned around"
Artists are sensitive. We're insecure. We need to be lifted up, dusted off and encouraged.
THE BALLAD OF BILLY KID
This is on "Piano Man," but the definitive take is on "Songs In The Attic." Never a hit, it's as important to Billy's canon as the songs that charted.
"From a town known as Oyster Bay, Long Island
Rode a boy with a six-pack in his hand"
We all come from somewhere. Usually unhip, where we were an outcast. We migrated to the city to find like-minded people, to reinvent ourselves, to make it.
Billy's a product of the suburbs. He wanted to GET OUT!
STREETLIFE SERENADER
"Streetlife serenader
Never sang on stages
Needs no orchestration
Melody comes easy"
Not everybody makes it. We all know naturals without the gumption, without the breaks. And when we listen to them, we're reminded of what we thought would once be.
Billy decries the "Streetlife Serenader" album, says it was rushed, sounds wrong and doesn't deliver, he wouldn't even let it get released in Australia, for fear of hurting his momentum. But if you ever listened to a Broadway cast album, if you believe music doesn't have to be hard-edged, but can be smooth and soothing...the sound of "Streetlife Serenader" will entrance you.
SUMMER, HIGHLAND FALLS
Another song whose definitive version is on "Songs In The Attic."
There was a real house, a real location that inspired this song.
And for artists, who feel more than we do and translate for us...
It's always either sadness or euphoria, they're not even-keeled.
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
"But I'm taking a Greyhound
On the Hudson River Line
I'm in a New York state of mind"
He was. On a Greyhound. Returning from the west coast, to reside on the Hudson in a house Elizabeth rented. He landed at the airport and got on the bus, back before everybody had a black car waiting, never mind a private jet delivering them, and on the ride up... Billy was inspired. He didn't know he was composing the definitive statement, but when he got to his new house he went to the piano and immediately wrote this. A track that marinated for decades before it found its rightful place as the anthem of New York in the wake of 9/11.
MIAMI 2017 (I'VE SEEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT ON BROADWAY)
Inspired by the famous newspaper headline, Ford telling New York City to drop dead, it's written from the perspective of years hence, from a Jew in Miami, telling those who were not there what happened.
And one great thing in the book is learning of the Joel factory in Nuremberg. The family had money, the Nazis took the business, at least Billy's grandfather escaped, ultimately going to Cuba and then America. We're all immigrants. Our desire to make something of ourselves makes our country great.
JUST THE WAY YOU ARE
"Don't go changin'..."
Sappy. Even Billy thought so. But it's this standard that made his career. He didn't even want to put it on the album, Linda Ronstadt had to tell him it was a hit. Write one song this good and you can live forever. Write more...
SCENES FROM AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT
"A bottle of red, a bottle of white
It all depends on your appetite
I'll meet you any time you want
In our Italian restaurant"
Back when they had Chianti bottles hanging from the ceiling, before foodie culture told hold and everywhere there were Italians there were red-checked tablecloth joints where we met and drank and told our stories.
That's what's great about the east coast, the dialogue, the stories. Doesn't matter who you are and what you've done so much as how well you tell it!
And the best of us told their stories in song.
We were addicted to not only the radio, but our records. They were our truth.
But that was back in 1975, when Brenda and Eddie were still in their prime, right after their divorce, before they gained weight, got sick and had their dreams dashed.
No one believed like we baby boomers. We thought we controlled the world. Still do, even if it's untrue.
And the integral element wasn't our smartphones, but our music.
Our social network was radio. We went to the gig to convene with our brethren.
And you wonder why we go in droves to see our heroes perform their hits.
Because they're our songs.
And Billy wrote a whole hell of a lot of 'em.
Spotify playlist: http://spoti.fi/1u1CO12
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It really was different.
It bugs me that people claim otherwise, the youngsters who were not around and the oldsters hanging on by a thread.
First and foremost, as Malcolm Gladwell said in "Outliers," timing is everything. Jason Flom's father may have been blackballed because he was Jewish, but he found an opportunity in a Jewish law firm doing hostile takeovers, something that didn't exist previously. So, you've got to be bright, you've got to be ready, but timing is everything.
And the truth is when Billy Joel took piano lessons, he could not foresee the advent of the Beatles, he could not foresee music driving the youthquake and the culture. But when it did, he was ready. He started off as the piano player in the band, and ended up the lead singer too. You've got to make the most of your opportunities.
And opportunities came his way. But they never worked out. It's kind of like tech today, where failure is a badge of honor because you learn something. The Hassles, Attila, they proved what Billy did not want to do. And unlike his compatriots Billy stayed at it. That's right, most people give up. Not only are they frustrated, life gets in the way. They want a new car, a house and a family. Billy didn't even know how to drive. He was about music and girls only.
And music could keep you alive. You could play six nights a week, honing your chops without realizing it.
And then there was the deal with Artie Ripp.
The book makes the point that the two worst deals Billy made were what ensured his success.
Yes, Billy had to pay Artie Ripp seemingly forever, but no one else believed in him, no one else was giving him a chance. And it was the initial album and the resulting tour that gave him traction.
And Howard Kaufman gives credit to Billy's wife Elizabeth. She fought harder as his manager, she believed.
So as you sit at home trying to get it right, know that if you insist on winning every time you're probably holding yourself back.
And there was the switch to Phil Ramone as producer, and Walter Yetnikoff believed in Billy and got back his publishing, but the truth is Billy had the music in him. Still does.
It's very different from today. When people are focusing on money from day one. When they want to expand their brand. The music is enough, it will get you through, if you believe in it, if you trust in it, if you're good at it.
And despite all the naysayers, at this late date Billy Joel even gets respect. Last long enough and the flavor of the moment disappears and only the great remain, and Billy Joel is great.
And this is the book that was supposed to be the autobiography. And, unfortunately, some of the deepest questions remain unanswered. We hear some of the Artie Ripp story, find out that Mike Lang was the link between the two, but just when the story should slow down it speeds up. Billy's tale is not unknown. If you're reading this book it's because you want to know more. And you learn tidbits, but you still want more depth.
But what struck me most was I could not put it down.
I was going through a stack of books, scanning them, getting them out of the way. But I got hooked by this and spent hours reveling in the way it once was. When the album mattered, not because it made more money but because it made a statement, and the public wanted to hear it.
SHE'S GOT A WAY
My favorite album is "Songs From The Attic," wherein Billy re-records all his old songs the way he wants to hear them. I'm not sure I ever heard the original from "Cold Spring Harbor," I was a latecomer to Billy's oeuvre. But the original is astounding, because it's intimate and heartfelt. You dropped the needle on stuff like this and you owned it, it spoke to you. And it still speaks to me today.
"She comes to me when I'm feelin' down
Inspires me without a sound
She touches me and I get turned around"
Artists are sensitive. We're insecure. We need to be lifted up, dusted off and encouraged.
THE BALLAD OF BILLY KID
This is on "Piano Man," but the definitive take is on "Songs In The Attic." Never a hit, it's as important to Billy's canon as the songs that charted.
"From a town known as Oyster Bay, Long Island
Rode a boy with a six-pack in his hand"
We all come from somewhere. Usually unhip, where we were an outcast. We migrated to the city to find like-minded people, to reinvent ourselves, to make it.
Billy's a product of the suburbs. He wanted to GET OUT!
STREETLIFE SERENADER
"Streetlife serenader
Never sang on stages
Needs no orchestration
Melody comes easy"
Not everybody makes it. We all know naturals without the gumption, without the breaks. And when we listen to them, we're reminded of what we thought would once be.
Billy decries the "Streetlife Serenader" album, says it was rushed, sounds wrong and doesn't deliver, he wouldn't even let it get released in Australia, for fear of hurting his momentum. But if you ever listened to a Broadway cast album, if you believe music doesn't have to be hard-edged, but can be smooth and soothing...the sound of "Streetlife Serenader" will entrance you.
SUMMER, HIGHLAND FALLS
Another song whose definitive version is on "Songs In The Attic."
There was a real house, a real location that inspired this song.
And for artists, who feel more than we do and translate for us...
It's always either sadness or euphoria, they're not even-keeled.
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
"But I'm taking a Greyhound
On the Hudson River Line
I'm in a New York state of mind"
He was. On a Greyhound. Returning from the west coast, to reside on the Hudson in a house Elizabeth rented. He landed at the airport and got on the bus, back before everybody had a black car waiting, never mind a private jet delivering them, and on the ride up... Billy was inspired. He didn't know he was composing the definitive statement, but when he got to his new house he went to the piano and immediately wrote this. A track that marinated for decades before it found its rightful place as the anthem of New York in the wake of 9/11.
MIAMI 2017 (I'VE SEEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT ON BROADWAY)
Inspired by the famous newspaper headline, Ford telling New York City to drop dead, it's written from the perspective of years hence, from a Jew in Miami, telling those who were not there what happened.
And one great thing in the book is learning of the Joel factory in Nuremberg. The family had money, the Nazis took the business, at least Billy's grandfather escaped, ultimately going to Cuba and then America. We're all immigrants. Our desire to make something of ourselves makes our country great.
JUST THE WAY YOU ARE
"Don't go changin'..."
Sappy. Even Billy thought so. But it's this standard that made his career. He didn't even want to put it on the album, Linda Ronstadt had to tell him it was a hit. Write one song this good and you can live forever. Write more...
SCENES FROM AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT
"A bottle of red, a bottle of white
It all depends on your appetite
I'll meet you any time you want
In our Italian restaurant"
Back when they had Chianti bottles hanging from the ceiling, before foodie culture told hold and everywhere there were Italians there were red-checked tablecloth joints where we met and drank and told our stories.
That's what's great about the east coast, the dialogue, the stories. Doesn't matter who you are and what you've done so much as how well you tell it!
And the best of us told their stories in song.
We were addicted to not only the radio, but our records. They were our truth.
But that was back in 1975, when Brenda and Eddie were still in their prime, right after their divorce, before they gained weight, got sick and had their dreams dashed.
No one believed like we baby boomers. We thought we controlled the world. Still do, even if it's untrue.
And the integral element wasn't our smartphones, but our music.
Our social network was radio. We went to the gig to convene with our brethren.
And you wonder why we go in droves to see our heroes perform their hits.
Because they're our songs.
And Billy wrote a whole hell of a lot of 'em.
Spotify playlist: http://spoti.fi/1u1CO12
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Them vs. Us
It's the narrative stupid!
The "New York Times" did a story on those helped by Obamacare. The prime person was taking advantage, she was getting long-delayed dental care, but she was against national health care, because of the death panels. Over 40% of Americans believe they exist, even though they don't.
How did this happen?
The anti-Obamacare adherents controlled the narrative.
You don't play for today, you play for tomorrow. Otherwise, you never win.
Like the Republicans. They thought the judiciary was becoming too liberal. So they formed the Federalist Society on campuses, and years later right-leaning judges were a force in the system. The same way these same people realized fighting abortion on a national level was nearly futile, so they decided to change their focus to the state level... Just try getting an abortion in Texas now. Hard to do. Statistics bear this out, abortions are down.
So the American narrative, instituted in the days of Ronald Reagan, is the government is inept and wastes your money, that you work so hard for, so you shouldn't give it to them.
But the truth is America is a business. And businesses waste money. Just ask a VC, the victories cover the losses. Or ask yourself, ever buy something you didn't use in the office? Of course you did. But the government can't do this. And the government can't hire people. That's one of the reasons our economy has had a hard time recovering, under George Bush more people were working for the government. People need jobs, work needs to be done. But the real problem with the country is the deficit, and inflation is just around the corner. Huh? That was the narrative for the first half of Obama's presidency, even though it turned out to be completely false.
And Obama's main failing is experience. Being President is a job, but we run it like a popularity contest. But those running realize it's a money contest. And he or she who wins is beholden to fat cats, even though there are more of us.
Income inequality is a scourge upon our nation. Not only does it undermine upward mobility, it drags down the economy. Because the economy burgeons when people have money to buy things. That's right, the economy is driven by consumer spending. And the fat cats don't buy a hundred cars or twenty five homes, never mind a score of plungers and other household items and electronics. But the narrative is the rich are job creators, and the poor pay no taxes. But the truth is everybody pays taxes, certainly sales taxes, usually payroll taxes, if they have a job. But the poor have been demonized, as if having no cash is a character flaw.
How long is this going to persist?
There are two different countries now. The affluent and the poor. And not all the affluent are billionaires. But the affluent can afford to enrich their children's education, they can point them to good schools. And when these kids graduate they take jobs in banking and tech that ensure they won't be poor, they're running away from the underclass, never mind the disappearing middle class.
And false narratives persist in the music business. A recent one being Spotify doesn't pay enough, that it should give more of its revenues to artists. But if the Swedish streaming service already pays 69% of its revenues to rights holders... Apple pays 70%. How are you supposed to have a profitable business with no margin? But Taylor Swift said the service sucks and pulled her music and now players are up in arms. Not realizing the enemy is obscurity and YouTube pays so much less.
Life is a game. And the rules are stacked against you. Did you read the "New York Times" story about private art museums? How did these wealthy people get big tax breaks? They paid their Congresspeople. Who listen to them because they donate. You may vote but you're only significant when the numbers are counted, then you're forgotten.
And then there are the pejoratives, like "socialism." Read this piece in yesterday's "Los Angeles Times" saying how much better life is in Scandinavia, especially Norway: "The American Way over the Nordic Model? Are we crazy?" http://lat.ms/1sn24Dw But they have high taxes and socialism kills incentive! But the truth is the American Dream lives larger overseas, where they have national health care and a safety net and...
So you're working two jobs and buying lottery tickets and trying out for the "Voice" believing if you just work harder, you can be like them. You can never be like them. They let a few people through so you'll continue to believe in the game, but the odds of upward mobility are infinitesimal. If you think you can get ahead on two minimum wage jobs you don't eat and need no shelter, and then you still won't succeed. But you believe you will.
Because of the narrative.
America is the greatest country in the world!
Pledge fealty to the troops!
All this nationalistic hogwash that has you believing you're gonna be a winner, that things are good.
Meanwhile, you're watching sports, you've got to root for something, especially if you can't root for yourself.
And then you complain that music is bad. Of course it is, who's going to become a musician? No one educated with a brain. And then envious of the techies, all those who do break through will do anything for a buck, they've got no backbone. But you can't criticize their behavior, because of the narrative, that Napster crippled the music business and everybody is broke.
Kind of like the Long Tail narrative, if you create it there's an audience for it. Probably not, other than your mother and your girlfriend. While you keep hearing the internet has democratized art, the truth is it's created a world of blockbusters. With so little time and access to everything we only want the best, we only have time to check out the famous. It's like everybody in Paducah is competing for affection with movie stars. That's right, if you play in a band, the Stones are in the club next door, that's what the internet is like.
And change is everywhere. Bands used to have places to play live. By time you heard them, they'd played a zillion gigs and were good, now you're just getting overwhelmed by wannabes, telling you to check out their substandard wares online.
He who controls the narrative controls the country. Money is important, but not as much as power. And oftentimes they go hand in hand, but the cycle is broken in art. That's right, one song created in your basement can change the world, ask not only Barry McGuire, but Lorde. But you desire to work with the hitmakers du jour, you want to hang with the rich and famous, you want to get out, flying private and drinking Cristal instead of being able to pay your bills in an apartment in the city. You have a dream, but as John Lennon said, the dream is over.
Meanwhile, media, except for the occasional story in the newspaper, keeps reinforcing a narrative that keeps you powerless. That's right, the media killed Occupy Wall Street, and now the new Congress wants to eviscerate Dodd Frank. The media quashed civil rebellion against police brutality. That's right, now the narrative is the men and women in blue have a tough job and we're just not behind them enough. And I'm not saying it's black and white, but I will say if you think racism is dead, you're probably on the Supreme Court, which got rid of voting laws. The same Supreme Court that is now right-leaning because of the Federalist Society.
We need leaders.
In the sixties they came from the youth. Who were in college without momentous debt, brought up in middle class homes believing, truthfully, that opportunity was plentiful. And money and attention was garnered by artists, with universal appeal. Not the outsiders, but those on the charts, with an audience. Today everybody's so busy trying to pay their bills and make it they don't have time to protest.
But they should.
But there are no leaders, no one telling them the truth in a narrative they can understand. That taxes are good, they put music in school. Instead, the narrative is public schools suck and home-schooling is best and we should have vouchers to get out of bad schools. How about a voucher to get out of a bad neighborhood, to move to Manhattan into one of those apartments the fat cats occupy for only two weeks a year? How about a voucher for a private island vacation in the Caribbean? How about a voucher for an audience with a Senator who will write legislation allowing you to avoid paying taxes, or have your income taxed at capital gains rates, like the hedge funders?
It all sounds overwhelming, it all sounds undoable. You're too busy trying to get ahead yourself to help everybody else.
Which is exactly how they want it. Divide and conquer. If you're fighting your brother, you don't have time to fight them.
But you've got to love your brother. You've got to unite. You've got to see we're stronger together than apart. That the American way is in peril. That America is us. Not only the rich in the news, but the hardworking people who go to work each day and put most of their income into commodities, food and drink and products, that keep America humming. Or at least used to.
In the information society too many know nothing. They're aware of gossip, but not basic economic precepts. Just like music is in disarray, with only a small segment of the public aware of the hits, most people know nothing about how the world works.
And we can either blame them or enlighten them.
Or we can let the usual suspects herd us like cattle into doing what's best for them.
What about what's best for us?
"Writing Off the Warhol Next Door, Art Collectors Gain Tax Benefits From Private Museums": http://nyti.ms/14mB2Ro
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The "New York Times" did a story on those helped by Obamacare. The prime person was taking advantage, she was getting long-delayed dental care, but she was against national health care, because of the death panels. Over 40% of Americans believe they exist, even though they don't.
How did this happen?
The anti-Obamacare adherents controlled the narrative.
You don't play for today, you play for tomorrow. Otherwise, you never win.
Like the Republicans. They thought the judiciary was becoming too liberal. So they formed the Federalist Society on campuses, and years later right-leaning judges were a force in the system. The same way these same people realized fighting abortion on a national level was nearly futile, so they decided to change their focus to the state level... Just try getting an abortion in Texas now. Hard to do. Statistics bear this out, abortions are down.
So the American narrative, instituted in the days of Ronald Reagan, is the government is inept and wastes your money, that you work so hard for, so you shouldn't give it to them.
But the truth is America is a business. And businesses waste money. Just ask a VC, the victories cover the losses. Or ask yourself, ever buy something you didn't use in the office? Of course you did. But the government can't do this. And the government can't hire people. That's one of the reasons our economy has had a hard time recovering, under George Bush more people were working for the government. People need jobs, work needs to be done. But the real problem with the country is the deficit, and inflation is just around the corner. Huh? That was the narrative for the first half of Obama's presidency, even though it turned out to be completely false.
And Obama's main failing is experience. Being President is a job, but we run it like a popularity contest. But those running realize it's a money contest. And he or she who wins is beholden to fat cats, even though there are more of us.
Income inequality is a scourge upon our nation. Not only does it undermine upward mobility, it drags down the economy. Because the economy burgeons when people have money to buy things. That's right, the economy is driven by consumer spending. And the fat cats don't buy a hundred cars or twenty five homes, never mind a score of plungers and other household items and electronics. But the narrative is the rich are job creators, and the poor pay no taxes. But the truth is everybody pays taxes, certainly sales taxes, usually payroll taxes, if they have a job. But the poor have been demonized, as if having no cash is a character flaw.
How long is this going to persist?
There are two different countries now. The affluent and the poor. And not all the affluent are billionaires. But the affluent can afford to enrich their children's education, they can point them to good schools. And when these kids graduate they take jobs in banking and tech that ensure they won't be poor, they're running away from the underclass, never mind the disappearing middle class.
And false narratives persist in the music business. A recent one being Spotify doesn't pay enough, that it should give more of its revenues to artists. But if the Swedish streaming service already pays 69% of its revenues to rights holders... Apple pays 70%. How are you supposed to have a profitable business with no margin? But Taylor Swift said the service sucks and pulled her music and now players are up in arms. Not realizing the enemy is obscurity and YouTube pays so much less.
Life is a game. And the rules are stacked against you. Did you read the "New York Times" story about private art museums? How did these wealthy people get big tax breaks? They paid their Congresspeople. Who listen to them because they donate. You may vote but you're only significant when the numbers are counted, then you're forgotten.
And then there are the pejoratives, like "socialism." Read this piece in yesterday's "Los Angeles Times" saying how much better life is in Scandinavia, especially Norway: "The American Way over the Nordic Model? Are we crazy?" http://lat.ms/1sn24Dw But they have high taxes and socialism kills incentive! But the truth is the American Dream lives larger overseas, where they have national health care and a safety net and...
So you're working two jobs and buying lottery tickets and trying out for the "Voice" believing if you just work harder, you can be like them. You can never be like them. They let a few people through so you'll continue to believe in the game, but the odds of upward mobility are infinitesimal. If you think you can get ahead on two minimum wage jobs you don't eat and need no shelter, and then you still won't succeed. But you believe you will.
Because of the narrative.
America is the greatest country in the world!
Pledge fealty to the troops!
All this nationalistic hogwash that has you believing you're gonna be a winner, that things are good.
Meanwhile, you're watching sports, you've got to root for something, especially if you can't root for yourself.
And then you complain that music is bad. Of course it is, who's going to become a musician? No one educated with a brain. And then envious of the techies, all those who do break through will do anything for a buck, they've got no backbone. But you can't criticize their behavior, because of the narrative, that Napster crippled the music business and everybody is broke.
Kind of like the Long Tail narrative, if you create it there's an audience for it. Probably not, other than your mother and your girlfriend. While you keep hearing the internet has democratized art, the truth is it's created a world of blockbusters. With so little time and access to everything we only want the best, we only have time to check out the famous. It's like everybody in Paducah is competing for affection with movie stars. That's right, if you play in a band, the Stones are in the club next door, that's what the internet is like.
And change is everywhere. Bands used to have places to play live. By time you heard them, they'd played a zillion gigs and were good, now you're just getting overwhelmed by wannabes, telling you to check out their substandard wares online.
He who controls the narrative controls the country. Money is important, but not as much as power. And oftentimes they go hand in hand, but the cycle is broken in art. That's right, one song created in your basement can change the world, ask not only Barry McGuire, but Lorde. But you desire to work with the hitmakers du jour, you want to hang with the rich and famous, you want to get out, flying private and drinking Cristal instead of being able to pay your bills in an apartment in the city. You have a dream, but as John Lennon said, the dream is over.
Meanwhile, media, except for the occasional story in the newspaper, keeps reinforcing a narrative that keeps you powerless. That's right, the media killed Occupy Wall Street, and now the new Congress wants to eviscerate Dodd Frank. The media quashed civil rebellion against police brutality. That's right, now the narrative is the men and women in blue have a tough job and we're just not behind them enough. And I'm not saying it's black and white, but I will say if you think racism is dead, you're probably on the Supreme Court, which got rid of voting laws. The same Supreme Court that is now right-leaning because of the Federalist Society.
We need leaders.
In the sixties they came from the youth. Who were in college without momentous debt, brought up in middle class homes believing, truthfully, that opportunity was plentiful. And money and attention was garnered by artists, with universal appeal. Not the outsiders, but those on the charts, with an audience. Today everybody's so busy trying to pay their bills and make it they don't have time to protest.
But they should.
But there are no leaders, no one telling them the truth in a narrative they can understand. That taxes are good, they put music in school. Instead, the narrative is public schools suck and home-schooling is best and we should have vouchers to get out of bad schools. How about a voucher to get out of a bad neighborhood, to move to Manhattan into one of those apartments the fat cats occupy for only two weeks a year? How about a voucher for a private island vacation in the Caribbean? How about a voucher for an audience with a Senator who will write legislation allowing you to avoid paying taxes, or have your income taxed at capital gains rates, like the hedge funders?
It all sounds overwhelming, it all sounds undoable. You're too busy trying to get ahead yourself to help everybody else.
Which is exactly how they want it. Divide and conquer. If you're fighting your brother, you don't have time to fight them.
But you've got to love your brother. You've got to unite. You've got to see we're stronger together than apart. That the American way is in peril. That America is us. Not only the rich in the news, but the hardworking people who go to work each day and put most of their income into commodities, food and drink and products, that keep America humming. Or at least used to.
In the information society too many know nothing. They're aware of gossip, but not basic economic precepts. Just like music is in disarray, with only a small segment of the public aware of the hits, most people know nothing about how the world works.
And we can either blame them or enlighten them.
Or we can let the usual suspects herd us like cattle into doing what's best for them.
What about what's best for us?
"Writing Off the Warhol Next Door, Art Collectors Gain Tax Benefits From Private Museums": http://nyti.ms/14mB2Ro
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Sunday 11 January 2015
Tina & Amy Host The Golden Globes
And they say women can't be funny.
Once upon a time we looked up to movie stars, they were royalty we emulated and adored. Now they're fodder for derision. They don't realize we don't care about their high concept films. That's right Nic Cage, you were a star, now you're a punchline. We revere money and actors ain't got much, which is why your agents are all invested in tech and sports, furthermore you know nothing about investments, constantly losing your shirt on real estate deals, leasing worthless cars, believing that life is about looks and not power, and then Tiny Fey and Amy Poehler go on to shoot it all to hell, they make us believers, illustrating the power of art to ridicule, inform and tickle our funny bone all at the same time.
We adore the NFL because life doesn't make sense. Unlike television, there's a limited number of teams. Sure, they're beating each other to hell, but at least we've got something to root for, something to believe in while America goes down the tubes. And if you don't think America is busy dying, you don't realize the dream is over, that if you make it from the bottom to the top you're the exception, not the rule. But that doesn't keep everybody from praying for success, when the truth is if you weren't born on third base, you might as well give up right now.
So the NFL gets stratospheric ratings because we feel involved, we know the teams, if not the players. It makes sense to us.
But Hollywood stopped making sense years ago. Which is why movie grosses are down. As far as television...we may be in a golden age of drama, but no one's got time to watch it all, and you need a subscription to not only cable and HBO, but Amazon and Netflix, the landscape is incomprehensible, but don't tell that to Amy Pascal who thinks running a studio counts. The public has got no idea who runs the record labels and they don't care. Because if it's all about the billions and you haven't even got the potential of making ten digits, we're not interested.
We're only interested in ourselves. Everybody is a star. And Jennifer Aniston may be labeled America's sweetheart, but we gag on the overhype of her latest flick, and feel sorry for her evaporated biological window, because, after all, if life isn't about reproduction, it doesn't make biological sense.
And then come two girls you wouldn't date in high school, who joked with the boys who held all their romance in the palm of their hands, and they proceed to skewer the audience and lift this entire half-baked show off the ground on their very narrow shoulders.
First you have to disbelieve.
That's what America is all about, believing. Did you read James Fallows's essay about how we lose wars because we're not hard enough on the troops? We're not hard enough on movies and music, we don't demand enough, everybody tells us to be satisfied and we're not.
But then we've got these two women making fun of the institution.
And then they break the cardinal rule of modern communication, they deliver a joke without explaining it, requiring those at home to fill in the blanks.
That's right, Tiny and Amy made a joke about cake without stating the obvious, it was only implied...THAT THOSE IN ATTENDANCE ARE SO BUSY DIETING THEY'VE NEVER TASTED IT!
And there you have it folks. Despite their self-anointment as royalty, the stars are missing out. Not only on the big money, but food, which is much more of a hit than any flick. They think it's about the exterior when we all know it's about what's inside.
And then Tina and Amy go into a routine of who would you rather...
This is Howard Stern territory. Who you'd rather screw. But they're doing it on national television. Titillating the audience as it squirms in its seat.
Proving once again, if you're talented enough, if you're willing to test limits, you can go to the head of the class. Tina Fey can be absent from the airwaves and reclaim her throne in ten minutes, just by doing her act, spectacularly. It's not about the hype, but the work, what a concept.
It doesn't matter who wins. Trophies might be taken home, but we forget the victories almost instantly. It's about impacting people's lives, making a difference in the culture. And it's not that hard if you've paid your dues and have the skills.
But we don't want to focus on that. Not in the entertainment industrial complex. We want to focus on your ass, your malleability, we don't want something too edgy.
And then these two middle-aged women take the international stage and blow us all away.
WTF?
"The Tragedy of the American Military": http://theatln.tc/13DY2ek
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Once upon a time we looked up to movie stars, they were royalty we emulated and adored. Now they're fodder for derision. They don't realize we don't care about their high concept films. That's right Nic Cage, you were a star, now you're a punchline. We revere money and actors ain't got much, which is why your agents are all invested in tech and sports, furthermore you know nothing about investments, constantly losing your shirt on real estate deals, leasing worthless cars, believing that life is about looks and not power, and then Tiny Fey and Amy Poehler go on to shoot it all to hell, they make us believers, illustrating the power of art to ridicule, inform and tickle our funny bone all at the same time.
We adore the NFL because life doesn't make sense. Unlike television, there's a limited number of teams. Sure, they're beating each other to hell, but at least we've got something to root for, something to believe in while America goes down the tubes. And if you don't think America is busy dying, you don't realize the dream is over, that if you make it from the bottom to the top you're the exception, not the rule. But that doesn't keep everybody from praying for success, when the truth is if you weren't born on third base, you might as well give up right now.
So the NFL gets stratospheric ratings because we feel involved, we know the teams, if not the players. It makes sense to us.
But Hollywood stopped making sense years ago. Which is why movie grosses are down. As far as television...we may be in a golden age of drama, but no one's got time to watch it all, and you need a subscription to not only cable and HBO, but Amazon and Netflix, the landscape is incomprehensible, but don't tell that to Amy Pascal who thinks running a studio counts. The public has got no idea who runs the record labels and they don't care. Because if it's all about the billions and you haven't even got the potential of making ten digits, we're not interested.
We're only interested in ourselves. Everybody is a star. And Jennifer Aniston may be labeled America's sweetheart, but we gag on the overhype of her latest flick, and feel sorry for her evaporated biological window, because, after all, if life isn't about reproduction, it doesn't make biological sense.
And then come two girls you wouldn't date in high school, who joked with the boys who held all their romance in the palm of their hands, and they proceed to skewer the audience and lift this entire half-baked show off the ground on their very narrow shoulders.
First you have to disbelieve.
That's what America is all about, believing. Did you read James Fallows's essay about how we lose wars because we're not hard enough on the troops? We're not hard enough on movies and music, we don't demand enough, everybody tells us to be satisfied and we're not.
But then we've got these two women making fun of the institution.
And then they break the cardinal rule of modern communication, they deliver a joke without explaining it, requiring those at home to fill in the blanks.
That's right, Tiny and Amy made a joke about cake without stating the obvious, it was only implied...THAT THOSE IN ATTENDANCE ARE SO BUSY DIETING THEY'VE NEVER TASTED IT!
And there you have it folks. Despite their self-anointment as royalty, the stars are missing out. Not only on the big money, but food, which is much more of a hit than any flick. They think it's about the exterior when we all know it's about what's inside.
And then Tina and Amy go into a routine of who would you rather...
This is Howard Stern territory. Who you'd rather screw. But they're doing it on national television. Titillating the audience as it squirms in its seat.
Proving once again, if you're talented enough, if you're willing to test limits, you can go to the head of the class. Tina Fey can be absent from the airwaves and reclaim her throne in ten minutes, just by doing her act, spectacularly. It's not about the hype, but the work, what a concept.
It doesn't matter who wins. Trophies might be taken home, but we forget the victories almost instantly. It's about impacting people's lives, making a difference in the culture. And it's not that hard if you've paid your dues and have the skills.
But we don't want to focus on that. Not in the entertainment industrial complex. We want to focus on your ass, your malleability, we don't want something too edgy.
And then these two middle-aged women take the international stage and blow us all away.
WTF?
"The Tragedy of the American Military": http://theatln.tc/13DY2ek
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