That's Bob Odenkirk.
Did I ever tell you I've never watched "Game of Thrones"? Apple announces it's coming to iTunes and I'm not excited at all, I'd rather see Eddy Cue testify about the Warriors. I'm just not into fantasy.
But I do feel left out. We all feel left out, that's the modern condition.
But I want to belong. Be part of the discussion. The only thing we have in common is politics, which has eclipsed music and tech to drive the culture today.
But then there's TV.
No, not the sitcoms written for a market, with the innuendo and the eye-rolls, but the cable and streaming stuff, and to tell you the truth "Breaking Bad" seemed like something from basic cable until Bob Odenkirk came on.
That's right, we're digging in. We're now eight episodes into the second season. And I was anxious about devoting this much time to it. Fifty hours? Come on, in a world where I've got no time?
And it's just not that good. Best show ever? It wasn't even in the league of "The Sopranos," until tonight, when Saul Goodman showed up, i.e. Bob Odenkirk.
Now I'm familiar with the man. I never quite got into "Mr. Show." He's earned a living. I even saw he was in this show. But I expected him to chew a little scenery and disappear. Instead, he lit the screen on fire.
That's the power of the individual.
That's something the baby boomers have right and the millennials have wrong. The millennials just want to be part of the group, they don't want to do anything that undercuts that status. They're wary of excelling. And when they do they rally around their compatriots. Whereas baby boomers are all about reaching for the brass ring. Reveling in their achievement.
So what makes Odenkirk's character work here is his malleability. He's got a code of conduct, a morality, but it doesn't align with the one in the Bible, he's doing what's right for him. Which is what our parents did, which is what we wrestle with. That's the truth of society, if you're not bending the rules, working the edges, you're not getting ahead.
Unless you're an artist. Where the same rules apply but underneath there's an honesty. That's right, artists bend the rules, break convention all the time.
In the pursuit of truth.
That's what's crap about most of today's art. It's made with the audience in mind. It doesn't want to make people uncomfortable, it doesn't want to test limits. But when you do, people can align themselves with you, you give them something to believe in, something to live for, because they know deep inside they've got the same viewpoint, it's just that they're unwilling to take the risk.
It's kinda like politics, on the left side. If you don't hew to doctrine, you're excommunicated. You've got to pay fealty to all ethnic groups, you can't make an off-color joke, you're neutered. Meanwhile, the right is breaking rules left and right and succeeding, ever think about that?
So Saul Goodman changed his name from McGill, because criminals want a Jewish attorney. You can't say that in public, but you can say that in art, art speaks the unspeakable.
And Saul is not a miracle worker, just an efficiency machine.
But Bryan Cranston and his compatriot don't want this efficiency, it puts them in the crosshairs, so they take matters into their own hands and Saul...
Starts quoting "The Godfather," the bible of the baby boomers. Their favorite movie. Drama and wisdom all wrapped up into one.
And what we're all looking for is a godfather. Someone who will take control and make everything right. Someone who sees the landscape in a way we can't, who we'll align ourselves with and will save us. And it's always an outsider, never a government official, never a member of regular society, not so much an entrepreneur but a fixer, like the Wolf in "Pulp Fiction."
So now I'm a member of the club, albeit half a decade late. Now I see what makes "Breaking Bad" so magical. Now when someone brings it up in conversation I can testify. And it's all because of this one performance, where shyster Saul takes control. It's a masterful thing to watch. He appears a bozo, but he knows where the land mines are buried.
Shall we all have a Saul in our life.
And either you know what I'm talking about...
Or you eventually will. "Breaking Bad" is hiding in plain sight on Netflix. This episode was the best of art, fiction but more true than life. That's why I gave up reading most non-fiction, it wasn't true. But in a great novel you glimpse into humanity, feelings.
Shall you strive for such in your art.
And if you're not a creator you're part of the vast audience, just waiting to be touched by art, to make sense of this bizarre lonely life where everybody tells you they know the answers but they don't.
But when done right, the answers are in art.
Don't you ever forget that.
Oh, deep inside you already know.
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Friday 13 October 2017
Lunch With Mike Caren
He believes in artist development.
This is another thing the old guard has wrong. Stuck in the last decade they don't know the ball has been moved.
Mike finds an act, brings him to the studio for a week and sees if the act has what it takes.
And how does Mike find these acts?
First and foremost you must know he's addicted to YouTube, he reads the comments, to get the flow, it's a data resource nonpareil. You see beatmakers post their work under "(famous name) type beat" for wannabes to rap over and post to Soundcloud. These beatmakers are not worried about getting paid, they just want to get in the game. They're not worried about being ripped off, because if they are, if a hit is based on their work, the labels will come calling, everybody wants to work with a hitmaker. If you're thinking about getting paid first, you're old school.
And Mike doesn't sign a deal with these acts, not right away. It's the opposite of get the manager and the President and the act in a room and no one's leaving until a deal is done. As a matter of fact, most lawyers don't want to broker new artists deals these days, there's just not enough money in it. Attorneys are rarely a source of new acts.
So Mike brings them in, based on their online work, and checks out not only their talent, but their dedication. Do they come early and stay late? Are they willing to learn? If yes, Mike knows it's gonna be two to three years of work before he sees any payoff, and he's wary of betting on the wrong horse. As for a competitor scooping up his talent after he's invested in it, before he's made a deal, Mike's not worried about it. Because if the act feels comfortable with Mike, his writers and his producers, he's not gonna go anywhere else (and, of course, it's not only men, it's women too...)
And Mike laments the fact that too many of today's "artists" focus on socials instead of music. Because it's easier to gain a following, easier to work the public, and it gives you data to quote. But Mike is more interested in the music, he's getting in way early, and then helping you find your way to who you want to be.
And Mike's also helped make stars of castoffs, like Bruno Mars, who had a deal with Motown and then was dropped. That's right, being dropped is no longer the kiss of death. It was about surrounding Bruno with the right people, helping him find and execute his vision.
As for Ed Sheeran, he was an incredibly hard worker. He wrote for everybody. Released an EP of collaborations with rappers. In retrospect the climb looks fast, but it wasn't.
And both Bruno and Ed could keep themselves alive with their writing work.
Whereas today you sign an act and they want to see income in two years and in reality it takes at least three years to find out if you have anything. But the act has little patience, it burns through the advance in two years, and if the manager isn't making money...
And Mike feels the second album is more important than the first. That if you break through you can't take all the offers, you can't do gigs on the weekend and then write and record during the week, there's not enough time, either you don't produce or you do so substandardly.
And every act is different, some need a lot of collaboration, others not so much.
And there's got to be a steady stream of product. An album every six months or a year, so there's something to tour on.
As for EPs, Mike points to the fact that no one's ever broken on one. That's something he does with all his acts, sit them down and ask them who they want to be, their role models, and usually he finds out the wannabe has no idea of the pitfalls of the star, the failures, the hard work, the wrong turns. It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n roll.
And the truth is we live in a hip-hop world. And we might not have had a new sound come along which eclipses hip-hop, but hip-hop has been through five or more changes in the last decade. Furthermore, today's artists grew up with hip-house in the house, that's what their parents were playing.
So upstairs is Mike's office and his publishing company. Everybody has a piece of the action. And the ratio of acts to execs is very low, so there can be hands-on interaction.
Downstairs are the studios. With a computer and board and a couch and a coffee table that rises up so your laptop is at the right level. Furthermore, the writers have control of the speaker volume. Everything has been built from the ground up to foster creativity.
And a few buildings away is where the label marketing people are.
And on the same street is Crush Management, which has production next door.
And Anderson .Paak is across the street.
And down the street is the epicenter of hip-hop shopping. They were lined up for blocks outside the Supreme store and it was three o'clock on a Thursday afternoon. The internet may rule, but the public still wants to belong, still wants the identity totems.
So this is the way the new world works.
If there's traction on Spotify Mike will spend marketing dollars. He doesn't need radio to do so. As for radio, he wonders how long until they embrace the algorithms, go with what works on the streaming services as opposed to callout research.
So today you're a self-starter, alone, at home, with your laptop. You pull beats from YouTube and you post your rap atop them and wait for a reaction. Some of these Soundcloud mixes have 250,000 listens. Because hip-hop is a community, a whole culture, which you can not only embrace, but stretch, innovation is treasured.
Whereas learning to play an instrument is hard. And there's nowhere near the culture in other genres.
As for the success of Adele, Mike believes it's not easily replicated because of the involvement of XL, the hipsters were interested, where normally the hipsters avoid this sound.
And if you were with Mike for three hours either you'd get really excited or really depressed. And your depression would come from realizing the game has changed, everything you believed is in the rearview mirror.
It's not your music business anymore.
It's the teens' and twentysomethings'.
And they have no idea what you're talking about. And they believe opportunities are plentiful. As well as money. They're not talking about what once was, but what is. Meanwhile, too many labels are complacent with the uplift from streaming. You've got to rebuild your operation according to the new model. Empower not only the musicians, but the executives too.
Mike has.
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This is another thing the old guard has wrong. Stuck in the last decade they don't know the ball has been moved.
Mike finds an act, brings him to the studio for a week and sees if the act has what it takes.
And how does Mike find these acts?
First and foremost you must know he's addicted to YouTube, he reads the comments, to get the flow, it's a data resource nonpareil. You see beatmakers post their work under "(famous name) type beat" for wannabes to rap over and post to Soundcloud. These beatmakers are not worried about getting paid, they just want to get in the game. They're not worried about being ripped off, because if they are, if a hit is based on their work, the labels will come calling, everybody wants to work with a hitmaker. If you're thinking about getting paid first, you're old school.
And Mike doesn't sign a deal with these acts, not right away. It's the opposite of get the manager and the President and the act in a room and no one's leaving until a deal is done. As a matter of fact, most lawyers don't want to broker new artists deals these days, there's just not enough money in it. Attorneys are rarely a source of new acts.
So Mike brings them in, based on their online work, and checks out not only their talent, but their dedication. Do they come early and stay late? Are they willing to learn? If yes, Mike knows it's gonna be two to three years of work before he sees any payoff, and he's wary of betting on the wrong horse. As for a competitor scooping up his talent after he's invested in it, before he's made a deal, Mike's not worried about it. Because if the act feels comfortable with Mike, his writers and his producers, he's not gonna go anywhere else (and, of course, it's not only men, it's women too...)
And Mike laments the fact that too many of today's "artists" focus on socials instead of music. Because it's easier to gain a following, easier to work the public, and it gives you data to quote. But Mike is more interested in the music, he's getting in way early, and then helping you find your way to who you want to be.
And Mike's also helped make stars of castoffs, like Bruno Mars, who had a deal with Motown and then was dropped. That's right, being dropped is no longer the kiss of death. It was about surrounding Bruno with the right people, helping him find and execute his vision.
As for Ed Sheeran, he was an incredibly hard worker. He wrote for everybody. Released an EP of collaborations with rappers. In retrospect the climb looks fast, but it wasn't.
And both Bruno and Ed could keep themselves alive with their writing work.
Whereas today you sign an act and they want to see income in two years and in reality it takes at least three years to find out if you have anything. But the act has little patience, it burns through the advance in two years, and if the manager isn't making money...
And Mike feels the second album is more important than the first. That if you break through you can't take all the offers, you can't do gigs on the weekend and then write and record during the week, there's not enough time, either you don't produce or you do so substandardly.
And every act is different, some need a lot of collaboration, others not so much.
And there's got to be a steady stream of product. An album every six months or a year, so there's something to tour on.
As for EPs, Mike points to the fact that no one's ever broken on one. That's something he does with all his acts, sit them down and ask them who they want to be, their role models, and usually he finds out the wannabe has no idea of the pitfalls of the star, the failures, the hard work, the wrong turns. It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n roll.
And the truth is we live in a hip-hop world. And we might not have had a new sound come along which eclipses hip-hop, but hip-hop has been through five or more changes in the last decade. Furthermore, today's artists grew up with hip-house in the house, that's what their parents were playing.
So upstairs is Mike's office and his publishing company. Everybody has a piece of the action. And the ratio of acts to execs is very low, so there can be hands-on interaction.
Downstairs are the studios. With a computer and board and a couch and a coffee table that rises up so your laptop is at the right level. Furthermore, the writers have control of the speaker volume. Everything has been built from the ground up to foster creativity.
And a few buildings away is where the label marketing people are.
And on the same street is Crush Management, which has production next door.
And Anderson .Paak is across the street.
And down the street is the epicenter of hip-hop shopping. They were lined up for blocks outside the Supreme store and it was three o'clock on a Thursday afternoon. The internet may rule, but the public still wants to belong, still wants the identity totems.
So this is the way the new world works.
If there's traction on Spotify Mike will spend marketing dollars. He doesn't need radio to do so. As for radio, he wonders how long until they embrace the algorithms, go with what works on the streaming services as opposed to callout research.
So today you're a self-starter, alone, at home, with your laptop. You pull beats from YouTube and you post your rap atop them and wait for a reaction. Some of these Soundcloud mixes have 250,000 listens. Because hip-hop is a community, a whole culture, which you can not only embrace, but stretch, innovation is treasured.
Whereas learning to play an instrument is hard. And there's nowhere near the culture in other genres.
As for the success of Adele, Mike believes it's not easily replicated because of the involvement of XL, the hipsters were interested, where normally the hipsters avoid this sound.
And if you were with Mike for three hours either you'd get really excited or really depressed. And your depression would come from realizing the game has changed, everything you believed is in the rearview mirror.
It's not your music business anymore.
It's the teens' and twentysomethings'.
And they have no idea what you're talking about. And they believe opportunities are plentiful. As well as money. They're not talking about what once was, but what is. Meanwhile, too many labels are complacent with the uplift from streaming. You've got to rebuild your operation according to the new model. Empower not only the musicians, but the executives too.
Mike has.
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Thursday 12 October 2017
Me On CNN
https://www.dropbox.com/s/re3k6xe028cw7i9/Lefsetz.mp4?dl=0
Katherine Kendall was on after me.
I was driving to the Troubadour the night before, flipping the news channels on Sirius, and I heard her story, about Harvey Weinstein chasing her around his apartment, about hiding out in a bar to get away from him.
And here she was.
I don't work it, I wait for the call. And yesterday, since no one really calls anymore, I got an e-mail from CNN, did I want to come on and talk about Eminem?
SURE!
But my logistics were off. I was in Santa Monica having lunch with Chris Moore and my electric razor was in Sherman Oaks at Felice's house. I'd been planning to spend the rest of the day on the Westside, catching up, and now my schedule was blown to hell.
I hate to shave. And only do so once in a while. Not because I want that hipster look, but because the Beatles all said they hated to shave in one of those teen magazines and I'm bad at it to boot, I haven't got the patience.
So I answered 279 e-mails, wrote twice and hot-tailed it to Sherman Oaks to shave and get myself together.
Whereupon I got into the provided car and they whisked me to CNN's studio in Hollywood, an edifice that was once famous for its music residents, but no more.
And they've got tight security, as you can imagine, but if you're on the list, you're golden. That's what life's all about, being on the list.
So I was immediately ushered in to makeup. Whereupon I got the life story of the artist. That's what inspires me most, people's stories. They're each unique, and they'll all tell you, because they want to be known, so few people ask, and the facts are secondary to the nuances. How did they get from there to here, what inspired them, how did they make that choice. And along the way you find points that bond you, unexpected ones, life experiences that are embedded inside that you rarely get to talk about, like being impacted by suicide.
And as we were discussing people taking their own lives a couple entered the room to be cleaned up. They were jovial, connected, only they weren't.
There was the resident psychological expert. And the attorney. And both were dressed up in business attire, looking sharp for the show, and we all live in L.A., not New York, where I haven't been to a doctor wearing a tie in memory. And the suit was sharp. Not an Armani, but something au courant that said something about its wearer.
They were there to talk about Harvey Weinstein.
That's all they were talking about on Tucker Carlson's show, which I was listening to on the way from Santa Monica to Sherman Oaks, a hellish escapade on the freeway, L.A. traffic is insane, even at 8 PM.
And you'd have thought the Weinstein case involved world peace. Tucker kept excoriating the silent left, the Hollywood hypocrites. He insisted the government investigate tinseltown, to root out this behavior. Huh?
The government ain't gonna crack down on Hollywood. And what exactly is the crime here anyway? Carlson wasn't talking about the culture of harassment so much as the silence with regard thereto. But if you were listening to him you'd be all fired up, that bad Harvey Weinstein, wreaking havoc.
With his daughter calling 911 and Harvey evading the cops.
And the expert?
Harvey Levin.
That's right, the majordomo of TMZ, that's how far we've sunk. And Tucker's railing that Weinstein's escaping to France, to evade the long arm of the law, and it's Levin who's got to reel Carlson back in, saying no crime has been charged and as a matter of fact Weinstein is not going to France. Yup folks, on Fox the gossip columnist was the voice of reason, correcting the bloviating blowhard.
I'm just wondering what Tucker Carlson would be like in real life. Would he really say these things? Maybe he's one of those bulldozers who never backs down, abhorred in every day life, but really, is Harvey Weinstein's sexual behavior the most important thing happening in our country, does it Trump North Korea?
On Fox it does.
And then I'm called in to do my spot and what you forget is for the anchors this is a job, they're there all night, I've been on before, they're busy talking through their earpieces, but then the light goes on.
And we hit it just that fast.
You can see the results above.
But one thing is I was running so fast yesterday that I didn't Google myself. Yes, I do that regularly. So I didn't know that doofus in the "Atlantic" had written about me, I was caught off guard, and you always want to be prepared.
But then as the anchor read the words I started to laugh, genuinely, THIS IS THE CRITICISM??
And I was complimented when we were done, told we put ten minutes of news in a five minute bag. They were happy, and that's the essence of work, you want to keep the customer satisfied.
And I ambled back to the makeup room to have my face removed and...
Someone was sitting in my seat.
And another woman was right by her, she came for moral support.
So who was this?
The aforementioned Katherine Kendall!
I told her I'd just heard her on the radio the night before.
But I couldn't remember the outlet.
Then she listed all the ones she'd been on. You see when you're news, they swoop down and pick you up, and then they drop you off soon thereafter. You see news is a business, and it's not called OLDS, so when your five minutes is done, it's back to obscurity (like me!)
And Katherine was 24 when this happened. It sapped her drive. She had a career, she'd been in "Swingers," but if this was what the industry required to make it, she was not up for it.
And we're truly getting into it, the war of the sexes, her decision to go on the record, but what was utterly fascinating was watching the physical transformation. Now don't get me wrong, Katherine is a very attractive woman. But by time Kristina, the makeup artist, was done with her, she was the untouchable beauty from the cover of a magazine.
Maybe it was the instant curls from the hot iron.
Or maybe it was the eyeshadow.
But I'm thinking it was the lipliner and lipstick. When Kristina was done, Katherine Kendall was...
A movie star.
You see it's all an illusion. Kinda like those kids at home trying to replicate stunts they see in the movies. Oftentimes they're not real, they're done with special effects, but they don't know that.
And I'm b.s.'ing with Kristina and Katherine and Katherine's friend and everybody's being open and honest because I'm inside the club.
One often wonders, is it Tucker Carlson's desire to get inside the club? Believe me, being a right wing pundit doesn't get you far in Hollywood.
Nor does being a left wing one. All those writers in the newspaper, they ain't got the fame of the movie stars and musicians.
Which is why when Eminem speaks, everybody listens.
Trump is still silent on Marshall.
A politician is no match for him.
But a musician?
It's no contest.
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Katherine Kendall was on after me.
I was driving to the Troubadour the night before, flipping the news channels on Sirius, and I heard her story, about Harvey Weinstein chasing her around his apartment, about hiding out in a bar to get away from him.
And here she was.
I don't work it, I wait for the call. And yesterday, since no one really calls anymore, I got an e-mail from CNN, did I want to come on and talk about Eminem?
SURE!
But my logistics were off. I was in Santa Monica having lunch with Chris Moore and my electric razor was in Sherman Oaks at Felice's house. I'd been planning to spend the rest of the day on the Westside, catching up, and now my schedule was blown to hell.
I hate to shave. And only do so once in a while. Not because I want that hipster look, but because the Beatles all said they hated to shave in one of those teen magazines and I'm bad at it to boot, I haven't got the patience.
So I answered 279 e-mails, wrote twice and hot-tailed it to Sherman Oaks to shave and get myself together.
Whereupon I got into the provided car and they whisked me to CNN's studio in Hollywood, an edifice that was once famous for its music residents, but no more.
And they've got tight security, as you can imagine, but if you're on the list, you're golden. That's what life's all about, being on the list.
So I was immediately ushered in to makeup. Whereupon I got the life story of the artist. That's what inspires me most, people's stories. They're each unique, and they'll all tell you, because they want to be known, so few people ask, and the facts are secondary to the nuances. How did they get from there to here, what inspired them, how did they make that choice. And along the way you find points that bond you, unexpected ones, life experiences that are embedded inside that you rarely get to talk about, like being impacted by suicide.
And as we were discussing people taking their own lives a couple entered the room to be cleaned up. They were jovial, connected, only they weren't.
There was the resident psychological expert. And the attorney. And both were dressed up in business attire, looking sharp for the show, and we all live in L.A., not New York, where I haven't been to a doctor wearing a tie in memory. And the suit was sharp. Not an Armani, but something au courant that said something about its wearer.
They were there to talk about Harvey Weinstein.
That's all they were talking about on Tucker Carlson's show, which I was listening to on the way from Santa Monica to Sherman Oaks, a hellish escapade on the freeway, L.A. traffic is insane, even at 8 PM.
And you'd have thought the Weinstein case involved world peace. Tucker kept excoriating the silent left, the Hollywood hypocrites. He insisted the government investigate tinseltown, to root out this behavior. Huh?
The government ain't gonna crack down on Hollywood. And what exactly is the crime here anyway? Carlson wasn't talking about the culture of harassment so much as the silence with regard thereto. But if you were listening to him you'd be all fired up, that bad Harvey Weinstein, wreaking havoc.
With his daughter calling 911 and Harvey evading the cops.
And the expert?
Harvey Levin.
That's right, the majordomo of TMZ, that's how far we've sunk. And Tucker's railing that Weinstein's escaping to France, to evade the long arm of the law, and it's Levin who's got to reel Carlson back in, saying no crime has been charged and as a matter of fact Weinstein is not going to France. Yup folks, on Fox the gossip columnist was the voice of reason, correcting the bloviating blowhard.
I'm just wondering what Tucker Carlson would be like in real life. Would he really say these things? Maybe he's one of those bulldozers who never backs down, abhorred in every day life, but really, is Harvey Weinstein's sexual behavior the most important thing happening in our country, does it Trump North Korea?
On Fox it does.
And then I'm called in to do my spot and what you forget is for the anchors this is a job, they're there all night, I've been on before, they're busy talking through their earpieces, but then the light goes on.
And we hit it just that fast.
You can see the results above.
But one thing is I was running so fast yesterday that I didn't Google myself. Yes, I do that regularly. So I didn't know that doofus in the "Atlantic" had written about me, I was caught off guard, and you always want to be prepared.
But then as the anchor read the words I started to laugh, genuinely, THIS IS THE CRITICISM??
And I was complimented when we were done, told we put ten minutes of news in a five minute bag. They were happy, and that's the essence of work, you want to keep the customer satisfied.
And I ambled back to the makeup room to have my face removed and...
Someone was sitting in my seat.
And another woman was right by her, she came for moral support.
So who was this?
The aforementioned Katherine Kendall!
I told her I'd just heard her on the radio the night before.
But I couldn't remember the outlet.
Then she listed all the ones she'd been on. You see when you're news, they swoop down and pick you up, and then they drop you off soon thereafter. You see news is a business, and it's not called OLDS, so when your five minutes is done, it's back to obscurity (like me!)
And Katherine was 24 when this happened. It sapped her drive. She had a career, she'd been in "Swingers," but if this was what the industry required to make it, she was not up for it.
And we're truly getting into it, the war of the sexes, her decision to go on the record, but what was utterly fascinating was watching the physical transformation. Now don't get me wrong, Katherine is a very attractive woman. But by time Kristina, the makeup artist, was done with her, she was the untouchable beauty from the cover of a magazine.
Maybe it was the instant curls from the hot iron.
Or maybe it was the eyeshadow.
But I'm thinking it was the lipliner and lipstick. When Kristina was done, Katherine Kendall was...
A movie star.
You see it's all an illusion. Kinda like those kids at home trying to replicate stunts they see in the movies. Oftentimes they're not real, they're done with special effects, but they don't know that.
And I'm b.s.'ing with Kristina and Katherine and Katherine's friend and everybody's being open and honest because I'm inside the club.
One often wonders, is it Tucker Carlson's desire to get inside the club? Believe me, being a right wing pundit doesn't get you far in Hollywood.
Nor does being a left wing one. All those writers in the newspaper, they ain't got the fame of the movie stars and musicians.
Which is why when Eminem speaks, everybody listens.
Trump is still silent on Marshall.
A politician is no match for him.
But a musician?
It's no contest.
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Re-Billy Bragg
I flew down to LA for the show last night. I had some other reasons to be in LA, but I timed them around Billy's show.
I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment. It was the best Billy Bragg show I've ever seen, and one of the 5 best shows I've been to this year.
I've been lucky enough to see Billy about a half-dozen times over the years. He is always witty, vibrant, provocative, and insightful. Having said that, Billy is more relevant and needed now than ever. A no-bullshit, unvarnished voice is exactly what we need to combat the age of Trumpian/Brexit no-nothingism.
Happily, and probably not coincidentally, Billy is at the top of his game. His 4 new songs (counting his reworking of The Times They Are A-Changing as a new song) are all spectacular.
For me the highlight was his new song inspired by Goya: The Sleep Of Reason Produces Monsters. It is chilling and spot-on.
As you say, Billy's voice was pretty trashed last night. But not only did it not matter, I felt like it showcased one of Billy's transcendent messages -- the need to persevere in the face of adversity.
I hope your endorsement helps get Billy a wider audience. We need his voice, now more than ever.
Rob Glaser
_______________________________________
I first saw him in London while writing for Time Out in early 80s.
Buzzed around LA with him on his first visit to the city, free gigs at a couple long gone record stores, including that one on Olympic or Pico ironically close to NARAS.
Last heard him, still sharp, being interviewed by Terry Gross.
http://www.npr.org/2017/07/22/538331831/fresh-air-weekend-billy-bragg-on-skiffle-crime-and-punishment-in-black-america
Brad Auerbach
_______________________________________
The first time I heard Billy Bragg was in 1994, on WLIR, the (underpowered) KROQ of New York. I put in on a mixtape, which I still have, though no cassette player to play it on. At that time, he was positioned as Another New Wave Artist, which did span a lot of genres, but it was clear that even within that broad classification, he was different, then and now. I'm glad that he is still out there, doing it, and relevant!
David Chazen
_______________________________________
This was a great read! I never expected two of my favorite minds to meet.
Billy has been an inspiration to me for a while, and like you said, its his stories that always make me want to be there in the bar with him! But it was the songs that got me there the first time. How did i find them? it was the Woody Guthrie + Wilco record. Thanks to this lot, I want to be a journeymen too.
So glad you took the time and a chance to find him too.
Wonsly
_______________________________________
California Stars. Bragg's work in bringing this Woody Guthrie song to life has to be a part of any conversation about his career. Mermaid Avenue was a great project. Wilco gets credit, too, but the performance was Billy Bragg.
Jim Warren
_______________________________________
Billy Bragg's recent interview with Terri Gross turned me on to what a remarkable presence he is. Thanks for shining a light on an old-fashioned troubadour who is both staunchly political and utterly free of bullshit or pretense. It's a rare combination.
Matt Kohut
_______________________________________
"Walk Away Renee": https://open.spotify.com/track/4IDookpXpwMN2pJEYddpY5?si=OIkZE0Co
Nobody does it better.
Michael E. Colbourn
_______________________________________
Spot on. Billy is everything you said in your email - first time I saw him was at the New Music Seminar when he was signed to CD Presents in the early 80's. I was a college radio music director and he didn't have a formal showcase - he'd rigged himself with a backpack and electric speakers and had his electric guitar plugged into it and I guess a mic too and he was walking around in front of the hotel and through the lobby and trade show just playing his songs - a one man walking band. created his own showcase :). it was awesome.
then, after college I had the good fortune to work for Elektra. at first I was an assistant and when he'd stop into the office he'd take the time to show me the chords to his songs, and later when I was in a marketing role for the label I was able to promote his records, arrange an instore for him at Tower Records in the Village, etc. Some 20 years later when he was in NYC performing at a Woody Guthrie benefit I went backstage to say hello, not sure if he'd remember me - imagine all the people he's met and worked with since - but his arms flew up in the air and he said "Barb!" and gave me a great big hug. He's genuine, true to himself, his passions, his politics, and his hopes. His fans have stuck by him for good reason and he sticks by them.
Thanks for the link, some back:
The Great Leap Forward: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7d6ZwAp28Y
Playing the Clash's English Civil War with the Levellers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrcpxpbgAnc
and if you don't know the record of Woody Guthrie lyrics set to songs that he did with Wilco ("Mermaid Avenue") - the whole thing is brilliant, start to finish:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Lnf0hmj6l0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcxIMvI8qBs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhe9tVARzCk
enjoy!
Barb Prisament
_______________________________________
Billy's been doing it his way for many, many years. I first encountered him when he crashed the New Music Seminar (NMS) 'party' in NYC back in '84 or '85. He entered the lobby of the conference hotel with some sort of small PA system strapped to his back. And he sang songs and protested that the voices of artists like him, "New Music", were being shut out. It certainly caught my attention.
It would not surprise me at all if that's when the descerning ears of talent rep extraordinaire Steve Martin heard him too, and signed him to his agency. But I'm sure he could tell you that info.
Cheers from Perth, Australia,
Thom Wolke
_______________________________________
Perfectly encapsulates Billy Bragg, thanks for the link. I remember seeing him on an inside stage at The Big Day Out about four years ago. I was struck by how well he knew his audience, how to communicate with them, what would make them laugh, brilliant.
Matt Johnson
_______________________________________
When it comes to socially-aware, politically-active artists, Billy's the real deal.
You may or not agree with the politics, but you have to respect the dedication and the consistency.
Billy's smart as hell, well-spoken, and he can sure pen a few good songs (try 'Levi Stubbs' Tears').
He was a precursor in the business. He owns his masters and his publishing. He was managed (for a while) by the great Peter Jenner, but as Peter once told me, "you don't manage Billy, he manages himself". He basically made a shake-hand deal with Cooking Vinyl and that has been going on for over 20 years.
I have dealt with Billy on a couple of occasions and I have always been amazed by his willingness to interact with people, and his no frills attitude.
Always an inspiration. And a cool guy to have a beer with too.
Emmanuel Legrand
_______________________________________
Thank you for writing this... brings back memories of me as a youngster in the 80's being introduced to Billy Bragg, and realizing that there was more to music!
Ps- if you haven't already, check out Billy Bragg and Wilco's Mermaid Avenue.... unreleased words of Woody Guthrie
David Dutton
_______________________________________
Hey Bob, been a fan of Bragg since the 80's when I was growing up in Ireland. He made me political as a teenager with his Red Wedge tour supporting the striking miners and denouncing Thatcher.
Saw him at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in SF on Friday and he captivated a large crowd of maybe 10,000 people, the majority of whom were probably only vaguely aware of Bragg.
His skill of connecting the past and present, both musically and politically is a rare gift, delivered by a master craftsman.
Indeed The Times They Are A Changin'...back.
Greg McQuaid
_______________________________________
When I was in college in the '80s, I saw him give a keynote at the music old New Music Seminar in NY. He was passionate and riveting! He was some kind of mix - part Joe Strummer, part Bob Dylan. Afterward I saw him coming out of the building and told him I loved what he had said. He replied, "Good, then get out and do something about it,"
and walked away. I don't remember much of what he said at his keynote, but I still remember that urging to me to do something, and I think it that often.
Jim McGuinn
_______________________________________
I'm glad you got to see him finally. He's really awesome and he always has been. You just motivated me to put on one of my favorite Billy Bragg albums right now.
Nick Miller
_______________________________________
I saw Billy Bragg here in Toronto for my first time- it was an incredible night!
I had his first three albums back in high school and listened to them a lot.
But I kind of dropped him after that as sometimes happens, especially when you go through your jazz years....
Anyway- my bass player and his buddy had an extra ticket for the second night of Billy's 3 night stand at T.O.'s infamous Horseshoe Tavern.
And that happened to be the night he was gonna be playing mostly those first three albums- fantastic!
As you experienced there- an older crowd, everyone approaching middle age, except for those already passed it.
Everyone seemed to know all the words to the songs, and hung on every word of the stories.
It was amazing experience, joyful and entertaining- kind of like a loud kitchen party with 400 friends and host you haven't seen for a few years.
Good to hear you got to enjoy it too.
Greetings from Toronto,
Christian D
_______________________________________
I discovered Billy Bragg a couple years ago and was deeply inspired. There's just something about getting moved to discover a back catalog of an artist. I'm 31, so I was a baby when he was putting out records marketed as a "one man Clash" and had no idea of him or Wilco as a 13 year old when he did the wonderful Guthrie collection.
Glad to see his name pop up here!
Ramon Narvaez
_______________________________________
I look forward to your daily posts. I have no affiliation with the music industry, other than being an avid consumer of music for the last 30 years. Anyway, Billy likely played this at his show, but if not, check out his recent protest gem called 'King Tide and the Sunny Day Flood'. Is it going to change the world or inspire people to make a difference? Probably not. As you've written many times, the culture has changed too much for a song like this to have mass appeal. But it's genuine and authentic, just like Billy. Isn't that what people crave? A little authenticity? Keep up the good work.
https://open.spotify.com/track/2wip4989IWOY6Hd4J38YMw
Michael Scott
_______________________________________
I saw him a few years ago, here in Halifax at a small college venue, with my nephew, who was a huge fan. I was in the front row and had on my Boston Bruin hat and I think he asked me if I was going to a hockey game later. He was humorous, engaging and of course political, a memorable night!!
Doug Gillis
_______________________________________
Sure thing Bob - Billy is a journeyman, a rebellious folk and protest singer who can rock and folk with the best of them. I first saw Billy on January 22, 1989 at the Pub Flamingo in Halifax, NS.
The same night as Superbowl XXIII (49'ers beat the Bengals 20-16 - Montana to Taylor with 34 seconds left to win.)
I had all of Billy's albums to date, including Workers Playtime - the one he was touring to support. Me and my college roommate Doug sang along and drank the koolaid. I was mildly disappointed he talked so much as I remember - only because at the end there were so many songs I didn't get to hear, because of his long banter. Every show is like that - the audience doesn't get to write the set list, so you have to be willing to buy into the artist/audience bargain which is, the band curates the show and the audience curates the response. I've spent my whole life going to shows and have always enjoyed the interplay of this relationship.
The Superbowl reference relates the fact that he spent an inordinate amount of time talking about the futility of American football, or "tightpants" as he and his Brits pals called it in the day. Still, me and my buddy Doug left satisfied because we finally got to see our British version of Dylan, with an even harder political edge.
I saw Billy again in 2000 with Wilco on the Mermaid Avenue Tour - another great show. This time I got to interview Billy for a TV show I was working on at the time, so I was pretty thrilled to get that chance to ask him about Tony Blair and "New Labour" in Great Britain, He was so insightful, brutally honest and decidedly socialist that you couldn't help but admire this guy for the courage of his convictions for so long. And for his songs, of which you included none, so I will oblige.
Love your letters Bob, keep on writing!
Billy Bragg: New England
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCfRcgoPxTw
Billy Bragg: Levi Stubbs Tears
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbdJ8OGYtzM
Billy Bragg: Greetings From the New Brunette
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfKcG3gn3F8
Peace
Stephen Antle
_______________________________________
I discovered Billy Bragg's music when I was 18...I am only a young 34 now and been a massive fan since day one.
All the way over here in Sydney, Australia his brand of no frills music and politics (happily mixing the two) always spoke to me somehow, regardless of any such nonsense generational gap or geographical understanding.
He also has beautiful love songs in his repertoire too!
Have gone to seen him play live all over the world and have seen him easily a dozen times or more. Usually one of the youngest in the crowd every time!
I still have to fight back tears singing along to every word at his shows.
It is rare to find an act you will happily go to a live show and be just as happy listening to him rant and rave for 50% of the time, and sing incredibly crafted songs the other 50% of the time. Sometimes I don't even know which I like more.
In the current crazy world we all live in, we need artists like Billy Bragg more than ever.
Well read, well listened, well educated, in tune with whatever country he finds himself in, and certainly never afraid to speak him mind on any topic he feels passionate about.
Glad you enjoyed the show, and even better to be spreading the word too!
Always waiting, for the great leap forwards!
Basil Cook
_______________________________________
Saw him at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass on Fri. He wAa great and "The Times They are a' Changing" brought me to tears. Especially here and now.
Randi Swindel
_______________________________________
Great Leap Foward and New England are superior to any Dylan song simply because they are stripped of any poise or pretense and harmomize truth with dreaming in a way only a working class undersung Brit poet hero could do. Just ask Bono. I bet Billy Bragg was one of the reasons he still tries to write songs anymore in hope of inventing something as pure and powerful.
Paul Koidis
_______________________________________
Just watched Billy's version of "The Times They Are A-Changin." I was literally moved to tears as feelings of both anger and helplessness washed over me. And he accomplished what he set out to do, which was to remind me that I, we, you, can't sit on the sidelines and just bitch about things. We all must weigh-in and stand up for what is right, just and decent!
Thanks for this.
Dan Beckerman
_______________________________________
Been a fan for years. "Milkman of Human Kindness" is an all time favorite song. A hit because it's so catchy.
Saw him for free (with free tacos and free beer) at a SxSw paste mag showcase a couple years ago. We just wandered in. no wrist band needed.
I was ECSTATIC!! I had never seen him live. He is like a sleeper hit movie.
And, THEN, Amanda Fucking Palmer got up on stage with him and I about pushed people over to get to the front of the stage. I was FLOORED!
But, it all made sense. Though I didn't associate them in my mind, of COURSE they are kindred spirits, of COURSE AFP is a huge BB fan!
I got a selfie with Billy and it still looks like a loving picture with my dad.
He's definitely a musical dad out uncle. Hr had/has so much love to give - not creepy love - I felt totally safe.
What a musician, what a songwriter, what a man!!
-Sarah Fridrich in DC
_______________________________________
What a brilliant man for you to shine a light on. Thank you.
My friends and I discovered him pretty young and he became the backbone of our Sunday listening sessions in our teens, BECAUSE, he had something to say. It wasn't just drivel. It was centered and charged. so, thank you again Bob.
Side note regarding the Housemartins. The bass player was the business driver in that band. The reason you didn't hear more about them is because he left that band in the dust when he had an unexpected number one in the 80s, but he's very much still functioning today. You know him as Fat Boy Slim. ;)
Kevin Spencer
_______________________________________
Billy Bragg is amazing…You're a little late to the game as his biggest album (Life's a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy) came out in 1983.
My friends and I wore out his record Back to Basics in the late 80's. Got to see him in 1990 and I still remember it was an amazing show.
Glad he's still out there making noise.
Best Regards,
Zach Goode
_______________________________________
Thanks for this. I was at the show as well. I live in Denver but saw he was playing the Troubadour so I planned a work trip in LA around it.
I saw Bill in 08 at the El Rey and he told us to vote for Obama and we did.
The next time I saw him was at the Gothic in Denver on a snowy night a few weeks before the election and he warned us not to be complacent and vote for President Obama again and we did.
Sadly he didn't tour before the last election. Clearly we need his voice to remind us of our civic duty.
Glad you saw him live.
Thanks
Kevin Bennett
_______________________________________
Billy's a marvel. Tireless.
Check out his work with Jail Guitar Doors, a foundation he created with the MC5's Wayne Kramer (it's named for a song The Clash wrote about Wayne), that supplies musical instruments to inmates in the U.S. and the U.K.
Billy and Wayne often go to prisons to perform. Interviewing him once, years ago, I said, "Bill, most of these guys are in their 20s. You're 45. Are they familiar with your music?"
"They haven't got a fucking clue, mate," he said, laughing. "I play them some Bob Marley tunes."
John Kendle
_______________________________________
Bob
Billy just performed 3 nights at the H-Shoe Tavern as part of our 70th B-Day concert series. The shows sold out in a millisecond, with each evening focusing on a different era of Billy's musical career
I've been a huge fan since the early 80's, so I'm biased, but Billy has the secret sauce, the right mix of lyrical poetry, anthemic chord changes, and the ability to weave a story, both in stage banter and within each song, in the same musical tradition as a Dylan, Springsteen, Strummer, or Guthrie
Jeff Cohen
Collective Concerts
Legendary H-Shoe Tavern
Toronto
_______________________________________
Hey Bob,
I've been a fan of your writing for years and am so glad you covered Billy Bragg. He is the real fucking deal. This February, I had the opportunity to perform a piece of music before Billy's key note speech at the Folk Alliance Conference (last year the theme was about protest music). My band was asked to create a piece of music to support a poem written by a police officer of color who felt conflicted about what his job asked of him to do. It was a moving piece and as I walked backstage Billy congratulated me, saying that we fired him up. I felt honored as I sat down to watch him speak.
His speech was mesmerizing as he told the stories of the key moments in his life that turned him into the man and artist he is. He spoke of the homophobic work environment as a teenager that made him realize he would not let racism, fascism or homophobia stand. He spoke of the gig when Pete Seeger passed down the baton to him by telling him it was his turn to write the songs for his people.
This line stuck with me the most. He explained, "Music is an amazing vehicle for empathy. Even a pop song, in its simplicity, allows you to feel another persons love or heart break. Our role as artists is to create empathy, and if empathy leads to action, that is called solidarity. Solidarity is what the world needs." Fuck, man, that hit me like a bullet right into my soul. He led us all in an a cappella chant exclaiming, "Solidarity Forever."
As Billy walked off stage and back into the dressing room, I congratulated him and echoed, hey Billy YOU FIRED ME UP! He then looked at me square in the face and said, see, now its your turn its time for you to write the songs for your people. In that exact moment, Nora Guthrie walked backstage. She heard Billy telling me that and chimed in, "Yes, we can't do it anymore. It's your turn, this is what people need to hear."
That moment changed my life forever. Our album was already completed, the second work we'd done produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos. We'd been dropped by our label, we felt downtrodden and aimless. The album was already written and recorded, containing tories about the immigrant perspective. That day, those stories evolved and blossomed into a battle cry. It shaped and pointed our message and fueled us with the energy we needed to move forward. We self-released it, climbed to #3 on the Billboard Latin Albums chart and hit the ground running sharing our message.
Billy Bragg changed my life. Thanks for sharing.
Enrique Chi
_______________________________________
In addition to being everything you say -- passionate, illuminating, stimulating -- Billy Bragg is also very funny. At least, he was when I saw him. His mixture of music, stories, politics, and humor is very entertaining. And it gives you something to think about at the same time.
Kurt Schroeder
_______________________________________
"Waiting for the Great Leap Forward"!!
Listen to that.
Jeff Loh
_______________________________________
Dear Mr Lefsetz,
Read your post about Billy Bragg. I'd like to share a little anecdote.
I saw Billy Bragg once at a festival in Belgium (I'm from Belgium). Pukkelpop. Today one of Europe's biggest festivals. Not the case in 1990.
https://www.pukkelpop.be/nl/history/1990/
Billy Bragg was on stage. Festival ground surrounded with metallic fences. One audience member needs to pee. He goes to the fence and starts urinating. A little bit lazy, toilets available a few yards further.
Billy sees it. He stops playing and addresses the guy. So like, addressing the guy through the PA in front of several thousands.
Billy: " Excuse me. Why are you doing this ? The toilets are over there."
Every face in the crowd turns left. I wouldn't like to have been that person. Probably would have died from cardiac arrest. Funny though. Nearly wet my pants laughing.
I guess his most famous song was A New England. Yes, I've read your memo. You're not a YouTube fan. Here it goes anyway:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCfRcgoPxTw
Keep up the good work. I've been reading your posts for several years. Not always agree with what you say but always stimulating. It makes me think. Important.
Regards,
Franklin Maes
_______________________________________
I have a story to relate about Billy Bragg...
I am an unlikely reader of your blog--a 3rd generation running the family "schmata"(clothing) business up here in Winnipeg, Canada. Your writing about the music, tech and entertainment industry is equally (more!)relevant to my almost 80 year old business as well.
We make workwear , some still made here in Canada by union workers, and our "Tough Duck" workwear line crosses over from the workers to the skaters, kids, moto riders, etc.
About 5 years ago I get a phone call to come down to reception. "A gentleman named Billy Bragg is here to see you." I am a huge fan, wondering what is going on here?
Turns out my company donated some jackets to a fundraiser for "The Winnipeg Folk Festival" (now that's another story, if you've never heard of this awesome world class event www.winnipegfolkfestival.ca).
Billy Bragg was in town headlining the fundraiser and playing a concert as well. He had actually bid on one of the prize packages at the fundraiser, which was one of our Tough Duck jackets. He wanted the proper size.
In the end, he was one of the most down to earth, real people I have ever met. We ended up outfitting his whole band, and was invited to the show that night. Billy and the band were extremely gracious, polite and a lot of fun to be around. I wish I knew more about British Football, those boys are big fans.
Billy gave a shout out to me and the company on stage that night, and I had the privilege of going backstage after the show. I remember talking to Billy backstage about my all time favorite band, The Clash, and the age old argument of which is the better Clash album--London Calling or Sandinista. I was out of my league talking to one of punk's most talented superstars about music, but he made me feel like I was just enthusiastically taking between two music fans.
Billy sent me signed CD's, his book, and we did some tour jackets for him. Will never forget what a real, authentic person he is despite his stardom and talent.
We proudly display a Billy Bragg signed, framed Tough Duck jacket as you walk into our building.
Just wanted to share Bob, been meaning to reach out for a while. I know you mention Canada from time to time, come up to Banff for some skiing and come this summer to visit us in The Peg.
We've got some great outerwear to keep you warm!
Thanks for all the great inspiration.
Gavin Rich
President
Richlu Manufacturing
_______________________________________
billy bragg is my soul-brother. him and me are the punk fo hippy cult heroes that the world ignores
but we don't care because our tribes are so phenomenal and the shows are so fucking wonderful.
he curates an entire tent every year at glastonbury called Left Field where he basically "teaches"
all week…speaks, plays, curates talks. he's my hero.
if you've never heard his song "the world turned upside-down" (or he didn't play it @ troubadour)
go listen. i do a cover of it on the uke and that's how he found out about me ages ago.
folk lives
Amanda Palmer
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I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment. It was the best Billy Bragg show I've ever seen, and one of the 5 best shows I've been to this year.
I've been lucky enough to see Billy about a half-dozen times over the years. He is always witty, vibrant, provocative, and insightful. Having said that, Billy is more relevant and needed now than ever. A no-bullshit, unvarnished voice is exactly what we need to combat the age of Trumpian/Brexit no-nothingism.
Happily, and probably not coincidentally, Billy is at the top of his game. His 4 new songs (counting his reworking of The Times They Are A-Changing as a new song) are all spectacular.
For me the highlight was his new song inspired by Goya: The Sleep Of Reason Produces Monsters. It is chilling and spot-on.
As you say, Billy's voice was pretty trashed last night. But not only did it not matter, I felt like it showcased one of Billy's transcendent messages -- the need to persevere in the face of adversity.
I hope your endorsement helps get Billy a wider audience. We need his voice, now more than ever.
Rob Glaser
_______________________________________
I first saw him in London while writing for Time Out in early 80s.
Buzzed around LA with him on his first visit to the city, free gigs at a couple long gone record stores, including that one on Olympic or Pico ironically close to NARAS.
Last heard him, still sharp, being interviewed by Terry Gross.
http://www.npr.org/2017/07/22/538331831/fresh-air-weekend-billy-bragg-on-skiffle-crime-and-punishment-in-black-america
Brad Auerbach
_______________________________________
The first time I heard Billy Bragg was in 1994, on WLIR, the (underpowered) KROQ of New York. I put in on a mixtape, which I still have, though no cassette player to play it on. At that time, he was positioned as Another New Wave Artist, which did span a lot of genres, but it was clear that even within that broad classification, he was different, then and now. I'm glad that he is still out there, doing it, and relevant!
David Chazen
_______________________________________
This was a great read! I never expected two of my favorite minds to meet.
Billy has been an inspiration to me for a while, and like you said, its his stories that always make me want to be there in the bar with him! But it was the songs that got me there the first time. How did i find them? it was the Woody Guthrie + Wilco record. Thanks to this lot, I want to be a journeymen too.
So glad you took the time and a chance to find him too.
Wonsly
_______________________________________
California Stars. Bragg's work in bringing this Woody Guthrie song to life has to be a part of any conversation about his career. Mermaid Avenue was a great project. Wilco gets credit, too, but the performance was Billy Bragg.
Jim Warren
_______________________________________
Billy Bragg's recent interview with Terri Gross turned me on to what a remarkable presence he is. Thanks for shining a light on an old-fashioned troubadour who is both staunchly political and utterly free of bullshit or pretense. It's a rare combination.
Matt Kohut
_______________________________________
"Walk Away Renee": https://open.spotify.com/track/4IDookpXpwMN2pJEYddpY5?si=OIkZE0Co
Nobody does it better.
Michael E. Colbourn
_______________________________________
Spot on. Billy is everything you said in your email - first time I saw him was at the New Music Seminar when he was signed to CD Presents in the early 80's. I was a college radio music director and he didn't have a formal showcase - he'd rigged himself with a backpack and electric speakers and had his electric guitar plugged into it and I guess a mic too and he was walking around in front of the hotel and through the lobby and trade show just playing his songs - a one man walking band. created his own showcase :). it was awesome.
then, after college I had the good fortune to work for Elektra. at first I was an assistant and when he'd stop into the office he'd take the time to show me the chords to his songs, and later when I was in a marketing role for the label I was able to promote his records, arrange an instore for him at Tower Records in the Village, etc. Some 20 years later when he was in NYC performing at a Woody Guthrie benefit I went backstage to say hello, not sure if he'd remember me - imagine all the people he's met and worked with since - but his arms flew up in the air and he said "Barb!" and gave me a great big hug. He's genuine, true to himself, his passions, his politics, and his hopes. His fans have stuck by him for good reason and he sticks by them.
Thanks for the link, some back:
The Great Leap Forward: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7d6ZwAp28Y
Playing the Clash's English Civil War with the Levellers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrcpxpbgAnc
and if you don't know the record of Woody Guthrie lyrics set to songs that he did with Wilco ("Mermaid Avenue") - the whole thing is brilliant, start to finish:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Lnf0hmj6l0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcxIMvI8qBs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhe9tVARzCk
enjoy!
Barb Prisament
_______________________________________
Billy's been doing it his way for many, many years. I first encountered him when he crashed the New Music Seminar (NMS) 'party' in NYC back in '84 or '85. He entered the lobby of the conference hotel with some sort of small PA system strapped to his back. And he sang songs and protested that the voices of artists like him, "New Music", were being shut out. It certainly caught my attention.
It would not surprise me at all if that's when the descerning ears of talent rep extraordinaire Steve Martin heard him too, and signed him to his agency. But I'm sure he could tell you that info.
Cheers from Perth, Australia,
Thom Wolke
_______________________________________
Perfectly encapsulates Billy Bragg, thanks for the link. I remember seeing him on an inside stage at The Big Day Out about four years ago. I was struck by how well he knew his audience, how to communicate with them, what would make them laugh, brilliant.
Matt Johnson
_______________________________________
When it comes to socially-aware, politically-active artists, Billy's the real deal.
You may or not agree with the politics, but you have to respect the dedication and the consistency.
Billy's smart as hell, well-spoken, and he can sure pen a few good songs (try 'Levi Stubbs' Tears').
He was a precursor in the business. He owns his masters and his publishing. He was managed (for a while) by the great Peter Jenner, but as Peter once told me, "you don't manage Billy, he manages himself". He basically made a shake-hand deal with Cooking Vinyl and that has been going on for over 20 years.
I have dealt with Billy on a couple of occasions and I have always been amazed by his willingness to interact with people, and his no frills attitude.
Always an inspiration. And a cool guy to have a beer with too.
Emmanuel Legrand
_______________________________________
Thank you for writing this... brings back memories of me as a youngster in the 80's being introduced to Billy Bragg, and realizing that there was more to music!
Ps- if you haven't already, check out Billy Bragg and Wilco's Mermaid Avenue.... unreleased words of Woody Guthrie
David Dutton
_______________________________________
Hey Bob, been a fan of Bragg since the 80's when I was growing up in Ireland. He made me political as a teenager with his Red Wedge tour supporting the striking miners and denouncing Thatcher.
Saw him at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in SF on Friday and he captivated a large crowd of maybe 10,000 people, the majority of whom were probably only vaguely aware of Bragg.
His skill of connecting the past and present, both musically and politically is a rare gift, delivered by a master craftsman.
Indeed The Times They Are A Changin'...back.
Greg McQuaid
_______________________________________
When I was in college in the '80s, I saw him give a keynote at the music old New Music Seminar in NY. He was passionate and riveting! He was some kind of mix - part Joe Strummer, part Bob Dylan. Afterward I saw him coming out of the building and told him I loved what he had said. He replied, "Good, then get out and do something about it,"
and walked away. I don't remember much of what he said at his keynote, but I still remember that urging to me to do something, and I think it that often.
Jim McGuinn
_______________________________________
I'm glad you got to see him finally. He's really awesome and he always has been. You just motivated me to put on one of my favorite Billy Bragg albums right now.
Nick Miller
_______________________________________
I saw Billy Bragg here in Toronto for my first time- it was an incredible night!
I had his first three albums back in high school and listened to them a lot.
But I kind of dropped him after that as sometimes happens, especially when you go through your jazz years....
Anyway- my bass player and his buddy had an extra ticket for the second night of Billy's 3 night stand at T.O.'s infamous Horseshoe Tavern.
And that happened to be the night he was gonna be playing mostly those first three albums- fantastic!
As you experienced there- an older crowd, everyone approaching middle age, except for those already passed it.
Everyone seemed to know all the words to the songs, and hung on every word of the stories.
It was amazing experience, joyful and entertaining- kind of like a loud kitchen party with 400 friends and host you haven't seen for a few years.
Good to hear you got to enjoy it too.
Greetings from Toronto,
Christian D
_______________________________________
I discovered Billy Bragg a couple years ago and was deeply inspired. There's just something about getting moved to discover a back catalog of an artist. I'm 31, so I was a baby when he was putting out records marketed as a "one man Clash" and had no idea of him or Wilco as a 13 year old when he did the wonderful Guthrie collection.
Glad to see his name pop up here!
Ramon Narvaez
_______________________________________
I look forward to your daily posts. I have no affiliation with the music industry, other than being an avid consumer of music for the last 30 years. Anyway, Billy likely played this at his show, but if not, check out his recent protest gem called 'King Tide and the Sunny Day Flood'. Is it going to change the world or inspire people to make a difference? Probably not. As you've written many times, the culture has changed too much for a song like this to have mass appeal. But it's genuine and authentic, just like Billy. Isn't that what people crave? A little authenticity? Keep up the good work.
https://open.spotify.com/track/2wip4989IWOY6Hd4J38YMw
Michael Scott
_______________________________________
I saw him a few years ago, here in Halifax at a small college venue, with my nephew, who was a huge fan. I was in the front row and had on my Boston Bruin hat and I think he asked me if I was going to a hockey game later. He was humorous, engaging and of course political, a memorable night!!
Doug Gillis
_______________________________________
Sure thing Bob - Billy is a journeyman, a rebellious folk and protest singer who can rock and folk with the best of them. I first saw Billy on January 22, 1989 at the Pub Flamingo in Halifax, NS.
The same night as Superbowl XXIII (49'ers beat the Bengals 20-16 - Montana to Taylor with 34 seconds left to win.)
I had all of Billy's albums to date, including Workers Playtime - the one he was touring to support. Me and my college roommate Doug sang along and drank the koolaid. I was mildly disappointed he talked so much as I remember - only because at the end there were so many songs I didn't get to hear, because of his long banter. Every show is like that - the audience doesn't get to write the set list, so you have to be willing to buy into the artist/audience bargain which is, the band curates the show and the audience curates the response. I've spent my whole life going to shows and have always enjoyed the interplay of this relationship.
The Superbowl reference relates the fact that he spent an inordinate amount of time talking about the futility of American football, or "tightpants" as he and his Brits pals called it in the day. Still, me and my buddy Doug left satisfied because we finally got to see our British version of Dylan, with an even harder political edge.
I saw Billy again in 2000 with Wilco on the Mermaid Avenue Tour - another great show. This time I got to interview Billy for a TV show I was working on at the time, so I was pretty thrilled to get that chance to ask him about Tony Blair and "New Labour" in Great Britain, He was so insightful, brutally honest and decidedly socialist that you couldn't help but admire this guy for the courage of his convictions for so long. And for his songs, of which you included none, so I will oblige.
Love your letters Bob, keep on writing!
Billy Bragg: New England
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCfRcgoPxTw
Billy Bragg: Levi Stubbs Tears
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbdJ8OGYtzM
Billy Bragg: Greetings From the New Brunette
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfKcG3gn3F8
Peace
Stephen Antle
_______________________________________
I discovered Billy Bragg's music when I was 18...I am only a young 34 now and been a massive fan since day one.
All the way over here in Sydney, Australia his brand of no frills music and politics (happily mixing the two) always spoke to me somehow, regardless of any such nonsense generational gap or geographical understanding.
He also has beautiful love songs in his repertoire too!
Have gone to seen him play live all over the world and have seen him easily a dozen times or more. Usually one of the youngest in the crowd every time!
I still have to fight back tears singing along to every word at his shows.
It is rare to find an act you will happily go to a live show and be just as happy listening to him rant and rave for 50% of the time, and sing incredibly crafted songs the other 50% of the time. Sometimes I don't even know which I like more.
In the current crazy world we all live in, we need artists like Billy Bragg more than ever.
Well read, well listened, well educated, in tune with whatever country he finds himself in, and certainly never afraid to speak him mind on any topic he feels passionate about.
Glad you enjoyed the show, and even better to be spreading the word too!
Always waiting, for the great leap forwards!
Basil Cook
_______________________________________
Saw him at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass on Fri. He wAa great and "The Times They are a' Changing" brought me to tears. Especially here and now.
Randi Swindel
_______________________________________
Great Leap Foward and New England are superior to any Dylan song simply because they are stripped of any poise or pretense and harmomize truth with dreaming in a way only a working class undersung Brit poet hero could do. Just ask Bono. I bet Billy Bragg was one of the reasons he still tries to write songs anymore in hope of inventing something as pure and powerful.
Paul Koidis
_______________________________________
Just watched Billy's version of "The Times They Are A-Changin." I was literally moved to tears as feelings of both anger and helplessness washed over me. And he accomplished what he set out to do, which was to remind me that I, we, you, can't sit on the sidelines and just bitch about things. We all must weigh-in and stand up for what is right, just and decent!
Thanks for this.
Dan Beckerman
_______________________________________
Been a fan for years. "Milkman of Human Kindness" is an all time favorite song. A hit because it's so catchy.
Saw him for free (with free tacos and free beer) at a SxSw paste mag showcase a couple years ago. We just wandered in. no wrist band needed.
I was ECSTATIC!! I had never seen him live. He is like a sleeper hit movie.
And, THEN, Amanda Fucking Palmer got up on stage with him and I about pushed people over to get to the front of the stage. I was FLOORED!
But, it all made sense. Though I didn't associate them in my mind, of COURSE they are kindred spirits, of COURSE AFP is a huge BB fan!
I got a selfie with Billy and it still looks like a loving picture with my dad.
He's definitely a musical dad out uncle. Hr had/has so much love to give - not creepy love - I felt totally safe.
What a musician, what a songwriter, what a man!!
-Sarah Fridrich in DC
_______________________________________
What a brilliant man for you to shine a light on. Thank you.
My friends and I discovered him pretty young and he became the backbone of our Sunday listening sessions in our teens, BECAUSE, he had something to say. It wasn't just drivel. It was centered and charged. so, thank you again Bob.
Side note regarding the Housemartins. The bass player was the business driver in that band. The reason you didn't hear more about them is because he left that band in the dust when he had an unexpected number one in the 80s, but he's very much still functioning today. You know him as Fat Boy Slim. ;)
Kevin Spencer
_______________________________________
Billy Bragg is amazing…You're a little late to the game as his biggest album (Life's a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy) came out in 1983.
My friends and I wore out his record Back to Basics in the late 80's. Got to see him in 1990 and I still remember it was an amazing show.
Glad he's still out there making noise.
Best Regards,
Zach Goode
_______________________________________
Thanks for this. I was at the show as well. I live in Denver but saw he was playing the Troubadour so I planned a work trip in LA around it.
I saw Bill in 08 at the El Rey and he told us to vote for Obama and we did.
The next time I saw him was at the Gothic in Denver on a snowy night a few weeks before the election and he warned us not to be complacent and vote for President Obama again and we did.
Sadly he didn't tour before the last election. Clearly we need his voice to remind us of our civic duty.
Glad you saw him live.
Thanks
Kevin Bennett
_______________________________________
Billy's a marvel. Tireless.
Check out his work with Jail Guitar Doors, a foundation he created with the MC5's Wayne Kramer (it's named for a song The Clash wrote about Wayne), that supplies musical instruments to inmates in the U.S. and the U.K.
Billy and Wayne often go to prisons to perform. Interviewing him once, years ago, I said, "Bill, most of these guys are in their 20s. You're 45. Are they familiar with your music?"
"They haven't got a fucking clue, mate," he said, laughing. "I play them some Bob Marley tunes."
John Kendle
_______________________________________
Bob
Billy just performed 3 nights at the H-Shoe Tavern as part of our 70th B-Day concert series. The shows sold out in a millisecond, with each evening focusing on a different era of Billy's musical career
I've been a huge fan since the early 80's, so I'm biased, but Billy has the secret sauce, the right mix of lyrical poetry, anthemic chord changes, and the ability to weave a story, both in stage banter and within each song, in the same musical tradition as a Dylan, Springsteen, Strummer, or Guthrie
Jeff Cohen
Collective Concerts
Legendary H-Shoe Tavern
Toronto
_______________________________________
Hey Bob,
I've been a fan of your writing for years and am so glad you covered Billy Bragg. He is the real fucking deal. This February, I had the opportunity to perform a piece of music before Billy's key note speech at the Folk Alliance Conference (last year the theme was about protest music). My band was asked to create a piece of music to support a poem written by a police officer of color who felt conflicted about what his job asked of him to do. It was a moving piece and as I walked backstage Billy congratulated me, saying that we fired him up. I felt honored as I sat down to watch him speak.
His speech was mesmerizing as he told the stories of the key moments in his life that turned him into the man and artist he is. He spoke of the homophobic work environment as a teenager that made him realize he would not let racism, fascism or homophobia stand. He spoke of the gig when Pete Seeger passed down the baton to him by telling him it was his turn to write the songs for his people.
This line stuck with me the most. He explained, "Music is an amazing vehicle for empathy. Even a pop song, in its simplicity, allows you to feel another persons love or heart break. Our role as artists is to create empathy, and if empathy leads to action, that is called solidarity. Solidarity is what the world needs." Fuck, man, that hit me like a bullet right into my soul. He led us all in an a cappella chant exclaiming, "Solidarity Forever."
As Billy walked off stage and back into the dressing room, I congratulated him and echoed, hey Billy YOU FIRED ME UP! He then looked at me square in the face and said, see, now its your turn its time for you to write the songs for your people. In that exact moment, Nora Guthrie walked backstage. She heard Billy telling me that and chimed in, "Yes, we can't do it anymore. It's your turn, this is what people need to hear."
That moment changed my life forever. Our album was already completed, the second work we'd done produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos. We'd been dropped by our label, we felt downtrodden and aimless. The album was already written and recorded, containing tories about the immigrant perspective. That day, those stories evolved and blossomed into a battle cry. It shaped and pointed our message and fueled us with the energy we needed to move forward. We self-released it, climbed to #3 on the Billboard Latin Albums chart and hit the ground running sharing our message.
Billy Bragg changed my life. Thanks for sharing.
Enrique Chi
_______________________________________
In addition to being everything you say -- passionate, illuminating, stimulating -- Billy Bragg is also very funny. At least, he was when I saw him. His mixture of music, stories, politics, and humor is very entertaining. And it gives you something to think about at the same time.
Kurt Schroeder
_______________________________________
"Waiting for the Great Leap Forward"!!
Listen to that.
Jeff Loh
_______________________________________
Dear Mr Lefsetz,
Read your post about Billy Bragg. I'd like to share a little anecdote.
I saw Billy Bragg once at a festival in Belgium (I'm from Belgium). Pukkelpop. Today one of Europe's biggest festivals. Not the case in 1990.
https://www.pukkelpop.be/nl/history/1990/
Billy Bragg was on stage. Festival ground surrounded with metallic fences. One audience member needs to pee. He goes to the fence and starts urinating. A little bit lazy, toilets available a few yards further.
Billy sees it. He stops playing and addresses the guy. So like, addressing the guy through the PA in front of several thousands.
Billy: " Excuse me. Why are you doing this ? The toilets are over there."
Every face in the crowd turns left. I wouldn't like to have been that person. Probably would have died from cardiac arrest. Funny though. Nearly wet my pants laughing.
I guess his most famous song was A New England. Yes, I've read your memo. You're not a YouTube fan. Here it goes anyway:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCfRcgoPxTw
Keep up the good work. I've been reading your posts for several years. Not always agree with what you say but always stimulating. It makes me think. Important.
Regards,
Franklin Maes
_______________________________________
I have a story to relate about Billy Bragg...
I am an unlikely reader of your blog--a 3rd generation running the family "schmata"(clothing) business up here in Winnipeg, Canada. Your writing about the music, tech and entertainment industry is equally (more!)relevant to my almost 80 year old business as well.
We make workwear , some still made here in Canada by union workers, and our "Tough Duck" workwear line crosses over from the workers to the skaters, kids, moto riders, etc.
About 5 years ago I get a phone call to come down to reception. "A gentleman named Billy Bragg is here to see you." I am a huge fan, wondering what is going on here?
Turns out my company donated some jackets to a fundraiser for "The Winnipeg Folk Festival" (now that's another story, if you've never heard of this awesome world class event www.winnipegfolkfestival.ca).
Billy Bragg was in town headlining the fundraiser and playing a concert as well. He had actually bid on one of the prize packages at the fundraiser, which was one of our Tough Duck jackets. He wanted the proper size.
In the end, he was one of the most down to earth, real people I have ever met. We ended up outfitting his whole band, and was invited to the show that night. Billy and the band were extremely gracious, polite and a lot of fun to be around. I wish I knew more about British Football, those boys are big fans.
Billy gave a shout out to me and the company on stage that night, and I had the privilege of going backstage after the show. I remember talking to Billy backstage about my all time favorite band, The Clash, and the age old argument of which is the better Clash album--London Calling or Sandinista. I was out of my league talking to one of punk's most talented superstars about music, but he made me feel like I was just enthusiastically taking between two music fans.
Billy sent me signed CD's, his book, and we did some tour jackets for him. Will never forget what a real, authentic person he is despite his stardom and talent.
We proudly display a Billy Bragg signed, framed Tough Duck jacket as you walk into our building.
Just wanted to share Bob, been meaning to reach out for a while. I know you mention Canada from time to time, come up to Banff for some skiing and come this summer to visit us in The Peg.
We've got some great outerwear to keep you warm!
Thanks for all the great inspiration.
Gavin Rich
President
Richlu Manufacturing
_______________________________________
billy bragg is my soul-brother. him and me are the punk fo hippy cult heroes that the world ignores
but we don't care because our tribes are so phenomenal and the shows are so fucking wonderful.
he curates an entire tent every year at glastonbury called Left Field where he basically "teaches"
all week…speaks, plays, curates talks. he's my hero.
if you've never heard his song "the world turned upside-down" (or he didn't play it @ troubadour)
go listen. i do a cover of it on the uke and that's how he found out about me ages ago.
folk lives
Amanda Palmer
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Wednesday 11 October 2017
Billy Bragg At The Troubadour
"I played bars thirty five years ago and I'm still playing bars today."
That's what Billy Bragg told me when I asked him about the dream, you know, the one where you become rich and famous. He referenced other acts, like the Housemartins, who had broken through, where were they today?
But he's still standing.
I'd never seen him before. Always knew about him, got the CDs from the label, but never paid much attention, thought he was marginal in today's winner-take-all world.
But he's not.
The Troubadour had sold out months before. Steve Martin, the agent, told me they could have done three no problem. But what about the rest of America, outside the city? He was good for almost as many tickets, sometimes more. How could this be?
But the audience was not young, not the boppers propping up the popsters, but rather thirty, forty and fiftysomethings, who knew every word and sang along. They needed Billy. They needed to be there. How did they get the memo?
I still don't have the answer to that.
But one thing's for sure, Billy was a star in their world.
So it's just him. An electric and an acoustic and two amps, nothing more. And for two hours Billy plays and talks and...
He said he had a cold and his voice was shot. To tell you the truth, I didn't think it was that off, but then he remarked that one of his handlers said they came for the stories not the songs anyway.
And the stories are riveting.
It's the antithesis of modern showbiz, all sleek and removed. There was little barrier between the fans and Billy, but one thing's for sure, they saw him as a teacher.
You remember teachers, don't you? Probably some of the worst experiences of your life. But when done right...
Education is illuminating and stimulating.
And it was last night.
Billy's a left winger. Dyed-in-the-wool. And he won't give up. And he doesn't believe in apathy or cynicism and sings songs to that effect. He's imploring you to stand up, telling you that what you say and do makes a difference.
And he assumes you're educated, that you're not a nitwit, that you keep up with the news. He's talking about Brexit and Corbyn and America getting bounced from the World Cup and and one thing's for damn sure, this is not the same show he does every night.
Now normally when you don't know the material a show is an endurance test. You can't make out the lyrics and the hooks don't, hook you that is. But going to see Billy Bragg is akin to seeing a musical, you need no advance study, all the songs are comprehensible, and BRIEF! Normally live the numbers are extended. But Billy'd sing the three minute song and that'd be it. Then he'd go back to politics, his personal life, his history, exuding no star attitude yet his talent shined through, you knew you couldn't stand up on stage and do this.
So what motivated him to become political?
MARGARET THATCHER!
Before that he did not give a damn.
This is what Billy told me upstairs.
Normally he hangs out with the crowd, for an hour, and I didn't expect to meet him, it's usually unpleasant meeting people who don't know you, if you're a glad-hander backstage you're ignored, but Steve said we should go up and after the perfunctory notes about the show, in a moment of silence, I asked Billy about his career, where he was going, politics.
And he had no problem articulating his position.
I was stunned. Most musicians are aloof. Can barely eke out a sentence, never mind an informed one. But Billy walked me through the Tories and Labour and what was gonna happen with Brexit and I could have talked with him all night if they weren't shutting the place down, if we didn't have to go.
I guess you can go to the show and have just that, a show. That makes you marvel, that might even leave you with a glow.
Or you can have an experience. That makes you think. That takes you on a a journey. That makes you feel whatever you're experiencing is personal only to you, tonight, with this crowd.
Now Billy is carrying on. And he's got multiple projects, he's promoting a book he wrote on the skiffle sound. He's making a living. As he told me, he never had a straight job, music has supported him, and that was a victory in itself. But he's not dominating the chart. But he has a loyal audience. And you wonder...
What does the future hold? Will there be more journeymen like Billy Bragg, or just superstars and complainers who bitch that they are not?
I'm not sure.
But one thing is for sure. I'm continuing to think about last night's performance. I was impressed by Billy's passion, his belief, his perseverance.
That was a beacon to me.
And it will be for you too.
I recommend you go.
P.S. Billy does a reworked, topical version of "The Times They Are A-Changin'" that is genius. Start at the one minute mark in this video: http://bit.ly/2z1voUW
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That's what Billy Bragg told me when I asked him about the dream, you know, the one where you become rich and famous. He referenced other acts, like the Housemartins, who had broken through, where were they today?
But he's still standing.
I'd never seen him before. Always knew about him, got the CDs from the label, but never paid much attention, thought he was marginal in today's winner-take-all world.
But he's not.
The Troubadour had sold out months before. Steve Martin, the agent, told me they could have done three no problem. But what about the rest of America, outside the city? He was good for almost as many tickets, sometimes more. How could this be?
But the audience was not young, not the boppers propping up the popsters, but rather thirty, forty and fiftysomethings, who knew every word and sang along. They needed Billy. They needed to be there. How did they get the memo?
I still don't have the answer to that.
But one thing's for sure, Billy was a star in their world.
So it's just him. An electric and an acoustic and two amps, nothing more. And for two hours Billy plays and talks and...
He said he had a cold and his voice was shot. To tell you the truth, I didn't think it was that off, but then he remarked that one of his handlers said they came for the stories not the songs anyway.
And the stories are riveting.
It's the antithesis of modern showbiz, all sleek and removed. There was little barrier between the fans and Billy, but one thing's for sure, they saw him as a teacher.
You remember teachers, don't you? Probably some of the worst experiences of your life. But when done right...
Education is illuminating and stimulating.
And it was last night.
Billy's a left winger. Dyed-in-the-wool. And he won't give up. And he doesn't believe in apathy or cynicism and sings songs to that effect. He's imploring you to stand up, telling you that what you say and do makes a difference.
And he assumes you're educated, that you're not a nitwit, that you keep up with the news. He's talking about Brexit and Corbyn and America getting bounced from the World Cup and and one thing's for damn sure, this is not the same show he does every night.
Now normally when you don't know the material a show is an endurance test. You can't make out the lyrics and the hooks don't, hook you that is. But going to see Billy Bragg is akin to seeing a musical, you need no advance study, all the songs are comprehensible, and BRIEF! Normally live the numbers are extended. But Billy'd sing the three minute song and that'd be it. Then he'd go back to politics, his personal life, his history, exuding no star attitude yet his talent shined through, you knew you couldn't stand up on stage and do this.
So what motivated him to become political?
MARGARET THATCHER!
Before that he did not give a damn.
This is what Billy told me upstairs.
Normally he hangs out with the crowd, for an hour, and I didn't expect to meet him, it's usually unpleasant meeting people who don't know you, if you're a glad-hander backstage you're ignored, but Steve said we should go up and after the perfunctory notes about the show, in a moment of silence, I asked Billy about his career, where he was going, politics.
And he had no problem articulating his position.
I was stunned. Most musicians are aloof. Can barely eke out a sentence, never mind an informed one. But Billy walked me through the Tories and Labour and what was gonna happen with Brexit and I could have talked with him all night if they weren't shutting the place down, if we didn't have to go.
I guess you can go to the show and have just that, a show. That makes you marvel, that might even leave you with a glow.
Or you can have an experience. That makes you think. That takes you on a a journey. That makes you feel whatever you're experiencing is personal only to you, tonight, with this crowd.
Now Billy is carrying on. And he's got multiple projects, he's promoting a book he wrote on the skiffle sound. He's making a living. As he told me, he never had a straight job, music has supported him, and that was a victory in itself. But he's not dominating the chart. But he has a loyal audience. And you wonder...
What does the future hold? Will there be more journeymen like Billy Bragg, or just superstars and complainers who bitch that they are not?
I'm not sure.
But one thing is for sure. I'm continuing to think about last night's performance. I was impressed by Billy's passion, his belief, his perseverance.
That was a beacon to me.
And it will be for you too.
I recommend you go.
P.S. Billy does a reworked, topical version of "The Times They Are A-Changin'" that is genius. Start at the one minute mark in this video: http://bit.ly/2z1voUW
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More Eminem
Trump's afraid to tweet back.
That's the power of entertainment, that's the power of Hollywood, that's the power of Detroit, that's the power of art.
My inbox is filled up with right wing denizens decrying the work of Marshall Mathers. Saying he sucks, that it doesn't matter, that we must respect the President. They're no different from the older generation that hated the Beatles and supported the Vietnam War. They were on the wrong side of history, and Perry Como's been long forgotten.
You've got to be on the front lines. That's what the liberal elite just doesn't get, the faceless reporters for the "New York Times," the highly educated who know no one who voted for Trump. Then how did he win? Put your name on the line and you'll be subject to blowback, I get it every damn day.
I knew of Trump's power because when I denigrated him they came out in force, always with the same message, screw the poor, I worked hard for my money and Obama and Hillary are criminals, oftentimes with poor spelling, always writing "your" instead of "you're." And you can laugh at them, but they're ruling. Check out the landscape, it's not only Trump, Republicans rule D.C. and most states. Because the Democrats weren't working for them, or they just want to keep their money and they've been misinformed by the right wing media.
You've got to watch Fox News. I listen on Sirius. It's like a totally different country. I flip between MSNBC, CNN and Fox on the satellite. Oftentimes big stories don't make it to Fox. And the hosts interrupt naysayers. And you'd think they had it so right if you didn't know they had it so wrong.
That's right, Fox, et al, have won hearts and minds. Almost no different from the Vietcong, it's hard to defeat indoctrinated people.
Kinda like this Harvey Weinstein thing.
As soon as I wrote about it my inbox overflowed with right wingers wondering if he was gonna get the same treatment as O'Reilly and Ailes, saying that there was a double standard. Talking about donations to Hillary and Obama.
But Paul Krugman had it right:
"The Weinstein affair is giving us an object lesson in right-wing projection. I keep seeing outraged demands for liberal condemnation 1/
'Will liberals condemn Weinstein the way they condemned Ailes and O'Reilly?' they ask, presuming that the answer is no. But actually ... 2/
Everywhere I look the answer is, in fact, yes. What we should ask is: 'Did cons condemn Ailes/O'Reilly the way they condemn Weinstein?' 3/
And the answer, mainly, is no. Excusing evil behavior by people on your side is what THEY do; they're just projecting it onto libs 4/
And they're outraged in advance over the false assumption that liberals are just like them 5/"
Those tweets were on Friday (@paulkrugman), and the truth is everyone on the left is excoriating Weinstein, he's done, how many on the right came out against O'Reilly and Ailes?
Very few.
So hip-hop is the most powerful force in America. Rock is a joke and movies are too. Television is superior, but the biggest show, "Game of Thrones," is fantasy, hip-hop is real life.
And Eminem is hip-hop royalty.
It doesn't matter what Killer Mike says. Young Thug either. I applaud their efforts, but the America we live in is one wherein only those at the tippity-top have power. So the fact that nobodies, people far down the food chain, with a fraction of the traction of Mike or Thug, warbled songs against Trump is irrelevant, as a matter of fact, many were just looking for attention, but someone at the top, who is listened to, who has a broad audience, takes a stand and...
He or she can move mountains.
No one else has done this during the Trump Presidency.
Never forget, you can get away with anything as long as it's the truth.
And Eminem's screed was such.
And it doesn't matter that the cognoscenti watching television hate rap, the younger generation lives for it, it's a whole culture, absent from any other genre of music. People don't go from hit to hit, they're INVESTED in the sound.
And rap has been around for decades. So not only do you get the thirty and fortysomethings, you get the young 'uns, and they are the future.
And you've got to start somewhere. Kinda like with the Vietnam War. So many were for it before they against it. What turned them around? The culture, the music, the same music being listened to by the younger generation today. You may be pro-Trump but when your hero comes out and says the President's a doofus directing us towards danger you evaluate what he has to say in a way you don't evaluate the opposite viewpoint in TV or film. You believe in Eminem, you believe in the sound. And he's so passionate and pulling no punches.
So Donald Trump can attack NBC. Elected officials. But he doesn't dare mess with Eminem. Kinda like you can mess with the NFL but not the NBA. Because the slaves have taken over the plantation in the NBA, the players realize without their participation there is no game, and they utilized this leverage.
Whereas most musicians leave their leverage on the table. Believing they can accumulate the wealth of a techie or a banker they play it safe and whore themselves out with the result that no one believes them.
But they believe Eminem.
That's the power of hip-hop.
That's the power of music.
Who's next?
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That's the power of entertainment, that's the power of Hollywood, that's the power of Detroit, that's the power of art.
My inbox is filled up with right wing denizens decrying the work of Marshall Mathers. Saying he sucks, that it doesn't matter, that we must respect the President. They're no different from the older generation that hated the Beatles and supported the Vietnam War. They were on the wrong side of history, and Perry Como's been long forgotten.
You've got to be on the front lines. That's what the liberal elite just doesn't get, the faceless reporters for the "New York Times," the highly educated who know no one who voted for Trump. Then how did he win? Put your name on the line and you'll be subject to blowback, I get it every damn day.
I knew of Trump's power because when I denigrated him they came out in force, always with the same message, screw the poor, I worked hard for my money and Obama and Hillary are criminals, oftentimes with poor spelling, always writing "your" instead of "you're." And you can laugh at them, but they're ruling. Check out the landscape, it's not only Trump, Republicans rule D.C. and most states. Because the Democrats weren't working for them, or they just want to keep their money and they've been misinformed by the right wing media.
You've got to watch Fox News. I listen on Sirius. It's like a totally different country. I flip between MSNBC, CNN and Fox on the satellite. Oftentimes big stories don't make it to Fox. And the hosts interrupt naysayers. And you'd think they had it so right if you didn't know they had it so wrong.
That's right, Fox, et al, have won hearts and minds. Almost no different from the Vietcong, it's hard to defeat indoctrinated people.
Kinda like this Harvey Weinstein thing.
As soon as I wrote about it my inbox overflowed with right wingers wondering if he was gonna get the same treatment as O'Reilly and Ailes, saying that there was a double standard. Talking about donations to Hillary and Obama.
But Paul Krugman had it right:
"The Weinstein affair is giving us an object lesson in right-wing projection. I keep seeing outraged demands for liberal condemnation 1/
'Will liberals condemn Weinstein the way they condemned Ailes and O'Reilly?' they ask, presuming that the answer is no. But actually ... 2/
Everywhere I look the answer is, in fact, yes. What we should ask is: 'Did cons condemn Ailes/O'Reilly the way they condemn Weinstein?' 3/
And the answer, mainly, is no. Excusing evil behavior by people on your side is what THEY do; they're just projecting it onto libs 4/
And they're outraged in advance over the false assumption that liberals are just like them 5/"
Those tweets were on Friday (@paulkrugman), and the truth is everyone on the left is excoriating Weinstein, he's done, how many on the right came out against O'Reilly and Ailes?
Very few.
So hip-hop is the most powerful force in America. Rock is a joke and movies are too. Television is superior, but the biggest show, "Game of Thrones," is fantasy, hip-hop is real life.
And Eminem is hip-hop royalty.
It doesn't matter what Killer Mike says. Young Thug either. I applaud their efforts, but the America we live in is one wherein only those at the tippity-top have power. So the fact that nobodies, people far down the food chain, with a fraction of the traction of Mike or Thug, warbled songs against Trump is irrelevant, as a matter of fact, many were just looking for attention, but someone at the top, who is listened to, who has a broad audience, takes a stand and...
He or she can move mountains.
No one else has done this during the Trump Presidency.
Never forget, you can get away with anything as long as it's the truth.
And Eminem's screed was such.
And it doesn't matter that the cognoscenti watching television hate rap, the younger generation lives for it, it's a whole culture, absent from any other genre of music. People don't go from hit to hit, they're INVESTED in the sound.
And rap has been around for decades. So not only do you get the thirty and fortysomethings, you get the young 'uns, and they are the future.
And you've got to start somewhere. Kinda like with the Vietnam War. So many were for it before they against it. What turned them around? The culture, the music, the same music being listened to by the younger generation today. You may be pro-Trump but when your hero comes out and says the President's a doofus directing us towards danger you evaluate what he has to say in a way you don't evaluate the opposite viewpoint in TV or film. You believe in Eminem, you believe in the sound. And he's so passionate and pulling no punches.
So Donald Trump can attack NBC. Elected officials. But he doesn't dare mess with Eminem. Kinda like you can mess with the NFL but not the NBA. Because the slaves have taken over the plantation in the NBA, the players realize without their participation there is no game, and they utilized this leverage.
Whereas most musicians leave their leverage on the table. Believing they can accumulate the wealth of a techie or a banker they play it safe and whore themselves out with the result that no one believes them.
But they believe Eminem.
That's the power of hip-hop.
That's the power of music.
Who's next?
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Tuesday 10 October 2017
Eminem On Trump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LunHybOKIjU
"What kind of crazy fucked-up world do we live in where the best golfer is black and the best rapper is white?"
One in which Eminem drew a line in the sand tonight, if you're not with me, FUCK YOU!
This is everything today's "musicians" are against. They don't want to alienate a single potential audience member. Meanwhile, Marshall even takes the side of Kaepernick when Jerry Jones and the NFL want to keep teams down on the plantation.
But homey don't play that no more.
This was unexpected.
We had an unjust war in Iraq.
We had a "moron" elected President.
And nobody in music said a word.
But those days are done.
What the music industry won't admit is what it's selling pales in comparison to what's happening in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, label heads, touring honchos, all they want to talk about is politics, you can get nary a peep out of them re music. Because they're both fascinated and afraid.
But now Eminem broke the barrier down. Tonight he spoke the truth. Our truth. Isn't that what artists are supposed to do, speak their truth beholden to no one?
Expect the floodgates to open, just like women came out of the woodwork after Cosby got caught, after Weinstein got caught, we're a nation afraid of consequences until one person stands up, and no one's got as much power as a musician, but they don't use it, they're afraid of alienating sponsors, they want to make nice.
But Eminem did not make nice tonight, he put it all on the line, he's a beacon.
I lived through the sixties.
This is worse.
I was worried about getting my ass shot off in Vietnam.
Now I'm worried about being blown up by North Korea, latest news is their missiles can hit the west coast, but in a country where Puerto Rico can be devastated and no one cares, where Northern California can burn and no one cares, if you live in the Midwest or East you're far less worried, you're most concerned about terrorism, even though your chance of being killed by a stray bullet is much higher, and if you think the terrorists are coming first to Dubuque...
You probably voted for Trump.
Every damn day MSNBC beats up Trump. The NYT and the WaPo too.
And it makes no difference.
Every week Trump commits a faux pas, but nothing changes.
Except this weekend, when one of his team stood up and gave it to him, said the White House was a reality show and he was worried about World War III.
The world is changed by individuals. One person can change the course of history. Especially when they speak the truth.
So everyone's got their heels dug in. We live in a tribal nation. You're on one team or the other. Country acts can't even come out for gun control after their fans are shot to death.
But then one artist who crosses lines spoke up.
Artists are not politicians. They exist in their own rarefied atmosphere. Eminem speaks to both right and left, both adore him. So when he speaks...
Taylor Swift is fighting Kanye, Marshall Mathers is fighting for equal rights and world peace.
So now everybody's gonna see this, the entire younger generation, because hip-hop rules the country and Eminem is royalty. But instead of worrying about his bank account, tonight Marshall stood up for what's right.
And maybe you already agree with him.
But if you don't...
Are you gonna burn his CDs? Or delete his MP3s?
No, his video, his streams, are gonna live online, where you can't kill them, looking you in the face every damn day.
Tonight Eminem broke the logjam. One artist eclipsed the entire debate. Called foul on Trump and his cronies agitating for a return to the past, where the little guy without a voice is screwed.
The only person with a voice as big as Trump's is a rapper.
And tonight the king of rappers called him out.
Just start a tweet war with Eminem, Trump won't be able to block followers fast enough, that's the power of a musician.
And Eminem exercised that power tonight.
It's been a long time coming.
P.S. That quote at the top is from Chris Rock, ever wonder where I got it from?
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"What kind of crazy fucked-up world do we live in where the best golfer is black and the best rapper is white?"
One in which Eminem drew a line in the sand tonight, if you're not with me, FUCK YOU!
This is everything today's "musicians" are against. They don't want to alienate a single potential audience member. Meanwhile, Marshall even takes the side of Kaepernick when Jerry Jones and the NFL want to keep teams down on the plantation.
But homey don't play that no more.
This was unexpected.
We had an unjust war in Iraq.
We had a "moron" elected President.
And nobody in music said a word.
But those days are done.
What the music industry won't admit is what it's selling pales in comparison to what's happening in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, label heads, touring honchos, all they want to talk about is politics, you can get nary a peep out of them re music. Because they're both fascinated and afraid.
But now Eminem broke the barrier down. Tonight he spoke the truth. Our truth. Isn't that what artists are supposed to do, speak their truth beholden to no one?
Expect the floodgates to open, just like women came out of the woodwork after Cosby got caught, after Weinstein got caught, we're a nation afraid of consequences until one person stands up, and no one's got as much power as a musician, but they don't use it, they're afraid of alienating sponsors, they want to make nice.
But Eminem did not make nice tonight, he put it all on the line, he's a beacon.
I lived through the sixties.
This is worse.
I was worried about getting my ass shot off in Vietnam.
Now I'm worried about being blown up by North Korea, latest news is their missiles can hit the west coast, but in a country where Puerto Rico can be devastated and no one cares, where Northern California can burn and no one cares, if you live in the Midwest or East you're far less worried, you're most concerned about terrorism, even though your chance of being killed by a stray bullet is much higher, and if you think the terrorists are coming first to Dubuque...
You probably voted for Trump.
Every damn day MSNBC beats up Trump. The NYT and the WaPo too.
And it makes no difference.
Every week Trump commits a faux pas, but nothing changes.
Except this weekend, when one of his team stood up and gave it to him, said the White House was a reality show and he was worried about World War III.
The world is changed by individuals. One person can change the course of history. Especially when they speak the truth.
So everyone's got their heels dug in. We live in a tribal nation. You're on one team or the other. Country acts can't even come out for gun control after their fans are shot to death.
But then one artist who crosses lines spoke up.
Artists are not politicians. They exist in their own rarefied atmosphere. Eminem speaks to both right and left, both adore him. So when he speaks...
Taylor Swift is fighting Kanye, Marshall Mathers is fighting for equal rights and world peace.
So now everybody's gonna see this, the entire younger generation, because hip-hop rules the country and Eminem is royalty. But instead of worrying about his bank account, tonight Marshall stood up for what's right.
And maybe you already agree with him.
But if you don't...
Are you gonna burn his CDs? Or delete his MP3s?
No, his video, his streams, are gonna live online, where you can't kill them, looking you in the face every damn day.
Tonight Eminem broke the logjam. One artist eclipsed the entire debate. Called foul on Trump and his cronies agitating for a return to the past, where the little guy without a voice is screwed.
The only person with a voice as big as Trump's is a rapper.
And tonight the king of rappers called him out.
Just start a tweet war with Eminem, Trump won't be able to block followers fast enough, that's the power of a musician.
And Eminem exercised that power tonight.
It's been a long time coming.
P.S. That quote at the top is from Chris Rock, ever wonder where I got it from?
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The Man
"I got gas in the tank
I got money in the bank
I got news for you baby, you're looking at the man
I got skin in the game
I got a household name
I got news for you baby, you're looking at the man"
David Krebs thinks rock died because of sexism. The acts he managed, Aerosmith, Nugent and AC/DC, could they say those things today? Sure, they're all still touring, doing well, albeit with aged material, could the bad boys from Boston release "Lord Of The Thighs" from 1974's "Get Your Wings" today?
I don't think so, they'd be excoriated.
And the Killers have gone on record that "The Man" is parody, a look back to who they once were and are no more, but one thing's for sure it's CATCHY!
I got the memo but never spent any time with the band. But the endless tsunami of hype finally got to me, I decided to give a listen to their new album "Wonderful Wonderful."
It doesn't sound good.
As in the SOUND!
Once upon a time the goal was to get a big rig, a stereo with huge speakers and enough power to render the tunes in full fidelity. And to tell you the truth, vinyl was always compromised. But I come from the school that it sounded better, and acts competed for superior sound, Steely Dan being famous for this, so many other acts strived to transmit the studio to the listener, but something's been lost in the digital era.
Most albums are recorded on computers. And reproduced on lame little speakers, with the sound oftentimes being transmitted via the range-decimating Bluetooth. In other words, the reproduction systems of today have impacted what we're listening to. Rock just doesn't sound good on today's listening systems. Bass-heavy hip-hop does.
But in this case is it the recording or the mastering?
The album is tinny and lacks punch. I've experimented with different services, CD quality on Deezer, thousand dollar headphones via an amplifier, and still...the sound is thin, it doesn't embrace you, it doesn't punch you in the gut.
But "The Man" is great. If you were a fan of mid-period Queen you'd love it.
I was stunned to find out it was released to radio back in May. Even went to #1 on Adult Alternative, making the top five of Alternative, but I didn't hear it, because I don't listen to those formats.
Oh, I occasionally bump between them on Sirius, when Howard Stern doesn't entrance me. But terrestrial radio is a no-go, life is too short for all those commercials, my life is ruled by Spotify's Top Fifty, that's how I know what is happening, and it's rarely rock, but "The Man" does have 20 million streams on Spotify, nothing to sneeze at, but Post Malone's ironically-titled "Rockstar," currently #1 in the U.S. on Spotify, has 159 million streams, averaging 2,348,714 a day. Hell, the #50 song on Spotify, Liam Payne's "Strip That Down," has 356 million streams and is still averaging 406,277 a day. Sam Smith's "Too Good At Goodbyes," which certainly isn't hip-hop and has only been out a month, has 126 million streams. Why is rock such a backwater?
So I decided to play "Wonderful Wonderful" like I owned it. You remember purchasing music, don't you? You broke the shrinkwrap and played the LP through and one or two tracks stuck out, and then you played it over and over and over again until you got the rest, until you memorized them. But no matter how many times I played the title track, which opens the album, it didn't reach me, it's just not a hit. I mean the Stones established this paradigm decades ago, you open with a killer, but the Killers did not.
But you get "The Man" the first time through. But between the lyrics and the sound it comes across as neutered, even though the band is close to the best we've got, in the rock world anyway. The lead singer can actually sing, the songs are compact and digestible, but they're interwoven with these modern sounds, is that the problem? The music doesn't sound like a breakthrough, just a band trying to appear hip and modern.
But that first time through I found one other killer, "Some Kind Of Love."
Now most rockers won't attempt this sound anymore, you won't hear it on Active Rock, where the bands are afraid to get close to the dreaded hair band sound of the late eighties, but "Some Kind Of Love" is not wimpy, but airy, it's not made for a market, it sounds genuine, it's what Coldplay does, only the Killers do it better. You'll be nodding your head as it emanates from your listening device of choice.
So "Wonderful Wonderful" has two extremely good tracks. I know, I know, this is coming across somewhat negative, but I wouldn't be writing it at all if it weren't for these two tracks, and the fact that the more I listen to the rest of "Wonderful Wonderful" the more it appeals to me.
But has anyone got the time? Especially in this genre?
You can't tell from the hype. Every week there's a new SoundScan #1. Insiders ignore it, unless their act is atop that perch. And then most are forgotten. Unless you're hip-hop, there's little cross-pollination, everything's its own vertical, unless you make a specific effort chances are you'll never hear it.
But in the early seventies, before FM was codified, you'd hear stuff like "Some Kind Of Love" all the time, it was the essence of the format, before a hit was defined as something that was catchy and could play on AM Top Forty.
So what I'd like to hear is a remastered version of "Wonderful Wonderful," one that sounded more human. Especially now that streaming services make everything the same level shouldn't the loudness wars be over?
I'm not saying the Killers are the only act on the bleeding edge, but with these two tracks they show they've got gas in the tank, that there still is hope left in rock, but this sound never crosses over anymore, it's a ghetto.
And that's sad.
Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2i22QqX
YouTube: "The Man": http://bit.ly/2tY7xDI
YouTube: "Some Kind Of Love": http://bit.ly/2g0Ne2L
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I got money in the bank
I got news for you baby, you're looking at the man
I got skin in the game
I got a household name
I got news for you baby, you're looking at the man"
David Krebs thinks rock died because of sexism. The acts he managed, Aerosmith, Nugent and AC/DC, could they say those things today? Sure, they're all still touring, doing well, albeit with aged material, could the bad boys from Boston release "Lord Of The Thighs" from 1974's "Get Your Wings" today?
I don't think so, they'd be excoriated.
And the Killers have gone on record that "The Man" is parody, a look back to who they once were and are no more, but one thing's for sure it's CATCHY!
I got the memo but never spent any time with the band. But the endless tsunami of hype finally got to me, I decided to give a listen to their new album "Wonderful Wonderful."
It doesn't sound good.
As in the SOUND!
Once upon a time the goal was to get a big rig, a stereo with huge speakers and enough power to render the tunes in full fidelity. And to tell you the truth, vinyl was always compromised. But I come from the school that it sounded better, and acts competed for superior sound, Steely Dan being famous for this, so many other acts strived to transmit the studio to the listener, but something's been lost in the digital era.
Most albums are recorded on computers. And reproduced on lame little speakers, with the sound oftentimes being transmitted via the range-decimating Bluetooth. In other words, the reproduction systems of today have impacted what we're listening to. Rock just doesn't sound good on today's listening systems. Bass-heavy hip-hop does.
But in this case is it the recording or the mastering?
The album is tinny and lacks punch. I've experimented with different services, CD quality on Deezer, thousand dollar headphones via an amplifier, and still...the sound is thin, it doesn't embrace you, it doesn't punch you in the gut.
But "The Man" is great. If you were a fan of mid-period Queen you'd love it.
I was stunned to find out it was released to radio back in May. Even went to #1 on Adult Alternative, making the top five of Alternative, but I didn't hear it, because I don't listen to those formats.
Oh, I occasionally bump between them on Sirius, when Howard Stern doesn't entrance me. But terrestrial radio is a no-go, life is too short for all those commercials, my life is ruled by Spotify's Top Fifty, that's how I know what is happening, and it's rarely rock, but "The Man" does have 20 million streams on Spotify, nothing to sneeze at, but Post Malone's ironically-titled "Rockstar," currently #1 in the U.S. on Spotify, has 159 million streams, averaging 2,348,714 a day. Hell, the #50 song on Spotify, Liam Payne's "Strip That Down," has 356 million streams and is still averaging 406,277 a day. Sam Smith's "Too Good At Goodbyes," which certainly isn't hip-hop and has only been out a month, has 126 million streams. Why is rock such a backwater?
So I decided to play "Wonderful Wonderful" like I owned it. You remember purchasing music, don't you? You broke the shrinkwrap and played the LP through and one or two tracks stuck out, and then you played it over and over and over again until you got the rest, until you memorized them. But no matter how many times I played the title track, which opens the album, it didn't reach me, it's just not a hit. I mean the Stones established this paradigm decades ago, you open with a killer, but the Killers did not.
But you get "The Man" the first time through. But between the lyrics and the sound it comes across as neutered, even though the band is close to the best we've got, in the rock world anyway. The lead singer can actually sing, the songs are compact and digestible, but they're interwoven with these modern sounds, is that the problem? The music doesn't sound like a breakthrough, just a band trying to appear hip and modern.
But that first time through I found one other killer, "Some Kind Of Love."
Now most rockers won't attempt this sound anymore, you won't hear it on Active Rock, where the bands are afraid to get close to the dreaded hair band sound of the late eighties, but "Some Kind Of Love" is not wimpy, but airy, it's not made for a market, it sounds genuine, it's what Coldplay does, only the Killers do it better. You'll be nodding your head as it emanates from your listening device of choice.
So "Wonderful Wonderful" has two extremely good tracks. I know, I know, this is coming across somewhat negative, but I wouldn't be writing it at all if it weren't for these two tracks, and the fact that the more I listen to the rest of "Wonderful Wonderful" the more it appeals to me.
But has anyone got the time? Especially in this genre?
You can't tell from the hype. Every week there's a new SoundScan #1. Insiders ignore it, unless their act is atop that perch. And then most are forgotten. Unless you're hip-hop, there's little cross-pollination, everything's its own vertical, unless you make a specific effort chances are you'll never hear it.
But in the early seventies, before FM was codified, you'd hear stuff like "Some Kind Of Love" all the time, it was the essence of the format, before a hit was defined as something that was catchy and could play on AM Top Forty.
So what I'd like to hear is a remastered version of "Wonderful Wonderful," one that sounded more human. Especially now that streaming services make everything the same level shouldn't the loudness wars be over?
I'm not saying the Killers are the only act on the bleeding edge, but with these two tracks they show they've got gas in the tank, that there still is hope left in rock, but this sound never crosses over anymore, it's a ghetto.
And that's sad.
Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2i22QqX
YouTube: "The Man": http://bit.ly/2tY7xDI
YouTube: "Some Kind Of Love": http://bit.ly/2g0Ne2L
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Monday 9 October 2017
More E-Mail Of The Day/Laura DiMichele/Sexual Harassment
As someone who worked at a label in the late '80's, I can tell you women were in the minority, especially in the non-admin areas. Working in promotion, it was a weekly rite of passage to hang with the guys at the local strip club. There were always remarks made about my figure (I was 22 and had the advantage of being both athletic and not suffering the effects of gravity). I was also accused of sleeping with one of the artists on the label and fired. Was it true .. absolutely not. I was an innocent Jewish girl straight out of college radio who just loved music. The guy who fired me...he kept climbing the corporate ladder. He cheated on his wife with his secretary (who he also supplied with cocaine), furnished his house with free goods from trade, and is now head of one of the largest media companies in North America.
When I was younger I used to think that older women who complained about the "glass ceiling" were just bitter that they didn't get as far as they wanted. Sour grapes for not being good enough. Little did I know that there was a glass ceiling, and more important, women couldn't have it all. All of the consolidation that took place eliminated a generation of women in entertainment - on both the label side and the promoter side.
The ladies now in senior positions had to fight tooth and nail to get where they are, but there is a valley between them and the Gen X and millennials that follow. The way they do business is different and the work ethic is definitely not what it used to be. They think they can have it all, and they are in for a rude awakening.
Am I bitter and resentful...not in the least. I had fun, learned a lot, and have no regrets. Is the workplace a kinder, gentler place now...not in the least. In the new landscape, anything goes. Yes, men are being called out for bad behavior, but we have a culture now based on the President who is the "Bully in chief". We may have evolved, but as a society we are taking a huge step back.
I'm afraid for my daughter's generation. As much as things change, they stay the same. See the review on "American Girls" below. When we were kids there was just the telephone... I honestly don't think I would have survived adolescence in today's day of social media. If you don't think these issues are related, then I invite you to visit any middle / high school in America.
"American Girls,' by Nancy Jo Sales
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/27/books/review/american-girls-by-nancy-jo-sales.html
Simma Levine
________________________________________
All men have two heads. Just have to figure out which should be in charge at any particular moment.
It's an art.
Richard Sales
________________________________________
I'm very fortunate to have worked directly for some of the most powerful men in the music business, and also extremely fortunate to have never once been treated disrespectfully or been sexually harassed. Thankfully, I cannot relate to what she has gone through.
Maria Hoppe
________________________________________
Unfortunately she's right on about our dicks ruling us. As far as any other comments she made, it's difficult for men to have an opinion because we can't see it from her perspective. It's like a White guy telling a Black guy racism doesn't exist because he doesn't see it.
Danny Jay
________________________________________
Because you are mostly music-centric, there's more than a few females who have worked in the music biz who have not experienced harassment of some sort.
We don't expect the guys who are kind and good and supportive to understand what it's like to be in these type of situations with losers that are the polar opposite.
(And for those that think we think or attract this nonsense, make believe it was your mother being harassed.)
When this news broke, I immediately remembered two instances.
One was a three-way my boss wanted to arrange with him and his wife. (No thank you!)
The other was while on the road, where I was called to the hotel room because "HE" was just too tired from the show the night before. He was threatening to fire our firm mid-way through the tour and wanted to have a lunch meeting to air his grievances.
The road manager let me in. I sat in the living room. The room service cart was set up with lunch. The road manager left. Out walked our rock star in a bathrobe that barely covered his whatever that thing was.
I wasn't sure which turned me off more; his ignorance or his arrogance.
BTW I think he receives your emails, so pal, if you're reading this - go fuck yourself, cause I never did.
(If you post this, please hold my name. Life's too short to deal with any more morons.)
________________________________________
From Jay Jay French
Dear Bob
Twisted Sister was signed to Atlantic Records from '83 to '88.
During that time several top execs would appear at shows with their "neice's".
That was the code word.
I, however didn't know that for a while until one night I actually brought my real 18 year old neice to an INXS show at Radio City.
I brought her into the dressing room after the show and all the execs were there as I introduced my neice. I got alot of "attaboy"
Comments until I realized what they were thinking.
I quickly pulled some aside and explained that she really was my neice.
It was pretty funny but my neice, after I told her, wasn't laughing.
________________________________________
Pretty much every professional woman I know working in entertainment has SOME kind of story or experience with this, maybe it was a "late night" job interview, where the guy put her hand on his crotch or practically getting attacked being "dropped at their car" or in some other (uncomfortable way ) been heavily come onto on the job by the boss or guy in power, in a position to "do a lot" for them... Really like 99%. Seems there quietly been acceptance, "it's the way of the world...." that's just how it IS" but, now, in the transparent Internet age, and more of a level playing field, hopefully it maybe changing... Did you ever happen to hear Carly Simon's interview on Alec Baldwin's "Here's the thing?" www.wnyc.org/story/carly-simon-was-afraid-spotlight-and-still/ ?
In it she details how, after refusing the advances of "casting couch" a big deal record producer guy wrecked a song they were working on in production. As punishment, he killed her chance... She kept at it it says it took a couple more years before she found others to work with and get another shot.
Makes you wonder how many female talents, back in the day, may have had similar experiences, but then never got a second shot at it. And audiences may have missed out and never got to know about them.
Valerie Geller
________________________________________
Powerful email from Laura. I've not a lot of work experience in office settings where multitudes of power dynamics are at play but I can only imagine how bad it is out there for women. We spend half our lives at work and a lot of people surely think it's a environment that is no different than college or the bar - but it is - you're at work to work, not to hit on your subordinates. She's being nice to you and laughing at your shitty jokes because you're her boss not cause she likes you. Professional behaviour is something which goes out the door at most companies, bosses want to seem hip and cool and employees want to keep their jobs and get paid. Abuse of power should come as no surprise, it's an epidemic. As men, we must do better and treat our coworkers how we would like to be treated - with respect. Sure we may fuck up and no one is perfect, but these are not isolated cases, vigilance is needed on all fronts; we're all part of the problem.
Be well,
Aidan Mouëllic
Vancouver, BC
________________________________________
I worked in Hollywood for a couple of less than powerful men in the last era of human existence (i.e. no twitter) but it was the same story.
At one of my first jobs as a receptionist and script reader at a small production company when I was like 20 years old I was repeatedly told my voice was sexy over the phone. Which it's not, by the way-- it's whiny. My boss at that job once pointed to a woman out in the hallway and said to me, "I fucked her in the ass." His friend, a faded 80s teen heartthrob, came in to the office once and said something to me about my vagina, the particulars of which I have literally blocked out because I was so mortified in the moment. It was also the biggest turn off ever.
Another boss I had had cast an actress in one of his early films who had subsequently became very famous eventually, and he made the point of telling me he'd fucked her. Then one day he asked me to buy him new underwear because he had been fucking one of the ad execs he was directing a commercial for all night.
Now let me make something clear, I was NEVER asking for this kind of intimate information. I never shared anything intimate, and was young, idealistic, and concerned with doing a good job and learning the industry. But what I learned was that men in the movie industry don't really ever grow up, and they maintain the same relationship to and understanding of the female sex that they probably developed by the time they were 12 or 13.
Now I'm a rock n roller, eeking out a living in Deap Vally. As a female drummer I am asked why it's like to be a female in the music industry in 97% of interviews. I never get too soapboxy about it, because the truth is, misogyny in the music industry has NOTHING on the pervasive culture of delayed adolescent sexuality in the film industry.
Puke.
Julie Pirrone
________________________________________
Bob - people harassing Laura is just nuts. I hope she sends you a few that you can publish so we can see what the cockroaches look like when the lights are on. Men don't have a playbook for what it means to be a woman. Not a surprise some would attack the messenger and ignore the message.
Trevor Jeff
________________________________________
Reading the comments before I finished Laura's original E.
The last line was mentioned several times.
So I went back and finished Laura's.
What was so great about "Sent from my iPhone" ?
I mean, it's good. But...
Scott Sechman
________________________________________
One more thing about this, Bob - don't you love it that she wrote it on her phone?!!
Martha West
________________________________________
Great email from Laura DiMichele.
Rules actual men play by:
1) Never dip the nib in the company ink - colleagues, associates, assistants, interns and - most of all - clients. All off limits. Always.
2) Women have very long memories and enjoy "sharing". One handsy incident and you can bugger up a career.
3) Women totally appreciate being treated with respect and with a bit of old-fashioned courtesy. They remember that too.
4) For you young guys coming up: news flash, you are going to have a female boss at some point. And she'll know.
5) Work is work, fun is fun: not hard to tell the difference even in a club at 2AM on business - if you know her from work, put her, gently, in a cab. Alone.
Cheers,
Jay Currie
________________________________________
I wonder if Stu Cohen is a man. That might explain why he didn't see one ounce of that behavior. His response is exactly what clueless white people tell black people about their own experience: I didn't experience it, so neither did you.
Rob Getzschman
________________________________________
stu cohen is part of the problem.......
Denise Mello
________________________________________
These responses tell you everything you need to know about men being complicit in behavior like Weinstein's.
Every woman: This has happened to me multiple times from multiple men, I believe other women when they say it happened to them.
Ignorant men: I never saw him do it, you're a liar.
Matt Stuart
________________________________________
She was to point. Noticed all the folks who responded that "she had an axe to grind" or with u until last sentence, or a criticism appeared to be men. Which proves her point. Thank you Laura.
JC
________________________________________
The responses say SO MUCH about the responders. The guilty who doth protest too much, the innocent men and preyed upon women with their "amens" and praise. It's an interesting world and it takes all kinds but I just wish there were more consensus on good and bad, right and wrong.
Sherry Goffin Kondor
________________________________________
God it's almost hilarious when men play dumb. What the hell man. If you have not lived life as woman, then you don't know what it's like.. That goes for every group, every minority...
I'm 22 years old, white, female, lesbian, and I've been discriminated against because of my gender and sexuality but not because of my race. So I don't assume I know what it's like to live life in a racist country like this as a person of color.
I'm busking on the street last night in downtown Burbank, just me and my guitar, and this guy comes up to me and says "I think you're really attractive" and won't leave me alone, just keeps harassing me and saying sexual things.. I tell him to leave, I'm firm, but he won't go. A man in a business suit mouths at me "You ok?" and I shake my head, ask him to tell him to leave and he shrugs his shoulders, says "I can't tell him to leave. He's not doing anything."
Truth is I'm stressed out, I feel powerless & threatened.. When I was on tour, walking home from the gig to the van at night, I was pushed up against a wall and sexually assaulted. And then you have the classic being-groped-on-the-bus.. being heckled..etc all reasons why I'm nervous when this dude doesn't leave me alone.
So anyway I start packing up my gear, and I'm around the corner of an alley, there aren't many people around, and the guy leans over me, holding out his hand to me. I'm saying "NO". And then around the corner comes the guy in the business suit and two other guys. They get him out of my face, he buggers off, and they're all staring at me, shocked, because I'm crying, I havn't felt that disempowered in a long time.
I hated that for two reasons:
1. I had to rely on other men to stand up for me because creepy guy wouldn't listen to me..
2. The men didn't perceive him to be doing anything wrong in the first place.
I want to be strong and SCREAM NO, more fierce than anyone's heckling. I always want to. Then I would I be considered to be a bitch?
Like when my wife and I are out on a date, and when guys find out we are married, a romantic item, they ask for a threesome. Thanks a bunch Hugh Hefner.
I wrote this song about my favorite fictional female heroine from good ol' Game of Thrones:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voRoFfbz7Ik
Best,
Eden Iris
________________________________________
I don't know a single woman who hasn't had to fight off unwanted sexual advances. Not one. If there is a woman out there who says she never has, she is either lucky or a liar.
I am reminded of the the BLM movement, although I don't equate fighting off lecherous men to black bodies lying in the streets.
Black men have been telling us for decades that they are harassed by police. And for decades, white people have disbelieved, or said it was somehow black men's fault, or that black people commit more crimes, or some similar bullshit. Now, we have video proof, and not just one video, but video after video after video of black men and boys in retreat being shot by police. And still, some white people disbelieve. Still, somehow the victim gets blamed. No matter how many times we see it, the fault lies not with the shooter but with the victim, both in the eyes of the public and the justice system.
Women have for centuries been fighting off unwanted sexual advances by men - from girlhood through adulthood. We have ample proof, even if it is just the women you know who tell you it is so. Ailes, O'Reilly, and Weinstein are only recent evidence. Hell, we elected a man who gleefully recounts grabbing women by the pussy and kissing them because he's a "star" and can get away with it. And still, somehow it is the blonde hair and the red convertible that are to blame. Or the miniskirt, or too many drinks, or visiting the hotel room of a man, and on and on and on.
Men are ruled by their dicks. And there are good men who realize they are, but know they shouldn't be, and therefore aren't. And who's a fucking snowflake? Me because I'm a liberal and support BLM and the woman's march? Or the asshole who won't just go home, whack off, and then behave appropriately?
Laine Noe
________________________________________
Bravo Ms. DiMichele! Now 61, when I graduated from High School I was unable to have my own credit card or buy my own home. Because I was Female.
Today, we are still judged by the way we dress, particularly when rape is involved. And birth control, not Viagra is on the chopping block.
As a business owner, I have men on my payroll and still, at 61, I have to navigate the sexual innuendo. If I fired every man for it, I wouldn't have a crew.
Mine was an Officer who came upon my son and I when my car broke down late one night, roadside. Upon taking us home and carrying my sleeping son upstairs he pressed me against my dining room table, reminding me he now knew where I lived.
Not one man in my life... and they were all Good Men... not a single one took an ounce of action. In fact, I was told I should have been flattered. But I wasn't. I was terrified.
You know, I could go on, but this Nasty Woman has to go write paychecks. Just 2 weeks ago I let a guy go after he made a comment about my tits as I was handing him his check. He was sincerely shocked. "Hey, don't be so mad. At least we're still looking!" Ugh. Please. Then again, I guess I should be more careful of the way I dress...
"Bailiff.... whack their peepees!" I'm exhausted, already.
Elizabeth
________________________________________
Jesus,
I'm fucking shocked and embarrassed. These male responses are insane, insane.
They don't even have the intellect to hold the thought in their pea brains. Fucking Neanderthals. Did you even read what she said? You're who she was writing about. The women you've harassed don't even have to quote you by name, you're outing yourselves.
Michael Aiken
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When I was younger I used to think that older women who complained about the "glass ceiling" were just bitter that they didn't get as far as they wanted. Sour grapes for not being good enough. Little did I know that there was a glass ceiling, and more important, women couldn't have it all. All of the consolidation that took place eliminated a generation of women in entertainment - on both the label side and the promoter side.
The ladies now in senior positions had to fight tooth and nail to get where they are, but there is a valley between them and the Gen X and millennials that follow. The way they do business is different and the work ethic is definitely not what it used to be. They think they can have it all, and they are in for a rude awakening.
Am I bitter and resentful...not in the least. I had fun, learned a lot, and have no regrets. Is the workplace a kinder, gentler place now...not in the least. In the new landscape, anything goes. Yes, men are being called out for bad behavior, but we have a culture now based on the President who is the "Bully in chief". We may have evolved, but as a society we are taking a huge step back.
I'm afraid for my daughter's generation. As much as things change, they stay the same. See the review on "American Girls" below. When we were kids there was just the telephone... I honestly don't think I would have survived adolescence in today's day of social media. If you don't think these issues are related, then I invite you to visit any middle / high school in America.
"American Girls,' by Nancy Jo Sales
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/27/books/review/american-girls-by-nancy-jo-sales.html
Simma Levine
________________________________________
All men have two heads. Just have to figure out which should be in charge at any particular moment.
It's an art.
Richard Sales
________________________________________
I'm very fortunate to have worked directly for some of the most powerful men in the music business, and also extremely fortunate to have never once been treated disrespectfully or been sexually harassed. Thankfully, I cannot relate to what she has gone through.
Maria Hoppe
________________________________________
Unfortunately she's right on about our dicks ruling us. As far as any other comments she made, it's difficult for men to have an opinion because we can't see it from her perspective. It's like a White guy telling a Black guy racism doesn't exist because he doesn't see it.
Danny Jay
________________________________________
Because you are mostly music-centric, there's more than a few females who have worked in the music biz who have not experienced harassment of some sort.
We don't expect the guys who are kind and good and supportive to understand what it's like to be in these type of situations with losers that are the polar opposite.
(And for those that think we think or attract this nonsense, make believe it was your mother being harassed.)
When this news broke, I immediately remembered two instances.
One was a three-way my boss wanted to arrange with him and his wife. (No thank you!)
The other was while on the road, where I was called to the hotel room because "HE" was just too tired from the show the night before. He was threatening to fire our firm mid-way through the tour and wanted to have a lunch meeting to air his grievances.
The road manager let me in. I sat in the living room. The room service cart was set up with lunch. The road manager left. Out walked our rock star in a bathrobe that barely covered his whatever that thing was.
I wasn't sure which turned me off more; his ignorance or his arrogance.
BTW I think he receives your emails, so pal, if you're reading this - go fuck yourself, cause I never did.
(If you post this, please hold my name. Life's too short to deal with any more morons.)
________________________________________
From Jay Jay French
Dear Bob
Twisted Sister was signed to Atlantic Records from '83 to '88.
During that time several top execs would appear at shows with their "neice's".
That was the code word.
I, however didn't know that for a while until one night I actually brought my real 18 year old neice to an INXS show at Radio City.
I brought her into the dressing room after the show and all the execs were there as I introduced my neice. I got alot of "attaboy"
Comments until I realized what they were thinking.
I quickly pulled some aside and explained that she really was my neice.
It was pretty funny but my neice, after I told her, wasn't laughing.
________________________________________
Pretty much every professional woman I know working in entertainment has SOME kind of story or experience with this, maybe it was a "late night" job interview, where the guy put her hand on his crotch or practically getting attacked being "dropped at their car" or in some other (uncomfortable way ) been heavily come onto on the job by the boss or guy in power, in a position to "do a lot" for them... Really like 99%. Seems there quietly been acceptance, "it's the way of the world...." that's just how it IS" but, now, in the transparent Internet age, and more of a level playing field, hopefully it maybe changing... Did you ever happen to hear Carly Simon's interview on Alec Baldwin's "Here's the thing?" www.wnyc.org/story/carly-simon-was-afraid-spotlight-and-still/ ?
In it she details how, after refusing the advances of "casting couch" a big deal record producer guy wrecked a song they were working on in production. As punishment, he killed her chance... She kept at it it says it took a couple more years before she found others to work with and get another shot.
Makes you wonder how many female talents, back in the day, may have had similar experiences, but then never got a second shot at it. And audiences may have missed out and never got to know about them.
Valerie Geller
________________________________________
Powerful email from Laura. I've not a lot of work experience in office settings where multitudes of power dynamics are at play but I can only imagine how bad it is out there for women. We spend half our lives at work and a lot of people surely think it's a environment that is no different than college or the bar - but it is - you're at work to work, not to hit on your subordinates. She's being nice to you and laughing at your shitty jokes because you're her boss not cause she likes you. Professional behaviour is something which goes out the door at most companies, bosses want to seem hip and cool and employees want to keep their jobs and get paid. Abuse of power should come as no surprise, it's an epidemic. As men, we must do better and treat our coworkers how we would like to be treated - with respect. Sure we may fuck up and no one is perfect, but these are not isolated cases, vigilance is needed on all fronts; we're all part of the problem.
Be well,
Aidan Mouëllic
Vancouver, BC
________________________________________
I worked in Hollywood for a couple of less than powerful men in the last era of human existence (i.e. no twitter) but it was the same story.
At one of my first jobs as a receptionist and script reader at a small production company when I was like 20 years old I was repeatedly told my voice was sexy over the phone. Which it's not, by the way-- it's whiny. My boss at that job once pointed to a woman out in the hallway and said to me, "I fucked her in the ass." His friend, a faded 80s teen heartthrob, came in to the office once and said something to me about my vagina, the particulars of which I have literally blocked out because I was so mortified in the moment. It was also the biggest turn off ever.
Another boss I had had cast an actress in one of his early films who had subsequently became very famous eventually, and he made the point of telling me he'd fucked her. Then one day he asked me to buy him new underwear because he had been fucking one of the ad execs he was directing a commercial for all night.
Now let me make something clear, I was NEVER asking for this kind of intimate information. I never shared anything intimate, and was young, idealistic, and concerned with doing a good job and learning the industry. But what I learned was that men in the movie industry don't really ever grow up, and they maintain the same relationship to and understanding of the female sex that they probably developed by the time they were 12 or 13.
Now I'm a rock n roller, eeking out a living in Deap Vally. As a female drummer I am asked why it's like to be a female in the music industry in 97% of interviews. I never get too soapboxy about it, because the truth is, misogyny in the music industry has NOTHING on the pervasive culture of delayed adolescent sexuality in the film industry.
Puke.
Julie Pirrone
________________________________________
Bob - people harassing Laura is just nuts. I hope she sends you a few that you can publish so we can see what the cockroaches look like when the lights are on. Men don't have a playbook for what it means to be a woman. Not a surprise some would attack the messenger and ignore the message.
Trevor Jeff
________________________________________
Reading the comments before I finished Laura's original E.
The last line was mentioned several times.
So I went back and finished Laura's.
What was so great about "Sent from my iPhone" ?
I mean, it's good. But...
Scott Sechman
________________________________________
One more thing about this, Bob - don't you love it that she wrote it on her phone?!!
Martha West
________________________________________
Great email from Laura DiMichele.
Rules actual men play by:
1) Never dip the nib in the company ink - colleagues, associates, assistants, interns and - most of all - clients. All off limits. Always.
2) Women have very long memories and enjoy "sharing". One handsy incident and you can bugger up a career.
3) Women totally appreciate being treated with respect and with a bit of old-fashioned courtesy. They remember that too.
4) For you young guys coming up: news flash, you are going to have a female boss at some point. And she'll know.
5) Work is work, fun is fun: not hard to tell the difference even in a club at 2AM on business - if you know her from work, put her, gently, in a cab. Alone.
Cheers,
Jay Currie
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I wonder if Stu Cohen is a man. That might explain why he didn't see one ounce of that behavior. His response is exactly what clueless white people tell black people about their own experience: I didn't experience it, so neither did you.
Rob Getzschman
________________________________________
stu cohen is part of the problem.......
Denise Mello
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These responses tell you everything you need to know about men being complicit in behavior like Weinstein's.
Every woman: This has happened to me multiple times from multiple men, I believe other women when they say it happened to them.
Ignorant men: I never saw him do it, you're a liar.
Matt Stuart
________________________________________
She was to point. Noticed all the folks who responded that "she had an axe to grind" or with u until last sentence, or a criticism appeared to be men. Which proves her point. Thank you Laura.
JC
________________________________________
The responses say SO MUCH about the responders. The guilty who doth protest too much, the innocent men and preyed upon women with their "amens" and praise. It's an interesting world and it takes all kinds but I just wish there were more consensus on good and bad, right and wrong.
Sherry Goffin Kondor
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God it's almost hilarious when men play dumb. What the hell man. If you have not lived life as woman, then you don't know what it's like.. That goes for every group, every minority...
I'm 22 years old, white, female, lesbian, and I've been discriminated against because of my gender and sexuality but not because of my race. So I don't assume I know what it's like to live life in a racist country like this as a person of color.
I'm busking on the street last night in downtown Burbank, just me and my guitar, and this guy comes up to me and says "I think you're really attractive" and won't leave me alone, just keeps harassing me and saying sexual things.. I tell him to leave, I'm firm, but he won't go. A man in a business suit mouths at me "You ok?" and I shake my head, ask him to tell him to leave and he shrugs his shoulders, says "I can't tell him to leave. He's not doing anything."
Truth is I'm stressed out, I feel powerless & threatened.. When I was on tour, walking home from the gig to the van at night, I was pushed up against a wall and sexually assaulted. And then you have the classic being-groped-on-the-bus.. being heckled..etc all reasons why I'm nervous when this dude doesn't leave me alone.
So anyway I start packing up my gear, and I'm around the corner of an alley, there aren't many people around, and the guy leans over me, holding out his hand to me. I'm saying "NO". And then around the corner comes the guy in the business suit and two other guys. They get him out of my face, he buggers off, and they're all staring at me, shocked, because I'm crying, I havn't felt that disempowered in a long time.
I hated that for two reasons:
1. I had to rely on other men to stand up for me because creepy guy wouldn't listen to me..
2. The men didn't perceive him to be doing anything wrong in the first place.
I want to be strong and SCREAM NO, more fierce than anyone's heckling. I always want to. Then I would I be considered to be a bitch?
Like when my wife and I are out on a date, and when guys find out we are married, a romantic item, they ask for a threesome. Thanks a bunch Hugh Hefner.
I wrote this song about my favorite fictional female heroine from good ol' Game of Thrones:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voRoFfbz7Ik
Best,
Eden Iris
________________________________________
I don't know a single woman who hasn't had to fight off unwanted sexual advances. Not one. If there is a woman out there who says she never has, she is either lucky or a liar.
I am reminded of the the BLM movement, although I don't equate fighting off lecherous men to black bodies lying in the streets.
Black men have been telling us for decades that they are harassed by police. And for decades, white people have disbelieved, or said it was somehow black men's fault, or that black people commit more crimes, or some similar bullshit. Now, we have video proof, and not just one video, but video after video after video of black men and boys in retreat being shot by police. And still, some white people disbelieve. Still, somehow the victim gets blamed. No matter how many times we see it, the fault lies not with the shooter but with the victim, both in the eyes of the public and the justice system.
Women have for centuries been fighting off unwanted sexual advances by men - from girlhood through adulthood. We have ample proof, even if it is just the women you know who tell you it is so. Ailes, O'Reilly, and Weinstein are only recent evidence. Hell, we elected a man who gleefully recounts grabbing women by the pussy and kissing them because he's a "star" and can get away with it. And still, somehow it is the blonde hair and the red convertible that are to blame. Or the miniskirt, or too many drinks, or visiting the hotel room of a man, and on and on and on.
Men are ruled by their dicks. And there are good men who realize they are, but know they shouldn't be, and therefore aren't. And who's a fucking snowflake? Me because I'm a liberal and support BLM and the woman's march? Or the asshole who won't just go home, whack off, and then behave appropriately?
Laine Noe
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Bravo Ms. DiMichele! Now 61, when I graduated from High School I was unable to have my own credit card or buy my own home. Because I was Female.
Today, we are still judged by the way we dress, particularly when rape is involved. And birth control, not Viagra is on the chopping block.
As a business owner, I have men on my payroll and still, at 61, I have to navigate the sexual innuendo. If I fired every man for it, I wouldn't have a crew.
Mine was an Officer who came upon my son and I when my car broke down late one night, roadside. Upon taking us home and carrying my sleeping son upstairs he pressed me against my dining room table, reminding me he now knew where I lived.
Not one man in my life... and they were all Good Men... not a single one took an ounce of action. In fact, I was told I should have been flattered. But I wasn't. I was terrified.
You know, I could go on, but this Nasty Woman has to go write paychecks. Just 2 weeks ago I let a guy go after he made a comment about my tits as I was handing him his check. He was sincerely shocked. "Hey, don't be so mad. At least we're still looking!" Ugh. Please. Then again, I guess I should be more careful of the way I dress...
"Bailiff.... whack their peepees!" I'm exhausted, already.
Elizabeth
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Jesus,
I'm fucking shocked and embarrassed. These male responses are insane, insane.
They don't even have the intellect to hold the thought in their pea brains. Fucking Neanderthals. Did you even read what she said? You're who she was writing about. The women you've harassed don't even have to quote you by name, you're outing yourselves.
Michael Aiken
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