Re-Ryan Adams

It's never been a secret to his fans or any one around him that David Ryan Adams is as charming and creative an asshole as he is talented and unstable. Yet some still chose to dive into that pool hoping to swim to the surface with better results.

Tonight, he's lost his distribution and endorsements.
The super fans are having a meltdown, and the upcoming tour will probably be cancelled.

Once upon a time we expected our rock stars to be wild. The stuff they did you'd be arrested for now.
As for teenage girls, there would never have been any rock stars with out them, and their devotion. They've had a traditional roll to play in annointing, blessing the chosen favorites. I guess that's super-illegal now.

He's definitely not the only man in music who has behaved badly. Is he going to be crucified for the sins of all the rockstars before him ? Or is this only the beginning ? What will rock n roll be like in an era of rabid #metoo?

I've been waiting years for you to write about him.
I can't believe this is what it took.

He's one of the most creative out there. For the sake of the music, I hope he decides to grow up.

Stella D'Maris
Lanesville, MA.

_____________________________________

Yea, where would Page and Bowie be if there had been cameras? Likely in jail as 14 year olds were still out of bounds even then. And didn't every teen band do the teen fans? Think they did.

Peter Burnside

_____________________________________

great piece, thank you-

Seth Crothers
Rockville, MD

_____________________________________

When you're an adult hitting on 14 yr. old girls, that's pretty sick. That's junior high school. Sorry, that's arguably worse than Harvey. The continued erosion of moral fiber in this country is startling.

Stuart K. Marvin

_____________________________________

Nailed it. The thing that makes us good at art is also the thing that makes us the most vulnerable. Not an excuse, just a fact. Loneliness, self destruction, addiction, ect.. I struggle with it ALL. It's been going on for centuries and there's very little coaching / support along the way.. we want to color outside the lines but then we take it too far. Music is an electric sword.. it can cut to the heart.. but we can cut ourselves and others in the process... may all us artists find a path of health....Thanks Bob for always exploring our reality... or lack thereof - even when it lands YOU outside the lines.

Casey

_____________________________________

It's not a free pass, but Ryan Adams has real issues. He implodes every so often and is constantly in the reassurances of 12step programs and therapies. No excuse for scummy things that happen, but the guy is an damaged work in progress by admission. His road to the light has too many twists and turns to keep track of and he may never get there. A guy like this is a curious and different angle to the exposition of the times as opposed to the classics who put on a smile and prey on women in the dark.

Matt O'Donnell

_____________________________________

Girls were underage. That's the real problem. You seem to have missed that Bob.

Joshua Oren
ill Merchandise, LLC

_____________________________________

Fantastically measured and insightful Bob. Great piece.

Stephen Curran

_____________________________________

For years many people have been confused between Bryan Adams and Ryan Adams. I expect they won't anymore.

Clint Young

_____________________________________

You cut it to the quick. What IS the appropriate price indeed? How do you quanitify the abuse of power and damage inflicted by assholes like Weinstein, who is nothing more than the reincarnation of Louis B. Mayer? The casting couch is a high risk game in which you make a deal with the devil. The public will decide what the right punishment is, maybe they buy into the tortured artist effect disclaimer or maybe you never work again. How many artists did you like before the truth ruined their creations for you? Pedophilia though is unambiguous from every angle, a hanging offense, period. Brian Singer and R. Kelly are predators of the worst kind and no better than any of the thousands of priests who got a pass for slightly different reasons. Mere oblivion is not a sufficient consequence for them, they must pay a far greater price.

John Brodey

_____________________________________

Perhaps the worst part of the New York Times story on Ryan Adams was his
sexting with a 16-year old girl. But further to your point that it was
always thus, who can forget the original Blind Faith cover that featured a
naked 11-year old girl?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Faith_(Blind_Faith_album)#Album_cover_controversy This wasn?t just some secret, furtive thing - it was the
bloody album cover! The things that happened in private are almost
unimaginable today. (Some stories are actually legendary. I write this in
Seattle, home of the infamous Led Zeppelin mud shark incident).

Cheers

Russ Daggatt

_____________________________________

You have become a bore...only send out letters re youth old people, Spotify, Net. None of which you understand.
Now you have become a shrink...figuring out everybodies issues expect maybe yours.
I have been your biggest fan since you started but if you don't have something new and interesting to post don't force it.
Mike Murphy

_____________________________________

Agree with all except "he should pay for it." Why is that the world's business? He didn't sexually assault anyone. He was a bad, emotionally abusive boyfriend. He didn't know "how you get the girl" - his loss, mostly. But boy, does he know how to sing that song.

Nika Klinghofer

_____________________________________

"How do we inject sunlight into behavior that takes place in darkness?

Great line!!!

I went and saw Louis CK at the San Jose Improv a couple of weeks ago. From my understanding, it was his first "real show" back. He got 2 standing ovations before he said a word to the audience. You could see how shaken he was. Lost weight. Took about 10-15 minutes for him to really "click" before he delivered some of his best material ever. But remember, he jacked off in front of a couple of women... Motley Crue would of been appalled.... Next!

I don't know what to make of this Ryan Adams thing. Don't know the guy, don't listen to his music. He definitely has never been shone in the best light to my understanding, but fucking-A.... People forgave John Mayer for being a douche in Playboy... Took him years to recover, and a house in Montana, but now he's bigger than ever!!!

As Joe Rogan keeps saying, "Strange Times" are upon us.

If Ryan Adams was texting underage girls and everything the NY Times reported is true, then he is just one more "rock star" I would not be envious of being. Don't care how successful.... Gross and shitty use of obvious power. Let's see how this one plays out. Keep em' coming Bob!

Michael Johnston

_____________________________________

Fuck Bob

Really? Ryan Adams is a scum bag? The me too movement where men should be held responsible for the sex, drugs and rock n roll behaviours. The poor women that had to suck Their cocks. So he never even met this girl and she is telling this story why exactly? He sent her some sex charged text messages which she replied too and Ryan Adams asked her continuously if she is over 18. I am struggling here Bob. You really think this will make Ryan Adams disappear from the business. This is a fkn joke and he should come out firing in my opinion. What guy has never sent some fkn texts to a girl that were sexy in nature. Oh and they have found seven other women - $$$$$$$$

Don't jump on this band wagon Bob it's pure bullshit.

Gordon Burke

P.S. One other thing Bob?

How did the young lady go with setting up the band that Adams suggested? Did she write a couple songs and send them to him for consideration? That's what she wanted right? The opportunity to become famous. So did she send him some songs?

_____________________________________

Just read your article here, about Ryan Adams..

I'm an independent artist.. I will say I feel like sharks of the music biz prey on artists like me. It's not always sexual. Although there seems to always be that underlying theme. I must have a fucking target on my back. Being seduced by promises, connections, opportunities has happened to now 5 times.

Who do you turn to? Nobody has the time, and everyone wants money.

Most recently for me, I was taken for quite a bit of money from John Mellencamps nephew Eric Mellancamp.
Legit name, right? Legit person, why would he need to prey on me? Surely he doesn't need my $1500 as a quick scam?! But he did...

In October he took $1500 from me to produce 2 of my new songs..

I got no production, no produced songs. Haven't heard from him since. He stiffed the band I paid for with that $1500 that was upfront.
He promised to push my career. Lots of connections, and promises. Earned my trust at first. Afterall, we are both professionals in the biz, right?!

If Ryan Adam's really wanted to help artists, because he likes their art, that's great. Never the case though.. always strings attached. This leaves Indie artists like me on the bridge of temptation. We know we should run, it isn't right.
But this person is different, right? He wouldn't do that! Would he?!

Thanks for listening, if you do get to read! I'm sure you'll get lots back on this one!!

Jamie Nichole music.

_____________________________________

Whew!!

It's no secret that this often brilliant and stunningly prolific artist has had lots of person problems. Most surfaced with substance abuse.

Bob. As a fan I am floored by this story, and I AM a fan of his music. Will it stop my love for his brilliant records, no way. It does however make one take pause to say the very least.

All humans are flawed and many have unimaginable deep dark sides. I did not however see the accusations in this story coming.

Good reporting...sad story.

Lavon Pagan

_____________________________________

Something that crossed my mind yesterday - are we ready to vilify Mick Jagger et al? Has it come to that yet? Are we going to figuratively sponsor another Stones tour if we accept what we know to be certainly true?

Also - would object to Ryan being as big as Jackson. He's certainly got the following to allow that argument to be objective. I don't have an opinion one way or the other on that - but many would take a stand.

Daryl Faulkner

_____________________________________

You mentioned Connie in Little Rock, she became so famous that she passed out day glow stickers that said something like "In Little Rock call Connie with her phone number. Passing a guy in an airport that had that on his briefcase would draw a knowing smile. So one night found myself behind the barricades at the Arena in that town with the opening act of I think an Alice tour. I was hanging out with the guy at the back door that had really great stories when there was a knock on the door and he admitted a middle-aged man in a jacket and gimme cap. The doorman said "Hello Mr, —— Connie's still busy," and the man replied that was fine, he was early. I was introduced to him with the intro, "Don, this is Connie's daddy." We made some small talk about the weather, and as the father of a teenage daughter I blurted out..."How can you enable your daughter to do this." He looked at me and said, "Well Sir, Connie's mother and I figure that a girl like her would never get to ride on those private jets, stay in beautiful hotels or eat in great restaurants otherwise."

Don Sundeen

_____________________________________

Remember when Rob Lowe videotaped himself with an underage girl? He actually used a video camera with actual videotape, not a phone that could live periscope.

David Rygalski

_____________________________________

He was Skyping with a 14 year old. There is no "tortured artist" escape from that reality. He's a scumbag who will be abandoned by his fans and rightfully so.

Keith Walker

_____________________________________

It's the "Me Too: movement today.
Back then it was the "What About Me?" movement..,

Michael Fremer

_____________________________________

Men. From bricklayers to bankers, roofers to rock stars and athletes, athletes, athlete. All of us, without any check, sexually abuse women. It's sad. And it's always filling a deep emotional wound, artists do not have a monopoly on that.

Neil Donahue

_____________________________________

Transgressions is the new growth industry...plenty of farmers

Andrew Bleke
Atlanta, GA

_____________________________________

"But we have the case of Louis C.K., who admitted his behavior and is now working and being excoriated by some while he does good business.
Same deal with Aziz Ansari. And none of their behavior equals the offenses of Harvey Weinstein."

Agree. How's Cosmo Kramer doing?

Best,
C Darryl Mattison

_____________________________________

OK. Who is Ryan Adams?

Robert Udell

_____________________________________

Fuck Ryan Adams, he's always been a creep!

Josh Hough

_____________________________________

Just a musician, me, but this much I've learned about the entertainment business; many relationships are transactional, whether they involve love, money, fame, power, attention or sex. I admit I've no clue how we fix that; female artists sleeping with their producers are such a cliche, we hardly remark on it. People on the outside can barely comprehend the hours that go into those few moments under the lights, so much time consumed with travel and all the ancillary activities associated with publicity, is it any wonder some take shortcuts? There's a reason we have a rep for dating waitresses and strippers, cuz who else is awake when we get off work? Romantic and work relationships can commingle, it happens by necessity; it can be done with integrity, but there are always gonna be some folks who miss that mark.

Mojo Bone

_____________________________________

I think the kid stuff is a big deal, personally.

Wendi Jensen

_____________________________________

Oh dear, hear we go again.
What exactly constitutes "sexual misconduct" again ? Is it a defined legal term even ? Other than in the court of public opinion ?
I haven't even figured out from the allegations if there was any actual "sexual" contact at all. It seems it boils down to him having tried
the old casting couch routine but it didn't work. If an alligation of having abused someone emotionally is already enough to end someone's
career - is that the definition of "perfect world" we wanna live in ?
There's a reason why courts exist.
There's a reason for "innocent til proven guilty".
It's to avoid public opinion substituting actual justice.
These condemnations of people that haven't even had the chance yet to defend themselves (at least in a real court) have a very striking
resemblance to the actual, very real witch hunts of medevial times.
Innocent til proven guilty applies for everyone, not only the ones you sympathize with by default.
At least it used to be.
Best,

Frank Baach

_____________________________________

Good article

Craig Silverman

_____________________________________

Whenever I've met an artist, whose music I like, back stage or after a show and they've been rude, I've often stopped listening to their music. Now when things like this come about people, like Ryan Adams, I get the same feeling and even though I'm a massive fan of Ryan Adams, I don't feel like listening to his music anymore. In the beginning of #metoo I found it annoying and difficult to stop enjoying pieces of art from people who have behaved in a terrible way, but it's actually getting easier and easier - there are so many fantastic films and records out there made by people who don't abuse women.

Simon Tagestam

_____________________________________

Oh Bob.

It sounds like Ryan screwed up. And maybe he is as bad as this story suggests he is. Maybe he did everything he's accused of.

But...do we have evidence that he ACTUALLY used all this bait and switch to get what he wanted? No.

Is there evidence that he knew the girl online was underage? Nope. In fact the girl admits he asked her several times if she was 18. (And they never got physical). If he exposed himself, this was a lewd act, especially since, by the looks of it, I imagine he suspected she was underage. It doesn't look good.

I'm not saying he doesn't have questions to answer, but it seems like nobody waits for people to answer accusations anymore.

I heard what used to be a reputable broadcaster in my country yesterday devote 20 mins to interviewing the author of this piece and when her asked her about his "psychological abuse" of Mandy Moore, her big gun was "he used to tell her she wasn't a real musician because she didn't play an instrument". Maybe he was awful to her, but this is the best she could come up with?

You're online, with a tonne of followers calling him a "scumbag".

The problem is the New York Times, and most other news outlets, and sadly, you...you all know that this kind of story is low hanging fruit.

I am not defending Ryan Adams. I'm defending due process. Remember that?

If he did all those things he should get what he deserves (which he already is)

Gareth Ebbs

_____________________________________

Great piece, Bob.

Martin O. Screech

_____________________________________

Funny, as I was reading I thought that this story was kind of the musical equivalent of Louis CK, then you said it. I love both; and just as I didn't stop listening to Louis, I won't stop listening to Ryan. John Lennon was supposedly a right prick to his wife, Frank Zappa too. I can separate art from the artist; I'm an adult.

Jeff G.

_____________________________________

Hi Bob. Great post about Ryan Adams.

The only thing that bothers me is the Aziz Ansari part. It upsets me that he had to take a hit in all this #metoo mess.

This guy was put in the barrel over a bad date. It's madness. I'm not saying he's some choir boy, but the particular incident he was blasted for was simply ridiculous.

Anyway, it's just upsetting b/c I feel bad for the guy.

Have a great weekend.

Duke Stillman

_____________________________________

I'm a long time Ryan Adams fan going back to the Whiskeytown days. To say I'm disappointed is an understatement.
Awhile back Mandy Moore was on Howard Stern and she didn't get too much into her marriage with Adams however she made a passing comment of "he's obsessed with himself." Maybe I shouldn't be surprised by any of this since everyday there's been someone new. What is the solution for all of this? Men could stop being assholes, that's a good place to start.

Lou Verile, Jr.

_____________________________________

If you're listening to musicians because of the morals of their personal lives you are probably missing out on a lot of great music. I'm in a family restaurant now and Zeppelin is playing, does anyone remember some of the shit they did?
Can't believe they pulled his new album.

Andre Vandiver

_____________________________________

I've always been up and down with you and your view but this is the real word where we all have our own wrinkles, our own riffs... and that's how it is and how it should be. Adams has been my own private last-Success-for-me dude for years now. I still follow new players but none with the scarred intensity of Adams. And so these last two days have been harsh. What do I do with this massive amount of output from an artist I truly venerate.
Your words here set me straight. I listen to him. I loathe what he did. I weep for his fate. He truly is a heartbreaker.
Thank you.
James Spina

_____________________________________

I don't know much about Ryan Adams but I can tell you this. Most guests we have backstage are a little crestfallen when they get a VIP pass to our greenroom, which looks like a cross between a healthfood store and as quiet as a library. They want to see a Roman orgy! Instead of booze and broads like the days of old, we are more concerned about the WiFi connection and what kind of wine the promoter provided on the rider!
As far as the hang after the show goes, we eliminated those shenanigans by implementing "the runner" whereby we immediately come off stage on the encore and RUN to get in the tour bus and blast off to the next town. Same thing that happened at the Greek when you and I missed each other (yet again) a year ago. We were gone!

Kenny Lee Lewis

_____________________________________

Hi Bob — You ask what is the penalty for Ryan Adams behavior?

The answer is you writing articles like this about him. And the world knowing what a dick he is.

And if any of the women have cases they can take him to court. But being called out in the media seems to be it, making the journalists the judges and we the jurors.

David Hershkovits

_____________________________________

Just for the record on Jackson Browne...his true fans never for a second believed the Hannah accusations. Not for one second.
Love your letters! Have a great weekend!

Annie Bell
Kenyon Diamond Co.

_____________________________________

Really? You're going to pull Jackson Browne into the Ryan Adams / Harvey Weinstein mix. Jesus. If you want to know why people didn't buy "I'm Alive", listen to his previous 3 records.

Mark Paulsen

_____________________________________

It's time to make the record companies, the managers and the agents ASHAMED to cover-up, turn a blind eye and rep sexual predators - no matter how talented. Out those enablers who profit. Let's hear more about them. Every executive and every member of their boards. Maybe this will force predator artists to get the therapy they need.

Audrey Fix Schaefer

_____________________________________

I hate his guy. I have from day one, and I'm not alone. I very much hope that he self destructs. I wish it happened 20 years ago. What a prick.

Arthur Schupbach

_____________________________________

More evidence from the Ryan Adams mess on why I subscribe to the D.H. Lawrence axiom "Never trust the teller, trust the tale" which has been reworked in the modern day "Trust the art, not the artist".

Rarely have I met an artist who lives up to their work. Often it's just disappointment with an occasional exception.

Jim McKeon

_____________________________________

Bob, this could be the best article ever written on the subject. And from both sides. As a lifelong musician I've met my share of small time crooks, hookers, con men, etc. and they always had a saying " Every con or scheme depends on the greed of the mark."

Frank Dean

_____________________________________

Man - you're gonna get some furious mail with this fucker!
HugoB

_____________________________________

Lefsetz,

You are a dinosaur in more ways than one but this is the final straw.

Get with the times or die by your own sword.

Once upon a time it was deemed ok for your generation to get away with this and much more; racism etc.

You're all dead in the water.

And good fucking riddance.

Unsubscribed hereby.

Thank you.

Best regards,

Jim

--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-TuneIn: http://tunein.com/lefsetz
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --

Amazon

Corporations are the enemy.

I would have expected this message to come from the arts first. But the arts have been infiltrated like PBS. Whether it be corporations supporting that which the public does not, or musicians sucking up to the man to get paid.

But AOC doesn't get paid. She was a bartender before.

I didn't see this coming. The youth stole America from the man in the sixties and then retreated after Kent State, licking their wounds. Then Reagan legitimized greed and for forty years we've seen a separation between corporations and the regular folk, between rich and poor, the income inequality gap keeps widening and we're told to pay fealty to the "job creators" as we lower their taxes and incentivize them while they laugh all the way to the bank.

Then again, it was Mario Savio and the rest of the student protesters who ignited the sixties, the musicians came later, in an era where you didn't think you could make that much money. Actually, the money came later, with albums and 90/10 live deals. But music reaches people better than speech, can you say "Eve Of Destruction" or "Ohio"?

But for the past few decades its been about sponsorship in the music business. Get some of that corporate money. Whether it be the Amex or Citi pre-sale or the whiskey or telco signage. Acts thought there was no cost. Never mind the chilling effect, they've been left behind, lost to the change of time as the wheels of society keep grinding.

Trump illuminated the change. That America wasn't what the pundits and media said it was. Instead, there were millions of voters disenchanted with the way things were going who were angry that they were left behind in an era of globalization. Sure, they liked their flat screens and smartphones assembled elsewhere, but they were wary of not having jobs, angry at those who took them away, blaming not the corporations themselves as much as the foreigners and immigrants.

And then came the Trump blowback. When the enlightened youngsters were sick of their forefathers selling out to the middle, and the aforementioned corporations. Yes, it's a left and right issue, both take the corporate money, are beholden to the man. But the youngsters...we've been reading about their college debt, their inheritance of the national debt and their lack of opportunity for years, but like digital photography, it took this long to reach maturation, Kodak went out of business overnight, as did the old way of thinking of things, the old guard and the corporations.

First it was #MeToo. They went after untouchable men who were powerful icons. The DAs didn't believe them, odds were stacked against them. But one after another "legends" fell. From Bill O'Reilly to Harvey Weinstein to Charlie Rose...the most trusted men in America weren't. And the strange thing is they were not missed when they were gone. Ratings for the "Today Show" held steady without Matt Lauer.

But prognosticators believed the sexual harassment kerfuffle was contained, that it was a limited fire, not a conflagration, boy were they wrong.

There are a lot of things that don't make sense. Like the carried interest rule. And government incentives.

Hollywood is the best place to make movies, because of the weather and the location of infrastructure. But now production has waned as filmmakers chase credits across the nation. They're laughing, but when the credits dry up, the state's business craters.

An opinion piece in the "New York Times" claims this is the way it's been since the thirties, when companies moved south for the money and lack of unions. And sure, the past is prologue, but it's not set in stone. Why are we paying these wealthy entities to come? If they want to move, money should be no part of it. Kinda like sports. Turns out the stadiums don't pay for themselves, best the billionaire owners build them themselves, as Kroenke is doing in Los Angeles.

The wheel is turning.

As for tax rates... Why do corporations end up paying less than the top rate, if they pay anything at all? Sure, the rank and file is unsophisticated, thinking a 70% income tax rate would be from dollar one and apply to them, just like the "Death Tax," but the truth is there are smart youngsters, who do know they're being scammed, and they're informing their constituents, and the whole world is changing as the old guard is clueless.

It is not business as usual in America anymore. The youth may not have money, but that does not mean they're unintelligent, without the power of reasoning. It no longer adds up. Corporations are not people. PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE!

Then again, Depeche Mode said that as country artists work to blend products into their songs.

We haven't discovered a way to break Mark Zuckerberg's hegemony, but we're working on it. It's not gonna come from D.C., too wowed by the success and the money.

As for Cuomo and DeBlasio negotiating in secret... Homey don't play that no more. The internet is all about sunlight. And if you tell someone what's best for them they question it.

And what is the price? The rank and file are sick of paying the price for these corporations.

This is a wake-up call for all of America. This is not an isolated event.

Now we've got pushback.

Tread lightly, for your footing may be shaky.

As for musicians...

They seem to be the last to know.


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-TuneIn: http://tunein.com/lefsetz
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25




-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --

Ryan Adams

Then there were cellphone cameras.

Despite Cameron Crowe depicting the backstage life of a rock star as a pajama party, the truth was completely the opposite. Flawed men abusing women.

You'd land in a town, play a show, and there would be groupies willing to service you. They wanted a piece of stardom, they wanted a story. And some got it.

And then the boys were gone.

I know, I know, you can't say the girls were eager, you can't say they were willing participants, but if you were there you know that's the truth. You're living in the middle of nowhere, Sweet Connie in Arkansas, going nowhere, and then a world famous band shows up in your town? This was pre-internet, pre-free long distance phone calls. When acts were much bigger than they are today. Drake...nowhere near as big as Frampton. Or even Boston! The digital age allows you to reach everybody, but everybody is not interested.

Still, messed up musicians have their desires.

Messed up. That's the key word here. When no-talents like Jennifer Lopez succeed it makes it look like music is a business, that you can plot it all out, hire the right people, and have a hit. That's what was wrong with music from 1990 until the mid-aughts. It was manufactured, fake...

Unless it was made by artists.

No one chooses to be an artist, just like no one chooses to be gay. Art chooses you. You sense you're different. The usual steps don't appeal. You find like-minded people and you create. Sure, fame looms. But most don't make it. True artists rarely give up, they keep coming back, and you don't read about them pivoting to tech success or becoming professionals, they can't do that, they can only write and sing and play.

How did they get this way? Was it nature or nurture?

Usually there's a sordid family background. Maybe as simple as not getting the love they wanted.

So they try to get it from their fans.

Classic rockers, especially those from the U.K., continually testify they did it to pull girls. Ever go backstage and hang with these true artists? Frequently they've got absolutely nothing to say. And are shy and reserved to boot. Maybe if you hang for eons, you can stumble upon a topic that interests them, get them talking, but the odds are low.

And then they're gone.

But most people never get to meet their heroes, and they've got the fantasy and...

Give Ryan Adams credit, he figured out the paradigm had changed. You cannot go on the road and love 'em and leave 'em. Because they've got documentary evidence, pictures, you're gonna get in trouble, the odds are against you. But if you reach out and touch them on the internet...

That's right, all artists have fans. Because artists express what you feel. They make you feel understood. And if you could only meet them. And then Ryan Adams DM's you?

You've got no idea what he's looking for, how messed up he is. You're posting selfies on Instagram and instead of sending roadies into the audience, having a brief period of time to ponder the pickings, Adams sits on his phone and takes his time, who does he want to prey on today?

And they are willing victims.

Because Adams is gonna make them a star.

The oldest trick in the book. The Hollywood casting couch. But movies aren't like music, Ryan Adams actually wrote those songs, he's speaking from his heart directly into yours so...

You dive in, you're anything but reluctant. And when the behavior goes off the rails...

It's like any relationship, only more intense. You'll do things you normally wouldn't for quite a while before you'll pull the plug. You're addicted to the connection, the sex, the comfort, and in the case of Ryan Adams, the fame and the opportunity.

And it used to be the bands were gone from the venue not long after they finished playing. In time for a blow-job, a quickie, then they were outta there. But in the internet era, you're never gone, you can always reach out and touch somebody.

And Ryan Adams did.

And unlike backstage, he didn't lead with sex. It seemed like he was interested in your talent...that was the bait before the switch.

And then he was incredibly needy. Seemingly all artists are. They're so disconnected and so alone that if they get any attention, they can't live without it. Attention is the drug. That's what keeps them performing, they're hooked.

Now you wouldn't expect a music publication to reveal this truth. Most are on the payroll. "Billboard" sanitizes the stories and "Hits" won't print anything negative unless the person isn't paying them. So unless you're on the inside, you've got no idea what's going on. And even if you are on the inside, and young and inexperienced, you still might be vulnerable, like Mandy Moore.

So the truth has to be excavated on the outside, in this case the "New York Times." Music is a backwater, it doesn't get the respect of movies and TV, but it's the only medium where you can do it yourself and gain traction, without the approval of white male middlemen who think they're the talent.

So where does this leave us?

Of course Ryan Adams is a scumbag. Who needs help. But no one gives help in the music business, the artists are cash cows. You prop them up and take your percentage, wring them for everything they're worth. You can't even get an intervention if someone is killing themselves with heroin.

And Ryan Adams still wrote those heartfelt songs. Will listeners stop playing them?

Doubtful.

Which brings us back to the case of Jackson Browne, who twenty five years ago was accused of manhandling Daryl Hannah. We'll never know the truth, but we do know that Jackson released his best album in years, "I'm Alive," and it had little impact because so many of his target audience wanted nothing to do with him.

But they do now.

Was it time or the music or..?

Then again, Ryan Adams is nowhere near as big as Jackson Browne. It's a different era, like I said, no one in this century is as big as those from the last. Jackson had multiple hits. Ryan had one.

So expect a short term dent to his business.

Then again, maybe Adams will self-destruct, like Pee-wee Herman. Remove himself from the discussion, not go on the road, not release records.

But we have the case of Louis C.K., who admitted his behavior and is now working and being excoriated by some while he does good business.

Same deal with Aziz Ansari.

And none of their behavior equals the offenses of Harvey Weinstein.

It seems the media and the non-fans have one standard, and the true fans another.

And Ryan Adams kind of apologized in his tweets. Not really, but he's not stonewalling, although his lawyer did. He seems to have realized he's done something wrong. Unlike the movie directors who deny it.

So, what we've got here is the exposure of rock star behavior in the teens. It's ugly. But the truth is it's been ugly for a long time.

But we live in a contradictory society. Ever listen to rap lyrics? Or those of even Aerosmith? The music is infused with sex, that's part of its attraction.

Of course that does not excuse bad behavior, but the question is...

Where is the line, what do we want?

Meanwhile, Ryan Adams is not the only one. As the rule goes, the more successful, the more screwed up. If you're lucky, you've got people protecting you.

But it's hard to be protected in the digital age, where there's documentary evidence of your entire life.

So you gain fame and make money by opening a vein, and then you sacrifice your career and money for the same reason.

These are the real issues. It's more complicated than just kicking offenders to the curb. How do we change the culture? How do we inject sunlight into behavior that takes place in darkness?

Ryan Adams definitely crossed a line. He should pay for it.

But what is the penalty?

We haven't worked that out yet.

"Ryan Adams Dangled Success. Women Say They Paid A Price": https://nyti.ms/2SurvWB


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-TuneIn: http://tunein.com/lefsetz
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25




-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --

Delayed Disruption

The first decade of the twenty first century was about instant disruption, the second has been about delayed disruption.

Instant disruption is when a business is affected overnight. There was Napster, and before that digital photography, and then the death of newspapers and magazines. It was right in front of our very eyes, people were talking about it, and then it happened.

Whereas delayed disruption happens after the initial momentous event. Just when you think you've survived, OOMPH, you're hit again and possibly devastated to the point of extinction.

Like the movies.

The problem is the audience got younger and streaming platforms got better.
Since they weathered the advent of television, conventional wisdom was that movies would continue to survive. But they haven't, they're heading for a huge cliff. Movies did what television did not. Now it's the reverse. All the human stories are on TV, whether it be cable or Netflix or Hulu. The film companies have climbed to higher ground, in reality lower ground, with their Marvel movies. But despite the huge results for some of those pics, the type of pic that can succeed is very limited, and only one pic a week succeeds. You call this is a business? Of course not. On demand viewing at home is more convenient, with a better selection of product. The only reason to go to the theatre is to literally get out of the house. But the experience is lousy. The flick doesn't start when you want it to. You waste time driving/arriving. So, the only people who still go are those accustomed to it. i.e. oldsters, who seem convinced that the Oscars matter. As for excising awards from the telecast because the show is too long...THAT DOESN'T MATTER TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING! Most people don't watch to begin with. Making the show half an hour shorter makes no difference.

So you've got magazines like "Vanity Fair" focusing on the Oscars and driving headlong into irrelevance. The audience is limited. Glamour without gossip triumphed in the eighties and nineties, but today, who is the magazine appealing to? Only those already subscribing, new adherents are nowhere to be found. This is the story of the mainstream media in general, it is aging with its audience, and MTV proved that this is death. They fired the beloved original VJs and replaced them with younger people. "Vanity Fair" is aging to extinction. As for the WSJ, NYT and WaPo, they do nothing to entice a younger generation which they do not understand and do not report on. They thought that since they survived the great newspaper washout, they'd triumph. But they do not understand the new game, what does Gen-Z think?

It's not even the millennials anymore. They're making new people every day. Gen-Z does not remember an era before the internet. Google was always here. Gen-Z has taken over music, and baby boomers and Gen-X'ers just can't fathom it. As for millennials, they're caught between two eras, just like Gen-X'ers before them.

And then there are record labels. Which were supposedly threatened by Napster, but survived. But the truth is now they are truly threatened. Primarily because the deal is too poor in the internet era when you can do it yourself. They're like loan sharks, giving you cash and extracting a pound of flesh, forever. The truth is most music made today will not be played on the radio, and won't get on SNL, so why do you need a major label? The majors survived by wielding the power of their catalogs, but that's now history. Spotify is bigger than any label. You can't pull your catalog and survive, you need that streaming revenue. Furthermore, Spotify promises promotion if you go direct. Just when they're getting comfortable, the labels are going to be challenged. Vivendi should sell Universal Music NOW! Sure, there's still a little upside left, but if you're trying to eke out every dollar, you risk getting caught on the downside, which is a very slippery slope.

It's even happening to Facebook. While the media rails against the company, the truth is no Gen-Z'er would be caught dead on the service, they're all on Instagram, which Zuckerberg presciently purchased. The record labels' revenues were falling and what did they do? THEY TOOK MORE! Wanting a piece of all action. You prepare for the future by adding more value, not by taking it away.

So we've got a coterie of people who won't buy magazines, won't go to movie theatres and don't care what the label is, they can't see it online anyway.

And what are the enterprises doing? Exulting because they think they've survived. But the truth is the challenge is only beginning.

The internet made all content available. But it made every success smaller than ever. What old media thinks is known by everyone is not. All the metrics are antiquated. How do you quantify a world where everybody is listening to something different and old tracks are as popular as new ones?

Instead, we've got inside manipulation. Whether it be record companies including physical product and merch to make a chart only meaningful to themselves or terrestrial radio failing to innovate as it keeps boasting about its reach.

Meanwhile, the Grammy telecast was down 5% in the 18-49 demo. Oh, overall it was up just a smidge, but if you think advertisers or performers want to reach those without money or the nearly dead...you must be broke or one breath away from passing yourself.

The ball keeps moving when everybody thinks it's stopped. They're busy pounding their chests in triumph just before the end comes.

Kinda like BuzzFeed. Like the HuffingtonPost before it, once the shine wears off, people realize they don't want junk news. BuzzFeed is a risk to news purveyors like your kid is a threat to the Premier League.

And a star is not what he or she used to be. But the old media keeps trumpeting faces no one knows. And keeps paying lip service to "influencers" as if they're the future.

But today's kids are savvy. They know the influencers are doing it for the money. Which is why the influencers burn out and fade away, there's no there there.

But there's plenty of there there on Netflix. And on Spotify. The new platforms that are smorgasbords of content. Meanwhile, every day I get e-mail about the "faltering finances" of these two companies...have you ever heard of AMAZON? You play to dominance and you win in the end.

Spotify is not selling some records, THEY'RE LEASING THEM ALL!

Netflix is not charging you $15 for a movie at a particular time, they're serving more than you can watch any time you want to turn on the set!

It's a public addicted to on demand. With the world at its fingertips.

But the surviving companies run by boomers can't fathom this, believing they're forever when they're not.

Everything has a lifespan. Everything percolates on the outside before it breaks through. Who knew the public wanted long form documentaries like "Making A Murderer" and "Wild Wild Country"? Credit Netflix for taking a risk. Denigrate record companies for putting out endless me-too hip-hop records in a world where people are not restricted to hearing only them.

The truth is there is no hit parade.

When are the oldsters going to realize this?

When they lose their jobs.

--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-TuneIn: http://tunein.com/lefsetz
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --

Re-Linda Ronstadt's Live Album

Im on ALL the streams and I'm a Boomer...lol

Val Garay
Grammy Award Winning
Producer * Engineer

PS #1 selling on Amazon but who knows what that means?
I recorded this live in 1980.

____________________________________

I could listen to it as a shitty sounding MP3 file because I have Spotify, and the other streaming services but I choose not to.

I'll buy it if there's a good sounding version.

I don't eat shit
I don't drink shit
I don't listen to shit

and it has NOTHING to do with age!

Michael Fremer

P.S. The album is available on vinyl but no one at Rhino told me about it…..great story behind the tape discovery too….

____________________________________

I use Apple Music, which I'm generally happy with. BUT their idea of turning me on to new releases doesn't appear to be tied to my listening habits. For instance, for 2 months, the only things they suggested were the Fleetwood Mac 50 Years compilation (I guess because I listen to the Peter Green stuff) and "Songs for Judy"…both released at the end of November. Then they told me about a Johnny Winter compilation and a Humble Pie compilation. All valid stuff that I'd listen to, but really…nothing else? I have to subscribe to a bunch of new release schedules (Americana Music''s and AllMusic's) to find out about anything else I don't just stumble on.

Yes, I listen to a lot of classic rock, but the Ronstadt live album is nowhere to be found (without searching). I guess the good news is that they did recommend the Alex Chilton and Lemonheads releases...

Jesse Lundy

____________________________________

Those Spotify numbers are disappointing but not surprising. (And, by the way, you neglected to mention that her album is a live album from her classic period.)

I'm your age (66 and change) and use Spotify all the time. But I'm convinced that there is a large market of people ages 50-70 who used to be avid music consumers but have fallen out of the habit of purchasing music. They may listen to the radio occasionally, more often Pandora, and listed to Sirius XM in the car, but they are passive, very casual music listeners. How hard would it be for Spotify and Apple to invest some money in television advertising to push these folks to become subscribers? I don't see any advertising for the services on television or, for that matter, in any media. I'm sure they're advertising on line, but I'm not seeing it. There's a real untapped market out there.

Don Friedman

____________________________________

It's not very good. Linda hates it -- too much compression for the original TV audio. Not that you're wrong about anything you say ...

Joel Selvin

____________________________________

Not sure that's true Silever Platters which is the Indie Music store here in Seattle blew out all the copies they brought in on the New Release In 4 days @ all 3 ofr their Seattle stores

Kevin F. Sutter

____________________________________

Gotta admit I didn't know there was a new release out for Ms. Ronstadt. I saw the YouTube clip of the interview but was and am so sad she's been reduced to being an "old couch potato" now. Since I have most of her albums from "the day", unless they really worked some magic on the tracks on the new release, I'd probably have taken a pass on buying it.

James Walker

____________________________________

Just wanted to weigh in and give some input on the physical side of the spectrum from the indie record store. I was excited about the Ronstadt live album personally so I ordered a bit heavy, expecting to recommend to customers and play in the store. We sold through all of the LPs and CDs I brought in for street date. I tried to reorder quickly and Warner Brothers distribution was completely out of product on both physical formats. I don't know the total numbers sold but that obviously points to demand surpassing expectation, both at the store level and at the distributor. Maybe some of the oldsters will start streaming tracks when they can't easily get their hands on a physical copy?

It is a great live album and deserves to be widely heard. Linda Ronstadt is a truly gifted singer and this is her only full-length live recording. It's essential to her legacy.

Doyle Davis
Co-Owner / Vinylist
Grimey's Records
1060 East Trinity Lane
Nashville, TN 37216

____________________________________

I was fortunate to be the head of marketing at Elektra records when Linda released her "What's New" album of American standards, featuring arranger Nelson Riddle.

I have to confess that everyone at the company was VERY skeptical about the potential of this album. No one had ever done this before. An album of oldies….Frank Sinatra songs with strings????

There was a syndicated radio format called "Music of Your Life" based in Connecticut , basically music for the senior demo…..60+. This format was on the air in all the retirement cities around America, mainly on AM stations. The man that programmed this format JUMPED on this album and played it NON STOP.

I was in the men's room at Water Tower Place in Chicago at a WEA sales meeting. The great Henry Droz, head of WEA, stepped up in the next urinal and said, "Hey Bone, you got a hit record with this Ronstadt album." Henry was NOT wrong.

The only reason "What's New" did not go to #1 is that some guy named Michael Jackson had an album out.

I forget the man's name that programmed "Music of Your Life", but I sure as shit gave him a platinum record award plaque for his support.

Don't rule out the "Gray panthers". They have a LOT of money to spend. They may not do Spotify, but they will likely buy the vinyl. You know….vinyl is hip again.

Mike Bone "retired and over the hill"

____________________________________

My only problem with the Linda Ronstadt album is that three of the songs were already on the reissue of "Simple Dreams" and the shortness of the CD itself. They could have easily put other tracks from the concert onto the release.

Bill Migicovsky

____________________________________

ON THE MONEY!! (I guess I really am an old baby boomer too if I'm using that phrase)

jstone

____________________________________

Im not on Spotify. I'm not on iTunes. If they want to get to me it would be on IG. I'll listen to clips. Not a fan of LR, so not following her life. Had no idea she was recording.

Vicki Whicker

____________________________________

Two words that always get my attention.........Linda Ronstadt!! Before the demon Parkinson's stole Linda's voice, she was, for me, the best singer on the planet. Not a week goes by that I don't have headphones on and, what do you know? Along comes Linda. And.....hell, she still is the best. No contest.

And Spotify, Apple, Radio, Vinyl, CDs, Buskers on the subway, a 200 seat club, a concert hall......I don't care. Just give me the music. Feed my head.

Bob Bisnett

____________________________________

I actually bought it on iTunes (don't shoot me), and it's fantastic!

Tommy Terrell

____________________________________

You are right - no one watched "CBS Sunday Morning" but considerably more have listened to Part 1 of the RHINO Podcast featuring Linda. Part 2 comes out this Wednesday. The CBS piece was exactly what it needed to be - a quick overview for a shrinking network television audience.

The conversation I had with her at her home (where the CBS piece was shot) was a lot more personal and honest - she doesn't LIKE the sound of the record and hated doing anything on TV.

I know you are fan of RHINO, and it's kind of fun that my company PopCult is following in your legacy of the many early podcast episodes you did for them!

You and all the other amazing people who I know love Linda as much as I do can listen here: https://www.rhino.com/podcast

Dennis Scheyer

____________________________________

Boomers = Pandora (free radio version)

Every single boomer I talk to uses Pandora and that's it.

I still have to walk boomers through how to sign in and setup Spotify. Once they are setup they love it and use it. But nobody is helping them get set up.

Hellooo? Anyone at Spotify realize this?

Johnny Lloyd Rollins

____________________________________

Thank Bob. I am a super spotify user; a boomer too. It was wonderful to listen to Blue Bayou. Loved the spanish ending.

Z

Sam Zamarripa

____________________________________

Because I appreciate your posts, I've refrained from contacting you about something that crops up continually in your writing. Until today.

Your blatant, hateful ageism is disconcerting and horrifying.

Baby boomers, or "oldsters" or "alta kachers" as you insist on calling them, range in age from 54 up. (Look it up. I did.)

That means Sandra Bullock, the mother of two young children and star of the recent megahit "Bird Box," is lumped in with all these allegedly decrepit folks you know who can't figure out their smartphones or data plans and who are "afraid of streaming" and find Spotify too "newfangled."

Exactly who are these "oldsters" who have, according to you, turned into Aunt Bee and Floyd the Barber overnight? My mother, who died three years ago at 82, had a smartphone, a MacBook and blogged. And she was just an ordinary woman, not some music industry insider.

I'm no psychologist but it certainly seems that you're projecting your own feelings about age onto your hapless readers, who are not asking to be insulted, demeaned and discriminated against. Ageism is tough enough. Why contribute to it by portraying your readers who are 54 years old and up as worthless, washed-up, clueless fogies?

I am 57 which means you are older than I am but you're still out skiing the the expert slopes, at least from your posts. I ski, too. I also know how to operate a Smartphone & use Spotify. I don't "bitch" all the time about everything, which is also how you portray us.

You began a recent post accusing Ilhan Omar of anti-Semitism. There are those who believe it's unfair to conflate criticism of the right-wing Israeli government with hatred of Jewish people or the Jewish religion. I appreciate your opinion on the matter but I ask again, as I did in the subject header:

Why is anti-Semitism beyond the pale but ageism okay?

They are both discrimination.

Sincerely,

Clare Spencer

____________________________________

Her appearance on CBS sunday morning hardly encouraged one to look back at her playmate who rocks sassiness.

Andrew Loog Oldham

____________________________________

Why so resistant to the idea of Boomers being retired and over the hill? Was there some promise or expectation that they'd be different from any generation that preceded them, that they'd remain the avid culture vultures they were in their teens and twenties? It happens, most people slow down, become exhausted by trying to keep up. Why no compassion? In time Millennials and Gen Z will control the media and they'll calcify too, appearing out of touch to whatever demographic follows them.

Doug F

____________________________________

It truly sux getting old...zzz

I said this before and I'm sticking to it;
While riding the mile-high escalator at NAMM, I decided there needs to be an exclusionary rule in place there. No one older than 60 need go. We don't count anymore.

Br,

Will Eggleston

____________________________________

Put one in the grandpa column for me.

D/L'd the album from HDTracks, and I'm streaming that thru iTunes or Apple Music on my desktop or mobile, respectively.
And I did buy it while watching that weekly music show on the "Grey Shopping Network" - "CBS Sunday Morning".

Love has no pride.....

Ken Rhodes
Nashville, TN

____________________________________

Hi Bob. I'm 56 and both a huge music fan and follower of the industry. Learn so much from reading your column. I stopped buying CDs a couple years ago and now subscribe to Spotify because of its ubiquitous availability. I love Linda Ronstadt but didn't know about this album. Can't wait to listen. In years past, I would read about new releases or see them advertised. It is harder to learn about new music these days.
Keep up the great work!

Gary Sender

____________________________________

Interesting point.
But in my world, my Facebook page blew up in response to our posting of the video, the announcement of the cd, and my short essay. I mean, for me, huge response, both to her and to me.
Boomers are there and paying attention, I'm convinced, but I don't think they're where we expect them to be.
I talked with her, she's thrilled. Me too.
Especially so many people blown away at the quality of the band, duh.
Talk about separating the men from the boys or the women from the girls.
History will judge, as Kenny Edwards said, "our music will become classical music in the future." Boy, was he right!
Sliding scale for "what's working."

Love to you

Wendy Waldman

____________________________________

There's a social contract in place today that states that boomers get to hold political power, make jokes about millennials that involve safe spaces or Tide pods, and share terrible memes on Facebook. In exchange, millennials and Gen-Zers get to have trap music, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and cryptic memes on Twitter.

Don't question this aspect of the status quo, Bob. We had a deal.

Garrett Gravley

____________________________________

Hi Bob; Thanks for views on the album. I picked up on it because I "follow" her on Spotify - I am a mammoth fan and saw her in concert around 1982/83 - and get notifications for new music I might like from Spotify. Great service which has allowed me to listen to virtually all the world's music and decide for myself if the music favourably reviewed by Christgau, Marcus, Bangs, Derogatis, Moon et. al. is actually worth listening to (in general, where my taste and Christgau's overlap, he's pretty solid. the rest are hit and miss). Anyway, sad that more of my cohort (I was born in 1960) don't take the plunge and enjoy this amazing opportunity to explore and discover.

Hope you are doing well and have been able to get out on the slopes.

Best regards,

Michael Craig

____________________________________

I used to love CBS This Morning because it felt like the network execs let the people running the show do whatever they wanted. We got to hear some great, little known bands and learn about art for art's sake. But now it feels like another corporate shit show. Profiles of famous musicians rather than talented ones. I quit watching a few years ago.

Michael Kimball

____________________________________

Bob - this has nothing to do with Linda Ronstadt's live album, forgive me.

From 2011-2014 my wife and I were planning/trying to have a baby. I spent a ton of time trolling through used CD racks all over Nashville buying EVERYTHING I had ever been into and lost/never had the cash to buy. Paying a quarter per CD seemed like a cost effective way to rebuild my collection.

I justified this by saying one day our son/daughter (now we've had one of each) will one day want to raid my CD cabinet like I did to my Dad when I was a teenager - which ultimately changed my life. My wife thought I was an idiot but played along. We used Spotify at the time, but still kept a half dozen CDs in the car for kicks.

Fast forward to 2019, our super savvy 4 year old daughter calls out to Alexa whenever she wants to hear a song. She occasionally asks to put Kacey Musgraves on the record player in our front room. She 100% doesn't give a single shit about CDs and I now have an immaculate collection of hundreds of them and no where to play them.

Looks great on the shelves in my office though... by the time she even shows a slight interest in Minor Threat or Soundgarden or whatever, there won't even be CD players at Goodwill if I WANTED to let her or her brother steal them.

Do any of your readers want them? I'll let them go for a great price...

Eli Chastain

____________________________________

"Is it time to forget the baby boomers?"

Yes. :)

Cliff Seal

____________________________________

Jeez, Bob…lighten up!

I'm one of the boomers you'll undoubtedly be hearing from and just became aware of Linda Ronstadt's new release (LA Times) - oh...good job, Bob!.

Speaking of old, I'll be using my Spotify account to check it out, while looking hard for this release on vinyl.

Keep it up.

Barry Lindgren
Encinitas, CA

____________________________________

And Linda R deserves way more accolades then most. In fact she earned it with monster talent and class. Sunday morning is the lest we can do for this totally genuine artist.-wishing here the best. -bill kinzie

____________________________________

I'm a more cutting edge boomer than my friends (I go to live shows in small venues 3x a year and use Bandcamp) but Spotify and pandora annoy me. So I vote for your Para 6 and 7, my friends use Alexa or Apple, and Most times we still want to own the file if not the CD. Hey, $9.99 at Target. But anymore my circle does not listen to music at all. Saw her in '75 in a cub scout uniform w/ JD Souther & Jackson & Eagles in a Phoenix little league stadium! And did I say it's $10 bucks at target?

Andrew Caplan

____________________________________

Or it could be that, like many people my age (52), that we subscribe to Apple Music...AND Spotify...AND Amazon Music because we want our music and we want it now.

As for me, Linda was my first rock-n-roll crush when I was a kid. I've listened to everything she's ever done. Proud to say I contributed to the "bupkes" of all the tracks on ALL of those platforms.

I am,

Sincerely yours,

David Levy

____________________________________

Yes, sure, it's time to forget the baby boomers. I'm 66, but I sure wish you would mention the incredible young musicians who are in the game for. . .the music. I'm sure they want to make a living, too, but don't miss out on this wave of talent and inspiration. As for Linda Ronstadt's new album. . .when I was a teenager I was listening to her, not Judy Garland. So now I'm not listening to Linda so much, but Molly Tuttle, Rachel Baiman, The Ladles, Kaia Kater, Rhiannon Giddens, Lula Wiles, Kristin Andreassen, Sunny War, Sierra Hull. . .

David Hutchison

____________________________________

One of these days, Bob, there's bound to be a solar flare or a comic book villain in turbo mode and lots of satellites and "The Cloud" will go to the Cornfield. When that happens, I'll be enjoying my cd's and vinyl. Looking at the booklets and reading the lyrics and enjoying something tangible.
Remember; Just because you're paranoid, that doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.

Do the best you can and can the best you do.

Bill Mumy

____________________________________

I've listened to Linda Ronstadt since I was 10 years old, and I learned every word, every note, and every inflection of many of her songs. She has definitely shaped who I am as a singer. I'm 50 now, and but for this email, I would not have known about this new live album, so thank you.

I use both Spotify and Apple Music, and neither of them have recommended it to me, even though I regularly get some Linda Ronstadt tracks in a couple of my 6 Spotify Daily Mixes.
Nothing in Release Radar or Discover Weekly either.

I'd love to know more about the algorithms that put those songs in my playlists and how much cash they pay to promote them on Spotify and Apple.

Love your newsletter. It was recommended to me by some Nashville friends. I've learned so much through the years.

Thanks,
Angela Buikema
Chicago, IL

____________________________________

What is this "Spotify" you speak of?
I play my Linda records the way I always have:
I pull them out of my shelf and put them on the turntable.
Bob Sarles
Producer, Editor - Ozzy Bio

____________________________________

As I guy a 56 year old man, I love Spotify and was an early adopter. I saw her CBS piece by accident as I stream TV content as well.
I'm glad you are calling this out, she is a treasure and Linda broke more hearts then bacon. This is a time capsule of when she ruled the world.

Dan O"Brien

____________________________________

I'm on the high end of Baby Boomers (1963), but I love Spotify! I've taken to selling all my cd's. They just collect dust and they're a pain in the ass! As for Linda Ronstadt, I never was a big fan of hers. Don't get me wrong, she can sing, but it's all covers, and why would I want to hear her when I can listen to the originals? I have one friend who still listens to her and he's 66! He didn't know about the new (1980) live release until I told him, but I don't think he has Spotify, just Alexa. I tout Spotify to all my friends. I love it! Now I'm going to go listen to those Terry Kath demos that I've never heard...

Rodney Rowland

____________________________________

I love you, Bob, but why can't you let persons of all ages use their own technical favorites and preferences to enjoy entertainment? Between us, my wife and I have iPhones, a tablet and a desk top. Yet we prefer to play CDs, sometimes DVDs and listen through large speakers while watching our flat screens. Our collections of these are vast and we add new items (less now then in the past) as we desire.
There is room for all of us and physical things are part of who we are. As the renowned philosopher, Rodney King asked, "Why can't we all get along?". To each his own, my man.

Tony Colao
Easthampton, MA

____________________________________

The album is great, although it saddens me because of the reminders of how great she was, and how her illness has limited her ability to perform. Sunday Morning's tribute was wonderful. I also play her duets with Emmylou and her Spanish album (although I don't habla espanol). Best, krog

____________________________________

Are you not a baby boomer owning a disproportionate part of the conversation?

Roy McCloskey

____________________________________

You mention boomers?

Greatest act of political judo of our lifetime is training our anti-war generation to love the FBI on the hope it saves them from our times.

Just wait, they're prepping us to support war, interventionism, unbridled consumption, destruction of public education, and wholesale slaughter in Latin America in exchange for legalized pot, renamed bathroom doors, slight relief from student loan debt and a streamlined health insurance racket. A Reagan Roosevelt hybrid approach to social engineering. Just in time concessions with a catch...

But they have to alloy us with the millenials, the ones really carrying the torch these days. And they're smart, smarter than we are, or were, because the ones out in front, they see through our sacred cows of the past. They are not signing off on the vigorish they offered you and most of your readers. Sadly, they killed the Grammy just in time for a socialist to host. See how it goes? The hand you see is never the hand that does ya'.

As John Lennon declared, in fact sang: " The dream is over."

Truth is, it's been over for years and all that remains are the vapors and one last chance to nail a buck.

And now there is nothing special about American music other than what comes out of the hoods or reservation. Not even the sales.

And those soft and flabby (albeit tanned and oblivious to everything but their own declining margins) entertainment execs? Future toast!

From the trenches,

Ken Shain

____________________________________

I am big fan of your blog and emails, as you often tell the truth to power (!) and have real pulse of what is working-or not-these days in media and music.
I do have to confess that I am one of your 'old farts' that still buy (at discount!) CD's. I have a possibly 700 CD collection..? No idea really. There's some I'd probably love to play but finding them's a bitch! I do have to say though that having the 'album' cover and some information is a plus. Also box sets with art and commentary. That's also a plus. But I now have a Spotify account and wireless Sonos to stream music, so I am gradually weaning myself off CD's. As a matter of fact, I've even considered thoughts to get rid of all my CD's altogether and sell them. We'll see what happens. Maybe baby boomers can adjust if need be!
Regards. D Bodnar

____________________________________

You speak of baby boomers as if they're a third party:
"So, are oldsters not paying for Spotify or are they unaware of this album or…"

But, at your age, surely you should have written:
"… or are we unaware of this album or…"

I'm a big fan, but after all, you are one of us. :)

Bob Kennedy
Toronto, Canada

____________________________________

I'll be 65 in May. I can't tell you the last time I bought a CD, well actually I can it was a Walter Wolfman Washington CD that came with a tee shirt. I heard the track Even Now first on Spotify. I do still sell CD's at my shows and I am constantly trying to figure out what to do about physical media.

Anyway, I stream all of my music on Spotify. I've had a paid subscription since the first time you wrote about it, which was a long time ago. I have both Netflix and an Amazon Fire stick and I'm pulling the plug on my cable this spring. Constantly pushing to find the next thing.

Not all of the old cats are tied to the past. I tell people that when I turn 65 I'm going to a whole nother level of cool. So look out!

Peace,
Jimmie

PS, I did know that Linda had a new project I haven't listened to it yet but I'm saving it on Spotify now! Thanks for the reminder.

____________________________________

I'm a boomer. I use bluetooth. I stream. I don't use Spotify. I use Amazon but I don't use Alexa. I don't care how many plays any song gets anywhere. I love Ronstadt. Haven't listened yet but looking forward to. New "music" blows. Cardi B? Total shit. Ariana Grande? Please. Greta Van Fleet Enema? Enough said.

Harold Love

____________________________________

I'm one of the baby boomers you're going to hear from about the Linda Ronstadt Live album.

I was similarly taken with how few plays the tracks have which is a shame because this is a great project by one of the most important rock singers in history.

Because liner notes are a thing of the past, I was pleased that the last track of the project (at least on Spotify) is Linda introducing her stellar band.

I'm glad Spotify now has a section for credits but I wish it could come closer to honest to goodness liner notes. I also wish I could see the back covers of albums on Spotify. Being able to see the cover art full screen would be nice too. All that said, $10/month to access almost every song in the world is a screaming deal. I wish more boomers would check it out.

I enjoy your posts Bob.

Dale Bobo

____________________________________

Well Bob,

You sure know how to put the nail in the coffin!
Now what?

All we got left is a bunch of wanna be's, and has beens......have a nice day. Ha!

Steve Chrismar

____________________________________

I'm not a boomer (I'm Gen X), but I bought tickets to The Who's upcoming tour, and the tickets come with a physical CD of their new album. What am I going to do with that?

Darin Linman

____________________________________

Hi, Bob. So, I bought this album. That's how I get music. I Listen to Pandora some, and Serius XM (or whatever it's called these days) but mostly I buy music from I-tunes.

James C. Dolan

____________________________________

You need to get out of your post Grammy funk. Linda still sounds great at 72. Her band intros at the end of the album are almost identical to the intros on FM - which came out in 1978. I wonder if Lady Gaga will sound as good in 2059...

Have a double double and a shake, and everything will be ok.

Jeff Eglen

____________________________________

Good afternoon Bob. 65 year old retired boomer from Toronto here. Music lover since that Sunday night television broadcast in February, 1964. My 60 year old brother and I still dissect the best music of our era on a regular basis over coffee.

I consume most of my music via streaming, have been a paying Apple Music subscriber since the beginning, watched it develop into a mature facility for accessing the new and the old. Had tried Spotify beforehand for months as a paid subscriber, always had issues with the interface.

Much of what you say about boomers is likely true. But I think the key issue here is NOT demographic. Rather, it is differentiating between consumption from connoisseurship, the difference between listening to Muzak in an office all day and consciously pulling or queuing up an album of songs out to listen to. You've made the point many times in your columns that when we were younger, our generation had much more limited access to our music: when we bought an album it was because we had weighed it against several other contenders before putting money down. And when we got it home, we generally listened to it HARD.

That collection of purchased albums turned into our personal library, and we have returned to it again and again over decades of listening on vinyl, 8 track, cassette, CD, MP3 and now as streams. We understood that we were hearing only a fraction of what was being produced at any given time, but we understood and appreciated what we owned deeply. And ultimately, we loved the best of that library to the point that we're still listening to it today.

That framework of a connoisseur ("a person with a well-informed knowledge and appreciation, e.g. of fine food, wine or music") building a library they return to repeatedly is awfully difficult to undertake in a streaming world. We aren't provided with any but the most basic tools The physical aspect - which is itself part of the curatorial framework whether it's book, CD or record - is non-existent. And most importantly, the curatorial paradigm is broken.

You're one of my top curators now - I'm actually listening to to new Linda Ronstadt as I write this - but outside of specialty magazines like "Sound & Vision" - where are the reputable, regular record reviewers we used to see in newspapers? Where are the gatekeepers to succeed the AM and FM dj's of yore? Streaming services are built for uncurated mass consumption.

I think we're stuck until we resolve the this consumption/connoisseurship issue AND start providing decent digital tools to provide the library-building environment that flows from being a connoisseur (of a band, of an era, of a genre). I'm tired of feeling like I'm being fed from a firehouse every time I access a streaming service, whether it's Netflix, Apple Music or Amazon Prime. Sirius XM has taken baby steps in this direction, albeit in a transient fashion since it's their library not yours, by giving us live hosts and niche channels like Classic Vinyl.

I don't want to love or listen to ALL music. I DO want support as I continue to build my music library in a coherent, focussed way in the remaining years the good Lord sees fit to give me.

Great writing Bob. Please keep it coming. Don't write our generation off quite yet. There are still many of us who actually DO want to find new music, just as we want to continue the deep dive of the past 50-60 years into the music we love.

All the best,

George Goodwin

____________________________________

Jeez, you sound like a fun guy to be around. Yes I knew the album was coming out, preordered it a month in advance and have been enjoying it since it was DELIVERED on release day. Excellent album and I love it, love Linda. I play music with my Marantz and my Bose speakers, all vintage. At home, while I read the liner notes and if it's not a CD it's an old vinyl. Hell, sometimes I'll even smoke a joint while listening. We can do that in Seattle. Yeah, I'm an old boomer. Sure, I can listen to music by whatever means now available and have. The cool thing about being an 'old has been' is you can do whatever the fuck you want that makes you happy. What exactly is the problem with that? Not sure what your point is, but glad to hear you promote Linda 's new album. It's a gem. Now fire up whatever makes you happy and enjoy it while you can!

Peace
Sherilyn Jordan in Seattle

____________________________________

I think I can play them in my PS4!!! (not positive) I love reading your thoughts... keep killing it.

Bobby Cloyd

____________________________________

ou are assuming that "baby boomers" care about the streaming. They also don't care for the current music. Hip Hop? Please, boring. You can try and push the youth culture, but there is nothing there.
Kids need Netflix and Spotify and all the attendant services. Baby boomers DON'T! Get over it and let us "old people" enjoy the life we have, OK?

Pat O'Connell

____________________________________

I listened to the album on Spotify. I saw the CBS Sunday Morning interview on YouTube. The album is good but we've been here before.

I like to listen to new music, Panic at the Disco, Dua Lipa, Krewella, The Chainsmokers, Clean Bandit, Against the Current, Chvrches...

By the way I am the same age as Linda Ronstadt.

Larry Green

____________________________________

Duh. They bought the physical CD off Amazon, now backordered for 2-4 weeks.

richatomic

____________________________________

All good points but…

Seventy-two year old boomer who has been using computers for work and home since 1981, and I know how to use them. I am a beta tester for all Apple OS.

Always with the latest phone and I know how to use them—iPhone since 2007.

Music was a big part of my life well into my 50s, not so much anymore.

Netflix since the old red envelope days.

I use Netflix, Prime, Hulu, Apple and all the HBO, Showtime, Stars on demand selections.

I have used Apple Music, Amazon music, Google play, no Spotify.

As you said once, now, there is too much quality programming to watch (and listen to) with streaming Netflix—too many good choices, as opposed to the old model of too many channels with nothing to watch or listen too.

I never watch Network TV, news, late night, etc., except for the maligned SNL.

When you mention in your newsletter, new or old music, I give it a try. Sometimes from other recommendations too. Some sticks most does not.

I miss the old curation of the monoculture and radio. It seemed a lot easier.

My twenty-eight year old son curates many types of recent music to me but they just don't stick.

I gave up on Rock about the time bands like Metallica became mainstream. Too derivative of bands like Led Zeppelin, etc from the "classic rock" era.

I am happy listening to Rock, R&B, etc from the 60s, 70s and early 80s as well as mostly eighteen century 'Classical' music. Lots of choice to keep me from being bored.

I do find it difficult to discover new music by old bands or music I like from newer musicians.

I don't know how you do all that you do: reading all the newspapers, newsletters, books, articles, periodicals, answering your emails, attending numerous concerts and symposiums, writing your newsletter and keeping abreast of all on Netflix, Spotify, etc. I surely cannot do it and explore new music.

Cannot fathom about 98% of Hip-Hop or Rap, I guess I need a melody, harmony and…

I am retired, but not over-the-hill. I just look like a 72 year old. If anything my tastes are more refined and defined.

I don't buy into the ethos of Capitalism, as applied to music and art—I do not need a constant barrage of new stuff to spend my time and money

It is time for us boomers to get out of the way and recognize the contribution of those who came later and much later than us.

Respectfully,

Steve Greene

____________________________________

This gen-xer really enjoys reading your stuff. Thank you.

I am on Apple Music and I do listen to some of the new stuff by the acts of the 70s and 80s. I like the variety of stuff I can find to stream. I am also on Sirius XM mostly for the Spectrum, the Verge (Canadian alternative), Alt Nation - and the NFL Network radio. I don't listen to the actual radio.

I do Soundcloud now and then to hear upcoming artists I know from Downtown Records (the Academic) and Belmont University (where Brad Paisley, Florida Georgia Line, Moon Taxi, and more come from). I tried Spotify but it had too much hip hop for me. Apple Music seems easier to use and integrate with my cd collection which is now on the cloud.

I see 3 movies a month at the theater, have Amazon Prime, and Netflix. I am watching Ms. Maisel, Agents of Shield, Manifest, Hemlock Grove, and Brooklyn 99

Thanks for all you do.

Rev. Dr. Jim Monnett
First Presbyterian Church of Saline

____________________________________

In oldster fashion, I purchased the vinyl.

Doug Smith

____________________________________

OUCH.....I'm 60.
P.S. I have a client (fitness club chain)....I just received a phone call (yes, a phone call- not email or otherwise) from a 20-something aged club manager who is adding my 1970's era artist recommendations to her live club / group exercise playlist...her favorite selection was Frampton Comes Alive from an "unknown" musician named Peter Frampton.
Scott Hazlewood

____________________________________

I attended the annual Enterainment Lawyers Initiate lunch last Friday. Always a great hang and this year honoring my colleague Dina LaPolt. This year was the first year there were no glossy books with adds and the winning student essays. But they still put the "Grammy 2019" CD on everyone's chair. With all
Nominated songs and records.

It might as well have been a paperweight.

Kenneth D. Freundlich

____________________________________

Thanks for USING me.
You obliviously planted some surveillance equipment in here last time I went to the Forum.
(Why's everybody pick on AOL? It's just a mailbox. I still write on my pocket notebook. No batteries!)

Art Fein

____________________________________

Not time to forget anyone.

And if they are seniors and have lived a full life, have suffered, sacrificed, loved and lost, they should be celebrated, not minimized.
Thats another thing that's wrong w this country…not respecting the wisdom of its elders.
And no, life hasn't changed so much and so fast that that approach doesn't hold up anymore.
You don't have to know about the latest tech to know whats important in life.

jfaith

____________________________________

I still play a lot of cassettes in my shop. Friends give me all of their old ones.

Gregory Gebben

____________________________________

I'm one of those dinosaurs who still buys cds, and I listen to Spotify (paid version). I did purchase Linda's live album on cd. Last year I bought about 150 cds, a few albums and singles on vinyl, and saw 120 live shows (40 local performers, 80 touring band ones here in New York State: Syracuse, Albany, Homer, Ithaca, Rochester, Buffalo and in other states, including MA, PA, NC, VA, RI, MD, D.C.). I'm single, retired, on a decent fixed income and 73. As my one of a kind rock and roll hero Ed Hamell, aka Hamell On Trial, says "I will keep on rocking till my dying day." Plus, I will keep reading your posts.

William D. Baldwin

____________________________________

You are 100% correct we BB's are all AK's now.... And we pay good money to hear cover bands of classic rock we are so desperate for good music!

Bennie

____________________________________

I'm quite happy with iTunes music store and I put together an extension custom playlist that I listen to what I want when I want. (Which includes the likes of Linda Ronstadt and other "oldies" including later albums). As you are obviously aware, some of these artists are cutting albums exclusively for iTunes.

Les Ehrsam

____________________________________

Hadn't known of it until now so thanks for the recommendation, the sound quality is fantastic throughout. Have to think Warren Zevon would be proud of that rendition. She was one of the greatest voices we have ever had in rock and roll.

-Mike J. Clarke

____________________________________

Not only are boomers irrelevant as consumers, they're irrelevant as music executives. They need to finally retire and pass the torch. The music industry is sorely in need of modernization and it's never gonna happen when decision makers need to take 30 trips to the bathroom per day. Too bad they won't go anywhere until they kick the bucket and then hand everything off to their inept, emotionally stunted offspring who think growing up around rock stars is normal.

-Mike Sherman

____________________________________

Bob,

Tired of your stupid rants! I'm out of here!

William Chapman


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-TuneIn: http://tunein.com/lefsetz
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25




-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --

Linda Ronstadt's Live Album

Is it time to forget the baby boomers?

Linda Ronstadt got a featured piece on the holy grail of television promotion, "CBS Sunday Morning," yet no one is listening to her album on Spotify, and it's quite good. Only two tracks break five digits, the rest are in four. For the math-challenged, that means "Just One Look" has 29,177 plays, "Blue Bayou" has 96,901 and the rest have bupkes.

So, are oldsters not paying for Spotify or are they unaware of this album or...

Probably all. THEY'RE OLD! They lived through the classic rock era, they'll pay to see classic rock acts, but they're uninterested in new music by new acts or old music by classic acts.

This is important. Because oldsters control the media, giving a false impression of what's going on.

Of course they could be subscribing to Apple Music. Which doesn't make its stats publicly available. That would make sense, afraid of the newfangled Spotify, whose subscription numbers are accelerating faster than those of the vaunted Apple, maybe going public gave Spotify more credibility.

Or they could be calling out to Alexa for Amazon Music. But do they even know this Ronstadt LP is available?

Just because they've got smartphones, that doesn't mean baby boomers know how to use them.

Baby boomers are the ones who are afraid of streaming, the ones who barely use their data plans, the ones who sit in front of their flat screens, but they own a disproportionate part of the conversation.

As for "CBS Sunday Morning"... The effect is overstated. In a world where late night means nothing, except for SNL, people glom on to the last show standing, not knowing the paradigm has shifted.

And are we pitching physical or ownership here?

Note how "Billboard" trumpeted an increase in sales after the Grammys. So anemic, that anyone could see through the so-called bounce. Or, as Billy Preston once sang, "Nothing from nothing leaves nothing."

But the "Bible" didn't talk about streaming numbers, where the active audience is, where there was NO EFFECT! Where Ariana Grande owned almost the entire top ten. It's bizarro world I tell you. How do you expect the political world to get the facts straight when we can't even do it in music.

As for buying music, whether it be files or physical, someone is sending me a CD and I wondered where I'd play it. I hear this from ancient acts all the time. Baby boomers do know Bluetooth, they'll stream in their automobiles with no CD players, my computer has no CD player, even Whole Foods stopped selling CDs, but brain-dead oldsters keep sending them, it's like getting an AOL disc in the mail.

Of course there are baby boomer exceptions, I'm gonna hear from them all day long. But they don't realize they're a self-selecting tribe, that most boomers are...

Retired and over-the-hill.

They might have cash, but they watch it closely. Kids need Netflix and Spotify and all the attendant services. Baby boomers are counting their cash and saying no.

It's not only that music is a youth business, but boomers are old, and despite dressing up like their kids and getting plastic surgery, age never sleeps, whether it's today or fifty years ago.


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-TuneIn: http://tunein.com/lefsetz
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25




-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --