Playlist: https://spoti.fi/2GmbCcJ
I'd never heard it before.
Peter Frampton has a new blues album, "All Blues," and although it went to #1 on the blues chart, that's like being big in Poughkeepsie. But if it were 1969, this album would be all over aficionados' turntables. Back when the blues still inspired the essence of rock and roll, when the scene was vital and comprehensible.
Actually, wasn't Humble Pie directly influenced by the blues? Just listen to the "Fillmore" album. And Steve Marriott was a blues shouter par excellence.
But by time Humble Pie clicked in the marketplace, Frampton was already gone. The "Fillmore" double album was his last hurrah, he announced his departure before the tour, kinda like he's announced he's retiring from the road after this tour because of his illness. Did you read in the WSJ that Linda Ronstadt now says she was misdiagnosed, she never had Parkinson's, but progressive supranuclear palsy, and there's no medication for it? But unlike Frampton, who has inclusion body myositis, Linda wasn't plying the boards on a retirement tour, she hadn't made a new album, she kind of faded away and eventually said she was never coming back, but Frampton's hiding in plain sight, and kinda like David Crosby constantly making albums fearing death, Peter is making albums at a prodigious rate before he's unable to play at this level.
Now insiders know Frampton can wail. Hell, he was on George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass," but he's been forever negatively branded by taking a turn into teenybopper land. But "All Blues" sounds nothing like that.
We used to idolize guitarists. They were into the blues and soloists in England first, but after the Beatles broke in America, we hungered for more, and it wasn't much later that Clapton became God and Hendrix was a legend and...oftentimes the material was just a framework for the axemen to show their skills... can you say "Spoonful"?
And it was Frampton who played on the Humble Pie "Fillmore" album.
But old rockers are supposed to fade away and not radiate. You don't find anybody pushing the envelope anymore, they're just on a dash for cash on the road.
But not Frampton, he's time-stamped, and that inspires you. When you can see the end, you're activated.
And Peter pulled an Ed Sheeran, he collaborated with a who's who of players on many tracks. But instead of jumping genres, "All Blues" is just the blues.
The opener is "I Just Want To Make Love To You," featuring Kim Wilson on the harp.
But to tell you the truth, Foghat burned me out on this song. I never cottoned to their version, even though I love their later stuff..."when I was stone blue, rock and roll still helped me through". But Frampton's iteration is less frantic, it sets down in a slow groove and keeps plowing ahead. And Frampton wails, as well as Wilson.
But actually, I like the second track, "She Caught The Katy" more. If you were in front of your stereo, if you were at the show, you'd be grimacing and playing air guitar.
And Frampton somehow makes "Georgia On My Mind" his own. It's an instrumental take, the guitar sings the lyrics. Listen.
And now I'm intrigued. I start looking at the other featured players. And on the title track, I see Larry Carlton, a jazz master, a studio legend, so I pull it up. And I thought it was an original. And I didn't like the subtle groove that began the track, the underpinning just didn't have that much soul, but when Larry Carlton started to wail, at 1:42, my head about exploded. For a long time it was how fast you played. But then we realized that it was more about style. The key was to gain the skills, and then find your own sound, stake out your own territory. And Carlton shines on "All Blues."
And then I'm listening to another song on the album, "Going Down Slow," which features Steve Morse, and I wondered who wrote it and when I pulled up the page, I saw not only that "Going Down Slow" was written by St. Louis Jimmy Oden but that ALL the tracks on "All Blues" were covers, including "All Blues," and I did not know that. You see the Mississippi roots, the building blocks of the blues, the fascination therewith, came a generation before me, in the U.K., at universities, I knew Robert Johnson like everybody else, and of course Willie Dixon and...there were names I'd heard of but didn't know the music of.
So I immediately went to Spotify and puled up the original "Going Down Slow," it was a REVELATION! The track had scratches on it, but it was like a previously unknown era came alive. This was not blues rock, there was almost nothing on the track, it was driven by St. Louis Jimmy Oden's vocal. Packed into its length of 3:11 was a whole lifetime, it made you want to go down to the juke joints, that no longer exist, and hear this music...it was now obvious why the English cats and the students were infatuated.
Then I decided to pull up the original "All Blues," by Miles Davis.
And what astounded me was it had the same groove, the same basic underpinning as the Frampton version, it's just that it swung a bit more. And then Miles started to play and I instantly got it, why Miles is so revered, why he was so cool.
Now I saw Miles live in the "Bitches Brew" era, and I love "In A Silent Way," but by that time he was far from the original sound that made him famous, he was experimenting with electronics.
And then I saw that "All Blues" is on "Kind Of Blue," which I'd never really gotten, even though I literally had a copy someone sent me for my birthday, and I knew how famous it was...I just needed an introduction.
I mean if you think you hate jazz, have no interest in Miles, just pull this up, you'll stop in your tracks, you won't believe there's something this good that you've never heard before.
That's where Frampton led me. He knows his roots, he's amplifying the sound.
And like I said, in a previous era, musos would be all over this album, talking about the playing, but now...
It's just an artifact, like the original delta blues, waiting to be discovered by a later generation.
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Saturday 20 July 2019
Friday 19 July 2019
Netflix Numbers
They're killing the golden goose.
Because price matters. Otherwise everybody would use an iPhone and a Mac, but Netflix is not a premium product, it can't win appealing to a sliver of the public, it needs all of it.
This is how the publishing industry killed digital books.
Despite the hosannas of boomers boasting that they saved the physical book, it won't be long until they lose the war. You know change...it looks like it's never going to happen, you laugh at the predictions, and then overnight, it takes hold. Can you say digital photography? Can you say internet connection?
People had been using digital cameras for years, but they were expensive. Just like people were communicating via bulletin boards utilizing low speed modems with arcane software. But non-traditional consumer camera companies, like Panasonic and Sony and Samsung, put out products while Nikon and other high-end manufacturers sat by, as well as the everyman's company Kodak, and then in a year, digital eclipsed film, just like that. Kinda like AOL turned everybody into an internet user, they made it easy.
Now we had a similar situation in the music business, with the iTunes Store. At first the labels considered it a joke, being Mac-only. But then when sales far exceeded expectations and distribution included Windows, suddenly this sideshow was throwing off revenue... And what did the labels want to do? RAISE PRICES!
And who said they couldn't?
STEVE JOBS!
The labels are greedy, short-term thinkers, why else would Universal have stored all those masters in an unprotected facility? The music business was always run on intimidation, but finally it came up against someone who wouldn't play that game, Apple kept prices low until consumers were hooked, then they jumped from 99 cents to $1.29.
99 cents. Ever notice no car is advertised at a round number? How it's always something 99? Even gas! Our minds trick us into thinking $3.249 is equivalent to $3.24. But the truth is it's only a tenth of a cent from $3.25.
And going back to books, did you see that Pearson is going digital first on textbooks? Physical was killing them. They got no revenue on resale. And prices were so high, sales were less frequent.
Instead, they went to the subscription model. That's right, for less than print you get something that can be upgraded on a regular basis, like a streaming music service. Your subscription to Spotify, et al, is not a fixed picture, but a constantly rolling enterprise that adds new titles on a regular basis...and as long as you keep paying ten bucks a month, you can hear them.
Ten bucks. Spotify is a public company under earnings pressure. It could immediately raise prices, but it would start hemorrhaging customers. If it's under ten bucks, it's a throwaway. Once it eclipses that number, you start to think about it. I mean there are months when we barely watch Netflix, but we don't cancel. But if you're counting your pennies, supporting a family, every little bit counts and you look for alternatives that are good enough, like Android and Windows.
There's a huge market in good enough. Not everybody needs to buy Nike or 7 jeans or... They'll settle for the knock-off.
So Netflix is under Wall Street pressure, to pay for all that programming. So it keeps raising prices. Now you think they're going to keep going up FOREVER! You feel the company no longer cares for you, the bond is broken and you start evaluating cash versus benefit.
As for HBO... On one hand, people are accustomed to the $15 price point. But the dirty little secret is that most people don't pay that $15, or don't think they do. The HBO fee is baked into your cable plan, which is a negotiation worse than buying a car. I got so frustrated I told my provider to cancel everything but the internet, and just before the clerk did this, she told me for $9.99 more, I could get essentially all the channels I was getting, including HBO...believe me, I don't think HBO is costing me $15.
Which is why Disney is so brilliantly starting with a low price for its streaming service.
And what Netflix kept doing was adding loads of product while raising the price.
But the truth is most of this product sucks. And it's an experiment, if it doesn't immediately generate an audience, Netflix kills it. That's right the Northern Californians are so into algorithms and spreadsheets that they miss the essence... One or two great shows make up for a slew of crappy ones. Kinda like the CD business!
And I can't say there's been a killer show on Netflix this year. No water cooler moment.
And one thing we're looking for from Netflix is something DIFFERENT! Not only from network, but HBO too. Come on, HBO never would have aired "Babylon Berlin," no way, not enough people would watch it. But if you struggled through the first few episodes on Netflix, you got hooked, I haven't stopped talking about the show and I saw it YEARS AGO!
And it's not like history is unwritten. "Sex and the City" ended and HBO suffered, they needed more hits.
I scan the sites all the time, looking for what to watch. And when I rarely find new Netflix shows, it frustrates me.
And screw the algorithm, showing me what I should be interested in, I have no idea what's actually on Netflix, I read about a movie being available on the service, but it never pops up on my screen. Where's the website where I can scan all the content? Hell, it looks to me like they don't have that much, even though they keep telling everybody they do!
There's too much television for mediocre to survive. Not only are there so many other options on TV, there are non-series/movie distractions only a click away, like YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat...
In other words, Netflix has lost touch with its customers.
Just like the publishing business. Who in hell is gonna buy the digital version if the hardcover is cheaper, or only a dollar or two more? It's a bad value proposition. Kids are down with virtual purchases, as they do in video games, but the oldsters still need to be convinced. Most people who are anti-digital readers never even read that way! But when all books were $9.99 or less... If you bought something and it sucked, no big deal. But when it's $15?
Yup, the book business is just like Netflix. Not aware their business depends on customers. Amazon was growing their business, adding customers and sales. I used to buy a physical book a year, maybe two or three. It just didn't make sense, $25? But with digital, I buy a book every other week if not more often. But I must admit, I think twice about my purchases at these inflated prices, and I'm pissed they're so high when there's no printing and shipping...
You want your customers to LOVE you, otherwise you're the record business. Devastated at the advent of this century. Customers had been ripped-off for so long, they didn't feel bad about stealing, And what did the execs say? Nothing could replace CDs, they were perfect! But the customers didn't feel this way, and they wanted instant accessibility and portability, qualities that are the essence of digital.
And streaming saved the music business.
But sales don't equal the pre-internet heyday, so the streaming services are...waiting to raise prices.
Let's not talk about what something is intrinsically worth... It's only worth what a buyer is willing to pay.
And one thing's for sure, I'm not paying for every streaming video service, no way. I'm gonna end up paying as much as cable and getting less! I'm trying to hold off on Hulu. I don't have the time, and I feel it's an insult.
But, I did pay for Mhz Choice to watch a foreign series, I thought twice, but it was only $7.99 and opened up a world of proven quality television that otherwise I wouldn't have access to.
Now is the time for Netflix to ensure that it trumps the competition.
All the news is negative. It's losing "The Office," "Friends."
I don't watch either, but there's such blowback that my fealty to Netflix is wavering, I want to be a member of a winning cult. And I know Netflix is countering with all the product it still has, and the press is talking about viewer numbers, but entertainment is not facts, it's about hearts and minds!
And Netflix is losing them.
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-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Because price matters. Otherwise everybody would use an iPhone and a Mac, but Netflix is not a premium product, it can't win appealing to a sliver of the public, it needs all of it.
This is how the publishing industry killed digital books.
Despite the hosannas of boomers boasting that they saved the physical book, it won't be long until they lose the war. You know change...it looks like it's never going to happen, you laugh at the predictions, and then overnight, it takes hold. Can you say digital photography? Can you say internet connection?
People had been using digital cameras for years, but they were expensive. Just like people were communicating via bulletin boards utilizing low speed modems with arcane software. But non-traditional consumer camera companies, like Panasonic and Sony and Samsung, put out products while Nikon and other high-end manufacturers sat by, as well as the everyman's company Kodak, and then in a year, digital eclipsed film, just like that. Kinda like AOL turned everybody into an internet user, they made it easy.
Now we had a similar situation in the music business, with the iTunes Store. At first the labels considered it a joke, being Mac-only. But then when sales far exceeded expectations and distribution included Windows, suddenly this sideshow was throwing off revenue... And what did the labels want to do? RAISE PRICES!
And who said they couldn't?
STEVE JOBS!
The labels are greedy, short-term thinkers, why else would Universal have stored all those masters in an unprotected facility? The music business was always run on intimidation, but finally it came up against someone who wouldn't play that game, Apple kept prices low until consumers were hooked, then they jumped from 99 cents to $1.29.
99 cents. Ever notice no car is advertised at a round number? How it's always something 99? Even gas! Our minds trick us into thinking $3.249 is equivalent to $3.24. But the truth is it's only a tenth of a cent from $3.25.
And going back to books, did you see that Pearson is going digital first on textbooks? Physical was killing them. They got no revenue on resale. And prices were so high, sales were less frequent.
Instead, they went to the subscription model. That's right, for less than print you get something that can be upgraded on a regular basis, like a streaming music service. Your subscription to Spotify, et al, is not a fixed picture, but a constantly rolling enterprise that adds new titles on a regular basis...and as long as you keep paying ten bucks a month, you can hear them.
Ten bucks. Spotify is a public company under earnings pressure. It could immediately raise prices, but it would start hemorrhaging customers. If it's under ten bucks, it's a throwaway. Once it eclipses that number, you start to think about it. I mean there are months when we barely watch Netflix, but we don't cancel. But if you're counting your pennies, supporting a family, every little bit counts and you look for alternatives that are good enough, like Android and Windows.
There's a huge market in good enough. Not everybody needs to buy Nike or 7 jeans or... They'll settle for the knock-off.
So Netflix is under Wall Street pressure, to pay for all that programming. So it keeps raising prices. Now you think they're going to keep going up FOREVER! You feel the company no longer cares for you, the bond is broken and you start evaluating cash versus benefit.
As for HBO... On one hand, people are accustomed to the $15 price point. But the dirty little secret is that most people don't pay that $15, or don't think they do. The HBO fee is baked into your cable plan, which is a negotiation worse than buying a car. I got so frustrated I told my provider to cancel everything but the internet, and just before the clerk did this, she told me for $9.99 more, I could get essentially all the channels I was getting, including HBO...believe me, I don't think HBO is costing me $15.
Which is why Disney is so brilliantly starting with a low price for its streaming service.
And what Netflix kept doing was adding loads of product while raising the price.
But the truth is most of this product sucks. And it's an experiment, if it doesn't immediately generate an audience, Netflix kills it. That's right the Northern Californians are so into algorithms and spreadsheets that they miss the essence... One or two great shows make up for a slew of crappy ones. Kinda like the CD business!
And I can't say there's been a killer show on Netflix this year. No water cooler moment.
And one thing we're looking for from Netflix is something DIFFERENT! Not only from network, but HBO too. Come on, HBO never would have aired "Babylon Berlin," no way, not enough people would watch it. But if you struggled through the first few episodes on Netflix, you got hooked, I haven't stopped talking about the show and I saw it YEARS AGO!
And it's not like history is unwritten. "Sex and the City" ended and HBO suffered, they needed more hits.
I scan the sites all the time, looking for what to watch. And when I rarely find new Netflix shows, it frustrates me.
And screw the algorithm, showing me what I should be interested in, I have no idea what's actually on Netflix, I read about a movie being available on the service, but it never pops up on my screen. Where's the website where I can scan all the content? Hell, it looks to me like they don't have that much, even though they keep telling everybody they do!
There's too much television for mediocre to survive. Not only are there so many other options on TV, there are non-series/movie distractions only a click away, like YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat...
In other words, Netflix has lost touch with its customers.
Just like the publishing business. Who in hell is gonna buy the digital version if the hardcover is cheaper, or only a dollar or two more? It's a bad value proposition. Kids are down with virtual purchases, as they do in video games, but the oldsters still need to be convinced. Most people who are anti-digital readers never even read that way! But when all books were $9.99 or less... If you bought something and it sucked, no big deal. But when it's $15?
Yup, the book business is just like Netflix. Not aware their business depends on customers. Amazon was growing their business, adding customers and sales. I used to buy a physical book a year, maybe two or three. It just didn't make sense, $25? But with digital, I buy a book every other week if not more often. But I must admit, I think twice about my purchases at these inflated prices, and I'm pissed they're so high when there's no printing and shipping...
You want your customers to LOVE you, otherwise you're the record business. Devastated at the advent of this century. Customers had been ripped-off for so long, they didn't feel bad about stealing, And what did the execs say? Nothing could replace CDs, they were perfect! But the customers didn't feel this way, and they wanted instant accessibility and portability, qualities that are the essence of digital.
And streaming saved the music business.
But sales don't equal the pre-internet heyday, so the streaming services are...waiting to raise prices.
Let's not talk about what something is intrinsically worth... It's only worth what a buyer is willing to pay.
And one thing's for sure, I'm not paying for every streaming video service, no way. I'm gonna end up paying as much as cable and getting less! I'm trying to hold off on Hulu. I don't have the time, and I feel it's an insult.
But, I did pay for Mhz Choice to watch a foreign series, I thought twice, but it was only $7.99 and opened up a world of proven quality television that otherwise I wouldn't have access to.
Now is the time for Netflix to ensure that it trumps the competition.
All the news is negative. It's losing "The Office," "Friends."
I don't watch either, but there's such blowback that my fealty to Netflix is wavering, I want to be a member of a winning cult. And I know Netflix is countering with all the product it still has, and the press is talking about viewer numbers, but entertainment is not facts, it's about hearts and minds!
And Netflix is losing them.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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Thursday 18 July 2019
Tom Bailey-This Week's Podcast
Spotify playlist: https://spoti.fi/2GjkVtY
"Dance with me across the sea
And we could feel the motion of a thousand dreams"
KROQ was a free-format station.
No radio market was like Los Angeles, where there were five rock stations on the FM dial. And KROQ's niche was playing those acts that never got airplay, the deep cuts from their albums, breaking acts that you immediately had to go see and did. This is where the ska revolution started, at least in the U.S.A.
But at the turn of the decade, Rick Carroll flipped the format to the "ROQ of the 80's," which was top forty for the new and different. It was KROQ that broke not only Human League's "Don't You Want Me" and Soft Cell's "Tainted Love," but so many other acts, which may have been forgotten but are embedded in my brain. Like the Polecats' "Make A Circuit With Me." Suddenly it was hip to write pop songs, albeit in the new style, and the Polecats song had such a hook, I had to buy it, I had to hear it over and over again.
And of course KROQ played a lot of Depeche Mode.
But they also played this cut that slapped you in the face immediately with the popular synth sound, and was a joy to hear every time KROQ played it, and no one else played it. That song was the Thompson Twins' "In The Name Of Love," which in my mind was always an update of Ian Dury's "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick," it had a similarly propulsive chorus, you felt like you were being banged on the head, and it felt so GOOD!
But the Thompson Twins were just another KROQ band, you didn't buy the records. But I knew "Lies" and "Love On Your Side" by heart.
And then came "Hold Me Now." So simple, yet so right. But this was in an era where people didn't make records like this. Nothing was relatively quiet and simple, everything was dressed up in instrumentation. "Hold Me Now" was almost like a love song from the sixties, especially the chorus.
And then suddenly "Hold Me Now" was everywhere, it crossed over to pop and other rock formats, suddenly the Thompson Twins were ubiquitous.
It's hard to do it this way. Many songs are inundated with production, but the essence, the song is not there.
And what put "Hold Me Now" over the top was the last half of the chorus:
"Stay with me
Let loving start
Let loving start"
Not that there were not a lot of hooks in the song, it was positively magical and...
I had to buy the album, "Into The Gap."
It's one of my favorite records of the eighties.
I knew what the band sounded like, I knew the hits, but nothing prepared me for the opening cut on "Into The Gap," "Doctor! Doctor!," whose lyrics are at the top of this screed.
This was when albums were still a statement.
"Doctor! Doctor!" immediately set the mood, it was like you were in a seance, an alternative universe, privileged to be a member of a special club, FROM THE VERY FIRST NOTE!
This was not a traditional guitar rave-up, as a matter of fact, the intro to "Doctor! Doctor!" resembled nothing so much as "Funkytown," which you pooh-poohed at the time, but love every time you hear it on the radio today, at least I do. Hell, even the Chipmunks covered "Funkytown"!
But "You Take Me Up," the second song, was completely different, it started with a harmonica, or some synth that sounded like one.
"Knowing what it means to work hard on machines
It's a labour of love so please don't ask me why"
Now you were parked in this alternative universe, and Tom Bailey was talking about his work life. He wasn't regretting it, he wasn't complaining, it was taking up all of his time, but he loved it!
And the title song, which opened the second side, "The Gap" started with a synth resembling a Jew's harp, and moved on to an Arabian feel, like there was a snake charmer present, it was hypnotic.
And the finale, "Who Can Stop The Rain," sounded like the end of something...something you didn't want to end, so you flipped the record over and played it again and again. This was supposed to wear out the grooves, but you couldn't help yourself.
And thereafter "Lay Your Hands On Me" was a success, but eventually Joe Leeway left, not that we were ever sure what he contributed, and Tom and Alannah Currie moved to Australia and transmogrified into Babble and...
Then they disappeared.
Until about a decade ago, when Howard Jones implored Tom to go on a short tour with him, and Tom has been plying the boards ever since.
And in preparation for the podcast, Tom's manager David Stopps sent me this video that he shot on his phone from the side of the stage: https://bit.ly/2Z2MdfA
And it's shot during the day, and everybody knows you don't want to hit the stage until after dark.
And you immediately notice that everybody in the band is dressed in white, and the supporting musicians are all women.
And I was digging it, enjoying it, then at 2:15 Tom stopped singing and the band stopped playing and...
The audience took the reins. At a volume and with such vociferousness that I'm tingling watching it again now.
This is a festival. Those alive when "Hold Me Now" was first a hit are not in attendance, it's all young 'uns...but they know this song and they're waving their arms in the air and...
I asked Tom what it was like having an audience sing his song back to him and he said...YOU HAVE NO IDEA!
But this was not a one time only affair. Stopps sent me a video from last Saturday, and the same thing happened. It's outdoors, during the day and the audience is singing "Hold Me Now" at the top of their lungs, a cappella. Start around :45 to experience the magic: https://bit.ly/2xSKc9P
I thought Tom was a super cool, unapproachable dude. But he was so normal.
Listen to what he had to say:
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5x7fkZWiz9RjlwOaTMGPCk
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tom-bailey/id1316200737?i=1000444759954
https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=62646819
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--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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"Dance with me across the sea
And we could feel the motion of a thousand dreams"
KROQ was a free-format station.
No radio market was like Los Angeles, where there were five rock stations on the FM dial. And KROQ's niche was playing those acts that never got airplay, the deep cuts from their albums, breaking acts that you immediately had to go see and did. This is where the ska revolution started, at least in the U.S.A.
But at the turn of the decade, Rick Carroll flipped the format to the "ROQ of the 80's," which was top forty for the new and different. It was KROQ that broke not only Human League's "Don't You Want Me" and Soft Cell's "Tainted Love," but so many other acts, which may have been forgotten but are embedded in my brain. Like the Polecats' "Make A Circuit With Me." Suddenly it was hip to write pop songs, albeit in the new style, and the Polecats song had such a hook, I had to buy it, I had to hear it over and over again.
And of course KROQ played a lot of Depeche Mode.
But they also played this cut that slapped you in the face immediately with the popular synth sound, and was a joy to hear every time KROQ played it, and no one else played it. That song was the Thompson Twins' "In The Name Of Love," which in my mind was always an update of Ian Dury's "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick," it had a similarly propulsive chorus, you felt like you were being banged on the head, and it felt so GOOD!
But the Thompson Twins were just another KROQ band, you didn't buy the records. But I knew "Lies" and "Love On Your Side" by heart.
And then came "Hold Me Now." So simple, yet so right. But this was in an era where people didn't make records like this. Nothing was relatively quiet and simple, everything was dressed up in instrumentation. "Hold Me Now" was almost like a love song from the sixties, especially the chorus.
And then suddenly "Hold Me Now" was everywhere, it crossed over to pop and other rock formats, suddenly the Thompson Twins were ubiquitous.
It's hard to do it this way. Many songs are inundated with production, but the essence, the song is not there.
And what put "Hold Me Now" over the top was the last half of the chorus:
"Stay with me
Let loving start
Let loving start"
Not that there were not a lot of hooks in the song, it was positively magical and...
I had to buy the album, "Into The Gap."
It's one of my favorite records of the eighties.
I knew what the band sounded like, I knew the hits, but nothing prepared me for the opening cut on "Into The Gap," "Doctor! Doctor!," whose lyrics are at the top of this screed.
This was when albums were still a statement.
"Doctor! Doctor!" immediately set the mood, it was like you were in a seance, an alternative universe, privileged to be a member of a special club, FROM THE VERY FIRST NOTE!
This was not a traditional guitar rave-up, as a matter of fact, the intro to "Doctor! Doctor!" resembled nothing so much as "Funkytown," which you pooh-poohed at the time, but love every time you hear it on the radio today, at least I do. Hell, even the Chipmunks covered "Funkytown"!
But "You Take Me Up," the second song, was completely different, it started with a harmonica, or some synth that sounded like one.
"Knowing what it means to work hard on machines
It's a labour of love so please don't ask me why"
Now you were parked in this alternative universe, and Tom Bailey was talking about his work life. He wasn't regretting it, he wasn't complaining, it was taking up all of his time, but he loved it!
And the title song, which opened the second side, "The Gap" started with a synth resembling a Jew's harp, and moved on to an Arabian feel, like there was a snake charmer present, it was hypnotic.
And the finale, "Who Can Stop The Rain," sounded like the end of something...something you didn't want to end, so you flipped the record over and played it again and again. This was supposed to wear out the grooves, but you couldn't help yourself.
And thereafter "Lay Your Hands On Me" was a success, but eventually Joe Leeway left, not that we were ever sure what he contributed, and Tom and Alannah Currie moved to Australia and transmogrified into Babble and...
Then they disappeared.
Until about a decade ago, when Howard Jones implored Tom to go on a short tour with him, and Tom has been plying the boards ever since.
And in preparation for the podcast, Tom's manager David Stopps sent me this video that he shot on his phone from the side of the stage: https://bit.ly/2Z2MdfA
And it's shot during the day, and everybody knows you don't want to hit the stage until after dark.
And you immediately notice that everybody in the band is dressed in white, and the supporting musicians are all women.
And I was digging it, enjoying it, then at 2:15 Tom stopped singing and the band stopped playing and...
The audience took the reins. At a volume and with such vociferousness that I'm tingling watching it again now.
This is a festival. Those alive when "Hold Me Now" was first a hit are not in attendance, it's all young 'uns...but they know this song and they're waving their arms in the air and...
I asked Tom what it was like having an audience sing his song back to him and he said...YOU HAVE NO IDEA!
But this was not a one time only affair. Stopps sent me a video from last Saturday, and the same thing happened. It's outdoors, during the day and the audience is singing "Hold Me Now" at the top of their lungs, a cappella. Start around :45 to experience the magic: https://bit.ly/2xSKc9P
I thought Tom was a super cool, unapproachable dude. But he was so normal.
Listen to what he had to say:
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5x7fkZWiz9RjlwOaTMGPCk
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tom-bailey/id1316200737?i=1000444759954
https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=62646819
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Wednesday 17 July 2019
Better Side Of Life-Song Of The Day
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2GumB43
YouTube: https://bit.ly/2YaYS2G
"You don't have to be alone to feel alone
You can have someone and still feel alone"
Ain't that the truth.
I discovered Emitt Rhodes freshman year of college. I know, I know, some people were there before me, with the Merry-Go-Round, but despite seeing that work in the bins, I never bought it, the band had no traction on the east coast.
And neither did Emitt Rhodes's debut album. It was a press-driven thing, back when press still mattered, when it wasn't about being holier-than-thou, hipsters with no life reviewing records because it makes them feel important.
No, you'd subscribe to all the rock magazines, dedicated fans could not get enough, "Rolling Stone," "Crawdaddy," "Fusion"... We were hungry for information in an era where there was very little of it.
Now we've got too much of it. To the point where if you're into something, you might be the only one.
But in every burg there was an addict, checking out albums that never got airplay, and when you finally connected, you found you had commonality in these songs.
The rap on Emitt Rhodes was he was imitating the Beatles, and therefore he was dismissed. Even worse, he was on Dunhill Records, distributed by ABC, which at that time was barely considered a major.
But unlike Greta Van Fleet, Rhodes was (and still is!) an incredible writer. The changes were endearing, and the lyrics were insightful.
But after the first LP stiffed, most people moved on.
I did not, I bought the follow-up, "Mirror," even though almost no one I've ever run into did. And "Mirror" is less Beatle-like, Emitt is testing his personal limits and...
I'm picking the most Beatle-like track from "Mirror" anyway.
"Better Side Of Life" could fit perfectly on the White Album, if it was cut in '72. You can imagine Paul sitting alone with an acoustic singing from his heart.
But once the band split up, John was no longer around to tell his old partner when he was creating tripe.
Not that McCartney has not done some great work, but other than "Maybe I'm Amazed," maybe, the tracks don't feature insightful lyrics, like "Better Side Of Life."
This is the difference between the music of yesterday as opposed to today. Back then you ignored AM radio, that was pop, with a limited construct, the key was to test your limits, SAY SOMETHING!
And at first hip-hop said plenty.
But today it seems to be a way to make bank in the penumbra, i.e. sponsorships and cosmetic lines and...
As for pure pop, it's cheerleading crap, ballad b.s., if you gain wisdom from today's pop music you haven't yet hit puberty.
"Everything that ever was will never be again
We're only lonely people now wondering where we've been"
They're still together, but they've broken up, it's over.
And then the loneliness sets in. Being with someone is different. The floor is higher, the moments of despair are less frequent,.
"Rarely does it take you more than once or twice to learn
That love is so much deeper when you let the fever burn"
Commitment. It's everything. If your significant other is beating you up, hooked on drugs, break up. But if you've had that ceremony in front of your family and friends, give it a good shot, stick it out, it's amazing how you can get over the humps and have a deeper, more satisfying relationship.
"And there's a strong possibility
That we might often fail to see the better side of life"
In other words, you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.
"Loneliness will capture you in moments of despair"
Did you see that story in the news today, how this town in the U.K. built chat benches? Yup, with plaques saying if you want to talk, sit right down.
Loneliness is the scourge of oldsters. The internet helps keep us together, despite the negativity coming from the intelligentsia, but we all crave, need, the human touch.
And it's illegal to stop by unannounced. So you need to make plans when the truth is you need comfort right now! You're lucky if you've got any close friends at all.
"The key remains inside yourself and will forever more"
It's not them, it's you. All those people who think they can find their perfect person online...I hate to tell them, there is no such thing as perfect, and until you look inside yourself you will never have a good relationship. You might have a slave, addicted to you, a yes-person, but relationships need to be two-way and honest.
So what we've got is the desperate, categorically unable to be alone, bouncing from relationship to relationship, not knowing that when the going gets rough, the clued-in hang in there and try to work it out, which never happens quickly, instead of trading their spouse in for a replacement.
That first relationship after the long term one? You think you've found a match, you're excited, this person delivers what your ex did not...and then you find when you tote it all up, your ex was better. Sure, they were flawed in this or that way, but everybody is, even if the flaws are different.
Furthermore, you break up and lose the shared experience, the references, the deep history.
So if you have someone and you still feel alone...make an effort, or cut it off. Don't stay in stasis, don't tolerate it, dig deeper, be honest, be open to criticism and insight...if you're never hurt, if you have no arguments, your relationship is time-stamped.
Not that I know everything, not that I have the answers. But everything I learned about life and love I discovered in music and movies.
But that was back when musicians strove to make music like "Better Side Of Life," which might have left Emitt Rhodes broke, but a legend.
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YouTube: https://bit.ly/2YaYS2G
"You don't have to be alone to feel alone
You can have someone and still feel alone"
Ain't that the truth.
I discovered Emitt Rhodes freshman year of college. I know, I know, some people were there before me, with the Merry-Go-Round, but despite seeing that work in the bins, I never bought it, the band had no traction on the east coast.
And neither did Emitt Rhodes's debut album. It was a press-driven thing, back when press still mattered, when it wasn't about being holier-than-thou, hipsters with no life reviewing records because it makes them feel important.
No, you'd subscribe to all the rock magazines, dedicated fans could not get enough, "Rolling Stone," "Crawdaddy," "Fusion"... We were hungry for information in an era where there was very little of it.
Now we've got too much of it. To the point where if you're into something, you might be the only one.
But in every burg there was an addict, checking out albums that never got airplay, and when you finally connected, you found you had commonality in these songs.
The rap on Emitt Rhodes was he was imitating the Beatles, and therefore he was dismissed. Even worse, he was on Dunhill Records, distributed by ABC, which at that time was barely considered a major.
But unlike Greta Van Fleet, Rhodes was (and still is!) an incredible writer. The changes were endearing, and the lyrics were insightful.
But after the first LP stiffed, most people moved on.
I did not, I bought the follow-up, "Mirror," even though almost no one I've ever run into did. And "Mirror" is less Beatle-like, Emitt is testing his personal limits and...
I'm picking the most Beatle-like track from "Mirror" anyway.
"Better Side Of Life" could fit perfectly on the White Album, if it was cut in '72. You can imagine Paul sitting alone with an acoustic singing from his heart.
But once the band split up, John was no longer around to tell his old partner when he was creating tripe.
Not that McCartney has not done some great work, but other than "Maybe I'm Amazed," maybe, the tracks don't feature insightful lyrics, like "Better Side Of Life."
This is the difference between the music of yesterday as opposed to today. Back then you ignored AM radio, that was pop, with a limited construct, the key was to test your limits, SAY SOMETHING!
And at first hip-hop said plenty.
But today it seems to be a way to make bank in the penumbra, i.e. sponsorships and cosmetic lines and...
As for pure pop, it's cheerleading crap, ballad b.s., if you gain wisdom from today's pop music you haven't yet hit puberty.
"Everything that ever was will never be again
We're only lonely people now wondering where we've been"
They're still together, but they've broken up, it's over.
And then the loneliness sets in. Being with someone is different. The floor is higher, the moments of despair are less frequent,.
"Rarely does it take you more than once or twice to learn
That love is so much deeper when you let the fever burn"
Commitment. It's everything. If your significant other is beating you up, hooked on drugs, break up. But if you've had that ceremony in front of your family and friends, give it a good shot, stick it out, it's amazing how you can get over the humps and have a deeper, more satisfying relationship.
"And there's a strong possibility
That we might often fail to see the better side of life"
In other words, you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.
"Loneliness will capture you in moments of despair"
Did you see that story in the news today, how this town in the U.K. built chat benches? Yup, with plaques saying if you want to talk, sit right down.
Loneliness is the scourge of oldsters. The internet helps keep us together, despite the negativity coming from the intelligentsia, but we all crave, need, the human touch.
And it's illegal to stop by unannounced. So you need to make plans when the truth is you need comfort right now! You're lucky if you've got any close friends at all.
"The key remains inside yourself and will forever more"
It's not them, it's you. All those people who think they can find their perfect person online...I hate to tell them, there is no such thing as perfect, and until you look inside yourself you will never have a good relationship. You might have a slave, addicted to you, a yes-person, but relationships need to be two-way and honest.
So what we've got is the desperate, categorically unable to be alone, bouncing from relationship to relationship, not knowing that when the going gets rough, the clued-in hang in there and try to work it out, which never happens quickly, instead of trading their spouse in for a replacement.
That first relationship after the long term one? You think you've found a match, you're excited, this person delivers what your ex did not...and then you find when you tote it all up, your ex was better. Sure, they were flawed in this or that way, but everybody is, even if the flaws are different.
Furthermore, you break up and lose the shared experience, the references, the deep history.
So if you have someone and you still feel alone...make an effort, or cut it off. Don't stay in stasis, don't tolerate it, dig deeper, be honest, be open to criticism and insight...if you're never hurt, if you have no arguments, your relationship is time-stamped.
Not that I know everything, not that I have the answers. But everything I learned about life and love I discovered in music and movies.
But that was back when musicians strove to make music like "Better Side Of Life," which might have left Emitt Rhodes broke, but a legend.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Mickey Thomas Responds
From: mickeythomas
Subject: We Built This City
A Different Point of View
I don't engage in debates over the validity of "We Built This City" or any of my work. It's not my nature and I don't really see the point of it, but there comes a moment when enough is enough.
It bothers me to read revisionist history by people trying to protect their own agendas. The main criticism of "We Built This City" didn't really start until 15 years after the release. We all know where the gist of that came from. I'm someone who was also "THERE" when it all went down. So let me ask you a question..."Does anybody out there really think that Grace Slick would sing a song that she absolutely hated?"...... That's what I thought you were thinking. I spent seven of the best years of my career recording and touring with Grace. Many long hours in the studio and on the tour bus. We enjoyed many fascinating conversations...A lot of highs and a few lows. I think I know her pretty well and I think the world of Grace.
I brought in the demo of "City" to present it to the STARSHIP band. (Not Jefferson Starship BTW) I was attracted by the lyrics of the song. I loved the imagery and the interpretive nature of Bernie's words. I felt it was a protest song but not really in an angry sense, it impressed me more as a feeling of lost innocence. I discussed my thoughts on what "City" meant in the lyrics with the band. It was never about a real city to me. It was an allegory for any collection of people anywhere who came together to express themselves through the power of music. It was both a celebration of rock and roll and a protest against those who try and tame it. I never for a moment thought that anyone would think that I was actually singing about concrete and steel or bricks and mortar. I was actually thinking about Woodstock when I was recording this song. The "We" in the lyric to me always signified a collective we. The artist and the audience singing together as one.
The song then went through an evolution in the studio. The big anthemic chorus was added. This always represented a double edged sword for me. I knew that it was the "hook" that would give the song the most commercial appeal, but I was always afraid that it might obscure the dark underbelly of the verse lyrics. Therefore; the element that assured the songs success also provided the fodder for all the naysayers. I realize that "We Built This City" became the poster child for a lot of what was happening in music at that time that angered some folks. The technology invading the process and sanding down the rough edges of rock. For me it was like getting a new set of toys to play with, new tools to work with, a new pallet to paint with. We were just going through a new period of music. The "Knee Deep in the Hoopla" LP didn't mean I would never sing "Jane" or "Find Your Way Back" or "Fooled Around and Fell in Love' again. I realize some of the vitriol associated with "We Built This City" can be attributed to the transformation of the band....from the romanticized 60's to the big business music of the 80's. But hey..... that's a whole other subject I won't delve into at the moment.
The question for me is this: Why can't a sophisticated listener enjoy both aspects of the song simultaneously? Why not sing along with the gleeful chorus while still appreciating the protestation of the verses. They are not mutually exclusive...Paradox anyone? The night "We Built This City" went to number one, I spoke to Bernie Taupin on the phone. I asked him a question, "Bernie, now more than ever people are going to ask me... what does Marconi plays the mamba mean?" He instantly replied, "I have no fucking idea mate, but it sounds good doesn't it?" Aha!... Sound over sensibility!
Sometimes late at night after more than a little chardonnay, I can envision angry arboreal reptiles emerging from the radio speakers and slithering away into the night, looking for the ship of fools that's crawling through your schools. I had no idea that "City" would be such a big hit...hell I never even thought of it as a single. I am very happy for the pleasure that "City" brought, and continues to bring, to people all over the world. In my not so humble opinion, something that universal is hardly dreck. Be careful when you jump on the bandwagon...it might hurt when you fall off.
Peace and love,
Mickey
Subject: We Built This City
A Different Point of View
I don't engage in debates over the validity of "We Built This City" or any of my work. It's not my nature and I don't really see the point of it, but there comes a moment when enough is enough.
It bothers me to read revisionist history by people trying to protect their own agendas. The main criticism of "We Built This City" didn't really start until 15 years after the release. We all know where the gist of that came from. I'm someone who was also "THERE" when it all went down. So let me ask you a question..."Does anybody out there really think that Grace Slick would sing a song that she absolutely hated?"...... That's what I thought you were thinking. I spent seven of the best years of my career recording and touring with Grace. Many long hours in the studio and on the tour bus. We enjoyed many fascinating conversations...A lot of highs and a few lows. I think I know her pretty well and I think the world of Grace.
I brought in the demo of "City" to present it to the STARSHIP band. (Not Jefferson Starship BTW) I was attracted by the lyrics of the song. I loved the imagery and the interpretive nature of Bernie's words. I felt it was a protest song but not really in an angry sense, it impressed me more as a feeling of lost innocence. I discussed my thoughts on what "City" meant in the lyrics with the band. It was never about a real city to me. It was an allegory for any collection of people anywhere who came together to express themselves through the power of music. It was both a celebration of rock and roll and a protest against those who try and tame it. I never for a moment thought that anyone would think that I was actually singing about concrete and steel or bricks and mortar. I was actually thinking about Woodstock when I was recording this song. The "We" in the lyric to me always signified a collective we. The artist and the audience singing together as one.
The song then went through an evolution in the studio. The big anthemic chorus was added. This always represented a double edged sword for me. I knew that it was the "hook" that would give the song the most commercial appeal, but I was always afraid that it might obscure the dark underbelly of the verse lyrics. Therefore; the element that assured the songs success also provided the fodder for all the naysayers. I realize that "We Built This City" became the poster child for a lot of what was happening in music at that time that angered some folks. The technology invading the process and sanding down the rough edges of rock. For me it was like getting a new set of toys to play with, new tools to work with, a new pallet to paint with. We were just going through a new period of music. The "Knee Deep in the Hoopla" LP didn't mean I would never sing "Jane" or "Find Your Way Back" or "Fooled Around and Fell in Love' again. I realize some of the vitriol associated with "We Built This City" can be attributed to the transformation of the band....from the romanticized 60's to the big business music of the 80's. But hey..... that's a whole other subject I won't delve into at the moment.
The question for me is this: Why can't a sophisticated listener enjoy both aspects of the song simultaneously? Why not sing along with the gleeful chorus while still appreciating the protestation of the verses. They are not mutually exclusive...Paradox anyone? The night "We Built This City" went to number one, I spoke to Bernie Taupin on the phone. I asked him a question, "Bernie, now more than ever people are going to ask me... what does Marconi plays the mamba mean?" He instantly replied, "I have no fucking idea mate, but it sounds good doesn't it?" Aha!... Sound over sensibility!
Sometimes late at night after more than a little chardonnay, I can envision angry arboreal reptiles emerging from the radio speakers and slithering away into the night, looking for the ship of fools that's crawling through your schools. I had no idea that "City" would be such a big hit...hell I never even thought of it as a single. I am very happy for the pleasure that "City" brought, and continues to bring, to people all over the world. In my not so humble opinion, something that universal is hardly dreck. Be careful when you jump on the bandwagon...it might hurt when you fall off.
Peace and love,
Mickey
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Final Woodstock?
Live like it's 1969, die like it's 1969.
Forget that Woodstock '99 was a disaster, so was the original edition. Sure, there was great music, over-attendance and peace, but the systems were in no way capable of handling the crowd. From ingress and egress on the roads, to food, to porta-potties.
And financially, it took the movie to put it in the black.
Who wanted this formula replicated?
Certainly not the rural burgs that were inundated with festivals thereafter. Can you say "Powder Ridge"? No one wanted a festival in their backyard. They saw it as a nuisance. Ironically, the children of these elders feel the same way. The baby boomers who wanted to show up, camp and smoke dope, now don't want their children and their children to be able to do this themselves.
Which is one of the reasons promoters buy the land their festivals run on. Like AEG with Coachella, and Live Nation with Bonnaroo. Sure, there are financial considerations, but you don't want to be beholden to anyone, you just want to do your show.
But it's even worse. You've got the town elders.
But what about all the cash a festival generates?
Well, at this point it's mostly within the confines of the gig, and the rest of the town is overrun for the better part of a week, with "undesirables" camping and pissing everywhere and if food and merchandise is sold, there's none for the locals, who can't leave their houses, no wonder it's so hard to get permission.
As for a gig at a racetrack... The only one that works is the Electric Daisy Carnival in Vegas, but Insomniac invests in so much infrastructure, its attendees don't mind. But just plunking down a show in some venue not prepared for it? That's not enticing to the audience.
And that's the unspoken issue with this iteration of Woodstock. If the show actually happened would anybody want to come?
The modern festival is more than the acts, people go to shoot selfies and hang, so the environment must be enticing.
And there's only a thin layer of acts that will draw people irrelevant of the location, and they weren't on the bill for Woodstock. You'd need to have Ariana Grande and Drake and maybe Lil Nas X to generate the excitement to get kids out of their abodes, and believe me, festivals are about youngsters. The oldsters can't tolerate the discomfort. They want to pay for elbow room and access, can you say VIP?
And the business has consolidated and become professional. Michael Lang and his minions staging an independent Woodstock is like Gateway or Kaypro trying to compete with today's Dell or HP. Sure, there's equity in the brand name, but not much, never mind a lack of knowledge re today's systems.
Why did Tim Cook become so successful? Because he's a logistics expert, sourcing materials, getting product delivered in time to meet customer demand. It's not sexy, but that's a key element in today's festival production. Nowhere has it been demonstrated that Michael Lang has this skill, he just keeps saying since he did it once, he can do it again, like an aging athlete who can't compete in the new game, and the truth is we haven't had that spirit here since 1969.
And music doesn't play the same role in the national psyche. Today the cutting edge is the internet and influencers. Have a festival where attendees can meet the influencers and learn how to become one...that would be more exciting and draw more people than this Woodstock.
And the reason this saga has played out at all, is because Virgin came up with the bucks. And why was Virgin willing to pay?? BECAUSE THE ACTS HAD ALREADY BEEN PAID BY DENTSU! It's like a new builder taking over a bankrupt, half-built edifice for free. The costs are much less than starting from zero.
But now even Virgin is out.
So the only interesting thing about the fiftieth anniversary of Woodstock is the story of the promotion and failure thereof.
I hope Michael Lang was shooting film.
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Forget that Woodstock '99 was a disaster, so was the original edition. Sure, there was great music, over-attendance and peace, but the systems were in no way capable of handling the crowd. From ingress and egress on the roads, to food, to porta-potties.
And financially, it took the movie to put it in the black.
Who wanted this formula replicated?
Certainly not the rural burgs that were inundated with festivals thereafter. Can you say "Powder Ridge"? No one wanted a festival in their backyard. They saw it as a nuisance. Ironically, the children of these elders feel the same way. The baby boomers who wanted to show up, camp and smoke dope, now don't want their children and their children to be able to do this themselves.
Which is one of the reasons promoters buy the land their festivals run on. Like AEG with Coachella, and Live Nation with Bonnaroo. Sure, there are financial considerations, but you don't want to be beholden to anyone, you just want to do your show.
But it's even worse. You've got the town elders.
But what about all the cash a festival generates?
Well, at this point it's mostly within the confines of the gig, and the rest of the town is overrun for the better part of a week, with "undesirables" camping and pissing everywhere and if food and merchandise is sold, there's none for the locals, who can't leave their houses, no wonder it's so hard to get permission.
As for a gig at a racetrack... The only one that works is the Electric Daisy Carnival in Vegas, but Insomniac invests in so much infrastructure, its attendees don't mind. But just plunking down a show in some venue not prepared for it? That's not enticing to the audience.
And that's the unspoken issue with this iteration of Woodstock. If the show actually happened would anybody want to come?
The modern festival is more than the acts, people go to shoot selfies and hang, so the environment must be enticing.
And there's only a thin layer of acts that will draw people irrelevant of the location, and they weren't on the bill for Woodstock. You'd need to have Ariana Grande and Drake and maybe Lil Nas X to generate the excitement to get kids out of their abodes, and believe me, festivals are about youngsters. The oldsters can't tolerate the discomfort. They want to pay for elbow room and access, can you say VIP?
And the business has consolidated and become professional. Michael Lang and his minions staging an independent Woodstock is like Gateway or Kaypro trying to compete with today's Dell or HP. Sure, there's equity in the brand name, but not much, never mind a lack of knowledge re today's systems.
Why did Tim Cook become so successful? Because he's a logistics expert, sourcing materials, getting product delivered in time to meet customer demand. It's not sexy, but that's a key element in today's festival production. Nowhere has it been demonstrated that Michael Lang has this skill, he just keeps saying since he did it once, he can do it again, like an aging athlete who can't compete in the new game, and the truth is we haven't had that spirit here since 1969.
And music doesn't play the same role in the national psyche. Today the cutting edge is the internet and influencers. Have a festival where attendees can meet the influencers and learn how to become one...that would be more exciting and draw more people than this Woodstock.
And the reason this saga has played out at all, is because Virgin came up with the bucks. And why was Virgin willing to pay?? BECAUSE THE ACTS HAD ALREADY BEEN PAID BY DENTSU! It's like a new builder taking over a bankrupt, half-built edifice for free. The costs are much less than starting from zero.
But now even Virgin is out.
So the only interesting thing about the fiftieth anniversary of Woodstock is the story of the promotion and failure thereof.
I hope Michael Lang was shooting film.
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The Censure
What kind of crazy, fucked-up country do we live in where Republicans can't even admit Trump's tweets were racist?
One in which the right is functioning like a Mafia family, where it's not about right or wrong, but protecting its members. This is like asking a parent or sibling to turn in a family member for criminal behavior. The Unabomber's brother turned Ted Kaczynski in, but I don't think you're gonna see that altruistic behavior these days.
And today Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens died. 99, that's a pretty good ride. But despite being labeled a liberal, Stevens said he was consistently a conservative, he didn't move left, the country moved right. By today's standards, Nixon was a Democrat, and Clinton verged on being a Republican.
And there will be a day of reckoning. You don't want a formal record of egregious behavior. Today everything's tracked, there's evidence everywhere, so heinous choices will surface, to your detriment. You know the old saying, "It wasn't my fault, the boss made me do it!" And the truth is today many bosses do require shady behavior, or else you get fired, but if you're a Congressperson aren't you held to a higher standard? Shouldn't you be guided by morality?
Oh, you right wingers, don't parse the language, that's what's wrong with our nation, Bill Clinton saying he didn't have sex with that woman. He should have just admitted it and gone on. Hell, that's Trump style, and it's been working for him, but it seems he finally stepped over the line.
How do I know this?
His tweets are headline news on Fox and the "Wall Street Journal." Most of the time Trump's bad behavior is buried in these right wing outlets, if it appears at all, but this is too big a story to ignore.
Then again, if you're racist, you take Trump's side.
Meanwhile, the above news is eclipsed by the efforts of Al Green.
No, not the singer/preacher, rather a House member, who filed articles of impeachment Tuesday night.
Who do we blame? NANCY PELOSI! Because she's lost control of the narrative. I don't see how we impeach Trump for his racist tweets, but this is what happens when you don't impeach him for his law-breaking evidenced in the Mueller Report.
Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist you righties, don't you know the left isn't listening to you? Well, that's not completely true, the left is AFRAID of Republicans, that's why Pelosi has held back on the "I" word. Supposedly if Trump's impeached, the Democrats will lose all elections going forward. But that's a misreading of the tea leaves, one thing's for sure, the left's base wants action, ergo the high flying campaigns of Sanders, Warren and Harris. You win through action, not inaction. Defense is important, but only with a good offense can you emerge victorious.
Pelosi's been in D.C. for so long that she's become myopic, she's got no idea how the rank and file feel. She's a good politician, her heart is in the right place, it's just that she's rolling like it's the last century, and it's not.
Pelosi needed to lead, keep her constituents in line. But she waffled so much on impeachment, she lost control of the narrative.
And as far as hating on the Squad with Maureen Dowd, this is like Connie Chung telling Barbara Bush that it was just between the two of them, even though the whole country was watching on television. Pelosi thought she was playing inside baseball and no one was watching, but today every statement is parsed, and if it's got an edge, the ball is batted back and forth online, in a virtual pinball machine.
That's the problem with Pelosi. She knows Congress, but she doesn't know Twitter, she doesn't know online, which Trump has used to great effect and the Squad has too. Nancy thought she could keep the Squad in line by saying no one else was on their side, she was too old and out of it to realize she was starting a Twitter war. And those with high profiles rarely do this, you end up blowing up the opinion of your opponent. Yup, the story has been about the Squad, not Pelosi.
She doesn't know how to play in the modern world.
The pace of the Mueller investigation is so slow, it feels like "Heaven's Gate," which failed at the box office. Expectations were high, but the film was so caught up in the look it sacrificed story.
You can't let Trump continue willy-nilly, saying we'll get our chance in 2020. No, this gives the executive branch too much power, Stevens feared that. He said no one was above the law.
But somehow Trump is.
He's as crazy as his buddy Kim Jong Un.
Meanwhile, Trump's base is lovin' it, his poll numbers have gone up!
And the Dems just keep complaining to no effect.
It's not about convincing Trump's base not to be racist, it's about seizing control and taking action. Trump keeps saying his team can't testify. And almost no one has. They're afraid of being blown up if they do.
So what do the Democrats do? They just yell. That someone took their ball away and won't give it back.
We can argue all day whether Trump is a racist.
But one thing's for sure, those were racist tweets. Anybody who denies this doesn't understand English.
But so far, this is just another instance where Trump controls the debate and the Democrats end up on the losing side. They keep saying their hearts are in the right place, but that doesn't deliver any change.
You fight fire with fire. When they go low, you go low. Michelle Obama might have a best-selling book, but she knows little about today's politics, Hillary either. Hillary thought no one was paying attention, when the aforementioned digital record means that you're liable for everything you ever said or did in your life, big or small. It's war.
And the DNC killed Bernie Sanders, saying he was too far left and unelectable. But Bernie is singing the song of the public. The rank and file. Who believe their elected officials don't understand them and don't deliver for them, despite their impassioned pleas.
Bernie may be too old.
But he certainly knows what he's talking about.
Medicare for all? Until you're on Medicare, you don't realize how great it is. As for the cost...we always hear about this from the right, which keeps giving tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy and increase the national debt, but when they're not in power they complain about it.
That's right, up is down and down is up.
And I'm not writing this for Republicans. They're part of the family. They're not gonna change their minds. And they think if they just work the refs I'll change my mind.
But that ain't never gonna happen.
I'm speaking to the Democrats, all Democrats, in Congress and on the street. Unless we articulate our positions, unless we explain them, unless we stop fighting with each other while we're busy protecting every individual, we will lose sight of the big issues and lose the next election.
The big issue right now is not the racist tweets, but impeachment.
It's your ball Nancy.
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One in which the right is functioning like a Mafia family, where it's not about right or wrong, but protecting its members. This is like asking a parent or sibling to turn in a family member for criminal behavior. The Unabomber's brother turned Ted Kaczynski in, but I don't think you're gonna see that altruistic behavior these days.
And today Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens died. 99, that's a pretty good ride. But despite being labeled a liberal, Stevens said he was consistently a conservative, he didn't move left, the country moved right. By today's standards, Nixon was a Democrat, and Clinton verged on being a Republican.
And there will be a day of reckoning. You don't want a formal record of egregious behavior. Today everything's tracked, there's evidence everywhere, so heinous choices will surface, to your detriment. You know the old saying, "It wasn't my fault, the boss made me do it!" And the truth is today many bosses do require shady behavior, or else you get fired, but if you're a Congressperson aren't you held to a higher standard? Shouldn't you be guided by morality?
Oh, you right wingers, don't parse the language, that's what's wrong with our nation, Bill Clinton saying he didn't have sex with that woman. He should have just admitted it and gone on. Hell, that's Trump style, and it's been working for him, but it seems he finally stepped over the line.
How do I know this?
His tweets are headline news on Fox and the "Wall Street Journal." Most of the time Trump's bad behavior is buried in these right wing outlets, if it appears at all, but this is too big a story to ignore.
Then again, if you're racist, you take Trump's side.
Meanwhile, the above news is eclipsed by the efforts of Al Green.
No, not the singer/preacher, rather a House member, who filed articles of impeachment Tuesday night.
Who do we blame? NANCY PELOSI! Because she's lost control of the narrative. I don't see how we impeach Trump for his racist tweets, but this is what happens when you don't impeach him for his law-breaking evidenced in the Mueller Report.
Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist you righties, don't you know the left isn't listening to you? Well, that's not completely true, the left is AFRAID of Republicans, that's why Pelosi has held back on the "I" word. Supposedly if Trump's impeached, the Democrats will lose all elections going forward. But that's a misreading of the tea leaves, one thing's for sure, the left's base wants action, ergo the high flying campaigns of Sanders, Warren and Harris. You win through action, not inaction. Defense is important, but only with a good offense can you emerge victorious.
Pelosi's been in D.C. for so long that she's become myopic, she's got no idea how the rank and file feel. She's a good politician, her heart is in the right place, it's just that she's rolling like it's the last century, and it's not.
Pelosi needed to lead, keep her constituents in line. But she waffled so much on impeachment, she lost control of the narrative.
And as far as hating on the Squad with Maureen Dowd, this is like Connie Chung telling Barbara Bush that it was just between the two of them, even though the whole country was watching on television. Pelosi thought she was playing inside baseball and no one was watching, but today every statement is parsed, and if it's got an edge, the ball is batted back and forth online, in a virtual pinball machine.
That's the problem with Pelosi. She knows Congress, but she doesn't know Twitter, she doesn't know online, which Trump has used to great effect and the Squad has too. Nancy thought she could keep the Squad in line by saying no one else was on their side, she was too old and out of it to realize she was starting a Twitter war. And those with high profiles rarely do this, you end up blowing up the opinion of your opponent. Yup, the story has been about the Squad, not Pelosi.
She doesn't know how to play in the modern world.
The pace of the Mueller investigation is so slow, it feels like "Heaven's Gate," which failed at the box office. Expectations were high, but the film was so caught up in the look it sacrificed story.
You can't let Trump continue willy-nilly, saying we'll get our chance in 2020. No, this gives the executive branch too much power, Stevens feared that. He said no one was above the law.
But somehow Trump is.
He's as crazy as his buddy Kim Jong Un.
Meanwhile, Trump's base is lovin' it, his poll numbers have gone up!
And the Dems just keep complaining to no effect.
It's not about convincing Trump's base not to be racist, it's about seizing control and taking action. Trump keeps saying his team can't testify. And almost no one has. They're afraid of being blown up if they do.
So what do the Democrats do? They just yell. That someone took their ball away and won't give it back.
We can argue all day whether Trump is a racist.
But one thing's for sure, those were racist tweets. Anybody who denies this doesn't understand English.
But so far, this is just another instance where Trump controls the debate and the Democrats end up on the losing side. They keep saying their hearts are in the right place, but that doesn't deliver any change.
You fight fire with fire. When they go low, you go low. Michelle Obama might have a best-selling book, but she knows little about today's politics, Hillary either. Hillary thought no one was paying attention, when the aforementioned digital record means that you're liable for everything you ever said or did in your life, big or small. It's war.
And the DNC killed Bernie Sanders, saying he was too far left and unelectable. But Bernie is singing the song of the public. The rank and file. Who believe their elected officials don't understand them and don't deliver for them, despite their impassioned pleas.
Bernie may be too old.
But he certainly knows what he's talking about.
Medicare for all? Until you're on Medicare, you don't realize how great it is. As for the cost...we always hear about this from the right, which keeps giving tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy and increase the national debt, but when they're not in power they complain about it.
That's right, up is down and down is up.
And I'm not writing this for Republicans. They're part of the family. They're not gonna change their minds. And they think if they just work the refs I'll change my mind.
But that ain't never gonna happen.
I'm speaking to the Democrats, all Democrats, in Congress and on the street. Unless we articulate our positions, unless we explain them, unless we stop fighting with each other while we're busy protecting every individual, we will lose sight of the big issues and lose the next election.
The big issue right now is not the racist tweets, but impeachment.
It's your ball Nancy.
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Tuesday 16 July 2019
Beginnings-Song of the Day
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2LltBnC
YouTube: https://bit.ly/2xS1tzG
I was driving on Mulholland Drive after my SiriusXM show. The highway is a strange combination of inspiration and creepiness. After all, this is where those reporters found the discarded Manson murder clothing. That's right, long after the killings they read the reports and timed how long they thought it would take to change clothes and they re-enacted the route, stopped the car, climbed down the cliff, AND THERE THEY WERE!
Did you read about the new Manson book, saying Bugliosi's theory was wrong? I guess it's like the Kennedy assassination, now that Charlie is dead, there are those with more questions than answers, who don't buy the party line.
And speaking of questions, that's the song that follows "Beginnings" on Chicago Transit Authority's debut double album, a package you had to buy to hear.
1969 was before AOR. We had underground FM which specialized in playing the new and different and lengthy. And CTA's songs were certainly lengthy, but after the breakthrough of the David Clayton Thomas incarnation of Blood, Sweat & Tears this sound seemed too mainstream. And eventually Chicago would go mainstream, but that wasn't until the second LP, with "Make Me Smile" and "25 or 6 to 4," and then the band became known for wimpy ballads and was discarded by hipsters, but...there was that 1974 track, "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long," which started slowly and quietly, and then transitioned to a horn flourish, evidencing the humanity lost in today's machine music, and then a sing-songy vocal that's somewhat endearing...
Then the track starts to march.
And it slows down a bit and goes back into the verse.
Yet, then, more than halfway through, the track starts to gallop, it accelerates and...
"Searchin'
For an answer"
And suddenly it's an anthem! With even a guitar solo, but what truly pulls it over the transom and jets it into the stratosphere is the backup vocals. And then it quietly exits and...you can't wait to hear it again. This was the pre-Napster era, you had limited cash, did you really want to drop it on this double album, "Chicago VII"?
But this isn't about that era.
This is when the band was finding its way, thrilled just to have a deal, which was gotten by James William Guercio, a legend who got no respect back then and is completely forgotten today. Have you listened to those Buckinghams hits recently? Especially "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," which also featured brass figures, maybe an inspiration for Guercio's work with Chicago. (And never forget, Guercio ultimately directed a film, "Electra Glide In Blue," which could possibly be Robert Blake's best work and was almost great, better than the work of any other person who tried to switch sides from music to movies.)
The initial double album was a special deal, less than a dollar more than a single LP, not the cost of two records. And it grew slowly in the marketplace, via word of mouth, real word of mouth, not the internet kind, and real word of mouth moves much more slowly.
And there was a nearly eight minute cover of the Spencer Davis Group's "I'm A Man," written by Steve Winwood and producer Jimmy Miller, another forgotten man, he was there when the Stones did their best album work.
So you could dig into CTA, and it delivered. Some people consider it to be the best debut album ever, that's what callers into my radio show said.
But I hadn't listened to it in so so long.
And then I heard "Beginnings" on the radio.
It's bright and sunny, but not so sunny as to be saccharine.
And one thing's for sure, the band is functioning on all cylinders, it's plowing ahead confidently, you cannot help but get on the train.
And I'm twisting and turning through the curves, nodding my head and singing along.
And "Beginnings" is nearly eight minutes long, closer to classical music than pop fodder. It goes through movements. Sure, the horns are prominent, but then there's Terry Kath's guitar, a man who would be revered as one of the best if his career wasn't cut short by a game of Russian roulette.
And there are dynamics and...
You're listening, and fifty year old music should sound dated, like a period piece, good only for nostalgia, but the truth is "Beginnings" was still fresh.
But somehow horns got a bad name, and got replicated by synthesizers, and instead of having big bands acts play to hard drive, and the inner mounting flame, the sheer joy and exuberance of music, has been lost along the way.
But unlike the lost civilizations of Mexico, this music is hiding in plain sight, waiting to be rediscovered and inspire.
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YouTube: https://bit.ly/2xS1tzG
I was driving on Mulholland Drive after my SiriusXM show. The highway is a strange combination of inspiration and creepiness. After all, this is where those reporters found the discarded Manson murder clothing. That's right, long after the killings they read the reports and timed how long they thought it would take to change clothes and they re-enacted the route, stopped the car, climbed down the cliff, AND THERE THEY WERE!
Did you read about the new Manson book, saying Bugliosi's theory was wrong? I guess it's like the Kennedy assassination, now that Charlie is dead, there are those with more questions than answers, who don't buy the party line.
And speaking of questions, that's the song that follows "Beginnings" on Chicago Transit Authority's debut double album, a package you had to buy to hear.
1969 was before AOR. We had underground FM which specialized in playing the new and different and lengthy. And CTA's songs were certainly lengthy, but after the breakthrough of the David Clayton Thomas incarnation of Blood, Sweat & Tears this sound seemed too mainstream. And eventually Chicago would go mainstream, but that wasn't until the second LP, with "Make Me Smile" and "25 or 6 to 4," and then the band became known for wimpy ballads and was discarded by hipsters, but...there was that 1974 track, "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long," which started slowly and quietly, and then transitioned to a horn flourish, evidencing the humanity lost in today's machine music, and then a sing-songy vocal that's somewhat endearing...
Then the track starts to march.
And it slows down a bit and goes back into the verse.
Yet, then, more than halfway through, the track starts to gallop, it accelerates and...
"Searchin'
For an answer"
And suddenly it's an anthem! With even a guitar solo, but what truly pulls it over the transom and jets it into the stratosphere is the backup vocals. And then it quietly exits and...you can't wait to hear it again. This was the pre-Napster era, you had limited cash, did you really want to drop it on this double album, "Chicago VII"?
But this isn't about that era.
This is when the band was finding its way, thrilled just to have a deal, which was gotten by James William Guercio, a legend who got no respect back then and is completely forgotten today. Have you listened to those Buckinghams hits recently? Especially "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," which also featured brass figures, maybe an inspiration for Guercio's work with Chicago. (And never forget, Guercio ultimately directed a film, "Electra Glide In Blue," which could possibly be Robert Blake's best work and was almost great, better than the work of any other person who tried to switch sides from music to movies.)
The initial double album was a special deal, less than a dollar more than a single LP, not the cost of two records. And it grew slowly in the marketplace, via word of mouth, real word of mouth, not the internet kind, and real word of mouth moves much more slowly.
And there was a nearly eight minute cover of the Spencer Davis Group's "I'm A Man," written by Steve Winwood and producer Jimmy Miller, another forgotten man, he was there when the Stones did their best album work.
So you could dig into CTA, and it delivered. Some people consider it to be the best debut album ever, that's what callers into my radio show said.
But I hadn't listened to it in so so long.
And then I heard "Beginnings" on the radio.
It's bright and sunny, but not so sunny as to be saccharine.
And one thing's for sure, the band is functioning on all cylinders, it's plowing ahead confidently, you cannot help but get on the train.
And I'm twisting and turning through the curves, nodding my head and singing along.
And "Beginnings" is nearly eight minutes long, closer to classical music than pop fodder. It goes through movements. Sure, the horns are prominent, but then there's Terry Kath's guitar, a man who would be revered as one of the best if his career wasn't cut short by a game of Russian roulette.
And there are dynamics and...
You're listening, and fifty year old music should sound dated, like a period piece, good only for nostalgia, but the truth is "Beginnings" was still fresh.
But somehow horns got a bad name, and got replicated by synthesizers, and instead of having big bands acts play to hard drive, and the inner mounting flame, the sheer joy and exuberance of music, has been lost along the way.
But unlike the lost civilizations of Mexico, this music is hiding in plain sight, waiting to be rediscovered and inspire.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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The Emmy Nominations
It's a race to quality, driven by technology, why haven't we had a concomitant race in music?
Music is far ahead of television technologically, the disruption has already happened and you can get the history of recorded music at a number of outlets, i.e. Spotify, Amazon, Apple, Deezer...
But the music being purveyed is absolutely dreadful. It hasn't been this bad since before the Beatles. And now we know what it was like before the Fab Four...music was just another industry, necessary, but not exciting. Why is this?
If you study the Emmy nominations, you'll be confronted by one thing...the networks were almost completely cut out. That's right, despite crowing to advertising agencies that they're the best place to reach the largest audience, however small, the shows on the networks garner little attention and are not respected. They're middle of the road and not edgy. They're ignored in the cultural conversation. Some people might actually watch them, but no one talks about them.
But they talk about "Game of Thrones," the biggest cultural event of the year.
Sure, a lot of people watched "Game of Thrones," but everybody was talking about it! And they were not talking about the penumbra, but the essence, the show itself. When people talk about today's music, it's mostly about the feuds and the money.
And the money is what it comes down to.
You see the various TV outlets are fighting for eyeballs. They're playing a game of musical chairs. How many services will you ultimately pay for?
Now we had this excitement in music back at the turn of the century, they called it Napster, when not only could you acquire all those hits for free, but a ton of stuff that was never commercially available.
Needless to say, the majors and the antique artists tried to tamp down file-trading to preserve the past, fearing the future.
And one thing was for sure, money was drying up in recorded music.
That's what is driving the television revolution, money. Netflix is spending billions on shows, running in the red so it can win in the end, at least hopefully. AT&T purchased Time Warner and it's injecting cash to play too. Hell, Richard Plepler, HBO's guru, departed because the new owner wanted more production!
And the producers?
They're living in a fantasyland. There's cash for almost every project, especially if you're a star. That script in your drawer, your passion project, you can find a sponsor for that now.
But in recorded music, the cash went the other way, half the revenue was lost, and therefore investment is low and so are the offerings. The majors sign less and invest less, and they're not searching for quality, but cash, right away.
But the live business is burgeoning, that's where all the investment in music is today. We have a slew of festivals, actually too many, this replicates the TV streaming wars. The customer is eager. He or she who comes up with something different can tour forever, whereas the hit dependent...are hit dependent.
So it's not a complete loss.
But we've still got that quality issue in music.
Jimmy Fallon has great ratings, is constantly discussed in the media, but he got no nominations, whereas competitors like Trevor Noah, Samantha Bee, John Oliver and James Corden did. Even Jimmy Kimmel got one, never mind the ratings leader Stephen Colbert. Turns out safe is sorry. Today people want edgy, limit-testing, but we don't see that in popular music.
And if you're new and different and good, you gain attention. Almost no one talks to me about Amazon shows, but they do about "Mrs. Maisel," which is a juggernaut. It's unique, and not even that great, but when it resonates...like the episodes in the Catskills, you feel all warm inside, you can't get this anywhere else.
And "Ozark" was nominated. I could watch "Ozark" every day, even if it slipped a bit this season. Jason Bateman and Laura Linney are so good, they're a marvel to look at, as well as Julia Garner who plays Ruth.
And "Killing Eve" and "Fleabag," actually another Amazon show, are constantly talked about, and have traction, when was the last time you found yourself discussing a record?
And I still can't figure out the end of "Russian Doll," but I'm watching it.
So where is our golden age of music?
In the last century.
We're shooting low.
And it's all about the Benjamins. You hear about sponsorships, tie-ins, proving that acts gravitate to the cash.
And those without money can't stop bitching they don't have it.
Maybe a TV show about the industry would be better than the music, the haves versus the have-nots. And the heroes? They would be those going their own way, according to their own mind, not playing by the rules.
This is how every great triumphed in the music world. It wasn't just songs, but arrangements thereof, instrumentation, the sound... From the Beatles to Dylan to Jimi Hendrix to Led Zeppelin to Yes to Culture Club to...
To what?
P.S. Julia Garner is a bigger breakout star than anybody in music. Because she radiates talent. Remember talent?
Emmy nominations: https://bit.ly/30Gyk7f
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Music is far ahead of television technologically, the disruption has already happened and you can get the history of recorded music at a number of outlets, i.e. Spotify, Amazon, Apple, Deezer...
But the music being purveyed is absolutely dreadful. It hasn't been this bad since before the Beatles. And now we know what it was like before the Fab Four...music was just another industry, necessary, but not exciting. Why is this?
If you study the Emmy nominations, you'll be confronted by one thing...the networks were almost completely cut out. That's right, despite crowing to advertising agencies that they're the best place to reach the largest audience, however small, the shows on the networks garner little attention and are not respected. They're middle of the road and not edgy. They're ignored in the cultural conversation. Some people might actually watch them, but no one talks about them.
But they talk about "Game of Thrones," the biggest cultural event of the year.
Sure, a lot of people watched "Game of Thrones," but everybody was talking about it! And they were not talking about the penumbra, but the essence, the show itself. When people talk about today's music, it's mostly about the feuds and the money.
And the money is what it comes down to.
You see the various TV outlets are fighting for eyeballs. They're playing a game of musical chairs. How many services will you ultimately pay for?
Now we had this excitement in music back at the turn of the century, they called it Napster, when not only could you acquire all those hits for free, but a ton of stuff that was never commercially available.
Needless to say, the majors and the antique artists tried to tamp down file-trading to preserve the past, fearing the future.
And one thing was for sure, money was drying up in recorded music.
That's what is driving the television revolution, money. Netflix is spending billions on shows, running in the red so it can win in the end, at least hopefully. AT&T purchased Time Warner and it's injecting cash to play too. Hell, Richard Plepler, HBO's guru, departed because the new owner wanted more production!
And the producers?
They're living in a fantasyland. There's cash for almost every project, especially if you're a star. That script in your drawer, your passion project, you can find a sponsor for that now.
But in recorded music, the cash went the other way, half the revenue was lost, and therefore investment is low and so are the offerings. The majors sign less and invest less, and they're not searching for quality, but cash, right away.
But the live business is burgeoning, that's where all the investment in music is today. We have a slew of festivals, actually too many, this replicates the TV streaming wars. The customer is eager. He or she who comes up with something different can tour forever, whereas the hit dependent...are hit dependent.
So it's not a complete loss.
But we've still got that quality issue in music.
Jimmy Fallon has great ratings, is constantly discussed in the media, but he got no nominations, whereas competitors like Trevor Noah, Samantha Bee, John Oliver and James Corden did. Even Jimmy Kimmel got one, never mind the ratings leader Stephen Colbert. Turns out safe is sorry. Today people want edgy, limit-testing, but we don't see that in popular music.
And if you're new and different and good, you gain attention. Almost no one talks to me about Amazon shows, but they do about "Mrs. Maisel," which is a juggernaut. It's unique, and not even that great, but when it resonates...like the episodes in the Catskills, you feel all warm inside, you can't get this anywhere else.
And "Ozark" was nominated. I could watch "Ozark" every day, even if it slipped a bit this season. Jason Bateman and Laura Linney are so good, they're a marvel to look at, as well as Julia Garner who plays Ruth.
And "Killing Eve" and "Fleabag," actually another Amazon show, are constantly talked about, and have traction, when was the last time you found yourself discussing a record?
And I still can't figure out the end of "Russian Doll," but I'm watching it.
So where is our golden age of music?
In the last century.
We're shooting low.
And it's all about the Benjamins. You hear about sponsorships, tie-ins, proving that acts gravitate to the cash.
And those without money can't stop bitching they don't have it.
Maybe a TV show about the industry would be better than the music, the haves versus the have-nots. And the heroes? They would be those going their own way, according to their own mind, not playing by the rules.
This is how every great triumphed in the music world. It wasn't just songs, but arrangements thereof, instrumentation, the sound... From the Beatles to Dylan to Jimi Hendrix to Led Zeppelin to Yes to Culture Club to...
To what?
P.S. Julia Garner is a bigger breakout star than anybody in music. Because she radiates talent. Remember talent?
Emmy nominations: https://bit.ly/30Gyk7f
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Monday 15 July 2019
The Act You've Seen The Most Times Live
Tune in tomorrow, Tuesday July 16th, to Volume 106, 7 PM East, 4 PM West.
Phone #: 844-6-VOLUME, 844-686-5863
Twitter: @lefsetz or @siriusxmvolume/#lefsetzlive
Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: siriusxm.us/HearLefsetzLive
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app: siriusxm.us/LefsetzLive
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Phone #: 844-6-VOLUME, 844-686-5863
Twitter: @lefsetz or @siriusxmvolume/#lefsetzlive
Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: siriusxm.us/HearLefsetzLive
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app: siriusxm.us/LefsetzLive
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-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Stop Apologizing!
This is where Trump wins. This is how he got elected.
Who would predict he would defend his heinous, racist remarks? I figured he'd just let his statements float off into the ether.
Instead, he doubled down.
What the left doesn't realize is it's established a line, a third-rail, on so many subjects, that those not in the club of the offended are scratching their heads and saying HUH?
There are so many words, so many descriptions, that you cannot say.
There are so many protected minorities.
And this is how the left gets in trouble.
Like with the Oberlin case. Which got star treatment on the right, but has barely been mentioned on the left.
A black man gets arrested for stealing in a local bakery and the Oberlin mob agitates and protests against the establishment, causing the school to take action, canceling contracts, and then the bakery sues and gets double digit millions. And the guy who did the stealing admitted it! But since he was black...this was a racial offense.
Now there's the trans issue. I ask you, how many trans people are there in America? And the issue of pronouns, we're supposed to use "they" in certain circumstances.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's fine to be trans, I don't think their rights should be impinged. But is this the biggest issue in America today?
And of course, like the left so frequently does, they take it too far. They want these trans people to be able to compete against women in sports, even though female runners have been kicked out of competitions because of having too much testosterone, NATURALLY! Even Martina Navratilova has taken a stand against having female trans people competing against women in tennis, she called it "insane."
And then you've got the strange case of Scarlett Johannson, who was excoriated for saying that she should be able to play any character. She backed down, don't they all, you've got to pay fealty to the politically correct police.
But no, only a specific nationality can play that nationality, only people of a specific color can play that color. I'm not saying that there should not be people of color in the movies, but the last time I checked, they called it ACTING, not real life.
And then there's the #MeToo movement. Found a man who's stood up against it recently? Even spoken about it? No, it's taboo. If you're a man you're not entitled to an opinion. There can be no discussion. How do you think all men feel about this? Sure, women have gotten short shrift in society, they deserve equal pay and the right to walk freely on our streets, but this hard line is doing them no benefit.
It's not all bad on the left. We've got Megan Rapinoe, the star of the World Cup, refusing to go to the White House and not caving when confronted with her viewpoint.
But the left is so busy bending over backwards, reporting the right's viewpoint, that the effect is neutered. That's right, they essentially hang Rapinoe out to dry.
There are so many litmus tests on the left that no one qualifies.
And you can't express a contrary opinion or you're shouted down.
And then you have to APOLOGIZE!
It happens all the time. I'm not saying there should not be a penalty for abhorrent speech, but when an actor goes to rehab for speech, I've got to laugh. What's next, rehab for speeding? Yelling? Smoking?
So Trump stands up to all the B.S., he stands up to their crap.
And of course, his statements are inane, but they resonate with a lot of people, like those who don't believe immigrants should be caged like animals, but do believe we need a coherent immigration policy.
Trump has redefined the debate, as to whether you love the country or not. This, once again, is how the left lost the war. The concept of criticizing the country and still loving it gets no traction, despite repeated voicing. The left contributed to the with you or against you line in the sand, because that's how it behaves on every other issue!
The left can't even control a debate. It's good on the small things, but on the big things, it's a crybaby. What did my mother say when a bully threatened me at school? Stand up to him, fight him, and then he'll stop bullying you, and it turned out to be true!
Furthermore, my mother refused to get involved in my issues, my friendships. Now everybody says their kid is being bullied and they're calling the school and other parents and...
The school has to be a safe space. Where everybody must be calm.
But no, school is where you learn about society, how to behave in a group. And believe me, the bullies ultimately get their comeuppance.
No one likes their kid to be bullied, but what are you gonna do when the "child" is out in the workplace, in a marriage, you can't protect them forever.
But mostly we're talking language here folks. Remember when they banned "Ulysses' and Henry Miller? Now in left wing institutions you have to have trigger warnings, cautioning students they might be offended by what is contained therein. How in the hell did we switch from the right wing being offended by language to the left? And it's just LANGUAGE! Isn't this supposed to be a country of ideas? Do words really hurt people? What do they say on the playground, "Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me?"
This apologizing has got to stop, this inhibition of discussion, this constant policing of statements.
Of course Trump's tweets were reprehensible. But he instinctually knows people are sick of the blowback, they want a certain freedom of speech, and as a result, he turns the accusations on their head and it resonates with people, not only his base, but more.
But the left is so offended!
But it's been offended since day one. And what does it keep doing? Report it to the principal, i.e. the left wing press. It rarely stands up to Trump, it rarely defines the debate. All it keeps saying is impeachment is not prudent, and the Presidential candidates are too far to the left and...
You can't even fit in in your own party.
Oh, what a country.
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-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Who would predict he would defend his heinous, racist remarks? I figured he'd just let his statements float off into the ether.
Instead, he doubled down.
What the left doesn't realize is it's established a line, a third-rail, on so many subjects, that those not in the club of the offended are scratching their heads and saying HUH?
There are so many words, so many descriptions, that you cannot say.
There are so many protected minorities.
And this is how the left gets in trouble.
Like with the Oberlin case. Which got star treatment on the right, but has barely been mentioned on the left.
A black man gets arrested for stealing in a local bakery and the Oberlin mob agitates and protests against the establishment, causing the school to take action, canceling contracts, and then the bakery sues and gets double digit millions. And the guy who did the stealing admitted it! But since he was black...this was a racial offense.
Now there's the trans issue. I ask you, how many trans people are there in America? And the issue of pronouns, we're supposed to use "they" in certain circumstances.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's fine to be trans, I don't think their rights should be impinged. But is this the biggest issue in America today?
And of course, like the left so frequently does, they take it too far. They want these trans people to be able to compete against women in sports, even though female runners have been kicked out of competitions because of having too much testosterone, NATURALLY! Even Martina Navratilova has taken a stand against having female trans people competing against women in tennis, she called it "insane."
And then you've got the strange case of Scarlett Johannson, who was excoriated for saying that she should be able to play any character. She backed down, don't they all, you've got to pay fealty to the politically correct police.
But no, only a specific nationality can play that nationality, only people of a specific color can play that color. I'm not saying that there should not be people of color in the movies, but the last time I checked, they called it ACTING, not real life.
And then there's the #MeToo movement. Found a man who's stood up against it recently? Even spoken about it? No, it's taboo. If you're a man you're not entitled to an opinion. There can be no discussion. How do you think all men feel about this? Sure, women have gotten short shrift in society, they deserve equal pay and the right to walk freely on our streets, but this hard line is doing them no benefit.
It's not all bad on the left. We've got Megan Rapinoe, the star of the World Cup, refusing to go to the White House and not caving when confronted with her viewpoint.
But the left is so busy bending over backwards, reporting the right's viewpoint, that the effect is neutered. That's right, they essentially hang Rapinoe out to dry.
There are so many litmus tests on the left that no one qualifies.
And you can't express a contrary opinion or you're shouted down.
And then you have to APOLOGIZE!
It happens all the time. I'm not saying there should not be a penalty for abhorrent speech, but when an actor goes to rehab for speech, I've got to laugh. What's next, rehab for speeding? Yelling? Smoking?
So Trump stands up to all the B.S., he stands up to their crap.
And of course, his statements are inane, but they resonate with a lot of people, like those who don't believe immigrants should be caged like animals, but do believe we need a coherent immigration policy.
Trump has redefined the debate, as to whether you love the country or not. This, once again, is how the left lost the war. The concept of criticizing the country and still loving it gets no traction, despite repeated voicing. The left contributed to the with you or against you line in the sand, because that's how it behaves on every other issue!
The left can't even control a debate. It's good on the small things, but on the big things, it's a crybaby. What did my mother say when a bully threatened me at school? Stand up to him, fight him, and then he'll stop bullying you, and it turned out to be true!
Furthermore, my mother refused to get involved in my issues, my friendships. Now everybody says their kid is being bullied and they're calling the school and other parents and...
The school has to be a safe space. Where everybody must be calm.
But no, school is where you learn about society, how to behave in a group. And believe me, the bullies ultimately get their comeuppance.
No one likes their kid to be bullied, but what are you gonna do when the "child" is out in the workplace, in a marriage, you can't protect them forever.
But mostly we're talking language here folks. Remember when they banned "Ulysses' and Henry Miller? Now in left wing institutions you have to have trigger warnings, cautioning students they might be offended by what is contained therein. How in the hell did we switch from the right wing being offended by language to the left? And it's just LANGUAGE! Isn't this supposed to be a country of ideas? Do words really hurt people? What do they say on the playground, "Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me?"
This apologizing has got to stop, this inhibition of discussion, this constant policing of statements.
Of course Trump's tweets were reprehensible. But he instinctually knows people are sick of the blowback, they want a certain freedom of speech, and as a result, he turns the accusations on their head and it resonates with people, not only his base, but more.
But the left is so offended!
But it's been offended since day one. And what does it keep doing? Report it to the principal, i.e. the left wing press. It rarely stands up to Trump, it rarely defines the debate. All it keeps saying is impeachment is not prudent, and the Presidential candidates are too far to the left and...
You can't even fit in in your own party.
Oh, what a country.
--
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--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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Sunday 14 July 2019
Don't Change For The Critics
Only Trump has figured this out in the social media age, one with incessant messages, most of which go ignored.
Used to be even if you were ultra-famous, you never heard from the hoi-polloi. The average citizen was a nobody who could only vote by consuming or not. Furthermore, there were few offerings, and real estate was precious, on television, in record racks, and the game was to find something that appealed to everybody.
That game is over.
Be happy if you have an audience at all. But if you do, you're gonna have haters.
You see you have what someone else wants, the aforementioned audience. And those people below the attention status of yourself are angry, they think they're better than you and deserve the attention, and as a result they try to tear you down, make you blink, hopefully so they can take your place.
Even successful entertainers are victims of this paradigm. Howard Stern has a rabid fanbase, but unlike in the pre-internet era, he's inundated with negative social media comments. The key is not to blink.
Used to be it was about research, you tested the audience, tried to deliver what it wanted, shaved off the rough edges, pleased the boss.
First and foremost, today YOU'RE the boss. If you're pleasing someone above you, you're doing it wrong. That's one of the problems with doing corporate sponsorships, the chilling effect. The man doesn't say what you can't do, but you're wary of doing it, you're inured to those bucks.
But the key to success today is making your own bucks. Hell, that's one of the reasons Trump won, irrelevant of the truth of the matter.
And in a world where there's no universal fact-checker, where there's no single news outlet that can hold you account, you can lie with impunity. Rock stars wrote this script. Hell, they're even employing it today! All those shows they say are sold out, a lot of them are not. It's all about image. And it used to be the mainstream didn't care about music, so there was no ink, but today there's so much information, the mainstream gets no traction re the faux pas of even bigger constituents!
Look at Ticketmaster. People don't stop railing against it, governments investigate it. But Ticketmaster doesn't care, it's aware it's fronting for the greedy acts, they're the ones responsible for fees, i.e. the fees are not commissioned, it's the only way for Ticketmaster to make money! There's usually no profit in the tickets themselves.
So Ticketmaster doesn't fight back, and neither should you!
And then there are those who still can't fathom someone moved their cheese. Blowhards who believe they can stop the juggernaut of streaming. Bitching they're not making as much as they did in the physical/sales era. Well, let's go back to sixteen baseball teams. Three networks. The era of no smartphones. The future arrives, he or she who is caught in the past is ultimately irrelevant.
But that does not mean they don't attack you.
It's so easy to do, just fire up your app of choice!
So the creator...is overwhelmed.
This is a new paradigm and there's no instruction booklet. Kinda like when FM went rock. They were inventing it on the fly. The usual suspects were talking about ratings and three minute ditties but it was what was on FM, longer, different, that ultimately triumphed.
It's hard to stay the course. But that's why people like you to begin with!
Look at Frampton, who catered to a theoretical pop audience with "I'm In You" and went straight into the dumper, overnight. It's taken him decades to rehabilitate himself.
But it happens faster now. And the truth is you're remembered for your successes, not your failures. Which means the biggest people can fail, but when they succeed later, the failures are forgotten. Bieber has had a lot of stiffs with his hits.
And if you're trying to be the biggest, you're gonna get blowback. This is what Taylor Swift doesn't realize, they don't hate her music, but her! First her "aw shucks" behavior and then her retaliatory songs and then her girl squad and now her rainbow-embracing. She's trying to appeal to people who don't exist! She's got her fans, she should be happy with that. As for the slings and arrows, she can't stop complaining about them, when the truth is they're a badge of success, she should just ignore them!
Art runs on emotion. So when someone hits you unexpectedly, it's hard to fathom, it changes your mood. Which is why, supposedly, artists didn't read their reviews. But today, you just cannot avoid the feedback. You've got to have a thick skin and brush it off. Otherwise, not only did they win, you probably compromised yourself.
Your fans want you. It's your fans who will spread the word. The rest are irrelevant.
And the markers have changed. Like with the Blanco Brown track. It may not be number one on country radio, but if you have traction online, who cares? And genres are nearly irrelevant. Country artists rap and... All those people agitated about lines and crossing over...THE AUDIENCE DOESN'T CARE!
But too often artists fall for it.
You're on your own path.
And if you're not, you're me-too, and nobody wants me-too in the internet age, we're all looking for fresh and different. That's one thing Hillary missed, which is why she lost. Never forget, research will tell you where you've been, but not where you're going.
It's those who think outside the box who gain attention and become victorious in the long run. It's much easier to imitate what's out there, and you might get a moment of fame, but then you'll be instantly forgotten. That's another facet of the internet era, you can get universal press, be a kingpin (queenpin?) in your era, and end up broke in your hometown slinging burgers. Which is why those with a brain get an education and find their way, you don't want to end up as Snooki or Rebecca Black.
They are out to get you. Assuming anybody cares at all.
And if they're needling you, what they want most is a reaction. Respond and you're doomed. Trump and AOC blocking people on Twitter is unfathomable to me. Almost no one is gonna see the hate, and by calling it out, you create a conflagration.
Which means that even the famous don't have it all figured out.
But you've got a chance. Yes, you can promote yourself for free online, but beware of the incoming negativity.
It's a new game.
But one thing's for sure, when you veer off course, by acknowledging haters, when you adjust because of the criticism, you're on the wrong road, you've left your mission and are in a backwater.
We're looking for singular heroes (heroines). We're looking for people to believe in.
Forget the idiocy, like Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop. It's only the intelligentsia who truly care, she's got traction with them and they're pissed they didn't think of it first!
But Goop is a sideshow, without many acolytes. Without all the hate she'd be doomed.
Yes, hate can bring you attention, but still, you've got to ignore it, you can't acknowledge it.
Techies were the artists of the last few decades.
But that era is over. The internet is solidified. There's no radical change coming in the immediate future.
So we're back in the era of art, a message can have much more impact than a product. The software of music and movies and TV is now much more important than it was in the past two decades.
Everything you remember, from Jimi Hendrix to David Lynch, started on the outside, and don't forget "Twin Peaks" wasn't Lynch's first project.
You must pay your dues. The more immediate attention you get, the quicker you will fail, we learned this in the MTV era.
You can woodshed in public, and if you're good, you'll gain some followers. The key is to keep developing and not change your viewpoint.
And that's hard to do, because everybody is telling you to.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Used to be even if you were ultra-famous, you never heard from the hoi-polloi. The average citizen was a nobody who could only vote by consuming or not. Furthermore, there were few offerings, and real estate was precious, on television, in record racks, and the game was to find something that appealed to everybody.
That game is over.
Be happy if you have an audience at all. But if you do, you're gonna have haters.
You see you have what someone else wants, the aforementioned audience. And those people below the attention status of yourself are angry, they think they're better than you and deserve the attention, and as a result they try to tear you down, make you blink, hopefully so they can take your place.
Even successful entertainers are victims of this paradigm. Howard Stern has a rabid fanbase, but unlike in the pre-internet era, he's inundated with negative social media comments. The key is not to blink.
Used to be it was about research, you tested the audience, tried to deliver what it wanted, shaved off the rough edges, pleased the boss.
First and foremost, today YOU'RE the boss. If you're pleasing someone above you, you're doing it wrong. That's one of the problems with doing corporate sponsorships, the chilling effect. The man doesn't say what you can't do, but you're wary of doing it, you're inured to those bucks.
But the key to success today is making your own bucks. Hell, that's one of the reasons Trump won, irrelevant of the truth of the matter.
And in a world where there's no universal fact-checker, where there's no single news outlet that can hold you account, you can lie with impunity. Rock stars wrote this script. Hell, they're even employing it today! All those shows they say are sold out, a lot of them are not. It's all about image. And it used to be the mainstream didn't care about music, so there was no ink, but today there's so much information, the mainstream gets no traction re the faux pas of even bigger constituents!
Look at Ticketmaster. People don't stop railing against it, governments investigate it. But Ticketmaster doesn't care, it's aware it's fronting for the greedy acts, they're the ones responsible for fees, i.e. the fees are not commissioned, it's the only way for Ticketmaster to make money! There's usually no profit in the tickets themselves.
So Ticketmaster doesn't fight back, and neither should you!
And then there are those who still can't fathom someone moved their cheese. Blowhards who believe they can stop the juggernaut of streaming. Bitching they're not making as much as they did in the physical/sales era. Well, let's go back to sixteen baseball teams. Three networks. The era of no smartphones. The future arrives, he or she who is caught in the past is ultimately irrelevant.
But that does not mean they don't attack you.
It's so easy to do, just fire up your app of choice!
So the creator...is overwhelmed.
This is a new paradigm and there's no instruction booklet. Kinda like when FM went rock. They were inventing it on the fly. The usual suspects were talking about ratings and three minute ditties but it was what was on FM, longer, different, that ultimately triumphed.
It's hard to stay the course. But that's why people like you to begin with!
Look at Frampton, who catered to a theoretical pop audience with "I'm In You" and went straight into the dumper, overnight. It's taken him decades to rehabilitate himself.
But it happens faster now. And the truth is you're remembered for your successes, not your failures. Which means the biggest people can fail, but when they succeed later, the failures are forgotten. Bieber has had a lot of stiffs with his hits.
And if you're trying to be the biggest, you're gonna get blowback. This is what Taylor Swift doesn't realize, they don't hate her music, but her! First her "aw shucks" behavior and then her retaliatory songs and then her girl squad and now her rainbow-embracing. She's trying to appeal to people who don't exist! She's got her fans, she should be happy with that. As for the slings and arrows, she can't stop complaining about them, when the truth is they're a badge of success, she should just ignore them!
Art runs on emotion. So when someone hits you unexpectedly, it's hard to fathom, it changes your mood. Which is why, supposedly, artists didn't read their reviews. But today, you just cannot avoid the feedback. You've got to have a thick skin and brush it off. Otherwise, not only did they win, you probably compromised yourself.
Your fans want you. It's your fans who will spread the word. The rest are irrelevant.
And the markers have changed. Like with the Blanco Brown track. It may not be number one on country radio, but if you have traction online, who cares? And genres are nearly irrelevant. Country artists rap and... All those people agitated about lines and crossing over...THE AUDIENCE DOESN'T CARE!
But too often artists fall for it.
You're on your own path.
And if you're not, you're me-too, and nobody wants me-too in the internet age, we're all looking for fresh and different. That's one thing Hillary missed, which is why she lost. Never forget, research will tell you where you've been, but not where you're going.
It's those who think outside the box who gain attention and become victorious in the long run. It's much easier to imitate what's out there, and you might get a moment of fame, but then you'll be instantly forgotten. That's another facet of the internet era, you can get universal press, be a kingpin (queenpin?) in your era, and end up broke in your hometown slinging burgers. Which is why those with a brain get an education and find their way, you don't want to end up as Snooki or Rebecca Black.
They are out to get you. Assuming anybody cares at all.
And if they're needling you, what they want most is a reaction. Respond and you're doomed. Trump and AOC blocking people on Twitter is unfathomable to me. Almost no one is gonna see the hate, and by calling it out, you create a conflagration.
Which means that even the famous don't have it all figured out.
But you've got a chance. Yes, you can promote yourself for free online, but beware of the incoming negativity.
It's a new game.
But one thing's for sure, when you veer off course, by acknowledging haters, when you adjust because of the criticism, you're on the wrong road, you've left your mission and are in a backwater.
We're looking for singular heroes (heroines). We're looking for people to believe in.
Forget the idiocy, like Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop. It's only the intelligentsia who truly care, she's got traction with them and they're pissed they didn't think of it first!
But Goop is a sideshow, without many acolytes. Without all the hate she'd be doomed.
Yes, hate can bring you attention, but still, you've got to ignore it, you can't acknowledge it.
Techies were the artists of the last few decades.
But that era is over. The internet is solidified. There's no radical change coming in the immediate future.
So we're back in the era of art, a message can have much more impact than a product. The software of music and movies and TV is now much more important than it was in the past two decades.
Everything you remember, from Jimi Hendrix to David Lynch, started on the outside, and don't forget "Twin Peaks" wasn't Lynch's first project.
You must pay your dues. The more immediate attention you get, the quicker you will fail, we learned this in the MTV era.
You can woodshed in public, and if you're good, you'll gain some followers. The key is to keep developing and not change your viewpoint.
And that's hard to do, because everybody is telling you to.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-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
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Trump Tells The Squad To Go Home
Should they leave from those Revolutionary War airports?
I'm stunned, positively stunned I tell you, that Democrats and the press believe that by publicizing the inanities and ignorant behavior and statements of Donald Trump they will somehow get change.
Change comes via Congress, and the Democrats refuse to impeach Trump, where his behavior would be on full display, reported in all media.
But that's America, where the right unifies and takes action and the left argues amongst itself and does nothing, trying to fend off the blows of aggressors, refusing to define the debate. After all, it was the Democrats who allowed Hillary Clinton to be labeled as the nasty woman the right portrayed her as, causing those deaths in Benghazi, why didn't she take a G5 over there and get into hand-to-hand combat? And using that damn private e-mail server... Hillary didn't grow a set until after she lost the election. Meanwhile, the right is still making hay on her, she is the President on Fox News and in Trump's brain, she's the focus of his re-election campaign. It's like Meek Mill dissing CeeLo.
You don't use the strategies of yore to fight a new disease. Isn't this how the U.S. lost in Vietnam? By not knowing how to engage in guerrilla warfare? Right is irrelevant, power is everything. And Trump's got it, and is employing it, to the point where the never-Trumpers are thinking of aligning with him. Never forget, in America it's all about family, we're tribal, very few people won't defend their relatives, blood is the most significant tie they've got.
And sure, Nancy Pelosi is a well-experienced player in the old game, but she doesn't seem to realize it's a new game. She's like all those companies that got plowed under by the internet. First, they wanted no change, then they wanted gradual change, then they disappeared. And who destroyed them? Aged baby boomers? No, young 'uns! Young 'uns that still flummox Congress. They can fine Facebook $5 billion, but that doesn't really hurt, hell, they can just raise ad rates, and the fact that Chuck Schumer uses a flip-phone... That's like someone who uses cassettes telling you what goes on in the digital age. It's all about experience, going into the unknown. Have you seen "Star Trek"?
Forget Trump's base, they're never gonna see the left wing light.
But the reason Trump won, despite all these hosannas about a great economy, is because his base is broke and those with any cash don't want to cough it up. Ironically, those on the extremes of both right and left have the same problem, they can't make ends meet. So Trump creates bogey men and the left keeps saying radical change is too much, we've got to fight for the center, meanwhile, we've got the Squad waving its arms, telling the Democratic leaders change has occurred, and the usual suspects tell them to take a seat at the back of the bus. And Trump senses this discord and pours gasoline on it, telling these women to go back to where they came from, even though three out of four were born in the United States, and it highlights the problem for all to see, making the situation worse.
Yes, the loser in today's outburst is the left, not Trump. How can that be?
This is what happens when you lose control of the narrative, when you refuse to change, or do so gradually, when you refuse to unite with a philosophy.
That's right, Trump scared traditional Republicans, he was unelectable, but then he won the nomination and the Presidency. But you've got to be a middle of the road peacemaker in the Democratic party. Biden is running on a record when America was completely different. It'd be like running Kenny Loggins for President, he's a recognizable name, the old folks like him and the younger generation goes...WHO?
The younger generation, ruled by hip-hop and Instagram. Their heroes are influencers. Nobody cares what musicians have to say today, just those with a following online. The rank and file can relate to them. But every oldster with a brain says they're no-talents, undeserving of attention. Today there's a generation gap as wide as the sixties, but the boomers, dieted down to nothing, wearing their kids' clothing, believe they know what's going on when they don't!
You fight an old man with youth, not another old man. After all, the youth will inherit the earth. On the left, everybody keeps talking about student debt and the climate crisis but they won't let the victims have a voice, or they keep them at the kiddie table. Do you wonder why the youth aren't inspired by alta kachers?
Hell, the left can't even keep a story alive. Mueller in the hot seat is like grilling Paris Hilton, it's already an old story no one cares about.
You win today by making news every damn day. Trump knows this, but the Democrats are still running like it's the last century.
And it doesn't matter if you make a mistake, mistakes are forgotten in the tsunami of information. Old artists take years to make an album that is instantly forgotten. Can you say Madonna? Can you say Springsteen? Meanwhile, Ariana Grande puts out multiple albums a year!
So the left needs to plow ahead with new rules. You make the news, you define the debate, you lead. In today's world, the naysayers get little traction, they can be ignored, ever notice the follower counts of those criticizing you? They're almost always low, they live to hate, it makes them feel powerful.
You need to ignore them, just like Trump.
You must focus on your own mission.
You'd be better off reading Clayton Christensen's "The Innovator's Dilemma" than any newspaper.
Today's wars are always fought off the radar, by time they hit the mainstream the insurgents have already won or been forgotten.
Trump tapped into discontent.
There's even more discontent on the left. Focus on rallying your constituency, not railing at this tired old man who was elected king. Don't you get it? It's not the dyed-in-the-wool right/base who pushed Trump to victory, but the disillusioned left/middle who were sick and tired of being talked down to by the Democrats, who wanted change which the left refused to give to them.
Steve Jobs blew up norms. Replaced them with the future. He knew we were living in a changed world. Remember when the music industry was pissed-off about the Rip/Mix/Burn campaign? Now not only do computers come without disc drives, a healthy percentage of those eligible to vote are unaware of that campaign and never ripped a CD in their lives. Appeal to these people, they are the future.
We're never going back.
It was a new day yesterday, but it's an old day now.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
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I'm stunned, positively stunned I tell you, that Democrats and the press believe that by publicizing the inanities and ignorant behavior and statements of Donald Trump they will somehow get change.
Change comes via Congress, and the Democrats refuse to impeach Trump, where his behavior would be on full display, reported in all media.
But that's America, where the right unifies and takes action and the left argues amongst itself and does nothing, trying to fend off the blows of aggressors, refusing to define the debate. After all, it was the Democrats who allowed Hillary Clinton to be labeled as the nasty woman the right portrayed her as, causing those deaths in Benghazi, why didn't she take a G5 over there and get into hand-to-hand combat? And using that damn private e-mail server... Hillary didn't grow a set until after she lost the election. Meanwhile, the right is still making hay on her, she is the President on Fox News and in Trump's brain, she's the focus of his re-election campaign. It's like Meek Mill dissing CeeLo.
You don't use the strategies of yore to fight a new disease. Isn't this how the U.S. lost in Vietnam? By not knowing how to engage in guerrilla warfare? Right is irrelevant, power is everything. And Trump's got it, and is employing it, to the point where the never-Trumpers are thinking of aligning with him. Never forget, in America it's all about family, we're tribal, very few people won't defend their relatives, blood is the most significant tie they've got.
And sure, Nancy Pelosi is a well-experienced player in the old game, but she doesn't seem to realize it's a new game. She's like all those companies that got plowed under by the internet. First, they wanted no change, then they wanted gradual change, then they disappeared. And who destroyed them? Aged baby boomers? No, young 'uns! Young 'uns that still flummox Congress. They can fine Facebook $5 billion, but that doesn't really hurt, hell, they can just raise ad rates, and the fact that Chuck Schumer uses a flip-phone... That's like someone who uses cassettes telling you what goes on in the digital age. It's all about experience, going into the unknown. Have you seen "Star Trek"?
Forget Trump's base, they're never gonna see the left wing light.
But the reason Trump won, despite all these hosannas about a great economy, is because his base is broke and those with any cash don't want to cough it up. Ironically, those on the extremes of both right and left have the same problem, they can't make ends meet. So Trump creates bogey men and the left keeps saying radical change is too much, we've got to fight for the center, meanwhile, we've got the Squad waving its arms, telling the Democratic leaders change has occurred, and the usual suspects tell them to take a seat at the back of the bus. And Trump senses this discord and pours gasoline on it, telling these women to go back to where they came from, even though three out of four were born in the United States, and it highlights the problem for all to see, making the situation worse.
Yes, the loser in today's outburst is the left, not Trump. How can that be?
This is what happens when you lose control of the narrative, when you refuse to change, or do so gradually, when you refuse to unite with a philosophy.
That's right, Trump scared traditional Republicans, he was unelectable, but then he won the nomination and the Presidency. But you've got to be a middle of the road peacemaker in the Democratic party. Biden is running on a record when America was completely different. It'd be like running Kenny Loggins for President, he's a recognizable name, the old folks like him and the younger generation goes...WHO?
The younger generation, ruled by hip-hop and Instagram. Their heroes are influencers. Nobody cares what musicians have to say today, just those with a following online. The rank and file can relate to them. But every oldster with a brain says they're no-talents, undeserving of attention. Today there's a generation gap as wide as the sixties, but the boomers, dieted down to nothing, wearing their kids' clothing, believe they know what's going on when they don't!
You fight an old man with youth, not another old man. After all, the youth will inherit the earth. On the left, everybody keeps talking about student debt and the climate crisis but they won't let the victims have a voice, or they keep them at the kiddie table. Do you wonder why the youth aren't inspired by alta kachers?
Hell, the left can't even keep a story alive. Mueller in the hot seat is like grilling Paris Hilton, it's already an old story no one cares about.
You win today by making news every damn day. Trump knows this, but the Democrats are still running like it's the last century.
And it doesn't matter if you make a mistake, mistakes are forgotten in the tsunami of information. Old artists take years to make an album that is instantly forgotten. Can you say Madonna? Can you say Springsteen? Meanwhile, Ariana Grande puts out multiple albums a year!
So the left needs to plow ahead with new rules. You make the news, you define the debate, you lead. In today's world, the naysayers get little traction, they can be ignored, ever notice the follower counts of those criticizing you? They're almost always low, they live to hate, it makes them feel powerful.
You need to ignore them, just like Trump.
You must focus on your own mission.
You'd be better off reading Clayton Christensen's "The Innovator's Dilemma" than any newspaper.
Today's wars are always fought off the radar, by time they hit the mainstream the insurgents have already won or been forgotten.
Trump tapped into discontent.
There's even more discontent on the left. Focus on rallying your constituency, not railing at this tired old man who was elected king. Don't you get it? It's not the dyed-in-the-wool right/base who pushed Trump to victory, but the disillusioned left/middle who were sick and tired of being talked down to by the Democrats, who wanted change which the left refused to give to them.
Steve Jobs blew up norms. Replaced them with the future. He knew we were living in a changed world. Remember when the music industry was pissed-off about the Rip/Mix/Burn campaign? Now not only do computers come without disc drives, a healthy percentage of those eligible to vote are unaware of that campaign and never ripped a CD in their lives. Appeal to these people, they are the future.
We're never going back.
It was a new day yesterday, but it's an old day now.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-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
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