From: Steve Lukather
Subject: Re: Danny Kortchmar-This Week's Podcast
One of my very very favorite human beings on planet Earth and Ihave been honored to work with him for 43+ years!
I respect and adore the man. We have been thru a lot of life together and done a shit ton of records together as well.
Luke
PS Thats me on the end of Dirty laundry. Walsh takes the first solo.
___________________________________
From: Bill Berger
Subject: Re: The Moon Landing
I was in the Army, stationed in Pleiku, South Vietnam and we were on a reconnaissance patrol out in the boondocks. We came upon a Green Beret camp, where we spent the night. The Berets had an 8 inch Sony black and white portable that they had figured out how to get a signal from Saigon and so, we all stood dumbfounded watching Armstrong on the Moon.
___________________________________
From: Mark Curran
Subject: Space Food Sticks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPZ8HHRR1A0
___________________________________
From: tom werman
Subject: Re: The ZZ Top Movie
Great to hear the musical observations of another ZZ Top fan--
Always in my personal top five, I include Billy as one of rock's very best guitar players.
Without my ZZ Top playlist to keep me energized, I simply wouldn't bother to go to the gym.
They make you lift heavier weights, run faster, row harder and pedal longer.
After the radio hits, there are so many others, like "My Head's in Missisippi", "Jesus Just Left Chicago", "Heard it on The X", "Can't Stop Rockin' " – one infectious, locomotive groove after another. I didn't know there was a doc about this three-man powerhouse. Thanks
Tom Werman
___________________________________
Subject: Re: The ZZ Top Movie
As the story goes ZZ was third act on 1971 Memphis Allman Brothers Band show. Duane tells band about the opening acts smokin' Texas guitar player that's going to sit in. Middle of the show they hear a guitar start wailing and they look around, there's a guy in hot pants shorts combat boots blowing everybody off the stage with a wailing guitar, Duane smiles as he plays with his buddy Billy Gibbons, they have all been friend ever since, btw Jimmy Hall and Wet Willie were the middle act and Jimmy confirms the story. The ABB & ZZ have been friend ever since. We even tried to do an A to Z tour together, never get the schedules to work. Billy sat in a few times including March 2009 Beacon 40th anniversary run. Lights went dark Billy snuck on stage, lights go up audience roars, Billy looks around and entire ABB are wearing long beards, he laughed so hard he forgot to play for a second.
On another note one of my neighbors received a lifetime membership in the ZZ Top fan club as a wedding present in the early 80's, got tour jackets, special tickets and meet greet every year, they still go.
Bert Holman
___________________________________
From: tour swag
Subject: we have seen the enemy and it is us
Now when we set up for a rock concert, we look at where to take cover when the shooting starts
We who work in the wings, we are looking for a safer place or arranging gear so as to form some cover
you guys, you are fucked
best advice stay away from the center of the crowd
scope out exits, if you can get outside
look for areas where you can take cover, like overhanging seating structures, most 100 level arena seating has some kind of area underneath
wear a belt which can be used as a tourniquet
___________________________________
From: Mike Vancha
Subject: Re: Medicare For All (and a lesson from Canada)
Hi Bob,
You are exactly right here.
Let me tell you something you may not know.
I am from Canada and the most popular Canadian of all time is actor/musician Keifer Sutherland's grandfather (Donald Sutherland's father in law) Tommy Douglas.
As premier (governor) of my province of Saskatchewan, Tommy Douglas brought in free health care in 1962 and it was such a hit that the whole federal Canadian government adopted it once Tommy Douglas became leader of one of Canada's federal parties.
At first, all the fear mongers said it was Socialism and there were actually corporate and doctor revolts and demonstrations against it on the streets.
A few years later, it was such a hit that it was adopted nation-wide, as I say.
Today, free health care as a right is the most popular thing Canadians have and Tommy Douglas, the man who brought it to Canada is the most popular man in Canada as proven by a national competition we had to pick the most popular Canadian of all time.
We don't even notice we are paying taxes for free health care as it has been incorporated into our society like the police service, the fire department and other services have been.
In America, free health care would also become the most popular thing of all time and would bring Americans together to appreciate their government, the way it has for Canadians. After a decade or two, costs would be so low that you wouldn't even notice you are paying taxes for it.
I am in the middle class in Canada and I only pay about 20% personal income tax.
Decades after Canadians were given free health care, not even the Conservatives would dare to mention taking health care away, just in the same way they would never talk about taking away the police service or fire department.
Thanks for listening, Bob.
Mike Vancha
Regina, Canada
___________________________________
Subject: Re: Brush With Greatness-SiriusXM This Week
Bob,
I've been a loyal reader for years, and wanted to share a story. Living in LA for nearly twenty years, brushing up with greatness was a fairly common occurrence. There was only one occasion when I lost all composure and totally blew my cool.
A large group of my friends we're eating dinner at Yatai on Sunset when John Paul Jones and his wife came in. Who in the hell would recognize him? Apparently only me. Did I forget to say I'm a bassist, love Zeppelin, and rank JPJ as one of the best to ever play four strings? I suppose that context will help the story.
Anyway, I wanted to go over and show a little appreciation to him, but was quickly reminded of "The Code." When famous people are out, especially at a quiet dinner, you LEAVE THEM ALONE. This is one reason celebrities enjoy Los Angeles, they can actually go about their day without being harrassed. I know this. I've done it countless times, and agreed with the group that I would let this moment go and not say a word. That was until JC Chasez (NSYNC) walked in and the entire restaurant lost it's collective shit, begging for autographs and photos. Seriously? There was true music royalty in the room and nobody noticed/cared. I could not let this stand!
I approached the table and interrupted with the incredibly eloquent, "um, Mr John Paul Jones, you're awesome!"
Did I really just say that?!? He smiled, as did his wife, as I rapidly began to spit out every word that crossed my mind. I spoke so fast, that at one moment I noticed him leaning back a little. His wife, at least in my mind, looked very proud. I assume he isn't spotted very often.
As I finally wrapped up my verbal diarrhea, I backed away from him while bowing and saying thank you, thank you, thank you.
Wow. So little cool. It's ok, though. While totally embarrassing, at least I got to tell my biggest musical influence how much he means to me. Even if I said it to quickly for him to understand!
Thank you-
Randy Morris
___________________________________
From: Jane HOFFMAN
Subject: Re: Woodstock
In the historical summer of '69, we landed on the moon, I went to Woodstock, and saw Led Zep on their first U.S. tour as openers for Joe Cocker.
But first - I had to go to jail.
I was the only girl in our group allowed to go to Woodstock because I had the coolest parents around – and my Dad used to take us fishing up there, so we knew the area.
However, by the time I got permission to go with the boys, the concert was supposedly sold out and every DJ on WNEW announced that if you didn't have a ticket, you wouldn't be able to get in.
I had a friend who had tickets and then had to work that weekend, so I was buying his. Instead, he got busted for selling a joint to an undercover cop and ended up in jail. I was his one phone call.
There was no way I was missing Woodstock. I went to the desk Sgt. who retrieved the tickets for me out of my friend's wallet, took my money and did indeed give the cash to my friend when he got out of jail. The tix were a three-day deal with a star, a moon, and I forget what the third graphic was because the wallet that I kept them in got lost on my move from NY to LA seven years later.
Five hours after we began on what would normally have been a two-ish-hour trip with traffic, we still weren't there. It really didn't matter. We finally arrived at a spot where we parked our car in the grass on the side of the highway and walked three miles? Four? It didn't matter as it was a party and we were walking along with everyone else.
The fences were down, the concert was free, the sun was shining and there was a nice spot on the top of one of the hillsides. What more could a girl want?
It was still daylight when Richie Havens took the stage, but it was pitch dark when Arlo Guthrie arrived. You need to know this because Arlo Guthrie is the person responsible for lighting a match at a concert.
Because the promoters didn't plan on the size of the crowd, the lights set up throughout the audience were limited to just a few hundred or so yards beyond the stage. Arlo asked everyone to strike a match so we could all see how many people were there. The flickering lights went as far as our eyes could see in every direction. WE HAD NO IDEA. It was magnificent and a moment I will always treasure as "being there."
Despite the peace and love, my attitude was, "I came. I saw. I experienced – and now I want to go see Led Zeppelin."
Prior to Woodstock, I had already been to concerts to see Jimi, Janis, The Who, Leslie West and Mountain, Johnny Winter and Blood, Sweat and Tears, so leaving the concert wasn't that big of a decision to make when Led Zeppelin was commanding my attention down at the shore. (Following Woodstock, I saw CSN&Y as well as multiple times to see Ten Years After and Santana.)
So, late Friday night, I convinced the guy I was dating at the time to hike back to the car and drive us to Asbury Park to see Led Zeppelin open for Joe Cocker on their first U.S. tour.
I had bought Led Zeppelin's first album and knew every guitar lick, bass and drumbeat, and Robert Plant's wails note for note. I just had to see these guys in person.
Along the way, I called my parents to let them know I was OK. My parents subscribed to the NY Daily News and when I finally returned home, I could not believe the headlines. Thank Gd I had checked in, as otherwise they would have thought I was ingesting any number of drugs, lacking food and water, swimming naked and drowning in a sea of mud. One out of four.
We headed to Asbury Park Convention Hall, bought tickets at the box office (not sold out) and had prime balcony seats stage left. We could see everything going on on that stage. Jimmy Page had on red bellbottoms and a tiny white cowboy hat on his head. When he pulled out the violin bow, I could not believe what I was seeing and hearing. Robert Plant was, well Robert Plant.
They played the entire album. I'm not sure they realized this was the beginning of a career of historic proportions, but we did. It was impossible not to.
Joe Cocker was spectacular and went on to perform at Woodstock the next day. We saw "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" when they came to NY the following year and was introduced to the music of Leon Russell and Rita Coolidge (who Solters and I went on to represent when she had a short residency at The Carlyle). I followed every one of Joe's releases until he passed away, and mourned his death. His rendition of "Bye Bye Blackbird" is still in heavy rotation on my iTunes.
Zep returned to the States just a few months later, selling out arenas including a show at Boston Garden. I was there along with all my new college gal pals. It was a great concert, but it wasn't the same as that Saturday in August of 1969 in what had to be one of music's greatest weekends.
I think about what our world was like 50 years ago, and where we are now. I shake my head, wonder how we got here and wonder what will it take, and what can we do to get us back to the garden.
___________________________________
From: Ken Kragen
Subject: RE: Warren Leads In Iowa
Bob: Terrific piece today. The points you outline remind me of the 10-week career course I taught for years at UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music. One thing, however, it's still early and to prove that I'll share one of my best stories from my long career.
I was managing Burt Reynolds back in the summer of 1991 and created a one-man tour for him starting with a Saturday night show in Little Rock, Arkansas. Governor Bill Clinton and Hillary were at the show and afterward, backstage, he asked me to come over and play basketball at the Governor's mansion the next morning. I said that I'd love to but was flying to Nashville early Sunday for Burt's second show of the tour. Clinton said, "What time are you going to the airport? I'll send my car for you." I said that I didn't need that, but he insisted.
I was leaving the hotel at 6:30am and when I went outside there was no car, so I called a cab. Before that arrived, a beat-up old car drove up and a guy in shorts got out. It was Governor Clinton. He picked up my bags, threw them in the trunk and off we went with a short tour of Little Rock before heading to the airport. When we got there, he carried my bags in and checked me in for the flight. I said, "I don't want to be any more beholden to you than I am so let me buy you breakfast."
At breakfast I told him Burt Reynolds had said Clinton was running for president. He said, "That's true, but the fact is, no one is going to beat George Bush with his huge popularity from the "Desert Storm" victory, but my advisors tell me if I don't run in 1992 I'll have no chance winning in 1996. So, I have to get in the race now."
It's a great lesson on how things can change in the next year. Bill Clinton didn't think he could win in 1992 and he did. By the way, I don't think Trump thought he could win (or at least no one around him did) and look what happened. The game's never over until it's over!
Ken
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Friday 16 August 2019
Woodstock
Everybody was on the bill.
Back then there were two lanes, AM & FM, hits and album tracks.
Woodstock was a festival for the album tracks. An era that began with either "Sgt. Pepper" or "Rubber Soul," depending on your viewpoint. Was your hair long or short? Were you for or against the war? These were lines of demarcation. And those who went to Woodstock were on the FM, long hair, against the war, peace side.
But no one knew the contingent was so big, NO ONE!
That was the essence of Woodstock, THAT EVERYBODY WENT!
I'm sick and tired of writers opining on Woodstock and getting it wrong.
No, I did not go to Woodstock, I was at a summer program in Chicago. But to tell you the truth, we never thought it would happen, it was too good to be true.
So everybody drives upstate and the straight press is overwhelmed.
Now, by this point there was an alternative press. "Rolling Stone" being the music bible. But even "Rolling Stone" didn't gain mainstream credibility until its scoops on Patty Hearst, and that was five years later!
I'm trying to paint the picture for you. The counterculture was hiding in plain sight, but the establishment didn't see it. And Woodstock was evidence of its humongous size, even its members were overwhelmed. It was a tribe. And from thereon forward, the younger generation ruled.
Oh, it'd been percolating since the early sixties. It was not like today, your mom didn't have to work, there was extra money, there were no homeless people. Money did not drive the culture, MUSIC DID! And the music was not mindless, not made for money, but a direct transcription from the players' hearts to vinyl, which you purchased and ate up like manna from heaven.
And you didn't only listen to hard rock, soft stuff resonated too. As evidenced by the inclusion of such disparate acts on the bill as the Incredible String Band and Jimi Hendrix. We were addicted to FM radio, we were addicted to the music.
And now we've got all these naysayers saying there were not enough black performers. You can't look at the past through modern eyes. The truth was there was very little black music on FM radio. It was kinda like Bob Pittman saying that MTV was an AOR station. Sure, it switched, as did FM radio, but at the time, every act that was credible other than Bob Dylan was there, and the rumor was that he was gonna show up too.
Now we keep hearing from the musicians what a dump it was. About the delays. And the lack of infrastructure.
If you expect musicians to get it right, you expect them to be able to pick the single and understand the business, and these are very rare qualities. It was another gig.
But really it was about the audience, the fact that everybody showed up and there was peace.
There are school shootings today, but back then they shot the Kennedys, and Martin Luther King, Jr., and there were riots and Nixon ran on restoring law and order and then 400,000 kids show up and no one gets hurt? IMPOSSIBLE!
It'd be like having no security at the airport and no planes getting hijacked.
And speaking of killing the Kennedys, don't compare Altamont to Woodstock. You can only do it once, you can only surprise people once, you can only make your point once, after that it's a variation on a theme.
And that's what the Stones did, in an ersatz fashion. Pushing their faux danger, hiring the Hells Angels for security. The band had no pulse on how America worked. And they were English. And although English bands appeared at Woodstock, it was quite definitely an American production.
Now you've got to know that Woodstock didn't really blow up until the following April. With the three disc set and the movie. News doesn't stick to your ribs like music.
You dropped the needle and you were there, but you weren't. You reveled in the tunes, knew all the stage announcements.
And then the movie!
Oh, I've seen "Monterey Pop," I've seen them all, and "Woodstock" is the best. Because first and foremost it's a MOVIE! With interviews and special effects and you felt like you lived through the weekend, you didn't want it to end, which is why it played through the summer and I saw it three times, some people even more.
That's another thing that bugs me, the naysayers who say the music sucked. Come on, you ever been to a gig? The only time it's perfect is when it's on hard drive. Rock music is a feeling, an emotion, and when it resonates...
Kinda like when you listen to Creedence Clearwater Revival.
They were seen as a singles band, because their tracks were so good they crossed over to AM, and they were on a crappy label, Fantasy. Most people had never seen them. And then the trio hits the stage and...
Listen to the studio recordings, they're slick, smooth, but rock music live is not like that, it's rough, it's got edges. Kinda like Creedence's performance of "Born On The Bayou" at Woodstock.
John Fogerty is screaming. In tune, because he needs no help, this was back when you had to have a great voice to front a band.
And as you listen, your head starts to nod, because the music has penetrated your soul and turned you into a follower.
This is how it was back then, that's how powerful the music was. It was not background, but positively FOREGROUND!
And when I heard Creedence's performance of "Proud Mary" on Deep Tracks yesterday, I didn't wince, I got into it. This is the concert experience, first and foremost it's about the energy, delivering the music, production was unseen and irrelevant back then.
And sure, you can talk about tracks on the original three disc set not even being recorded at the festival, but that was irrelevant, here was this SOUND!
And the bands that said no to being included. Like the Band, and Mountain and Creedence. Thereafter everybody said yes. Because Woodstock turned Ten Years After into an arena act overnight. Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez and John Sebastian got a second wind. Sly & the Family Stone crossed over to white people, now it was not only about the singles. Bottom line, if you played Woodstock you were a SUPERSTAR!
Do you know what it was like if you weren't there?
Now you had to go to every rock festival thereafter, because of the fear of missing out. And none was ever as good. But boy, the music scene flipped, now it was all about FM and the album acts. Credit that to Woodstock.
So don't talk about the business. Today's festivals are nothing like Woodstock. They're corrals to sell stuff and shoot selfies. It's about the money. Woodstock was an experiment. What would happen if you got all the greatest bands together? Now we know what happened, fans came out of the woodwork to see them.
So yes, it was a moment in time. Never to be repeated. In the spring of '70, students were shot at Kent State.
But the war eventually ended. And the youth and their protests helped make this happen. The youth are why Johnson didn't run for another term and why Nixon kept trying to wind down the war. And even Nixon went out and talked to the protesters at the Jefferson Memorial. He may have been evil, he may have been tricky, but he had more of a heart and more of a sense of reality than Donald Trump.
That's another point... Back then the youth were Democrats. There were no Republicans in the music scene. Sure, money mattered, but not as much as the music itself. Which spoke to the culture. The acts insisted on using the studios of their choice with their own engineers. Albums couldn't be rejected. The covers were a big deal. It was not a product, but a STATEMENT!
And the story of the seventies was about ever bigger acts dominating. Hell, every show sold out, you couldn't get a ticket. And when corporate rock got traction, it was all over, the audience tuned out and disco reigned and then the whole thing cratered.
And then we went to the monoculture known as MTV.
So what did we learn?
Woodstock was the cultural monolith it was considered to be and described as back then. Lack of shelter, lack of food, the inability to hear...that's what boomers used to VIP say today. But back then there was no VIP. We were all equal. And then Reagan legitimized greed and we got income inequality and we can never recapture that spirit again.
We've gotten so far from the garden it's nearly impossible to see it.
But the truth was music was the highest art form. Its profits built the Warner Cable system. Music made more money than movies. It was a juggernaut. Driven by the best and the brightest.
We didn't want to work in government, never mind the bank. Our lives were experiments, we wanted to be the best we could be, the Army ended up ripping off our slogan. We wanted to follow our heroes, look to the Grateful Dead for example.
But in '69 it was a choice. Not everybody was on the same page.
But by the following spring, when the youth were exposed to what really happened at Woodstock, they just could not get enough.
It was a giant victory lap, a consummation of the sixties, the straight and narrow disappeared and it was all about personal liberation. Funny how income inequality has enslaved today's youth to play it safe, talk about going backwards.
And that's why you see the Woodstock blowback. Most of the writers are pissed they missed it. They weren't there or they weren't old enough or they weren't even born yet.
The sixties were something special.
And so was the music.
It was a can-do era. Against all odds, Woodstock happened. Credit those in charge, irrelevant of how disorganized and unprepared they were.
Today it's all about finding scapegoats, the problem can't be with yourself. And you play it straight for fear of falling behind. And we measure everything with money.
But back then we were all in it together.
You can get by with a little help from your friends.
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Back then there were two lanes, AM & FM, hits and album tracks.
Woodstock was a festival for the album tracks. An era that began with either "Sgt. Pepper" or "Rubber Soul," depending on your viewpoint. Was your hair long or short? Were you for or against the war? These were lines of demarcation. And those who went to Woodstock were on the FM, long hair, against the war, peace side.
But no one knew the contingent was so big, NO ONE!
That was the essence of Woodstock, THAT EVERYBODY WENT!
I'm sick and tired of writers opining on Woodstock and getting it wrong.
No, I did not go to Woodstock, I was at a summer program in Chicago. But to tell you the truth, we never thought it would happen, it was too good to be true.
So everybody drives upstate and the straight press is overwhelmed.
Now, by this point there was an alternative press. "Rolling Stone" being the music bible. But even "Rolling Stone" didn't gain mainstream credibility until its scoops on Patty Hearst, and that was five years later!
I'm trying to paint the picture for you. The counterculture was hiding in plain sight, but the establishment didn't see it. And Woodstock was evidence of its humongous size, even its members were overwhelmed. It was a tribe. And from thereon forward, the younger generation ruled.
Oh, it'd been percolating since the early sixties. It was not like today, your mom didn't have to work, there was extra money, there were no homeless people. Money did not drive the culture, MUSIC DID! And the music was not mindless, not made for money, but a direct transcription from the players' hearts to vinyl, which you purchased and ate up like manna from heaven.
And you didn't only listen to hard rock, soft stuff resonated too. As evidenced by the inclusion of such disparate acts on the bill as the Incredible String Band and Jimi Hendrix. We were addicted to FM radio, we were addicted to the music.
And now we've got all these naysayers saying there were not enough black performers. You can't look at the past through modern eyes. The truth was there was very little black music on FM radio. It was kinda like Bob Pittman saying that MTV was an AOR station. Sure, it switched, as did FM radio, but at the time, every act that was credible other than Bob Dylan was there, and the rumor was that he was gonna show up too.
Now we keep hearing from the musicians what a dump it was. About the delays. And the lack of infrastructure.
If you expect musicians to get it right, you expect them to be able to pick the single and understand the business, and these are very rare qualities. It was another gig.
But really it was about the audience, the fact that everybody showed up and there was peace.
There are school shootings today, but back then they shot the Kennedys, and Martin Luther King, Jr., and there were riots and Nixon ran on restoring law and order and then 400,000 kids show up and no one gets hurt? IMPOSSIBLE!
It'd be like having no security at the airport and no planes getting hijacked.
And speaking of killing the Kennedys, don't compare Altamont to Woodstock. You can only do it once, you can only surprise people once, you can only make your point once, after that it's a variation on a theme.
And that's what the Stones did, in an ersatz fashion. Pushing their faux danger, hiring the Hells Angels for security. The band had no pulse on how America worked. And they were English. And although English bands appeared at Woodstock, it was quite definitely an American production.
Now you've got to know that Woodstock didn't really blow up until the following April. With the three disc set and the movie. News doesn't stick to your ribs like music.
You dropped the needle and you were there, but you weren't. You reveled in the tunes, knew all the stage announcements.
And then the movie!
Oh, I've seen "Monterey Pop," I've seen them all, and "Woodstock" is the best. Because first and foremost it's a MOVIE! With interviews and special effects and you felt like you lived through the weekend, you didn't want it to end, which is why it played through the summer and I saw it three times, some people even more.
That's another thing that bugs me, the naysayers who say the music sucked. Come on, you ever been to a gig? The only time it's perfect is when it's on hard drive. Rock music is a feeling, an emotion, and when it resonates...
Kinda like when you listen to Creedence Clearwater Revival.
They were seen as a singles band, because their tracks were so good they crossed over to AM, and they were on a crappy label, Fantasy. Most people had never seen them. And then the trio hits the stage and...
Listen to the studio recordings, they're slick, smooth, but rock music live is not like that, it's rough, it's got edges. Kinda like Creedence's performance of "Born On The Bayou" at Woodstock.
John Fogerty is screaming. In tune, because he needs no help, this was back when you had to have a great voice to front a band.
And as you listen, your head starts to nod, because the music has penetrated your soul and turned you into a follower.
This is how it was back then, that's how powerful the music was. It was not background, but positively FOREGROUND!
And when I heard Creedence's performance of "Proud Mary" on Deep Tracks yesterday, I didn't wince, I got into it. This is the concert experience, first and foremost it's about the energy, delivering the music, production was unseen and irrelevant back then.
And sure, you can talk about tracks on the original three disc set not even being recorded at the festival, but that was irrelevant, here was this SOUND!
And the bands that said no to being included. Like the Band, and Mountain and Creedence. Thereafter everybody said yes. Because Woodstock turned Ten Years After into an arena act overnight. Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez and John Sebastian got a second wind. Sly & the Family Stone crossed over to white people, now it was not only about the singles. Bottom line, if you played Woodstock you were a SUPERSTAR!
Do you know what it was like if you weren't there?
Now you had to go to every rock festival thereafter, because of the fear of missing out. And none was ever as good. But boy, the music scene flipped, now it was all about FM and the album acts. Credit that to Woodstock.
So don't talk about the business. Today's festivals are nothing like Woodstock. They're corrals to sell stuff and shoot selfies. It's about the money. Woodstock was an experiment. What would happen if you got all the greatest bands together? Now we know what happened, fans came out of the woodwork to see them.
So yes, it was a moment in time. Never to be repeated. In the spring of '70, students were shot at Kent State.
But the war eventually ended. And the youth and their protests helped make this happen. The youth are why Johnson didn't run for another term and why Nixon kept trying to wind down the war. And even Nixon went out and talked to the protesters at the Jefferson Memorial. He may have been evil, he may have been tricky, but he had more of a heart and more of a sense of reality than Donald Trump.
That's another point... Back then the youth were Democrats. There were no Republicans in the music scene. Sure, money mattered, but not as much as the music itself. Which spoke to the culture. The acts insisted on using the studios of their choice with their own engineers. Albums couldn't be rejected. The covers were a big deal. It was not a product, but a STATEMENT!
And the story of the seventies was about ever bigger acts dominating. Hell, every show sold out, you couldn't get a ticket. And when corporate rock got traction, it was all over, the audience tuned out and disco reigned and then the whole thing cratered.
And then we went to the monoculture known as MTV.
So what did we learn?
Woodstock was the cultural monolith it was considered to be and described as back then. Lack of shelter, lack of food, the inability to hear...that's what boomers used to VIP say today. But back then there was no VIP. We were all equal. And then Reagan legitimized greed and we got income inequality and we can never recapture that spirit again.
We've gotten so far from the garden it's nearly impossible to see it.
But the truth was music was the highest art form. Its profits built the Warner Cable system. Music made more money than movies. It was a juggernaut. Driven by the best and the brightest.
We didn't want to work in government, never mind the bank. Our lives were experiments, we wanted to be the best we could be, the Army ended up ripping off our slogan. We wanted to follow our heroes, look to the Grateful Dead for example.
But in '69 it was a choice. Not everybody was on the same page.
But by the following spring, when the youth were exposed to what really happened at Woodstock, they just could not get enough.
It was a giant victory lap, a consummation of the sixties, the straight and narrow disappeared and it was all about personal liberation. Funny how income inequality has enslaved today's youth to play it safe, talk about going backwards.
And that's why you see the Woodstock blowback. Most of the writers are pissed they missed it. They weren't there or they weren't old enough or they weren't even born yet.
The sixties were something special.
And so was the music.
It was a can-do era. Against all odds, Woodstock happened. Credit those in charge, irrelevant of how disorganized and unprepared they were.
Today it's all about finding scapegoats, the problem can't be with yourself. And you play it straight for fear of falling behind. And we measure everything with money.
But back then we were all in it together.
You can get by with a little help from your friends.
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Thursday 15 August 2019
Jay Z/NFL
This is what we called co-option in the sixties. It was the worst sin possible, to get into bed with the opposition when they offered a carrot stick, but not the whole meal.
This is about money and fame folks. That's one thing the NFL's got, at least for now, cash. Did you see what Roger Goodell makes? More than almost any musical performer. And other than taxes, it's all net. There are no touring costs, they're picked up by the league.
So Jay Z refuses to do the Super Bowl in solidarity with Kaepernick, but now he's throwing in with the NFL?
God, of all the professional sports, football is the most like a plantation. The players, to a great degree African-Americans, are told what to do and if they break rank, they're out. All the while exposing themselves to bodily harm and possibly dementia and early death while the fat cat white owners sit in safety. Maybe you have to play in a game to become an owner, see how the other half lives.
So now the NFL struggle is over. No one can stand up to the man because Jay caved.
Of course this is good for exposure, i.e. hip-hop at the Super Bowl, the NFL has ignored the sound the league runs on forever.
But that's like allowing you to sleep indoors but not eat at the dining table.
But that's how far we've come, everybody wants to be a mogul. Meanwhile, all these entertainment wannabes aren't even in the league of the billionaires who own these teams. They're minstrels, puppets on a string. This is all about money, and you ain't got enough of it, so they don't respect you. Why don't you ask them to let you become a member of Augusta National, or the Bohemian Grove. No they don't want you in their house, and Jay Z is single-handedly holding back the future of African-Americans in society.
As for saying Kaepernick's suit has been settled and we have to move on...how about Kaepernick himself? Jay had leverage. He could have insisted that Colin get a tryout, and that he couldn't be cut unless a panel of independent coaches said he was worse than the guy who took his job.
This is America, as Donald Glover would say. Where it's all for me.
Jay Z's leverage is his fame and influence amongst his followers. The NFL knows that if they get Jay on their team, they put a hole in dissension. Who's gonna side with a player protesting when Jay's in with the owners?
Now theoretically, Jay's fans, the community, could protest his action, he could pull out, like Chappelle did with Comedy Central. Contracts are only a sketch, they're not law and they're made to be broken and redone. So Jay Z's got room here. But he's so busy being a business, man, that he can no longer do the right thing.
We revere those who do the right thing. Who've got credibility. Who don't defend someone like Kap and then sell him out.
What kind of bizarre world do we live in where a corporation, Nike, stands up to the NFL, defends and invests in Kaepernick, and Jay Z says there's no choice but to play by the white man's rules?
No wonder music doesn't drive the culture, no wonder it's a second class citizen.
Music is about truth, and when you undermine that you've got nothing, you're a pop artist, only as good as your last hit.
We revere those who speak from their hearts and walk the walk and talk the talk. Who don't do what's expedient, who follow their heart as opposed to the cash.
How much money did Martin Luther King, Jr. have? Gandhi?
Those are the people who are remembered.
And John Lennon, because he spoke truth to power.
That's the power of a musician.
Once you've been co-opted you're meaningless. Money doesn't keep you warm at night.
We all make mistakes. Jay Z made one here. He's got to pull out.
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This is about money and fame folks. That's one thing the NFL's got, at least for now, cash. Did you see what Roger Goodell makes? More than almost any musical performer. And other than taxes, it's all net. There are no touring costs, they're picked up by the league.
So Jay Z refuses to do the Super Bowl in solidarity with Kaepernick, but now he's throwing in with the NFL?
God, of all the professional sports, football is the most like a plantation. The players, to a great degree African-Americans, are told what to do and if they break rank, they're out. All the while exposing themselves to bodily harm and possibly dementia and early death while the fat cat white owners sit in safety. Maybe you have to play in a game to become an owner, see how the other half lives.
So now the NFL struggle is over. No one can stand up to the man because Jay caved.
Of course this is good for exposure, i.e. hip-hop at the Super Bowl, the NFL has ignored the sound the league runs on forever.
But that's like allowing you to sleep indoors but not eat at the dining table.
But that's how far we've come, everybody wants to be a mogul. Meanwhile, all these entertainment wannabes aren't even in the league of the billionaires who own these teams. They're minstrels, puppets on a string. This is all about money, and you ain't got enough of it, so they don't respect you. Why don't you ask them to let you become a member of Augusta National, or the Bohemian Grove. No they don't want you in their house, and Jay Z is single-handedly holding back the future of African-Americans in society.
As for saying Kaepernick's suit has been settled and we have to move on...how about Kaepernick himself? Jay had leverage. He could have insisted that Colin get a tryout, and that he couldn't be cut unless a panel of independent coaches said he was worse than the guy who took his job.
This is America, as Donald Glover would say. Where it's all for me.
Jay Z's leverage is his fame and influence amongst his followers. The NFL knows that if they get Jay on their team, they put a hole in dissension. Who's gonna side with a player protesting when Jay's in with the owners?
Now theoretically, Jay's fans, the community, could protest his action, he could pull out, like Chappelle did with Comedy Central. Contracts are only a sketch, they're not law and they're made to be broken and redone. So Jay Z's got room here. But he's so busy being a business, man, that he can no longer do the right thing.
We revere those who do the right thing. Who've got credibility. Who don't defend someone like Kap and then sell him out.
What kind of bizarre world do we live in where a corporation, Nike, stands up to the NFL, defends and invests in Kaepernick, and Jay Z says there's no choice but to play by the white man's rules?
No wonder music doesn't drive the culture, no wonder it's a second class citizen.
Music is about truth, and when you undermine that you've got nothing, you're a pop artist, only as good as your last hit.
We revere those who speak from their hearts and walk the walk and talk the talk. Who don't do what's expedient, who follow their heart as opposed to the cash.
How much money did Martin Luther King, Jr. have? Gandhi?
Those are the people who are remembered.
And John Lennon, because he spoke truth to power.
That's the power of a musician.
Once you've been co-opted you're meaningless. Money doesn't keep you warm at night.
We all make mistakes. Jay Z made one here. He's got to pull out.
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Warren Leads In Iowa
https://bit.ly/2OZ8rhP
There are so many lessons here:
1. Conventional wisdom is oftentimes ignorance. All movements start from the bottom up, and most pundits don't recognize it, they're too busy hanging in the club. This is how it always happens in music and how it will happen again. And one thing we know for sure, radio will not be in the lead. All phenomena start online, that's where this year's biggest hit, Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" started, not even on YouTube or Spotify, but TikTok. Platforms change the sound. It's McLuhan in action. And on streaming services shorter and more pays better than long and less. "Old Town Road" is not even two minutes long. And when it's done you repeat it, not only embedding it in your brain, but causing Lil Nas X to make more money. You've got to adjust to the new paradigm, the old one is never coming back.
2. You start off the radar. Especially today, when it's so hard to get notice. Traction happens way down the line. You've got to pay your dues and invest.
3. Warren enacted an all out ground game in Iowa. Knowing that it would pay dividends later. Your marketing plan today is long instead of short. If the total effect is now, you're losing. People want to be invested, they want to come on along the way, they want to spread the word, they want to own it. So when you carpet bomb, people notice and then they move on, there's little sticking power. And, you've got to spend money to make money/have an impact. In the previous decade great was good enough. In other words, if your work was great, people found it and you. But not today, there's too much in the channel, you've got to work it. The key is to establish a base audience, that you can depend on, that will keep your career alive.
4. People always say you've got not chance until you do.
5. The biggest media outlets are always the last to know. TV is too busy talking to itself and newspapers/print think about their audience first, they've got giant blind spots.
6. Sincerity triumphs. As does credibility. People have to believe in you. You create this bond when they see you. It's all about personal interaction. Want to have a career? Go on the road and cement the bond, a hit single is not enough.
7. Everybody wants to get behind momentum, excitement, once you start to break through, you're a phenomenon, you get the attention.
8. You don't know who is gonna win until you play the game. Biden was a shoo-in until he was not. History repeats, can you say Muskie, can you say Jeb Bush?
9. After the census, after the gerrymandering, the people decide. And in most cases, politics is not their number one concern, so you must educate them, and usually this happens on a personal live basis. Live means ever more in a digitized world, it's not only concerts, in a world of marketing falsehoods, where everybody is selling, you can only evaluate and find truth when you're experiencing it live.
10. Preparation counts. After these barely pubescent one hit wonders will come a swath of musicians, who practiced, who live for the music as opposed to the riches and the fame.
11. It's a joke until it's mainstream. People made fun of the Beatles' haircuts until they wanted one themselves. Indie rock was a sideshow until Nirvana blew up big.
12. Never change to appease the crowd. You're selling credibility. But it is fine to switch positions if that's what's in your heart.
So how did the media get it so wrong? How did the Democratic National Committee get it so wrong?
Because you can't will the future into being.
This is the story of the era, the toppling of old institutions for new ones. In the sixties it was all about the war. Today it's all about economics. What future do I have? Can I pay my bills? Can I own a house? No one believes the corporation will take care of you.
Once you go in the wrong direction, you're history. If Biden loses in Iowa it's all over. He was seen as a winner, the man who could easily beat Trump, but if he can't even win in his own party?
So now we've got Warren, Bernie, Trump and Kamala.
Biden is fading.
Kamala is faltering.
Bernie is too old in every way, he missed his moment, which was 2016, but he did presage change, he was more in touch with voters than Hillary or the DNC. Bernie acknowledged that the Democrats had moved left. That's future of the party, the youth, and now they're taking the reins.
If you thought that Warren couldn't win, you've now been proven wrong.
Get ready for the new reality.
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There are so many lessons here:
1. Conventional wisdom is oftentimes ignorance. All movements start from the bottom up, and most pundits don't recognize it, they're too busy hanging in the club. This is how it always happens in music and how it will happen again. And one thing we know for sure, radio will not be in the lead. All phenomena start online, that's where this year's biggest hit, Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" started, not even on YouTube or Spotify, but TikTok. Platforms change the sound. It's McLuhan in action. And on streaming services shorter and more pays better than long and less. "Old Town Road" is not even two minutes long. And when it's done you repeat it, not only embedding it in your brain, but causing Lil Nas X to make more money. You've got to adjust to the new paradigm, the old one is never coming back.
2. You start off the radar. Especially today, when it's so hard to get notice. Traction happens way down the line. You've got to pay your dues and invest.
3. Warren enacted an all out ground game in Iowa. Knowing that it would pay dividends later. Your marketing plan today is long instead of short. If the total effect is now, you're losing. People want to be invested, they want to come on along the way, they want to spread the word, they want to own it. So when you carpet bomb, people notice and then they move on, there's little sticking power. And, you've got to spend money to make money/have an impact. In the previous decade great was good enough. In other words, if your work was great, people found it and you. But not today, there's too much in the channel, you've got to work it. The key is to establish a base audience, that you can depend on, that will keep your career alive.
4. People always say you've got not chance until you do.
5. The biggest media outlets are always the last to know. TV is too busy talking to itself and newspapers/print think about their audience first, they've got giant blind spots.
6. Sincerity triumphs. As does credibility. People have to believe in you. You create this bond when they see you. It's all about personal interaction. Want to have a career? Go on the road and cement the bond, a hit single is not enough.
7. Everybody wants to get behind momentum, excitement, once you start to break through, you're a phenomenon, you get the attention.
8. You don't know who is gonna win until you play the game. Biden was a shoo-in until he was not. History repeats, can you say Muskie, can you say Jeb Bush?
9. After the census, after the gerrymandering, the people decide. And in most cases, politics is not their number one concern, so you must educate them, and usually this happens on a personal live basis. Live means ever more in a digitized world, it's not only concerts, in a world of marketing falsehoods, where everybody is selling, you can only evaluate and find truth when you're experiencing it live.
10. Preparation counts. After these barely pubescent one hit wonders will come a swath of musicians, who practiced, who live for the music as opposed to the riches and the fame.
11. It's a joke until it's mainstream. People made fun of the Beatles' haircuts until they wanted one themselves. Indie rock was a sideshow until Nirvana blew up big.
12. Never change to appease the crowd. You're selling credibility. But it is fine to switch positions if that's what's in your heart.
So how did the media get it so wrong? How did the Democratic National Committee get it so wrong?
Because you can't will the future into being.
This is the story of the era, the toppling of old institutions for new ones. In the sixties it was all about the war. Today it's all about economics. What future do I have? Can I pay my bills? Can I own a house? No one believes the corporation will take care of you.
Once you go in the wrong direction, you're history. If Biden loses in Iowa it's all over. He was seen as a winner, the man who could easily beat Trump, but if he can't even win in his own party?
So now we've got Warren, Bernie, Trump and Kamala.
Biden is fading.
Kamala is faltering.
Bernie is too old in every way, he missed his moment, which was 2016, but he did presage change, he was more in touch with voters than Hillary or the DNC. Bernie acknowledged that the Democrats had moved left. That's future of the party, the youth, and now they're taking the reins.
If you thought that Warren couldn't win, you've now been proven wrong.
Get ready for the new reality.
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Grace Slick-This Week's Podcast
A woman who needs no introduction...
(On the 50th anniversary of Woodstock to boot!)
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/
https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=63234055
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2pyr4oV5kvEXtV60E9hy0l
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grace-slick/id1316200737?i=1000446959447
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(On the 50th anniversary of Woodstock to boot!)
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/
https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=63234055
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2pyr4oV5kvEXtV60E9hy0l
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grace-slick/id1316200737?i=1000446959447
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"The Navarro Recession, II"
https://on.wsj.com/2YLwPrI
It's about the money. It's always about the money. And when you piss off money, when people lose money, there are consequences.
Now you may think the stock market does not affect you, but chances are you've got pension money invested, and even if you don't, its performance has consequences in your life. The market falls, and you lose your job. That's how it works folks. You're expendable, the company rolls on. You want the company to be rich, so you can reap the benefits.
Also, you must have allies. We learn this at a very young age, without friends you're nowhere. It takes a team to succeed. And you don't want to piss off the team with money.
Trump and his people pissed off "The Wall Street Journal."
Do you know how hard that is to do, especially when it comes to money? Social issues are one thing, but mess with the financial world's well-being and you're in trouble.
And maybe you don't read "The Wall Street Journal." The editorial above is behind a paywall. But everybody with money has a subscription.
You see there's an inside game and an outside game. And most people are not privy to the inside game. Or, to paraphrase George Carlin, the owners of the country don't want to give you a vote, they want to control the game, and the way you control the game is by having the most information, and having enough money to bet on what you know.
Now it used to be you had a job for life, the company cared about you and watched out for you, and if it didn't, your union stood up for you.
Now "union" is a dirty word, the workers are afraid of unions, afraid of pissing off their employers, and there is no such thing as lifelong employment and many workers are members of the gig economy, where there's no guarantee of employment, never mind any health care, and you work like a dog to survive.
So now Trump is in a bunker mentality. But instead of having the best and the brightest surrounding him, he's got loyalists who are nincompoops, oftentimes without portfolio, i.e. degrees and experience, after all Kudlow is not an economist, but Donald cannot be swayed anyway. He believes he's entitled to have it his way, no wonder he loves McDonald's.
Now the 2016 election was an aberration. The news media was unaware of the unrest percolating in society, and the Democrats ran a flawed candidate. That's right, irrelevant of her experience, does anybody believe Hillary's favorite book is the Bible? Not me, but that's what she said.
And TV boosted Trump. The most insightful article about Trump's ascension and victory was the one in "The New Yorker" focusing on Mark Burnett and "The Apprentice." (https://bit.ly/2T4H3fo) Burnett was as savvy in image-making as Roger Ailes, Burnett built Trump.
But Jesse Ventura was only a one term governor. The electorate learned he was inexperienced and ineffective. And the electorate has learned the same thing about Trump. Forget the loyalists, they just hate Democrats, and a bunch are racist. We didn't realize that so many hated Obama because of his skin color, Trump amplified this sentiment by supporting the birther controversy. And now racism is worse than it's ever been in my lifetime.
But it's the same way elsewhere, and there's starting to be a pushback. Because the far right ran too far with the ball, suddenly the populace at large could see who they really were and what they wanted. Believe me, Brexit wouldn't happen today. It was stirred up by xenophobia and falsehoods perpetrated by those who wanted it.
But now people are wise.
And the story in America is how many people are not on Trump's team. Why should one be afraid of a cabal declining in power and about to be eclipsed?
Now if Roger Ailes were still alive, and still in charge of Fox News, he would have already pulled back Carlson and Ingraham. Ailes knew not to push too far, to try to appear fair and balanced even if you weren't. Now Fox is off the rails, it speaks only to its aged base, no one else takes the news outlet seriously.
Meanwhile, Trump hate tweets Fox on a regular basis.
But now he's messing with "The Wall Street Journal."
The above editorial, which is the position of the newspaper, not an opinion piece by a columnist, blows back against White House aide Peter Navarro for claiming the paper sounded like "The People's Daily," the Chinese Communist propaganda outlet. That's like a Mafia Don shooting a loyalist because he believes they've been unfaithful when they haven't. "The Wall Street Journal" is on the right's side!
And unlike Trump, at least the writers at "The Wall Street Journal" are sophisticated:
"Some Trumpians are cheering the Chinese economy's pain, but they should be careful what they wish for. They could drive China, the world's second largest economy, into its first recession since Deng Xiaoping began the era of pro-market economic reform.
A Chinese recession would mean a European recession, which would send U.S. growth down too. The impact would be worse if slower growth triggers capital flight from China and there's a disorderly fall in the yuan."
In other words, actions have consequences, and we live in a global economy. You just can't decide to sit out and play by your own rules, that day's long passed.
Then the paper beats up Trump and his cronies for their trade wars and ultimately says:
"Stop the trade threats by tweet. Call a tariff truce with China, Europe and the rest of the world while negotiations resume with a goal of reaching a deal by the meeting of Pacific nations in November."
Trump might even listen if the crash gets too bad. But his ego is always on the line, he declares victory and moves on. But we've seen this movie too many times and Trump has demonstrated again and again he's his own man, he will not be told what to do by anyone, he abhors personal restrictions.
So, if you're a student of the game, this editorial is a big thing, a line in the sand. And this is different from the Never Trumpers, because this involves money.
And this does not only apply to monetary policy, this does not only apply to finance.
You think someone's gonna give you a record deal?
Only if it's gonna make money for them. And since the odds are low, the terms are onerous. Musicians keep lobbying for labels to be fair, but in truth the only power they've got comes from leveraging success.
You want to know the people with a seat at the table, who know all the players, who can get something done in one phone call. That's not only power, that's truth.
But we live in a world of gossip by nobodies. In all walks of life. That's how they make themselves feel good. Then again, only a handful of people can run the world.
And if you want to challenge this money-based culture, you can't benefit from it. They call this lobbyists, they call this corporate fundraisers. Or, as Bob Dylan once sang, "to live outside the law you must be honest."
But honesty is a rare thing, because everybody wants the mazuma. Everybody's in thrall to the almighty dollar. They'll sell their souls, commit immoral acts, even screw their friends and family if it involves money.
And most people complaining about this have no money. And just want in on the party. They want theirs.
But if you want to change the system, you cannot be a part of it.
But you must get inside and get a seat at the table.
In that article about Mark Burnett and "The Apprentice," it is detailed how everyone in New York knew Trump was a bad businessman, who was on his way down to boot. And L.A. might be the home of entertainment, but New York is the home of finance in the U.S. So, in other words, the insider club knows the truth about Trump, and if he crosses them, he's gonna pay.
So that's the story today.
Don't do what Fox News does and bait and switch. Try to get its audience riled up by small issues. They want you to not understand.
But in today's world there's so much information.
But you've got to care.
And most people don't.
But they still want that money, it's their ethos, their driving force.
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It's about the money. It's always about the money. And when you piss off money, when people lose money, there are consequences.
Now you may think the stock market does not affect you, but chances are you've got pension money invested, and even if you don't, its performance has consequences in your life. The market falls, and you lose your job. That's how it works folks. You're expendable, the company rolls on. You want the company to be rich, so you can reap the benefits.
Also, you must have allies. We learn this at a very young age, without friends you're nowhere. It takes a team to succeed. And you don't want to piss off the team with money.
Trump and his people pissed off "The Wall Street Journal."
Do you know how hard that is to do, especially when it comes to money? Social issues are one thing, but mess with the financial world's well-being and you're in trouble.
And maybe you don't read "The Wall Street Journal." The editorial above is behind a paywall. But everybody with money has a subscription.
You see there's an inside game and an outside game. And most people are not privy to the inside game. Or, to paraphrase George Carlin, the owners of the country don't want to give you a vote, they want to control the game, and the way you control the game is by having the most information, and having enough money to bet on what you know.
Now it used to be you had a job for life, the company cared about you and watched out for you, and if it didn't, your union stood up for you.
Now "union" is a dirty word, the workers are afraid of unions, afraid of pissing off their employers, and there is no such thing as lifelong employment and many workers are members of the gig economy, where there's no guarantee of employment, never mind any health care, and you work like a dog to survive.
So now Trump is in a bunker mentality. But instead of having the best and the brightest surrounding him, he's got loyalists who are nincompoops, oftentimes without portfolio, i.e. degrees and experience, after all Kudlow is not an economist, but Donald cannot be swayed anyway. He believes he's entitled to have it his way, no wonder he loves McDonald's.
Now the 2016 election was an aberration. The news media was unaware of the unrest percolating in society, and the Democrats ran a flawed candidate. That's right, irrelevant of her experience, does anybody believe Hillary's favorite book is the Bible? Not me, but that's what she said.
And TV boosted Trump. The most insightful article about Trump's ascension and victory was the one in "The New Yorker" focusing on Mark Burnett and "The Apprentice." (https://bit.ly/2T4H3fo) Burnett was as savvy in image-making as Roger Ailes, Burnett built Trump.
But Jesse Ventura was only a one term governor. The electorate learned he was inexperienced and ineffective. And the electorate has learned the same thing about Trump. Forget the loyalists, they just hate Democrats, and a bunch are racist. We didn't realize that so many hated Obama because of his skin color, Trump amplified this sentiment by supporting the birther controversy. And now racism is worse than it's ever been in my lifetime.
But it's the same way elsewhere, and there's starting to be a pushback. Because the far right ran too far with the ball, suddenly the populace at large could see who they really were and what they wanted. Believe me, Brexit wouldn't happen today. It was stirred up by xenophobia and falsehoods perpetrated by those who wanted it.
But now people are wise.
And the story in America is how many people are not on Trump's team. Why should one be afraid of a cabal declining in power and about to be eclipsed?
Now if Roger Ailes were still alive, and still in charge of Fox News, he would have already pulled back Carlson and Ingraham. Ailes knew not to push too far, to try to appear fair and balanced even if you weren't. Now Fox is off the rails, it speaks only to its aged base, no one else takes the news outlet seriously.
Meanwhile, Trump hate tweets Fox on a regular basis.
But now he's messing with "The Wall Street Journal."
The above editorial, which is the position of the newspaper, not an opinion piece by a columnist, blows back against White House aide Peter Navarro for claiming the paper sounded like "The People's Daily," the Chinese Communist propaganda outlet. That's like a Mafia Don shooting a loyalist because he believes they've been unfaithful when they haven't. "The Wall Street Journal" is on the right's side!
And unlike Trump, at least the writers at "The Wall Street Journal" are sophisticated:
"Some Trumpians are cheering the Chinese economy's pain, but they should be careful what they wish for. They could drive China, the world's second largest economy, into its first recession since Deng Xiaoping began the era of pro-market economic reform.
A Chinese recession would mean a European recession, which would send U.S. growth down too. The impact would be worse if slower growth triggers capital flight from China and there's a disorderly fall in the yuan."
In other words, actions have consequences, and we live in a global economy. You just can't decide to sit out and play by your own rules, that day's long passed.
Then the paper beats up Trump and his cronies for their trade wars and ultimately says:
"Stop the trade threats by tweet. Call a tariff truce with China, Europe and the rest of the world while negotiations resume with a goal of reaching a deal by the meeting of Pacific nations in November."
Trump might even listen if the crash gets too bad. But his ego is always on the line, he declares victory and moves on. But we've seen this movie too many times and Trump has demonstrated again and again he's his own man, he will not be told what to do by anyone, he abhors personal restrictions.
So, if you're a student of the game, this editorial is a big thing, a line in the sand. And this is different from the Never Trumpers, because this involves money.
And this does not only apply to monetary policy, this does not only apply to finance.
You think someone's gonna give you a record deal?
Only if it's gonna make money for them. And since the odds are low, the terms are onerous. Musicians keep lobbying for labels to be fair, but in truth the only power they've got comes from leveraging success.
You want to know the people with a seat at the table, who know all the players, who can get something done in one phone call. That's not only power, that's truth.
But we live in a world of gossip by nobodies. In all walks of life. That's how they make themselves feel good. Then again, only a handful of people can run the world.
And if you want to challenge this money-based culture, you can't benefit from it. They call this lobbyists, they call this corporate fundraisers. Or, as Bob Dylan once sang, "to live outside the law you must be honest."
But honesty is a rare thing, because everybody wants the mazuma. Everybody's in thrall to the almighty dollar. They'll sell their souls, commit immoral acts, even screw their friends and family if it involves money.
And most people complaining about this have no money. And just want in on the party. They want theirs.
But if you want to change the system, you cannot be a part of it.
But you must get inside and get a seat at the table.
In that article about Mark Burnett and "The Apprentice," it is detailed how everyone in New York knew Trump was a bad businessman, who was on his way down to boot. And L.A. might be the home of entertainment, but New York is the home of finance in the U.S. So, in other words, the insider club knows the truth about Trump, and if he crosses them, he's gonna pay.
So that's the story today.
Don't do what Fox News does and bait and switch. Try to get its audience riled up by small issues. They want you to not understand.
But in today's world there's so much information.
But you've got to care.
And most people don't.
But they still want that money, it's their ethos, their driving force.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
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-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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--
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Wednesday 14 August 2019
The Dow Drops
This is what happens when you put an amateur behind the wheel.
Government is a professional job, and Hillary Clinton was demonized by the right for thirty years to the point where she could not win the election.
Oh, don't tell me how she won the popular vote, don't even tell me about Russian intervention, the truth is she lost. Democrats play by the rules, Republicans know that rules should be broken. And for all you on the straight and narrow, ever notice that the tech titans, almost all Democrats, break the rules on a consistent basis? Wasn't that the mantra of Facebook, "move fast and break things"? And today's paper says that Facebook was transcribing audio, it hired outside people to do it...didn't anybody know this was wrong? That's like saying if I hire someone else to kill my wife, it's not my fault. The techies play offense, and then apologize when they get caught crossing the line.
The Republicans define the game.
Forget the Trump base COMPLETELY!
I just checked the Fox News homepage, you've got to scroll way down to see the stock market's drop, it's amidst a ton of links at the bottom. You know what the second story is, after the shootings in Philadelphia? AOC! That's like reporting sports scores when an atomic bomb has dropped. Talk about misinformation...
You cannot argue with people operating on different facts, different spin. And no one likes to admit they've been duped, they'll do anything not to appear a dummy, so good luck trying to change their mind.
This has been going on far too long. The Democrats play by Republican rules.
Yup, the Republicans say the economy is too strong for Trump to lose. The Republicans say Pocahontas has no chance. The Republicans say corporate health care is great. The Republicans say they're keeping government out of people's pocketbooks when the truth is it's all a ruse to give cash to the rich.
So what do the Democrats do about it? PLAY DEFENSE! And anybody will tell you you can't score unless you play offense.
But the Democrats are afraid, that they might piss off one potential voter based on hearsay that is not validated, and false polls.
Do not trust statistics always trust your gut. The most successful businessman of our era did no market research. That's right, Steve Jobs. No, not Jack Welch, HE COOKED THE BOOKS! Welch leaves and GE craters. Jobs dies and so far the company has run for EIGHT YEARS on his past innovations.
But NO, in politics you've got to go by the data.
Never forget, the data will tell you where you've been, but not where you're going.
Hell, the Democrats can't even get their agenda right.
Let's make it simple:
1. Welfare. No one should starve, everyone should have a roof over their head. It's a right. Ignore the claims on the right about welfare mothers with flat screens and Benzes. That's like the Republicans going on about voter fraud...IT DOESN'T EXIST, except for maybe tiny exceptions. Democrats should own this issue, but they're too afraid of pissing off the people benefiting from the government. That's right, the Democrats should have a website where they show where federal money goes, and who is dependent on federal programs. It's a well-established fact that people vote against their interests, BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW!
2. Health care. No one should be afraid to go to the hospital, no one should go bankrupt or die because they can't afford to get health care. Stop arguing over the details. It works in many countries already. But no, the Democrats are afraid the CD buyers will be pissed if we talk about streaming. There's no upside to appealing to the past.
3. Gun rights. Call it safety. People want to feel safe.
4. Climate change. Even the "Wall Street Journal" wrote that Gen Z is all about climate change and for that reason they might not vote for Trump. But the Democrats ignore this constituency, with the trope that the young don't vote, and appeal to oldsters who don't want to lose ground. Everything's got to be incremental. THIS IS THE OPPOSITE OF HOW TRUMP GOT ELECTED!
That's it. Let's not argue over the details, let's argue over the CONCEPTS!
And forget about the gotcha Republicans. Anybody, and I mean ANYBODY, with a public face who writes anything negative about the right is inundated with the Republicans' minions working the refs. And you know why they work the refs? SO YOU'LL BE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP NEXT TIME! Talk about a chilling effect.
And under the guise of freedom, the right restricts abortions and tells us how to live.
And the Democrats just complain.
The youth don't vote because the Democrats don't appeal to them.
You never coast to victory. You usually lose.
Sure, you need a team leader to keep the troops in line. But Pelosi doesn't understand it's a new game. She kept impeachment down and then Mueller was a misfire and NOW the Democrats are talking about impeachment? That's like getting ready for overtime when the winning team and the fans have already left the building.
The Democrats couldn't even make the last election about the Supreme Court! That's how bad they are at getting their message across.
The people are on the left's side. But they've got to feel they're not ignored and that there is a leader. But as soon as we find a leader, the Democrats and the media say they're not fit, they can't win, that we've got to rely on an aged gaffer who wants to return us to a past that wasn't that good to begin with. Yup, let's go back to the Obama era before Netflix streaming. Let's go back to Perry Como. The past is history, you've got to prepare for the future!
So all the talk during the last election was about having Trump's hand on the nuclear button, when the truth is the biggest problem was having Trump's hand on the economy.
Of course he blew it up. China and Germany are faltering because of his tariffs.
And if you think the U.S. is not paying, just wait for the price of next year's iPhones, wait until farmers go bankrupt. All because this guy who's in power thinks international relations is a school fight where a bully can prevail.
We live in a global village. All our corporations are international. We can not secede from the world. Nationalism is a hoax. Netflix thrives on making programs for foreign countries, but in the U.S. we must close our borders.
But, the Democrats can't get their message across and are all about "compromise" when Trump ignored his advisors and instituted new tariffs.
This is the fight of our lives. For climate change, if nothing else.
As for electric cars... The Republicans want to put Tesla out of business by cutting the tax break and China is throwing money at a hundred electric car companies. So, by closing our doors and keeping the old people happy we're not only going to pollute our air, ultimately we're gonna be beholden to China for our automobiles.
And since we're refusing to give South Asians visas, they're staying home and innovating there.
Once again, this is not for Trump's base, IGNORE THEM! This is for Democrats and those who used to be. We've got to make our case. Which must be progressive... That's how we got into this mess. Bill Clinton cutting welfare and Obama trying to appease Republicans who wouldn't budge. We refuse to accept the baton, we'd rather complain.
I thought America was the land of DOERS!
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Government is a professional job, and Hillary Clinton was demonized by the right for thirty years to the point where she could not win the election.
Oh, don't tell me how she won the popular vote, don't even tell me about Russian intervention, the truth is she lost. Democrats play by the rules, Republicans know that rules should be broken. And for all you on the straight and narrow, ever notice that the tech titans, almost all Democrats, break the rules on a consistent basis? Wasn't that the mantra of Facebook, "move fast and break things"? And today's paper says that Facebook was transcribing audio, it hired outside people to do it...didn't anybody know this was wrong? That's like saying if I hire someone else to kill my wife, it's not my fault. The techies play offense, and then apologize when they get caught crossing the line.
The Republicans define the game.
Forget the Trump base COMPLETELY!
I just checked the Fox News homepage, you've got to scroll way down to see the stock market's drop, it's amidst a ton of links at the bottom. You know what the second story is, after the shootings in Philadelphia? AOC! That's like reporting sports scores when an atomic bomb has dropped. Talk about misinformation...
You cannot argue with people operating on different facts, different spin. And no one likes to admit they've been duped, they'll do anything not to appear a dummy, so good luck trying to change their mind.
This has been going on far too long. The Democrats play by Republican rules.
Yup, the Republicans say the economy is too strong for Trump to lose. The Republicans say Pocahontas has no chance. The Republicans say corporate health care is great. The Republicans say they're keeping government out of people's pocketbooks when the truth is it's all a ruse to give cash to the rich.
So what do the Democrats do about it? PLAY DEFENSE! And anybody will tell you you can't score unless you play offense.
But the Democrats are afraid, that they might piss off one potential voter based on hearsay that is not validated, and false polls.
Do not trust statistics always trust your gut. The most successful businessman of our era did no market research. That's right, Steve Jobs. No, not Jack Welch, HE COOKED THE BOOKS! Welch leaves and GE craters. Jobs dies and so far the company has run for EIGHT YEARS on his past innovations.
But NO, in politics you've got to go by the data.
Never forget, the data will tell you where you've been, but not where you're going.
Hell, the Democrats can't even get their agenda right.
Let's make it simple:
1. Welfare. No one should starve, everyone should have a roof over their head. It's a right. Ignore the claims on the right about welfare mothers with flat screens and Benzes. That's like the Republicans going on about voter fraud...IT DOESN'T EXIST, except for maybe tiny exceptions. Democrats should own this issue, but they're too afraid of pissing off the people benefiting from the government. That's right, the Democrats should have a website where they show where federal money goes, and who is dependent on federal programs. It's a well-established fact that people vote against their interests, BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW!
2. Health care. No one should be afraid to go to the hospital, no one should go bankrupt or die because they can't afford to get health care. Stop arguing over the details. It works in many countries already. But no, the Democrats are afraid the CD buyers will be pissed if we talk about streaming. There's no upside to appealing to the past.
3. Gun rights. Call it safety. People want to feel safe.
4. Climate change. Even the "Wall Street Journal" wrote that Gen Z is all about climate change and for that reason they might not vote for Trump. But the Democrats ignore this constituency, with the trope that the young don't vote, and appeal to oldsters who don't want to lose ground. Everything's got to be incremental. THIS IS THE OPPOSITE OF HOW TRUMP GOT ELECTED!
That's it. Let's not argue over the details, let's argue over the CONCEPTS!
And forget about the gotcha Republicans. Anybody, and I mean ANYBODY, with a public face who writes anything negative about the right is inundated with the Republicans' minions working the refs. And you know why they work the refs? SO YOU'LL BE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP NEXT TIME! Talk about a chilling effect.
And under the guise of freedom, the right restricts abortions and tells us how to live.
And the Democrats just complain.
The youth don't vote because the Democrats don't appeal to them.
You never coast to victory. You usually lose.
Sure, you need a team leader to keep the troops in line. But Pelosi doesn't understand it's a new game. She kept impeachment down and then Mueller was a misfire and NOW the Democrats are talking about impeachment? That's like getting ready for overtime when the winning team and the fans have already left the building.
The Democrats couldn't even make the last election about the Supreme Court! That's how bad they are at getting their message across.
The people are on the left's side. But they've got to feel they're not ignored and that there is a leader. But as soon as we find a leader, the Democrats and the media say they're not fit, they can't win, that we've got to rely on an aged gaffer who wants to return us to a past that wasn't that good to begin with. Yup, let's go back to the Obama era before Netflix streaming. Let's go back to Perry Como. The past is history, you've got to prepare for the future!
So all the talk during the last election was about having Trump's hand on the nuclear button, when the truth is the biggest problem was having Trump's hand on the economy.
Of course he blew it up. China and Germany are faltering because of his tariffs.
And if you think the U.S. is not paying, just wait for the price of next year's iPhones, wait until farmers go bankrupt. All because this guy who's in power thinks international relations is a school fight where a bully can prevail.
We live in a global village. All our corporations are international. We can not secede from the world. Nationalism is a hoax. Netflix thrives on making programs for foreign countries, but in the U.S. we must close our borders.
But, the Democrats can't get their message across and are all about "compromise" when Trump ignored his advisors and instituted new tariffs.
This is the fight of our lives. For climate change, if nothing else.
As for electric cars... The Republicans want to put Tesla out of business by cutting the tax break and China is throwing money at a hundred electric car companies. So, by closing our doors and keeping the old people happy we're not only going to pollute our air, ultimately we're gonna be beholden to China for our automobiles.
And since we're refusing to give South Asians visas, they're staying home and innovating there.
Once again, this is not for Trump's base, IGNORE THEM! This is for Democrats and those who used to be. We've got to make our case. Which must be progressive... That's how we got into this mess. Bill Clinton cutting welfare and Obama trying to appease Republicans who wouldn't budge. We refuse to accept the baton, we'd rather complain.
I thought America was the land of DOERS!
--
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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--
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The ZZ Top Movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNkb8be3wlA
I smiled throughout.
The question is, will classic rock be to Gen Z what the blues were to the boomers?
That's right, the explosion that arose with the Beatles didn't come out of a vacuum, all these English bands had influences, the Mississippi bluesmen.
But back then the records were hard to find.
But right now they're hiding in plain sight.
But today, when you hide in plain sight, no one sees you. Even though all those records exist online, there are not clubs devoted to them, when you go deep you go alone, hoping to ultimately find someone who feels like you do.
Dusty, Frank and Billy felt the same way, they listened to the same Mexican radio stations, they had the same influences.
And they wanted to play music.
Most stars no longer want to play music, they want to be rich and famous. Playing music is different. You do it for the time on stage, and off stage too, hanging with cool people who get it. Yes, musicians used to be cool, a separate club that you could not be a member of unless you played too.
The money was just a byproduct. It was more about attitude, lifestyle. You worked damn hard, but you were your own boss, and your life was based on fun, remember FUN?
Now ZZ Top was on a terrible label, i.e. London Records. All the English acts who released records on that label jumped as soon as they could. But some, like Ten Years After, left too late, the band was already over by time they were on Columbia, the world had changed.
So if you were living on the east coast, ZZ Top was a band you heard about, but rarely heard. They were rare, foreign, the other. And you'd read some of the publicity, but couldn't relate to it. Like the farm animal tour. HUH? What was the point?
The point was to invest in their career. You've got to spend money to make money. And those who knew, knew.
And by the late seventies, "La Grange" and "Tush" were FM staples, then again at that time I was living on the west coast, for all I know the east coast still overlooked the little ol' band from Texas.
But then I heard "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide."
"Well I was rollin' down the road in some cold blue steel
I had a bluesman in the back and a beautician at the wheel
We going downtown in the middle of the night
We laughing and I'm jokin' and we feelin' all right"
THE SENSE OF HUMOR!
Yes, the groove was undeniable, the almost stutter, but the lyrics? THEY CRACKED ME UP!
Come on, just picture it! A bluesman in the back and a beautician at the wheel? I'm laughing just thinking of it, what imagery! Who'd imagine a beautician at the wheel? This ain't a model, someone internationally famous, just the girl who cuts hair in the neighborhood. And why a bluesman in the back? B.B. King?
I had to buy the album, "Deguello."
Of course, it started with a killer version of "I Thank You," which eclipsed Bonnie Raitt's cover, that gave a twist on the Sam & Dave original...an elixir of guitar and vocal, with a heavy bottom, you dropped the needle and instantly fell in the groove.
And "She Loves My Automobile" was a tear, and such a funny concept, a workingman concept. This is not some rich Wall Street guy drawing the opposite sex based on his wealth, this is a guy who's never been twenty miles from home.
And also on "Deguello" was "A Fool For Your Stockings," with its muddy groove, and the classic, "Cheap Sunglasses." In other words the album was successful musically. as well as financially, after all, ZZ Top were now on Warner Brothers.
But that was 1979.
1981 brought "El Loco" with "Tube Snake Boogie" and "Pearl Necklace," which were au courant as opposed to rearward-looking like most of the early stuff, but was that a matter of perception, the band now being on Warner Brothers.
Now no act makes it without a manager. And the biggest ones have the best. And it's easy to criticize in retrospect, but don't forget Brian Epstein built the Beatles, and he helped invent the business, no rock act had ever been this big, and remember, Capitol didn't even want to put out the initial material in the U.S., "She Loves You" came out on Swan.
And Bill Ham was against TV, he was into mystery, and this restricted the footprint of the band, but it allowed them to blow away fans who'd only heard them on record, if there. That's how it used to be, you went to see a great act and they blew you away. You beamed at your buddies in the audience and subsequently told everybody you knew about them.
And then came "Gimme All Your Lovin'."
You see Frank Beard was watching TV and saw videos so he called up Frank and then Billy tuned in too, and after four hours they were wondering how long this special was gonna last.
This was MTV. Not that they knew. America was much more regional back then, you didn't necessarily know what was going on.
And the videos for "Gimme All Your Lovin'" and "Legs" made ZZ Top international superstars.
Now we saw this documentary paradigm twenty years ago, with VH1's "Behind The Music." Which became formulaic. Band makes it, gets hooked on drugs, has no money and then reunites and you can buy tickets for the tour right now!
Today you make the documentary yourself. Technology allows you to do it on the cheap and everybody can get distribution, maybe for free on YouTube instead of money on a pay service, but you can play, the means of production and distribution are in the hands of the proletariat.
Now at first, you think this flick is a deep dive. But then you watch it long enough to realize it's the same sales pitch as "Behind The Music," you've got to buy a ticket to see the band RIGHT NOW!
But the difference this time is all the classic acts are long in the tooth and this truly might be the end. Yup, if you wanna see the Stones, GO NOW!
ZZ Top is a little younger. And the band is intact, all its members are alive and kicking, a rarity these days.
So the flick starts out in Texas. That's a big point in this movie, how not only is ZZ Top from the state, but that Texas is its own state of mind, Dusty says you learn about state history before national history.
And they sound like they're from Texas, all with accents, speaking slowly.
And all three of them started at a young age. And they paid their dues. First Dusty and Frank in Dallas, and then the band coalesced in Houston.
Billy Gibbons was the hot guitar player. Music is a small community, you always know who the gunslingers are. And Frank Beard got up his gumption and asked Billy to play with him. It's always about the ask, without it you rarely get.
And when they clicked, Frank called Dusty to come on down.
Now some of the footage is mind-blowing. Especially of Billy. He used to be beardless, he looked a bit like an intellectual. And for a very brief moment he dances and you realize he too was infected by the music, just like you.
And they hone the act.
And they play regionally. And there's one great story of the curtain rising and...
I won't ruin the tale, but ZZ Top is not interested in making themselves look good here. Hell, they know it was three hot babes and three ugly guys in the videos, they know who they are.
And what I always loved about ZZ Top is they wore the coveralls, the cowboy hats, had the beards, they were not constricted by society, they did whatever they wanted. They talk of opening for the Stones and Keith Richards wearing the same dirty white pants every day. Yup, the acts were scruffy and just didn't care.
And ZZ Top kills, get an encore but are not mentioned in the reviews.
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll. And it's not a straight line.
And Frank Beard testifies to spending all his money on drugs and loving them all the while and...
These are not bankers, these are not techies, they're rock stars. There's no school that'll get you there. There's no prerequisite, you've just got to know how to PLAY! And get LUCKY!
And like I said, this flick is really an ad for the tour. But the twist here is the band performs live in the studio throughout, demonstrating their chops. Such a big sound from such a little band. A guitar, a bass and drums was and still is enough in this era where most people fake it, with players behind the curtain or on hard drive.
So if you were there, you'll remember. All of it. Not that you won't gain insight, but you'll marvel at once was.
And if you weren't, ZZ Top will appear to be a phenomenon, a unique act that seemed to come out of nowhere, that made it all by themselves. And that's exciting and inspiring.
So how long will it be until bands start playing in the garage, and practice as opposed to promoting on social media. After all, it does come down to music. And people always want a new sound, and sometimes just a slight twist on what came before can open an entire avenue.
So, ZZ Top had soul. And power. And a sense of humor.
AND THEY STILL DO!
--
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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--
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I smiled throughout.
The question is, will classic rock be to Gen Z what the blues were to the boomers?
That's right, the explosion that arose with the Beatles didn't come out of a vacuum, all these English bands had influences, the Mississippi bluesmen.
But back then the records were hard to find.
But right now they're hiding in plain sight.
But today, when you hide in plain sight, no one sees you. Even though all those records exist online, there are not clubs devoted to them, when you go deep you go alone, hoping to ultimately find someone who feels like you do.
Dusty, Frank and Billy felt the same way, they listened to the same Mexican radio stations, they had the same influences.
And they wanted to play music.
Most stars no longer want to play music, they want to be rich and famous. Playing music is different. You do it for the time on stage, and off stage too, hanging with cool people who get it. Yes, musicians used to be cool, a separate club that you could not be a member of unless you played too.
The money was just a byproduct. It was more about attitude, lifestyle. You worked damn hard, but you were your own boss, and your life was based on fun, remember FUN?
Now ZZ Top was on a terrible label, i.e. London Records. All the English acts who released records on that label jumped as soon as they could. But some, like Ten Years After, left too late, the band was already over by time they were on Columbia, the world had changed.
So if you were living on the east coast, ZZ Top was a band you heard about, but rarely heard. They were rare, foreign, the other. And you'd read some of the publicity, but couldn't relate to it. Like the farm animal tour. HUH? What was the point?
The point was to invest in their career. You've got to spend money to make money. And those who knew, knew.
And by the late seventies, "La Grange" and "Tush" were FM staples, then again at that time I was living on the west coast, for all I know the east coast still overlooked the little ol' band from Texas.
But then I heard "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide."
"Well I was rollin' down the road in some cold blue steel
I had a bluesman in the back and a beautician at the wheel
We going downtown in the middle of the night
We laughing and I'm jokin' and we feelin' all right"
THE SENSE OF HUMOR!
Yes, the groove was undeniable, the almost stutter, but the lyrics? THEY CRACKED ME UP!
Come on, just picture it! A bluesman in the back and a beautician at the wheel? I'm laughing just thinking of it, what imagery! Who'd imagine a beautician at the wheel? This ain't a model, someone internationally famous, just the girl who cuts hair in the neighborhood. And why a bluesman in the back? B.B. King?
I had to buy the album, "Deguello."
Of course, it started with a killer version of "I Thank You," which eclipsed Bonnie Raitt's cover, that gave a twist on the Sam & Dave original...an elixir of guitar and vocal, with a heavy bottom, you dropped the needle and instantly fell in the groove.
And "She Loves My Automobile" was a tear, and such a funny concept, a workingman concept. This is not some rich Wall Street guy drawing the opposite sex based on his wealth, this is a guy who's never been twenty miles from home.
And also on "Deguello" was "A Fool For Your Stockings," with its muddy groove, and the classic, "Cheap Sunglasses." In other words the album was successful musically. as well as financially, after all, ZZ Top were now on Warner Brothers.
But that was 1979.
1981 brought "El Loco" with "Tube Snake Boogie" and "Pearl Necklace," which were au courant as opposed to rearward-looking like most of the early stuff, but was that a matter of perception, the band now being on Warner Brothers.
Now no act makes it without a manager. And the biggest ones have the best. And it's easy to criticize in retrospect, but don't forget Brian Epstein built the Beatles, and he helped invent the business, no rock act had ever been this big, and remember, Capitol didn't even want to put out the initial material in the U.S., "She Loves You" came out on Swan.
And Bill Ham was against TV, he was into mystery, and this restricted the footprint of the band, but it allowed them to blow away fans who'd only heard them on record, if there. That's how it used to be, you went to see a great act and they blew you away. You beamed at your buddies in the audience and subsequently told everybody you knew about them.
And then came "Gimme All Your Lovin'."
You see Frank Beard was watching TV and saw videos so he called up Frank and then Billy tuned in too, and after four hours they were wondering how long this special was gonna last.
This was MTV. Not that they knew. America was much more regional back then, you didn't necessarily know what was going on.
And the videos for "Gimme All Your Lovin'" and "Legs" made ZZ Top international superstars.
Now we saw this documentary paradigm twenty years ago, with VH1's "Behind The Music." Which became formulaic. Band makes it, gets hooked on drugs, has no money and then reunites and you can buy tickets for the tour right now!
Today you make the documentary yourself. Technology allows you to do it on the cheap and everybody can get distribution, maybe for free on YouTube instead of money on a pay service, but you can play, the means of production and distribution are in the hands of the proletariat.
Now at first, you think this flick is a deep dive. But then you watch it long enough to realize it's the same sales pitch as "Behind The Music," you've got to buy a ticket to see the band RIGHT NOW!
But the difference this time is all the classic acts are long in the tooth and this truly might be the end. Yup, if you wanna see the Stones, GO NOW!
ZZ Top is a little younger. And the band is intact, all its members are alive and kicking, a rarity these days.
So the flick starts out in Texas. That's a big point in this movie, how not only is ZZ Top from the state, but that Texas is its own state of mind, Dusty says you learn about state history before national history.
And they sound like they're from Texas, all with accents, speaking slowly.
And all three of them started at a young age. And they paid their dues. First Dusty and Frank in Dallas, and then the band coalesced in Houston.
Billy Gibbons was the hot guitar player. Music is a small community, you always know who the gunslingers are. And Frank Beard got up his gumption and asked Billy to play with him. It's always about the ask, without it you rarely get.
And when they clicked, Frank called Dusty to come on down.
Now some of the footage is mind-blowing. Especially of Billy. He used to be beardless, he looked a bit like an intellectual. And for a very brief moment he dances and you realize he too was infected by the music, just like you.
And they hone the act.
And they play regionally. And there's one great story of the curtain rising and...
I won't ruin the tale, but ZZ Top is not interested in making themselves look good here. Hell, they know it was three hot babes and three ugly guys in the videos, they know who they are.
And what I always loved about ZZ Top is they wore the coveralls, the cowboy hats, had the beards, they were not constricted by society, they did whatever they wanted. They talk of opening for the Stones and Keith Richards wearing the same dirty white pants every day. Yup, the acts were scruffy and just didn't care.
And ZZ Top kills, get an encore but are not mentioned in the reviews.
It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll. And it's not a straight line.
And Frank Beard testifies to spending all his money on drugs and loving them all the while and...
These are not bankers, these are not techies, they're rock stars. There's no school that'll get you there. There's no prerequisite, you've just got to know how to PLAY! And get LUCKY!
And like I said, this flick is really an ad for the tour. But the twist here is the band performs live in the studio throughout, demonstrating their chops. Such a big sound from such a little band. A guitar, a bass and drums was and still is enough in this era where most people fake it, with players behind the curtain or on hard drive.
So if you were there, you'll remember. All of it. Not that you won't gain insight, but you'll marvel at once was.
And if you weren't, ZZ Top will appear to be a phenomenon, a unique act that seemed to come out of nowhere, that made it all by themselves. And that's exciting and inspiring.
So how long will it be until bands start playing in the garage, and practice as opposed to promoting on social media. After all, it does come down to music. And people always want a new sound, and sometimes just a slight twist on what came before can open an entire avenue.
So, ZZ Top had soul. And power. And a sense of humor.
AND THEY STILL DO!
--
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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--
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Monday 12 August 2019
Peter Shapiro-SiriusXM This Week
Yes, the concert promoter who started with Wetlands, expanded into the Brooklyn Bowl and the Capitol Theatre and...
It doesn't stop there, Peter put together Fare Thee Well and now has Lock'n.
Find out how an independent promoter innovates, survives and makes a difference!
Tune in tomorrow, Tuesday August 13th, 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
--
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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--
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It doesn't stop there, Peter put together Fare Thee Well and now has Lock'n.
Find out how an independent promoter innovates, survives and makes a difference!
Tune in tomorrow, Tuesday August 13th, 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
--
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
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Sunday 11 August 2019
The Lumineers Open The MIssion Ballroom
Strasburg told me the story on Chair 10.
Used to be a dedicated reader could tell what was going on, a subscription to "Billboard" was enough. Not anymore. There's no music publication that will hip you to the business. Today you've got to know the people, and that's a damn hard thing to do, because they're working so damn hard.
You know I'm not a big fan of music business schools. They teach you how to be middle managers. When the music business is run by entrepreneurs, all unique, all self-starters, they'd be successful at anything they chose to do.
Don Strasburg promoted a Phish show when he went to Colorado College. And by time I met him, before the roll-up of 1996, he was a super-passionate promoter out of Denver. I mean we all know Chuck Morris, but this twentysomething giving me burned CDs of Robert Randolph and...
Strasburg was relentless.
But Don cares. He views a concert as a party, that's what he tells all his charges to never forget, to see it through the eyes of the attendees.
And Don used to book the Denver Fillmore, but then he, Chuck and Brent moved over to AEG and they didn't have a venue that size.
Now AEG's got plenty of venues in Denver. And today Don's territory is not limited to the Mile High City, but Don wanted to fill this niche...the only issue was money, could he convince the bigwigs to go for it?
And it's always about money, you can't afford everything, that money could be used to buy Outside Lands...
Now if you know Don he's scruffy. He said he wasn't gonna shave his beard until the Mission opened. He ended up looking like a lumberjack, with a beard maybe eight inches long, but he stuck to his guns.
Now what you've got to know about Don is he's passionate, he cares, he's not a company man. That's what's wrong with the music business today, too many company men (and women!) The basic question is...have you ever risked your own money? The losses hurt. And they still hurt. Don told the story of losing 250k, maybe a little less, on a recent date. He'd been arm-twisted into doing it. During the gig a worker asked if they should let those on the grass down into the seats, Don said no. Because he wanted the act to play to empty seats, to show its representatives that they were wrong.
This is the nitty-gritty, this is not what they teach in school. Every show is a risk. And you don't always win. The landscape is littered with dead promotion companies, it's damn hard.
So Don had a vision. He laid it all out on the chair. He called me about it. We spoke about it every time we were together in Vail. Hell, wanna get to know somebody? Ski with them. Of course you can play golf, but that's competitive, skiing is not. And actually, Don snowboards. He loves to go into the trees, like in WTF. I'll let you try to decipher what that stands for, let's just say it's at the far end of Sun Up Bowl and it used to be off the map. I was recovering from shoulder surgery, I did not want to hit a tree, and the average person would classify WTF as the woods/forest. Then again, Don tore his ACL in the woods at Winter Park and extracted himself and drove home before he had surgery.
So the concept of the Mission Ballroom, the layout...
Let me just say it's rectangular, but it's encircled, like the Colosseum in Rome, by bleachers a la Red Rocks. Maybe you haven't been to Red Rocks, you should go, it's unique. (Check out the Mission's layout here: https://www.missionballroom.com/img/mb_ga_seatingmap.pdf)
And nothing is ever finished on time. When I asked Don if the August 7th opening was firm, he said ABSOLUTELY!
So we went.
This is not an old building with charm, this is brand new construction, and the vibe is created by the acts on stage.
Now, the side seats, on the second floor, they're open to the hoi polloi, insiders sit/stand behind them. The Mission Ballroom is egalitarian.
And there are the usual bars, Don and his compatriots have learned a lot about what is needed in their decades of shows.
But first and foremost this is a music venue. And we ain't got many of those. We've got the Forum, the best arena in the country because it's only about music, there are no sports teams. But many of the other venues are multi-purpose buildings. But in the Mission, the infrastructure is permanent, for the music. The lighting rigs can be moved back and forth, same deal with the stage.
But really, it's all about the music.
And Denver's a music town.
You think everything is happening in New York or L.A., but you're wrong. Hell, the Lumineers moved from New Jersey to Colorado to make it. This is how far we've come. In an era of mass communications, we know so much, but we know so little. The truth is, music is more regional than it's been since the sixties. Maybe not in radio, but live. Unless you're there, it's hard to know what's going on. And Don hears it first, because Denver/Boulder is inundated with college students and Don also runs clubs. He told me about Maggie Rogers nearly a year before most people heard of her, before the press began. And when you go to the show, you get it.
The people were there for the music.
Now the Lumineers are a hometown act, and they had a big radio hit, but still...this was not your typical arena show, all flash and on hard drive, this breathed.
And "Ho Hey" would not get on Top Forty radio today, no way. But it did back in 2012, SEVEN YEARS AGO! That's right, there's a return to musicians, the Lumineers have been doing it since 2005. The major labels promote ever younger "artists" who burn out before they are twenty, and the older people in most cases don't even need a label, and they have an audience.
Now you have to be over 16 to get into the Mission Ballroom, but most of the people were in their late twenties and thirties. I didn't feel old being there. But I was envious of the enthusiasm, these were true fans, they sang along.
So maybe it can be about music again. Maybe it all doesn't have to sound like the Spotify Top 50. Turns out there is an audience older and more sophisticated who will devour different acts, if you make them aware of them.
And if the acts are good, they graduate up the building ladder, and one step on it is the Mission Ballroom, with a capacity of 3,950.
There's no MTV keeping us all on one track. And sure, there are not only Top Forty radio stations, but we live in an on-demand world, radio does not drive the business like it used to.
It's about word of mouth, friends, social media. You hear about it and want to check it out.
The only problem is it can be hard to become a member of this chain.
But you can start by checking out who's playing at the Mission Ballroom.
https://www.missionballroom.com
--
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
--
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Used to be a dedicated reader could tell what was going on, a subscription to "Billboard" was enough. Not anymore. There's no music publication that will hip you to the business. Today you've got to know the people, and that's a damn hard thing to do, because they're working so damn hard.
You know I'm not a big fan of music business schools. They teach you how to be middle managers. When the music business is run by entrepreneurs, all unique, all self-starters, they'd be successful at anything they chose to do.
Don Strasburg promoted a Phish show when he went to Colorado College. And by time I met him, before the roll-up of 1996, he was a super-passionate promoter out of Denver. I mean we all know Chuck Morris, but this twentysomething giving me burned CDs of Robert Randolph and...
Strasburg was relentless.
But Don cares. He views a concert as a party, that's what he tells all his charges to never forget, to see it through the eyes of the attendees.
And Don used to book the Denver Fillmore, but then he, Chuck and Brent moved over to AEG and they didn't have a venue that size.
Now AEG's got plenty of venues in Denver. And today Don's territory is not limited to the Mile High City, but Don wanted to fill this niche...the only issue was money, could he convince the bigwigs to go for it?
And it's always about money, you can't afford everything, that money could be used to buy Outside Lands...
Now if you know Don he's scruffy. He said he wasn't gonna shave his beard until the Mission opened. He ended up looking like a lumberjack, with a beard maybe eight inches long, but he stuck to his guns.
Now what you've got to know about Don is he's passionate, he cares, he's not a company man. That's what's wrong with the music business today, too many company men (and women!) The basic question is...have you ever risked your own money? The losses hurt. And they still hurt. Don told the story of losing 250k, maybe a little less, on a recent date. He'd been arm-twisted into doing it. During the gig a worker asked if they should let those on the grass down into the seats, Don said no. Because he wanted the act to play to empty seats, to show its representatives that they were wrong.
This is the nitty-gritty, this is not what they teach in school. Every show is a risk. And you don't always win. The landscape is littered with dead promotion companies, it's damn hard.
So Don had a vision. He laid it all out on the chair. He called me about it. We spoke about it every time we were together in Vail. Hell, wanna get to know somebody? Ski with them. Of course you can play golf, but that's competitive, skiing is not. And actually, Don snowboards. He loves to go into the trees, like in WTF. I'll let you try to decipher what that stands for, let's just say it's at the far end of Sun Up Bowl and it used to be off the map. I was recovering from shoulder surgery, I did not want to hit a tree, and the average person would classify WTF as the woods/forest. Then again, Don tore his ACL in the woods at Winter Park and extracted himself and drove home before he had surgery.
So the concept of the Mission Ballroom, the layout...
Let me just say it's rectangular, but it's encircled, like the Colosseum in Rome, by bleachers a la Red Rocks. Maybe you haven't been to Red Rocks, you should go, it's unique. (Check out the Mission's layout here: https://www.missionballroom.com/img/mb_ga_seatingmap.pdf)
And nothing is ever finished on time. When I asked Don if the August 7th opening was firm, he said ABSOLUTELY!
So we went.
This is not an old building with charm, this is brand new construction, and the vibe is created by the acts on stage.
Now, the side seats, on the second floor, they're open to the hoi polloi, insiders sit/stand behind them. The Mission Ballroom is egalitarian.
And there are the usual bars, Don and his compatriots have learned a lot about what is needed in their decades of shows.
But first and foremost this is a music venue. And we ain't got many of those. We've got the Forum, the best arena in the country because it's only about music, there are no sports teams. But many of the other venues are multi-purpose buildings. But in the Mission, the infrastructure is permanent, for the music. The lighting rigs can be moved back and forth, same deal with the stage.
But really, it's all about the music.
And Denver's a music town.
You think everything is happening in New York or L.A., but you're wrong. Hell, the Lumineers moved from New Jersey to Colorado to make it. This is how far we've come. In an era of mass communications, we know so much, but we know so little. The truth is, music is more regional than it's been since the sixties. Maybe not in radio, but live. Unless you're there, it's hard to know what's going on. And Don hears it first, because Denver/Boulder is inundated with college students and Don also runs clubs. He told me about Maggie Rogers nearly a year before most people heard of her, before the press began. And when you go to the show, you get it.
The people were there for the music.
Now the Lumineers are a hometown act, and they had a big radio hit, but still...this was not your typical arena show, all flash and on hard drive, this breathed.
And "Ho Hey" would not get on Top Forty radio today, no way. But it did back in 2012, SEVEN YEARS AGO! That's right, there's a return to musicians, the Lumineers have been doing it since 2005. The major labels promote ever younger "artists" who burn out before they are twenty, and the older people in most cases don't even need a label, and they have an audience.
Now you have to be over 16 to get into the Mission Ballroom, but most of the people were in their late twenties and thirties. I didn't feel old being there. But I was envious of the enthusiasm, these were true fans, they sang along.
So maybe it can be about music again. Maybe it all doesn't have to sound like the Spotify Top 50. Turns out there is an audience older and more sophisticated who will devour different acts, if you make them aware of them.
And if the acts are good, they graduate up the building ladder, and one step on it is the Mission Ballroom, with a capacity of 3,950.
There's no MTV keeping us all on one track. And sure, there are not only Top Forty radio stations, but we live in an on-demand world, radio does not drive the business like it used to.
It's about word of mouth, friends, social media. You hear about it and want to check it out.
The only problem is it can be hard to become a member of this chain.
But you can start by checking out who's playing at the Mission Ballroom.
https://www.missionballroom.com
--
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
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Clifford Still
I was in Denver for the opening of the Mission Ballroom.
But that's a whole 'nother story.
The following day, my friend John took me to the Clifford Still Museum. Actually, I'm the art history major, but he seems to see more art than I do, hell, he's a member!
You see Clifford Still said that after he died, all his work should go to a city that built a museum solely to show his work. And that ended up being in Denver, spearheaded by John Hickenlooper when he was mayor.
That's one of the things wrong with the debates, it's hard to focus on accomplishments, everybody's so busy tearing others down. If the Democrats want a centrist, Hick would be great. Biden's just a faux pas away from blowing himself up, and is ten years older.
But this is not about politics, this is about art.
You've seen Clifford Still's work. You'd know it if you saw it again.
But this is not about the work per se.
There are two floors in the museum. The second contains Still's paintings and drawings. The first contains mementos and documents from his life. Still was a pack rat, he kept everything.
In one letter, Still excoriated all the artists imitating him. He said it was all right at first, but then you had to go your own way. And the artists Still listed were and still are household names. You see art is about pushing the envelope, going on your own personal journey. Still was trying to be legendary. And on this journey...
He stopped exhibiting his work. COMPLETELY! Oh, he'd already made a splash in New York, but in the sixties, he sent a letter to his gallerist, and told her it was over, no offense, he just didn't want to show his work anymore...BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE SUBJECT TO THE BLOWBACK, THE CRITICS...he was worried it would change his art, make him stray from his own vision.
Whew... Nothing could be more prescient in terms of today. You make it, people criticize it, and you're wounded, or change to suit these people who may not like what you do anyway, and if you give them what they want, they still hate it.
That's the conundrum.
There are fine artists and commercial artists, and there's nothing wrong with the latter, but if you're one of the former...
As Steve Jobs said, you should try to put a dent in the universe.
It's a lonely pursuit, and oftentimes attention comes and goes, if it comes at all. But you've got to keep on trying.
Now in an era of wannabes, you've got to know when the experts/insiders first saw Still's work, they were blown away, he got a show almost immediately. It's always that way with art, people have a visceral response. And no one is interested in meh.
So, if you're not getting attention, that does not mean you should stop, it just means if you're a true artist you'll keep doing it, irrelevant of whether you get any attention or make any money.
That's what music is today, about money. Commerce. The focus is not on art, and we're not getting much.
Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist, of course there are great musicians out there, but the general belief is that you make a hit and then leverage your brand for an entree into clothing, perfume, selling.... We can't stop hearing that Kylie Kardashian, I think that's the one, is now a billionaire based on makeup. That's a business story, that's not art.
Art is a lonely road.
https://clyffordstillmuseum.org
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--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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But that's a whole 'nother story.
The following day, my friend John took me to the Clifford Still Museum. Actually, I'm the art history major, but he seems to see more art than I do, hell, he's a member!
You see Clifford Still said that after he died, all his work should go to a city that built a museum solely to show his work. And that ended up being in Denver, spearheaded by John Hickenlooper when he was mayor.
That's one of the things wrong with the debates, it's hard to focus on accomplishments, everybody's so busy tearing others down. If the Democrats want a centrist, Hick would be great. Biden's just a faux pas away from blowing himself up, and is ten years older.
But this is not about politics, this is about art.
You've seen Clifford Still's work. You'd know it if you saw it again.
But this is not about the work per se.
There are two floors in the museum. The second contains Still's paintings and drawings. The first contains mementos and documents from his life. Still was a pack rat, he kept everything.
In one letter, Still excoriated all the artists imitating him. He said it was all right at first, but then you had to go your own way. And the artists Still listed were and still are household names. You see art is about pushing the envelope, going on your own personal journey. Still was trying to be legendary. And on this journey...
He stopped exhibiting his work. COMPLETELY! Oh, he'd already made a splash in New York, but in the sixties, he sent a letter to his gallerist, and told her it was over, no offense, he just didn't want to show his work anymore...BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE SUBJECT TO THE BLOWBACK, THE CRITICS...he was worried it would change his art, make him stray from his own vision.
Whew... Nothing could be more prescient in terms of today. You make it, people criticize it, and you're wounded, or change to suit these people who may not like what you do anyway, and if you give them what they want, they still hate it.
That's the conundrum.
There are fine artists and commercial artists, and there's nothing wrong with the latter, but if you're one of the former...
As Steve Jobs said, you should try to put a dent in the universe.
It's a lonely pursuit, and oftentimes attention comes and goes, if it comes at all. But you've got to keep on trying.
Now in an era of wannabes, you've got to know when the experts/insiders first saw Still's work, they were blown away, he got a show almost immediately. It's always that way with art, people have a visceral response. And no one is interested in meh.
So, if you're not getting attention, that does not mean you should stop, it just means if you're a true artist you'll keep doing it, irrelevant of whether you get any attention or make any money.
That's what music is today, about money. Commerce. The focus is not on art, and we're not getting much.
Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist, of course there are great musicians out there, but the general belief is that you make a hit and then leverage your brand for an entree into clothing, perfume, selling.... We can't stop hearing that Kylie Kardashian, I think that's the one, is now a billionaire based on makeup. That's a business story, that's not art.
Art is a lonely road.
https://clyffordstillmuseum.org
--
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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