Re: Undercover Season 3
Thank you Bob.
Always nice to read a good review, especially for this season. It was a hard one to make. Getting Bob and Ferry together pitched great but was… yes… a stretch to write. At the time I was busy making the movie, so my good friend and colleague (and co-creator) Piet Matthys did most of the heavy lifting.
Shooting was even more intense, we were at the height of the third covid-wave, Frank was exhausted (shot this back to back with the movie, that's why his hair is short - we didn't have time to do something else) and lonely in his hotel room. He's a Dutchman and we shot most of the show in Belgium with a lot of restrictions, all restaurants and bars closed, no social gatherings possible. It made the experience very "method" for him, although he hates method acting. He's the kind of actor who can switch on and off in the blink of an eye.
Irony is that I'm in LA now, stuck in my hotel room because of a positive covid test. Gives me time to write!
Nico Moolenaar
(Creator/Producer "Undercover")
_____________________________________
Dear mister lefsetz,
Thanks for your kind reviews. If you happen to know an agent who would like to help me do some stuff over there, I would be very grateful. And for the record I don't have skinny legs.
Greetings from Holland
Frank lammers
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
So glad you keep the love going for Undercover, as I could not agree with you MORE!
Ferry is one of, if not the best bad guys in years on TV, and for those who know what we're both talking about, I don't think there's been a more lovable, yet despicable "bad guy" like this since Gandolfini in The Sopranos. Ferry is the show, and every second he's on screen he's unpredictable, ready to pounce, and flat out someone you can't help but admire because he says what he means and means what he says, which is sadly something most knuckleheads in our world have forgotten is a noble and stand up quality we desperately need more of.
Thank you,
Richard Suckle
_____________________________________
I was an AFS student in Tunisia in high school and attended a few circumcisions - yes, they are a thing, like a combo bris and bar mitzvah. My eyes were big as saucers the first time I attended one - I don't think I'd heard the word circumcision said out loud before (I grew up protestant in Pasadena).
Re Frank Lammers - The range. He's mesmerizing as Ferry. He's so alive as a character I feel like I can smell him. Repulsive and attractive...the boyish slump in the hotel lobby in Turkey, his tenderness towards Danielle, his rage - when he pulled that table out of the cement floor to reach the phone in prison! - the pursed lips, watching his brain work when he's negotiating with the police and then...that remarkable scene with Serkan where he goes raw and real about why he desperately needs that drug deal...wow.
Barbara Barna Abel
_____________________________________
I'm watching undercover, it really is good. Ferry was an amazing character and mean as a snake underneath. Bob is a full fledged character with his work, his family and I don't know how people who work undercover for months, years do what they do.
Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check out Spiral.
Brian ALLMAN
_____________________________________
Ditto…100% !
Kevin Teare
_____________________________________
Great season, loved it, too!
Don Sizzle
_____________________________________
I want an all Fer network.
Gary Mendel
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Friday 14 January 2022
Thursday 13 January 2022
Undercover Season 3
It delivers.
I'd say it's phenomenal, but there are some plot points that are not fully believable...no, let me just say they stretch it. But having said that one thing you must know is at times it's so TENSE!
That's something that TV doesn't do so well. That's one of the reasons "The Bureau" is so great, because of the tension. And there were times during the new "Undercover" that it was hard to watch, not because of gore and violence, but because you were worried what might happen to the characters.
I don't want to give away any of the plot, but let me just say that the series works first and foremost because of Frank Lammers, who plays Ferry. He's far from classically beautiful, and he's got a big belly and skinny legs. And what he radiates isn't exactly charisma, but internal power, confidence, and the ability to manipulate. You're drawn to him. Ferry is out for himself, but he can be warm and fuzzy, most notably with Danielle.
Danielle... She's long on heart, but not so good with brains. As for her sexual preferences...I'll let you watch and find out.
And Tom Waes, as Bob/Peter, is inherently intense. And he never breaks character, that's just who he is. Focused. Eyes on the prize. Thinking about the game all the time. Which is why he and Ferry play so well together. One from the good team, one from the bad, but both skilled at what they are doing.
And then there's a new character, Nazmiye Oral as Leyla, the drug kingpin. She's so believable it's astounding. Devoted to her handicapped husband partner but shouldering all the responsibilities that he no longer can. She and her family are Turkish. Exotic in Belgium, where this show is shot. They don't sacrifice their roots, and there's a celebration commemorating a surgery...I'd never heard of this occasion, proving that television can be a window to the world.
Assuming you watch foreign shows. And if you want a Turkish show, pull up "Ethos," also on Netflix, which is gritty in its own way and even more believable. I've written about it, but I'm constantly getting e-mail from people asking me what to watch, or telling me about a show I've already written about, so I want to remind you.
"Undercover" is basically a crime show. The best foreign crime show is "Spiral." It rings true throughout. But it doesn't have Frank Lammers, as good as the talent is in that French production. It's amazing what one star can do.
So be sure to watch "Undercover" with subtitles, it just does not ring as true dubbed. And watch the previous two seasons and the prequel movie too. This is a humdinger. If only we had television like this in the U.S. The U.S. is all about sheen, the look, the stars frequently supersede the roles. But in "Undercover," you forget you're watching television, you just go along for the ride. And the ride is not always fast, and when it's slow it's tense and...
I've tried to watch some of the hyped American shows, like "Maid." Andie MacDowell starts off okay and then goes over the top and becomes unwatchable. Her daughter, Margaret Qualley, who plays the title character, is a star, but to tell you the truth I've been unable to finish the show.
So most people don't know the new season of "Undercover" started on Monday. But more people know the new season of "Ozark" starts Friday. CAN'T WAIT!
Trailer: https://bit.ly/3Gw6pMs
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I'd say it's phenomenal, but there are some plot points that are not fully believable...no, let me just say they stretch it. But having said that one thing you must know is at times it's so TENSE!
That's something that TV doesn't do so well. That's one of the reasons "The Bureau" is so great, because of the tension. And there were times during the new "Undercover" that it was hard to watch, not because of gore and violence, but because you were worried what might happen to the characters.
I don't want to give away any of the plot, but let me just say that the series works first and foremost because of Frank Lammers, who plays Ferry. He's far from classically beautiful, and he's got a big belly and skinny legs. And what he radiates isn't exactly charisma, but internal power, confidence, and the ability to manipulate. You're drawn to him. Ferry is out for himself, but he can be warm and fuzzy, most notably with Danielle.
Danielle... She's long on heart, but not so good with brains. As for her sexual preferences...I'll let you watch and find out.
And Tom Waes, as Bob/Peter, is inherently intense. And he never breaks character, that's just who he is. Focused. Eyes on the prize. Thinking about the game all the time. Which is why he and Ferry play so well together. One from the good team, one from the bad, but both skilled at what they are doing.
And then there's a new character, Nazmiye Oral as Leyla, the drug kingpin. She's so believable it's astounding. Devoted to her handicapped husband partner but shouldering all the responsibilities that he no longer can. She and her family are Turkish. Exotic in Belgium, where this show is shot. They don't sacrifice their roots, and there's a celebration commemorating a surgery...I'd never heard of this occasion, proving that television can be a window to the world.
Assuming you watch foreign shows. And if you want a Turkish show, pull up "Ethos," also on Netflix, which is gritty in its own way and even more believable. I've written about it, but I'm constantly getting e-mail from people asking me what to watch, or telling me about a show I've already written about, so I want to remind you.
"Undercover" is basically a crime show. The best foreign crime show is "Spiral." It rings true throughout. But it doesn't have Frank Lammers, as good as the talent is in that French production. It's amazing what one star can do.
So be sure to watch "Undercover" with subtitles, it just does not ring as true dubbed. And watch the previous two seasons and the prequel movie too. This is a humdinger. If only we had television like this in the U.S. The U.S. is all about sheen, the look, the stars frequently supersede the roles. But in "Undercover," you forget you're watching television, you just go along for the ride. And the ride is not always fast, and when it's slow it's tense and...
I've tried to watch some of the hyped American shows, like "Maid." Andie MacDowell starts off okay and then goes over the top and becomes unwatchable. Her daughter, Margaret Qualley, who plays the title character, is a star, but to tell you the truth I've been unable to finish the show.
So most people don't know the new season of "Undercover" started on Monday. But more people know the new season of "Ozark" starts Friday. CAN'T WAIT!
Trailer: https://bit.ly/3Gw6pMs
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Damnation Spring
https://amzn.to/34OQQ4C
This newsletter is not a chronicle of everything I've experienced...every book, TV show, movie and concert. And it's certainly not a list. A list is not writing, and not that intriguing.
However, one of the main reasons I read a book or watch a TV show or movie is because of the plot. So it's not easy to write about something I've consumed. Because I want you to have the same experience I do, of the story unfolding, the surprises, the twists and turns.
"Damnation Spring" is not a hidden book. It's got nearly a thousand reviews on Amazon. That's one of the criteria I employ to decide whether or not to read a book.
I read about "Damnation Spring" somewhere, and then immediately went to Amazon. It had four and a half stars. Four is not uncommon, but four and a half, that's relatively rare. At least with real books, not lowbrow crap. So I reserved it via the library app Libby, and then I got to jump the line and had seven days to complete it as opposed to the usual twenty one. If I'd continued to wait for the three week lend, it would have been in excess of three months. So I dove in.
"Damnation Spring" is subtle. It's not littered with constant plot twists and turns. It's about regular people. And it's set in 1977.
Now you can read "Damnation Spring" as a polemic about logging, and that's in the book, but what got me hooked was the story of the people. Everybody's just trying to get along. Can you leave your hometown, can you abandon your relatives, or do you need that comfort to exist?
And then you've got the issue of finding a partner. If you never leave town, the pickings are much more slim. You adjust your expectations. And then you have to accept the significant others of your family members, and we all know that can be hard to do. What were they THINKING when they married so and so...I still don't have the answer.
So this is pre-internet. But it's also pre-cell phone. You live off the beaten path and you're alone. Good luck calling for help.
And then there are the injuries. Members of the educated elite sprain a finger and immediately go to the doctor. And then you have those on the opposite end of the education/wealth spectrum who just tape it up and move on. Who wear their injuries for the rest of their lives, and don't complain about it.
And if you live in the boonies... Death is more frequent. Living to an old age is harder, because of the risks of your job, because of the lack of first class health care. Especially if you're a logger.
Does the logging company care about you? Do all the environmentalists care about you, how you make your living? These questions are baked into the story, but even more intriguing is how the people get along. You know everybody in a small town, but you don't necessarily like them, or trust them.
So is "Damnation Spring" the best book I've ever read? No. But it's head and shoulders above everything else I've read in the past couple of months. The lauded Gary Shteyngart was a huge disappointment, ignore the reviews, and I loved his previous book, "Lake Success," which is why I bought "Our Country Friends." Once bitten, twice shy. I'm going back to the library. I was eagerly awaiting "Our Country Friends," if I hadn't bought it I would have stopped reading it.
And honestly, "Damnation Spring" does not hook you from the get-go, but you become invested, you want to know what happens. But it's not only plot.
And at times you're not sure what Ash Davidson is saying, you've got to finish the sentence or paragraph to fully understand, but it's nothing in comparison to Shteyngart, where you've got to completely adjust for his style.
Books are smaller than movies or TV shows. They require effort. But when done right they create a whole world, which you can enter and inhabit. And I love this feeling, especially in an era where there is cell service everywhere, where everybody feels you must be available 24/7, where you always feel connected.
But you want to be disconnected sometimes.
I don't want to oversell "Damnation Spring," it's not for you if you read one book a year. But if you read ten or twenty, check it out.
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This newsletter is not a chronicle of everything I've experienced...every book, TV show, movie and concert. And it's certainly not a list. A list is not writing, and not that intriguing.
However, one of the main reasons I read a book or watch a TV show or movie is because of the plot. So it's not easy to write about something I've consumed. Because I want you to have the same experience I do, of the story unfolding, the surprises, the twists and turns.
"Damnation Spring" is not a hidden book. It's got nearly a thousand reviews on Amazon. That's one of the criteria I employ to decide whether or not to read a book.
I read about "Damnation Spring" somewhere, and then immediately went to Amazon. It had four and a half stars. Four is not uncommon, but four and a half, that's relatively rare. At least with real books, not lowbrow crap. So I reserved it via the library app Libby, and then I got to jump the line and had seven days to complete it as opposed to the usual twenty one. If I'd continued to wait for the three week lend, it would have been in excess of three months. So I dove in.
"Damnation Spring" is subtle. It's not littered with constant plot twists and turns. It's about regular people. And it's set in 1977.
Now you can read "Damnation Spring" as a polemic about logging, and that's in the book, but what got me hooked was the story of the people. Everybody's just trying to get along. Can you leave your hometown, can you abandon your relatives, or do you need that comfort to exist?
And then you've got the issue of finding a partner. If you never leave town, the pickings are much more slim. You adjust your expectations. And then you have to accept the significant others of your family members, and we all know that can be hard to do. What were they THINKING when they married so and so...I still don't have the answer.
So this is pre-internet. But it's also pre-cell phone. You live off the beaten path and you're alone. Good luck calling for help.
And then there are the injuries. Members of the educated elite sprain a finger and immediately go to the doctor. And then you have those on the opposite end of the education/wealth spectrum who just tape it up and move on. Who wear their injuries for the rest of their lives, and don't complain about it.
And if you live in the boonies... Death is more frequent. Living to an old age is harder, because of the risks of your job, because of the lack of first class health care. Especially if you're a logger.
Does the logging company care about you? Do all the environmentalists care about you, how you make your living? These questions are baked into the story, but even more intriguing is how the people get along. You know everybody in a small town, but you don't necessarily like them, or trust them.
So is "Damnation Spring" the best book I've ever read? No. But it's head and shoulders above everything else I've read in the past couple of months. The lauded Gary Shteyngart was a huge disappointment, ignore the reviews, and I loved his previous book, "Lake Success," which is why I bought "Our Country Friends." Once bitten, twice shy. I'm going back to the library. I was eagerly awaiting "Our Country Friends," if I hadn't bought it I would have stopped reading it.
And honestly, "Damnation Spring" does not hook you from the get-go, but you become invested, you want to know what happens. But it's not only plot.
And at times you're not sure what Ash Davidson is saying, you've got to finish the sentence or paragraph to fully understand, but it's nothing in comparison to Shteyngart, where you've got to completely adjust for his style.
Books are smaller than movies or TV shows. They require effort. But when done right they create a whole world, which you can enter and inhabit. And I love this feeling, especially in an era where there is cell service everywhere, where everybody feels you must be available 24/7, where you always feel connected.
But you want to be disconnected sometimes.
I don't want to oversell "Damnation Spring," it's not for you if you read one book a year. But if you read ten or twenty, check it out.
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Jeff Pollack-This Week's Podcast
Jeff Pollack ran the leading rock radio consultancy and then pivoted into music documentaries. Chances are the AOR station you listened to in the late eighties and nineties was programmed by Pollack. Jeff simultaneously worked with MTV and other clients. As a documentary producer, Jeff is responsible for "Laurel Canyon" on Epix, Paul McCartney and Rick Rubin on Hulu and more. Listen to how one man's love for music led him from fan to on-air talent to programming radio to ultimately working with such enterprises as Apple, CNN, Red Bull, YouTube, the NFL and more.
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/jeff-pollack-91550131/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jeff-pollack/id1316200737?i=1000547771608
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1hVqpcKyWrKFBtSQuF3WaG?si=5D3KeLCWSTKONNIcpjILmA
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/2c77c0e8-384b-49fb-8253-2a69b43836b5/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-jeff-pollack
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https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/jeff-pollack-91550131/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jeff-pollack/id1316200737?i=1000547771608
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1hVqpcKyWrKFBtSQuF3WaG?si=5D3KeLCWSTKONNIcpjILmA
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/2c77c0e8-384b-49fb-8253-2a69b43836b5/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-jeff-pollack
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Wednesday 12 January 2022
Mailbag
From: Greg McLoughlin
Subject: Re: Everybody Is A Star
Bob,
Let me tell you quickly about what is working for me.
I have done a 90 minute live stream on Facebook every Monday night since March 2020.
An average of 15 to 20 people watch per week. About seven or eight of those people watch every single week, never missing an episode, and the rest are less consistent, but consistently there's enough who watch whatever weeks they can to keep my numbers close to 20.
I get between $30 and $100 in tips every week, that's pretty unpredictable.
Two of my most devoted followers started a fan page on Facebook.
All of this is honestly the best success I've ever had. I write honest songs, and my voice is average at best.
As things started to open up in Jersey City, I started getting out to open mics and such again, and people who know me casually are suddenly treating me like a celebrity because they think I'm huge with my webcasts. I find this amusing, but I guess just because they see so many comments and I'm so consistent. Consistency is paramount.
yes, just on Facebook. But whatever the medium is, loyalty is paramount. My fans are there, they are tiny in size and I don't know how much more it will grow, but this is working for me. I'm inspired and growing as an artist, and that's what's most important.
Gregory Mcloughlin
____________________________________
From: Dre DiMura
Subject: Re: Everybody Is A Star
Hey Bob,
I'm a touring musician turned TikTok creator during the pandemic. I've been on TikTok for just under a year and have already generated more income and opportunity than several years of hard road work. The access to new fans, brand partnerships and collaboration is unrivaled, but you are oh-so-right about the lack of respect we receive as content creators. A lot of my peers understand and are supportive, but many still decry TikTok as a fad and don't see the excitement that's happening on there. I grew up watching the "old" music business die hard and it's the same jargon about "back in the day", "but it's not art" (as if much of music is art these days anyway), "I'm too old to get it", etc. I spoke with a tour manager yesterday who said, "influencers are the new rockstars", and like it or not he is totally right. It's not just about the money... the lack of gatekeeping and potential for innovation is inspiring, and reminiscent of other time periods where musicians were pushing cultural and creative boundaries with then new mediums like radio, records and TV. If you're serious about working in today's music business, I can't possibly understand how you wouldn't want to be a part of it.
-Dre DiMura
P.S. I was in talks with a blue blood company in the music industry about helping them get their TikTok up and running, they declined on the grounds that they were afraid of Gen-Z and didn't want to "get cancelled" on TikTok. Give me a break! Sounds like a them problem. Sheesh.
____________________________________
From: Mark Feldman
Subject: Re: Everybody Is A Star
Hi Bob -
Yes, it's like, the internet is old news! HELLO everybody!!! WAKE UP!!!!
What's funny is that people--especially some musicians--hang on to the old paradigms so tightly.
No, no, please don't take away my grueling traveling across the country (and around the world) so I can play in a venue to a few thousand people and then do that again and again and again. (and again).
Please!!! Why in the world would I ever stop working my ass off!? Why would I stop risking my life because of the pandemic?
No, please don't take away that method of doing things where I haul all of this back-breaking gear around town, make shitty money, can't find a parking space, and have to learn 40 songs for the gig (which means that I'm making less than a supermarket cashier after all the hours I put in learning those songs).
You mean, I could make great videos that people want to share and then, I can work from home and still be creating using my chosen instrument? But NOT have to go on any more soul-crushing tours that take me away from my beautiful children for months on end? NO!!! I won't do that!!! And you guys who are doing it and getting traction....STOP! It isn't fair to us luddites who can't see that the future is here. ha ha!!
I mean, c'mon man!!! Let's work from our basements!! stay at home with our kids and take advantage of this shit. Really now.
-Mark Feldman
____________________________________
From: Mike Caren
Subject: Re: The Grammy Postponement
The catalog thing is misleading. Funny how people ran with that without thinking what it means.
18 months is nothing now that there are 400k releases a week. Outside of .0001% release day is not what it used to be and consumption builds. I think the "impact" period is 6 to 2 years from release (on newer acts) and then it starts to slowly ebb from there; there's no store/shelf life issues (outside of vinyl), very few songs on the radio (20 potentially meaningful slots per station), and most records don't get playlisting (are there 3000 meaningful playlist spots? 5,000? remember for 50m tracks and growing). Last year there was a record amount of gold singles from songs 3 to 6 years old. Catalog, sure, but brand new to those discovering songs like "notion" by the rare occasions or "surrender" by Natalie Taylor. Even on pop like Glass Animals "heat waves" from 2020. That wasn't happening 4 years ago.
I would redefine catalog to 5 years or older and it will be a more realistic picture. Otherwise it looks like it's all Prince (not that purple rain vinyl isn't a juggernaut) which doesn't fully represent what's happening.
Mike Caren
www.artistpg.com
____________________________________
From: James Spencer
Subject: Re: More Don't Look Up
Your good pal Gene bought a huge mansion in Vegas, and moved in...
In the SUMMER...
An extended run of shows (Zappos theater, Planet Hollywood casino) was announced for early 2022..No trial run, which is usually the norm..
By summer's end, the house was back on the market..His family didn't enjoy the extreme heat..Huh ..Who knew!?
Soon afterwards, ALL the shows were cancelled..Ticket sales were soft..
As they ALWAYS are, THAT far in advance .
A large percentage of ticket sales are the "walk-ups"..You have to be willing to "play chicken" with your brand..(Robert Goulet lost his life savings after a month of four-walling.)
But Gene did put on a showing of his paintings, at an upscale strip gallery, which he attended, and signed purchased pieces..
Most recently he was spotted directing several 18 wheelers into the loading dock of the Rio, a popular casino in the 90s..
He's moved his collection of merch/ memorabilia onto the property, and is creating a Kiss museum..
He sat-in with the Foo Fighters, and said to the local media that Kiss WILL do a residency in a year, but there's too much completion currently..And, of course it will be the biggest and best! (Says he)
Katy Perry just came on GMA, and showed off her new set, for her Resort Worlds residency..
Talk about production! Total mind f*ck.
Follow, that, Simmons...
____________________________________
Subject: Re: Being The Ricardos
Bob:
I have a Nicole Kidman story for you. It amuses me whenever I think about it.
In the early 2000s I did publicity work for Carrot Top who happens to be a very funny guy. He is truly entertaining. If you ever have a chance to see him in Vegas, do it. I wanted to represent him and was happy to let people know how great he is.
I went to New York with him and had lined up a very full schedule for him including an appearance on Live With Regis & Kathy. Nicole Kidman was on the show that day too. After the taping, we were all in the green room. I told Nicole's pr person that Carrot Top wanted to say hello. The pr gal said, "no, next time." I thought that this was horse shit. Not nice. It takes a few seconds to say hello.
We got a laugh out of it. I think about this from time to time especially when I see Nicole on tv. Tip O'Neil once said "it's nice to be important, but it is important to be nice."
Sandy
Sanford Brokaw
The Brokaw Company
____________________________________
From: Diarmuid Quinn
Subject: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Hello Bob,
One film you do not mention in your writing about Peter is "Runnin' Down A Dream". I had the pleasure of working alongside Peter with Tony Dimitriades, John Beug, and Tom himself to craft a comprehensive documentary on the history of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Peter was nuts, but in a good way, and he delivered a great critically acclaimed and Grammy winning film.
It was very late in his career, but should not go unrecognized. Anyone who has not seen it should do so if they want to see a film that is a great history of not just TPHB, but the music business through the 70's 80's and 90's.
Best,
Diarmuid
____________________________________
From: TS Bitterman
Subject: Re: The Elizabeth Holmes Conviction
Hi Bob
Theranos was not allowed by California to experiment on their public
Yet welcomed by Arizona Gov. Ducey, use State resources to aid the experiments- no regulations via "special legislation". Then a Member of Congress, Sinema ( riend to all things Pharma) also cheered this clearing of regulations.
"Blood Testing" was offered at Walgreens in 2015.
Thousands of Arizonans had procedures, medications, misdiagnosis or delays of diagnosis based on these fake blood tests.
And paid real US Dollars for the privilege, along with Medicare, Medicaid, State programs, and insurance carriers
That's the real story, people were medically defrauded. many harmed, endangered.
The turtlenecks and Board of Directors following their dicks, and the paper crime are what gets reported
But the point is missed completely
I hope Holmes has a shitty life
Cheers, TS
____________________________________
From: Ed Kelly
Subject: Re: More Social Security
Bob,
You want to delay taking Social Security until 70 if for no other reason you don't want to outlive your retirement funding..but unfortunately the majority are not in position to make that decision...as they stated, they live paycheck to paycheck and need to pay bills now. It's sad and it goes back to education. You have to start planning. You hit a nerve with those hurt that you called them an imbecile for taking SS early...The numbers don't lie and for most delaying SS is the best answer, if for no other reason you don't want to outlive your retirement funding...but unfortunately the majority are not in position to make that decision...as they stated, they find themselves suddenly needing to pay bills now. It's sad and it goes back to education. If you defer making plans for your financial retirement until you're in your 60s you don't have a plan.
Despite the hard pushback, I'm sure you helped many with your letter...sometimes we have a choice, to do what's right or to do what's easy. You did what's right...that's leadership...the many thank yous you are owed will come much later, from those that will heed your advice and from their families impacted...
Ed
____________________________________
From: brad auerbach
Subject: Re: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
In 2006 Richard Saul Wurman was staging his last conference before he sold the concept to TED. It was held at the Skirball in LA, and it was quite a gathering, from Quincy Jones to Matt Groening to Yo-Yo Ma to Frank Gehry. The audience was equally impressive, and it was there I had a chat with Chris Blackwell. I asked him what became of Cat Stevens and he said interestingly enough a few weeks earlier Cat had reached out and was looking for Blackwell's advice about how to get back in the music business. Blackwell said that Cat should record a version of Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood and put it up for free online.
Brad Auerbach
____________________________________
Subject: Re: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
The summer of '68. Fort Dix, NJ. Advanced Infantry Training. Standing in a half-assed formation waiting to start the day. Over the speakers comes the opening words to Sky Pilot: "He blesses the boys as they stand in line."
A moment that stays with you as you get ready to move down the line in a few short weeks.
George Laugelli
____________________________________
From: jcarlet
Subject: Re: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Bob,
A little personal history.
1972 Air Force Officer Basic Training.
Friday nights were free time so we were allowed a couple of drinks in the club.
The most popular song and theme song played at least once per night:
"We Gotta Get Out of This Place," by The Animals.
Seemed to resonate favorably with all attendees.
Jim
____________________________________
From: Dennis Jones
Subject: RE: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Bob:
Eric Burdon lived here in Ojai until he moved to Greece last year.
For many years, when asked to sing House of the Rising Sun, he would reply "I hate that fucking song."
But he finally became at peace with a few years ago, it and he would perform it seriously and still powerfully.
My friend and local sax prodigy Ruben Salinas put together a new band of "Animals," which toured with Burdon for five years. None of the band members were born when the last Animals hit was released.
My Beatles tribute band often sneaks a couple of non-Beatles tunes into our sets. We get the best response from "It's My Life."
Dennis Neil Jones
____________________________________
Subject: RE: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Ever hear the original of "We Gotta Get Out of This Place"?
https://youtu.be/sgbi7v-U-ds
Joel Selvin
____________________________________
From: Tim Trummer
Subject: Re: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Vocalists and jazz players are increasingly adapting rock songs from the sixties and beyond for their recordings. You can find songs by Depeche Mode (Personal Jesus), Springsteen (I'm Going Down), Fleetwood Mac (Landslide) and many others treated in this way affectionately and to good effect. Sometimes these adaptations help rediscover the essence or some overlooked element of songs we like.
Pianist John Nazarenko's Trio covers Misunderstood and other rock songs:
https://open.spotify.com/track/251riFrSv2enfgo33SZIkP?si=01Dli7NDRHW4FdHVzpHeTQ
The Animals had an almost-taboo gritty quality for 1964. House of the Rising Sun was that year too? These were unusually disturbing and personal songs for that time, and it's conveyed in Burdon's voice, a sound that sticks in my mind 60 years later.
Tim
____________________________________
Subject: Re: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
you should check out brian auger and julie tippets version on the encore album.tremendous vocalist.their 2nd album streenoise is an alltime classic.she went by julie driscoll then.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU0nKZnJlVU
Larry Mazer
____________________________________
Subject: Re: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
How about the Santa Esmeralda version? Disco galore extravaganza and you cannot forget that scene in Kill Bill.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yCGFfz7LfDQ
Deddy Setton Toronto
____________________________________
Subject: From Chicago Booth Business Fellow - COVID impact message
Bob,
I am a University of Chicago Booth School of Business Distinguished Fellow studying technology and social impact topics. I'm reaching out because of the size of your audience and because I believe you tell things as they are. I have been subscribed for several years and I have always trusted and been impressed with your responses on COVID issues.
My thesis for you: I am increasingly concerned that the response to the omicron variant risks a large disruption to the supply chain and medical system on par to or greater than the alpha variant due to its incredible rate of spread and lack of national response or even global response. I believe this is being drastically underreported as every single data point you see is all happening, all at once, everywhere - but all to differing severity. Individual communities are fine, are under siege, have no Omicron, have pervasive Omicron. But by looking on a macro scale I want to get across a core thought to you - I believe we are at some major level of risk for a large-scale operational catastrophe with unknown (but likely quite negative) effects, particularly on medical care, manufacturing, and education. The desire for this to be endemic DOES NOT MATCH REALITY.
I have validated these ideas with Booth operations professors, former supply chain employees for global companies, medical students and current doctors. Additionally, research is provided for reading.
Foundational:
On a national basis, we are now over 1M cases per day with less than 1% of pop per day infected, meaning there could be weeks or even months of runway at this rate if nothing was affected
There IS NO EVIDENCE THIS WILL DECREASE ON A MACRO SCALE. I am tired of hearing "it went down in South Africa." The core of the issue is even if NYC decreases, if half the country goes up until February we are in major trouble. Omicron has not readily struck eastern Europe or Asia beyond India.
Therefore, pending no lockdown, we can assume rate of sick will increase or even double while there is no change to expected economic output - i.e. individuals will expect society to function normally, employers expect their business units to perform normally, etc.
Why am I sending you this:
I am not proposing any policy response. I just want people to generally be aware of what the reality is, both on a national scale where our medical infrastructure is old and weak, potentially on a global scale for supply chain issues, and on an actual mortality issue for kids. We are about to push against so much of life's daily processes on such an unprecedented scale that I don't know what's coming. You can decide whether or not you want to stress test every single individual operation of society all at once globally. China is considering an April 2020 style lockdown to prevent Omicron. All I will say is I simply do not know if that is that crazy.
To make an example - if I am Goldenvoice, I have to start seriously considering if Coachella can run in April - not due to COVID but literally "can it operate?" Will there be food? Enough water? Security? Stage equipment? Buses? People to drive the buses? Flights home after from Palm Springs? Can you get everything you need in the desert? Can you pack it up when you're done? Every one of these processes is at risk, ranging from very small to very large. I would not want to be Coachella's director of ops right now, that's for sure.
If you think I'm a crazy doomsayer, feel free to ignore. But I am very worried about what we are getting ourselves into right now! More than anything I just want people to think critically about all of this on a larger scale than just themselves or their immediate communities.
Subject: Re: Everybody Is A Star
Bob,
Let me tell you quickly about what is working for me.
I have done a 90 minute live stream on Facebook every Monday night since March 2020.
An average of 15 to 20 people watch per week. About seven or eight of those people watch every single week, never missing an episode, and the rest are less consistent, but consistently there's enough who watch whatever weeks they can to keep my numbers close to 20.
I get between $30 and $100 in tips every week, that's pretty unpredictable.
Two of my most devoted followers started a fan page on Facebook.
All of this is honestly the best success I've ever had. I write honest songs, and my voice is average at best.
As things started to open up in Jersey City, I started getting out to open mics and such again, and people who know me casually are suddenly treating me like a celebrity because they think I'm huge with my webcasts. I find this amusing, but I guess just because they see so many comments and I'm so consistent. Consistency is paramount.
yes, just on Facebook. But whatever the medium is, loyalty is paramount. My fans are there, they are tiny in size and I don't know how much more it will grow, but this is working for me. I'm inspired and growing as an artist, and that's what's most important.
Gregory Mcloughlin
____________________________________
From: Dre DiMura
Subject: Re: Everybody Is A Star
Hey Bob,
I'm a touring musician turned TikTok creator during the pandemic. I've been on TikTok for just under a year and have already generated more income and opportunity than several years of hard road work. The access to new fans, brand partnerships and collaboration is unrivaled, but you are oh-so-right about the lack of respect we receive as content creators. A lot of my peers understand and are supportive, but many still decry TikTok as a fad and don't see the excitement that's happening on there. I grew up watching the "old" music business die hard and it's the same jargon about "back in the day", "but it's not art" (as if much of music is art these days anyway), "I'm too old to get it", etc. I spoke with a tour manager yesterday who said, "influencers are the new rockstars", and like it or not he is totally right. It's not just about the money... the lack of gatekeeping and potential for innovation is inspiring, and reminiscent of other time periods where musicians were pushing cultural and creative boundaries with then new mediums like radio, records and TV. If you're serious about working in today's music business, I can't possibly understand how you wouldn't want to be a part of it.
-Dre DiMura
P.S. I was in talks with a blue blood company in the music industry about helping them get their TikTok up and running, they declined on the grounds that they were afraid of Gen-Z and didn't want to "get cancelled" on TikTok. Give me a break! Sounds like a them problem. Sheesh.
____________________________________
From: Mark Feldman
Subject: Re: Everybody Is A Star
Hi Bob -
Yes, it's like, the internet is old news! HELLO everybody!!! WAKE UP!!!!
What's funny is that people--especially some musicians--hang on to the old paradigms so tightly.
No, no, please don't take away my grueling traveling across the country (and around the world) so I can play in a venue to a few thousand people and then do that again and again and again. (and again).
Please!!! Why in the world would I ever stop working my ass off!? Why would I stop risking my life because of the pandemic?
No, please don't take away that method of doing things where I haul all of this back-breaking gear around town, make shitty money, can't find a parking space, and have to learn 40 songs for the gig (which means that I'm making less than a supermarket cashier after all the hours I put in learning those songs).
You mean, I could make great videos that people want to share and then, I can work from home and still be creating using my chosen instrument? But NOT have to go on any more soul-crushing tours that take me away from my beautiful children for months on end? NO!!! I won't do that!!! And you guys who are doing it and getting traction....STOP! It isn't fair to us luddites who can't see that the future is here. ha ha!!
I mean, c'mon man!!! Let's work from our basements!! stay at home with our kids and take advantage of this shit. Really now.
-Mark Feldman
____________________________________
From: Mike Caren
Subject: Re: The Grammy Postponement
The catalog thing is misleading. Funny how people ran with that without thinking what it means.
18 months is nothing now that there are 400k releases a week. Outside of .0001% release day is not what it used to be and consumption builds. I think the "impact" period is 6 to 2 years from release (on newer acts) and then it starts to slowly ebb from there; there's no store/shelf life issues (outside of vinyl), very few songs on the radio (20 potentially meaningful slots per station), and most records don't get playlisting (are there 3000 meaningful playlist spots? 5,000? remember for 50m tracks and growing). Last year there was a record amount of gold singles from songs 3 to 6 years old. Catalog, sure, but brand new to those discovering songs like "notion" by the rare occasions or "surrender" by Natalie Taylor. Even on pop like Glass Animals "heat waves" from 2020. That wasn't happening 4 years ago.
I would redefine catalog to 5 years or older and it will be a more realistic picture. Otherwise it looks like it's all Prince (not that purple rain vinyl isn't a juggernaut) which doesn't fully represent what's happening.
Mike Caren
www.artistpg.com
____________________________________
From: James Spencer
Subject: Re: More Don't Look Up
Your good pal Gene bought a huge mansion in Vegas, and moved in...
In the SUMMER...
An extended run of shows (Zappos theater, Planet Hollywood casino) was announced for early 2022..No trial run, which is usually the norm..
By summer's end, the house was back on the market..His family didn't enjoy the extreme heat..Huh ..Who knew!?
Soon afterwards, ALL the shows were cancelled..Ticket sales were soft..
As they ALWAYS are, THAT far in advance .
A large percentage of ticket sales are the "walk-ups"..You have to be willing to "play chicken" with your brand..(Robert Goulet lost his life savings after a month of four-walling.)
But Gene did put on a showing of his paintings, at an upscale strip gallery, which he attended, and signed purchased pieces..
Most recently he was spotted directing several 18 wheelers into the loading dock of the Rio, a popular casino in the 90s..
He's moved his collection of merch/ memorabilia onto the property, and is creating a Kiss museum..
He sat-in with the Foo Fighters, and said to the local media that Kiss WILL do a residency in a year, but there's too much completion currently..And, of course it will be the biggest and best! (Says he)
Katy Perry just came on GMA, and showed off her new set, for her Resort Worlds residency..
Talk about production! Total mind f*ck.
Follow, that, Simmons...
____________________________________
Subject: Re: Being The Ricardos
Bob:
I have a Nicole Kidman story for you. It amuses me whenever I think about it.
In the early 2000s I did publicity work for Carrot Top who happens to be a very funny guy. He is truly entertaining. If you ever have a chance to see him in Vegas, do it. I wanted to represent him and was happy to let people know how great he is.
I went to New York with him and had lined up a very full schedule for him including an appearance on Live With Regis & Kathy. Nicole Kidman was on the show that day too. After the taping, we were all in the green room. I told Nicole's pr person that Carrot Top wanted to say hello. The pr gal said, "no, next time." I thought that this was horse shit. Not nice. It takes a few seconds to say hello.
We got a laugh out of it. I think about this from time to time especially when I see Nicole on tv. Tip O'Neil once said "it's nice to be important, but it is important to be nice."
Sandy
Sanford Brokaw
The Brokaw Company
____________________________________
From: Diarmuid Quinn
Subject: Re: Peter Bogdanovich
Hello Bob,
One film you do not mention in your writing about Peter is "Runnin' Down A Dream". I had the pleasure of working alongside Peter with Tony Dimitriades, John Beug, and Tom himself to craft a comprehensive documentary on the history of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Peter was nuts, but in a good way, and he delivered a great critically acclaimed and Grammy winning film.
It was very late in his career, but should not go unrecognized. Anyone who has not seen it should do so if they want to see a film that is a great history of not just TPHB, but the music business through the 70's 80's and 90's.
Best,
Diarmuid
____________________________________
From: TS Bitterman
Subject: Re: The Elizabeth Holmes Conviction
Hi Bob
Theranos was not allowed by California to experiment on their public
Yet welcomed by Arizona Gov. Ducey, use State resources to aid the experiments- no regulations via "special legislation". Then a Member of Congress, Sinema ( riend to all things Pharma) also cheered this clearing of regulations.
"Blood Testing" was offered at Walgreens in 2015.
Thousands of Arizonans had procedures, medications, misdiagnosis or delays of diagnosis based on these fake blood tests.
And paid real US Dollars for the privilege, along with Medicare, Medicaid, State programs, and insurance carriers
That's the real story, people were medically defrauded. many harmed, endangered.
The turtlenecks and Board of Directors following their dicks, and the paper crime are what gets reported
But the point is missed completely
I hope Holmes has a shitty life
Cheers, TS
____________________________________
From: Ed Kelly
Subject: Re: More Social Security
Bob,
You want to delay taking Social Security until 70 if for no other reason you don't want to outlive your retirement funding..but unfortunately the majority are not in position to make that decision...as they stated, they live paycheck to paycheck and need to pay bills now. It's sad and it goes back to education. You have to start planning. You hit a nerve with those hurt that you called them an imbecile for taking SS early...The numbers don't lie and for most delaying SS is the best answer, if for no other reason you don't want to outlive your retirement funding...but unfortunately the majority are not in position to make that decision...as they stated, they find themselves suddenly needing to pay bills now. It's sad and it goes back to education. If you defer making plans for your financial retirement until you're in your 60s you don't have a plan.
Despite the hard pushback, I'm sure you helped many with your letter...sometimes we have a choice, to do what's right or to do what's easy. You did what's right...that's leadership...the many thank yous you are owed will come much later, from those that will heed your advice and from their families impacted...
Ed
____________________________________
From: brad auerbach
Subject: Re: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
In 2006 Richard Saul Wurman was staging his last conference before he sold the concept to TED. It was held at the Skirball in LA, and it was quite a gathering, from Quincy Jones to Matt Groening to Yo-Yo Ma to Frank Gehry. The audience was equally impressive, and it was there I had a chat with Chris Blackwell. I asked him what became of Cat Stevens and he said interestingly enough a few weeks earlier Cat had reached out and was looking for Blackwell's advice about how to get back in the music business. Blackwell said that Cat should record a version of Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood and put it up for free online.
Brad Auerbach
____________________________________
Subject: Re: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
The summer of '68. Fort Dix, NJ. Advanced Infantry Training. Standing in a half-assed formation waiting to start the day. Over the speakers comes the opening words to Sky Pilot: "He blesses the boys as they stand in line."
A moment that stays with you as you get ready to move down the line in a few short weeks.
George Laugelli
____________________________________
From: jcarlet
Subject: Re: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Bob,
A little personal history.
1972 Air Force Officer Basic Training.
Friday nights were free time so we were allowed a couple of drinks in the club.
The most popular song and theme song played at least once per night:
"We Gotta Get Out of This Place," by The Animals.
Seemed to resonate favorably with all attendees.
Jim
____________________________________
From: Dennis Jones
Subject: RE: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Bob:
Eric Burdon lived here in Ojai until he moved to Greece last year.
For many years, when asked to sing House of the Rising Sun, he would reply "I hate that fucking song."
But he finally became at peace with a few years ago, it and he would perform it seriously and still powerfully.
My friend and local sax prodigy Ruben Salinas put together a new band of "Animals," which toured with Burdon for five years. None of the band members were born when the last Animals hit was released.
My Beatles tribute band often sneaks a couple of non-Beatles tunes into our sets. We get the best response from "It's My Life."
Dennis Neil Jones
____________________________________
Subject: RE: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Ever hear the original of "We Gotta Get Out of This Place"?
https://youtu.be/sgbi7v-U-ds
Joel Selvin
____________________________________
From: Tim Trummer
Subject: Re: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Vocalists and jazz players are increasingly adapting rock songs from the sixties and beyond for their recordings. You can find songs by Depeche Mode (Personal Jesus), Springsteen (I'm Going Down), Fleetwood Mac (Landslide) and many others treated in this way affectionately and to good effect. Sometimes these adaptations help rediscover the essence or some overlooked element of songs we like.
Pianist John Nazarenko's Trio covers Misunderstood and other rock songs:
https://open.spotify.com/track/251riFrSv2enfgo33SZIkP?si=01Dli7NDRHW4FdHVzpHeTQ
The Animals had an almost-taboo gritty quality for 1964. House of the Rising Sun was that year too? These were unusually disturbing and personal songs for that time, and it's conveyed in Burdon's voice, a sound that sticks in my mind 60 years later.
Tim
____________________________________
Subject: Re: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
you should check out brian auger and julie tippets version on the encore album.tremendous vocalist.their 2nd album streenoise is an alltime classic.she went by julie driscoll then.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU0nKZnJlVU
Larry Mazer
____________________________________
Subject: Re: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
How about the Santa Esmeralda version? Disco galore extravaganza and you cannot forget that scene in Kill Bill.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yCGFfz7LfDQ
Deddy Setton Toronto
____________________________________
Subject: From Chicago Booth Business Fellow - COVID impact message
Bob,
I am a University of Chicago Booth School of Business Distinguished Fellow studying technology and social impact topics. I'm reaching out because of the size of your audience and because I believe you tell things as they are. I have been subscribed for several years and I have always trusted and been impressed with your responses on COVID issues.
My thesis for you: I am increasingly concerned that the response to the omicron variant risks a large disruption to the supply chain and medical system on par to or greater than the alpha variant due to its incredible rate of spread and lack of national response or even global response. I believe this is being drastically underreported as every single data point you see is all happening, all at once, everywhere - but all to differing severity. Individual communities are fine, are under siege, have no Omicron, have pervasive Omicron. But by looking on a macro scale I want to get across a core thought to you - I believe we are at some major level of risk for a large-scale operational catastrophe with unknown (but likely quite negative) effects, particularly on medical care, manufacturing, and education. The desire for this to be endemic DOES NOT MATCH REALITY.
I have validated these ideas with Booth operations professors, former supply chain employees for global companies, medical students and current doctors. Additionally, research is provided for reading.
Foundational:
On a national basis, we are now over 1M cases per day with less than 1% of pop per day infected, meaning there could be weeks or even months of runway at this rate if nothing was affected
There IS NO EVIDENCE THIS WILL DECREASE ON A MACRO SCALE. I am tired of hearing "it went down in South Africa." The core of the issue is even if NYC decreases, if half the country goes up until February we are in major trouble. Omicron has not readily struck eastern Europe or Asia beyond India.
Therefore, pending no lockdown, we can assume rate of sick will increase or even double while there is no change to expected economic output - i.e. individuals will expect society to function normally, employers expect their business units to perform normally, etc.
Why am I sending you this:
I am not proposing any policy response. I just want people to generally be aware of what the reality is, both on a national scale where our medical infrastructure is old and weak, potentially on a global scale for supply chain issues, and on an actual mortality issue for kids. We are about to push against so much of life's daily processes on such an unprecedented scale that I don't know what's coming. You can decide whether or not you want to stress test every single individual operation of society all at once globally. China is considering an April 2020 style lockdown to prevent Omicron. All I will say is I simply do not know if that is that crazy.
To make an example - if I am Goldenvoice, I have to start seriously considering if Coachella can run in April - not due to COVID but literally "can it operate?" Will there be food? Enough water? Security? Stage equipment? Buses? People to drive the buses? Flights home after from Palm Springs? Can you get everything you need in the desert? Can you pack it up when you're done? Every one of these processes is at risk, ranging from very small to very large. I would not want to be Coachella's director of ops right now, that's for sure.
If you think I'm a crazy doomsayer, feel free to ignore. But I am very worried about what we are getting ourselves into right now! More than anything I just want people to think critically about all of this on a larger scale than just themselves or their immediate communities.
--
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Tuesday 11 January 2022
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Playlist: https://spoti.fi/33bwO3N
1
There's yet to be an Animals renaissance.
Most of the acts of the British Invasion were sunny, optimistic, or if dangerous, not too much so. Whereas the Animals...
By time they had success in the U.S. these British acts were featured on TV, so we saw Eric Burdon and his bandmates and...they were scruffy, Eric had a less than perfect complexion in the era of Clearasil, there was a darkness and danger to the band's sound, they seemed to exist outside the British Invasion, but were still members of it. And they had a slew of hits.
It started with a rendition of the traditional "House of the Rising Sun," a song known by older folkies but so few younger baby boomers, the Animals' version was the first one they heard, at this late date it's the most famous one, it's got 597+ million streams on Spotify. It's got nowhere near that play count on YouTube, proving that oldsters don't need no visuals and the green icon service is where true music lovers live.
At this late date, the second most remembered Animals track, with about a tenth of the streams of "House of the Rising Sun," is "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," which somehow seemed to have more cultural impact. Because now it was 1965, music had truly taken over youth culture, music was the paramount cultural medium, if you wanted to know what was going on you turned on the radio, and if you didn't you were left behind, like the old people with their Perry Comos and Dean Martins.
And "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" was a weird blend of pessimism and optimism, the verses were downbeat, but the choruses were upbeat. But one thing is for sure, the star was Eric Burdon's voice, the way he enunciated sent the message irrelevant of the lyrics, the Animals were STARS!
But my favorite Animals track is "Don't Bring Me Down," which had that curious difference between verse and chorus, but in this case the chorus was an incantation to his beloved not to...bring him down.
But really it was the organ, akin to "96 Tears," and the fuzztone guitar, Burdon's vocal was the cherry on top. "Don't Bring Me Down" had a darkness, a grittiness that was palpable, that could not be resisted. In the era of the war between the collegiates and the diddys, this was one thing they could agree on, this track, all of the Animals' music. "Don't Bring Me Down" was primal, you didn't need to get good grades to understand it, and if you were striving in school you were entranced by its danger, this is the life you wanted to live, you wanted to feel this emotion, this passion, this was not teenybop, but adult music. And despite their focus on their studies the grinds' hormones were raging, and one thing youngsters can't deny is their hormones, and in the sixties we got our sex on the radio, not online, and it wasn't really until late in the decade you could go to the theatre and see boobies, that was enough of an incentive to go, few spoke about the plot of "I Am Curious (Yellow)."
But earlier in the band's career, back in '64, the Animals had a hit with "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood." But they didn't cut the original version.
That was one difference between the Animals and their competition, they sang covers, they didn't write the material. But their rendition of the Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil composition "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," was the first popular one.
This was not always the case. Although the Animals were the first to record the Carole King/Gerry Goffin composition "Don't Bring Me Down." Yet "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" was first recorded by Nina Simone, whose star has risen once again, primarily because of a documentary, then again Simone is dead, whereas Eric Burdon is not.
But Hilton Valentine is gone. Chas Chandler too. And Mickie Most, the architect of the band's sound, he's the one who chose the material, pushed the band over the transom, made their records hits. Although "Don't Bring Me Down" was produced by Tom Wilson, and maybe that's why I love it so much, it's got a bit more of a New York feel, equally dark, after all at this point so many of our images were in black and white.
And for a minute there, Alan Price got press as a result of his film work, most notably Lindsay Anderson's "O Lucky Man!," but that was fifty years ago.
And Chas Chandler famously found, recorded and promoted Jimi Hendrix.
And Eric Burdon is still plying the boards. The man who sang the hits, who switched it up by working with War, bringing that act to prominence, the man who even had a psychedelic hit with "Sky Pilot," have you heard the long version?
And I thought of all this when I heard "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" in Harlan Coben's "Stay Close" on Netflix.
2
I watch all of Coben's work. And although one must be prepared for the twists at the end, "Stay Close" is one of the better ones, set in the U.K., however you do have to overlook some ridiculousness, most notably the pastel assassins.
But when we're deep into it, in the final episode, with its twists and turns, a song starts to play in the background, it's "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood." But it's not the Animals, it wasn't anyone I recognized.
Now it turns out "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" has been covered by everybody from Lady Gaga to Joe Cocker. The Moody Blues did a version. Even Elvis Costello. But which version was used in "Stay Close"?
Now the truth is this information is usually readily available online. I don't know who the faceless people providing these details are, but they're busy at work but sometimes it takes a while, there's a delay, you have to wait for the information to appear.
But now one can read that this rendition of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is by Eliza Shaddad. Who?
Shaddad's version is completely different from the Animals', it's slowed down. And in truth, so is Nina Simone's. But Simone's is more of a period piece, with lush strings and Nina dominating, owning the track, whereas Shaddad's version is more subtle, and it works perfectly synched to images, quiet, in the background.
And there's a montage of images. And the music adds to the images and the lyrics penetrate.
"Baby, do you understand me now
Sometimes I feel a little mad
But don't you know that no one alive
Can always be an angel"
Whew! Apologetic, but really an iron fist in a velvet glove, subtle in a way today's bop you over the head sexist lyrics are not. Today everybody has to appear an angel, even though as the song says, no one can be, certainly not all the time. We hide our warts, we don't own our faults, but in "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" the singer does.
"When things go wrong I seem to be bad
But I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh lord, please don't let me be misunderstood"
We're talking about relationships here, one's private life as opposed to public. And if you have no arguments, no difference of opinion with your significant other, that just means they're not expressing their true feelings, or maybe you're not, and that is a recipe for disaster, because eventually they come out and dissension is escalated.
"Baby, sometimes I'm so carefree
With a joy that's hard to hide
And sometimes it seems that all I have to do is worry
And then you're bound to see my other side"
There's always a yin to the yang. No one is happy all the time. Sometimes you're elated, other times you can't get rid of your angst, and when you show this other side will you be rejected?
"If I seem edgy I want you to know
That I never mean to take it out on you
Life has its problems and I get my share
And that's one thing I never mean to do"
Now this song was written in a different time, before not only the woke era, but the women's movement. When men ruled the roost and could get away with physical violence and...I'm not endorsing it, just detailing it. But the truth is both sexes can lose control.
"Oh baby, don't you know I'm human
Have thoughts like any other one
Sometimes I find myself long regretting
Some foolish thing, some little simple thing I've done"
Regrets, I have a few, don't you? You're running on instinct and then you calm down and see the bigger picture and worry about the fallout. You want a significant other who can tolerate your ups and downs, however not violence. Then again, words can be violent too.
3
Now the truth is listening to Eliza Shaddad's rendition of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" reinforced how a great song is timeless.
But it was a different era, it was all about the song. The Beatles ushered in a new model, where the acts wrote their own material. The Animals were a bridge between old and new. And soon the new superseded the old nearly completely, and now the paradigm has flipped back. There's too big a risk, the label wants a hit, get a cowriter, do a cover, the suits no longer trust talent, but the truth is the suits can never completely understand creation. And although some cuts are certified smashes, so many other ones that top the charts are a complete surprise. And then there are the tracks that were never singles that everybody seems to know, although frequently this isn't realized until decades later. I thought I was the only one who loved the Beach Boys' exquisite "'Til I Die" from 1971's "Surf's Up" until I saw Don Was's Brian Wilson documentary "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" in 1995.
And the truth is Brian wasn't, made for those times, and in these times he can't recapture what he once had, although every now and then a glimpse comes through, especially when he works with Joe Thomas.
And the Animals were a product of the period too. Today everybody puts money first, they want those songwriting credits. Bands fall apart because there's not enough money once you split up the royalties, assuming there are any. Then again, making music in the mid-sixties was a completely different endeavor. Pop was seen as disposable. Here today, not worth too much tomorrow, which is why Peter Grant sold Led Zeppelin's royalties to Atlantic. if you were lucky you could continue to play music, but ultimately you were going to have to get a day job. As for a pension from your music, that's a laugh.
But maybe that's why the music from that era was so great, all you had was the performance, the penumbra was outside the act's purview, other than the sex and the dope. You had no idea how much money you were due, you were too busy working to earn it. And everything was less precious, you couldn't stay in the studio for months spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to get it right.
And in truth, artists have given up getting it right. Oh, they shine the production, but the building blocks... Hell, you can buy your beats online, it's about making a hit record, oftentimes there's no melody at all.
But it was different. And the Animals were part of the change.
But an equal partner was their songs.
"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" was written by Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott and Sol Marcus. The first and third were not well-known then and are not today either, if it weren't for the internet and Wikipedia their names would have fallen through the cracks, lost to the sand of times.
But this song...
"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is forever. Seemingly anybody can sing it. And no matter who does, the darkness, the underbelly, is evidenced, because it's right there in the words and the changes.
The truth is we're all misunderstood. It's amazing people can understand each other at all. Miscommunication is the bane of relationships. We feel so alone, the only thing that seems to get us is these songs, they understand us, they soothe us, they give us hope, make life worth living, that's their magic.
It's not easy to create that magic. But when you achieve it...it's undeniable.
"I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh lord, please don't let me be misunderstood"
1
There's yet to be an Animals renaissance.
Most of the acts of the British Invasion were sunny, optimistic, or if dangerous, not too much so. Whereas the Animals...
By time they had success in the U.S. these British acts were featured on TV, so we saw Eric Burdon and his bandmates and...they were scruffy, Eric had a less than perfect complexion in the era of Clearasil, there was a darkness and danger to the band's sound, they seemed to exist outside the British Invasion, but were still members of it. And they had a slew of hits.
It started with a rendition of the traditional "House of the Rising Sun," a song known by older folkies but so few younger baby boomers, the Animals' version was the first one they heard, at this late date it's the most famous one, it's got 597+ million streams on Spotify. It's got nowhere near that play count on YouTube, proving that oldsters don't need no visuals and the green icon service is where true music lovers live.
At this late date, the second most remembered Animals track, with about a tenth of the streams of "House of the Rising Sun," is "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," which somehow seemed to have more cultural impact. Because now it was 1965, music had truly taken over youth culture, music was the paramount cultural medium, if you wanted to know what was going on you turned on the radio, and if you didn't you were left behind, like the old people with their Perry Comos and Dean Martins.
And "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" was a weird blend of pessimism and optimism, the verses were downbeat, but the choruses were upbeat. But one thing is for sure, the star was Eric Burdon's voice, the way he enunciated sent the message irrelevant of the lyrics, the Animals were STARS!
But my favorite Animals track is "Don't Bring Me Down," which had that curious difference between verse and chorus, but in this case the chorus was an incantation to his beloved not to...bring him down.
But really it was the organ, akin to "96 Tears," and the fuzztone guitar, Burdon's vocal was the cherry on top. "Don't Bring Me Down" had a darkness, a grittiness that was palpable, that could not be resisted. In the era of the war between the collegiates and the diddys, this was one thing they could agree on, this track, all of the Animals' music. "Don't Bring Me Down" was primal, you didn't need to get good grades to understand it, and if you were striving in school you were entranced by its danger, this is the life you wanted to live, you wanted to feel this emotion, this passion, this was not teenybop, but adult music. And despite their focus on their studies the grinds' hormones were raging, and one thing youngsters can't deny is their hormones, and in the sixties we got our sex on the radio, not online, and it wasn't really until late in the decade you could go to the theatre and see boobies, that was enough of an incentive to go, few spoke about the plot of "I Am Curious (Yellow)."
But earlier in the band's career, back in '64, the Animals had a hit with "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood." But they didn't cut the original version.
That was one difference between the Animals and their competition, they sang covers, they didn't write the material. But their rendition of the Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil composition "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," was the first popular one.
This was not always the case. Although the Animals were the first to record the Carole King/Gerry Goffin composition "Don't Bring Me Down." Yet "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" was first recorded by Nina Simone, whose star has risen once again, primarily because of a documentary, then again Simone is dead, whereas Eric Burdon is not.
But Hilton Valentine is gone. Chas Chandler too. And Mickie Most, the architect of the band's sound, he's the one who chose the material, pushed the band over the transom, made their records hits. Although "Don't Bring Me Down" was produced by Tom Wilson, and maybe that's why I love it so much, it's got a bit more of a New York feel, equally dark, after all at this point so many of our images were in black and white.
And for a minute there, Alan Price got press as a result of his film work, most notably Lindsay Anderson's "O Lucky Man!," but that was fifty years ago.
And Chas Chandler famously found, recorded and promoted Jimi Hendrix.
And Eric Burdon is still plying the boards. The man who sang the hits, who switched it up by working with War, bringing that act to prominence, the man who even had a psychedelic hit with "Sky Pilot," have you heard the long version?
And I thought of all this when I heard "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" in Harlan Coben's "Stay Close" on Netflix.
2
I watch all of Coben's work. And although one must be prepared for the twists at the end, "Stay Close" is one of the better ones, set in the U.K., however you do have to overlook some ridiculousness, most notably the pastel assassins.
But when we're deep into it, in the final episode, with its twists and turns, a song starts to play in the background, it's "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood." But it's not the Animals, it wasn't anyone I recognized.
Now it turns out "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" has been covered by everybody from Lady Gaga to Joe Cocker. The Moody Blues did a version. Even Elvis Costello. But which version was used in "Stay Close"?
Now the truth is this information is usually readily available online. I don't know who the faceless people providing these details are, but they're busy at work but sometimes it takes a while, there's a delay, you have to wait for the information to appear.
But now one can read that this rendition of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is by Eliza Shaddad. Who?
Shaddad's version is completely different from the Animals', it's slowed down. And in truth, so is Nina Simone's. But Simone's is more of a period piece, with lush strings and Nina dominating, owning the track, whereas Shaddad's version is more subtle, and it works perfectly synched to images, quiet, in the background.
And there's a montage of images. And the music adds to the images and the lyrics penetrate.
"Baby, do you understand me now
Sometimes I feel a little mad
But don't you know that no one alive
Can always be an angel"
Whew! Apologetic, but really an iron fist in a velvet glove, subtle in a way today's bop you over the head sexist lyrics are not. Today everybody has to appear an angel, even though as the song says, no one can be, certainly not all the time. We hide our warts, we don't own our faults, but in "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" the singer does.
"When things go wrong I seem to be bad
But I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh lord, please don't let me be misunderstood"
We're talking about relationships here, one's private life as opposed to public. And if you have no arguments, no difference of opinion with your significant other, that just means they're not expressing their true feelings, or maybe you're not, and that is a recipe for disaster, because eventually they come out and dissension is escalated.
"Baby, sometimes I'm so carefree
With a joy that's hard to hide
And sometimes it seems that all I have to do is worry
And then you're bound to see my other side"
There's always a yin to the yang. No one is happy all the time. Sometimes you're elated, other times you can't get rid of your angst, and when you show this other side will you be rejected?
"If I seem edgy I want you to know
That I never mean to take it out on you
Life has its problems and I get my share
And that's one thing I never mean to do"
Now this song was written in a different time, before not only the woke era, but the women's movement. When men ruled the roost and could get away with physical violence and...I'm not endorsing it, just detailing it. But the truth is both sexes can lose control.
"Oh baby, don't you know I'm human
Have thoughts like any other one
Sometimes I find myself long regretting
Some foolish thing, some little simple thing I've done"
Regrets, I have a few, don't you? You're running on instinct and then you calm down and see the bigger picture and worry about the fallout. You want a significant other who can tolerate your ups and downs, however not violence. Then again, words can be violent too.
3
Now the truth is listening to Eliza Shaddad's rendition of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" reinforced how a great song is timeless.
But it was a different era, it was all about the song. The Beatles ushered in a new model, where the acts wrote their own material. The Animals were a bridge between old and new. And soon the new superseded the old nearly completely, and now the paradigm has flipped back. There's too big a risk, the label wants a hit, get a cowriter, do a cover, the suits no longer trust talent, but the truth is the suits can never completely understand creation. And although some cuts are certified smashes, so many other ones that top the charts are a complete surprise. And then there are the tracks that were never singles that everybody seems to know, although frequently this isn't realized until decades later. I thought I was the only one who loved the Beach Boys' exquisite "'Til I Die" from 1971's "Surf's Up" until I saw Don Was's Brian Wilson documentary "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" in 1995.
And the truth is Brian wasn't, made for those times, and in these times he can't recapture what he once had, although every now and then a glimpse comes through, especially when he works with Joe Thomas.
And the Animals were a product of the period too. Today everybody puts money first, they want those songwriting credits. Bands fall apart because there's not enough money once you split up the royalties, assuming there are any. Then again, making music in the mid-sixties was a completely different endeavor. Pop was seen as disposable. Here today, not worth too much tomorrow, which is why Peter Grant sold Led Zeppelin's royalties to Atlantic. if you were lucky you could continue to play music, but ultimately you were going to have to get a day job. As for a pension from your music, that's a laugh.
But maybe that's why the music from that era was so great, all you had was the performance, the penumbra was outside the act's purview, other than the sex and the dope. You had no idea how much money you were due, you were too busy working to earn it. And everything was less precious, you couldn't stay in the studio for months spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to get it right.
And in truth, artists have given up getting it right. Oh, they shine the production, but the building blocks... Hell, you can buy your beats online, it's about making a hit record, oftentimes there's no melody at all.
But it was different. And the Animals were part of the change.
But an equal partner was their songs.
"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" was written by Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott and Sol Marcus. The first and third were not well-known then and are not today either, if it weren't for the internet and Wikipedia their names would have fallen through the cracks, lost to the sand of times.
But this song...
"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is forever. Seemingly anybody can sing it. And no matter who does, the darkness, the underbelly, is evidenced, because it's right there in the words and the changes.
The truth is we're all misunderstood. It's amazing people can understand each other at all. Miscommunication is the bane of relationships. We feel so alone, the only thing that seems to get us is these songs, they understand us, they soothe us, they give us hope, make life worth living, that's their magic.
It's not easy to create that magic. But when you achieve it...it's undeniable.
"I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh lord, please don't let me be misunderstood"
--
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--
Listen to the podcast:
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-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Jay Jay French-This Week On SiriusXM
Tune in today, January 11th, to Volume 106, 7 PM East, 4 PM West.
Phone #: 844-6-VOLUME, 844-686-5863
Twitter: @lefsetz or @siriusxmvolume/#lefsetzlive
Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: siriusxm.us/HearLefsetzLive
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app: siriusxm.us/LefsetzLive
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--
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-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Phone #: 844-6-VOLUME, 844-686-5863
Twitter: @lefsetz or @siriusxmvolume/#lefsetzlive
Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: siriusxm.us/HearLefsetzLive
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app: siriusxm.us/LefsetzLive
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--
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-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
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Sunday 9 January 2022
The Grammy Postponement
This is a chance for the organization to get up to date.
What I'm proposing is an 86 night extravaganza on social media highlighting the nominees in each and every category.
Let's speak English. The Grammys can't afford to piss off CBS, its benefactor. Without that big check the Grammys are SOL. But when you're beholden to the dying old you're behind the 8 ball when change finally arrives, and it's hard to catch up. As it is the Grammys are out of touch with the public. As are the Oscars. You leave the public behind at your peril, you must keep people INVOLVED!
So it's an 86 night pre-game show, a run-up to the actual ceremony, and it takes place on YouTube. Why YouTube? Because it has the most eyeballs and it's free. Sure, some other platform will offer a big check, but that defeats the purpose. Sometimes you have to leave money on the table in the furtherance of your goal, which in this case is exposing the most people to the most music.
Let's be clear, the public is flummoxed, they don't know where and how to find new music. Did you read that MusicBusinessWorldwide story about 82% of the U.S. market being catalog? That's right, over three-quarters, and it keeps going UP! Turns out the public is tuning out new music, or doesn't know where to tune it in, so this is where the Grammys and YouTube come in.
Every night it's a new category. That's right, for 86 days straight a Grammy category is going to be featured. An explanation of the category, maybe even some history, and then the nominees themselves. And sure, it can be one half hour long stream, but even better is to break it up. This is how you do it. You can consume the whole thing straight, or you can consume the bits you want to, which are featured conspicuously on the Grammy YouTube page AND LIVE THERE FOREVER!
Now of course you can just play the recordings, or the music videos, but with people paying attention, nominees will clamor to present new renditions. Which the Grammys will embrace. Cut it acoustic, do it live, make a new video, it's the artist's choice, and it's at the artists expense.
Now the big categories are spread out through the three months. And maybe the big categories even get two nights in a row. And one of the reasons we do this is because we're going to tie-in TikTok. For each big category we're going to have a TikTok contest/challenge. With the winner flown out to the ultimate Grammy ceremony where they get to meet and and create a TikTok video with the act whose song they created the clip to. And, of course, pictures will be on the Grammy Instagram account. The Instagram account will be an endless stream of information and photos for the 86 days.
The key is to create a destination people return to on a regular basis. One and done is history. Like too many albums. They promote them and they're over in a weekend, if not a day. That's the wrong paradigm in today's culture, you keep yourself out of the public eye at your peril. And one long Grammy show on CBS filled with commercials at an appointed time is so last century it's almost not worth staging. Then again, there's that contract with that big payment. Only 56% of Americans still watch satellite and cable TV. Think about that, Dan Bongino's YouTube channel reaches more people than CNN. You've got to go where the people are, and make it easy for them and ON DEMAND, so they can watch it when they want to.
If other outlets want to get on board...
No. Everybody needs to know to start at YouTube, you can't muddy the water here.
And let's hope that this Grammy extravaganza causes outsiders to participate, not only on TikTok. We want naysayers to create their own videos complaining about who has been left out. And if the Grammys are smart, and they rarely are, an award must be added that is voted for online. I know the ballots are in, so we're going to create a new category, Entertainer of the Year. I'm not married to the moniker, the hipper the better, but let the fans vote.
Make it available and get the fans involved. It's not a difficult concept.
And CBS will have no complaints, this will drive traffic to its ultimate awards telecast. And as far as CBS having its own streaming platform... They can give the show away for free there, they can capitalize on the show, but they get none of the run-up on their outlet, because they've got too small a footprint and no buzz.
And in truth the awards ceremony should be on Netflix. Which can afford to pay for it and would. But then there's that old CBS contract to contend with. Once again, you're married to the past at your peril. But in this case the Grammys have some options and they should grasp them and try to save the organization, because they've done a good job of streaming straight ahead into irrelevance.
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What I'm proposing is an 86 night extravaganza on social media highlighting the nominees in each and every category.
Let's speak English. The Grammys can't afford to piss off CBS, its benefactor. Without that big check the Grammys are SOL. But when you're beholden to the dying old you're behind the 8 ball when change finally arrives, and it's hard to catch up. As it is the Grammys are out of touch with the public. As are the Oscars. You leave the public behind at your peril, you must keep people INVOLVED!
So it's an 86 night pre-game show, a run-up to the actual ceremony, and it takes place on YouTube. Why YouTube? Because it has the most eyeballs and it's free. Sure, some other platform will offer a big check, but that defeats the purpose. Sometimes you have to leave money on the table in the furtherance of your goal, which in this case is exposing the most people to the most music.
Let's be clear, the public is flummoxed, they don't know where and how to find new music. Did you read that MusicBusinessWorldwide story about 82% of the U.S. market being catalog? That's right, over three-quarters, and it keeps going UP! Turns out the public is tuning out new music, or doesn't know where to tune it in, so this is where the Grammys and YouTube come in.
Every night it's a new category. That's right, for 86 days straight a Grammy category is going to be featured. An explanation of the category, maybe even some history, and then the nominees themselves. And sure, it can be one half hour long stream, but even better is to break it up. This is how you do it. You can consume the whole thing straight, or you can consume the bits you want to, which are featured conspicuously on the Grammy YouTube page AND LIVE THERE FOREVER!
Now of course you can just play the recordings, or the music videos, but with people paying attention, nominees will clamor to present new renditions. Which the Grammys will embrace. Cut it acoustic, do it live, make a new video, it's the artist's choice, and it's at the artists expense.
Now the big categories are spread out through the three months. And maybe the big categories even get two nights in a row. And one of the reasons we do this is because we're going to tie-in TikTok. For each big category we're going to have a TikTok contest/challenge. With the winner flown out to the ultimate Grammy ceremony where they get to meet and and create a TikTok video with the act whose song they created the clip to. And, of course, pictures will be on the Grammy Instagram account. The Instagram account will be an endless stream of information and photos for the 86 days.
The key is to create a destination people return to on a regular basis. One and done is history. Like too many albums. They promote them and they're over in a weekend, if not a day. That's the wrong paradigm in today's culture, you keep yourself out of the public eye at your peril. And one long Grammy show on CBS filled with commercials at an appointed time is so last century it's almost not worth staging. Then again, there's that contract with that big payment. Only 56% of Americans still watch satellite and cable TV. Think about that, Dan Bongino's YouTube channel reaches more people than CNN. You've got to go where the people are, and make it easy for them and ON DEMAND, so they can watch it when they want to.
If other outlets want to get on board...
No. Everybody needs to know to start at YouTube, you can't muddy the water here.
And let's hope that this Grammy extravaganza causes outsiders to participate, not only on TikTok. We want naysayers to create their own videos complaining about who has been left out. And if the Grammys are smart, and they rarely are, an award must be added that is voted for online. I know the ballots are in, so we're going to create a new category, Entertainer of the Year. I'm not married to the moniker, the hipper the better, but let the fans vote.
Make it available and get the fans involved. It's not a difficult concept.
And CBS will have no complaints, this will drive traffic to its ultimate awards telecast. And as far as CBS having its own streaming platform... They can give the show away for free there, they can capitalize on the show, but they get none of the run-up on their outlet, because they've got too small a footprint and no buzz.
And in truth the awards ceremony should be on Netflix. Which can afford to pay for it and would. But then there's that old CBS contract to contend with. Once again, you're married to the past at your peril. But in this case the Grammys have some options and they should grasp them and try to save the organization, because they've done a good job of streaming straight ahead into irrelevance.
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