THIS IS A LIVE SHOW, SO FEEL FREE TO CALL IN!
Tune in Saturday April 13th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.
Phone #: 844-686-5863
Twitter: @lefsetz
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
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Saturday 13 April 2024
Friday 12 April 2024
Remastered Frampton
Frampton@50: In the Studio 1972-1975 Limited Edition Vinyl Box Set: https://shorturl.at/wzJSZ
1
I bought my records on Friday.
Friday is a school holiday, after classes end. Sunday is a work day, studying, at least when I was in college and law school. But by Friday at noon I was free. Free to do what I really wanted to do, to follow my interests, which was not the paradigm when I was growing up. There were not courses in popular culture, you studied the classics, or classically, and delayed fulfillment to time in some distant future, certainly after college. We were working in a coal mine and we didn't think we had an option.
But we had interests we squeezed in.
Now the sixties were all about Beatlemania and the following British invasion and then the San Francisco scene and then Hendrix and Cream and the heyday of album rock. By the seventies the business was mature and respected. Newspapers reviewed and respected rock music. The financial world recognized the record world, because of the immense profits being thrown off, in excess of those of the movie studios, and in the parlance of the techies, music scaled. The cost to produce the millionth album was de minimis compared to the first. In other words, once recording costs were recouped nearly every dollar was profit.
Now of course, the heyday was the eighties, when not only did MTV blast acts to the moon, but CDs were sold at double the price at the old vinyl/tape royalty rate to the musicians. Those at the labels thought it would go on forever, they didn't foresee the internet coming along and blowing their model to hell.
Now people still buy vinyl records today, you can't help but reading about the resurgence. However, in truth it's a tiny sliver of overall consumption. And most people don't have the equipment to truly extract the sound from these discs, assuming they play them at all. Oftentimes vinyl is seen as a souvenir, a collectible, but back in the day it was all about what was in the grooves. After all, one of the most famous Beatle albums had nothing on the cover at all.
Now there were records I had to buy, always albums, I gave up singles back in the mid-sixties, all serious collectors, all serious devotees did. Albums were the essence, statements, platters from gods, and we devoured them.
After we paid for them.
So the new superstar release, you purchased. But more interesting were the records you'd heard about but had never heard. That was part of the process, taking a risk.
And one album was not enough. You'd walk through the store with a pile under your arm. And you'd extract and replace and ultimately bring the final count to the cash register.
And then you'd go home and break the shrink-wrap, which was an indelible part of the process. From the store to you. After you'd slice the shrink-wrap you owned the LP, you were involved.
And then you put it on the turntable and dropped the needle.
Which you had purchased from the standalone stereo shop with all your money.
Hard to believe stereo shops were plentiful. They were meccas. You'd walk the aisles and contemplate what you wanted and what you could afford. And some purchased their system all at once. Others built their system component by component, after reading "Stereo Review," "High Fidelity" and even "Audio." This was when information was scarce and we wanted all we could get.
And the goal was to get as close to the sound as possible. To eliminate all the static, all the possible distortion between the act and you. One of the relevant statistics was Total Harmonic Distortion. The key was a clean, rich sound. That you could play at top volume without distortion.
And on Friday afternoons, after breaking the shrink-wrap, deciding what album to play first, I'd drop the needle, turn up the volume so it filled the entire room and stood back and listened. There was no multitasking, not at first. This was a message from God, this was a religion, listening to these albums was the most important part of your life, at least mine. You were waiting for the surprise, ready to go on the adventure, because usually most of what you heard you'd never heard before. I can still remember hearing "Gimmie Shelter" for the first time. And "Hotel California." Totally cold. No context. It was personal, and astounding.
2
Now I don't understand vinyl versions of digital recordings. Technically that makes no sense. What you end up with is a distorted version of the original, it's a fetish, because vinyl is inherently compromised. It does have a warm sound, but if you want to hear the record exactly the way the act recorded it...
And digital recording can be very cheap.
But not analog. Most acts never made it to the recording studio. What you needed was a deep pocket to fund recording. Which is what the label provided. And at first you got a limited budget and a limited amount of time. But if you proved your mettle, which meant selling a lot of records, you got more money, which yielded more time. And more experimentation. More risk. A greater desire to capture lightning in a bottle. As years went by and time went on you could punch in and fix mistakes, which many saw as the beginning of the end, eliminating humanity from the discs, but that was late in the game. Going to the studio was like going to the lab. The engineer was a mad scientist, the producer akin to an orchestra conductor, about creativity and feel more than tech, and the goal was to lay down something that had an indescribable element that would make people want to buy and listen.
And most times the creators failed. Most records did not succeed. But some did. Some were instant hits and were instantly forgotten, seen as disposable. And then there were those that had a limited audience, which grew. The act toured after every LP, and if you wanted to hear the songs from the latest album, you had to go, because some of them might never be played again. And you didn't connect with your compatriots on social media, you just sat in the hall knowing you were on the same page, and that was enough. And concerts were not casual, and not parties. The venues had seats and when done right you had a direct connection to the performer, and it was just about the two of you, no one else mattered, the music set your mind free.
3
Most people sold their vinyl not long after the CD was introduced. Back when CDs sounded poor. A ton of improvement was done over the years, ergo the remastering, before it became a gimmick, a dash for cash.
And, in truth, vinyl is a pain in the ass. We know all the album tracks because we didn't want to get up off the couch to return the needle to the hit, we let the side play out. And back then the arm returned all by itself, you didn't have to worry about that endless click of the needle in the runout groove. And if you had a Technics direct drive turntable you could dial up the number of times you wanted to hear the album repeated. But we never stacked our records, we respected our records, they were our most important possession. We might not even have a car. And an auto was mute in a way records were not, we loved our records.
But I've still got all my vinyl, I've still got my big stereo, and I enjoy cranking it up, but honestly I rarely do, because it's too much of a pain, hi-res digital through the Genelecs is not only convenient, it sounds incredible.
But those early Frampton records were cut analog. One can argue quite strongly that the proper way to listen to them is on vinyl, and that's what I'm doing right now with Intervention Records' remasters.
4
Now the first time I listened to "Wind of Change," I'd never heard it before. No one else I knew owned it, I don't think anybody else in the dorm knew who Frampton was. He was part of Humble Pie who were suddenly successful with a hard-rocking, party-oriented double live album. But Peter was gone by then. And "Wind of Change" wasn't a completely different direction, "Shine On" was a harbinger of what was to come, but when I dropped the needle on "Fig Tree Bay"... I realized I was on an adventure, a journey to somewhere I'd never been before. That's what a great album provided. And, once again, it was completely personal. Unless you were right there in the room with me, there was no communication other than with the performer, and that was enough.
So I broke the shrink-wrap on this triple album vinyl set, and of course the first cut I wanted to hear was "Fig Tree Bay."
But my fully manual turntable was set to 45 RPM, and unlike in the old days I just couldn't flip a switch, I had to turn off the motor, lift off the entire platter, move the belt to a different part of the flywheel and then Peter sounded like who he was, and not a chipmunk.
Now after listening to these vinyl records you get used to the sound, but at first it's a shock, because the records don't resemble today's digital productions. They breathe, they were cut before the loudness wars and they sound exactly like what they are...recordings of people playing in a recording studio, a room. The guitar is full-bodied. It's not straight from the axe to your ear, rather the sound is captured in a space that makes the end result three-dimensional, once again it's hard to describe, but you know it when you hear it. Let me analogize... You can look at people in photos all day long, but when they're right in front of you, it's completely different. They exist in space, they have shape, they evidence personality, you're suddenly involved instead of removed. That's what it was like listening to "Fig Tree Bay."
I flipped the vinyl over to my favorite Frampton cut, "All I Want to Be (is by your side)," and it was the same effect, the same feeling. There was a human being inside the system, coming out of the speakers, it was not 2-D, and the sound was human in a way that digital can never be. Sure, it's a sound, but even more it's a feeling, on this early Friday evening in April. My work is done. Now my time is mine. And suddenly I'm in the space I've been in so many times before in my life, but a long time ago. I don't need to tell you how great the record is, I don't really have to tell you anything other than the feeling I'm having. One of completeness, of the music being enough, not feeling bored, but my mind floating in and over the music on a trip no other medium can take me, that has me relaxing and cogitating at the same time.
"Can't you see what it's doing to me"
Maybe you can't. But it doesn't matter.
Because Frampton just came alive, as a matter of fact he's always alive, whenever I want to drop the needle on this vinyl. And he's only alive in my house, on my stereo. Vinyl is not a portable medium, nor the stereos of yore, upon which I'm listening. I'm parked, having an experience, maybe you understand what I'm talking about.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
1
I bought my records on Friday.
Friday is a school holiday, after classes end. Sunday is a work day, studying, at least when I was in college and law school. But by Friday at noon I was free. Free to do what I really wanted to do, to follow my interests, which was not the paradigm when I was growing up. There were not courses in popular culture, you studied the classics, or classically, and delayed fulfillment to time in some distant future, certainly after college. We were working in a coal mine and we didn't think we had an option.
But we had interests we squeezed in.
Now the sixties were all about Beatlemania and the following British invasion and then the San Francisco scene and then Hendrix and Cream and the heyday of album rock. By the seventies the business was mature and respected. Newspapers reviewed and respected rock music. The financial world recognized the record world, because of the immense profits being thrown off, in excess of those of the movie studios, and in the parlance of the techies, music scaled. The cost to produce the millionth album was de minimis compared to the first. In other words, once recording costs were recouped nearly every dollar was profit.
Now of course, the heyday was the eighties, when not only did MTV blast acts to the moon, but CDs were sold at double the price at the old vinyl/tape royalty rate to the musicians. Those at the labels thought it would go on forever, they didn't foresee the internet coming along and blowing their model to hell.
Now people still buy vinyl records today, you can't help but reading about the resurgence. However, in truth it's a tiny sliver of overall consumption. And most people don't have the equipment to truly extract the sound from these discs, assuming they play them at all. Oftentimes vinyl is seen as a souvenir, a collectible, but back in the day it was all about what was in the grooves. After all, one of the most famous Beatle albums had nothing on the cover at all.
Now there were records I had to buy, always albums, I gave up singles back in the mid-sixties, all serious collectors, all serious devotees did. Albums were the essence, statements, platters from gods, and we devoured them.
After we paid for them.
So the new superstar release, you purchased. But more interesting were the records you'd heard about but had never heard. That was part of the process, taking a risk.
And one album was not enough. You'd walk through the store with a pile under your arm. And you'd extract and replace and ultimately bring the final count to the cash register.
And then you'd go home and break the shrink-wrap, which was an indelible part of the process. From the store to you. After you'd slice the shrink-wrap you owned the LP, you were involved.
And then you put it on the turntable and dropped the needle.
Which you had purchased from the standalone stereo shop with all your money.
Hard to believe stereo shops were plentiful. They were meccas. You'd walk the aisles and contemplate what you wanted and what you could afford. And some purchased their system all at once. Others built their system component by component, after reading "Stereo Review," "High Fidelity" and even "Audio." This was when information was scarce and we wanted all we could get.
And the goal was to get as close to the sound as possible. To eliminate all the static, all the possible distortion between the act and you. One of the relevant statistics was Total Harmonic Distortion. The key was a clean, rich sound. That you could play at top volume without distortion.
And on Friday afternoons, after breaking the shrink-wrap, deciding what album to play first, I'd drop the needle, turn up the volume so it filled the entire room and stood back and listened. There was no multitasking, not at first. This was a message from God, this was a religion, listening to these albums was the most important part of your life, at least mine. You were waiting for the surprise, ready to go on the adventure, because usually most of what you heard you'd never heard before. I can still remember hearing "Gimmie Shelter" for the first time. And "Hotel California." Totally cold. No context. It was personal, and astounding.
2
Now I don't understand vinyl versions of digital recordings. Technically that makes no sense. What you end up with is a distorted version of the original, it's a fetish, because vinyl is inherently compromised. It does have a warm sound, but if you want to hear the record exactly the way the act recorded it...
And digital recording can be very cheap.
But not analog. Most acts never made it to the recording studio. What you needed was a deep pocket to fund recording. Which is what the label provided. And at first you got a limited budget and a limited amount of time. But if you proved your mettle, which meant selling a lot of records, you got more money, which yielded more time. And more experimentation. More risk. A greater desire to capture lightning in a bottle. As years went by and time went on you could punch in and fix mistakes, which many saw as the beginning of the end, eliminating humanity from the discs, but that was late in the game. Going to the studio was like going to the lab. The engineer was a mad scientist, the producer akin to an orchestra conductor, about creativity and feel more than tech, and the goal was to lay down something that had an indescribable element that would make people want to buy and listen.
And most times the creators failed. Most records did not succeed. But some did. Some were instant hits and were instantly forgotten, seen as disposable. And then there were those that had a limited audience, which grew. The act toured after every LP, and if you wanted to hear the songs from the latest album, you had to go, because some of them might never be played again. And you didn't connect with your compatriots on social media, you just sat in the hall knowing you were on the same page, and that was enough. And concerts were not casual, and not parties. The venues had seats and when done right you had a direct connection to the performer, and it was just about the two of you, no one else mattered, the music set your mind free.
3
Most people sold their vinyl not long after the CD was introduced. Back when CDs sounded poor. A ton of improvement was done over the years, ergo the remastering, before it became a gimmick, a dash for cash.
And, in truth, vinyl is a pain in the ass. We know all the album tracks because we didn't want to get up off the couch to return the needle to the hit, we let the side play out. And back then the arm returned all by itself, you didn't have to worry about that endless click of the needle in the runout groove. And if you had a Technics direct drive turntable you could dial up the number of times you wanted to hear the album repeated. But we never stacked our records, we respected our records, they were our most important possession. We might not even have a car. And an auto was mute in a way records were not, we loved our records.
But I've still got all my vinyl, I've still got my big stereo, and I enjoy cranking it up, but honestly I rarely do, because it's too much of a pain, hi-res digital through the Genelecs is not only convenient, it sounds incredible.
But those early Frampton records were cut analog. One can argue quite strongly that the proper way to listen to them is on vinyl, and that's what I'm doing right now with Intervention Records' remasters.
4
Now the first time I listened to "Wind of Change," I'd never heard it before. No one else I knew owned it, I don't think anybody else in the dorm knew who Frampton was. He was part of Humble Pie who were suddenly successful with a hard-rocking, party-oriented double live album. But Peter was gone by then. And "Wind of Change" wasn't a completely different direction, "Shine On" was a harbinger of what was to come, but when I dropped the needle on "Fig Tree Bay"... I realized I was on an adventure, a journey to somewhere I'd never been before. That's what a great album provided. And, once again, it was completely personal. Unless you were right there in the room with me, there was no communication other than with the performer, and that was enough.
So I broke the shrink-wrap on this triple album vinyl set, and of course the first cut I wanted to hear was "Fig Tree Bay."
But my fully manual turntable was set to 45 RPM, and unlike in the old days I just couldn't flip a switch, I had to turn off the motor, lift off the entire platter, move the belt to a different part of the flywheel and then Peter sounded like who he was, and not a chipmunk.
Now after listening to these vinyl records you get used to the sound, but at first it's a shock, because the records don't resemble today's digital productions. They breathe, they were cut before the loudness wars and they sound exactly like what they are...recordings of people playing in a recording studio, a room. The guitar is full-bodied. It's not straight from the axe to your ear, rather the sound is captured in a space that makes the end result three-dimensional, once again it's hard to describe, but you know it when you hear it. Let me analogize... You can look at people in photos all day long, but when they're right in front of you, it's completely different. They exist in space, they have shape, they evidence personality, you're suddenly involved instead of removed. That's what it was like listening to "Fig Tree Bay."
I flipped the vinyl over to my favorite Frampton cut, "All I Want to Be (is by your side)," and it was the same effect, the same feeling. There was a human being inside the system, coming out of the speakers, it was not 2-D, and the sound was human in a way that digital can never be. Sure, it's a sound, but even more it's a feeling, on this early Friday evening in April. My work is done. Now my time is mine. And suddenly I'm in the space I've been in so many times before in my life, but a long time ago. I don't need to tell you how great the record is, I don't really have to tell you anything other than the feeling I'm having. One of completeness, of the music being enough, not feeling bored, but my mind floating in and over the music on a trip no other medium can take me, that has me relaxing and cogitating at the same time.
"Can't you see what it's doing to me"
Maybe you can't. But it doesn't matter.
Because Frampton just came alive, as a matter of fact he's always alive, whenever I want to drop the needle on this vinyl. And he's only alive in my house, on my stereo. Vinyl is not a portable medium, nor the stereos of yore, upon which I'm listening. I'm parked, having an experience, maybe you understand what I'm talking about.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
Taylor Swift Back On TikTok
She's not going to sacrifice her new album, she's not going to shoot herself in the foot, in a world where it's nearly impossible to reach everybody you don't want restrictions, you want the advantage of every outlet of distribution and promotion possible.
But Taylor Swift, as a result of her success, has a unique deal. The rest of the Universal artists? They're working on Maggie's Farm, and most won't say anything for fear the company will stop promoting them.
Now Swift stood up for artists against streaming services. But those are distributors, not the label itself. She ain't gonna piss on Universal. Sure, she pissed on Big Machine, but that was after the fact.
So, Swift has earned her freedom, all the rest of the Universal acts are indentured slaves.
As for statistics saying that Universal has not been hurt by the company's TikTok ban... Just proof that statistics can exist in a vacuum. How do you measure possibilities? Never mind, individual possibilities? Lucian Grainge is fighting for Universal, he's not fighting for any specific act. And if you're a developing act with new music, or even an established act... Well, imagine it being 1985 and your label telling you you can't make a video.
And then there's the scenario detailed in "Hit Men." CBS may choose not to pay independent radio promoters, but that just creates a vacuum that other players will fill. Other labels got the radio slots and eventually CBS caved. In other words, an individual boycott is not enough. Just like Spotify didn't want to launch in the U.S. without all major label groups on board.
But it's even worse. The major labels used to have a monopoly on the music world, but no longer. So, even if the three major label groups all pulled their wares from TikTok... There would still be plenty of independent music to fill the hole. And sure, a lot of it is dreck, but not all of it. And isn't TikTok where the majors go to find all their new talent?
Universal just doesn't have enough power to achieve its goal. Turns out TikTok can live without Universal's music. Furthermore, just like in the era of YouTube infringement, many Universal songs are still up on TikTok. It's not an easy switch to throw, then again, TikTok could be making a better effort. Then again, TikTok knows it's all about a negotiation, so it is dragging its feet.
But Universal didn't see TikTok coming. It thought it had all the control, but just like with the aforementioned MTV, the labels lost power when an unforeseen platform became dominant.
Now in tech, miss an opportunity and you might be history. The truth is the three major labels control almost the entire history of recorded music with their catalogs, a power that won't wane for eons, if ever.
But, once again, distribution is king. If Taylor Swift's new album is not on TikTok, fans won't serendipitously create videos employing its songs, TikTok users won't stumble upon videos containing Taylor's new music. Which means Taylor would be dependent on the public pulling her new tunes, on Spotify, et al, or YouTube, and hard core fans would do this, but casual fans? Taylor Swift's new album might be low on their priority list.
Hell, the reason most people even know Taylor Swift has a new album is because she hijacked the Grammy telecast to announce it, and even if you didn't watch the show the news filtered out to seemingly endless outlets.
You're not going to hold back Taylor Swift. Who has earned her emancipation from the whims of Universal. Taylor Swift is virtually independent. She just uses the services of Universal, otherwise she's on her own. This is the model all artists want, but if you sell your soul to the company man...
If you do not live in a controlled universe, do not try to control it. You've got to pick your battles. Judge your leverage. It's just like a union going on strike... What can you ask for, can you really win?
And Taylor Swift is not a scab, it's just that she does not have to operate under a preexisting agreement. But her brethren signed to Universal... TOUGH NOOGIES!
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
But Taylor Swift, as a result of her success, has a unique deal. The rest of the Universal artists? They're working on Maggie's Farm, and most won't say anything for fear the company will stop promoting them.
Now Swift stood up for artists against streaming services. But those are distributors, not the label itself. She ain't gonna piss on Universal. Sure, she pissed on Big Machine, but that was after the fact.
So, Swift has earned her freedom, all the rest of the Universal acts are indentured slaves.
As for statistics saying that Universal has not been hurt by the company's TikTok ban... Just proof that statistics can exist in a vacuum. How do you measure possibilities? Never mind, individual possibilities? Lucian Grainge is fighting for Universal, he's not fighting for any specific act. And if you're a developing act with new music, or even an established act... Well, imagine it being 1985 and your label telling you you can't make a video.
And then there's the scenario detailed in "Hit Men." CBS may choose not to pay independent radio promoters, but that just creates a vacuum that other players will fill. Other labels got the radio slots and eventually CBS caved. In other words, an individual boycott is not enough. Just like Spotify didn't want to launch in the U.S. without all major label groups on board.
But it's even worse. The major labels used to have a monopoly on the music world, but no longer. So, even if the three major label groups all pulled their wares from TikTok... There would still be plenty of independent music to fill the hole. And sure, a lot of it is dreck, but not all of it. And isn't TikTok where the majors go to find all their new talent?
Universal just doesn't have enough power to achieve its goal. Turns out TikTok can live without Universal's music. Furthermore, just like in the era of YouTube infringement, many Universal songs are still up on TikTok. It's not an easy switch to throw, then again, TikTok could be making a better effort. Then again, TikTok knows it's all about a negotiation, so it is dragging its feet.
But Universal didn't see TikTok coming. It thought it had all the control, but just like with the aforementioned MTV, the labels lost power when an unforeseen platform became dominant.
Now in tech, miss an opportunity and you might be history. The truth is the three major labels control almost the entire history of recorded music with their catalogs, a power that won't wane for eons, if ever.
But, once again, distribution is king. If Taylor Swift's new album is not on TikTok, fans won't serendipitously create videos employing its songs, TikTok users won't stumble upon videos containing Taylor's new music. Which means Taylor would be dependent on the public pulling her new tunes, on Spotify, et al, or YouTube, and hard core fans would do this, but casual fans? Taylor Swift's new album might be low on their priority list.
Hell, the reason most people even know Taylor Swift has a new album is because she hijacked the Grammy telecast to announce it, and even if you didn't watch the show the news filtered out to seemingly endless outlets.
You're not going to hold back Taylor Swift. Who has earned her emancipation from the whims of Universal. Taylor Swift is virtually independent. She just uses the services of Universal, otherwise she's on her own. This is the model all artists want, but if you sell your soul to the company man...
If you do not live in a controlled universe, do not try to control it. You've got to pick your battles. Judge your leverage. It's just like a union going on strike... What can you ask for, can you really win?
And Taylor Swift is not a scab, it's just that she does not have to operate under a preexisting agreement. But her brethren signed to Universal... TOUGH NOOGIES!
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
Soft Festivals?
This is not a Coachella issue, this is a music issue.
Yes, today marks the beginning of the festival season, with the first day of Coachella. Which means the news media is full of stories on the state of the festival business, in light of Coachella tickets selling slower than previously, in light of the Australian festival cancellations (no, the mainstream media didn't mention these, but those in the business know about them).
It's very clear. We don't have a festival issue, we have a MUSIC issue!
In other words, we're just not minting worldwide stars that appeal to everybody. And odds are it's going to get worse. Then what?
Well, is Coachella Glastonbury?
Glastonbury emerged in the wake of Woodstock and has flourished ever since. But you can get to Glastonbury by train, and it's not a long ride from the metropolis. And Glastonbury has become a national institution, embraced by both the public and the media. Furthermore, you can watch it on TV. Yes, they want to get the latest and greatest to appear, but they also want legacy acts, and acts that have been out of the spotlight for a while... In other words, Glastonbury is unique. And the question once again is, is Coachella Glastonbury?
That's what we really want to know. Is Coachella's name, history and the experience of attending so impressive, so dramatic, that it can survive irrelevant of the talent booked to appear.
For a while it looked that way. With tickets selling out before a lineup was announced. But there's been an evolution in the music itself.
Boomers don't want to go hang with the multitudes in the desert anymore, they're all about creature comforts, they're past their festival years. Ditto most Gen-X'ers. So you're left with diehard music fans and the younger generation, which is notoriously fickle. Is Coachella an institution or a long-running fad that is on its way to extinction?
Credit Paul Tollett for trying to go along with the times, booking more modern acts as opposed to the ancient ones most festivals depend upon to draw people in. But do you really want to go to the desert to see Doja Cat? Even Lana Del Rey? My point being these acts are very successful, but don't appeal to everyone. They're not cult acts, they just don't go broad beyond their verticals, and almost none of the new acts do. And, as has been noted seemingly everywhere, if you're a true fan of these acts do you want to go to a festival to see them, to pay a lot for many other acts you do not want to see, to hang with the great unwashed, is this the experience you're looking for?
Which brings us back to ticket prices. Despite the complaints, mostly from a small minority, there seems to be no amount too high for people to pay to see their favorite acts live. Sure, some may say their limit is a hundred bucks and sit at home. But most just pay the going rate, even paying more on the secondary market. That's how hot music is, a unique experience. But how many want a specific unique experience? Don't be overwhelmed by sold out arena dates, even stadium dates, when you add attendance up it's still not that many people. You've got those who need to be there, who will do anything to get a ticket, a few who get squeezed out and the rest shrug their shoulders, they might not even go if the ticket is free.
Don't compare this with yesteryear, when Bruce Springsteen was all over MTV and everybody knew not only him, but "Born in the U.S.A.," and "Glory Days" and "Dancing in the Dark." No songs have this reach today, NONE! Not that the industry or the media want to admit it. So the potential audience for a specific concert used to be much greater. But today? You can add up all the acts at the festival and still be unimpressed, there might not be ANYBODY you need to see. Furthermore, the undercard changes every year and virtually none of these acts grows into stardom. It used to be a badge of honor to say you saw the act first, when they were developing. The Police at the Whisky. Now these acts play festivals and...almost none graduate to theatres. You've got no bragging rights, because the act never becomes ubiquitous, most people are unaware of the act and don't care.
Now in a world where there were only a couple of festivals, each one had the imprimatur of exclusivity and greatness. Now there's a multi-act festival within driving distance of everybody, so why make an expensive journey to the desert, to ANYWHERE?
And, once again, is the multi-act bill passé?
Don't forget that the Fillmore East used to have three act bills. When was the last time you saw that? It was a bond between the audience and Bill Graham, that he'd turn you on to great new music you might not be aware of. Now, many people don't even show up for the opening act, and there's only one, and the goal of the headliner is to do "An Evening With," a multi-hour show that appeals to hard core fans with no opener at all!
We're going narrower and deeper. And that which is broad...
Is failing everywhere.
It's not only music, it's in every vertical. People want specialization, not generalization. People have very defined interests, and if you're trying to appeal to all, you're heading for death.
So, do festivals go extinct?
Definitely not. Especially city-based festivals, like Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and Outside Lands. The lift is much lighter. You can commute there from home, you don't have to drive a long distance or fly and get a hotel room... What the acts are and what you can charge? Those are interesting questions, along with who the attendees are.
Despite the international hoopla, Coachella is mostly a rite of passage for young Angelenos. The desert is part of their mind-set and they're young enough to endure the elements and the hoi polloi. But if you've lived in Los Angeles long enough, you know that Westwood used to be the hip epicenter, then the Third Street Promenade, then CityWalk and now...I'm not sure there even is one.
But once again, this has got less to do with the audience and the festival than the music itself. If you're expecting broad new superstars, you're out of touch. Look at consumption, Spotify keeps telling us the share of the superstars keeps declining. Everything is becoming narrower, specialized.
And in truth, I'm less concerned with the health of the festival industry than the health of the music industry. The music industry is operating like it's the pre-internet era when it positively isn't. The labels keep attempting moonshots and all the action is in those who start independently. And of course acts break through, but fewer than ever before. So do you really want to go see a conglomeration of niches?
Ozzy can't work anymore. So many classic acts of not only the sixties, but the seventies, are dead or retired. And there are the eighties superstars, those made by MTV, but they're pretty aged themselves. And once we hit the twenty first century we have Coldplay and Dave Matthews... Coldplay is broad, but Dave Matthews is narrow. Metallica is broad in metal, but narrow overall. We all came together in the MTV era, but now we've all split apart, and outsiders, and even insiders, expect it to be the same.
Interestingly, the biggest new stars of the past few years, Morgan Wallen and Zach Bryan, come from the country world, which is relatively controlled. On the pop and hip-hop side...everything is more splintered. And country is going that way too.
So for all the news you read about superstars selling out buildings, in truth music is becoming smaller and smaller, acts have a smaller piece of the pie, and do you really want to go to a destination festival to see a ton of acts that are not superstars, most of which don't appeal to you?
In some cases yes, but in most cases no.
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Yes, today marks the beginning of the festival season, with the first day of Coachella. Which means the news media is full of stories on the state of the festival business, in light of Coachella tickets selling slower than previously, in light of the Australian festival cancellations (no, the mainstream media didn't mention these, but those in the business know about them).
It's very clear. We don't have a festival issue, we have a MUSIC issue!
In other words, we're just not minting worldwide stars that appeal to everybody. And odds are it's going to get worse. Then what?
Well, is Coachella Glastonbury?
Glastonbury emerged in the wake of Woodstock and has flourished ever since. But you can get to Glastonbury by train, and it's not a long ride from the metropolis. And Glastonbury has become a national institution, embraced by both the public and the media. Furthermore, you can watch it on TV. Yes, they want to get the latest and greatest to appear, but they also want legacy acts, and acts that have been out of the spotlight for a while... In other words, Glastonbury is unique. And the question once again is, is Coachella Glastonbury?
That's what we really want to know. Is Coachella's name, history and the experience of attending so impressive, so dramatic, that it can survive irrelevant of the talent booked to appear.
For a while it looked that way. With tickets selling out before a lineup was announced. But there's been an evolution in the music itself.
Boomers don't want to go hang with the multitudes in the desert anymore, they're all about creature comforts, they're past their festival years. Ditto most Gen-X'ers. So you're left with diehard music fans and the younger generation, which is notoriously fickle. Is Coachella an institution or a long-running fad that is on its way to extinction?
Credit Paul Tollett for trying to go along with the times, booking more modern acts as opposed to the ancient ones most festivals depend upon to draw people in. But do you really want to go to the desert to see Doja Cat? Even Lana Del Rey? My point being these acts are very successful, but don't appeal to everyone. They're not cult acts, they just don't go broad beyond their verticals, and almost none of the new acts do. And, as has been noted seemingly everywhere, if you're a true fan of these acts do you want to go to a festival to see them, to pay a lot for many other acts you do not want to see, to hang with the great unwashed, is this the experience you're looking for?
Which brings us back to ticket prices. Despite the complaints, mostly from a small minority, there seems to be no amount too high for people to pay to see their favorite acts live. Sure, some may say their limit is a hundred bucks and sit at home. But most just pay the going rate, even paying more on the secondary market. That's how hot music is, a unique experience. But how many want a specific unique experience? Don't be overwhelmed by sold out arena dates, even stadium dates, when you add attendance up it's still not that many people. You've got those who need to be there, who will do anything to get a ticket, a few who get squeezed out and the rest shrug their shoulders, they might not even go if the ticket is free.
Don't compare this with yesteryear, when Bruce Springsteen was all over MTV and everybody knew not only him, but "Born in the U.S.A.," and "Glory Days" and "Dancing in the Dark." No songs have this reach today, NONE! Not that the industry or the media want to admit it. So the potential audience for a specific concert used to be much greater. But today? You can add up all the acts at the festival and still be unimpressed, there might not be ANYBODY you need to see. Furthermore, the undercard changes every year and virtually none of these acts grows into stardom. It used to be a badge of honor to say you saw the act first, when they were developing. The Police at the Whisky. Now these acts play festivals and...almost none graduate to theatres. You've got no bragging rights, because the act never becomes ubiquitous, most people are unaware of the act and don't care.
Now in a world where there were only a couple of festivals, each one had the imprimatur of exclusivity and greatness. Now there's a multi-act festival within driving distance of everybody, so why make an expensive journey to the desert, to ANYWHERE?
And, once again, is the multi-act bill passé?
Don't forget that the Fillmore East used to have three act bills. When was the last time you saw that? It was a bond between the audience and Bill Graham, that he'd turn you on to great new music you might not be aware of. Now, many people don't even show up for the opening act, and there's only one, and the goal of the headliner is to do "An Evening With," a multi-hour show that appeals to hard core fans with no opener at all!
We're going narrower and deeper. And that which is broad...
Is failing everywhere.
It's not only music, it's in every vertical. People want specialization, not generalization. People have very defined interests, and if you're trying to appeal to all, you're heading for death.
So, do festivals go extinct?
Definitely not. Especially city-based festivals, like Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and Outside Lands. The lift is much lighter. You can commute there from home, you don't have to drive a long distance or fly and get a hotel room... What the acts are and what you can charge? Those are interesting questions, along with who the attendees are.
Despite the international hoopla, Coachella is mostly a rite of passage for young Angelenos. The desert is part of their mind-set and they're young enough to endure the elements and the hoi polloi. But if you've lived in Los Angeles long enough, you know that Westwood used to be the hip epicenter, then the Third Street Promenade, then CityWalk and now...I'm not sure there even is one.
But once again, this has got less to do with the audience and the festival than the music itself. If you're expecting broad new superstars, you're out of touch. Look at consumption, Spotify keeps telling us the share of the superstars keeps declining. Everything is becoming narrower, specialized.
And in truth, I'm less concerned with the health of the festival industry than the health of the music industry. The music industry is operating like it's the pre-internet era when it positively isn't. The labels keep attempting moonshots and all the action is in those who start independently. And of course acts break through, but fewer than ever before. So do you really want to go see a conglomeration of niches?
Ozzy can't work anymore. So many classic acts of not only the sixties, but the seventies, are dead or retired. And there are the eighties superstars, those made by MTV, but they're pretty aged themselves. And once we hit the twenty first century we have Coldplay and Dave Matthews... Coldplay is broad, but Dave Matthews is narrow. Metallica is broad in metal, but narrow overall. We all came together in the MTV era, but now we've all split apart, and outsiders, and even insiders, expect it to be the same.
Interestingly, the biggest new stars of the past few years, Morgan Wallen and Zach Bryan, come from the country world, which is relatively controlled. On the pop and hip-hop side...everything is more splintered. And country is going that way too.
So for all the news you read about superstars selling out buildings, in truth music is becoming smaller and smaller, acts have a smaller piece of the pie, and do you really want to go to a destination festival to see a ton of acts that are not superstars, most of which don't appeal to you?
In some cases yes, but in most cases no.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
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The Jimmy Buffett Tribute At The Hollywood Bowl
All you have to know is Paul McCartney came to serenade Jimmy on his deathbed. Jimmy knew everybody, and everybody loved him.
Now when my mother died, my older sister said she wanted "She did it all" on her tombstone. Jimmy Buffett truly did it all. When I think of his time on Earth I feel inadequate. Talk about eating up life... It's very sad he was cut down short, and I'm sure there was more he wanted to do, but when it comes to living life to the fullest, I know no one who has done that to the extent of Jimmy Buffett. NO ONE! And I know a lot of people.
And a lot of them were at the Hollywood Bowl last night. And a lot of them I do not know, but Jimmy did. It was the movers and shakers of Hollywood, there to pay tribute to an entertainer. Sure, Jimmy was smart, and educated, but he built his success out of thin air. From cogitation. He followed in no footsteps. He even created his own community. We hear about fan bases, but Jimmy's was the apotheosis, once you were in the club, once you were a Parrothead, you never left. Some even went to live in Margaritaville retirement communities. And if you read the story in "The New Yorker," it sounds pretty appealing:
"Retirement the Margaritaville Way - At the active-living community for Jimmy Buffett enthusiasts, it's five o'clock everywhere.": https://rb.gy/olq4vv
Jimmy wasn't selling raw hedonism. Not mindless fun. But middle class fun. You work hard so you can let go after work, go sailing on the weekend. Not only did Jimmy's fans love his music, they wanted to BE Jimmy Buffett!
And Jimmy may have crashed a few airplanes, but he was not featured in the gossip columns, was not all over TMZ. Jimmy was reasonable, like you and me, but not like you and me.
Now the MC was Mac McAnally. Whom I discovered via his 1983 Geffen album "Nothin' But the Truth." And it was. And it made me a fan. But Mac was happier playing second fiddle to Jimmy Buffett than being the main draw. But last night, Mac was in charge, he did the intros, he drove the music, with his Alabama/Mississippi perspective, just like James William Buffett himself. You see the south has a long tradition of storytelling, and Mac fits right into that tradition.
So what we had here was the Coral Reefer Band, both by itself and with special guests.
Now the special guest I wanted to see most was Kenny Chesney, who followed in Jimmy's footsteps, who took up the mantle of the pirate in the islands. Now if you're a Chesney fan, you know one of his absolute best songs, my favorite of his, is "Back Where I Come From," which was written by Mac McAnally:
"That's where I come from
I'm an old Tennessean
Well I'm proud as anyone
That's where I come from"
That's where Jimmy went to make it, Nashville, to break through in the music business. And it took him a while to find his groove, but ultimately he had a hit with "Come Monday." Which Brandi Carlile knocked out of the park last night.
Now the other song I needed to hear was "Son of a Son of a Sailor," last night performed by Eric Church:
"Where it all ends I can't fathom my friend
If I knew I might toss out my anchor
So I cruise along always searchin' for songs
Not a lawyer a thief or a banker"
Jimmy became a billionaire his own way. He didn't do what all his contemporaries did. He didn't sell out. And it was the lawyers, the thieves and the bankers who came to his shows to experience the life they could have lived, if only they were willing to take a risky path.
Now not all of us can write songs. But that does not mean the path to fame is ever easy. Harrison Ford was a carpenter before he became Han Solo, a cultural icon. He testified. He talked about how cool Jimmy was, how he was inspired to get his ear pierced after lunch with the man, back when male piercings were a statement, not de rigueur.
And Don Johnson spoke of being invited to dinner at Jimmy's house in Snowmass, with Jack Nicholson, the Eagles and a ton of cocaine. Yes, we're old enough to own our past lives, our faux pas, we lived through it, it was a different era.
But not all the stars were on stage. Larry David was there, and left early, just as you'd expect him to.
But Les Moonves and Julie Chen did not, they stayed until the very end. I mean what else has Les got to do? Then again, even the punters don't stay until the end in Los Angeles, I mean you've got to beat the traffic, right?
And David Zaslav, the most hated man in Hollywood, came dressed down to the point where you almost thought it wasn't him.
Eddy Cue was recognizable from all the Apple presentations.
Bob Iger...it was kind of astounding that this was the guy in the news every day, running the Disney empire, involved not only in movies and TV, but theme parks and politics, wrestling with Ron DeSantis and the state of Florida. Wearing a sweater, he oozed no airs. Nobody did. Because that's not who Jimmy Buffett was. He was the anti-tie, an emblem of doing it your own way.
Now James Taylor and Dolly Parton spoke via video. But Jane Fonda was there live, as were John McEnroe and Judd Apatow. It wasn't like an awards show, people spoke off the cuff, made jokes, it was loose, just like a Jimmy Buffett show.
That's what it was.
If you ever went to see Jimmy Buffett, you know the crowd didn't sit in reverence. Some people stood throughout (three, unfortunately, in my line of vision). Others talked, others drank. Going to see Jimmy was like going to see the Dead, but unlike Garcia, Buffett was truly Captain Trips. Well, Garcia took you on mind trips, Buffett truly inspired you to journey...to everywhere there was a body of water, not only to relax, but to participate. Jimmy was a man of action. As Will Arnett said, Jimmy was either coming or going, always in motion.
Now there were some left field appearances. Snoop Dogg doing "Gin and Juice." But it worked because of the vibe. As did Pitbull's Miami party shtick. Although Pitbull knew Jimmy, told him he'd written the song "Thank God & Jimmy Buffett," which he performed with Jon Bon Jovi last night.
And it wasn't only the stars of the moving picture business there last night. Jimmy's good friend Tom Freston was in attendance, the two were confronted by kidnappers in Africa, fame meant nothing there, and John Sykes and Allen Grubman, who had the chutzpah to tell those in front of him to sit down, which I did not. And, of course, Irving Azoff, who was Jimmy's manager, then label head, then manager once again.
Jackson Browne played Bob Dylan's favorite Buffett tune, "He Went to Paris," but had to stop because he forgot to put in his in-ears. It was that kind of night, loose, mistakes were forgiven, after all, aren't we all human?
It was a light evening. When most of these tribute shows are somewhat somber. It was a party. And Jimmy would have loved it. Before the show I thought it was sad that he was not there to experience it, but as you were watching you felt that Jimmy was the victor, everybody on stage was subservient to him, because he'd won the game of life in a way they hadn't.
Except of course for Paul McCartney. As Solters said, he was the reason we were all here, doing this. And that's true. Beatlemania was a real thing. Everybody picked up guitars, was glued to the radio, spoke with English accents. The only equivalent in my lifetime was the internet, and that was inert, tech, ones and zeros, whereas the Beatles were positively alive and human. Your heart still jumps when you see Paul. I mean he's right in front of me, alive, still here?
Yes, and he sat at the piano and played "Let It Be," after the Eagles performed a trio of songs, much heavier, with more gravitas than what had come before, which is what made them so great, they took it to the limit in both the city and the country, all over the world, and last night they paid fealty to the true boy of summer.
And then there was Mac McAnally's story about performing for the Navy and the Admiral saying if Jimmy ever wanted anything...
Well, what Jimmy wanted was to be dropped from a helicopter in thirty feet of water.
Like I said, Jimmy wanted to do it all. And everybody there last night was just in his wake. He was accessible, and joked and played and there for advice, or comfort... Carlile talked about fishing tips, I think it was Kelly Slater who went on a hike with him.
Or maybe it was Jack Johnson, who sang Jimmy's greatest song, "A Pirate Looks at Forty."
"Mother, mother ocean, I have heard your call
Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall"
It was mentioned that Jimmy always had big dreams, and just waited for his feet to be able to take him there.
"I've done a bit of smugglin', and I've run my share of grass
I made enough money to buy Miami but I pissed it away so fast
Never meant to last, never meant to last"
It was the seventies. We were all getting high. Not from the refined stuff you get at the cannabis shop, but from the pot dealer, who was not evil like the heroin dealer, usually just a guy you knew, or someone else knew... Then again, there were the big smugglers. They all got arrested, back when we thought marijuana was never gonna be legal.
And that's the rock lifestyle. You make the money and you spend it. You're not creating generational wealth. Jimmy had planes... It was only that he was so successful that he ended up so rich.
And every career extension was on brand. Jimmy had an identity. And the music was true to that.
"I go for younger women, lived with several a while
Though I ran 'em away, they'd come back one day
Still could manage to smile
Just takes a while, just takes a while"
When I met Jimmy he was separated from Jane. And, as a matter of fact, he was with a younger woman. But in one of the great love stories, Jimmy and Jane got back together. And were equal partners, seems like Jane got almost as many kudos as Jimmy last night.
Margaritaville is a state of mind. You can be in Alaska in the middle of winter and be in Margaritavile. You've just got to let go of your preconceptions, jump into the mental river and go with the flow. Oh, you're allowed to steer, but if you don't jump in you'll never experience what Jimmy did, what we all want to, which is to have new experiences, meet new people, growing all the time.
Jimmy's one of the few people whose business empire, whose brand extensions, might outlive his music. Margaritaville in all its manifestations, shows no sign of slowing down. It's kind of like Elvis, not only with pure devotion to the star, but inspiration to take action and find your own way, never forgetting to have fun.
That was the essence of last night, fun. And that's why Jimmy would have loved it so much. We're only here for a short while. If you can't make friends, get high and go on adventures, you're missing out. You take one step, then another, adjusting along the way. You never know who you'll meet, you never know what will happen next. But you will know that it's so f*cking great to be alive. Take that risk now, check items off that bucket list now, that's Jimmy Buffett's ultimate message.
If you're having fun, Jimmy has won. That's what he did, pursued his dreams, followed his muse, wherever the fun would take him. And not only did it make him rich, it inspired millions of others to wake up and follow him. You can't ask for more from life.
--
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Now when my mother died, my older sister said she wanted "She did it all" on her tombstone. Jimmy Buffett truly did it all. When I think of his time on Earth I feel inadequate. Talk about eating up life... It's very sad he was cut down short, and I'm sure there was more he wanted to do, but when it comes to living life to the fullest, I know no one who has done that to the extent of Jimmy Buffett. NO ONE! And I know a lot of people.
And a lot of them were at the Hollywood Bowl last night. And a lot of them I do not know, but Jimmy did. It was the movers and shakers of Hollywood, there to pay tribute to an entertainer. Sure, Jimmy was smart, and educated, but he built his success out of thin air. From cogitation. He followed in no footsteps. He even created his own community. We hear about fan bases, but Jimmy's was the apotheosis, once you were in the club, once you were a Parrothead, you never left. Some even went to live in Margaritaville retirement communities. And if you read the story in "The New Yorker," it sounds pretty appealing:
"Retirement the Margaritaville Way - At the active-living community for Jimmy Buffett enthusiasts, it's five o'clock everywhere.": https://rb.gy/olq4vv
Jimmy wasn't selling raw hedonism. Not mindless fun. But middle class fun. You work hard so you can let go after work, go sailing on the weekend. Not only did Jimmy's fans love his music, they wanted to BE Jimmy Buffett!
And Jimmy may have crashed a few airplanes, but he was not featured in the gossip columns, was not all over TMZ. Jimmy was reasonable, like you and me, but not like you and me.
Now the MC was Mac McAnally. Whom I discovered via his 1983 Geffen album "Nothin' But the Truth." And it was. And it made me a fan. But Mac was happier playing second fiddle to Jimmy Buffett than being the main draw. But last night, Mac was in charge, he did the intros, he drove the music, with his Alabama/Mississippi perspective, just like James William Buffett himself. You see the south has a long tradition of storytelling, and Mac fits right into that tradition.
So what we had here was the Coral Reefer Band, both by itself and with special guests.
Now the special guest I wanted to see most was Kenny Chesney, who followed in Jimmy's footsteps, who took up the mantle of the pirate in the islands. Now if you're a Chesney fan, you know one of his absolute best songs, my favorite of his, is "Back Where I Come From," which was written by Mac McAnally:
"That's where I come from
I'm an old Tennessean
Well I'm proud as anyone
That's where I come from"
That's where Jimmy went to make it, Nashville, to break through in the music business. And it took him a while to find his groove, but ultimately he had a hit with "Come Monday." Which Brandi Carlile knocked out of the park last night.
Now the other song I needed to hear was "Son of a Son of a Sailor," last night performed by Eric Church:
"Where it all ends I can't fathom my friend
If I knew I might toss out my anchor
So I cruise along always searchin' for songs
Not a lawyer a thief or a banker"
Jimmy became a billionaire his own way. He didn't do what all his contemporaries did. He didn't sell out. And it was the lawyers, the thieves and the bankers who came to his shows to experience the life they could have lived, if only they were willing to take a risky path.
Now not all of us can write songs. But that does not mean the path to fame is ever easy. Harrison Ford was a carpenter before he became Han Solo, a cultural icon. He testified. He talked about how cool Jimmy was, how he was inspired to get his ear pierced after lunch with the man, back when male piercings were a statement, not de rigueur.
And Don Johnson spoke of being invited to dinner at Jimmy's house in Snowmass, with Jack Nicholson, the Eagles and a ton of cocaine. Yes, we're old enough to own our past lives, our faux pas, we lived through it, it was a different era.
But not all the stars were on stage. Larry David was there, and left early, just as you'd expect him to.
But Les Moonves and Julie Chen did not, they stayed until the very end. I mean what else has Les got to do? Then again, even the punters don't stay until the end in Los Angeles, I mean you've got to beat the traffic, right?
And David Zaslav, the most hated man in Hollywood, came dressed down to the point where you almost thought it wasn't him.
Eddy Cue was recognizable from all the Apple presentations.
Bob Iger...it was kind of astounding that this was the guy in the news every day, running the Disney empire, involved not only in movies and TV, but theme parks and politics, wrestling with Ron DeSantis and the state of Florida. Wearing a sweater, he oozed no airs. Nobody did. Because that's not who Jimmy Buffett was. He was the anti-tie, an emblem of doing it your own way.
Now James Taylor and Dolly Parton spoke via video. But Jane Fonda was there live, as were John McEnroe and Judd Apatow. It wasn't like an awards show, people spoke off the cuff, made jokes, it was loose, just like a Jimmy Buffett show.
That's what it was.
If you ever went to see Jimmy Buffett, you know the crowd didn't sit in reverence. Some people stood throughout (three, unfortunately, in my line of vision). Others talked, others drank. Going to see Jimmy was like going to see the Dead, but unlike Garcia, Buffett was truly Captain Trips. Well, Garcia took you on mind trips, Buffett truly inspired you to journey...to everywhere there was a body of water, not only to relax, but to participate. Jimmy was a man of action. As Will Arnett said, Jimmy was either coming or going, always in motion.
Now there were some left field appearances. Snoop Dogg doing "Gin and Juice." But it worked because of the vibe. As did Pitbull's Miami party shtick. Although Pitbull knew Jimmy, told him he'd written the song "Thank God & Jimmy Buffett," which he performed with Jon Bon Jovi last night.
And it wasn't only the stars of the moving picture business there last night. Jimmy's good friend Tom Freston was in attendance, the two were confronted by kidnappers in Africa, fame meant nothing there, and John Sykes and Allen Grubman, who had the chutzpah to tell those in front of him to sit down, which I did not. And, of course, Irving Azoff, who was Jimmy's manager, then label head, then manager once again.
Jackson Browne played Bob Dylan's favorite Buffett tune, "He Went to Paris," but had to stop because he forgot to put in his in-ears. It was that kind of night, loose, mistakes were forgiven, after all, aren't we all human?
It was a light evening. When most of these tribute shows are somewhat somber. It was a party. And Jimmy would have loved it. Before the show I thought it was sad that he was not there to experience it, but as you were watching you felt that Jimmy was the victor, everybody on stage was subservient to him, because he'd won the game of life in a way they hadn't.
Except of course for Paul McCartney. As Solters said, he was the reason we were all here, doing this. And that's true. Beatlemania was a real thing. Everybody picked up guitars, was glued to the radio, spoke with English accents. The only equivalent in my lifetime was the internet, and that was inert, tech, ones and zeros, whereas the Beatles were positively alive and human. Your heart still jumps when you see Paul. I mean he's right in front of me, alive, still here?
Yes, and he sat at the piano and played "Let It Be," after the Eagles performed a trio of songs, much heavier, with more gravitas than what had come before, which is what made them so great, they took it to the limit in both the city and the country, all over the world, and last night they paid fealty to the true boy of summer.
And then there was Mac McAnally's story about performing for the Navy and the Admiral saying if Jimmy ever wanted anything...
Well, what Jimmy wanted was to be dropped from a helicopter in thirty feet of water.
Like I said, Jimmy wanted to do it all. And everybody there last night was just in his wake. He was accessible, and joked and played and there for advice, or comfort... Carlile talked about fishing tips, I think it was Kelly Slater who went on a hike with him.
Or maybe it was Jack Johnson, who sang Jimmy's greatest song, "A Pirate Looks at Forty."
"Mother, mother ocean, I have heard your call
Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall"
It was mentioned that Jimmy always had big dreams, and just waited for his feet to be able to take him there.
"I've done a bit of smugglin', and I've run my share of grass
I made enough money to buy Miami but I pissed it away so fast
Never meant to last, never meant to last"
It was the seventies. We were all getting high. Not from the refined stuff you get at the cannabis shop, but from the pot dealer, who was not evil like the heroin dealer, usually just a guy you knew, or someone else knew... Then again, there were the big smugglers. They all got arrested, back when we thought marijuana was never gonna be legal.
And that's the rock lifestyle. You make the money and you spend it. You're not creating generational wealth. Jimmy had planes... It was only that he was so successful that he ended up so rich.
And every career extension was on brand. Jimmy had an identity. And the music was true to that.
"I go for younger women, lived with several a while
Though I ran 'em away, they'd come back one day
Still could manage to smile
Just takes a while, just takes a while"
When I met Jimmy he was separated from Jane. And, as a matter of fact, he was with a younger woman. But in one of the great love stories, Jimmy and Jane got back together. And were equal partners, seems like Jane got almost as many kudos as Jimmy last night.
Margaritaville is a state of mind. You can be in Alaska in the middle of winter and be in Margaritavile. You've just got to let go of your preconceptions, jump into the mental river and go with the flow. Oh, you're allowed to steer, but if you don't jump in you'll never experience what Jimmy did, what we all want to, which is to have new experiences, meet new people, growing all the time.
Jimmy's one of the few people whose business empire, whose brand extensions, might outlive his music. Margaritaville in all its manifestations, shows no sign of slowing down. It's kind of like Elvis, not only with pure devotion to the star, but inspiration to take action and find your own way, never forgetting to have fun.
That was the essence of last night, fun. And that's why Jimmy would have loved it so much. We're only here for a short while. If you can't make friends, get high and go on adventures, you're missing out. You take one step, then another, adjusting along the way. You never know who you'll meet, you never know what will happen next. But you will know that it's so f*cking great to be alive. Take that risk now, check items off that bucket list now, that's Jimmy Buffett's ultimate message.
If you're having fun, Jimmy has won. That's what he did, pursued his dreams, followed his muse, wherever the fun would take him. And not only did it make him rich, it inspired millions of others to wake up and follow him. You can't ask for more from life.
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Thursday 11 April 2024
Joe Satriani-This Week's Podcast
Guitarist extraordinaire Joe Satriani is presently on tour with Steve Vai, and after that he'll be on the road with Sammy Hagar's "Best of All Worlds" extravaganza. Joe is so down to earth and interesting, you'll love listening to him.
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/joe-satriani-166660130/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joe-satriani/id1316200737?i=1000652129147
https://open.spotify.com/episode/41ZnPkJDhS38mxGcxrNCUG?si=ZjhLcF5-S0CgsekSPbsG1A
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/d5a7ba53-1ce6-4b78-9417-9ffa514eadd0/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-joe-satriani
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https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/joe-satriani-166660130/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joe-satriani/id1316200737?i=1000652129147
https://open.spotify.com/episode/41ZnPkJDhS38mxGcxrNCUG?si=ZjhLcF5-S0CgsekSPbsG1A
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/d5a7ba53-1ce6-4b78-9417-9ffa514eadd0/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-joe-satriani
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Tuesday 9 April 2024
Morgan Wallen And The Chair
The only people who care are those who don't listen to his music.
Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist, I'm not defending this heinous act. He was probably drunk, but he's got a history of bad choices when he's drunk, at some point you have to grow up.
But in the old days, a faux pas would negatively affect your career. Not anymore. Because you've got your fans and the rest don't matter. And this is something the rest can't understand. They're sitting in judgment of bad actors, waiting for a penalty, and then nothing happens.
This is the essence of the red/blue divide. You're asking why the Trumpers aren't affected, disillusioned by the Donald's bad behavior. They're invested in Trump, there's nothing he can do wrong. Didn't he say he could shoot someone in the middle of the street and get away with it?
Trump is a bleeding edge character, a paradigm-buster, and no one in staid society is willing to admit it. They'd rather talk about his bad behavior. But look at it this way, Trump changed politics completely, he spoke truth. Don't blow back. But that was his appeal back in 2016, he spoke in plain English when the traditional, compromised pols did not. And this appealed to people. Trump harnessed social media. Everything the "New York Times" hates Trump employed. They hate people who are on their phones 24/7, they hate social media, and Trump has used both to not only become President, but have a good chance of being re-elected President!
As for the stolen election... We had Fox News, but people were under the belief that there were some facts, some truths. But facts and truth went out the window long before Trump said the election was stolen, he just capitalized on this change while others ignored it.
And Trump understands our divided society, our competing teams. You're either with him or against him, and if you're against him you're a pariah. It's not only Trump, it's America at large. Participate online and the haters will descend. You may not participate, you may be a lurker, but in truth you're afraid, because if you enter the maelstrom you're going to get bitten. The question is how do you keep on going? Taylor Swift sang one song after another putting men down and did it hurt her fan base? Well, for a minute there a few years back, when she was trying to be liked, when she was assembling her Girl Squad, but the point is her fans don't care, they're all-in, and if you're not, it doesn't bother them, they're not listening to you.
Teddy Swims has the number one record. I like Swims, wrote about him a few years back, but have you even heard this record? Are you aware of Swims to begin with? What does a number one record even mean? Radio airplay? Who is listening to terrestrial radio? Talk about disinformation... The radio industry keeps telling us everybody is listening and I can't find anyone under twenty five who ever does. Talk about a disconnect. What are you gonna believe, the corporation or your own eyes and ears? I'll bank on the latter.
Yes, it's every person for themselves.
And we don't care about putting you down as much as we want to be able to follow our muse, do what we want to unfettered.
Furthermore, most people want gun control and now mass shootings are de rigueur, you see the headline, shrug, and then move on.
Yes, in many ways you feel powerless, so you hitch your wagon to something... Could be a musical star like Morgan Wallen, could be a techie like Elon Musk. You need a hero, someone to believe in, and if an outsider questions this hero and your devotion they should be prepared to be excoriated.
And Trump may be insane and dangerous, but Biden and the Democrats are living in the last century, they squandered an online lead to the Republicans and are all about TV advertising. Meanwhile, I think half of what interests me Biden is unaware of.
Don't blow back, your knee-jerk defense proves the point. You're invested and the rest of us need to STFU!
I'm sick of being told to STFU.
Just like the Morgan Wallen fans. They're sick of being called redneck sh*tkickers. They've had enough with the pronouns. Even I, a dyed-in-the-wool leftie, have had enough of the left wing orthodoxy, especially as evidenced on college campuses. Trans rights, yes, bathroom rights, yes, but trigger warnings? It's a damn BOOK!
These are people who are afraid of life, who want to be protected from it. Good luck with that, we're all on our own, put on your armor and get into the arena with the rest of us. You think you're better? We know you do, and you're not.
So Morgan Wallen makes pop music, about life. He leads with his music as opposed to brand extensions. There are chord changes and choruses in his music. And that's why people are drawn to him.
Even worse, haven't you messed up when drunk? People are sick and tired of one strike and you're out. Everybody screws up. Even RFK, Jr., and he's running for President!
Once again, I'm not apologizing for Morgan Wallen. He should have known better, and when you're a public figure, you're held to a higher standard. My point is just because you're pissed off, don't think everybody else is. Just because you care, don't expect everybody else to. And when you only weigh in when someone crosses the line... Wallen fans don't care what a non-Wallen fan has to say. You carry the flag and soldier on, you're sick of the intelligentsia, the self-anointed thought police, telling you they know better, that you're wrong.
Wallen can't fight this bad behavior with a donation. Even an explanation is not good enough. Even intoxication is no defense. He should not be emboldened by getting a pass from his fans, but man, he needs to wake up. For a guy who tours stadiums everywhere he seems to have quite the small town perspective. Aren't you supposed to grow up and learn, be better?
Well, not Elon Musk, he's locked in adolescence, and unlike Wallen Elon thinks everybody is the enemy.
But if you're up in arms that Morgan threw a chair off the roof...
No one got hurt, and it's not a third rail situation. Sex, racism... There are some bad behaviors that are beyond the pale. This chair-flinging is not one of them.
So continue not to listen to Morgan Wallen. It's not going to hurt him a bit, his fans are still dedicated.
If you're sitting in judgment of everyone else you're missing the point, you're not living your life. America today is about actors, not followers. Get in the game, then you'll have some impact. But just because you went to college, live in a big house and drive a German car... I hope you care, because no one else does. You think you're impressing others? People are too busy to care about you. They don't have time for so much, you think they're going to envy you because you wear a Breitling, drive a BMW and vacation in Martinique?
Keep dreaming.
There is an opening for leaders. Morgan Wallen is not one of them. He's an entertainer, don't confuse him with the Beatles. But know that Wallen has an audience and almost everybody bitching does not. It starts with your identity, there must be some reason people glom on to you. Build your audience and then you will have an impact. Because when you're out there alone screaming at those who are not like you and don't agree with you, it just demonstrates that you're not living in the modern world, that you don't get it.
As for Biden... I hope he wins, but man, how could you run someone who seemingly no one can relate to, and Kamala Harris is worse! That's a good plan, forget personality, forget charisma, forget belief, forget team sport and just bitch about the other guy.
And Wallen knows it's about a hit record. You can put out multiple albums, even stream a few million tracks yet be meaningless in the world. If you want power, and power is everything, you can't complain you're not getting paid, you must earn your perch, your station.
Furthermore, money isn't everything, message is.
And my message is this chair incident won't hurt Wallen at all, won't dent his live business, won't hurt his airplay, won't alienate his fans. Rather than put down his fans, ask why. Those questions and their answers will open your eyes and unlock modern society for you.
Don't follow leaders and watch the parking meters?
Bob Dylan had it right in 1965 and still does. The work triumphs. Investigate.
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Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist, I'm not defending this heinous act. He was probably drunk, but he's got a history of bad choices when he's drunk, at some point you have to grow up.
But in the old days, a faux pas would negatively affect your career. Not anymore. Because you've got your fans and the rest don't matter. And this is something the rest can't understand. They're sitting in judgment of bad actors, waiting for a penalty, and then nothing happens.
This is the essence of the red/blue divide. You're asking why the Trumpers aren't affected, disillusioned by the Donald's bad behavior. They're invested in Trump, there's nothing he can do wrong. Didn't he say he could shoot someone in the middle of the street and get away with it?
Trump is a bleeding edge character, a paradigm-buster, and no one in staid society is willing to admit it. They'd rather talk about his bad behavior. But look at it this way, Trump changed politics completely, he spoke truth. Don't blow back. But that was his appeal back in 2016, he spoke in plain English when the traditional, compromised pols did not. And this appealed to people. Trump harnessed social media. Everything the "New York Times" hates Trump employed. They hate people who are on their phones 24/7, they hate social media, and Trump has used both to not only become President, but have a good chance of being re-elected President!
As for the stolen election... We had Fox News, but people were under the belief that there were some facts, some truths. But facts and truth went out the window long before Trump said the election was stolen, he just capitalized on this change while others ignored it.
And Trump understands our divided society, our competing teams. You're either with him or against him, and if you're against him you're a pariah. It's not only Trump, it's America at large. Participate online and the haters will descend. You may not participate, you may be a lurker, but in truth you're afraid, because if you enter the maelstrom you're going to get bitten. The question is how do you keep on going? Taylor Swift sang one song after another putting men down and did it hurt her fan base? Well, for a minute there a few years back, when she was trying to be liked, when she was assembling her Girl Squad, but the point is her fans don't care, they're all-in, and if you're not, it doesn't bother them, they're not listening to you.
Teddy Swims has the number one record. I like Swims, wrote about him a few years back, but have you even heard this record? Are you aware of Swims to begin with? What does a number one record even mean? Radio airplay? Who is listening to terrestrial radio? Talk about disinformation... The radio industry keeps telling us everybody is listening and I can't find anyone under twenty five who ever does. Talk about a disconnect. What are you gonna believe, the corporation or your own eyes and ears? I'll bank on the latter.
Yes, it's every person for themselves.
And we don't care about putting you down as much as we want to be able to follow our muse, do what we want to unfettered.
Furthermore, most people want gun control and now mass shootings are de rigueur, you see the headline, shrug, and then move on.
Yes, in many ways you feel powerless, so you hitch your wagon to something... Could be a musical star like Morgan Wallen, could be a techie like Elon Musk. You need a hero, someone to believe in, and if an outsider questions this hero and your devotion they should be prepared to be excoriated.
And Trump may be insane and dangerous, but Biden and the Democrats are living in the last century, they squandered an online lead to the Republicans and are all about TV advertising. Meanwhile, I think half of what interests me Biden is unaware of.
Don't blow back, your knee-jerk defense proves the point. You're invested and the rest of us need to STFU!
I'm sick of being told to STFU.
Just like the Morgan Wallen fans. They're sick of being called redneck sh*tkickers. They've had enough with the pronouns. Even I, a dyed-in-the-wool leftie, have had enough of the left wing orthodoxy, especially as evidenced on college campuses. Trans rights, yes, bathroom rights, yes, but trigger warnings? It's a damn BOOK!
These are people who are afraid of life, who want to be protected from it. Good luck with that, we're all on our own, put on your armor and get into the arena with the rest of us. You think you're better? We know you do, and you're not.
So Morgan Wallen makes pop music, about life. He leads with his music as opposed to brand extensions. There are chord changes and choruses in his music. And that's why people are drawn to him.
Even worse, haven't you messed up when drunk? People are sick and tired of one strike and you're out. Everybody screws up. Even RFK, Jr., and he's running for President!
Once again, I'm not apologizing for Morgan Wallen. He should have known better, and when you're a public figure, you're held to a higher standard. My point is just because you're pissed off, don't think everybody else is. Just because you care, don't expect everybody else to. And when you only weigh in when someone crosses the line... Wallen fans don't care what a non-Wallen fan has to say. You carry the flag and soldier on, you're sick of the intelligentsia, the self-anointed thought police, telling you they know better, that you're wrong.
Wallen can't fight this bad behavior with a donation. Even an explanation is not good enough. Even intoxication is no defense. He should not be emboldened by getting a pass from his fans, but man, he needs to wake up. For a guy who tours stadiums everywhere he seems to have quite the small town perspective. Aren't you supposed to grow up and learn, be better?
Well, not Elon Musk, he's locked in adolescence, and unlike Wallen Elon thinks everybody is the enemy.
But if you're up in arms that Morgan threw a chair off the roof...
No one got hurt, and it's not a third rail situation. Sex, racism... There are some bad behaviors that are beyond the pale. This chair-flinging is not one of them.
So continue not to listen to Morgan Wallen. It's not going to hurt him a bit, his fans are still dedicated.
If you're sitting in judgment of everyone else you're missing the point, you're not living your life. America today is about actors, not followers. Get in the game, then you'll have some impact. But just because you went to college, live in a big house and drive a German car... I hope you care, because no one else does. You think you're impressing others? People are too busy to care about you. They don't have time for so much, you think they're going to envy you because you wear a Breitling, drive a BMW and vacation in Martinique?
Keep dreaming.
There is an opening for leaders. Morgan Wallen is not one of them. He's an entertainer, don't confuse him with the Beatles. But know that Wallen has an audience and almost everybody bitching does not. It starts with your identity, there must be some reason people glom on to you. Build your audience and then you will have an impact. Because when you're out there alone screaming at those who are not like you and don't agree with you, it just demonstrates that you're not living in the modern world, that you don't get it.
As for Biden... I hope he wins, but man, how could you run someone who seemingly no one can relate to, and Kamala Harris is worse! That's a good plan, forget personality, forget charisma, forget belief, forget team sport and just bitch about the other guy.
And Wallen knows it's about a hit record. You can put out multiple albums, even stream a few million tracks yet be meaningless in the world. If you want power, and power is everything, you can't complain you're not getting paid, you must earn your perch, your station.
Furthermore, money isn't everything, message is.
And my message is this chair incident won't hurt Wallen at all, won't dent his live business, won't hurt his airplay, won't alienate his fans. Rather than put down his fans, ask why. Those questions and their answers will open your eyes and unlock modern society for you.
Don't follow leaders and watch the parking meters?
Bob Dylan had it right in 1965 and still does. The work triumphs. Investigate.
--
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Monday 8 April 2024
Re-The Eclipse
Just wondering if you have ever experienced a total eclipse? I have, and it is one of the greatest experiences you can witness. Our family has traveled again for this one and truly wish you could be here with us, you might change your mind.
kevin lyman
___________________________________
I doubt you have ever had the experience of a TOTAL solar eclipse.
If your had, you'd be damn excited for tomorrow if you are in the path of totality!
Josh Cohen
___________________________________
Maybe actually listen to the Beyonce album instead of just wondering what its numbers will be a year from now.
You don't want to watch TV or movies or the eclipse or listen to music, that's your prerogative. But you are curating yourself on to your own little island disconnected from the rest of us. Your sounding like an old crank, a get off my lawn guy, that path doesn't get better it just gets worse.
Eat some cereal. Take a walk. Don't take yourself so seriously.
Really man.
Mitch Tenzer
___________________________________
"Does any adult other than Seinfeld even eat cereal?"
59, finishing off a bowl of Cocoa Crispies as I read this.
Ken Baum
___________________________________
Hi Bob,
As always you wrote another great piece!
The eclipse will pass directly over Indianapolis at 3:06PM tomorrow. The excitement here is overwhelming. For the most part ALL of the hotels in Central Indiana are at full capacity tonight and they are anticipating around 200,000 people converging here. Personally I am involved with 3 events including a high end event on the spacious grounds at a large museum (Newfields) and that alone is just about sold out at 5,000 tickets. They sold all 1,000 VIP reserved tickets on the first day! The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has sold over 40,000 tickets including people from all 50 states and over 20 foreign countries. Lester Holt will be at the Speedway to do the NBC Nightly News live. Most businesses, schools and services will be closed due to the increased traffic. There are "watch parties" everywhere.
And the forecast is excellent!
I know this all sounds crazy but its true!
All my best!
Steve Gerardi
Indianapolis
___________________________________
We're all gonna Diiiiiiiiiiii......
Happy Sunday Bob
Steve Lukather
___________________________________
I got glasses for free from the Malibu library. An old friend from middle school is going out to Texas to track the eclipse. I would rather stare in the sun than listen to that Beyoncé album!
Blake Einhorn
___________________________________
In 2017 my wife and I went with our best friends to see the total eclipse. Totally worth it. If you are in the totality path it won't change your life - but you will remember it. It's a moment. And it's cool. It's not stupid.
Jerry Gray
___________________________________
Give cereal another try
- Greg Garbowsky
___________________________________
Hi Bob, of course you're blasé about the eclipse. You're almost 1000 miles away from totality's path. I'm about 50 miles. We're excited! So is everyone in the coffee shop I'm in right now. I can hear everybody talking about it. Small towns on Lake Ontario's north shore and in the Niagara Falls area are telling people to stay away. Schools are closing. It's going to be crazy tomorrow. Digital signs on the big highways are warning about delayed arrival times, even for people just going to work.
Steven Ehrlick
___________________________________
I don't know how much time and money people will have spent to fly to a sweet spot to see the eclipse, but it has been montetized to death. I'll pass as it will be minimally noticable on the West Coast. The most telling story about how horribly things have gotten is the news alert that hustlers were making fake viewing glasses. People were buying them not knowing they useless and won't protect you. How many will go blind today? Hard to say.
John Brodey
___________________________________
"I'm not. Furthermore, wasn't there a once in a lifetime eclipse just a few years back?"
yeah like ever 2 1/2 years it seems like
Jeff Lorber
___________________________________
I was at the eye doctor yesterday.
They are expecting to take in a few burned out retinas tomorrow by 4:00 pm.
It's not like you have to look up to see the effect, and given the inaccuracies found on the internet these days, I'm quite sure there will be many more blind people tomorrow about this time. Being partially blind myself I already feel sorry for them.
Will Eggleston
___________________________________
I'll tell you who is excited about the eclipse - CHILDREN!!! They want to know what the eclipse is all about, so you describe the eclipse, which leads to a discussion of our solar system, the relative sizes of the planets to the sun, to each other, the pull of the moon on tides, the moons around Saturn, the Voyager space probes that are still going after 47 years, the pictures they have sent back, the "Earth Rising" picture which brings you to the Whole Earth Catalog . . .
At this point my grandson says, " Bubby, you should write this all down for me, a big book that tells how everything works."
Bingo.
That's why we watch the eclipse.
Liz Dean
___________________________________
Here in the Midwest, you better believe we're excited about the total eclipse. I just turned 72, around the same age as you, so I'm looking forward to experiencing totality for the very first and probably only time in my life.
My wife and I drove two hours south to join our children and grandchild in the Indianapolis area. My brother and his wife are also joining us. The weather looks good. We will sit in the backyard having a picnic, playing ball with the grandson, drinking a few beers, telling stories and gazing up at the sky with our special glasses.
Totality- Certainly a once in a lifetime experience I don't want to miss.
Rob Evans
Francesville IN
___________________________________
I'm taking a pass on the eclipse as well. Instead I'm going to listen to Manfred Mann's version of "Blinded By The Light". Maybe the best Springsteen cover ever. And no eye protection required.
Eron Epstein
___________________________________
I've also noticed the many fads and hype cycles in recent years; Pokémon Go, Stanley cups, NFTs, crypto, meme stocks, the Caitlin Clark phenomenon, every Beyoncé release as if it's going the best album in history, the comeback of vinyl (in an era where you can stream almost anything), White Claw drinks, and now the eclipse. There were probably others that came and went quickly. It's kind of sad to watch American consumers get so easily sucked into fads, especially when it costs them money that can better be used for something else, particularly if they're in debt to begin with.
I'm interested in the eclipse. Seeing it on the news after the fact, or perhaps on a live stream if I'm free at the time will be enough for me. But hopefully those traveling to see it and spending their hard earned money on viewing equipment will have a memorable experience, and not end up disappointed.
Anthony Ferrara
___________________________________
Face it … you're an old curmudgeon, but we already knew it !
Doug Pomerantz
___________________________________
I agree with you on the eclipse. But I eat cereal almost every day…
Tom Truitt
___________________________________
Bob
Yes, I am excited.
It will be the last one I'll ever see.
I think you've becoming a Curmudgeon.
Ron Stone
___________________________________
The funny thing is, Bob, Maine is the only state in the path with forecast clear skies tomorrow. We can see 97.1 % totality from my house and that's fine with me.
Sugarloaf is having a big bash.
Jim Bowers
___________________________________
Grouchy Bob,
I usually am on board with your missives, but not this time. This one reminds me of Andy Rooney...
I don't spend a lot of time reading entertainment news, so I don't know what they are saying about Bey, but Cowboy Carter is the first album of hers that I have listened to more than once. I love it. Not sure why you are trying to dunk on her.
But even more importantly, my family cut short a friend's wedding to fly to see the eclipse. So many people told me that the last totality was one of the coolest things that they have ever done. It is my wife's birthday so we celebratimg it in astronomical style. I know others doing the same thing thing.
-Nate Bonilla-Warford
___________________________________
My friends' band was hired six months ago to play "Dark Side of the Moon" live at an outdoor venue in Conneaut, Ohio. They have been rehearsing for months to get it right. I wish I could be there to support them. Tickets sold out months ago. There is a lot of excitement about the eclipse in Ohio. Then there are my religious friends in Ohio who fear the world is going to end and the eclipse is part of biblical prophecy. But they're still planning to vote for trump. Incongruence. Why plan beyond April 8 if the world is going to cease to exist? My money is on seeing the sun again for many years.
John Swetye
___________________________________
As I read your posting, I'm literally in a rent a car with my husband and his parents in Dallas. We all flew in today. It's not MY thing but they are all astronomy and eclipse fans so I figured I'd tag along. We'll see what happens but at least the barbecue will be good!
Turk
___________________________________
Certainly everyone is entitled to their opinion. I thought it was nice that something that is science based and spiritual was a nice break from all the negativity and disagreeing we live with. I guess you won't be in the dark but we will!
All the best ,
Steve Langford
(From Paducah Kentucky)
___________________________________
Hi Bob! I love your posts, read them religiously, but man . . . I am worried about you. Have you just had any . . . Fun recently?
What's next? A hit piece on apple pie? My late grandma's baklava? You are always b-ing and m-ing about the lack of mass community but when a natural event like the eclipse occurs, albeit for only a few minutes, you have to dump on it.
Douglas Trapasso
___________________________________
Bob, you of all people should know that it's not a good idea to be uninformed and try to write about a subject. Your comments about the total eclipse show that you have never seen one. If you had, you would never make such comments.
First of all, looking a photographs that will be "better than being there?" No. There's not a camera on this planet that can capture what the total eclipse will look like, or feel like. Photos are maybe 20% at best. It cannot be photographed and look like it really looks. You can't describe it either, because no words do it justice.
What you've experienced is a partial eclipse, not totality. Too bad for you. It's maybe 1% as cool, if that. No wonder you are disillusioned with the hype. You don't know what you are missing.
Mike Blakesley
___________________________________
Mainstream media biased and useless
Pushing the eclipse on folks to scare them back to the Stone Age and keep them docile, managed and easy to shear.
One party that is angry about the other and running on that ticket - get out your fingers and count Bob....there are two
Steve
___________________________________
I live on the West Coast of BC and it's going to be raining and even it if was sunny the event means nothing here.
I guess it's something to fill any lulls in between Trump TV Breaking News.
Is it just me or is anyone getting sick of seeing this guy everywhere 24/7?
I really wish he would just go away.
Mike DJ
___________________________________
The eclipse is a big deal if you are in the path of totality. I am planning on sitting in my driveway a 3:15, wearing the glasses I got in 2017 and enjoy a new 4 minute experience.
in 2017, I looked at the partial eclipse for a few minutes, it was a chunk missing from the sun, maybe a little darker. Not that big a deal but worth the cost of eclipse glasses ($7.50 a pop when you wait till the last minute in 2017). at least I'm down to $3.75 an eclipse now.
But totality, when it gets dark as night, that is something special. Or so I hope. But here in Ohio, there will probably be clouds. So I might not get to see the corona. but the darkness will be interesting.
Dale Janus
___________________________________
As for the eclipse, OK I get it, you're not in the least bit a romantic and aren't getting caught up in the beauty of the celestial mechanics taking place.
But look at it this way: for at least a day we get to think about something other than taxes, Trump, Biden or Gaza.
Cheers,
Chris Nissen
___________________________________
Come on, man! It's gonna be fantastic. Get out and enjoy the realization that your place in the universe is subject to cosmic forces beyond your control, but not beyond your ability to understand and appreciate. We are lucky to live in an age that isn't beset with superstition and a deep mistrust of science (MAGA be damned). Don't act like one of them! Fight the urge to "curmudge".
Stephen Gordon
___________________________________
The best part about the eclipse was some commonality. In today's world we need all we can get.
Alan Johnson
___________________________________
Watching the eclipse coverage on TV, I thought of your hostility to solar eclipses. People fascinated with eclipses filled up the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to watch it, and you're like, "I skied through an eclipse. It got dark. Bah humbug." I made the last sentence up, but dude, the way you describe him, you sound like Gene Simmons.
Don't worry, Bob, I still think you're harmless.
Take care,
Michael Ball
___________________________________
I'm not any more interested in the eclipse than it sounds like you are, but as I tried to get home on the NYS Thruway this afternoon, the northbound traffic I sat in tells me you and I may be in the minority. That's traffic from NYC and its suburbs, so probably not people completely on the other side of the culture divide from you.
Is there a little bit of irony in you writing about how "our world has been decentralized. And the mainstream media acts like it is not," while at the same time seemingly not allowing for the idea that something that means nothing to you is, in fact, a big deal to a whole other slice of our world?
Love your writing regardless. Thanks for putting it out there.
Andrew
___________________________________
How can one not be at least interested in the eclipse? It's an incredible and rare natural phenomenon. It used to freak out the ancients, which is enough for me.
I know loads of people into it, though in many cases I'd say in SPITE of the hype. Enough already … being inundated by the media at every turn can make an extraordinary event seem as bland as Wonder Bread. And, the never ending barrage of alerts and advisories … we get it - DON'T LOOK AT IT. Somehow as kids we survived it; our parents and friends said 'hey, don't look at the sun during the eclipse' and that was plenty. We didn't need NBC and all the rest driving the point home 300 more times. I guess I'm showing my age.
And we wonder why everyone is going underground …
Marc Platt
___________________________________
Everything since at least the 1990's has had to be 'the first,' 'the best,' 'the most or the least,' 'once in a lifetime,' '1000 year event,' and other euphemisms with similar importance or lack thereof.
I could make a list, from memory if I was so moved, but I won't ---- and you could certainly do the same --- you and I are within a few years of age of being in the same generation, growing up on the eastern seaboard/NY Metro area, etc. etc.
If the moon blocking the sun for less than 10 minutes on Monday April 8th passes for an entertainment opportunity, justifying spending lots of money on hotel accommodations and travel expenses, it is truly shocking ---
Now, I do admit that discussing solar eclipses in history can be a fascinating educational experience, about how European explorers could win over native populations by 'commanding' the sun to disappear at a precise moment --- etc. etc.
But to watch the moon cross the face of the sun in the afternoon on a given date --- really?
How 'bout that politician from the east coast who blamed the recent New Jersey quake on climate change?
Have people become THAT stupid?
R Lowenstein
___________________________________
I'll tell ya who is REALLY excited about the eclipse.
The QAnon conspiracy whackos.
The flat earthers saying it's just a projection onto the sky.
Nasa's launching rockets into it.
There'll be a massive power outage that will break the world's economy.
The sun couldn't possibly be in line with the moon because the sun is in Pisces and the moon is in Aries.
I sh*t you not Bob, these are things people have either said to me or the laughers I keep in my feed because well... they make me laugh.
But they all believe it!
Exciting stuff!
Dan Millen
___________________________________
"eclipse schmiclipse" lol. not my cup of tea either.
After spending over 30 years peddling false needs in consumer electronics as a manufacturer's representative based out of San Francisco I can give you a little anecdote about Beats and how they found a hole and filled it for a jackpot of $3 billion from Apple. I believe the real genius behind Beats was not so much Dr Dre as it was his partner Irving or Irvine? (senior moment I can't remember his name). Together, he and Dre figured out that a whole lot of young kids had money to spend, were into hip hop (and a solid base beat sound) and headphones could reflect fashion, lifestyle and hipness, yet there was no audio brand out there at the time offering this. Sony, Yamaha, Bose, RCA and other audio brands were clueless when it came to delivering sound as a fashion and lifestyle accessory.
Dre and Irvine (spelling?) had the billion dollar idea, and easily could get the product built, but had no way to break into retail store distribution locked up by all the traditional but unhip old audio brands.
So the genius of Irvine was meeting Noel Lee, the founder and head of Monster Cable who had entre into every retailer in the country and their audio accessory shelf space, through his network of very successful independent reps and Monster Cable's unique dealer and salespeople reward programs that no other audio accessory brand could compete with. Lee had already done with audio accessories what Irvine and Dre wanted to do with headphones.
Starting with hook up cables, probably the least significant part of any music system , in the consumers mind , Noel had turned it all around and convinced salespeople and they in turn convinced consumers that if they wanted the best sound and something to brag about and enhance their audiophile self image they had to have Monster Cables not just any other no brand cables.
Noel was not in the headphone business but he knew how to build a brand and more important retailers would buy anything associated with Monster Cable because it was the most profitable line they carried in the slim profit margins other than speakers and needles audio gear provided them. So a marriage was made, and Noel was obviously swayed by the glamour and celebrity of Dre and Irvine and their celebrity friends surrounding him. Noel and his organization and marketing skills took on an exclusive deal with Beats and got it into every retailer selling their accessories and in less than a year it became a had to have brand name in headphones by everyone except real audiophiles and bargain hunters.
I suspect Noel is still kicking himself for not getting a longer contract or a piece of equity in Beats, because after a year or so from Monster Cable starting the snowball into avalanche sales of Beats and getting it into the retailers. Irvin pulled the plug on their deal and eliminated Monster cable and ran with it independently and shortly thereafter sold it to Apple for $3 billion.
As my father used to say to me when I complained about the lack of ethics of some of the manufacturer's I delt with, "business is business".
Alan Segal
___________________________________
Bob
With all due respect, two things in this selfish, purposely uninformed rant stick out like elbows in a foul.
for a long time now, you've prided yourself in your coolness: Your worldly weariness about most of the art that you get paid to cover - that earns you your living - cheats your readers out of needed information. We don't care about your coolness and hipness. We expect you to cover all of the business- fairly and without prejudice. Nevermind 'oh Bob's too jaded and worldly to cover X.' We do not care about your taste. All you're telling us is what you personally love or hate. Let's all agree upfront that you are knowledgeable to a fault. Please quit blowing off steam about your personal pets and pet peeves - and simply do your job. That will permit the rest of us to come up with our own conclusions instead of receiving only the tiny niche of reality you've deemed worthwhile.
You also love to pontificate on topics about which you have no knowledge or background - not to mention intellect. Case in point: who needs Bob's clueless rantings about an eclipse. Instead, why not earn your money and actually interview a scientist who specializes in such matters. Do you have any idea how utterly stoopid you come off dismissing eclipses out of hand because they're of no interest to you personally. Here's an idea: stop doing a column on the music business. It's a broad and deep field requiring constant focus of the kind you've apparently lost as you've become increasingly mired in your own personal, narrow opinions. instead, change the topic of your column to skiing. It's more suited to your narrow focus, and you apparently know something about it.
In your increasing focus on yourself, you have unintentionally provided the reader with a stark and revealing comment on our country. It's fairly unique to recent times to judge what's going on politically solely by its impact on the individual. Your comment that the vibrant economy means nothing because it doesn't impact you personally is as revealing and empty-headed as any recent comment from that segment of the populace who illogically demand that an administration satisfy each individual's unique needs and opinions in order to be judged successful.
Whatever happened to selflessness and 'the good of the country.' With your view, it would be impossible even to raise a standing army, for example. 'It hasn't helped me so I'm not going to support it' is the rallying cry of the 'disinformationalists' who want simply to abolish national government.
Worst of all, you are, in effect, supporting Trump and the advent of the strongman presidency - I.e., the end of democracy as we know it. Your country's very existence depends upon your ability to quash your puerile whinings about Biden's age and/or relative effectiveness. The choice is simple: democracy v non-democracy. Take a stand.
Manny Freiser
___________________________________
You cranky old fart. It doesn't have to be a cereal box. The carton your Depends are packed in will do.
Minky
___________________________________
"the news just repeats itself
like some long forgotten dream"
John Prine
David Ray
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kevin lyman
___________________________________
I doubt you have ever had the experience of a TOTAL solar eclipse.
If your had, you'd be damn excited for tomorrow if you are in the path of totality!
Josh Cohen
___________________________________
Maybe actually listen to the Beyonce album instead of just wondering what its numbers will be a year from now.
You don't want to watch TV or movies or the eclipse or listen to music, that's your prerogative. But you are curating yourself on to your own little island disconnected from the rest of us. Your sounding like an old crank, a get off my lawn guy, that path doesn't get better it just gets worse.
Eat some cereal. Take a walk. Don't take yourself so seriously.
Really man.
Mitch Tenzer
___________________________________
"Does any adult other than Seinfeld even eat cereal?"
59, finishing off a bowl of Cocoa Crispies as I read this.
Ken Baum
___________________________________
Hi Bob,
As always you wrote another great piece!
The eclipse will pass directly over Indianapolis at 3:06PM tomorrow. The excitement here is overwhelming. For the most part ALL of the hotels in Central Indiana are at full capacity tonight and they are anticipating around 200,000 people converging here. Personally I am involved with 3 events including a high end event on the spacious grounds at a large museum (Newfields) and that alone is just about sold out at 5,000 tickets. They sold all 1,000 VIP reserved tickets on the first day! The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has sold over 40,000 tickets including people from all 50 states and over 20 foreign countries. Lester Holt will be at the Speedway to do the NBC Nightly News live. Most businesses, schools and services will be closed due to the increased traffic. There are "watch parties" everywhere.
And the forecast is excellent!
I know this all sounds crazy but its true!
All my best!
Steve Gerardi
Indianapolis
___________________________________
We're all gonna Diiiiiiiiiiii......
Happy Sunday Bob
Steve Lukather
___________________________________
I got glasses for free from the Malibu library. An old friend from middle school is going out to Texas to track the eclipse. I would rather stare in the sun than listen to that Beyoncé album!
Blake Einhorn
___________________________________
In 2017 my wife and I went with our best friends to see the total eclipse. Totally worth it. If you are in the totality path it won't change your life - but you will remember it. It's a moment. And it's cool. It's not stupid.
Jerry Gray
___________________________________
Give cereal another try
- Greg Garbowsky
___________________________________
Hi Bob, of course you're blasé about the eclipse. You're almost 1000 miles away from totality's path. I'm about 50 miles. We're excited! So is everyone in the coffee shop I'm in right now. I can hear everybody talking about it. Small towns on Lake Ontario's north shore and in the Niagara Falls area are telling people to stay away. Schools are closing. It's going to be crazy tomorrow. Digital signs on the big highways are warning about delayed arrival times, even for people just going to work.
Steven Ehrlick
___________________________________
I don't know how much time and money people will have spent to fly to a sweet spot to see the eclipse, but it has been montetized to death. I'll pass as it will be minimally noticable on the West Coast. The most telling story about how horribly things have gotten is the news alert that hustlers were making fake viewing glasses. People were buying them not knowing they useless and won't protect you. How many will go blind today? Hard to say.
John Brodey
___________________________________
"I'm not. Furthermore, wasn't there a once in a lifetime eclipse just a few years back?"
yeah like ever 2 1/2 years it seems like
Jeff Lorber
___________________________________
I was at the eye doctor yesterday.
They are expecting to take in a few burned out retinas tomorrow by 4:00 pm.
It's not like you have to look up to see the effect, and given the inaccuracies found on the internet these days, I'm quite sure there will be many more blind people tomorrow about this time. Being partially blind myself I already feel sorry for them.
Will Eggleston
___________________________________
I'll tell you who is excited about the eclipse - CHILDREN!!! They want to know what the eclipse is all about, so you describe the eclipse, which leads to a discussion of our solar system, the relative sizes of the planets to the sun, to each other, the pull of the moon on tides, the moons around Saturn, the Voyager space probes that are still going after 47 years, the pictures they have sent back, the "Earth Rising" picture which brings you to the Whole Earth Catalog . . .
At this point my grandson says, " Bubby, you should write this all down for me, a big book that tells how everything works."
Bingo.
That's why we watch the eclipse.
Liz Dean
___________________________________
Here in the Midwest, you better believe we're excited about the total eclipse. I just turned 72, around the same age as you, so I'm looking forward to experiencing totality for the very first and probably only time in my life.
My wife and I drove two hours south to join our children and grandchild in the Indianapolis area. My brother and his wife are also joining us. The weather looks good. We will sit in the backyard having a picnic, playing ball with the grandson, drinking a few beers, telling stories and gazing up at the sky with our special glasses.
Totality- Certainly a once in a lifetime experience I don't want to miss.
Rob Evans
Francesville IN
___________________________________
I'm taking a pass on the eclipse as well. Instead I'm going to listen to Manfred Mann's version of "Blinded By The Light". Maybe the best Springsteen cover ever. And no eye protection required.
Eron Epstein
___________________________________
I've also noticed the many fads and hype cycles in recent years; Pokémon Go, Stanley cups, NFTs, crypto, meme stocks, the Caitlin Clark phenomenon, every Beyoncé release as if it's going the best album in history, the comeback of vinyl (in an era where you can stream almost anything), White Claw drinks, and now the eclipse. There were probably others that came and went quickly. It's kind of sad to watch American consumers get so easily sucked into fads, especially when it costs them money that can better be used for something else, particularly if they're in debt to begin with.
I'm interested in the eclipse. Seeing it on the news after the fact, or perhaps on a live stream if I'm free at the time will be enough for me. But hopefully those traveling to see it and spending their hard earned money on viewing equipment will have a memorable experience, and not end up disappointed.
Anthony Ferrara
___________________________________
Face it … you're an old curmudgeon, but we already knew it !
Doug Pomerantz
___________________________________
I agree with you on the eclipse. But I eat cereal almost every day…
Tom Truitt
___________________________________
Bob
Yes, I am excited.
It will be the last one I'll ever see.
I think you've becoming a Curmudgeon.
Ron Stone
___________________________________
The funny thing is, Bob, Maine is the only state in the path with forecast clear skies tomorrow. We can see 97.1 % totality from my house and that's fine with me.
Sugarloaf is having a big bash.
Jim Bowers
___________________________________
Grouchy Bob,
I usually am on board with your missives, but not this time. This one reminds me of Andy Rooney...
I don't spend a lot of time reading entertainment news, so I don't know what they are saying about Bey, but Cowboy Carter is the first album of hers that I have listened to more than once. I love it. Not sure why you are trying to dunk on her.
But even more importantly, my family cut short a friend's wedding to fly to see the eclipse. So many people told me that the last totality was one of the coolest things that they have ever done. It is my wife's birthday so we celebratimg it in astronomical style. I know others doing the same thing thing.
-Nate Bonilla-Warford
___________________________________
My friends' band was hired six months ago to play "Dark Side of the Moon" live at an outdoor venue in Conneaut, Ohio. They have been rehearsing for months to get it right. I wish I could be there to support them. Tickets sold out months ago. There is a lot of excitement about the eclipse in Ohio. Then there are my religious friends in Ohio who fear the world is going to end and the eclipse is part of biblical prophecy. But they're still planning to vote for trump. Incongruence. Why plan beyond April 8 if the world is going to cease to exist? My money is on seeing the sun again for many years.
John Swetye
___________________________________
As I read your posting, I'm literally in a rent a car with my husband and his parents in Dallas. We all flew in today. It's not MY thing but they are all astronomy and eclipse fans so I figured I'd tag along. We'll see what happens but at least the barbecue will be good!
Turk
___________________________________
Certainly everyone is entitled to their opinion. I thought it was nice that something that is science based and spiritual was a nice break from all the negativity and disagreeing we live with. I guess you won't be in the dark but we will!
All the best ,
Steve Langford
(From Paducah Kentucky)
___________________________________
Hi Bob! I love your posts, read them religiously, but man . . . I am worried about you. Have you just had any . . . Fun recently?
What's next? A hit piece on apple pie? My late grandma's baklava? You are always b-ing and m-ing about the lack of mass community but when a natural event like the eclipse occurs, albeit for only a few minutes, you have to dump on it.
Douglas Trapasso
___________________________________
Bob, you of all people should know that it's not a good idea to be uninformed and try to write about a subject. Your comments about the total eclipse show that you have never seen one. If you had, you would never make such comments.
First of all, looking a photographs that will be "better than being there?" No. There's not a camera on this planet that can capture what the total eclipse will look like, or feel like. Photos are maybe 20% at best. It cannot be photographed and look like it really looks. You can't describe it either, because no words do it justice.
What you've experienced is a partial eclipse, not totality. Too bad for you. It's maybe 1% as cool, if that. No wonder you are disillusioned with the hype. You don't know what you are missing.
Mike Blakesley
___________________________________
Mainstream media biased and useless
Pushing the eclipse on folks to scare them back to the Stone Age and keep them docile, managed and easy to shear.
One party that is angry about the other and running on that ticket - get out your fingers and count Bob....there are two
Steve
___________________________________
I live on the West Coast of BC and it's going to be raining and even it if was sunny the event means nothing here.
I guess it's something to fill any lulls in between Trump TV Breaking News.
Is it just me or is anyone getting sick of seeing this guy everywhere 24/7?
I really wish he would just go away.
Mike DJ
___________________________________
The eclipse is a big deal if you are in the path of totality. I am planning on sitting in my driveway a 3:15, wearing the glasses I got in 2017 and enjoy a new 4 minute experience.
in 2017, I looked at the partial eclipse for a few minutes, it was a chunk missing from the sun, maybe a little darker. Not that big a deal but worth the cost of eclipse glasses ($7.50 a pop when you wait till the last minute in 2017). at least I'm down to $3.75 an eclipse now.
But totality, when it gets dark as night, that is something special. Or so I hope. But here in Ohio, there will probably be clouds. So I might not get to see the corona. but the darkness will be interesting.
Dale Janus
___________________________________
As for the eclipse, OK I get it, you're not in the least bit a romantic and aren't getting caught up in the beauty of the celestial mechanics taking place.
But look at it this way: for at least a day we get to think about something other than taxes, Trump, Biden or Gaza.
Cheers,
Chris Nissen
___________________________________
Come on, man! It's gonna be fantastic. Get out and enjoy the realization that your place in the universe is subject to cosmic forces beyond your control, but not beyond your ability to understand and appreciate. We are lucky to live in an age that isn't beset with superstition and a deep mistrust of science (MAGA be damned). Don't act like one of them! Fight the urge to "curmudge".
Stephen Gordon
___________________________________
The best part about the eclipse was some commonality. In today's world we need all we can get.
Alan Johnson
___________________________________
Watching the eclipse coverage on TV, I thought of your hostility to solar eclipses. People fascinated with eclipses filled up the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to watch it, and you're like, "I skied through an eclipse. It got dark. Bah humbug." I made the last sentence up, but dude, the way you describe him, you sound like Gene Simmons.
Don't worry, Bob, I still think you're harmless.
Take care,
Michael Ball
___________________________________
I'm not any more interested in the eclipse than it sounds like you are, but as I tried to get home on the NYS Thruway this afternoon, the northbound traffic I sat in tells me you and I may be in the minority. That's traffic from NYC and its suburbs, so probably not people completely on the other side of the culture divide from you.
Is there a little bit of irony in you writing about how "our world has been decentralized. And the mainstream media acts like it is not," while at the same time seemingly not allowing for the idea that something that means nothing to you is, in fact, a big deal to a whole other slice of our world?
Love your writing regardless. Thanks for putting it out there.
Andrew
___________________________________
How can one not be at least interested in the eclipse? It's an incredible and rare natural phenomenon. It used to freak out the ancients, which is enough for me.
I know loads of people into it, though in many cases I'd say in SPITE of the hype. Enough already … being inundated by the media at every turn can make an extraordinary event seem as bland as Wonder Bread. And, the never ending barrage of alerts and advisories … we get it - DON'T LOOK AT IT. Somehow as kids we survived it; our parents and friends said 'hey, don't look at the sun during the eclipse' and that was plenty. We didn't need NBC and all the rest driving the point home 300 more times. I guess I'm showing my age.
And we wonder why everyone is going underground …
Marc Platt
___________________________________
Everything since at least the 1990's has had to be 'the first,' 'the best,' 'the most or the least,' 'once in a lifetime,' '1000 year event,' and other euphemisms with similar importance or lack thereof.
I could make a list, from memory if I was so moved, but I won't ---- and you could certainly do the same --- you and I are within a few years of age of being in the same generation, growing up on the eastern seaboard/NY Metro area, etc. etc.
If the moon blocking the sun for less than 10 minutes on Monday April 8th passes for an entertainment opportunity, justifying spending lots of money on hotel accommodations and travel expenses, it is truly shocking ---
Now, I do admit that discussing solar eclipses in history can be a fascinating educational experience, about how European explorers could win over native populations by 'commanding' the sun to disappear at a precise moment --- etc. etc.
But to watch the moon cross the face of the sun in the afternoon on a given date --- really?
How 'bout that politician from the east coast who blamed the recent New Jersey quake on climate change?
Have people become THAT stupid?
R Lowenstein
___________________________________
I'll tell ya who is REALLY excited about the eclipse.
The QAnon conspiracy whackos.
The flat earthers saying it's just a projection onto the sky.
Nasa's launching rockets into it.
There'll be a massive power outage that will break the world's economy.
The sun couldn't possibly be in line with the moon because the sun is in Pisces and the moon is in Aries.
I sh*t you not Bob, these are things people have either said to me or the laughers I keep in my feed because well... they make me laugh.
But they all believe it!
Exciting stuff!
Dan Millen
___________________________________
"eclipse schmiclipse" lol. not my cup of tea either.
After spending over 30 years peddling false needs in consumer electronics as a manufacturer's representative based out of San Francisco I can give you a little anecdote about Beats and how they found a hole and filled it for a jackpot of $3 billion from Apple. I believe the real genius behind Beats was not so much Dr Dre as it was his partner Irving or Irvine? (senior moment I can't remember his name). Together, he and Dre figured out that a whole lot of young kids had money to spend, were into hip hop (and a solid base beat sound) and headphones could reflect fashion, lifestyle and hipness, yet there was no audio brand out there at the time offering this. Sony, Yamaha, Bose, RCA and other audio brands were clueless when it came to delivering sound as a fashion and lifestyle accessory.
Dre and Irvine (spelling?) had the billion dollar idea, and easily could get the product built, but had no way to break into retail store distribution locked up by all the traditional but unhip old audio brands.
So the genius of Irvine was meeting Noel Lee, the founder and head of Monster Cable who had entre into every retailer in the country and their audio accessory shelf space, through his network of very successful independent reps and Monster Cable's unique dealer and salespeople reward programs that no other audio accessory brand could compete with. Lee had already done with audio accessories what Irvine and Dre wanted to do with headphones.
Starting with hook up cables, probably the least significant part of any music system , in the consumers mind , Noel had turned it all around and convinced salespeople and they in turn convinced consumers that if they wanted the best sound and something to brag about and enhance their audiophile self image they had to have Monster Cables not just any other no brand cables.
Noel was not in the headphone business but he knew how to build a brand and more important retailers would buy anything associated with Monster Cable because it was the most profitable line they carried in the slim profit margins other than speakers and needles audio gear provided them. So a marriage was made, and Noel was obviously swayed by the glamour and celebrity of Dre and Irvine and their celebrity friends surrounding him. Noel and his organization and marketing skills took on an exclusive deal with Beats and got it into every retailer selling their accessories and in less than a year it became a had to have brand name in headphones by everyone except real audiophiles and bargain hunters.
I suspect Noel is still kicking himself for not getting a longer contract or a piece of equity in Beats, because after a year or so from Monster Cable starting the snowball into avalanche sales of Beats and getting it into the retailers. Irvin pulled the plug on their deal and eliminated Monster cable and ran with it independently and shortly thereafter sold it to Apple for $3 billion.
As my father used to say to me when I complained about the lack of ethics of some of the manufacturer's I delt with, "business is business".
Alan Segal
___________________________________
Bob
With all due respect, two things in this selfish, purposely uninformed rant stick out like elbows in a foul.
for a long time now, you've prided yourself in your coolness: Your worldly weariness about most of the art that you get paid to cover - that earns you your living - cheats your readers out of needed information. We don't care about your coolness and hipness. We expect you to cover all of the business- fairly and without prejudice. Nevermind 'oh Bob's too jaded and worldly to cover X.' We do not care about your taste. All you're telling us is what you personally love or hate. Let's all agree upfront that you are knowledgeable to a fault. Please quit blowing off steam about your personal pets and pet peeves - and simply do your job. That will permit the rest of us to come up with our own conclusions instead of receiving only the tiny niche of reality you've deemed worthwhile.
You also love to pontificate on topics about which you have no knowledge or background - not to mention intellect. Case in point: who needs Bob's clueless rantings about an eclipse. Instead, why not earn your money and actually interview a scientist who specializes in such matters. Do you have any idea how utterly stoopid you come off dismissing eclipses out of hand because they're of no interest to you personally. Here's an idea: stop doing a column on the music business. It's a broad and deep field requiring constant focus of the kind you've apparently lost as you've become increasingly mired in your own personal, narrow opinions. instead, change the topic of your column to skiing. It's more suited to your narrow focus, and you apparently know something about it.
In your increasing focus on yourself, you have unintentionally provided the reader with a stark and revealing comment on our country. It's fairly unique to recent times to judge what's going on politically solely by its impact on the individual. Your comment that the vibrant economy means nothing because it doesn't impact you personally is as revealing and empty-headed as any recent comment from that segment of the populace who illogically demand that an administration satisfy each individual's unique needs and opinions in order to be judged successful.
Whatever happened to selflessness and 'the good of the country.' With your view, it would be impossible even to raise a standing army, for example. 'It hasn't helped me so I'm not going to support it' is the rallying cry of the 'disinformationalists' who want simply to abolish national government.
Worst of all, you are, in effect, supporting Trump and the advent of the strongman presidency - I.e., the end of democracy as we know it. Your country's very existence depends upon your ability to quash your puerile whinings about Biden's age and/or relative effectiveness. The choice is simple: democracy v non-democracy. Take a stand.
Manny Freiser
___________________________________
You cranky old fart. It doesn't have to be a cereal box. The carton your Depends are packed in will do.
Minky
___________________________________
"the news just repeats itself
like some long forgotten dream"
John Prine
David Ray
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Sunday 7 April 2024
Mailbag-Rush+
From: Mindi Abair
Subject: Re: OnlyFans
This was a super thoughtful approach to modern marketing. The old school ways are not working. I haven't hired a publicist for my last 3 albums. It doesn't make any sense to. It all happens online and on stage. Your email today sparked multiple conversations throughout the last few days of how we learn from the people who are doing it well. I've kept my super fans close, and they're powerful. I keep a direct connection with them, while reaching outside of my normal zone for more to keep building with my shows, our Wine and Jazz Adventures, our NYE concert events. What you said rang true. I put myself out there everywhere… on stage, on instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, etc. And hopefully people funnel into my world and find me and stay there. No Only Fans for me. Ha! Not my scene. But I understand how they're building the lore of it. Great comparison with our world. Kept me talking about it for days!
Respect!
Mindi Abair
Like jazz?
www.mindiabair.com
Like wine and jazz?
www.wineandjazz.com
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: The New Music Business
Hi Bob —
The music business is unrecognizable from the days of massive music retail and powerhouse radio. But I do not have much sympathy for talent complaining about paltry streaming payments. In the good old days (my good old days, anyway), one spin of one record on one radio station, WLS, for example, could be heard by upwards of 500,000 people. Once you made the playlist, the record was played up to 10 times a day or more. That's a lot of impressions.
Now, one stream is heard by one person. How much is that worth?
Back when, record companies were in the career building business of selling hard goods. These days, they are in the business of exposure of music. The financial footings of the industry are not so solid. That affects considerations of what labels look for in talent and what kind of music is selected for release.
It is truly a different business. For me, I'm glad I was in it then, not now.
Jim Charne
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
Thanks Bob for reviewing this! I was never a big Rush fan but I loved reading Geddy's book. I've read a lot of rock biographies and the same old story of drugs and sex and endless fighting in the band gets old. I found it to be a really interesting and personal story. I never realized how smart those guys were either, in addition to being virtuoso musicians.
As an expatriate American who has been in Canada for nearly 40 years I did find it to be almost a stereotypical Canadian story. These guys didn't seek out fame and fortune, they all got along with each other and seem to be very down to earth "nice guys". Albeit maybe a bit boring at times.
This book made me want to listen to all their albums, at least once. My favorites are still the ones with the radio hits but I was able to appreciate the other albums as well.
Ian Wilson
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
Yes, My Effin' Life is long and cyclical, but it is humble and honest. Geddy Lee is a regular guy - a mensch.
When we lived in the Yonge / St. Claire neighbourhood in Toronto it was not usual to bump into him at Bregman's buying bagels. No big whoop, just a customer buying the goods.
BTW Daniel Richler - a former colleague in our Montreal Rock Radio days co-wrote the book. Daniel is the son of one of Canada's greatest writers Mordecai Richler. I hear some of Daniel's influence in this down to earth story of one man's Effin' life. Worth the read!
Best regards
Andrew Forsyth
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
So good. I "read" the audiobook and listening to Geddy tell the stories was, well, effin' fantastic! I love that he covered his parents' holocaust story. It's needed these days, unfortunately.
I'm a semi-fan and I was riveted throughout, even without any tales of debauchery, and wanted more when it ended. Debauchery's overrated. Honesty and humility made this a great book.
Mike Newman
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
Bob, Geddy Lee is a terrific person to be a rock star.
I'm a Canadian, and a bassist; of course I've heard of him. I also do sound locally, and did audio for his previous book-launch event in Ottawa. He was polite, cheerful, to the point, and very together. He knew what he wanted and what was likely to be available.
He's also very comfortable on-stage, knows how to use a microphone, and can be sharply funny. I've got to get a copy of this book too, and go to the book launch in town, if there is one.
Dave O'Heare
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
I'm a big fan. Definitely enjoyed the book. Was blown away about how his parents made it back together after each going to camps (along with other family members, if I remember right).
And sure curious also about financials too but was a bit surprised that it seems like the band was not living the high life after the success of Moving Pictures (or is it just me?)…
And so hard to read when Neil had his personal tour case going back home and not to the "shop" like with the other Rush gear after the final show.
I could go on and on but I'll stop there…
Steve Anderko in Fayetteville NY
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
Seeing Geddy several months ago at the Orpheum in LA on his book tour was magical. Jack Black moderated. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience. We all got a copy of the book included with the ticket.
Thanks,
Dave Howard
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
I'm a die hard Rush fan. That term is not used lightly. I have a savings account that I tithe, from money I earn, to put into this account just for Rush - tickets, merch, airfares, car rentals, lodging etc. I've seen Rush in cities all over the continent. I'm a lifer. There was a lot in this book that even we, the die hards, weren't aware of and Geddy shared so much with us.
You've always talked about the success and longevity of a band is their relationship with the fans. You've emphasized that bands/artists need to curate and maintain a solid relationship with their fans. Rush did that. They evolved. They did not sell out. They took risks. They experimented. And we love them so deeply for it. The music. Their professionalism. Their journey. Their trials and tribulations. Oh and did I mention the music. It's sophistication. It's complexity both lyrically and musically. And they were ours. While the world was immersed in Michael Jackson and Madonna we had our own little special treat called Rush. They were ours. None of my friends grasped why I loved Rush so much.
Then came the internet and met others who shared my psychosis. The many friends I've met along the way because of Rush. The sharing of stories that were because of Rush. There's nothing greater than having music bring people from all walks of life together. Rush provided that and more. Their humor. Their camaraderie. We took it all in and we march forward.
This was great, emotional and personal book that moved us, the fans. Sometimes with laughter. Sometimes with tears. But all throughout maintaining that connection with the fans.
This is how it's done and no one did it better.
Etan G
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
Terrific review. Geddy's family lived in Downsview, at the time an almost entirely Jewish neighbourhood of North York, one of the many municipalities that was later amalgamated into Metro Toronto. I lived there, too, more or less at the same time as Geddy. We even went to the same public school (I believe he was a year behind me).
As the book recounts, Geddy was an indifferent student at best and school didn't interest him, save for one event that stood out: a school show in which he got to work the spotlight. I was in that show and remember it well but, if I ever met Geddy, I don't recall having done so. My loss.
Geddy and Alex later attended Newtonbrook High School, which many of my friends also attended, but, as you know, they had other things on their mind, much to the benefit of so many music lovers.
I mention these factoids only in the context of your remark that Canada is like a big high school where everyone knows each other. It's not quite that chummy, but there are times, especially within some communities, where the lines do cross. You've experienced, and noted earlier, that Canada is a lot like the United States, but not exactly. There are differences, large and small, but to have grown up Jewish in the Toronto suburbs of the 1960s certainly gives one a great deal in common with one's present and former neighbours.
David Basskin
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
It's SUCH a great read. I tried to hold off in terms of finishing it too quickly because I was enjoying it so much (or as my friend Jason said – savour as much as possible).
Sure – as a Canadian – this book hits those emotional levels a little more quickly. But the insight – in fact – the amount of drugs the band did alone – I would have lost that bet!
And Chapter 3: would be an INCREDIBLE movie.
Thanks for bringing attention to your readers – for those who may not have taken the time to read it yet – will love it!
Dale Robertson
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
The audio book is even more enjoyable with Geddy narrating. He's such an interesting and inspiring guy to somebody like me (born in 1970 who grew up in the NY suburbs where as a musician it was a rite of passage of for me and all of my musician friends to learn to play RUSH songs. They were Gods to us …and continued being so for many years. In many ways they were our Beatles.
Their inspiration was so lasting that when my old band Sound of URCHIN toured opening for Tenacious D, Jack Black would join us on stage each night to play The Spirit of Radio which was always the highlight of the night. (There's a YouTube clip out there showing one of these gigs).
RUSH are absolute legends to so many of us and this book (print or audiobook) for any fan or anybody curious about how very 3 normal (yet extraordinary) Canadians made their permanent mark on many of us Gen Xers.
Scott Heydt
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
hi bob ~
just finished geddy's book on audible , my first audio book ever .
what in the world took me so long?
to hear geddy's voice…doing his mom's accent and the poignant ebbs & flows of his voice remembering all the tragedies …just brilliant.
can't wait for andre to return from current pat metheny 'dream box' tour (guitar tech) and listen all over again.
i was never a rabid Rush fan…of course heard tom sawyer on the radio, growing up in the 70s.
have seen them once less than a decade ago.
i am, however; a rabid music fan.
i highly recommend the audio version, read by geddy.
it's that good.
Robin Gelberg
Production Assistant/Merch
GuitarTour Productions
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
Bob, most critics won't agree but the top three are the Beatles , The Rolling Stones, and Rush.
The critics would be wrong. Rush was one of the best in the world. And influenced tens of thousands to up their playing game. Including me.
Bob Maggio
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: The Geddy Lee Book
Hey Bob,
Working for few years at Atlantic in the A&R Dept, there would be certain days on the company calendar of artists/"stars" visiting the building for departmental meetings. A working "behind the curtain" peek. Kid Rock on the elevator, members of Sugar Ray saying hello, Fat Joe strutting down hall, Rob Thomas banging on door, blowing kiss to A&R Senior Nick C & Mr Ertegun askin "what department are you with?" - you name it, just goes and goes.
When the inter office bulletin posted the Rush visit (Vapor Trails on Atlantic). The weight of it was a bit different. Other artists, executives, bean counters, interns, anyone, would also sense it. Almost a royalty like vibe. The exact times for each of their meetings, unlike all other visiting artists, were kept secret. And there was no Neil - didn't do them. I was able to finagle through an assistant to find out what day, time, floor they would be on, and calculated the info, and that AM, rode the train with my 2112 vinyl in the hopes of getting it signed. Working with assistants to the main department brass to try and track down what office they would land, AND, if a window of time I can slip in. This had to be stealth like, since I was a grunt, and they followed a strict time schedule to each department. Got a tip on when they would have about 4 minutes of downtime waiting for next meeting so I hung up the phone, grabbed the record, got in elevator to then what probably looked like a 12 year old kid to the gal gatekeeper who was like "hurry-just go in and keep it together!!!!" ....and man...there's Geddy and Alex....both get up from couch to shake my hand, and I went blank for a moment. Said "PLEASE SIT" but when they saw the record, they were like "Whoa, haven't seen those in a while..." "it's like a giant CD"....
Just a wholesome three minute conversation of music, and baseball!!!...they then signed my record, shook hands, and I was out of there, and off the 23rd floor before the main people walked in.
What a road they, Geddy, traveled to get to their place in history.
Someone said to never meet your music heroes, but that phrase couldn't have been more wrong here.
Nick Spro
_______________________________________
From: Barry Mc Cabe
Subject: Re: Paul Brady-This Week's Podcast
Hi Bob,
I enjoyed the Paul Brady interview. Thank you for that. When trying to answer what it was like growing up in Ireland, especially during the Troubles, he could have pointed you to his own song "The Island", in which he so eloquently describes what it was like to be living on 'the island' during that period.
Paul's wife is from my hometown (Virginia, Co. Cavan). Back in the early '70s you'd see him around town from time to time. He was already well-known, which is probably why he was asked to judge a local talent competition. It was held on the town square on the back of a truck. He already had a reputation for saying what was on his mind and not suffering fools lightly, so I don't think some of the mothers were prepared for his comments on their little darlings. He wasn't even being hard on them, just truthful. I have to say I agreed with everything he had to say.
Later that summer I walked into one of the pubs in town only to see Paul and his (future) brother-in-law playing guitars over in the corner. They were playing songs from Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor and stuff like that and I was mesmerised. I was only 14/15-years old at the time and in the process of discovering that music. Everything was going fine until someone said - "Hey Paul, Mc Cabe here plays guitar too, you know." As I was not only young but also shy I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me at that moment.
Perhaps they needed a bathroom break because he said - "go ahead and play something then." I had just written my first song so I thought if I play it they won't know it and so won't know if I'm any good or not. Ha ha, it doesn't work that way obviously and it shows you how naive I was. When I finished I fully expected Paul to go all Simon Cowell on me but in fact he was quite kind and complimentary. As you can imagine at that age, it meant the world to me. In fact to this day, every time I hear the name Paul Brady my mind takes me back instantly to that evening in McQuaid's pub.
Barry
P.S. I recorded that song many years later. I'd written it for my best friend who'd had a short summer romance with a girl from Canada (her family were staying at the local hotel).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D-fgo7lF7w&ab_channel=BarryMcCabe-Topic
... and if you want to know what Virginia looks like, you can catch glimpses of it here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7A5uSGCYTo&ab_channel=BarryMcCabe
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Paul Brady-This Week's Podcast
Hey Bob,
I played guitar on Tina Turner's "Steel Claw"
Jeff Beck played the Solo!!
Best,
Richie Zito
_______________________________________
Re: OnlyFans
The adult industry has always been on the leading edge of technology because they know that's how to gain an advantage. Labels always resist. The TikTok standoff is more evidence of narrow thinking and continues to baffle me. This scene from Boogie Nights is a perfect metaphor for some of our resistance to innovation and change. Floyd Gondolli got it right: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH0kOWNtLFo
Niels Schroeter
_______________________________________
Re: OnlyFans
You left out that only fans is slowly destroying the strip clubs. All the hottest girls don't need to dance anymore
Scott Vener
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
Where I worked in Toronto we had 65 employees. One day they decided to figure out how many languages we could speak. 42.
Peter Burnside
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: "Private Equity: A Memoir"
Got a good laugh from your observation that "the most passionate music fans I know are MD's"…as a child and grandchild of skilled musicians, so glad that my kid brother Frank London followed his dream to become a Grammy-winning Klezmer artist.
While I love my work, I've always joked that in a family of musicians, I f*cked up and went to medical school!
Aloha
Steve London MD
Subject: Re: OnlyFans
This was a super thoughtful approach to modern marketing. The old school ways are not working. I haven't hired a publicist for my last 3 albums. It doesn't make any sense to. It all happens online and on stage. Your email today sparked multiple conversations throughout the last few days of how we learn from the people who are doing it well. I've kept my super fans close, and they're powerful. I keep a direct connection with them, while reaching outside of my normal zone for more to keep building with my shows, our Wine and Jazz Adventures, our NYE concert events. What you said rang true. I put myself out there everywhere… on stage, on instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, etc. And hopefully people funnel into my world and find me and stay there. No Only Fans for me. Ha! Not my scene. But I understand how they're building the lore of it. Great comparison with our world. Kept me talking about it for days!
Respect!
Mindi Abair
Like jazz?
www.mindiabair.com
Like wine and jazz?
www.wineandjazz.com
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: The New Music Business
Hi Bob —
The music business is unrecognizable from the days of massive music retail and powerhouse radio. But I do not have much sympathy for talent complaining about paltry streaming payments. In the good old days (my good old days, anyway), one spin of one record on one radio station, WLS, for example, could be heard by upwards of 500,000 people. Once you made the playlist, the record was played up to 10 times a day or more. That's a lot of impressions.
Now, one stream is heard by one person. How much is that worth?
Back when, record companies were in the career building business of selling hard goods. These days, they are in the business of exposure of music. The financial footings of the industry are not so solid. That affects considerations of what labels look for in talent and what kind of music is selected for release.
It is truly a different business. For me, I'm glad I was in it then, not now.
Jim Charne
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
Thanks Bob for reviewing this! I was never a big Rush fan but I loved reading Geddy's book. I've read a lot of rock biographies and the same old story of drugs and sex and endless fighting in the band gets old. I found it to be a really interesting and personal story. I never realized how smart those guys were either, in addition to being virtuoso musicians.
As an expatriate American who has been in Canada for nearly 40 years I did find it to be almost a stereotypical Canadian story. These guys didn't seek out fame and fortune, they all got along with each other and seem to be very down to earth "nice guys". Albeit maybe a bit boring at times.
This book made me want to listen to all their albums, at least once. My favorites are still the ones with the radio hits but I was able to appreciate the other albums as well.
Ian Wilson
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
Yes, My Effin' Life is long and cyclical, but it is humble and honest. Geddy Lee is a regular guy - a mensch.
When we lived in the Yonge / St. Claire neighbourhood in Toronto it was not usual to bump into him at Bregman's buying bagels. No big whoop, just a customer buying the goods.
BTW Daniel Richler - a former colleague in our Montreal Rock Radio days co-wrote the book. Daniel is the son of one of Canada's greatest writers Mordecai Richler. I hear some of Daniel's influence in this down to earth story of one man's Effin' life. Worth the read!
Best regards
Andrew Forsyth
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
So good. I "read" the audiobook and listening to Geddy tell the stories was, well, effin' fantastic! I love that he covered his parents' holocaust story. It's needed these days, unfortunately.
I'm a semi-fan and I was riveted throughout, even without any tales of debauchery, and wanted more when it ended. Debauchery's overrated. Honesty and humility made this a great book.
Mike Newman
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
Bob, Geddy Lee is a terrific person to be a rock star.
I'm a Canadian, and a bassist; of course I've heard of him. I also do sound locally, and did audio for his previous book-launch event in Ottawa. He was polite, cheerful, to the point, and very together. He knew what he wanted and what was likely to be available.
He's also very comfortable on-stage, knows how to use a microphone, and can be sharply funny. I've got to get a copy of this book too, and go to the book launch in town, if there is one.
Dave O'Heare
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
I'm a big fan. Definitely enjoyed the book. Was blown away about how his parents made it back together after each going to camps (along with other family members, if I remember right).
And sure curious also about financials too but was a bit surprised that it seems like the band was not living the high life after the success of Moving Pictures (or is it just me?)…
And so hard to read when Neil had his personal tour case going back home and not to the "shop" like with the other Rush gear after the final show.
I could go on and on but I'll stop there…
Steve Anderko in Fayetteville NY
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
Seeing Geddy several months ago at the Orpheum in LA on his book tour was magical. Jack Black moderated. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience. We all got a copy of the book included with the ticket.
Thanks,
Dave Howard
_______________________________________
Re: The Geddy Lee Book
I'm a die hard Rush fan. That term is not used lightly. I have a savings account that I tithe, from money I earn, to put into this account just for Rush - tickets, merch, airfares, car rentals, lodging etc. I've seen Rush in cities all over the continent. I'm a lifer. There was a lot in this book that even we, the die hards, weren't aware of and Geddy shared so much with us.
You've always talked about the success and longevity of a band is their relationship with the fans. You've emphasized that bands/artists need to curate and maintain a solid relationship with their fans. Rush did that. They evolved. They did not sell out. They took risks. They experimented. And we love them so deeply for it. The music. Their professionalism. Their journey. Their trials and tribulations. Oh and did I mention the music. It's sophistication. It's complexity both lyrically and musically. And they were ours. While the world was immersed in Michael Jackson and Madonna we had our own little special treat called Rush. They were ours. None of my friends grasped why I loved Rush so much.
Then came the internet and met others who shared my psychosis. The many friends I've met along the way because of Rush. The sharing of stories that were because of Rush. There's nothing greater than having music bring people from all walks of life together. Rush provided that and more. Their humor. Their camaraderie. We took it all in and we march forward.
This was great, emotional and personal book that moved us, the fans. Sometimes with laughter. Sometimes with tears. But all throughout maintaining that connection with the fans.
This is how it's done and no one did it better.
Etan G
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Re: The Geddy Lee Book
Terrific review. Geddy's family lived in Downsview, at the time an almost entirely Jewish neighbourhood of North York, one of the many municipalities that was later amalgamated into Metro Toronto. I lived there, too, more or less at the same time as Geddy. We even went to the same public school (I believe he was a year behind me).
As the book recounts, Geddy was an indifferent student at best and school didn't interest him, save for one event that stood out: a school show in which he got to work the spotlight. I was in that show and remember it well but, if I ever met Geddy, I don't recall having done so. My loss.
Geddy and Alex later attended Newtonbrook High School, which many of my friends also attended, but, as you know, they had other things on their mind, much to the benefit of so many music lovers.
I mention these factoids only in the context of your remark that Canada is like a big high school where everyone knows each other. It's not quite that chummy, but there are times, especially within some communities, where the lines do cross. You've experienced, and noted earlier, that Canada is a lot like the United States, but not exactly. There are differences, large and small, but to have grown up Jewish in the Toronto suburbs of the 1960s certainly gives one a great deal in common with one's present and former neighbours.
David Basskin
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Re: The Geddy Lee Book
It's SUCH a great read. I tried to hold off in terms of finishing it too quickly because I was enjoying it so much (or as my friend Jason said – savour as much as possible).
Sure – as a Canadian – this book hits those emotional levels a little more quickly. But the insight – in fact – the amount of drugs the band did alone – I would have lost that bet!
And Chapter 3: would be an INCREDIBLE movie.
Thanks for bringing attention to your readers – for those who may not have taken the time to read it yet – will love it!
Dale Robertson
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Re: The Geddy Lee Book
The audio book is even more enjoyable with Geddy narrating. He's such an interesting and inspiring guy to somebody like me (born in 1970 who grew up in the NY suburbs where as a musician it was a rite of passage of for me and all of my musician friends to learn to play RUSH songs. They were Gods to us …and continued being so for many years. In many ways they were our Beatles.
Their inspiration was so lasting that when my old band Sound of URCHIN toured opening for Tenacious D, Jack Black would join us on stage each night to play The Spirit of Radio which was always the highlight of the night. (There's a YouTube clip out there showing one of these gigs).
RUSH are absolute legends to so many of us and this book (print or audiobook) for any fan or anybody curious about how very 3 normal (yet extraordinary) Canadians made their permanent mark on many of us Gen Xers.
Scott Heydt
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Re: The Geddy Lee Book
hi bob ~
just finished geddy's book on audible , my first audio book ever .
what in the world took me so long?
to hear geddy's voice…doing his mom's accent and the poignant ebbs & flows of his voice remembering all the tragedies …just brilliant.
can't wait for andre to return from current pat metheny 'dream box' tour (guitar tech) and listen all over again.
i was never a rabid Rush fan…of course heard tom sawyer on the radio, growing up in the 70s.
have seen them once less than a decade ago.
i am, however; a rabid music fan.
i highly recommend the audio version, read by geddy.
it's that good.
Robin Gelberg
Production Assistant/Merch
GuitarTour Productions
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Re: The Geddy Lee Book
Bob, most critics won't agree but the top three are the Beatles , The Rolling Stones, and Rush.
The critics would be wrong. Rush was one of the best in the world. And influenced tens of thousands to up their playing game. Including me.
Bob Maggio
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Subject: Re: The Geddy Lee Book
Hey Bob,
Working for few years at Atlantic in the A&R Dept, there would be certain days on the company calendar of artists/"stars" visiting the building for departmental meetings. A working "behind the curtain" peek. Kid Rock on the elevator, members of Sugar Ray saying hello, Fat Joe strutting down hall, Rob Thomas banging on door, blowing kiss to A&R Senior Nick C & Mr Ertegun askin "what department are you with?" - you name it, just goes and goes.
When the inter office bulletin posted the Rush visit (Vapor Trails on Atlantic). The weight of it was a bit different. Other artists, executives, bean counters, interns, anyone, would also sense it. Almost a royalty like vibe. The exact times for each of their meetings, unlike all other visiting artists, were kept secret. And there was no Neil - didn't do them. I was able to finagle through an assistant to find out what day, time, floor they would be on, and calculated the info, and that AM, rode the train with my 2112 vinyl in the hopes of getting it signed. Working with assistants to the main department brass to try and track down what office they would land, AND, if a window of time I can slip in. This had to be stealth like, since I was a grunt, and they followed a strict time schedule to each department. Got a tip on when they would have about 4 minutes of downtime waiting for next meeting so I hung up the phone, grabbed the record, got in elevator to then what probably looked like a 12 year old kid to the gal gatekeeper who was like "hurry-just go in and keep it together!!!!" ....and man...there's Geddy and Alex....both get up from couch to shake my hand, and I went blank for a moment. Said "PLEASE SIT" but when they saw the record, they were like "Whoa, haven't seen those in a while..." "it's like a giant CD"....
Just a wholesome three minute conversation of music, and baseball!!!...they then signed my record, shook hands, and I was out of there, and off the 23rd floor before the main people walked in.
What a road they, Geddy, traveled to get to their place in history.
Someone said to never meet your music heroes, but that phrase couldn't have been more wrong here.
Nick Spro
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From: Barry Mc Cabe
Subject: Re: Paul Brady-This Week's Podcast
Hi Bob,
I enjoyed the Paul Brady interview. Thank you for that. When trying to answer what it was like growing up in Ireland, especially during the Troubles, he could have pointed you to his own song "The Island", in which he so eloquently describes what it was like to be living on 'the island' during that period.
Paul's wife is from my hometown (Virginia, Co. Cavan). Back in the early '70s you'd see him around town from time to time. He was already well-known, which is probably why he was asked to judge a local talent competition. It was held on the town square on the back of a truck. He already had a reputation for saying what was on his mind and not suffering fools lightly, so I don't think some of the mothers were prepared for his comments on their little darlings. He wasn't even being hard on them, just truthful. I have to say I agreed with everything he had to say.
Later that summer I walked into one of the pubs in town only to see Paul and his (future) brother-in-law playing guitars over in the corner. They were playing songs from Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor and stuff like that and I was mesmerised. I was only 14/15-years old at the time and in the process of discovering that music. Everything was going fine until someone said - "Hey Paul, Mc Cabe here plays guitar too, you know." As I was not only young but also shy I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me at that moment.
Perhaps they needed a bathroom break because he said - "go ahead and play something then." I had just written my first song so I thought if I play it they won't know it and so won't know if I'm any good or not. Ha ha, it doesn't work that way obviously and it shows you how naive I was. When I finished I fully expected Paul to go all Simon Cowell on me but in fact he was quite kind and complimentary. As you can imagine at that age, it meant the world to me. In fact to this day, every time I hear the name Paul Brady my mind takes me back instantly to that evening in McQuaid's pub.
Barry
P.S. I recorded that song many years later. I'd written it for my best friend who'd had a short summer romance with a girl from Canada (her family were staying at the local hotel).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D-fgo7lF7w&ab_channel=BarryMcCabe-Topic
... and if you want to know what Virginia looks like, you can catch glimpses of it here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7A5uSGCYTo&ab_channel=BarryMcCabe
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Subject: Re: Paul Brady-This Week's Podcast
Hey Bob,
I played guitar on Tina Turner's "Steel Claw"
Jeff Beck played the Solo!!
Best,
Richie Zito
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Re: OnlyFans
The adult industry has always been on the leading edge of technology because they know that's how to gain an advantage. Labels always resist. The TikTok standoff is more evidence of narrow thinking and continues to baffle me. This scene from Boogie Nights is a perfect metaphor for some of our resistance to innovation and change. Floyd Gondolli got it right: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH0kOWNtLFo
Niels Schroeter
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Re: OnlyFans
You left out that only fans is slowly destroying the strip clubs. All the hottest girls don't need to dance anymore
Scott Vener
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Re: The Geddy Lee Book
Where I worked in Toronto we had 65 employees. One day they decided to figure out how many languages we could speak. 42.
Peter Burnside
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Subject: Re: "Private Equity: A Memoir"
Got a good laugh from your observation that "the most passionate music fans I know are MD's"…as a child and grandchild of skilled musicians, so glad that my kid brother Frank London followed his dream to become a Grammy-winning Klezmer artist.
While I love my work, I've always joked that in a family of musicians, I f*cked up and went to medical school!
Aloha
Steve London MD
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