This book is positively fabulous.
First and foremost it's not an easy read, certainly not initially. You've got to wade through all this brain science that would turn most people off. Malcolm Gladwell is a much better writer. That's why Gladwell is a household name and Jonah Lehrer is not. But that doesn't make Lehrer's book any less significant.
I guess that I'm troubled by the fact that people don't like to work. No, let me restate that, people don't like hard work. They don't mind working hard, putting in the hours, but if their brain hurts, if they're frustrated, they give up. But all the great creative work comes after a period of frustration.
So you've got to read this book. Once again, it's entitled "Imagine: How Creativity Works".
Yes, depressed people are more creative. The mentally ill are a fount of creativity. Did you read the Remnick piece about the Boss in "The New Yorker"? I highly recommend it. Because within its pages, as the news has so forcefully delineated, we find out that Bruce Springsteen is an incredibly screwed up guy from a less than perfect background. The Boss has talked ad infinitum from the stage about his father, but Remnick gets it right. How Bruce's dad sat in the dark and controlled his son. Made him talk long enough until they got into an argument and Bruce left the house.
But the Remnick article is flawed. Because the writer is constricted by the "New Yorker" ethos. It reads like a "New Yorker" piece. It's absent any joy or excitement, the essence of Bruce Springsteen's music. You learn facts, but you get no emotion.
You see Remnick has been working at "The New Yorker" too long.
Turns out the young are more creative. Because they don't know the game. They don't know what they can't do. You can be creative as you get older, but you must stimulate yourself by playing with younger people, having new experiences. In other words, the classic rock artists shouldn't work with their friends, but twenty year olds. Not necessarily flavors of the week, but those who are not in awe of the legends, who don't see what can't be done, only possibilities.
And this is why the major labels are doomed. They can't see solutions. Turns out those most trained in their disciplines usually can't. It's outsiders, oftentimes untrained, who come up with answers. We see this again and again in entertainment. Napster (a creation of teenagers) and the rest of the tech innovations have undermined the creative industries. In other words, the established institutions and players are doomed. They're circling the wagons instead of engaging with the young 'uns to benefit from their insight, to gain solutions.
Kind of like those nitwits in the U.K. telling Google to crack down on file traders. Hell, Google can't keep spam out of Gmail, do you really think they can eradicate piracy? What is required is a breakthrough business solution. But the old farts agitating just want to return to a past that is never coming back.
Whether it be the autistic surfer or the loosening up of the minds at Second City, the Lehrer book is a wellspring of information. And the longer you read it, the more you get hooked.
We're in the creative business. Without ideas, we've got nothing.
My instincts told me not to write this. I've written enough this week and I'm only a third of the way through the book. But I felt something. And it was that which I wanted to convey to you. I had to cast away my inhibitions and go with what I felt. My instincts were reinforced by this book. Hell, I said hallelujah when I learned that school saps creativity. If I'd paid attention in college, I'd be a drone.
And "Imagine: How Creativity Works" is just a stepping stone. Just a beginning. There's more to come.
But it explains how EDM can burgeon and the major labels can miss it. Hell, it didn't fit on Top Forty radio, they saw no way to make money. Never mind that most of the money is on the road now anyway. Furthermore, insiders have seen the electronic scene spike and fade so often they didn't think it could be for real this time. But to Deadmau5 and the twentysomethings, it was brand new.
I could write forever, but I'm going to go back to reading the book!
"Imagine: How Creativity Works": http://amzn.to/oWohUs
"We Are Alive - Bruce Springsteen at sixty-two": http://nyr.kr/O1XqzZ
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Saturday, 28 July 2012
Friday, 27 July 2012
Rhinofy-The First Traffic Album
It was a stiff in America. And it was different from the original U.K. release, with a lame green cover. Traffic was one of those bands most people didn't pay attention to until they broke up.
But the musicians paid heed. Because they covered a number of the songs from the disc. People knew these famous covers before they knew the originals. Let's uncover some of them.
1. "Smiling Phases"
The best Blood, Sweat & Tears album is the first. But the most famous is the second. To say it dominated the airwaves would be to posit it was bigger and more intense than Bieber Fever. And it was. The big hits were "You've Made Me So Very Happy", "And When I Die" and "Spinning Wheel". But the very first song after the Erik Satie intro was this.
The Traffic original hearkens back to what came before as opposed to what was yet to come. It was more akin to midsixties English singles with garage band production and imprecise background vocals than the polished production released by Blood, Sweat & Tears. Never mind the long instrumental interlude in the BS&T take.
The Traffic version was the blueprint. You've got to give credit to BS&T for seeing the internal nugget and expanding upon it.
2. "Coloured Rain"
And here's where it gets interesting. This cover is by Al Kooper, from his solo debut, "I Stand Alone", after he got kicked out of his own band, the aforementioned Blood, Sweat & Tears. The original features Stevie Winwood right up front, who quite possibly possesses the best voice in rock and roll. And he has not lost a step. Take a look at his recently posted video of "John Barleycorn (Must Die)": http://bit.ly/KjPVIb
But "John Barleycorn (Must Die)" came after the band reunited, when Winwood started cutting a solo album and ended up calling in his old bandmates and the result ended up being billed as Traffic.
Traffic's original "Coloured Rain" has got some great swirling organ, but it's simple. Kooper's take has got everything but the kitchen sink, and that's what makes it so great, the production, from the rainstorm in the intro to the horns to... Sure, Kooper doesn't have the voice of Winwood, but who does?
"Coloured Rain" is still unknown by most. Start with Kooper's rendition. He blows the song up, it looks forward as opposed to back. Miracles could now be performed in the studio, and Al utilized every trick. The track is spacy and psychedelic and bluesy all at the same time.
3. "Dear Mr. Fantasy"
This is the one song that got traction off of Traffic's debut. Deservedly so. The guitarwork is hypnotic, Winwood's voice is at its peak, the term "masterpiece" was created for this. And be sure to see Winwood live today, to see him work out on the outro, hitting every note from the original on his guitar, your jaw will drop. Still, at the time, Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield's live cover got more airplay, it was even more famous.
You see this was a live performance of "Super Session". Not quite as good, "Live Adventures Of Michael Bloomfield & Al Kooper" sold and sold, because people just couldn't get enough of that sound. "Super Session" was an institution, and the lemmings couldn't pass on the follow-up.
Not to denigrate it. It's just that the original "Super Session" was a trendsetter. A breakthrough. And the live album was just a further exploration on the theme.
Yet it possesses Mike Bloomfield's exquisite guitarwork, a god who hit the heights with Butterfield, Dylan and Kooper, but has faded away and is not radiating. That's one of the problems with passing early. Your legacy may unjustly fade.
Once upon a time, jam music didn't only mean hippies, tie-dye and fringe, hell, George Harrison even included a full jam disc in the "All Things Must Pass" box. Credit Kooper for starting the trend. Proving you could jam with an east coast mentality as easily as one from San Francisco.
Be sure to hang in there for the segue into "Hey Jude". Also, legendarily, the vocal mic cuts out at the end and the room mic is employed on the recording. It was quiet enough to get it. You see, attending the show used to be like going to church, a religious experience. We sat, didn't stand. We perched on our posteriors and let our minds drift, set free by the music.
4. "Heaven Is In Your Mind"
Can I be sacrilegious and say that I prefer the Three Dog Night version?
This was before "Joy To The World" and "Mama Told Me (Not To Come)", this was long before Three Dog Night was one of the biggest acts in the land, positively cringeworthy.
You see once upon a time, they were just lauded vocalists, L.A. phenoms who didn't have much impact as you moved east. "One" got airplay elsewhere, but when "Captured Live At The Forum" was released, most people were still clueless.
Now there's a recording of "Heaven Is In Your Mind" on the initial studio album, but I discovered the live take first. My friend Marc owned the album. It's the first cut you hear after dropping the needle. The act explodes right after the introduction, as the audience screams and the band rocks in a way they never did on subsequent Three Dog Night productions. But the vocals are mixed right up front, there's a joy in the performance which is infectious. You get caught up in the energy.
I'll include the original Three Dog Night studio recording for comparison. And, of course, the Traffic original. Which has the same melody, but the track is completely different, a drug trip in the middle of the night, slowed down with heavy piano rhythm.
5. "No Face, No Name, No Number"
By time Bryan Ferry's "Olympia" album came out, this song from Traffic's debut was no longer an unknown rarity. The original is far superior, but a great song works no matter who records it.
And if you search on Spotify you can find a Steve Marriott cover of "Berkshire Poppies", but just like the Ferry cover, the release came long after Traffic became part of the musical fabric.
But what's fascinating is how before this was the case, the musicians were clued in. And decided to cover the songs of a band most people had never heard of.
Then again, this is when people wrote songs instead of beats. When we were all glued to the radio ready to be exposed to life-changing material.
Traffic went on to glory.
But at this point, in the late sixties, after the release of its debut, other acts were carrying the flag.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/p6HcZ8
Previous Rhinofy playlists: http://www.rhinofy.com/lefsetz
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But the musicians paid heed. Because they covered a number of the songs from the disc. People knew these famous covers before they knew the originals. Let's uncover some of them.
1. "Smiling Phases"
The best Blood, Sweat & Tears album is the first. But the most famous is the second. To say it dominated the airwaves would be to posit it was bigger and more intense than Bieber Fever. And it was. The big hits were "You've Made Me So Very Happy", "And When I Die" and "Spinning Wheel". But the very first song after the Erik Satie intro was this.
The Traffic original hearkens back to what came before as opposed to what was yet to come. It was more akin to midsixties English singles with garage band production and imprecise background vocals than the polished production released by Blood, Sweat & Tears. Never mind the long instrumental interlude in the BS&T take.
The Traffic version was the blueprint. You've got to give credit to BS&T for seeing the internal nugget and expanding upon it.
2. "Coloured Rain"
And here's where it gets interesting. This cover is by Al Kooper, from his solo debut, "I Stand Alone", after he got kicked out of his own band, the aforementioned Blood, Sweat & Tears. The original features Stevie Winwood right up front, who quite possibly possesses the best voice in rock and roll. And he has not lost a step. Take a look at his recently posted video of "John Barleycorn (Must Die)": http://bit.ly/KjPVIb
But "John Barleycorn (Must Die)" came after the band reunited, when Winwood started cutting a solo album and ended up calling in his old bandmates and the result ended up being billed as Traffic.
Traffic's original "Coloured Rain" has got some great swirling organ, but it's simple. Kooper's take has got everything but the kitchen sink, and that's what makes it so great, the production, from the rainstorm in the intro to the horns to... Sure, Kooper doesn't have the voice of Winwood, but who does?
"Coloured Rain" is still unknown by most. Start with Kooper's rendition. He blows the song up, it looks forward as opposed to back. Miracles could now be performed in the studio, and Al utilized every trick. The track is spacy and psychedelic and bluesy all at the same time.
3. "Dear Mr. Fantasy"
This is the one song that got traction off of Traffic's debut. Deservedly so. The guitarwork is hypnotic, Winwood's voice is at its peak, the term "masterpiece" was created for this. And be sure to see Winwood live today, to see him work out on the outro, hitting every note from the original on his guitar, your jaw will drop. Still, at the time, Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield's live cover got more airplay, it was even more famous.
You see this was a live performance of "Super Session". Not quite as good, "Live Adventures Of Michael Bloomfield & Al Kooper" sold and sold, because people just couldn't get enough of that sound. "Super Session" was an institution, and the lemmings couldn't pass on the follow-up.
Not to denigrate it. It's just that the original "Super Session" was a trendsetter. A breakthrough. And the live album was just a further exploration on the theme.
Yet it possesses Mike Bloomfield's exquisite guitarwork, a god who hit the heights with Butterfield, Dylan and Kooper, but has faded away and is not radiating. That's one of the problems with passing early. Your legacy may unjustly fade.
Once upon a time, jam music didn't only mean hippies, tie-dye and fringe, hell, George Harrison even included a full jam disc in the "All Things Must Pass" box. Credit Kooper for starting the trend. Proving you could jam with an east coast mentality as easily as one from San Francisco.
Be sure to hang in there for the segue into "Hey Jude". Also, legendarily, the vocal mic cuts out at the end and the room mic is employed on the recording. It was quiet enough to get it. You see, attending the show used to be like going to church, a religious experience. We sat, didn't stand. We perched on our posteriors and let our minds drift, set free by the music.
4. "Heaven Is In Your Mind"
Can I be sacrilegious and say that I prefer the Three Dog Night version?
This was before "Joy To The World" and "Mama Told Me (Not To Come)", this was long before Three Dog Night was one of the biggest acts in the land, positively cringeworthy.
You see once upon a time, they were just lauded vocalists, L.A. phenoms who didn't have much impact as you moved east. "One" got airplay elsewhere, but when "Captured Live At The Forum" was released, most people were still clueless.
Now there's a recording of "Heaven Is In Your Mind" on the initial studio album, but I discovered the live take first. My friend Marc owned the album. It's the first cut you hear after dropping the needle. The act explodes right after the introduction, as the audience screams and the band rocks in a way they never did on subsequent Three Dog Night productions. But the vocals are mixed right up front, there's a joy in the performance which is infectious. You get caught up in the energy.
I'll include the original Three Dog Night studio recording for comparison. And, of course, the Traffic original. Which has the same melody, but the track is completely different, a drug trip in the middle of the night, slowed down with heavy piano rhythm.
5. "No Face, No Name, No Number"
By time Bryan Ferry's "Olympia" album came out, this song from Traffic's debut was no longer an unknown rarity. The original is far superior, but a great song works no matter who records it.
And if you search on Spotify you can find a Steve Marriott cover of "Berkshire Poppies", but just like the Ferry cover, the release came long after Traffic became part of the musical fabric.
But what's fascinating is how before this was the case, the musicians were clued in. And decided to cover the songs of a band most people had never heard of.
Then again, this is when people wrote songs instead of beats. When we were all glued to the radio ready to be exposed to life-changing material.
Traffic went on to glory.
But at this point, in the late sixties, after the release of its debut, other acts were carrying the flag.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/p6HcZ8
Previous Rhinofy playlists: http://www.rhinofy.com/lefsetz
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Peter Paterno On The Universal/EMI Divestitures
From: Peter Paterno
Subject: FW: EMI Music - UPDATE
To: Bob Lefsetz
Ah, I so love the antitrust process. It makes so much sense. I especially love the part where, in their infinite wisdom, the European Antitrust Commission makes the merging companies sell off artist contracts for part of the world. So the artist can't mount an effective worldwide campaign to sell his records and is in business with someone he doesn't know. This came up in the last big divestiture and I have artists yelling at me to sue because they got sold off. I point out that the company didn't want to sell them off, the government made them do it and you can't sue because of what the government made them do. Then they get frustrated and start screaming about suing again. Your European Antitrust Commission - we know what you want better than you do.
_____________________________________
From: Faxon, Roger
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2012 8:35 AM?
To: ________________________
Subject: EMI Music - UPDATE
Dear All,
There has been a huge amount of speculation surrounding EMI in the press over the last couple of weeks, as the regulatory process surrounding EMI Music's proposed acquisition by Universal continues. I wanted to be sure that you heard the truth direct from me rather than on the industry grapevine, which is why I am writing to you all today.
The intricacies of the anti-trust world are an impenetrable mystery to most of us, but obviously it's important in any transaction of this nature that the regulators make a full review to ensure that consumers are protected from anti-competitive behaviour. UMG and each of the regulators around the world have been working closely together for many months now to achieve that. Since the market is different in each region of the world, the issues and the difficulty of resolving them also tend to be different. In a number of jurisdictions, such as Japan and New Zealand, Universal has been able to resolve the issues and has already received clearance. Now the focus is clearly on resolving the issues in the largest and most complex markets - and none is more important than Europe.
As I am sure you will have read, the European Commission has raised formal objections about the effect of bringing EMI and Universal together, and the two parties have since been working to find a potential remedy. As you can imagine, there are often significant differences in view between the regulators and the company applying for approval, but in the end, the two need to find a way of bridging those differences so that the merger can go forward.
In the last few days, Universal has identified a possible set of solutions that it believes should resolve the Commission's concerns. I emphasize the word 'possible' because before a resolution can be finalized the regulator will seek the input of a variety of third parties. The market testing of a proposed set of remedies is designed to help the regulator understand the implications of the proposed package, before they make a final determination. So, following the feedback from the market, there is obviously the chance that the proposed set of remedies will change before they become final.
The EU regulators will soon be putting the remedy package proposed by Universal into that market testing. Inevitably much of what is in that package will leak to the press, and that has already started to happen. As such, I wanted to make sure that you heard what is really going on directly from me.
Here is what is included in the package of proposed divestments:
- In the UK, an entity composed of the rosters and catalogues of Parlophone (excluding the Beatles, both as a group and individually), Mute, Chrysalis (excluding the Robbie Williams catalogue) and Ensign would be sold. Included in that disposal would also be the Pink Floyd catalogue and the recently concluded new deal with David Guetta, along with his catalogue. Note that these disposals only relate to exploitation of this repertoire within the EEA.
- EMI Classics and Virgin Classics would also be divested in the EEA.
- EMI's share of the NOW brand and compilation business in the EEA would also be sold. However Universal would keep its share and participation in the Now compilation venture.
- The proposal also includes the divestment of a number of EMI's operating businesses in Continental Europe. Those local operating companies are EMI France, EMI Belgium, EMI Czech Republic, EMI Poland, EMI Portugal, EMI Sweden and EMI Norway.
- Universal is also proposing to divest some its own businesses, principal among which are Sanctuary, Co-Op, and UMG Greece plus several European jazz labels.
- They would also commit to terminate or not to bid for a number of high-profile European licenses for major Anglo-American and domestic repertoire, namely Disney Records, Hollywood Records, Ministry of Sound, and Restos du Coeur in France.
Clearly it's an understatement to say that there are huge implications here for EMI, our staff and most especially, our artists. You will have hundreds of questions, as do we. As this is still a proposal right now, it is difficult for us to answer any of them right now, but over the coming days and weeks, we will be working very hard to address as many of them as possible. We have a lot of time to work through how all of this is going to unfold and how it will affect each of you. So as soon as we are able, we will be working with you to achieve just that.
So what happens next? Obviously the remedy proposal needs to proceed through market testing. That testing should not take long, but a final decision by the EU College of Commissioners will not take place until the second half of September. Of course, regulatory reviews elsewhere - particularly in places such as the United States and Australia - will also need to be completed, as well as a number of practical logistics.
With all that in mind, it's possible that with a wind behind our backs we could close the sale and EMI could pass to UMG as early as the end of September. However I think it is more realistic to plan for a close at the end of October. It is only at that point that any of the disposals could be put up for sale - and even then it will take some additional time for the sale to be completed of any businesses that are being divested. So as I say, we have some considerable time to make plans that take into account the needs of our artists, and in the meantime we will be working as hard as ever to deliver the successful outcomes that our artists so richly deserve.
All of this is a lot to digest, I know. While there is not much more that any of us can say right now, I am sure that you will want to talk to senior management here at EMI, and we will be reaching out directly to as many of you as possible over the coming days and weeks. As soon as I have any more concrete news for you, rest assured that I will contact you all right away.
Best wishes
Roger
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Subject: FW: EMI Music - UPDATE
To: Bob Lefsetz
Ah, I so love the antitrust process. It makes so much sense. I especially love the part where, in their infinite wisdom, the European Antitrust Commission makes the merging companies sell off artist contracts for part of the world. So the artist can't mount an effective worldwide campaign to sell his records and is in business with someone he doesn't know. This came up in the last big divestiture and I have artists yelling at me to sue because they got sold off. I point out that the company didn't want to sell them off, the government made them do it and you can't sue because of what the government made them do. Then they get frustrated and start screaming about suing again. Your European Antitrust Commission - we know what you want better than you do.
_____________________________________
From: Faxon, Roger
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2012 8:35 AM?
To: ________________________
Subject: EMI Music - UPDATE
Dear All,
There has been a huge amount of speculation surrounding EMI in the press over the last couple of weeks, as the regulatory process surrounding EMI Music's proposed acquisition by Universal continues. I wanted to be sure that you heard the truth direct from me rather than on the industry grapevine, which is why I am writing to you all today.
The intricacies of the anti-trust world are an impenetrable mystery to most of us, but obviously it's important in any transaction of this nature that the regulators make a full review to ensure that consumers are protected from anti-competitive behaviour. UMG and each of the regulators around the world have been working closely together for many months now to achieve that. Since the market is different in each region of the world, the issues and the difficulty of resolving them also tend to be different. In a number of jurisdictions, such as Japan and New Zealand, Universal has been able to resolve the issues and has already received clearance. Now the focus is clearly on resolving the issues in the largest and most complex markets - and none is more important than Europe.
As I am sure you will have read, the European Commission has raised formal objections about the effect of bringing EMI and Universal together, and the two parties have since been working to find a potential remedy. As you can imagine, there are often significant differences in view between the regulators and the company applying for approval, but in the end, the two need to find a way of bridging those differences so that the merger can go forward.
In the last few days, Universal has identified a possible set of solutions that it believes should resolve the Commission's concerns. I emphasize the word 'possible' because before a resolution can be finalized the regulator will seek the input of a variety of third parties. The market testing of a proposed set of remedies is designed to help the regulator understand the implications of the proposed package, before they make a final determination. So, following the feedback from the market, there is obviously the chance that the proposed set of remedies will change before they become final.
The EU regulators will soon be putting the remedy package proposed by Universal into that market testing. Inevitably much of what is in that package will leak to the press, and that has already started to happen. As such, I wanted to make sure that you heard what is really going on directly from me.
Here is what is included in the package of proposed divestments:
- In the UK, an entity composed of the rosters and catalogues of Parlophone (excluding the Beatles, both as a group and individually), Mute, Chrysalis (excluding the Robbie Williams catalogue) and Ensign would be sold. Included in that disposal would also be the Pink Floyd catalogue and the recently concluded new deal with David Guetta, along with his catalogue. Note that these disposals only relate to exploitation of this repertoire within the EEA.
- EMI Classics and Virgin Classics would also be divested in the EEA.
- EMI's share of the NOW brand and compilation business in the EEA would also be sold. However Universal would keep its share and participation in the Now compilation venture.
- The proposal also includes the divestment of a number of EMI's operating businesses in Continental Europe. Those local operating companies are EMI France, EMI Belgium, EMI Czech Republic, EMI Poland, EMI Portugal, EMI Sweden and EMI Norway.
- Universal is also proposing to divest some its own businesses, principal among which are Sanctuary, Co-Op, and UMG Greece plus several European jazz labels.
- They would also commit to terminate or not to bid for a number of high-profile European licenses for major Anglo-American and domestic repertoire, namely Disney Records, Hollywood Records, Ministry of Sound, and Restos du Coeur in France.
Clearly it's an understatement to say that there are huge implications here for EMI, our staff and most especially, our artists. You will have hundreds of questions, as do we. As this is still a proposal right now, it is difficult for us to answer any of them right now, but over the coming days and weeks, we will be working very hard to address as many of them as possible. We have a lot of time to work through how all of this is going to unfold and how it will affect each of you. So as soon as we are able, we will be working with you to achieve just that.
So what happens next? Obviously the remedy proposal needs to proceed through market testing. That testing should not take long, but a final decision by the EU College of Commissioners will not take place until the second half of September. Of course, regulatory reviews elsewhere - particularly in places such as the United States and Australia - will also need to be completed, as well as a number of practical logistics.
With all that in mind, it's possible that with a wind behind our backs we could close the sale and EMI could pass to UMG as early as the end of September. However I think it is more realistic to plan for a close at the end of October. It is only at that point that any of the disposals could be put up for sale - and even then it will take some additional time for the sale to be completed of any businesses that are being divested. So as I say, we have some considerable time to make plans that take into account the needs of our artists, and in the meantime we will be working as hard as ever to deliver the successful outcomes that our artists so richly deserve.
All of this is a lot to digest, I know. While there is not much more that any of us can say right now, I am sure that you will want to talk to senior management here at EMI, and we will be reaching out directly to as many of you as possible over the coming days and weeks. As soon as I have any more concrete news for you, rest assured that I will contact you all right away.
Best wishes
Roger
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Thursday, 26 July 2012
Re-Larry Hoppen
Larry lived in Sanford, Florida and I was honored to have known him. Extraordinarily humble, unassuming, soft spoken, and by both manner and appearance the very antithesis of a "rock star", one would never know upon meeting him his background with "Orleans" and the extraordinary voice.
Back in 2004 when I was still in active law practice, Larry was a client of my firm, and came to our Christmas party wearing coat and tie, where he easily and anonymously blended with all the other boring suits and "corporate types". I remember he was working in the commercial insurance industry at the time (while still pursing his "other life" on weekends and playing gigs), and probably was doing what all the other dorks were doing, handing out business cards and "networking".
But a couple of hours into the event, the entertainment for which featured a veteran r&b singer, long time client and friend of mine who at one time sang with the Four Tops (Chuck Roberson), Larry ditched the coat and tie, grabbed a guitar and got on stage to belt out a bunch of blues classics with Chuck (and even play a couple of hits, including "Still the One"). The golden voice was unmistakeable, and caused more than a couple of party guests to scratch their heads and say "Wow, is that really the guy from Orleans? ... he doesn't look like a rock star, but it sure sounds like him!).
As things turned out, I left that firm about 6 months later and fell out of touch with Larry, although I heard he still lived in Central Florida and toured from time to time with various ubiquitous "rock legends" tours. Sadly, as I've been writing this, I received a text from a mutual friend saying that reports are surfacing that Larry may have taken his own life.
It's bizarre, but today is my 54th birthday and I've been feeling very down about some recent professional and personal matters that haven't gone so well ... however, hearing about Larry has causes me to realize that there are many, many out there who are dealing with problems, issues and personal demons of far greater magnitude than the day-to-day annoyances about which most of us (present company included) complain far too quickly.
God Bless you, Larry ... thanks for sharing your talents and gifts ... I pray that you find peace.
Chris Qualmann
________________________________________
Larry was my roommate freshman year of college. A real talent and a real sweet guy. His nickname was Cherub. Although he could play a pile of instruments and sing, his best was guitar. Our professional lives diverged as I have been part of the NY jazz and commercial scene since the early 70s, but every time I hear one of his hits, I think I should give him a call. Unfortunately, I never did.
A mutual friend played a club date with Larry a few years ago and told me this story: Larry sang DANCE WITH ME, and a woman came up to him and told him that although he sounded good, the singer on the record is better, to which Larry replied, "but I am the singer on the record".
David Berger
________________________________________
Very sad news about Larry. In the mid 90's I opened and ran a club on the upper West side of Manhattan with Steve Mcgraw called "The Dark Star Lounge." It was a music-centric venue; you did not have to bring a crowd or even send out a mailing list to play there, you just had to be REALLY good. And because of that, we always had a crowd. Small as it was, many big name artists played there, as well as many of New York's finest session and touring musicians. I remember numerous magical nights, but by far one of my favorite shows was an acoustic songwriter in the round with myself, the wonderful singer/songwriter Jon Pousette-Dart, Deep Purple & Rainbow singer Joe Lynn Turner, and Larry Hoppen. 4 guys with four guitars, that's it ... maybe a little reverb! Jon & Joe Lynn were awesome, but Larry just blew my mind. He was such an incredible singer, and he sang his own songs that night which were stellar as well. No one who has ever sang on the stages of American Idol or The Voice or America's Got Talent even comes close.
Many many people read your letters, thank you for mentioning and honoring Larry.
Steve Postell
________________________________________
Larry was a MONSTER voice and I'm sorry to hear he's gone.
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed mixing "Still The One" and hearing it on the radio over and over and over again!
Val Garay
________________________________________
Larry Hoppen= Mensch! (With a great voice). Very sad news. Very sad.
Henry Gross
________________________________________
Hey Bob,.
So sorry to hear about Larry Hoppen. I was fortunate to know John and Johanna when I lived in Woodstock and managed the Bearsville Theater in 90-92. We had an Orleans reunion during those days and I wish I had a tape of the show.
I saw the original Orleans open for Jackson Browne in 1975 - the tour that inspired "Rosie" when Orleans drummer, the late great Wells Kelly, "the drummer swept that girl away" from Buddha Miller.
The best part of the story that is not in the song is that they nailed Wells into his hotel room afterward!
Did you know that "Still the One" is just behind "Yesterday" as the most played song on the radio? At least it was back when I was in touch with those guys.
So many losses this year,
Dan Griffin
________________________________________
In the Fall of 1969, I booked a series of Tuesday evening "audition" nights at the Fillmore East, patterned after an already successful series at the Fillmore West. Ultimately, the idea didn't fly in NY; the community was unsupportive, but for about three or four months, we hosted a lot of interesting young bands. One of the first, from upstate NY, was called Boffalongo. Larry played bass and sang.
Mark Spector
________________________________________
I worked with Larry, John, Wells & Lance for years. They were a musician's band in a musician's town, Woodstock. Beside having an instantly identifiable voice, Larry was a monster on guitar, bass, keyboards and trumpet. There was a lot of musical firepower in Orleans and a lot of competitive spirit. They always pushed each other, hard, like the Beatles. They were not the 'soft rock' band that people made them out to be. I never heard any band that could cover rock, blues, r and b, funk, reggae and jazz as effortlessly as Orleans. Another flame extinguished.
Mark McKenna
________________________________________
When I was working at the Mercer Arts Center in NY (in the Kitchen), Orleans showcased every weekend looking for a record deal. I walked in the first time and John Hall was playing the ridiculously complex lick to "Half Moon" (more famously recorded by Janis Joplin) and SINGING IT AT THE SAME TIME! I almost quit being a musician then and there, until I learned that he wrote it.
Hall was great guitarist but the little guy going toe to toe with him was just as goodâ€"maybe better. Definitely smoother. That was Larry Hoppen. When he got done tearing it up on guitar he sang his ass off. Then put his guitar down and delivered some outstanding piano and organ work.
An A&R friend from Columbia records came down and passed on them: "They are not stars." I was appalled. They were the most musical, funkiest band I had seen in ages. Those vocal harmonies, those guitar harmonies, those groovesâ€"was he crazy?
In one sense he was right: With a buff build and receding hair, Hall looked like a high school teacher that had just come in off the basketball court after a pickup game; it made for an odd image when the short husky Larry Hoppen leaned in to him on the guitar duets. Brother Lance Hoppen was sporting glasses and a beard before it was Williamsburg hip. And when your drummer is the best looking guy in the group maybe you are not stars.
But damn those guys were musicians, and in the pre-MTV age their brilliant radio hits were enough to carry them pretty far.
By the way, Larry did write some of the songs: "Ending of a Song" is a gorgeous ballad on Let There Be Music and "Spring Fever," with a killer Michael Brecker sax solo, on "Waking Dreaming" were two of my favorite Orleans tunes.
RIP Larry
Michael Ross
________________________________________
Thanks, Bob.
Thanks for your kind words about Larry.
It's been a very emotional day. I knew Larry long before Orleans, even before Buffolongo. When he came to Ithaca College in 1968, it was easy to see he was one of the best musicians around. He went on to 70s success with Orleans, and I hitched a ride with the band that became Blue Oyster Cult. We rode to success in different styles of music, but I always knew Larry was an extremely talented soul. And he had that voice!
Thirty years after Ithaca, I hooked up with Larry doing several benefit concerts with Orleans. They were fun and we did more. In July 2010 we toured in Iraq and Kuwait for the US troops. It was hotter than hell with mostly outdoor shows on flatbed trucks playing the hits. The soldiers were so appreciative that we were even there. I'll never forget those great times.
Lately I hadn't heard much from Larry. I always expected he'd call me with another gig on the horizon. But sadly it's not in the cards.
I appreciate your writing so much. Keep telling the truth.
Joe Bouchard
________________________________________
At first, I was excited to see you pimping Larry and I was ready to email him congratulating him on all the great publicity he was gonna get from being the subject of a Lefsetz letter. Then I read the part where he died and a chill came though my body and I got really fucking sad.
I had the great pleasure of playing guitar and singing backing vocals for him in 2009 at Van Dyke Cafe in Miami Beach along with Randy Singer. I also opened the show. He was an amazing musician and I will never forget that night harmonizing with him on "Dance With Me", a pretty amazing milestone in my career being that I was only 28 at the time .. I will never forget that time and the opportunity I had to be on stage with a legend. He had a great sense of humor and I bought the cd he was selling ON STAGE which was funny. HE had some great new tunes and his voice was just as I remembered it , soulful and clear.
He mentioned to me that he had tried out for Todd Rundgren's Utopia (on BASS) in 1982 and almost got the gig replacing Kasim Sulton. That would have been very interesting. Larry was doing a bunch of shows with RPM which was a great collection of older rockstars doing their thing. Now hes up in heaven singing with an even bigger all star band.. and I hope him and Wells Kelly are jamming again!
Fernando Perdomo
________________________________________
So sad to hear this news BOB....
Larry and Orleans were who I grew up with when I was at Cornell University back in the 1970's - 1973 thru 1976 to be exact. Whilst I was there I was a part of the Cornell Concert Commission and got elected by the students after I made a speech about how I was a roadie for Tom Jones in 1970/1971 on his USA tours. Tom had appeared at the 40 Thieves nightclub in Bermuda in the late 60's just as he was exploding in the USA.
I was the lucky kid whose Dad owned that nightclub in Bermuda where so many singers bands and groups performed when I was growing up. From the club's opening act Mel Torme in 1962, to all the soul bands in the mid-60s, to after I graduated from college and came back to Bermuda, many of the greats came to Bermuda. After I graduated and left the cold winters of Ithaca NY I seized the chance and brought Orleans to Bermuda in 1982 minus John Hall, and Wells had been gone a while - but Larry and Lance were the rock of that band. The dueling guitar solos of Still The One still sear through my mind as I think back on how they rocked little old Bermuda!
As soon as I opened my laptop this evening and read about this, I just had to write you. My good friend Judie Tzuke and her Bermudian producer/husband Paul Muggleton turned me on to you and your blog earlier this year as we were recording songs for a Bermuda Lennon CD in the UK. John Lennon came into that same club in June of 1980 - the same club that Larry and Orleans played in and Nils Lofgren, Gladys Knight, Jackie Wilson, Billy Preston, Ike & Tina, The Shirelles, King Curtis, Paul Carrack, Cilla Black, Clyde McPhatter, Tom Jones, Neil Diamond, The Drifters, John Sebastian, Jeff Golub, Will Lee, Andy Newmark, Hiram Bullock.....the list
goes on.
So many greats went through that outpost in Bermuda over the years. I am glad Larry Hoppen was one of them.
Your STILL THE ONE Larry !
Tony Brannon
________________________________________
Thank you Bob. This is all so true, Larry was my friend and I got to sing with him many times over the years. His voice was a glorious thing. Thank you also for recognizing Johanna so immediately, her gift is also glorious. Wish more people knew it. Thanks again.
Sincerely, jonell mosser
________________________________________
I'm sure you will get alot of these, but Larry became a good friend of mine about 25 years ago when somehow my wife arranged for this incredible musician /singer to come to my house on my birthday ( after asking me what I would like for my birhday, and my response was I'd love to sing with Larry Hoppen). To my great surprise there he was at my front door , and I was practically speechless. We did end up singing that night , and fortunately many times again over the years. I'll never forget that night and how great it was to know this amazing man. I will miss him.
J.A.S.
________________________________________
Great piece on a great person. I loved Larry. You should know, however, that Larry was a songwriter. He wrote my favorite Orleans song "Love Takes Time."
Dan Spears
Assistant VP, Key Accounts, Licensing
BMI
________________________________________
Orleans was the soundtrack of my freshmen and sophomore years at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, N.Y. (My parents couldn't afford Syracuse University and that was fine because I went on to SUNY Albany and the masters at B.U. when I could get a loan.)
I've played them on the radio ever since. "Let There Be Music" was an amazing album, particularly "Business As Usual" that showed the other side of the band - one that actually was topical beyond the joys of music itself. You can hear that track on Spotify too. Larry's voice soars even more on "Spring Fever" the follow-up to "Still The One." that I play almost every Spring without fail on my "Menace's Attic" radio show.
Another voice gone - and at the age of 55 - I'm truly afraid of whose next.
DTM
A.K.A. Dennis “The Menace†Scheyer
________________________________________
i had the pleasure of meeting him a few times way back when Orleans was brand new...first at a prep school gig in western mass and at a cool bar in ithaca ny called the salty dog...very nice guy back then...and agree with you about that voice...it soared...and 'Still The One' was huge when first released...and they could nail it live too..."dropping like flies..." comes to mind...
ace
________________________________________
People who saw them back in upstate New York in their formative days remember how damn good Orleans were as musicians. It's something we forget in the age of click tracks and stage shows that don't deviate one note from the recording. Bands that play enough shows together learn how to entertain a crowd and sound great, regardless of the stage, the lights, the gear, the weather. They were pros.
Phil Hood
Publisher, DRUM!
________________________________________
Hey Bob. Jerry Marotta from the Orleans is still alive and well in Woodstock, NY, and collaborating on a new project with Anjani Thomas and Leonard Cohen. I've heard a lot of the trax in progress as they are being developed and a new album is coming soon. You can still hear some of the Orleans magic on a few songs.
Paul Koidis
________________________________________
Bob: Larry was a wonderful guy. I was an Orleans fan in the 70's when I was working summers in the Catskill mountains as a busboy. Many years ago I spoke to Larry after an Orleans show and asked him if he ever saw Orleans second album on CD. He said he knew he could get it in Japan and told me was going there with the band the following week and offered to pick it up for me. I never thought I would hear from him again but three weeks later a CD arrived from him at my home with the liner notes signed by him. He was a thoughtful guy who appreciated his fans. He will be missed.
Jay D. Waxenberg
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Back in 2004 when I was still in active law practice, Larry was a client of my firm, and came to our Christmas party wearing coat and tie, where he easily and anonymously blended with all the other boring suits and "corporate types". I remember he was working in the commercial insurance industry at the time (while still pursing his "other life" on weekends and playing gigs), and probably was doing what all the other dorks were doing, handing out business cards and "networking".
But a couple of hours into the event, the entertainment for which featured a veteran r&b singer, long time client and friend of mine who at one time sang with the Four Tops (Chuck Roberson), Larry ditched the coat and tie, grabbed a guitar and got on stage to belt out a bunch of blues classics with Chuck (and even play a couple of hits, including "Still the One"). The golden voice was unmistakeable, and caused more than a couple of party guests to scratch their heads and say "Wow, is that really the guy from Orleans? ... he doesn't look like a rock star, but it sure sounds like him!).
As things turned out, I left that firm about 6 months later and fell out of touch with Larry, although I heard he still lived in Central Florida and toured from time to time with various ubiquitous "rock legends" tours. Sadly, as I've been writing this, I received a text from a mutual friend saying that reports are surfacing that Larry may have taken his own life.
It's bizarre, but today is my 54th birthday and I've been feeling very down about some recent professional and personal matters that haven't gone so well ... however, hearing about Larry has causes me to realize that there are many, many out there who are dealing with problems, issues and personal demons of far greater magnitude than the day-to-day annoyances about which most of us (present company included) complain far too quickly.
God Bless you, Larry ... thanks for sharing your talents and gifts ... I pray that you find peace.
Chris Qualmann
________________________________________
Larry was my roommate freshman year of college. A real talent and a real sweet guy. His nickname was Cherub. Although he could play a pile of instruments and sing, his best was guitar. Our professional lives diverged as I have been part of the NY jazz and commercial scene since the early 70s, but every time I hear one of his hits, I think I should give him a call. Unfortunately, I never did.
A mutual friend played a club date with Larry a few years ago and told me this story: Larry sang DANCE WITH ME, and a woman came up to him and told him that although he sounded good, the singer on the record is better, to which Larry replied, "but I am the singer on the record".
David Berger
________________________________________
Very sad news about Larry. In the mid 90's I opened and ran a club on the upper West side of Manhattan with Steve Mcgraw called "The Dark Star Lounge." It was a music-centric venue; you did not have to bring a crowd or even send out a mailing list to play there, you just had to be REALLY good. And because of that, we always had a crowd. Small as it was, many big name artists played there, as well as many of New York's finest session and touring musicians. I remember numerous magical nights, but by far one of my favorite shows was an acoustic songwriter in the round with myself, the wonderful singer/songwriter Jon Pousette-Dart, Deep Purple & Rainbow singer Joe Lynn Turner, and Larry Hoppen. 4 guys with four guitars, that's it ... maybe a little reverb! Jon & Joe Lynn were awesome, but Larry just blew my mind. He was such an incredible singer, and he sang his own songs that night which were stellar as well. No one who has ever sang on the stages of American Idol or The Voice or America's Got Talent even comes close.
Many many people read your letters, thank you for mentioning and honoring Larry.
Steve Postell
________________________________________
Larry was a MONSTER voice and I'm sorry to hear he's gone.
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed mixing "Still The One" and hearing it on the radio over and over and over again!
Val Garay
________________________________________
Larry Hoppen= Mensch! (With a great voice). Very sad news. Very sad.
Henry Gross
________________________________________
Hey Bob,.
So sorry to hear about Larry Hoppen. I was fortunate to know John and Johanna when I lived in Woodstock and managed the Bearsville Theater in 90-92. We had an Orleans reunion during those days and I wish I had a tape of the show.
I saw the original Orleans open for Jackson Browne in 1975 - the tour that inspired "Rosie" when Orleans drummer, the late great Wells Kelly, "the drummer swept that girl away" from Buddha Miller.
The best part of the story that is not in the song is that they nailed Wells into his hotel room afterward!
Did you know that "Still the One" is just behind "Yesterday" as the most played song on the radio? At least it was back when I was in touch with those guys.
So many losses this year,
Dan Griffin
________________________________________
In the Fall of 1969, I booked a series of Tuesday evening "audition" nights at the Fillmore East, patterned after an already successful series at the Fillmore West. Ultimately, the idea didn't fly in NY; the community was unsupportive, but for about three or four months, we hosted a lot of interesting young bands. One of the first, from upstate NY, was called Boffalongo. Larry played bass and sang.
Mark Spector
________________________________________
I worked with Larry, John, Wells & Lance for years. They were a musician's band in a musician's town, Woodstock. Beside having an instantly identifiable voice, Larry was a monster on guitar, bass, keyboards and trumpet. There was a lot of musical firepower in Orleans and a lot of competitive spirit. They always pushed each other, hard, like the Beatles. They were not the 'soft rock' band that people made them out to be. I never heard any band that could cover rock, blues, r and b, funk, reggae and jazz as effortlessly as Orleans. Another flame extinguished.
Mark McKenna
________________________________________
When I was working at the Mercer Arts Center in NY (in the Kitchen), Orleans showcased every weekend looking for a record deal. I walked in the first time and John Hall was playing the ridiculously complex lick to "Half Moon" (more famously recorded by Janis Joplin) and SINGING IT AT THE SAME TIME! I almost quit being a musician then and there, until I learned that he wrote it.
Hall was great guitarist but the little guy going toe to toe with him was just as goodâ€"maybe better. Definitely smoother. That was Larry Hoppen. When he got done tearing it up on guitar he sang his ass off. Then put his guitar down and delivered some outstanding piano and organ work.
An A&R friend from Columbia records came down and passed on them: "They are not stars." I was appalled. They were the most musical, funkiest band I had seen in ages. Those vocal harmonies, those guitar harmonies, those groovesâ€"was he crazy?
In one sense he was right: With a buff build and receding hair, Hall looked like a high school teacher that had just come in off the basketball court after a pickup game; it made for an odd image when the short husky Larry Hoppen leaned in to him on the guitar duets. Brother Lance Hoppen was sporting glasses and a beard before it was Williamsburg hip. And when your drummer is the best looking guy in the group maybe you are not stars.
But damn those guys were musicians, and in the pre-MTV age their brilliant radio hits were enough to carry them pretty far.
By the way, Larry did write some of the songs: "Ending of a Song" is a gorgeous ballad on Let There Be Music and "Spring Fever," with a killer Michael Brecker sax solo, on "Waking Dreaming" were two of my favorite Orleans tunes.
RIP Larry
Michael Ross
________________________________________
Thanks, Bob.
Thanks for your kind words about Larry.
It's been a very emotional day. I knew Larry long before Orleans, even before Buffolongo. When he came to Ithaca College in 1968, it was easy to see he was one of the best musicians around. He went on to 70s success with Orleans, and I hitched a ride with the band that became Blue Oyster Cult. We rode to success in different styles of music, but I always knew Larry was an extremely talented soul. And he had that voice!
Thirty years after Ithaca, I hooked up with Larry doing several benefit concerts with Orleans. They were fun and we did more. In July 2010 we toured in Iraq and Kuwait for the US troops. It was hotter than hell with mostly outdoor shows on flatbed trucks playing the hits. The soldiers were so appreciative that we were even there. I'll never forget those great times.
Lately I hadn't heard much from Larry. I always expected he'd call me with another gig on the horizon. But sadly it's not in the cards.
I appreciate your writing so much. Keep telling the truth.
Joe Bouchard
________________________________________
At first, I was excited to see you pimping Larry and I was ready to email him congratulating him on all the great publicity he was gonna get from being the subject of a Lefsetz letter. Then I read the part where he died and a chill came though my body and I got really fucking sad.
I had the great pleasure of playing guitar and singing backing vocals for him in 2009 at Van Dyke Cafe in Miami Beach along with Randy Singer. I also opened the show. He was an amazing musician and I will never forget that night harmonizing with him on "Dance With Me", a pretty amazing milestone in my career being that I was only 28 at the time .. I will never forget that time and the opportunity I had to be on stage with a legend. He had a great sense of humor and I bought the cd he was selling ON STAGE which was funny. HE had some great new tunes and his voice was just as I remembered it , soulful and clear.
He mentioned to me that he had tried out for Todd Rundgren's Utopia (on BASS) in 1982 and almost got the gig replacing Kasim Sulton. That would have been very interesting. Larry was doing a bunch of shows with RPM which was a great collection of older rockstars doing their thing. Now hes up in heaven singing with an even bigger all star band.. and I hope him and Wells Kelly are jamming again!
Fernando Perdomo
________________________________________
So sad to hear this news BOB....
Larry and Orleans were who I grew up with when I was at Cornell University back in the 1970's - 1973 thru 1976 to be exact. Whilst I was there I was a part of the Cornell Concert Commission and got elected by the students after I made a speech about how I was a roadie for Tom Jones in 1970/1971 on his USA tours. Tom had appeared at the 40 Thieves nightclub in Bermuda in the late 60's just as he was exploding in the USA.
I was the lucky kid whose Dad owned that nightclub in Bermuda where so many singers bands and groups performed when I was growing up. From the club's opening act Mel Torme in 1962, to all the soul bands in the mid-60s, to after I graduated from college and came back to Bermuda, many of the greats came to Bermuda. After I graduated and left the cold winters of Ithaca NY I seized the chance and brought Orleans to Bermuda in 1982 minus John Hall, and Wells had been gone a while - but Larry and Lance were the rock of that band. The dueling guitar solos of Still The One still sear through my mind as I think back on how they rocked little old Bermuda!
As soon as I opened my laptop this evening and read about this, I just had to write you. My good friend Judie Tzuke and her Bermudian producer/husband Paul Muggleton turned me on to you and your blog earlier this year as we were recording songs for a Bermuda Lennon CD in the UK. John Lennon came into that same club in June of 1980 - the same club that Larry and Orleans played in and Nils Lofgren, Gladys Knight, Jackie Wilson, Billy Preston, Ike & Tina, The Shirelles, King Curtis, Paul Carrack, Cilla Black, Clyde McPhatter, Tom Jones, Neil Diamond, The Drifters, John Sebastian, Jeff Golub, Will Lee, Andy Newmark, Hiram Bullock.....the list
goes on.
So many greats went through that outpost in Bermuda over the years. I am glad Larry Hoppen was one of them.
Your STILL THE ONE Larry !
Tony Brannon
________________________________________
Thank you Bob. This is all so true, Larry was my friend and I got to sing with him many times over the years. His voice was a glorious thing. Thank you also for recognizing Johanna so immediately, her gift is also glorious. Wish more people knew it. Thanks again.
Sincerely, jonell mosser
________________________________________
I'm sure you will get alot of these, but Larry became a good friend of mine about 25 years ago when somehow my wife arranged for this incredible musician /singer to come to my house on my birthday ( after asking me what I would like for my birhday, and my response was I'd love to sing with Larry Hoppen). To my great surprise there he was at my front door , and I was practically speechless. We did end up singing that night , and fortunately many times again over the years. I'll never forget that night and how great it was to know this amazing man. I will miss him.
J.A.S.
________________________________________
Great piece on a great person. I loved Larry. You should know, however, that Larry was a songwriter. He wrote my favorite Orleans song "Love Takes Time."
Dan Spears
Assistant VP, Key Accounts, Licensing
BMI
________________________________________
Orleans was the soundtrack of my freshmen and sophomore years at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, N.Y. (My parents couldn't afford Syracuse University and that was fine because I went on to SUNY Albany and the masters at B.U. when I could get a loan.)
I've played them on the radio ever since. "Let There Be Music" was an amazing album, particularly "Business As Usual" that showed the other side of the band - one that actually was topical beyond the joys of music itself. You can hear that track on Spotify too. Larry's voice soars even more on "Spring Fever" the follow-up to "Still The One." that I play almost every Spring without fail on my "Menace's Attic" radio show.
Another voice gone - and at the age of 55 - I'm truly afraid of whose next.
DTM
A.K.A. Dennis “The Menace†Scheyer
________________________________________
i had the pleasure of meeting him a few times way back when Orleans was brand new...first at a prep school gig in western mass and at a cool bar in ithaca ny called the salty dog...very nice guy back then...and agree with you about that voice...it soared...and 'Still The One' was huge when first released...and they could nail it live too..."dropping like flies..." comes to mind...
ace
________________________________________
People who saw them back in upstate New York in their formative days remember how damn good Orleans were as musicians. It's something we forget in the age of click tracks and stage shows that don't deviate one note from the recording. Bands that play enough shows together learn how to entertain a crowd and sound great, regardless of the stage, the lights, the gear, the weather. They were pros.
Phil Hood
Publisher, DRUM!
________________________________________
Hey Bob. Jerry Marotta from the Orleans is still alive and well in Woodstock, NY, and collaborating on a new project with Anjani Thomas and Leonard Cohen. I've heard a lot of the trax in progress as they are being developed and a new album is coming soon. You can still hear some of the Orleans magic on a few songs.
Paul Koidis
________________________________________
Bob: Larry was a wonderful guy. I was an Orleans fan in the 70's when I was working summers in the Catskill mountains as a busboy. Many years ago I spoke to Larry after an Orleans show and asked him if he ever saw Orleans second album on CD. He said he knew he could get it in Japan and told me was going there with the band the following week and offered to pick it up for me. I never thought I would hear from him again but three weeks later a CD arrived from him at my home with the liner notes signed by him. He was a thoughtful guy who appreciated his fans. He will be missed.
Jay D. Waxenberg
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
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Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Larry Hoppen
Once upon a time you had to know how to sing.
This was before auto-tune, before all the special effects that allow poseurs to fake it. When one's personal goals included buying a stereo so big and powerful it could be heard by your neighbors...the next block over. I'm convinced a whole genre of music, acoustic-based rock, has been relegated to also-ran status by the compressed music delivered to customers today, who listen to it on earbuds so lousy even dogs would complain. But in the seventies, the richness of the sound coming out of your speakers was enough to make you happy in itself, you needed no additional drugs, it was an aural orgasm.
And one of the great sounds emanating from the big rigs was the voice of Larry Hoppen. In such exquisite productions as "Dance With Me". If you think it sounds good on Spotify, just imagine it with all the highs intact, filling up your living room.
Larry didn't write the songs. That was done by Johanna Hall oftentimes in partnership with her husband John. But the vocalist behind the Orleans hits was Larry Hoppen. And maybe the band is a minor footnote in the history of rock, but you can't find a baby boomer who does not know "Dance With Me" and...
"Still The One".
I know, I know, you're burned out on it, it's cheesy, it's overused. But once upon a time, "Still The One" was brand new. And when it burst out of the radio speakers, and that's where we always heard things first, it was beyond a breath of fresh air, it was a lightning bolt to the head and heart, "Still The One" made life worth living.
But now Larry Hoppen is dead.
I don't know what happened. The fact that future gigs were booked suggests some kind of misadventure. But does it really matter, once someone passes?
And they're dropping like flies. You see being a musician is a hard life. The highs and lows of the road. And the swings in compensation. And we're suddenly realizing that not everybody can do it forever, because health doesn't play that way. Hell, in the last six months seemingly everybody I know has gotten cancer. Sure, that's an overstatement, but it seems that way...that it's only a matter of time before we're all afflicted.
And what gets us through the pain is music.
And when "Still The One" breaks down just shy of three minutes in, and Larry Hoppen's voice floats over the bass vocals and drums, we revel in the wonderment of being alive. Sure, nature can overwhelm us, render us speechless, but music can do this too. It's almost impossible to explain, it's something you feel.
I heard from Larry regularly. And my heart always skipped a beat. Not because he was famous, but because he possessed that voice, that emanated from the radio, that made me feel it was so great to be alive.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/P0Sqf6
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This was before auto-tune, before all the special effects that allow poseurs to fake it. When one's personal goals included buying a stereo so big and powerful it could be heard by your neighbors...the next block over. I'm convinced a whole genre of music, acoustic-based rock, has been relegated to also-ran status by the compressed music delivered to customers today, who listen to it on earbuds so lousy even dogs would complain. But in the seventies, the richness of the sound coming out of your speakers was enough to make you happy in itself, you needed no additional drugs, it was an aural orgasm.
And one of the great sounds emanating from the big rigs was the voice of Larry Hoppen. In such exquisite productions as "Dance With Me". If you think it sounds good on Spotify, just imagine it with all the highs intact, filling up your living room.
Larry didn't write the songs. That was done by Johanna Hall oftentimes in partnership with her husband John. But the vocalist behind the Orleans hits was Larry Hoppen. And maybe the band is a minor footnote in the history of rock, but you can't find a baby boomer who does not know "Dance With Me" and...
"Still The One".
I know, I know, you're burned out on it, it's cheesy, it's overused. But once upon a time, "Still The One" was brand new. And when it burst out of the radio speakers, and that's where we always heard things first, it was beyond a breath of fresh air, it was a lightning bolt to the head and heart, "Still The One" made life worth living.
But now Larry Hoppen is dead.
I don't know what happened. The fact that future gigs were booked suggests some kind of misadventure. But does it really matter, once someone passes?
And they're dropping like flies. You see being a musician is a hard life. The highs and lows of the road. And the swings in compensation. And we're suddenly realizing that not everybody can do it forever, because health doesn't play that way. Hell, in the last six months seemingly everybody I know has gotten cancer. Sure, that's an overstatement, but it seems that way...that it's only a matter of time before we're all afflicted.
And what gets us through the pain is music.
And when "Still The One" breaks down just shy of three minutes in, and Larry Hoppen's voice floats over the bass vocals and drums, we revel in the wonderment of being alive. Sure, nature can overwhelm us, render us speechless, but music can do this too. It's almost impossible to explain, it's something you feel.
I heard from Larry regularly. And my heart always skipped a beat. Not because he was famous, but because he possessed that voice, that emanated from the radio, that made me feel it was so great to be alive.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/P0Sqf6
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Out & About
The homeless guy wouldn't take a quarter.
I stopped for gas at the 76 station. I won't go to the Shell across the street anymore, my credit card kept getting stolen. Yup, if you inserted it in the pump, they had a stealth program that ripped off the number such that you could not only not get gas, you had to get on the phone with Shell, where they explained the problem and apologized and sent you a new card. After this happened three times, I gave up. Why didn't they just investigate this station?
And I love Shell gas. Don't e-mail me about the company's policies, all I know is it gives my machine a bit more oomph. I mash the pedal and it takes off. And that's the only thing my car is good for, performance, it gets horrible gas mileage. And don't chide me and tell me to trade it in, economically that makes no sense, you see this car is paid for!
So I swipe the card in the pump at the 76 station and I can barely comprehend the read-out, with the sun washing out the LED's, but eventually I get an error message, I've got to see the attendant.
You've got to be kidding! My card number was stolen again? Where am I gonna get gas now? In case you didn't notice, the stations keep closing, the Chevron around the corner turned into a smog stop a decade ago.
So I try again.
Same result.
I move to a different pump, which is a privilege, because normally you can't even get a spot at this station at Cloverfield and the 10, and I get the same message.
So I go inside.
Where the woman in the Miata across the way is complaining about the same thing. And the attendant says "the satellite is down." Mmm... That's how reliant upon technology we've become, you can't even pump gas if the lines are down. But he said it would be back up in a minute and it was and I filled my tank and checked my oil and washed my windows, tasks attendants used to do when gasoline cost less than fifty cents but have now been offloaded to we, the people. We live in a self-serve world. You wonder why we buy on the Internet instead of your store? Because there's no service in your shop, and it takes an eternity to check out after finally finding the item we came looking for.
And having burned more time than I'd planned I decided to stop at Rite-Aid, for some batteries, I was low. And when I pulled into a primo spot I was confronted with a relatively well dressed man carrying a bottle of Windex and a roll of paper towels. I figured he'd just bought them and was washing his windows.
But no, he wanted to wash mine.
They might have cleaned up New York, but L.A. is struggling. The whole state of California is struggling. Crime is through the roof now that Stockton's gone bankrupt. And can you blame citizens like this windshield wiper, who've got nowhere else to turn, who are down on their luck?
He didn't seem mentally ill. But I'd just washed my windows. So I gave him a quarter.
That's when he told me he wasn't interested in it. He didn't care about quarters. That's a quote.
So I broke out my wallet and pulled out a single and gave it to him. I'd like to say he was thrilled, that he thanked me profusely, but I got little more than a grunt.
And you might think I'm feeling good about myself at this point, doing my part to help society, but I consider it protection money. The last time I didn't give the homeless person money, he threw motor oil all over my car. It's cheaper to pay them off.
But that's what we've come to. For fear of welfare mothers ripping off the system we've got homeless people with initiative blocking our entrance into retail establishments. I always think twice about going to this store. It's in a borderline neighborhood, albeit close to my house.
And I won't stop on Lincoln anymore. After a crook broke the lock on my trunk when I went into Albertsons for some yogurt.
And I know you experience these same quirks of life each and every day. I just wanted to say that I'm with you. That everyday life is a challenge, there are hurdles at each and every step. And it seems like no one's paying attention but us, locked in our own little movies.
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I stopped for gas at the 76 station. I won't go to the Shell across the street anymore, my credit card kept getting stolen. Yup, if you inserted it in the pump, they had a stealth program that ripped off the number such that you could not only not get gas, you had to get on the phone with Shell, where they explained the problem and apologized and sent you a new card. After this happened three times, I gave up. Why didn't they just investigate this station?
And I love Shell gas. Don't e-mail me about the company's policies, all I know is it gives my machine a bit more oomph. I mash the pedal and it takes off. And that's the only thing my car is good for, performance, it gets horrible gas mileage. And don't chide me and tell me to trade it in, economically that makes no sense, you see this car is paid for!
So I swipe the card in the pump at the 76 station and I can barely comprehend the read-out, with the sun washing out the LED's, but eventually I get an error message, I've got to see the attendant.
You've got to be kidding! My card number was stolen again? Where am I gonna get gas now? In case you didn't notice, the stations keep closing, the Chevron around the corner turned into a smog stop a decade ago.
So I try again.
Same result.
I move to a different pump, which is a privilege, because normally you can't even get a spot at this station at Cloverfield and the 10, and I get the same message.
So I go inside.
Where the woman in the Miata across the way is complaining about the same thing. And the attendant says "the satellite is down." Mmm... That's how reliant upon technology we've become, you can't even pump gas if the lines are down. But he said it would be back up in a minute and it was and I filled my tank and checked my oil and washed my windows, tasks attendants used to do when gasoline cost less than fifty cents but have now been offloaded to we, the people. We live in a self-serve world. You wonder why we buy on the Internet instead of your store? Because there's no service in your shop, and it takes an eternity to check out after finally finding the item we came looking for.
And having burned more time than I'd planned I decided to stop at Rite-Aid, for some batteries, I was low. And when I pulled into a primo spot I was confronted with a relatively well dressed man carrying a bottle of Windex and a roll of paper towels. I figured he'd just bought them and was washing his windows.
But no, he wanted to wash mine.
They might have cleaned up New York, but L.A. is struggling. The whole state of California is struggling. Crime is through the roof now that Stockton's gone bankrupt. And can you blame citizens like this windshield wiper, who've got nowhere else to turn, who are down on their luck?
He didn't seem mentally ill. But I'd just washed my windows. So I gave him a quarter.
That's when he told me he wasn't interested in it. He didn't care about quarters. That's a quote.
So I broke out my wallet and pulled out a single and gave it to him. I'd like to say he was thrilled, that he thanked me profusely, but I got little more than a grunt.
And you might think I'm feeling good about myself at this point, doing my part to help society, but I consider it protection money. The last time I didn't give the homeless person money, he threw motor oil all over my car. It's cheaper to pay them off.
But that's what we've come to. For fear of welfare mothers ripping off the system we've got homeless people with initiative blocking our entrance into retail establishments. I always think twice about going to this store. It's in a borderline neighborhood, albeit close to my house.
And I won't stop on Lincoln anymore. After a crook broke the lock on my trunk when I went into Albertsons for some yogurt.
And I know you experience these same quirks of life each and every day. I just wanted to say that I'm with you. That everyday life is a challenge, there are hurdles at each and every step. And it seems like no one's paying attention but us, locked in our own little movies.
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Monday, 23 July 2012
Ringo At The Greek
Chris brought Tal into Rena's office.
That's Tal Wilkenfeld. You know, the curly-haired twenty five year old bassist most famous for playing with Jeff Beck. Hell, she's all over YouTube, you can even see her backing up Mick Jagger. You see Tal came out at the end of the show, during "With A Little Help From My Friends".
I went because Luke was the guitar player. And Luke positively WAILED!
But the crowd that showed up was so eclectic. Right inside the door I was introduced to Andrew Loog Oldham. It's fascinating when legends still walk the earth. I should not be able to speak with Andrew, he's a god, but here he was, talking about "Bittersweet Symphony" and Keith and living in Bogota. I could have gone on all night.
And Frampton was sitting behind us.
And on the other side of the aisle were the Bach sisters. Who almost appeared to be twins. They came with their own security. And needed it. For a drunk guy sitting behind them was dancing in the aisle with abandon, showing his butt crack to the point where everybody whipped out their cameras, but then he got tossed, thank god.
And the unexpected highlight of the show was Richard Page, singing "Broken Wings". I know, I know, I'm not supposed to like that number. But you know how there are certain records outside of your genre that you just cannot burn out on? "Broken Wings" is one of them.
And I was stunned when Todd played "Love Is The Answer".
"And when you feel afraid
LOVE ONE ANOTHER!"
Do you know this record, England Dan & John Ford Coley had the cover, but it's syrupy, the original is ethereal, and powerful. And Todd looked like a buffoon, Ringo accused him of categorically being unable to "Act Naturally", but seeing this man in the flesh who belongs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame before half its members is a thrill.
And Santana has all the fame, but Greg Rolie sang those Santana hits. And you should have seen Lukather wail on Carlos's parts. He earned his standing ovation. Hell, there were many of them.
This is our world. This is our tribal rite. Ringo might be 72, but now the age difference between him and us...is almost insignificant. We're all on our way out, we're all on our victory lap. Going to the show is in our DNA, and although we like our iPhones and digital media what we like most is having the music wash over us. Yes, there was this moment during the show that I felt like I was right where I both wanted and needed to be, that I was complete, that I'd not only survived, I'd won.
And self-critical Ringo was laughing that fewer than ten people had bought his 2012 CD, or downloaded it, or purchased the vinyl. You see we don't care. No one cares.
That's what too many musicians don't understand. That breaking into public consciousness is nigh near impossible.
Kind of like Joe Walsh, Ringo's brother-in-law, who came out and played "Rocky Mountain Way". His new album sank like a stone. They all do.
And during the finale the stage was peopled by so many legends. From Jim Keltner to Jeff Lynne to Frampton to Gary Wright to Joe to an essentially unrecognizable Bud Cort. Yes, we all get by with a little help from our friends.
And on stage too was Tal. Joe dragged her up. She didn't know him previously. She'd only me him this night.
Tal's making an album. Her guru Steve Perry says that she should be happy with it, because trying to second guess the market...if you fail, you hate everything about it.
And she proceeded to drop the names of a who's who of legendary musicians. She's recording at Jackson Browne's studio. She was talking about Benmont having a minor accident.
And I love all those people. But not a single one has a clue what's going on today.
Kind of like Jackson himself. He went down to Occupy Wall Street and performed a new acoustic song with Dawes that was amazing. I just found out by accident that it's included on the Occupy album, which if I don't know about, no one does, and furthermore, he killed it, sapped all the vitality and vigor from the street performance.
You see, today the YouTube version IS the hit. And if you're lucky, not only will your fans see it, they'll cover it. Albums are irrelevant. They're static moments in time, they're forgotten almost instantly after they're released. But the oldsters keep banging their heads against the wall, lamenting the change in the landscape.
Hell, Jackson could release multiple versions on YouTube, both acoustically, caught on an iPhone, and the studio take. He can have both on iTunes and Spotify. The oldsters perfect and dribble out material. Newbies release constantly, aren't afraid of warts and mistakes, they know their audience eats everything up.
Assuming you've got an audience.
And Tal said she had 100,000 e-mail addresses! I was wowed! Because that's how you play. If you don't know who your fans are, if you can't reach them, you're sunk.
And she's got an agent and is playing some test gigs and isn't sure about labels and I told her to forget about labels unless she's got radio-friendly music.
As for labels, they're publicity machines. Joe Walsh got a ton of traditional publicity for his latest album, the name of which I can't even remember, and I liked it, but it's like it never came out.
You've got to stay in the public eye. There's no such thing as mystery. Manipulation is for pussies. Hell, the truth always comes out.
The oldsters aren't hungry enough. They do one round of publicity and give up. Whereas to make it today, you've got to be working around the clock. And it's not about publicity, it's about creativity.
And Tal lamented she didn't have a manager.
But I told her she didn't want one. Because at this stage of her career, the people who'd take the gig weren't good enough and the great people won't do it until they get paid.
Yes, managers are about money. Artists are about music.
It's a brand new world.
And the youth will inherit the earth.
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That's Tal Wilkenfeld. You know, the curly-haired twenty five year old bassist most famous for playing with Jeff Beck. Hell, she's all over YouTube, you can even see her backing up Mick Jagger. You see Tal came out at the end of the show, during "With A Little Help From My Friends".
I went because Luke was the guitar player. And Luke positively WAILED!
But the crowd that showed up was so eclectic. Right inside the door I was introduced to Andrew Loog Oldham. It's fascinating when legends still walk the earth. I should not be able to speak with Andrew, he's a god, but here he was, talking about "Bittersweet Symphony" and Keith and living in Bogota. I could have gone on all night.
And Frampton was sitting behind us.
And on the other side of the aisle were the Bach sisters. Who almost appeared to be twins. They came with their own security. And needed it. For a drunk guy sitting behind them was dancing in the aisle with abandon, showing his butt crack to the point where everybody whipped out their cameras, but then he got tossed, thank god.
And the unexpected highlight of the show was Richard Page, singing "Broken Wings". I know, I know, I'm not supposed to like that number. But you know how there are certain records outside of your genre that you just cannot burn out on? "Broken Wings" is one of them.
And I was stunned when Todd played "Love Is The Answer".
"And when you feel afraid
LOVE ONE ANOTHER!"
Do you know this record, England Dan & John Ford Coley had the cover, but it's syrupy, the original is ethereal, and powerful. And Todd looked like a buffoon, Ringo accused him of categorically being unable to "Act Naturally", but seeing this man in the flesh who belongs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame before half its members is a thrill.
And Santana has all the fame, but Greg Rolie sang those Santana hits. And you should have seen Lukather wail on Carlos's parts. He earned his standing ovation. Hell, there were many of them.
This is our world. This is our tribal rite. Ringo might be 72, but now the age difference between him and us...is almost insignificant. We're all on our way out, we're all on our victory lap. Going to the show is in our DNA, and although we like our iPhones and digital media what we like most is having the music wash over us. Yes, there was this moment during the show that I felt like I was right where I both wanted and needed to be, that I was complete, that I'd not only survived, I'd won.
And self-critical Ringo was laughing that fewer than ten people had bought his 2012 CD, or downloaded it, or purchased the vinyl. You see we don't care. No one cares.
That's what too many musicians don't understand. That breaking into public consciousness is nigh near impossible.
Kind of like Joe Walsh, Ringo's brother-in-law, who came out and played "Rocky Mountain Way". His new album sank like a stone. They all do.
And during the finale the stage was peopled by so many legends. From Jim Keltner to Jeff Lynne to Frampton to Gary Wright to Joe to an essentially unrecognizable Bud Cort. Yes, we all get by with a little help from our friends.
And on stage too was Tal. Joe dragged her up. She didn't know him previously. She'd only me him this night.
Tal's making an album. Her guru Steve Perry says that she should be happy with it, because trying to second guess the market...if you fail, you hate everything about it.
And she proceeded to drop the names of a who's who of legendary musicians. She's recording at Jackson Browne's studio. She was talking about Benmont having a minor accident.
And I love all those people. But not a single one has a clue what's going on today.
Kind of like Jackson himself. He went down to Occupy Wall Street and performed a new acoustic song with Dawes that was amazing. I just found out by accident that it's included on the Occupy album, which if I don't know about, no one does, and furthermore, he killed it, sapped all the vitality and vigor from the street performance.
You see, today the YouTube version IS the hit. And if you're lucky, not only will your fans see it, they'll cover it. Albums are irrelevant. They're static moments in time, they're forgotten almost instantly after they're released. But the oldsters keep banging their heads against the wall, lamenting the change in the landscape.
Hell, Jackson could release multiple versions on YouTube, both acoustically, caught on an iPhone, and the studio take. He can have both on iTunes and Spotify. The oldsters perfect and dribble out material. Newbies release constantly, aren't afraid of warts and mistakes, they know their audience eats everything up.
Assuming you've got an audience.
And Tal said she had 100,000 e-mail addresses! I was wowed! Because that's how you play. If you don't know who your fans are, if you can't reach them, you're sunk.
And she's got an agent and is playing some test gigs and isn't sure about labels and I told her to forget about labels unless she's got radio-friendly music.
As for labels, they're publicity machines. Joe Walsh got a ton of traditional publicity for his latest album, the name of which I can't even remember, and I liked it, but it's like it never came out.
You've got to stay in the public eye. There's no such thing as mystery. Manipulation is for pussies. Hell, the truth always comes out.
The oldsters aren't hungry enough. They do one round of publicity and give up. Whereas to make it today, you've got to be working around the clock. And it's not about publicity, it's about creativity.
And Tal lamented she didn't have a manager.
But I told her she didn't want one. Because at this stage of her career, the people who'd take the gig weren't good enough and the great people won't do it until they get paid.
Yes, managers are about money. Artists are about music.
It's a brand new world.
And the youth will inherit the earth.
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Sunday, 22 July 2012
Chance Favors The Prepared Mind
I'm reading this book by Jonah Lehrer, "Imagine: How Creativity Works." Since I purchased it, upon the recommendation of Tom Rush, Mr. Lehrer has become embroiled in scandal of his own device. It appears he plagiarizes himself. As in he repeats choice chunks of his writing in multiple articles. Worse sins have been committed, but having followed the brouhaha I've been disinclined to read his tome. But having just finished Anne Tyler's "The Beginner's Goodbye," which is slight and somewhat forgettable but has some brilliant insight into relationships, I decided to delve in.
Having started once previously, I decided to continue where I'd left off. Not to waste time beginning again a book I may never finish. And there was a bit of overview and then a story about Bob Dylan. About his retirement after his 1966 tour, fed up with being a musician. Lehrer posits that:
"Every creative journey begins with a problem. It starts with a feeling of frustration, the dull ache of not being able to find the answer. We have worked hard, but we've hit the wall. We have no idea what to do next."
Although tales are told of easy discovery, willful creativity, dig deeper and you will discover the brilliant artworks you admire came after a huge period of frustration. And that the insight came instantly. It wasn't like after recording "Blonde On Blonde" Dylan knew he wanted to execute a left turn to "John Wesley Harding"...he just knew he couldn't keep on doing what he was.
This is what we deplore about so many of our so-called "artists". The repetition. You've got one album, one single, and you've got them all. Whereas the greats, the classics...all their albums were different. Whether it be the left-turn of "Led Zeppelin III" after "Led Zeppelin II" that ultimately led to "Stairway To Heaven" and the rest of the fourth album, or the obvious difference between "Love Me Do" and "Revolution 9". You see the Beatles just couldn't keep on repeating themselves, it was artistic death.
And that's what this Lehrer book seems to be about. The spontaneous combustion of ideas, the instant insight, and it's always instant, after the debilitating frustration, but what struck me was the title of this piece, a quote by Louis Pasteur.
There's value in experience, there's value in education.
And in America, teaching to the test is hurting us. We have to teach people how to think, not load them up with facts that will soon leak out of their brains.
I find it fascinating how many people can't wrestle with concepts. Can't hold two competitive thoughts in their brain at one time. They've never been taught the power of analysis. And believe me, great artists are champion analyzers. They may or may not want to expound upon their process, but it's there.
Pasteur's quote explains why the "Idols" fail. They've got exposure and fame, but no foundation. There's nothing to build upon. No background that would allow them to have brilliant insight.
And then there are the teen phenoms. Theoretically, they could expand their horizons, but Justin Bieber knows fame and fortune, little else. And his handlers want cash.
Furthermore, those who've broken out of this mold, most famously Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake, did it via collaboration. MJ with Quincy Jones and JT with a host of allies. One can posit that Timberlake has given up his recording career because he's empty. It's easier to fill himself up with a film role than confront his frustration and consider where to go next in music.
So you have to prepare yourself. You think you can be a better manager than Irving Azoff or Cliff Burnstein, but you've never had the practical experience, and this prevents you from landing an incredible act and developing them. Unless you know the game, your odds of succeeding are miniscule. You've got to pay your dues.
And seemingly everybody in the "arts" today has not. Reality TV is the norm. Where you're famous for being famous. No one wants to listen to Kim Kardashian, they just want to look at her. And did you ever notice there's never a second act for these self-made, two-dimensional icons? To think Paris Hilton can be a successful deejay is to believe Stephen Hawking can win the Olympic marathon.
But it's not only the arts. It's business too. People go to school and learn how to do everything but think. Which is why when entrepreneurs are replaced by managers, usually the enterprise sinks. Steven Ballmer's almost worthless as the CEO of Microsoft, especially compared to Bill Gates, and when Michael Dell turned the reins of his company over to someone else, it sunk, he had to come back and rescue it.
Our whole country has a lack of preparation. People can't understand the Presidential election because they can't understand the debate, the underlying issues. What difference do tax rates make if you pay no tax? And I'd say most people do not understand that when the tax rate is raised on incomes over $250,000, it's only the excess, the amount over $250,000, which is taxed at the new rate. The original $250,000 is taxed the same way it ever was.
Connections are important. Network like hell. But it's less important if you're an artist, if you're reliant upon breakthroughs. You're better off staying at home reading, going for a walk in the park, contemplating your frustrations and intermixing moments of complete thoughtless abandon. Because in the arts, in science, we only care about the end result. The iPad, "All Along The Watchtower", "Pulp Fiction".
If you keep on doing the same thing over and over, you're never going to break through. If you're frustrated, don't put your nose to the grindstone, face the impediment. Work with it. But know the solution will be instant. Maybe a few moments or weeks after you've determined to give up.
How did he come up with that? That's what we always say about great art, that's its intrinsic appeal. Its differentness, alongside with its encapsulation of humanity.
You won't hear any of the foregoing from businessmen.
But every great artist will testify about frustration and insight, and if you haven't been tempted to give up, your work is not worth a damn.
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Having started once previously, I decided to continue where I'd left off. Not to waste time beginning again a book I may never finish. And there was a bit of overview and then a story about Bob Dylan. About his retirement after his 1966 tour, fed up with being a musician. Lehrer posits that:
"Every creative journey begins with a problem. It starts with a feeling of frustration, the dull ache of not being able to find the answer. We have worked hard, but we've hit the wall. We have no idea what to do next."
Although tales are told of easy discovery, willful creativity, dig deeper and you will discover the brilliant artworks you admire came after a huge period of frustration. And that the insight came instantly. It wasn't like after recording "Blonde On Blonde" Dylan knew he wanted to execute a left turn to "John Wesley Harding"...he just knew he couldn't keep on doing what he was.
This is what we deplore about so many of our so-called "artists". The repetition. You've got one album, one single, and you've got them all. Whereas the greats, the classics...all their albums were different. Whether it be the left-turn of "Led Zeppelin III" after "Led Zeppelin II" that ultimately led to "Stairway To Heaven" and the rest of the fourth album, or the obvious difference between "Love Me Do" and "Revolution 9". You see the Beatles just couldn't keep on repeating themselves, it was artistic death.
And that's what this Lehrer book seems to be about. The spontaneous combustion of ideas, the instant insight, and it's always instant, after the debilitating frustration, but what struck me was the title of this piece, a quote by Louis Pasteur.
There's value in experience, there's value in education.
And in America, teaching to the test is hurting us. We have to teach people how to think, not load them up with facts that will soon leak out of their brains.
I find it fascinating how many people can't wrestle with concepts. Can't hold two competitive thoughts in their brain at one time. They've never been taught the power of analysis. And believe me, great artists are champion analyzers. They may or may not want to expound upon their process, but it's there.
Pasteur's quote explains why the "Idols" fail. They've got exposure and fame, but no foundation. There's nothing to build upon. No background that would allow them to have brilliant insight.
And then there are the teen phenoms. Theoretically, they could expand their horizons, but Justin Bieber knows fame and fortune, little else. And his handlers want cash.
Furthermore, those who've broken out of this mold, most famously Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake, did it via collaboration. MJ with Quincy Jones and JT with a host of allies. One can posit that Timberlake has given up his recording career because he's empty. It's easier to fill himself up with a film role than confront his frustration and consider where to go next in music.
So you have to prepare yourself. You think you can be a better manager than Irving Azoff or Cliff Burnstein, but you've never had the practical experience, and this prevents you from landing an incredible act and developing them. Unless you know the game, your odds of succeeding are miniscule. You've got to pay your dues.
And seemingly everybody in the "arts" today has not. Reality TV is the norm. Where you're famous for being famous. No one wants to listen to Kim Kardashian, they just want to look at her. And did you ever notice there's never a second act for these self-made, two-dimensional icons? To think Paris Hilton can be a successful deejay is to believe Stephen Hawking can win the Olympic marathon.
But it's not only the arts. It's business too. People go to school and learn how to do everything but think. Which is why when entrepreneurs are replaced by managers, usually the enterprise sinks. Steven Ballmer's almost worthless as the CEO of Microsoft, especially compared to Bill Gates, and when Michael Dell turned the reins of his company over to someone else, it sunk, he had to come back and rescue it.
Our whole country has a lack of preparation. People can't understand the Presidential election because they can't understand the debate, the underlying issues. What difference do tax rates make if you pay no tax? And I'd say most people do not understand that when the tax rate is raised on incomes over $250,000, it's only the excess, the amount over $250,000, which is taxed at the new rate. The original $250,000 is taxed the same way it ever was.
Connections are important. Network like hell. But it's less important if you're an artist, if you're reliant upon breakthroughs. You're better off staying at home reading, going for a walk in the park, contemplating your frustrations and intermixing moments of complete thoughtless abandon. Because in the arts, in science, we only care about the end result. The iPad, "All Along The Watchtower", "Pulp Fiction".
If you keep on doing the same thing over and over, you're never going to break through. If you're frustrated, don't put your nose to the grindstone, face the impediment. Work with it. But know the solution will be instant. Maybe a few moments or weeks after you've determined to give up.
How did he come up with that? That's what we always say about great art, that's its intrinsic appeal. Its differentness, alongside with its encapsulation of humanity.
You won't hear any of the foregoing from businessmen.
But every great artist will testify about frustration and insight, and if you haven't been tempted to give up, your work is not worth a damn.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
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http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
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