Subject: Re: Reality
This past year, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading practically each and every one of your emails for the truth and wisdom they contain. However, the ending of today's email depressed me. As the mother of an 18 year would-be rock star, I was thrilled (until 5 minutes ago) that my son (who had previously expressed interest in blowing off college to "work on his music") is heading off to be a freshman in the music conservatory at Purchase College next week. I'm worried that you wouldn't include studying Studio Composition in your advice of "So stay in college. Earn a professional degree". And since I think so highly of you, I decided to do what I've never done until now which is to bother you with an email. What IS your opinion on Bachelor of Music degrees? Useless or useful?
Many thanks,
Alice Tamkin
__________
From: Bob Lefsetz
To: Alice Tamkin
Subject: Re: Reality
1. If he actually learns to read, write/compose, he's ahead of the game.
2. If he wants to be a rock star, give up. But only he'll learn this. A few do make it... I don't know your kid, but if he's talented, self-confident, perseveres and can work every angle, leave him alone in the dark and he'll find his way home, he's got a chance...otherwise he'll just be disillusioned.
3. Life is long. I'd go to a traditional college and one always has time to go broke playing music.
4. As for music education being a way to make money...at least he's studying something real, as opposed to marketing, but it's very tough out there.
__________
It is not my job to give you hope. I am not a website or an app promising you success if you just pay me a few bucks (hopefully every month!) The entertainment business is littered with scoundrels trying to make a profit off your hopes and dreams. I am not one of them.
And I know you hate me for it. At least those not giving kudos.
I saw that movie "Milk," wherein Harvey's political opponent said he wasn't worried about Harvey beating him, because Harvey didn't give people the one thing they needed, HOPE!
I am not running for office.
What do I know?
There will be entertainment in the future. There will be musicians, visual artists and dancers. But despite more people participating, looking for our attention, ever fewer gain mass appeal.
And it's all right if you're plying the niches. As long as you don't harbor a fantasy of crossing over, as long as you're happy.
And if you're happy playing in your bedroom and never selling a thing, that's fine with me too.
But my inbox is inundated with acts with websites and videos and iTunes downloads hungry for attention and a helping hand to make it. I ask you to align your dreams with your effort. Being successful is more than talent, more than practice, it's first and foremost a personality issue. Can you befriend people and have them work to your advantage? Madonna excelled at this! Not that you have to be manipulative and dishonest, but it helps!
As for help... If you read me and get a few tips, that's great. But success comes down to you. And in the arts, it's extremely elusive.
I'd love to have you prove me wrong! I'd love to have something I say sucked ultimately triumph in a new incarnation down the road.
But this hasn't happened yet. Because it's easier to look in the mirror and perform affirmations, saying you're good enough and deserve success, and quite another to actually achieve it.
__________________________________
As for those blasting me that Lance Armstrong never failed a drug test and is innocent... If you were raped and four people saw it but the rape kit was lost would we have to let the rapist go free? Because there's no physical evidence?
Testing is just one of the means employed to ferret out doping, it's not the only one.
Please read these two articles:
http://nyti.ms/SBR6GM
"And in the doping world, that is known as a nonanalytical positive - an athlete implicated not by a positive drug test but by supporting evidence.
In recent years, it has become the new way to catch athletes who cheat.
'Science can't decide everything,' David Howman, director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said. 'These days, you need to complement a testing program with the gathering of evidence with other methods. To build your case, you put together strands that make one strong rope.'"
And:
http://nyti.ms/PFAz2A
"Maybe the most telling segment concerns an Irish masseuse named Emma O'Reilly, who was Armstrong's personal kneader during the 1999 Tour. (She was also asked to make a mysterious run from Spain to France, to deliver some mysterious material across the border.)
During the 1999 Tour, O'Reilly said, her workload had been lightened when one cyclist, the aforementioned Vaughters, dropped out of the race. That left her more time to minister to Armstrong and one other rider. On the team bus, she claimed, she heard several top team officials fretting about a positive test by Armstrong for steroids. They were in a panic, saying: 'What are we going to do? What are we going to do?' Their solution was to get one of their compliant doctors to issue a prescription for a steroid-based ointment to combat saddle sores. If Armstrong had saddle sores, O'Reilly said, she would have known.
In 'Confidentiel' (page 207), O'Reilly quotes Armstrong as telling her, 'Now Emma you know enough to bring me down.'
That backdated doctor's note in 1999 nullified the finding of steroids. Lance rode on. Five years later, during an early stage in Belgium, I referred to a 'positive test' in 1999. One of Armstrong's top advisers sidled up to me in a prerace staging area and said, in unmistakably legal terms, that a nullified result was not a positive test. I granted the legal distinction but always remembered the urgent and specific way that message was delivered."
__________________________________
I got an e-mail from Xeni Jardin, who is battling breast cancer, that Livestrong helped a lot of people navigate cancer treatment, that the organization was praiseworthy. She implored her Twitter followers to testify, and a number of them did.
But I still refer you to the "Outside" article I referenced in my original piece:
http://bit.ly/A8dl88
"Nevertheless, the notion persists that Livestrong's main purpose is to help pay for lab research into cancer cures. In an online '60 Minutes Overtime' interview after the May broadcast, CBS anchor Scott Pelley said Armstrong's alleged misdeeds were mitigated because 'he has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for cancer research.'
Pelley isn't alone in getting that wrong: a search of The New York Times turns up dozens of hits for 'Armstrong' and 'cancer research.' An Associated Press story from August 2010 described Livestrong as 'one of the top 10 groups funding cancer research in the United States.' The comments section of any article about Armstrong will inevitably include messages like this one from ESPN.com: 'keep raising millions for cancer research lance, and ignore the haters.' At one point, the foundation brought in a PR consultant to try and clarify the messaging, but Armstrong himself says there's only so much they can do. 'We can't control what everybody says they're wearing the bracelets for,' he told me.
At the same time, though, Armstrong and his supporters help perpetuate the notion that they are, in fact, helping battle cancer in the lab. 'I am here to fight this disease,' he angrily told journalist Paul Kimmage at a press conference held during his 2009 comeback. In 2010, the foundation agreed to let an Australian hospital call its new research facility the Livestrong Cancer Research Center. And when I recently visited my local RadioShack, a major Armstrong sponsor, the clerk asked, 'Would you like to make a donation to the Livestrong foundation to help support cancer research?'
No wonder people get confused."
__________________________________
From: Berton Averre
Subject: Correction to the correction
The widely-held belief that Page and Bonham are on "Hurdy Gurdy Man" has been debunked, by John Paul Jones, who arranged the session, and Page himself. The guitarist was Alan Parker (according to Page and Jones) and the drummer was Clem Cattini, who was kind of the British Hal Blaine.
__________
And, for the record, it was SUPPOSED to be Jimi Hendrix playing guitar on "Hurdy Gurdy Man" ... in the end, three-quarters of the future Led Zeppelin appeared on the track ... yet amazingly, even so, Jimmy Page did NOT play lead guitar on this cut!
From our Jimi Hendrix piece published a few years ago:
HITS AND MISSES: HENDRIX probably missed out on another Top 20 single in 1968. DONOVAN wrote his #3 smash HURDY GURDY MAN for JIMI to record but, when JIMI failed to do so, he agreed to play guitar instead on DONOVAN's version. When those plans ALSO fell through, DONOVAN went ahead and recorded it on his own (with ALLAN HOLDSWORTH on lead guitar.) Amazingly, also present in the studio that day were JIMMY PAGE on guitar, JOHN PAUL JONES on bass and JOHN BONHAM on drums ... three-quarters of LED ZEPPELIN a full year before they joined with ROBERT PLANT and launched their own hard-rock career!
Kent Kotal
Forgotten Hits
forgottenhits.com
__________
In the booklet notes of the 2005 EMI UK rerelease of Donovan's Hurdy Gurdy Man album John Paul Jones is quoted as saying the guitar on "Hurdy Gurdy Man" is Alan Parker, not Jimmy Page or Allan Holdsworth who has also been credited for that part. As Jones played the session for sure I think we can take his word on this.
Harmony--michael tearson
__________________________________
From: Brian Drake
The Animals' song, "When I was Young" has zero to do with the Roy Clark song, "Yesterday When I was Young" or the French song it's a version of. They are totally unrelated and completely different songs...that's it.
__________________________________
Subject: Mikey Wax Horsesh!t
Please don't use my name if you print this or forward to Mikey. I don't have an axe to grind except that the agent in question is a friend who got stiffed. Mikey Wax bought onto the Howie Day tour hired his old agent on retainer signed a contract and then stiffed him on payment.
I was paid kickbacks for adding him to small club shows on an agreement that he'd purchase 30-50 tix. Nice guy and a decent performer but he's varnishing the story quite a bit. He would have never gotten any of those opportunities had he not had a sizable checkbook and the relationships of the agent.
Also at no time did the agent ever come back to me or any other promoters I know and tell us not to work with Mikey after they split. This guy kills for his clients takes calls at 4am on the morning and is a great and loyal guy who will be around long after people forget about Mikey Wax.
Always a flip side to every bullshit story huh?
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Saturday, 25 August 2012
Friday, 24 August 2012
Mailbag
haha, dude, i kill probly 5 to 8 gophers every summer here in michigan at my studio....varmint rifle .17 cal, shotgun or pellet gun do the trick! or- they're so dumb that if you just put a trap in front of one of their holes and cover the front of it with grass, dirt and leaves they will walk right in!! if you would rather not shoot em that is ---- big problem by my studio in horse country, cuz horses can step in holes and break a leg....plus they will destroy your barn or garage with their tunnels! cute little fuckers, but the meat is not too tasty! you can also buy an automatic airsoft machine gun that shoots plastic pellets, won't harm em too bad and a fucking blast to shoot! legal in Cali as well! if ya can't beat em, have some fun with em!
robert ritchie - kid rock
_______________________________________
Hey Bob, I've been reading you a long time. I never respond. But I have to thank you for your latest, Woman Of Heart And Mind. Wonderful and true. I once asked "John L." his recipe for writing hits. "Write your truth and make it rhyme" he told me. "just gimme some". Thanks Bob
Jack Douglas
_______________________________________
Hi Bob,
just a quick note to thank you for your recent blog.
"Feed the people, not the machine"........is brilliant..!!!
We've been independent artists since we released 'I'm Too Sexy' in 1991. All the points you cover we've tried to raise with successive labels and media partners for the last few years, 99% of which are in denial or time-locked in 1995.
We've recently hooked up with ChannelFlip who definitely DO GET IT and are a breath of fresh air.
Thanks again and more power to you.
Fred Fairbrass
Right Said Fred
www.rightsaidfred.com
_______________________________________
Hey Bob,
Thanks for all the great things said in your blog about Joni Mitchell.
Joni was signed to Warner's by a dear friend, Andrew Wickham; one of the best and most brilliant A&R men I've known.
We are great friends and I look forward to seeing him every time I visit London. He's not on the internet, he doesn't even have a cellphone, but I can assure you he's still got amazing ears. Another one of his big signings was Norwegian band Aha and for many years he lived in Nashville opening up Warner's country division there. Andrew also started in the business working side by side with Andrew Loog Oldham for the Rolling Stones. In between that and joining Warners, he worked for Lou Adler, one of the great and true moguls in our business. There's almost nothing relative to music that Lou didn't do. I'm sure Andrew would appreciate everyone's kind words about Joni. Hopefully he will drop you a line. I'm sending him those blogs.
Should have written you sooner about Mickie Most. I had the pleasure of knowing him, his wife Chris and his brother David, one of the UK's top promotion men back in the day.
I believe Mickie Most was one of the most influential people in British music in the 1960's and 70's. He worked with such a variety of artists, from Donovan, The Animals, Jeff Beck, Herman's Hermits, LuLu, The Yardbirds and later on RAK, Hot Chocolate, Kim Wilde, Suzi Quatro, Mud and so many others. He should definitely be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
"Love is Blue" the instrumental, he recorded with Jeff Beck is an amazing track. Spoke about it several months back with Jeff's manager, Harvey Goldsmith suggesting he record an entire instrumental album. Most also worked with blues great Alexis Korner and even with Mary Hopkin after her big hit on Apple. His wife Chris is a great lady, I last saw her when she hosted a memorial service for Ken East, the Australian record man who ran EMI in the UK during its greatest period in the late 1960's and early 70's.
Bob, thanks for the memories.
All the best,
Seymour Stein
_______________________________________
bob
one slight correction to rick nowels' email---it was jeff beck who played on donovan's barabajagal---actually the entire jeff beck group not just solo jeff
definitely not jimmy page---he and bonham were on hurdy gurdy man however
i know, picky picky, but there was/is no one like beck so let the record (sic) be clear
frank brandon
_______________________________________
Hi Bob -
My name is Mikey Wax. I'm a songwriter and singer from Oyster Bay, LI. I've been following your column for a while now, and felt it was an appropriate time to reach out and tell you my story as an up-coming indie aritst. I hope you will read through.
About 3 years ago I put out my first record - "Change Again" - recorded in the basement studio of a local engineer/producer Bob Stander. Having just graduated college at the time and before facebook became overly saturated with marketing, I was lucky enough to catch a wave of buzz online. My record in the first 3 months, with minimal promo sold over 2,000 copies from word-of-mouth, and hit #47 on the iTunes pop chart. That summer, I was also lucky enough to have my music video for the first single - "In Case I Go Again" - receive a main feature on the homepage of YouTube (YouTube has since stopped this type of feature). Overnight, I received nearly half a million views, thousands of single downloads and a couple hundred additional album sales. I was invited to go on the road and support a national act - Howie Day. Together, we played nearly 25 cities through which I was able to work on my live show, plus sell a good amount of merch. The "Change Again" record has since sold over 7,000 copies between digital and shows.
Here's the part I think you will enjoy the most....When I returned home from the tour, I had a falling out with my first booking agent (long story involving being ripped off). He told me at the time I would never play another venue show again...I wasn't sure what to do, but I knew I loved being on the road and performing. I decided to put the word out to my fans about doing private living room concerts. I told fans that if they could gather 25 or more friends/family and I could drive to them on one tank of gas, I would come perform in their living room for the cost of gas and hotel (Very cheap - around $100- $150). The response was outstanding. I received nearly 300 house concert requests form, and I booked 60 straight shows of house concerts across the country. The amazing thing about these intimate shows was I ended up making more money than the venue shows! I believe the connection at these performances created more life-long fans, who purchased all my merch at the shows, and have since continued to support every record and come out to every venue show. The tour was successful. I completed a 2nd house concert tour last summer of 50 shows, and will most likely do a 3rd this Fall.
Since I had a draw in several cities from the house concerts, I was able to get back in venues without a booking agent (though I am still looking). This past summer, I was invited to open up on tour for an artist named Jon McLaughlin. Together, we sold out venues in Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Boston, VA Beach, Philly, and NYC's Gramercy Theatre. I was amazed how many of my fans from the house concerts were at each show.
The past month of my career has been very exciting. My brother is my manager - Jonathan. We were able to pitch my song "Counting On You" for the elimination song on the hit Fox TV show "So You Think You Can Dance", and it was selected! The exposure from this show has been awesome in helping me to further grow my fan base. I just passed over 40,000 followers on twitter, and about 23,000 fans on facebook (links below). I will be hitting the road again this Fall. The past month I have been back in the basement studio where it all began with Bob Stander. We are recording a Holiday EP to be released in early Nov. The EP has 3 original songs and 3 covers. It is near completion and I would love to send you the songs if interested. I'm very excited about this EP!
Thanks for reading through, and thank you for your insightful posts. Hope this finds you well.
Sincerely,
Mikey Wax
http://twitter.com/mikeywax
http://facebook.com/mikeywax
http://mikeywax.com
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robert ritchie - kid rock
_______________________________________
Hey Bob, I've been reading you a long time. I never respond. But I have to thank you for your latest, Woman Of Heart And Mind. Wonderful and true. I once asked "John L." his recipe for writing hits. "Write your truth and make it rhyme" he told me. "just gimme some". Thanks Bob
Jack Douglas
_______________________________________
Hi Bob,
just a quick note to thank you for your recent blog.
"Feed the people, not the machine"........is brilliant..!!!
We've been independent artists since we released 'I'm Too Sexy' in 1991. All the points you cover we've tried to raise with successive labels and media partners for the last few years, 99% of which are in denial or time-locked in 1995.
We've recently hooked up with ChannelFlip who definitely DO GET IT and are a breath of fresh air.
Thanks again and more power to you.
Fred Fairbrass
Right Said Fred
www.rightsaidfred.com
_______________________________________
Hey Bob,
Thanks for all the great things said in your blog about Joni Mitchell.
Joni was signed to Warner's by a dear friend, Andrew Wickham; one of the best and most brilliant A&R men I've known.
We are great friends and I look forward to seeing him every time I visit London. He's not on the internet, he doesn't even have a cellphone, but I can assure you he's still got amazing ears. Another one of his big signings was Norwegian band Aha and for many years he lived in Nashville opening up Warner's country division there. Andrew also started in the business working side by side with Andrew Loog Oldham for the Rolling Stones. In between that and joining Warners, he worked for Lou Adler, one of the great and true moguls in our business. There's almost nothing relative to music that Lou didn't do. I'm sure Andrew would appreciate everyone's kind words about Joni. Hopefully he will drop you a line. I'm sending him those blogs.
Should have written you sooner about Mickie Most. I had the pleasure of knowing him, his wife Chris and his brother David, one of the UK's top promotion men back in the day.
I believe Mickie Most was one of the most influential people in British music in the 1960's and 70's. He worked with such a variety of artists, from Donovan, The Animals, Jeff Beck, Herman's Hermits, LuLu, The Yardbirds and later on RAK, Hot Chocolate, Kim Wilde, Suzi Quatro, Mud and so many others. He should definitely be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
"Love is Blue" the instrumental, he recorded with Jeff Beck is an amazing track. Spoke about it several months back with Jeff's manager, Harvey Goldsmith suggesting he record an entire instrumental album. Most also worked with blues great Alexis Korner and even with Mary Hopkin after her big hit on Apple. His wife Chris is a great lady, I last saw her when she hosted a memorial service for Ken East, the Australian record man who ran EMI in the UK during its greatest period in the late 1960's and early 70's.
Bob, thanks for the memories.
All the best,
Seymour Stein
_______________________________________
bob
one slight correction to rick nowels' email---it was jeff beck who played on donovan's barabajagal---actually the entire jeff beck group not just solo jeff
definitely not jimmy page---he and bonham were on hurdy gurdy man however
i know, picky picky, but there was/is no one like beck so let the record (sic) be clear
frank brandon
_______________________________________
Hi Bob -
My name is Mikey Wax. I'm a songwriter and singer from Oyster Bay, LI. I've been following your column for a while now, and felt it was an appropriate time to reach out and tell you my story as an up-coming indie aritst. I hope you will read through.
About 3 years ago I put out my first record - "Change Again" - recorded in the basement studio of a local engineer/producer Bob Stander. Having just graduated college at the time and before facebook became overly saturated with marketing, I was lucky enough to catch a wave of buzz online. My record in the first 3 months, with minimal promo sold over 2,000 copies from word-of-mouth, and hit #47 on the iTunes pop chart. That summer, I was also lucky enough to have my music video for the first single - "In Case I Go Again" - receive a main feature on the homepage of YouTube (YouTube has since stopped this type of feature). Overnight, I received nearly half a million views, thousands of single downloads and a couple hundred additional album sales. I was invited to go on the road and support a national act - Howie Day. Together, we played nearly 25 cities through which I was able to work on my live show, plus sell a good amount of merch. The "Change Again" record has since sold over 7,000 copies between digital and shows.
Here's the part I think you will enjoy the most....When I returned home from the tour, I had a falling out with my first booking agent (long story involving being ripped off). He told me at the time I would never play another venue show again...I wasn't sure what to do, but I knew I loved being on the road and performing. I decided to put the word out to my fans about doing private living room concerts. I told fans that if they could gather 25 or more friends/family and I could drive to them on one tank of gas, I would come perform in their living room for the cost of gas and hotel (Very cheap - around $100- $150). The response was outstanding. I received nearly 300 house concert requests form, and I booked 60 straight shows of house concerts across the country. The amazing thing about these intimate shows was I ended up making more money than the venue shows! I believe the connection at these performances created more life-long fans, who purchased all my merch at the shows, and have since continued to support every record and come out to every venue show. The tour was successful. I completed a 2nd house concert tour last summer of 50 shows, and will most likely do a 3rd this Fall.
Since I had a draw in several cities from the house concerts, I was able to get back in venues without a booking agent (though I am still looking). This past summer, I was invited to open up on tour for an artist named Jon McLaughlin. Together, we sold out venues in Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Boston, VA Beach, Philly, and NYC's Gramercy Theatre. I was amazed how many of my fans from the house concerts were at each show.
The past month of my career has been very exciting. My brother is my manager - Jonathan. We were able to pitch my song "Counting On You" for the elimination song on the hit Fox TV show "So You Think You Can Dance", and it was selected! The exposure from this show has been awesome in helping me to further grow my fan base. I just passed over 40,000 followers on twitter, and about 23,000 fans on facebook (links below). I will be hitting the road again this Fall. The past month I have been back in the basement studio where it all began with Bob Stander. We are recording a Holiday EP to be released in early Nov. The EP has 3 original songs and 3 covers. It is near completion and I would love to send you the songs if interested. I'm very excited about this EP!
Thanks for reading through, and thank you for your insightful posts. Hope this finds you well.
Sincerely,
Mikey Wax
http://twitter.com/mikeywax
http://facebook.com/mikeywax
http://mikeywax.com
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Samsung & Armstrong
Just when we're convinced the legal system does not work...
I've been following the Tour de France ever since Greg LeMond emerged triumphant. This was not supposed to happen. Americans were always also-rans.
But it turned out LeMond was a genetic freak. That's what it takes to win in basketball as well as bike racing, if you're playing by the rules. Despite the success of Muggsy Bogues, you cannot compete in the NBA if you're of average height. And Muggsy didn't make it on sheer pluck alone, he could jump! I'm surprised no short person has sued the NBA, claiming they've been locked out of a career. That's the American way, suing to success.
But suits take money. And winning is rarely everything. Because oftentimes you can't collect.
But ever since O.J. it's been common knowledge that the government's lawyers are amateurs compared to the high-priced attorneys available on the outside. Hell, I winced watching that trial, because no one on the government's side realized trials are theatre. It's not only about the facts, but how you present those facts, whether you weave a coherent story. It's like being able to write a hit song but being unable to perform it. You'd better not book a gig. But the government has been booking gigs forever...and losing. Except for Rudy Giuliani and Eliot Spitzer. That's how they built their names and careers. By doing the impossible. Fighting power and winning. And we know their names because their success was so rare. Everybody else working for the home team is if not an incompetent also-ran, someone not quite good enough.
But they nailed Lance Armstrong. Not the government, they couldn't even lock up Roger Clemens. They're all show, and no go. And they gave up on Armstrong too. But the non-profit, non-governmental USADA (http://www.usada.org/about) got Lance, when no one else could.
He doped. There's no question of that. I could recite the evidence, but if you still believe he's innocent, you probably believe lowering taxes on the rich will balance the budget and a woman can prevent pregnancy by squinting and squeezing her legs.
But what Lance did not do was admit it. No one admits their mistakes anymore. Everybody's got to be perfect, all the time.
Hell, I knew Lance was guilty before he even started to race. Because I went to college with bike racers, back in the seventies. World class cross-country ski racers, every summer they went to Europe to compete in bicycle races. Were they planning to graduate and go pro? Of course not. Because all the winners were on dope!
You've got to be on dope to win.
That's what Lance should have said. In a crooked, illegal game, I played and won. He was king of the dopers! Instead, he keeps saying he's innocent like a kid in a locked house protesting over an empty plate that he didn't eat the cookies. We could have a turning point in the national discussion if only Lance would come clean, be a force for good. But Lance is all about image, like a bad "rock star" whose hits were written by committee and produced by Dr. Luke... They're afraid the facade will crumble.
And do you know despite wearing a yellow wristband, essentially none of the money donated to Livestrong goes to cancer research? (http://bit.ly/A8dl88) That's not their mission. They're about awareness... Are people truly clueless when it comes to cancer? And if the word needs to be spread, shouldn't Lance be forthright and honest? No, he employs subterfuge, the same way he won the Tour de France, he wants you to believe one thing while he does another.
As for the Samsung Galaxy products... If you don't think they're a rip-off of Apple gear, you're truly blind.
And this is about everything musicians rail about. Copyrights. Only in this case, it's called patents. Can someone steal with impunity?
Then again, patents don't last forever.
But can you ride the back of someone else's hard work and innovation to riches? Can someone copy your CD at no cost? If you don't think so, then you must come down on the side of Apple in this lawsuit, however much you hate the Cupertino company.
And in this case, it was the best against the best. And the judge was a hoot, she'd take no gruff, she didn't lose control of her courtroom. Hell upon seeing Apple's witness list, she asked the company's barristers if they were smoking crack!
And I don't want to get into a lengthy discussion of whether patent protection should exist, I'll just say there were rules. And Samsung broke them, just like Lance Armstrong.
And if the rules are bad, you lobby to change them.
But Lance is not part of the solution, he's truly part of the problem.
So what did we learn here?
1. Innovate or die. That's how Lance won all those trophies, by employing cutting edge doping technologies. And that's how Apple escaped the doldrums. If you're in a creative business, sleep with one eye open, never rest on your laurels, you're only as good as what you did today.
2. Hire the best legal help you can. Oftentimes, that's more important to success than whether you're innocent or guilty. Hell, look how long it took to get Lance!
3. Like in the westerns of yore, the bad guys win for a while, but lose in the long run. Choose your path. Brief success or long term struggle. Hell, Apple's been around in excess of thirty years. It took the company this long to get into this fight. As for Lance Armstrong, he worked long and hard for an athlete, but most athletes peak and are done way before they're forty, what are you going to do with the rest of your life? Kinda like those kid stars who end up robbing 7-11's, or those wearing blinders who believe retirement will never come and don't prepare for it.
4. Don't put your faith in the government or institutions, but in yourself. That's what all successful entrepreneurs have, a belief that they're right and the rules are meant to be bent. Now this is complicated:
a. Companies lobby for less regulation because they want to continue to rape and pillage and prosper. They don't care about the hoi polloi. If you restrict them, they don't go out of business, they just have a slightly harder time making tons of money. It's the government that looks out for the people. So when you're pro-corporation, you're against yourself, unless you're running or high up in said corporation.
b. That's the problem with sports. The bending of the rules. The reason we're fascinated with sports is because we believe it's the last bastion of honesty, a place where we can see all the angles, a fair fight. That's why we root out dopers. We don't really care who wins, it's just that we need faith in the system.
c. But my main point is if you think there's always somebody smarter than you, who knows better and more and is looking out for you...you're sorely mistaken. If you've been aggrieved, you've got to look for your own solutions.
5. The press is not as powerful as you think. There was a whole book written about Lance doping, years ago, but it was never translated from the French, the media building Lance Armstrong up was reluctant to tear him down. And these same reporters were so beholden to the Apple god, so star-struck and at the same time angry that technology is undermining their business, that they could never get the story straight. It's a big problem with reporters, they get the facts but miss the story. Winners understand the underpinnings, the strategy... Not only is government one step behind, but the media too.
It's hard to believe we're in a brand new era when the Supreme Court hands Bush II the Presidency and Justice Roberts employs fallacious logic to uphold Obamacare, but maybe the tide is turning. Maybe the real America is on a comeback.
And the real America is not solely blood and guts and combat, but playing within the boundaries, the rules, and owning your actions. Hell, if you didn't do anything illegal Mitt Romney, release your tax returns. If you employed offshore accounts, let's put them in evidence, let's have a national discussion. And speaking of discussion, even the left wing patron saint Paul Krugman believes Medicare spending must be addressed, but nobody on the left will even entertain a discussion.
But ain't that America. Where we've got no faith in the institutions and we argue all day long, accomplishing little.
If you had faith in Lance Armstrong, you were duped. Plain and simple. Which is why people are still defending him, they don't want to have to upend their beliefs, rewrite history.
It turns out we can only have faith in Apple. Which is purely in search of excellence and puts forth a scorched earth policy defending itself. Apple is the hero in the westerns and John Lennon and all the icons that have withstood the test of time.
Because Steve Jobs did not worry about being liked. Because he fought 24/7 for what he thought was right, despite everybody else saying he was wrong.
I'm not sure where we go from here, but for one day, there's justice in the world.
P.S. I realize having faith in Apple contradicts #4 above, but that's the point. Our heroes have failed us so many times that we've become enamored of a corporation. Hell, Apple products are better than any hit record of the past decade. More innovation, more surprises and seamless quality. We used to have these elements in individuals. We need them to return.
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I've been following the Tour de France ever since Greg LeMond emerged triumphant. This was not supposed to happen. Americans were always also-rans.
But it turned out LeMond was a genetic freak. That's what it takes to win in basketball as well as bike racing, if you're playing by the rules. Despite the success of Muggsy Bogues, you cannot compete in the NBA if you're of average height. And Muggsy didn't make it on sheer pluck alone, he could jump! I'm surprised no short person has sued the NBA, claiming they've been locked out of a career. That's the American way, suing to success.
But suits take money. And winning is rarely everything. Because oftentimes you can't collect.
But ever since O.J. it's been common knowledge that the government's lawyers are amateurs compared to the high-priced attorneys available on the outside. Hell, I winced watching that trial, because no one on the government's side realized trials are theatre. It's not only about the facts, but how you present those facts, whether you weave a coherent story. It's like being able to write a hit song but being unable to perform it. You'd better not book a gig. But the government has been booking gigs forever...and losing. Except for Rudy Giuliani and Eliot Spitzer. That's how they built their names and careers. By doing the impossible. Fighting power and winning. And we know their names because their success was so rare. Everybody else working for the home team is if not an incompetent also-ran, someone not quite good enough.
But they nailed Lance Armstrong. Not the government, they couldn't even lock up Roger Clemens. They're all show, and no go. And they gave up on Armstrong too. But the non-profit, non-governmental USADA (http://www.usada.org/about) got Lance, when no one else could.
He doped. There's no question of that. I could recite the evidence, but if you still believe he's innocent, you probably believe lowering taxes on the rich will balance the budget and a woman can prevent pregnancy by squinting and squeezing her legs.
But what Lance did not do was admit it. No one admits their mistakes anymore. Everybody's got to be perfect, all the time.
Hell, I knew Lance was guilty before he even started to race. Because I went to college with bike racers, back in the seventies. World class cross-country ski racers, every summer they went to Europe to compete in bicycle races. Were they planning to graduate and go pro? Of course not. Because all the winners were on dope!
You've got to be on dope to win.
That's what Lance should have said. In a crooked, illegal game, I played and won. He was king of the dopers! Instead, he keeps saying he's innocent like a kid in a locked house protesting over an empty plate that he didn't eat the cookies. We could have a turning point in the national discussion if only Lance would come clean, be a force for good. But Lance is all about image, like a bad "rock star" whose hits were written by committee and produced by Dr. Luke... They're afraid the facade will crumble.
And do you know despite wearing a yellow wristband, essentially none of the money donated to Livestrong goes to cancer research? (http://bit.ly/A8dl88) That's not their mission. They're about awareness... Are people truly clueless when it comes to cancer? And if the word needs to be spread, shouldn't Lance be forthright and honest? No, he employs subterfuge, the same way he won the Tour de France, he wants you to believe one thing while he does another.
As for the Samsung Galaxy products... If you don't think they're a rip-off of Apple gear, you're truly blind.
And this is about everything musicians rail about. Copyrights. Only in this case, it's called patents. Can someone steal with impunity?
Then again, patents don't last forever.
But can you ride the back of someone else's hard work and innovation to riches? Can someone copy your CD at no cost? If you don't think so, then you must come down on the side of Apple in this lawsuit, however much you hate the Cupertino company.
And in this case, it was the best against the best. And the judge was a hoot, she'd take no gruff, she didn't lose control of her courtroom. Hell upon seeing Apple's witness list, she asked the company's barristers if they were smoking crack!
And I don't want to get into a lengthy discussion of whether patent protection should exist, I'll just say there were rules. And Samsung broke them, just like Lance Armstrong.
And if the rules are bad, you lobby to change them.
But Lance is not part of the solution, he's truly part of the problem.
So what did we learn here?
1. Innovate or die. That's how Lance won all those trophies, by employing cutting edge doping technologies. And that's how Apple escaped the doldrums. If you're in a creative business, sleep with one eye open, never rest on your laurels, you're only as good as what you did today.
2. Hire the best legal help you can. Oftentimes, that's more important to success than whether you're innocent or guilty. Hell, look how long it took to get Lance!
3. Like in the westerns of yore, the bad guys win for a while, but lose in the long run. Choose your path. Brief success or long term struggle. Hell, Apple's been around in excess of thirty years. It took the company this long to get into this fight. As for Lance Armstrong, he worked long and hard for an athlete, but most athletes peak and are done way before they're forty, what are you going to do with the rest of your life? Kinda like those kid stars who end up robbing 7-11's, or those wearing blinders who believe retirement will never come and don't prepare for it.
4. Don't put your faith in the government or institutions, but in yourself. That's what all successful entrepreneurs have, a belief that they're right and the rules are meant to be bent. Now this is complicated:
a. Companies lobby for less regulation because they want to continue to rape and pillage and prosper. They don't care about the hoi polloi. If you restrict them, they don't go out of business, they just have a slightly harder time making tons of money. It's the government that looks out for the people. So when you're pro-corporation, you're against yourself, unless you're running or high up in said corporation.
b. That's the problem with sports. The bending of the rules. The reason we're fascinated with sports is because we believe it's the last bastion of honesty, a place where we can see all the angles, a fair fight. That's why we root out dopers. We don't really care who wins, it's just that we need faith in the system.
c. But my main point is if you think there's always somebody smarter than you, who knows better and more and is looking out for you...you're sorely mistaken. If you've been aggrieved, you've got to look for your own solutions.
5. The press is not as powerful as you think. There was a whole book written about Lance doping, years ago, but it was never translated from the French, the media building Lance Armstrong up was reluctant to tear him down. And these same reporters were so beholden to the Apple god, so star-struck and at the same time angry that technology is undermining their business, that they could never get the story straight. It's a big problem with reporters, they get the facts but miss the story. Winners understand the underpinnings, the strategy... Not only is government one step behind, but the media too.
It's hard to believe we're in a brand new era when the Supreme Court hands Bush II the Presidency and Justice Roberts employs fallacious logic to uphold Obamacare, but maybe the tide is turning. Maybe the real America is on a comeback.
And the real America is not solely blood and guts and combat, but playing within the boundaries, the rules, and owning your actions. Hell, if you didn't do anything illegal Mitt Romney, release your tax returns. If you employed offshore accounts, let's put them in evidence, let's have a national discussion. And speaking of discussion, even the left wing patron saint Paul Krugman believes Medicare spending must be addressed, but nobody on the left will even entertain a discussion.
But ain't that America. Where we've got no faith in the institutions and we argue all day long, accomplishing little.
If you had faith in Lance Armstrong, you were duped. Plain and simple. Which is why people are still defending him, they don't want to have to upend their beliefs, rewrite history.
It turns out we can only have faith in Apple. Which is purely in search of excellence and puts forth a scorched earth policy defending itself. Apple is the hero in the westerns and John Lennon and all the icons that have withstood the test of time.
Because Steve Jobs did not worry about being liked. Because he fought 24/7 for what he thought was right, despite everybody else saying he was wrong.
I'm not sure where we go from here, but for one day, there's justice in the world.
P.S. I realize having faith in Apple contradicts #4 above, but that's the point. Our heroes have failed us so many times that we've become enamored of a corporation. Hell, Apple products are better than any hit record of the past decade. More innovation, more surprises and seamless quality. We used to have these elements in individuals. We need them to return.
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Rhinofy-Heard On The Satellite
"Among The Leaves"
Sun Kil Moon
I couldn't take one more play of "Touch Of Grey." That's what they were spinning on the Spectrum, SiriusXM's Gen X adult alternative. Aren't some tracks too burned out to EVER play?
So I pushed the button for the baby boomer alternative station, the Loft, and heard this.
And it's exquisite.
I didn't think I liked Sun Kil Moon. Not that much. And I forgot it was the guy from the Red House Painters, who were close, but no cigar. But if they made more music like this I'd tell everybody to stop watching TV, going to the movies, reading books, and to just turn on their radio.
Then again, they don't play this kind of stuff on terrestrial radio. Not on Top Forty, the only place with critical mass. And tracks like "Among The Leaves" deserve critical mass...because of the FEEL!
You hear the sound and you're immediately relaxed and transported, floating above your life, watching omnisciently as you go about your business.
And then there's the string part, the viola. How did they come up with this? It's like your mother putting you to bed, reading you a story, kissing you on the forehead. Hearing it you feel everything's all right in the world. I imagine Mark Kozelek hearing it in his head before he built the record. Or his friend, the player, saying "I've got a perfect part for this!" It makes the track.
It doesn't matter what the lyrics are. It's about the sound.
The intro is kind of like "All I Need" off Air's "Moon Safari."
And I'm thinking maybe it's the atmosphere. Clouds rolling into Santa Monica, ending the brutal heat wave. Myself in such a good, relaxed mood.
Yes, Kozelek does not have a classically pretty voice. It's like your girl or boyfriend singing to you, almost amateurish, but that adds to the intimacy.
And "Among The Leaves" is nothing if not intimate. You just want to get closer, you've just got to get closer, you've just got to hear it again.
"Lilywhite"
Cat Stevens
"Tea For The Tillerman" was the hit. But "Mona Bone Jakon" contained that song from "Harold and Maude," "Trouble."
"Trouble
Oh trouble set me free"
If you've got enough talent you don't need the beats, none of the penumbra, voice and guitar are enough. If the song is good enough. And "Trouble" is. One of the most perfect song placements in a movie EVER!
Life is about trouble. The rich have money but no amount of cash can keep you on an even emotional plane, can prevent someone from hitting your car, breaking up with you.
Oh, this is so wistful and so real, unforgettable.
And there's a little more on this track than just Cat and his axe, but you can imagine him sitting on your couch singing it to you.
And be sure to listen to the covers, by the troubled Kristin Hersh and Elliott Smith, even Bruce Robison and Eddie Vedder: http://bit.ly/w3u9ku All faithful. No rearrangement is necessary. Sometimes you can't improve upon perfection. This is the song that many know but plenty don't. They need to.
And the opening cut on "Mona Bone Jakon" is "Lady D'Arbanville." When I heard this originally, I didn't know she truly existed, I figured she was an ancient queen, already dead if she ever walked the earth. Years later, Patti appeared in American movies. And however beautiful she was, she didn't live up to the song. Cat Stevens idealized her. Ain't that love.
I thought of all this as "Lilywhite" played.
"Tea For The Tillerman" was the breakthrough, but it was just a tad slick, made for everyone, whereas "Mona Bone Jakon" seemed to be made just for you, the listener.
"Summer Breeze"
Seals & Crofts
That GUITAR! Its sting makes the track, it's equivalent to the viola in "Among The Leaves."
This was a hit during Thanksgiving vacation. I remember driving through Westport, Connecticut with my corduroy fall jacket on, hearing this cut. Ain't that amazing, how you can remember exactly where you were when you heard a track, even though you've heard it a zillion times.
On one hand, "Summer Breeze" is similar to the Tradewinds' "New York's A Lonely Town," reminiscent of a better time, that you want to return to. But "Summer Breeze" is more than that. There's the sense of anticipation in the intro, the joy, this was the apotheosis of a band that was on Warner Brothers and therefore had credibility whereas from a distance, you might think they were no different from England Dan & John Ford Coley and the rest of the AM fodder.
The opening cut on this album was good too, "Hummingbird." And although I never owned this album, I heard it, it was everywhere, it was a hit. Especially in the dorm room next door, where the inhabitants were Bahais.
There was a last hurrah, on the next album, with the overplayed "Diamond Girl" and the maudlin but better "We May Never Pass This Way (Again)"...then again, it just feels this way, because two albums later they had a hit with "I'll Play For You" and in '76 "Get Closer" reached #6, and I liked that one, but by this time we'd realized Seals & Crofts were just too soft and mainstream, loved by wimpy girls everywhere, we avoided them.
Then again, how can you argue with the wisdom of this?
"Darling if you want me to be closer to you, get closer to me"
That's how love is. It takes two.
I also want to give credit to the producer of "Summer Breeze," Louie Shelton, who's been almost completely forgotten, even though it's his magic that makes the track, yes, "Summer Breeze" is a good song, but it's a phenomenal RECORD!
And be sure to listen to the covers by the Isley Brothers, Jason Mraz and Type O Negative...
"Dance With Me"
Orleans
Some songs just sneak up on you.
It's not the riff, like in "Satisfaction," something instant and irresistible.
And it's not the histrionic vocals, the melisma of Mariah Carey and her followers.
And it's not the exotic changes of everyone from Yes to David Bowie...
Sometimes it's the sum of all those parts.
You can take "Dance With Me" seriously, contemplate the lyrics, but really "Dance With Me" is all about feel... You hear it and you feel thrilled just to be alive.
And we'll never hear Larry Hoppen sing it ever again.
And we'll never hear Brad Delp sing "More Than A Feeling" either.
Thank god we've got these records.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/p6HcZ8
Previous Rhinofy playlists: http://www.rhinofy.com/lefsetz
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Sun Kil Moon
I couldn't take one more play of "Touch Of Grey." That's what they were spinning on the Spectrum, SiriusXM's Gen X adult alternative. Aren't some tracks too burned out to EVER play?
So I pushed the button for the baby boomer alternative station, the Loft, and heard this.
And it's exquisite.
I didn't think I liked Sun Kil Moon. Not that much. And I forgot it was the guy from the Red House Painters, who were close, but no cigar. But if they made more music like this I'd tell everybody to stop watching TV, going to the movies, reading books, and to just turn on their radio.
Then again, they don't play this kind of stuff on terrestrial radio. Not on Top Forty, the only place with critical mass. And tracks like "Among The Leaves" deserve critical mass...because of the FEEL!
You hear the sound and you're immediately relaxed and transported, floating above your life, watching omnisciently as you go about your business.
And then there's the string part, the viola. How did they come up with this? It's like your mother putting you to bed, reading you a story, kissing you on the forehead. Hearing it you feel everything's all right in the world. I imagine Mark Kozelek hearing it in his head before he built the record. Or his friend, the player, saying "I've got a perfect part for this!" It makes the track.
It doesn't matter what the lyrics are. It's about the sound.
The intro is kind of like "All I Need" off Air's "Moon Safari."
And I'm thinking maybe it's the atmosphere. Clouds rolling into Santa Monica, ending the brutal heat wave. Myself in such a good, relaxed mood.
Yes, Kozelek does not have a classically pretty voice. It's like your girl or boyfriend singing to you, almost amateurish, but that adds to the intimacy.
And "Among The Leaves" is nothing if not intimate. You just want to get closer, you've just got to get closer, you've just got to hear it again.
"Lilywhite"
Cat Stevens
"Tea For The Tillerman" was the hit. But "Mona Bone Jakon" contained that song from "Harold and Maude," "Trouble."
"Trouble
Oh trouble set me free"
If you've got enough talent you don't need the beats, none of the penumbra, voice and guitar are enough. If the song is good enough. And "Trouble" is. One of the most perfect song placements in a movie EVER!
Life is about trouble. The rich have money but no amount of cash can keep you on an even emotional plane, can prevent someone from hitting your car, breaking up with you.
Oh, this is so wistful and so real, unforgettable.
And there's a little more on this track than just Cat and his axe, but you can imagine him sitting on your couch singing it to you.
And be sure to listen to the covers, by the troubled Kristin Hersh and Elliott Smith, even Bruce Robison and Eddie Vedder: http://bit.ly/w3u9ku All faithful. No rearrangement is necessary. Sometimes you can't improve upon perfection. This is the song that many know but plenty don't. They need to.
And the opening cut on "Mona Bone Jakon" is "Lady D'Arbanville." When I heard this originally, I didn't know she truly existed, I figured she was an ancient queen, already dead if she ever walked the earth. Years later, Patti appeared in American movies. And however beautiful she was, she didn't live up to the song. Cat Stevens idealized her. Ain't that love.
I thought of all this as "Lilywhite" played.
"Tea For The Tillerman" was the breakthrough, but it was just a tad slick, made for everyone, whereas "Mona Bone Jakon" seemed to be made just for you, the listener.
"Summer Breeze"
Seals & Crofts
That GUITAR! Its sting makes the track, it's equivalent to the viola in "Among The Leaves."
This was a hit during Thanksgiving vacation. I remember driving through Westport, Connecticut with my corduroy fall jacket on, hearing this cut. Ain't that amazing, how you can remember exactly where you were when you heard a track, even though you've heard it a zillion times.
On one hand, "Summer Breeze" is similar to the Tradewinds' "New York's A Lonely Town," reminiscent of a better time, that you want to return to. But "Summer Breeze" is more than that. There's the sense of anticipation in the intro, the joy, this was the apotheosis of a band that was on Warner Brothers and therefore had credibility whereas from a distance, you might think they were no different from England Dan & John Ford Coley and the rest of the AM fodder.
The opening cut on this album was good too, "Hummingbird." And although I never owned this album, I heard it, it was everywhere, it was a hit. Especially in the dorm room next door, where the inhabitants were Bahais.
There was a last hurrah, on the next album, with the overplayed "Diamond Girl" and the maudlin but better "We May Never Pass This Way (Again)"...then again, it just feels this way, because two albums later they had a hit with "I'll Play For You" and in '76 "Get Closer" reached #6, and I liked that one, but by this time we'd realized Seals & Crofts were just too soft and mainstream, loved by wimpy girls everywhere, we avoided them.
Then again, how can you argue with the wisdom of this?
"Darling if you want me to be closer to you, get closer to me"
That's how love is. It takes two.
I also want to give credit to the producer of "Summer Breeze," Louie Shelton, who's been almost completely forgotten, even though it's his magic that makes the track, yes, "Summer Breeze" is a good song, but it's a phenomenal RECORD!
And be sure to listen to the covers by the Isley Brothers, Jason Mraz and Type O Negative...
"Dance With Me"
Orleans
Some songs just sneak up on you.
It's not the riff, like in "Satisfaction," something instant and irresistible.
And it's not the histrionic vocals, the melisma of Mariah Carey and her followers.
And it's not the exotic changes of everyone from Yes to David Bowie...
Sometimes it's the sum of all those parts.
You can take "Dance With Me" seriously, contemplate the lyrics, but really "Dance With Me" is all about feel... You hear it and you feel thrilled just to be alive.
And we'll never hear Larry Hoppen sing it ever again.
And we'll never hear Brad Delp sing "More Than A Feeling" either.
Thank god we've got these records.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/p6HcZ8
Previous Rhinofy playlists: http://www.rhinofy.com/lefsetz
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Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
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Thursday, 23 August 2012
Reality
Someone just emailed me about an act. Entitled _____ _______.
This woman raved, as fans are wont to do.
I pulled up the album on Spotify. In fifteen seconds I was done.
Forty years ago, if someone gave me an album I'd play it all the way through, multiple times, waiting for it to reveal itself. Records were scarce. They required a good sum of money to produce, to both record and manufacture. If someone had navigated that gauntlet, I'd pay attention. And I had very few options. On my shelf weren't 18 million tracks. I was always foraging for something new. And starving at the same time. It'd be like a hungry kid turning down a Happy Meal. It'd never happen. Hell, a hungry adult wouldn't turn down a Happy Meal. But if right next to McDonald's was Spago and In-N-Out and everything was cheap, McDonald's might go out of business.
Food ain't cheap, but music is. I'm oversatiated. I've got the history of recorded music at my fingertips. And for me to spend time listening to your track, when I can listen to the Beatles and the Stones and Radiohead and Joni Mitchell, it's got to be damn good.
Ergo the blockbuster mentality. You blame the studios, the record labels, but they're not at fault. It's the customer. Who's got very little time and wants only the best. Which is oftentimes what their friends want.
Now let me be clear. There's a concomitant niche village on the other side. Where everything is handmade. Just like there are people who only eat raw food and others who won't wear leather. But it's not the mainstream. Occasionally, something will cross to the other side. But very rarely. You can put in 10,000 hours, play on the road for twenty years and still not become mainstream. Hell, it's harder than it's ever been, ever since the advent of recorded music.
So, if you're happy being niche, fine. But if you want to be more, know that it's nigh near impossible.
Look at videogames. Once upon a time it was a burgeoning industry. Now it's only about the hits, the franchises. People want to play World of Warcraft, because that's where all their friends are.
_____ _______ ain't bad. And in the decades of yore, that was good enough. Now you've got to be spectacular or we instantly move on. We're not interested in good.
Think of how many marketing messages you get in a day. It's not only me that's inundated with salesmanship. And I'm sophisticated. Do you really not think I know it's you hyping your own album? Telling me it's one of the best of the year? Or that you're the agent of the act you say has recorded an LP that's phenomenal from start to finish? Everyone's sophisticated now, because of the plethora of bullshit they've been exposed to.
That's one of the reasons why there's only one Google, one Amazon and one Apple. You don't need a second site/company when one is so good. It's not like we can shop at Korvette's or drive ten miles to the indie store. It's not like Google doesn't have enough links, Amazon doesn't have enough SKUs, it's not like people are bitching their iPads don't do enough and are breaking down.
This is the world you're living in.
It's easier than ever to make music, and it's easier than ever to be ignored.
It's harder to fly on people's radar screens and stay there.
And this has got nothing to do with piracy, nothing to do with short attention spans, nothing to do with money, it's got to do with technology and culture. Technology that makes recording cheap and distribution easy, culture that is a smorgasbord of options, even though you can only partake of one at one time.
If I listen to your record, I can't listen to another. I can't watch television. I can't talk on the telephone. Hell, even phone calls used to be scarce. Every house had one handset, and there was no call waiting. You were thrilled if someone called and you were lucky if no one else was home telling you to get off the line. Now, even ten year olds have their own handsets, and they don't want to talk on them, they'd rather text, because they don't want to waste any time, texting's more efficient.
And if a ten year old is worried about efficiency, if it's built into his life, what about the adolescents and adults? Sure, there's a long tail, your grandma will buy your album on iTunes, but no one else will. We now live in a nation where winners take all. There's not only been consolidation in industry, but in music too. You've got the illusion of power. But that's all it is. Truly, your odds of reaching mass public consciousness are close to nil. You're better off playing the lottery.
So stay in college. Earn a professional degree. Buy insurance.
Or else live in the land of hopes and dreams which we all pay lip service to but laugh at behind your back.
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This woman raved, as fans are wont to do.
I pulled up the album on Spotify. In fifteen seconds I was done.
Forty years ago, if someone gave me an album I'd play it all the way through, multiple times, waiting for it to reveal itself. Records were scarce. They required a good sum of money to produce, to both record and manufacture. If someone had navigated that gauntlet, I'd pay attention. And I had very few options. On my shelf weren't 18 million tracks. I was always foraging for something new. And starving at the same time. It'd be like a hungry kid turning down a Happy Meal. It'd never happen. Hell, a hungry adult wouldn't turn down a Happy Meal. But if right next to McDonald's was Spago and In-N-Out and everything was cheap, McDonald's might go out of business.
Food ain't cheap, but music is. I'm oversatiated. I've got the history of recorded music at my fingertips. And for me to spend time listening to your track, when I can listen to the Beatles and the Stones and Radiohead and Joni Mitchell, it's got to be damn good.
Ergo the blockbuster mentality. You blame the studios, the record labels, but they're not at fault. It's the customer. Who's got very little time and wants only the best. Which is oftentimes what their friends want.
Now let me be clear. There's a concomitant niche village on the other side. Where everything is handmade. Just like there are people who only eat raw food and others who won't wear leather. But it's not the mainstream. Occasionally, something will cross to the other side. But very rarely. You can put in 10,000 hours, play on the road for twenty years and still not become mainstream. Hell, it's harder than it's ever been, ever since the advent of recorded music.
So, if you're happy being niche, fine. But if you want to be more, know that it's nigh near impossible.
Look at videogames. Once upon a time it was a burgeoning industry. Now it's only about the hits, the franchises. People want to play World of Warcraft, because that's where all their friends are.
_____ _______ ain't bad. And in the decades of yore, that was good enough. Now you've got to be spectacular or we instantly move on. We're not interested in good.
Think of how many marketing messages you get in a day. It's not only me that's inundated with salesmanship. And I'm sophisticated. Do you really not think I know it's you hyping your own album? Telling me it's one of the best of the year? Or that you're the agent of the act you say has recorded an LP that's phenomenal from start to finish? Everyone's sophisticated now, because of the plethora of bullshit they've been exposed to.
That's one of the reasons why there's only one Google, one Amazon and one Apple. You don't need a second site/company when one is so good. It's not like we can shop at Korvette's or drive ten miles to the indie store. It's not like Google doesn't have enough links, Amazon doesn't have enough SKUs, it's not like people are bitching their iPads don't do enough and are breaking down.
This is the world you're living in.
It's easier than ever to make music, and it's easier than ever to be ignored.
It's harder to fly on people's radar screens and stay there.
And this has got nothing to do with piracy, nothing to do with short attention spans, nothing to do with money, it's got to do with technology and culture. Technology that makes recording cheap and distribution easy, culture that is a smorgasbord of options, even though you can only partake of one at one time.
If I listen to your record, I can't listen to another. I can't watch television. I can't talk on the telephone. Hell, even phone calls used to be scarce. Every house had one handset, and there was no call waiting. You were thrilled if someone called and you were lucky if no one else was home telling you to get off the line. Now, even ten year olds have their own handsets, and they don't want to talk on them, they'd rather text, because they don't want to waste any time, texting's more efficient.
And if a ten year old is worried about efficiency, if it's built into his life, what about the adolescents and adults? Sure, there's a long tail, your grandma will buy your album on iTunes, but no one else will. We now live in a nation where winners take all. There's not only been consolidation in industry, but in music too. You've got the illusion of power. But that's all it is. Truly, your odds of reaching mass public consciousness are close to nil. You're better off playing the lottery.
So stay in college. Earn a professional degree. Buy insurance.
Or else live in the land of hopes and dreams which we all pay lip service to but laugh at behind your back.
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The Modern Era
Artists are supposed to lead, not follow. How come they're still making albums?
Did you see that Rihanna topped the British charts last week after selling 9,578 copies of her album "Talk That Talk"? This in a country of 60 million! It was the lowest sales number in history!
Let's blame it on the public. Let's blame it on the retailers. Let's blame it on the record companies. When do the artists start blaming themselves?
People only want the hits.
Now this is not true of everybody. Are there still people purchasing the long player and spinning it ad infinitum, learning every lyric? Of course! Just like there are still people buying CDs, purchasing vinyl and composing letters on a typewriter. The album is the sideshow.
And so is vinyl. It's a trend so small, without the mainstream press none of us would even be aware of it. Of course vinyl sounds better, but it's inconvenient! Just like landlines sound better than cell phones. But you don't see people forgoing calls outside the home, hell, they're canceling their landlines, using mobiles in their abode!
While you were busy in the studio, concocting your long player, figuring out the running order, designing the cover, divining the perfect release date, you were functioning in a bubble. That's not how anybody listens anymore.
You want to know how they listen?
They pull up your track on YouTube. Whether in an authorized version on Vevo or a bootlegged take posted straight to YouTube. And they instantly decide whether they like it or not. And if they don't, they forget about you. Just that fast. It's like they're carrying your album straight to the dumper. As if you walked into McDonald's, sniffed and left and they threw all the food out and closed the doors. As for listening to all twelve of your tracks, are you nuts! Don't tell me people have a short attention span, hell, they're marathoning "Breaking Bad" as I write this. They just don't have time for what is not exceptionally great, and if you can tell me ten albums from the last two years that are good from beginning to end, I'm all ears.
Listening has changed. It used to be entertainment options were limited. You bought little and played that which you owned. And it's not only music, newspapers are competing with blogs, TV is competing with YouTube, everything's changing, are you?
You've got to step up your game. You've got to focus on excellence.
Assuming you want to break out of the wannabe ghetto.
Just like in the U.S., where the middle class is evaporating, in art there are winners and losers, rich and poor, which side are you on? It's okay if you want to be a journeyman, eking out a living. Hell, maybe you're making a few bucks, but don't expect to become any bigger than you are. Not unless you make an undeniable track.
And that track no longer has to be Top Forty beat-driven fodder. That's what "Somebody That I Used To Know" taught us. That the world is not controlled by gatekeepers. You can't make it if you really try, but if you try and try, and create something undeniable, you can.
And the public is going to discover it on YouTube! Radio comes last. Hell, radio's been last ever since the advent of MTV. It's a coalition of followers, detached from humanity, losing power every day.
So...
1. If you're a wannabe, feel free woodshedding, put online as much as you want, no one's paying attention anyway. You're just hoping to get lucky. Chances are, you never will. But this woodshedding and the online response allows you to explore and possibly find your niche.
2. If you've already made it, there are two tiers of material, throwaway and highly-hyped. Don't put a full court press behind anything that is not truly stellar. Everything else is a glimpse of your methods. Kind of like a rapper's mix tape.
3. If there is an album, it's an after the fact event. A collection of what's already been exposed. Kind of like the NOW series, except it's all been done by you.
4. Labels are focused on revenues, not careers. They want the album to live because of its high price and the attendant marketing that drives people to buy it. They're sticking to this paradigm the way a five year old continues to suck on a pacifier. It's a no-win situation, but they don't want to let go.
5. It's a singles world.
6. It's a streaming world. Don't focus on Spotify or MOG, you're too stupid to understand where we're going, hell, you're living in the past. Those services are ahead of the game, you're behind. Just look at that Nielsen report that said the number one listening outlet for teens was YouTube. YouTube is streaming. Just like Jessica Seinfeld mixed vegetables in cookies, YouTube has been selling you streaming and you're too ignorant to know it. YouTube is an on demand item. It's pull technology. Feed it. You do this by creating something people want to pull. And that requires either train-wreck novelty or quality. And you can marshal your troops to go there, but this doesn't work more than once if the music isn't good. As for mainstream press... Asking the newspaper to drive people to YouTube is like asking NBC to tell people to cut the cord and watch online video. It's like telling a right wing religious zealot to have an abortion. It's a disconnect. Expecting old media to change is to believe Coleco is going to rise from the ashes and return triumphant.
7. The cycle has shortened. Your public can handle new music every other month.
8. It's about the performance. It's about live. Not because the ticket prices are high and you can make dough there, but because it's the one place where the audience can expect something new, different and alive. If you're playing to hard drive, repeating your record, you're missing an opportunity. What an audience likes most is a special show. A different set list. A special guest. This is the essence of the Grateful Dead's career. Every show was a unique event. And just like in the heyday of the Dead, great shows live on, with recordings. They embellish your career, they don't kill it. They make people want to go to the show and have their own magic moments.
9. All bets are off. Your music doesn't have to sound like anybody else's. It's just like the seventies, when Warner/Reprise ruled. We want unique. As media conglomerates merge, the public is running away. That's what the Web is all about. Feed the people, not the machine.
"Rihanna tops UK album with lowest weekly sales since 1994": http://www.nme.com/news/rihanna/65480
"Nielsen: More Teens Now Listen To Music Through YouTube Than Any Other Source": http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/14/youtube-is-for-music/
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Did you see that Rihanna topped the British charts last week after selling 9,578 copies of her album "Talk That Talk"? This in a country of 60 million! It was the lowest sales number in history!
Let's blame it on the public. Let's blame it on the retailers. Let's blame it on the record companies. When do the artists start blaming themselves?
People only want the hits.
Now this is not true of everybody. Are there still people purchasing the long player and spinning it ad infinitum, learning every lyric? Of course! Just like there are still people buying CDs, purchasing vinyl and composing letters on a typewriter. The album is the sideshow.
And so is vinyl. It's a trend so small, without the mainstream press none of us would even be aware of it. Of course vinyl sounds better, but it's inconvenient! Just like landlines sound better than cell phones. But you don't see people forgoing calls outside the home, hell, they're canceling their landlines, using mobiles in their abode!
While you were busy in the studio, concocting your long player, figuring out the running order, designing the cover, divining the perfect release date, you were functioning in a bubble. That's not how anybody listens anymore.
You want to know how they listen?
They pull up your track on YouTube. Whether in an authorized version on Vevo or a bootlegged take posted straight to YouTube. And they instantly decide whether they like it or not. And if they don't, they forget about you. Just that fast. It's like they're carrying your album straight to the dumper. As if you walked into McDonald's, sniffed and left and they threw all the food out and closed the doors. As for listening to all twelve of your tracks, are you nuts! Don't tell me people have a short attention span, hell, they're marathoning "Breaking Bad" as I write this. They just don't have time for what is not exceptionally great, and if you can tell me ten albums from the last two years that are good from beginning to end, I'm all ears.
Listening has changed. It used to be entertainment options were limited. You bought little and played that which you owned. And it's not only music, newspapers are competing with blogs, TV is competing with YouTube, everything's changing, are you?
You've got to step up your game. You've got to focus on excellence.
Assuming you want to break out of the wannabe ghetto.
Just like in the U.S., where the middle class is evaporating, in art there are winners and losers, rich and poor, which side are you on? It's okay if you want to be a journeyman, eking out a living. Hell, maybe you're making a few bucks, but don't expect to become any bigger than you are. Not unless you make an undeniable track.
And that track no longer has to be Top Forty beat-driven fodder. That's what "Somebody That I Used To Know" taught us. That the world is not controlled by gatekeepers. You can't make it if you really try, but if you try and try, and create something undeniable, you can.
And the public is going to discover it on YouTube! Radio comes last. Hell, radio's been last ever since the advent of MTV. It's a coalition of followers, detached from humanity, losing power every day.
So...
1. If you're a wannabe, feel free woodshedding, put online as much as you want, no one's paying attention anyway. You're just hoping to get lucky. Chances are, you never will. But this woodshedding and the online response allows you to explore and possibly find your niche.
2. If you've already made it, there are two tiers of material, throwaway and highly-hyped. Don't put a full court press behind anything that is not truly stellar. Everything else is a glimpse of your methods. Kind of like a rapper's mix tape.
3. If there is an album, it's an after the fact event. A collection of what's already been exposed. Kind of like the NOW series, except it's all been done by you.
4. Labels are focused on revenues, not careers. They want the album to live because of its high price and the attendant marketing that drives people to buy it. They're sticking to this paradigm the way a five year old continues to suck on a pacifier. It's a no-win situation, but they don't want to let go.
5. It's a singles world.
6. It's a streaming world. Don't focus on Spotify or MOG, you're too stupid to understand where we're going, hell, you're living in the past. Those services are ahead of the game, you're behind. Just look at that Nielsen report that said the number one listening outlet for teens was YouTube. YouTube is streaming. Just like Jessica Seinfeld mixed vegetables in cookies, YouTube has been selling you streaming and you're too ignorant to know it. YouTube is an on demand item. It's pull technology. Feed it. You do this by creating something people want to pull. And that requires either train-wreck novelty or quality. And you can marshal your troops to go there, but this doesn't work more than once if the music isn't good. As for mainstream press... Asking the newspaper to drive people to YouTube is like asking NBC to tell people to cut the cord and watch online video. It's like telling a right wing religious zealot to have an abortion. It's a disconnect. Expecting old media to change is to believe Coleco is going to rise from the ashes and return triumphant.
7. The cycle has shortened. Your public can handle new music every other month.
8. It's about the performance. It's about live. Not because the ticket prices are high and you can make dough there, but because it's the one place where the audience can expect something new, different and alive. If you're playing to hard drive, repeating your record, you're missing an opportunity. What an audience likes most is a special show. A different set list. A special guest. This is the essence of the Grateful Dead's career. Every show was a unique event. And just like in the heyday of the Dead, great shows live on, with recordings. They embellish your career, they don't kill it. They make people want to go to the show and have their own magic moments.
9. All bets are off. Your music doesn't have to sound like anybody else's. It's just like the seventies, when Warner/Reprise ruled. We want unique. As media conglomerates merge, the public is running away. That's what the Web is all about. Feed the people, not the machine.
"Rihanna tops UK album with lowest weekly sales since 1994": http://www.nme.com/news/rihanna/65480
"Nielsen: More Teens Now Listen To Music Through YouTube Than Any Other Source": http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/14/youtube-is-for-music/
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The Raccoon
"Do you have a portable radio?"
Although Bill Murray was featured on SNL, he truly became part of the public consciousness as Carl Spackler, obsessed with killing gophers in "Caddyshack."
We didn't have gophers in Connecticut. We've got mosquitoes and the occasional deer, no real bears, but we don't have varmints. If they ever existed on the eastern seaboard, they were rooted out eons ago, by civilization. So I just didn't understand Spackler's mania. I thought the gophers were an artistic device.
Then they invaded Felice's backyard.
I used to think man could triumph over wildlife. That real property and grass would last forever.
Boy was I dreaming.
You see the occasional deer in the hills. And coyote in the street. And just recently, a mountain lion crossed the freeway and is now loose in Griffith Park. But the real enemy is the gophers. Don't mess with the gophers, you cannot win. You think you've got a pristine backyard and then you wake up one day to find a slew of holes, as if tiny children got out with their plastic shovels and pails and started to dig. So you fill up these hollows, lament the brown space, and then you wake up the next day and you find out they're digging somewhere else. And then you realize the holes are literally the tip of the iceberg. That under your lawn is a whole city, a network of tunnels, wherein these varmints are playing, mating and working. And there's nothing you can do about it!
Until we went to Sonoma and saw this acre of lush land in the backyard of Brodey's buddies. What about the gophers?
GOPHER WIRE!
Yes, if you're willing to rip up your entire lawn, and lay down an ocean of rebar, you can plant once again and have a pristine yard. It works. The gophers cannot break through the iron. They go somewhere else. The fringe of your property, your next door neighbor's lawn, and you feel a bit guilty but you've solved the problem, you have peace of mind.
So this is what Felice did. Rip up her entire backyard, lay down a net of metal and then plant once again. And it worked!
Until the raccoon.
The obsession returned.
Right before my very eyes, Felice was turning into Carl Spackler. I humored her with the gophers. I could handle the holes, I grew up where a nice lawn was nigh near impossible. But when Rocky appeared and pissed on the porch, Felice started to steam.
Oh, he made an appearance on the patio first. The squeal was so intense, I thought the Manson family had returned to the hills. And following the sound to the window I caught a glimpse of this animal and thanked god I was on the other side of the glass. Raccoons are big and spiky and scary. If I were outside, I'd run in the other direction.
And only in the movies are gophers cute.
But raccoons are on a whole 'nother level.
So Felice hit Google. She poured cayenne pepper all over the walkway. Bleach too. Coming into the front door was like navigating a war zone. The raccoon went to topic number one of discussion. What could be done?
I didn't have a portable radio. Which switched to a news station Felice read would scare away the raccoon. My dad must have owned twenty. That was one of his hobbies, buying transistors. But that was decades ago and today everybody listens on headphones, does Apple make earbuds that fit a raccoon?
I couldn't help her.
So every night she prepares for battle. It's Google versus nature. She's collecting tips. Trying new strategies. I expect Norman Schwarzkopf to make an appearance any minute.
It's us versus them.
And they're winning!
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Although Bill Murray was featured on SNL, he truly became part of the public consciousness as Carl Spackler, obsessed with killing gophers in "Caddyshack."
We didn't have gophers in Connecticut. We've got mosquitoes and the occasional deer, no real bears, but we don't have varmints. If they ever existed on the eastern seaboard, they were rooted out eons ago, by civilization. So I just didn't understand Spackler's mania. I thought the gophers were an artistic device.
Then they invaded Felice's backyard.
I used to think man could triumph over wildlife. That real property and grass would last forever.
Boy was I dreaming.
You see the occasional deer in the hills. And coyote in the street. And just recently, a mountain lion crossed the freeway and is now loose in Griffith Park. But the real enemy is the gophers. Don't mess with the gophers, you cannot win. You think you've got a pristine backyard and then you wake up one day to find a slew of holes, as if tiny children got out with their plastic shovels and pails and started to dig. So you fill up these hollows, lament the brown space, and then you wake up the next day and you find out they're digging somewhere else. And then you realize the holes are literally the tip of the iceberg. That under your lawn is a whole city, a network of tunnels, wherein these varmints are playing, mating and working. And there's nothing you can do about it!
Until we went to Sonoma and saw this acre of lush land in the backyard of Brodey's buddies. What about the gophers?
GOPHER WIRE!
Yes, if you're willing to rip up your entire lawn, and lay down an ocean of rebar, you can plant once again and have a pristine yard. It works. The gophers cannot break through the iron. They go somewhere else. The fringe of your property, your next door neighbor's lawn, and you feel a bit guilty but you've solved the problem, you have peace of mind.
So this is what Felice did. Rip up her entire backyard, lay down a net of metal and then plant once again. And it worked!
Until the raccoon.
The obsession returned.
Right before my very eyes, Felice was turning into Carl Spackler. I humored her with the gophers. I could handle the holes, I grew up where a nice lawn was nigh near impossible. But when Rocky appeared and pissed on the porch, Felice started to steam.
Oh, he made an appearance on the patio first. The squeal was so intense, I thought the Manson family had returned to the hills. And following the sound to the window I caught a glimpse of this animal and thanked god I was on the other side of the glass. Raccoons are big and spiky and scary. If I were outside, I'd run in the other direction.
And only in the movies are gophers cute.
But raccoons are on a whole 'nother level.
So Felice hit Google. She poured cayenne pepper all over the walkway. Bleach too. Coming into the front door was like navigating a war zone. The raccoon went to topic number one of discussion. What could be done?
I didn't have a portable radio. Which switched to a news station Felice read would scare away the raccoon. My dad must have owned twenty. That was one of his hobbies, buying transistors. But that was decades ago and today everybody listens on headphones, does Apple make earbuds that fit a raccoon?
I couldn't help her.
So every night she prepares for battle. It's Google versus nature. She's collecting tips. Trying new strategies. I expect Norman Schwarzkopf to make an appearance any minute.
It's us versus them.
And they're winning!
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Wednesday, 22 August 2012
Woman Of Heart And Mind
Taylor Swift is dating Conor Kennedy.
And I don't give a shit, but he's eighteen. Wasn't she the one complaining that John Mayer was taking advantage of her? Yes, Mayer was much older, and Conor's a Kennedy, but would you like your barely eighteen year old college freshman daughter dating an almost twenty three year old college graduate? Oh, that's right, it's different for boys...
When Joni Mitchell was twenty three she'd already given up her child for adoption and married Chuck Mitchell. And none of us knew who she was.
It was different back then. Children were not musical stars. You could only reach national consciousness by being on "Ed Sullivan." There were no YouTube stars, hell, we didn't even know there was that much money in music. Joni Anderson now Mitchell would not break through for years. She got lucky when Judy Collins had a hit cover of "Both Sides Now," but at that point nobody had a clue who the writer was. Most people had no idea who Joni Mitchell was until 1974, when "Court and Spark" went unexpectedly nuclear. Her sixth album.
But I barely play that album.
I resonated first with "Ladies Of The Canyon." I know every lick of "Blue," to the point where I can sing it in my head.
But the album I play most today is "For The Roses." Because it's everything today's music is not. Honest. Reflective. Personal. It's like a phone call from someone you wish was your best friend.
I read in the Middlebury magazine about a site some alumni had constructed wherein they interviewed stars, asking them how they really made it. Because you read in the press someone was a waiter and the next day they were the star of "Die Hard." It doesn't happen that way. Which is why some of your favorite movie stars are so old. Dustin Hoffman was thirty when he broke through in "The Graduate," he's seventy five today. Robert DeNiro was thirty five when most people discovered him in "The Deer Hunter," he's now sixty nine. These actors were not plucked from obscurity, they were paying their dues, waiting their turn.
And so was Joni Mitchell.
Would you do it if you weren't instantly famous?
Not that Dustin, DeNiro and Mitchell had no indication they were on the right road. Oh, you get signs, but they're small. And what you think is important ends up not being. And not everybody who hangs in there long enough makes it, but the best do.
And if you don't mention Joni Mitchell's name in the same breath as Dylan and the Beatles, you're a misogynist.
And you can't say that Joni never sang about her paramours. But there was no element of revenge, just truth-telling honesty. She was verbalizing what the rest of us felt, but did not know how to articulate. Like in "Lesson In Survival."
"Friends and kin
Campers in the kitchen
That's fine sometimes
But I know my needs
My sweet tumbleweed
I need more quiet times
By a river flowing
You and me
Deep kisses
And the sun going down"
Put other people in the equation and everything changes. You're great alone, but do the friends and family approve of you? Does your relationship work in that dynamic?
"Maybe it's paranoia
Maybe it's sensitivity
Your friends protect you
Scrutinize me
I get so damn timid
Not at all the spirit
That's inside of me
Oh baby I can't seem to make it
With you socially"
Whew! I used to overparticipate, to compensate for my anxiety. That didn't work so now I go silent, and numb. How can I be a member of a group...that really wants nothing to do with me, that really wants it just the way it used to be, before I came upon the scene. I want to be my best self, and I'm anything but. And I'm alternately steaming and depressed.
"I went to see a friend tonight
Was very late when I walked in
My talking as it rambled
Revealed suspicious reasoning
The visit seemed to darken him
I came in as bright
As a neon light
And I burned out
Right there before him"
We want support from our friends. We want them to understand. But the more we pour it out, the less sense it makes, we realize logic has escaped us. We just can't convey what we feel, which is all emotion and nuance. This is assuming your friend is even listening. Which usually they are not. Or are busy saying you're right and they're wrong. But it's not usually like that. The world is not black and white, despite the way Taylor Swift draws it. It's gray. And we're all culpable.
But this is about "Woman Of Heart And Mind."
"I am a woman of heart and mind
With time on her hands
No child to raise
You come to me like a little boy
And I give you my scorn and my praise"
Are you worthwhile? Do you have depth? We now live in a money culture, if you're rich you're beyond analysis. But so many wealthy people feel empty inside. Can you imagine being a banker, doing that soulless work all day? Once upon a time we all wanted to be an artist. Expressing our truth. It was a privilege. Which almost none could earn.
And today people are too busy doing what they're doing to ask questions. It's a choice not to have children. To pursue your dream. It's not for everybody, but that does not make it illegitimate.
"You think I'm like your mother
Or another lover or your sister
Or the queen of your dreams
Or just another silly girl
When love makes a fool of me"
Who do we want our women to be? Who can we allow them to be? In the media spouses are two-dimensional, cardboard, to be seen, but not heard. Standing on stilettos with blown-out hair and perfect makeup. Can you imagine being married to that? You want to go to dinner but she's got to prep for an hour just to leave the house.
"After the rush when you come back down
You're always disappointed
Nothing seems to keep you high"
I don't know how women put up with us. We've got such expectations. We want you to adore us, never question us, and if you let us down...we move on.
Oh, there are wimpy men. Who stand by like slaves, pussy-whipped men whose only use for their penis is procreation, but I'm telling you that most men are conflicted. We want to play our male games, win at business and sports, but deep inside we just want to be taken care of, soothed and groomed by...a woman.
"Drive your bargains
Push your papers
Win your medals
Fuck your strangers
Don't it leave you on the empty side"
It does. Which is why the men buy Ferraris, are seen in all the right places, to cover up the giant hole inside. We're notching our belt, climbing the totem pole, trying to impress other men who never appreciate us. Only women can provide this.
"I'm looking for affection and respect
A little passion
And you want stimulation-nothing more
That's what I think
But you know I'll try to be there for you
When your spirits start to sink"
Respect. People sing about it, but it's so rarely given. Especially behind closed doors. But this is what we're all looking for, respect, affection, passion...but it takes time, it's not a one night stand, it's something you build. And Joni says despite all that, she'll be there for you. That's exactly what we're looking for, someone we can count on at the end of the day, who we're not related to, who isn't required to show up.
"You criticize and you flatter
You imitate the best
And the rest you memorize
You know the times you impress me most
Are the times when you don't try
When you don't even try"
We're never happy. We're always looking for something better. Maybe if you were a bit thinner, or taller, or had a different nose. And almost none of this can you change. But we have a hard time loving you as you are, because we've been trained to keep foraging for perfection. But unfortunately, we've been sold a bill of goods, it doesn't exist.
Who are you when no one's paying attention? When the camera's off and the mic's been disconnected?
Men fall in love with movie stars. Thinking if they could only wed one, their life would work. Never stopping for a moment to contemplate that these women are playing a role.
Everybody's so busy acting, everybody wants to put forth their best self.
That's a lot of pressure.
You're you, that's all you've got. Hopefully someone will see your essence and pin the tail on your donkey.
"For The Roses" is why music was more profitable than movies and television. Why the life of the rock star was lionized. It was the freedom, the honesty, the ability to write your own rules. And the bankers can imitate this all they want, but it's not a lifestyle, but something innate. You're either a rock star or you're not.
But now the whole world has gone topsy-turvy. It's not about art, but money. If you've got no mazuma, you don't count. Then there are people without money who feel superior. Singers who can't sing. Who've got nothing to say. But have a chip on their shoulder anyway.
I haven't heard Taylor Swift's new album. Could be good for all I know. But I realize after John Mayer went on record that he felt humiliated by her song about him that I felt the same way about her song about me. What did I do wrong? Speak the truth? Reveal that she couldn't sing, something that everybody saw on international television?
But modern life is first and foremost about loyalty. You say nothing negative about your friends, no matter their choices. If they rob a bank or steal a husband or wife, you're not entitled to judge, you're forced to stand by in solidarity. Huh?
And you've got to hold your tongue for fear of hurting anybody's feelings. It's not only politicians who can't speak the truth. We're all living in Lake Wobegon, where not only are all the kids above average, they make no mistakes, everything they do is trophy-worthy.
I've hung with Joni Mitchell a few times. If I reminded her, she might remember. But I'm not that important, certainly not to her. But what stunned me in these interactions was she was difficult. Questioning. The opposite of the mealy-mouthed celebrities of today. Hell, make her an "American Idol" judge. Nobody would win, nobody would be good enough in her eyes.
Joni's three-dimensional. She's got warts. She's imperfect. And she's not always right.
And she used to sing about this. Not only her hopes and dreams, but her experiences and flaws. She wasn't keeping score, she was trying to figure it out.
We've lost sight of this. What an artist used to be and still is.
An artist is not someone with a song that tops the chart, but someone constantly developing his or her skills on an adventure, an exploration in search of truth.
And we pay attention to the best. Not because some magazine or TV show tells us to, but because we need the insight.
I was in college when I bought "For The Roses." I can honestly say I learned more listening to this album than anything I learned my junior year. I can't remember what classes I took, never mind what was taught, but I still quote "Woman Of Heart And Mind," I still listen to this album. Because it's life.
College was preparing someone else for a world I wanted no part of.
And I'm first and foremost proud I made it this far. That I didn't commit suicide along the way. I could blame my ex-wife who left me, my mother who judged me, but I chose this path. It was the only one I could take.
And it was not lucrative. Hell, I don't even qualify for the maximum social security, assuming I live that long. But I've got no regrets. Oh, I've given up a lot, but this is the life I wanted to live. One in search of excellence.
I hate your record because it's not good enough.
I won't go to the movies because they're exercises in money, not art.
And I'm a constant warning to take the other direction.
Take that Taylor Swift.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/O3ekB4
"Almost Famous" (Middlebury Magazine article): http://bit.ly/QeDCuy
"The Days Of Yore interviews artists about the years before they had money, fame or road maps to success, and inspires you to find your own": http://www.thedaysofyore.com
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And I don't give a shit, but he's eighteen. Wasn't she the one complaining that John Mayer was taking advantage of her? Yes, Mayer was much older, and Conor's a Kennedy, but would you like your barely eighteen year old college freshman daughter dating an almost twenty three year old college graduate? Oh, that's right, it's different for boys...
When Joni Mitchell was twenty three she'd already given up her child for adoption and married Chuck Mitchell. And none of us knew who she was.
It was different back then. Children were not musical stars. You could only reach national consciousness by being on "Ed Sullivan." There were no YouTube stars, hell, we didn't even know there was that much money in music. Joni Anderson now Mitchell would not break through for years. She got lucky when Judy Collins had a hit cover of "Both Sides Now," but at that point nobody had a clue who the writer was. Most people had no idea who Joni Mitchell was until 1974, when "Court and Spark" went unexpectedly nuclear. Her sixth album.
But I barely play that album.
I resonated first with "Ladies Of The Canyon." I know every lick of "Blue," to the point where I can sing it in my head.
But the album I play most today is "For The Roses." Because it's everything today's music is not. Honest. Reflective. Personal. It's like a phone call from someone you wish was your best friend.
I read in the Middlebury magazine about a site some alumni had constructed wherein they interviewed stars, asking them how they really made it. Because you read in the press someone was a waiter and the next day they were the star of "Die Hard." It doesn't happen that way. Which is why some of your favorite movie stars are so old. Dustin Hoffman was thirty when he broke through in "The Graduate," he's seventy five today. Robert DeNiro was thirty five when most people discovered him in "The Deer Hunter," he's now sixty nine. These actors were not plucked from obscurity, they were paying their dues, waiting their turn.
And so was Joni Mitchell.
Would you do it if you weren't instantly famous?
Not that Dustin, DeNiro and Mitchell had no indication they were on the right road. Oh, you get signs, but they're small. And what you think is important ends up not being. And not everybody who hangs in there long enough makes it, but the best do.
And if you don't mention Joni Mitchell's name in the same breath as Dylan and the Beatles, you're a misogynist.
And you can't say that Joni never sang about her paramours. But there was no element of revenge, just truth-telling honesty. She was verbalizing what the rest of us felt, but did not know how to articulate. Like in "Lesson In Survival."
"Friends and kin
Campers in the kitchen
That's fine sometimes
But I know my needs
My sweet tumbleweed
I need more quiet times
By a river flowing
You and me
Deep kisses
And the sun going down"
Put other people in the equation and everything changes. You're great alone, but do the friends and family approve of you? Does your relationship work in that dynamic?
"Maybe it's paranoia
Maybe it's sensitivity
Your friends protect you
Scrutinize me
I get so damn timid
Not at all the spirit
That's inside of me
Oh baby I can't seem to make it
With you socially"
Whew! I used to overparticipate, to compensate for my anxiety. That didn't work so now I go silent, and numb. How can I be a member of a group...that really wants nothing to do with me, that really wants it just the way it used to be, before I came upon the scene. I want to be my best self, and I'm anything but. And I'm alternately steaming and depressed.
"I went to see a friend tonight
Was very late when I walked in
My talking as it rambled
Revealed suspicious reasoning
The visit seemed to darken him
I came in as bright
As a neon light
And I burned out
Right there before him"
We want support from our friends. We want them to understand. But the more we pour it out, the less sense it makes, we realize logic has escaped us. We just can't convey what we feel, which is all emotion and nuance. This is assuming your friend is even listening. Which usually they are not. Or are busy saying you're right and they're wrong. But it's not usually like that. The world is not black and white, despite the way Taylor Swift draws it. It's gray. And we're all culpable.
But this is about "Woman Of Heart And Mind."
"I am a woman of heart and mind
With time on her hands
No child to raise
You come to me like a little boy
And I give you my scorn and my praise"
Are you worthwhile? Do you have depth? We now live in a money culture, if you're rich you're beyond analysis. But so many wealthy people feel empty inside. Can you imagine being a banker, doing that soulless work all day? Once upon a time we all wanted to be an artist. Expressing our truth. It was a privilege. Which almost none could earn.
And today people are too busy doing what they're doing to ask questions. It's a choice not to have children. To pursue your dream. It's not for everybody, but that does not make it illegitimate.
"You think I'm like your mother
Or another lover or your sister
Or the queen of your dreams
Or just another silly girl
When love makes a fool of me"
Who do we want our women to be? Who can we allow them to be? In the media spouses are two-dimensional, cardboard, to be seen, but not heard. Standing on stilettos with blown-out hair and perfect makeup. Can you imagine being married to that? You want to go to dinner but she's got to prep for an hour just to leave the house.
"After the rush when you come back down
You're always disappointed
Nothing seems to keep you high"
I don't know how women put up with us. We've got such expectations. We want you to adore us, never question us, and if you let us down...we move on.
Oh, there are wimpy men. Who stand by like slaves, pussy-whipped men whose only use for their penis is procreation, but I'm telling you that most men are conflicted. We want to play our male games, win at business and sports, but deep inside we just want to be taken care of, soothed and groomed by...a woman.
"Drive your bargains
Push your papers
Win your medals
Fuck your strangers
Don't it leave you on the empty side"
It does. Which is why the men buy Ferraris, are seen in all the right places, to cover up the giant hole inside. We're notching our belt, climbing the totem pole, trying to impress other men who never appreciate us. Only women can provide this.
"I'm looking for affection and respect
A little passion
And you want stimulation-nothing more
That's what I think
But you know I'll try to be there for you
When your spirits start to sink"
Respect. People sing about it, but it's so rarely given. Especially behind closed doors. But this is what we're all looking for, respect, affection, passion...but it takes time, it's not a one night stand, it's something you build. And Joni says despite all that, she'll be there for you. That's exactly what we're looking for, someone we can count on at the end of the day, who we're not related to, who isn't required to show up.
"You criticize and you flatter
You imitate the best
And the rest you memorize
You know the times you impress me most
Are the times when you don't try
When you don't even try"
We're never happy. We're always looking for something better. Maybe if you were a bit thinner, or taller, or had a different nose. And almost none of this can you change. But we have a hard time loving you as you are, because we've been trained to keep foraging for perfection. But unfortunately, we've been sold a bill of goods, it doesn't exist.
Who are you when no one's paying attention? When the camera's off and the mic's been disconnected?
Men fall in love with movie stars. Thinking if they could only wed one, their life would work. Never stopping for a moment to contemplate that these women are playing a role.
Everybody's so busy acting, everybody wants to put forth their best self.
That's a lot of pressure.
You're you, that's all you've got. Hopefully someone will see your essence and pin the tail on your donkey.
"For The Roses" is why music was more profitable than movies and television. Why the life of the rock star was lionized. It was the freedom, the honesty, the ability to write your own rules. And the bankers can imitate this all they want, but it's not a lifestyle, but something innate. You're either a rock star or you're not.
But now the whole world has gone topsy-turvy. It's not about art, but money. If you've got no mazuma, you don't count. Then there are people without money who feel superior. Singers who can't sing. Who've got nothing to say. But have a chip on their shoulder anyway.
I haven't heard Taylor Swift's new album. Could be good for all I know. But I realize after John Mayer went on record that he felt humiliated by her song about him that I felt the same way about her song about me. What did I do wrong? Speak the truth? Reveal that she couldn't sing, something that everybody saw on international television?
But modern life is first and foremost about loyalty. You say nothing negative about your friends, no matter their choices. If they rob a bank or steal a husband or wife, you're not entitled to judge, you're forced to stand by in solidarity. Huh?
And you've got to hold your tongue for fear of hurting anybody's feelings. It's not only politicians who can't speak the truth. We're all living in Lake Wobegon, where not only are all the kids above average, they make no mistakes, everything they do is trophy-worthy.
I've hung with Joni Mitchell a few times. If I reminded her, she might remember. But I'm not that important, certainly not to her. But what stunned me in these interactions was she was difficult. Questioning. The opposite of the mealy-mouthed celebrities of today. Hell, make her an "American Idol" judge. Nobody would win, nobody would be good enough in her eyes.
Joni's three-dimensional. She's got warts. She's imperfect. And she's not always right.
And she used to sing about this. Not only her hopes and dreams, but her experiences and flaws. She wasn't keeping score, she was trying to figure it out.
We've lost sight of this. What an artist used to be and still is.
An artist is not someone with a song that tops the chart, but someone constantly developing his or her skills on an adventure, an exploration in search of truth.
And we pay attention to the best. Not because some magazine or TV show tells us to, but because we need the insight.
I was in college when I bought "For The Roses." I can honestly say I learned more listening to this album than anything I learned my junior year. I can't remember what classes I took, never mind what was taught, but I still quote "Woman Of Heart And Mind," I still listen to this album. Because it's life.
College was preparing someone else for a world I wanted no part of.
And I'm first and foremost proud I made it this far. That I didn't commit suicide along the way. I could blame my ex-wife who left me, my mother who judged me, but I chose this path. It was the only one I could take.
And it was not lucrative. Hell, I don't even qualify for the maximum social security, assuming I live that long. But I've got no regrets. Oh, I've given up a lot, but this is the life I wanted to live. One in search of excellence.
I hate your record because it's not good enough.
I won't go to the movies because they're exercises in money, not art.
And I'm a constant warning to take the other direction.
Take that Taylor Swift.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/O3ekB4
"Almost Famous" (Middlebury Magazine article): http://bit.ly/QeDCuy
"The Days Of Yore interviews artists about the years before they had money, fame or road maps to success, and inspires you to find your own": http://www.thedaysofyore.com
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Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Mailbag
Nice to hear all the compliments about Mickie Most the genius of song picking,and capturing the moment in the studio. Mick was my best friend, my best man at my wedding and my daughter Natalie Noone's godfather.
I once told Mickie that if he would have said to me "I will sign your group (Herman's Hermits) and we will make 20 hits, your records will last forever, we will laugh for hours together at no other person's expense and you will make no royalties" I would have said.......... "How much do you want ? I will get the money off my Dad!"
Peter Noone
________________________________________
Please tell Mark Linett that the "other" take of "We Gotta Get Outta...." is the one that was used for the UK single, that's why it's on lots of compilations. I agree with him that the take used on the US releases is hugely superior,
Marshall Crenshaw
________________________________________
Mark Linet's right on the money about "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place."
The U.S. mono single is an alternate take from the same session as the UK/international version. The latter one is the rendition played almost exclusively on oldies outlets these days and is decidedly inferior to the original U.S. hit version.
There are many hit single versions that are still not available on CD: something that I and other music lovers are trying to remedy in the waning days of physical CDs.
Cheers,
Ed Osborne
________________________________________
The version of "We gotta Get Out of This Place" both Mark and Kevin are referring to is what I call the " see my daddy in bed a dying" version we all grew up on here in the 60's in America NOT the "watch my daddy in bed a dying" which was the version released in Europe.
You couldn't find the US version nowhere until the Animals Retrospective cd that was released in 2004 on ABKCO, yes that ABKCO (Allen Klein Co. controls The Animals MGM catalog), it even says it in the credits that it's the US version (that we all been waiting for).
All the best,
Bob Herman
________________________________________
Wow..Thanks for the info........Hard to believe that vocal take was thought suitable for release, especially the way his voice shreds on "turning grey" and what with the other take available as well...........
Mark Linett
P.S. Just wanted to add the Most also produced the first two Jeff Beck Group albums. Still two of my favorites.......
________________________________________
This is absolutely true, Bob ("We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" was written for the Righteous Brothers). Like Bill told me, "Listen you can hear my part, "In this dirty old part….." and then what was to be Bobby's, "See my daddy…etc" It was custom made for Billy & Bob, but…….. The guys made a number of strange decisions. The one I have to rag Billy most about is turning down "In The Ghetto," Mac Davis' little masterpiece. Well, I guess Elvis did alright with it tho', didn't he?
Best
Shayne Fair
________________________________________
bob,
i just picked up the first stones album, england's newest hit makers produced by oldham.
all covers except for one original. it's the song, not the singer. great to read oldham's words on
mickie most. i've been raving about most since i was a kid. in addition to the animals (most brought
in "house of the rising sun") hermit's (first ray davies cover "dandy"), and my favorite, donovan (the list
is obvious but top it off with "to susan on the west coast waiting").
thank you.
marvin etzioni
________________________________________
If Rob Meurer means the "yeah, yeah's" on Sam Cooke's Bring It On Home To Me, the whole record is Lou Rawls singing harmony with Sam Cooke AND Ray Charles is playing piano on one of Sam's versions of Lil' Red Rooster. Just a bit of fun to listen for while you're chowing down on your double double.
J.D. Souther
________________________________________
bob,
i had the pleasure of spending a few evenings at rak studios in st johns wood, london talking to mickey most in the mid 90's. a beautiful guy with the energy of a teenager. he loved to tell stories and talk music.
he told me he cut "house of the rising sun" at 8.00 am and it was done by 8.15 am. they played it live. like at the gigs. sure sounds like a late night record instead of an early morning record, right?
he told me he used to do quick trips to new york to the brill building, get songs, come back, record and release them before anyone else.
he told that "we gotta get out of this place" was written by mann/weill for the righteous brothers but
he got the demo and quickly cut it on the animals. never to be a hit by the righteous brothers.
imagine the righteous brothers singing it.
he told me he helped put led zepplin together. jimmy page and john paul jones played on the donovan records. barabajackal, hurdy gurdy man…
he signed and developed the careers of mike chapman and nikki chin.
he signed and developed the career of kim wilde producing "kids in america".
he produced "to sir with love" by lulu. "mellow yellow" donovan. "there's a kind of hush" herman's hermits.
rak still publishes "i love rock 'n roll' and "you sexy thing".
his family still owns rak studios and his daughters work there every day.
it is one of the last standing "proper" live recording studios in london.
every big act records there.
i had a writing room upstairs in one of the bedrooms from 2009-2011,
mickey was a great record man in every way.
and the coolest guy.
best regards,
rick nowels
________________________________________
Bob: If you haven't fully exhausted the topic of Mickie Most, let me quickly weigh in on the man. I produced several records during the early mid 80's at RAK, his beautiful facility in London. Mickie was not only a great producer, he was a great guy. More than once, he
graciously lent me pieces of his personal equipment, synths, outboard gear etc. and when he was in the building, would always inquire as to how my sessions were progressing. If you were lucky enough to see his big black motorcycle parked in front of the studio, you knew you were going to be treated to some of his funny, historical and informative stories of the 60s.
Ritchie Gold
________________________________________
Hey Bob, something to add on Mickie Most....
A little background.
Circa 1969 my wife and I arrived from “the North†into London to “get famousâ€
I had gigged,with my band, through the early sixties around Morecambe/Liverpool/Manchester with bands like the Beatles and the Stones and Gene Vincent supporting us!!
The temptations of alcohol took over from wanting to be a musician but around '68 got sorted, married and got to London.
We looked for a record deal for my wife(she was the talented one!)...wanted a producer/label.
I had heard what Mickie was doing so I walked down Oxford St. into RAK and asked to see him..imagine my pleasure when Mickie came out of his office invited us in and we talked for 2 hours! We both loved a US artiste Emitt Rhodes and we played some tracks and I just listened to some great advice. RAK did not sign my wife...but what an education.
Cut to 1972 I joined WEA as a salesman and became UK MD,
I worked for the greats Nesuih,Ahmet,Mo Austin and learnt a lot...but I never forgot,and tried to emulate,how gracious Mickie had been with a completely unknown, where he gave that most precious gift...TIME, and asked for nothing in return....
Great Man,Great Producer,Top A&R....and a Great Human Being
Love the blog.
MIKE HEAP...London England
________________________________________
Re: Rejection
hey bob,
this was perfectly timed for me today!
my friend and fellow drummer cactus moser had gotten a new lease on life.
he had enormous success with california country act highway 101 in the 80's.
we recently sat next to each other on a short flight from nashville to chicago and it gave us ample time to reconnect.
he was madly in love, had just married country superstar wynonna judd, was producing their next project.
life was great for my pal cactus.
the news reports yesterday he and wy are riding motorcycles in Deadwood, SD and he gets hit head on by an oncoming vehicle.
we hear his injuries are not life threatening on the news but friends report his leg was severed above the knee and his hands are a mess.
this is heartbreaking news.
at 22 i was playing in 5 bands around houston and was diagnosed with level 4 melanoma in my right leg.
the doctor said, "if you survive you'll probably lose your right leg."
thankfully, i have survived two bouts with melanoma.
you are so right!
every day is a wonderful gift.
"what are we living for?" is a question we should ask repeatedly throughout the day.
cactus is a fighter.
he will get the prosthetic he needs and the care it takes to get him back behind a drum kit.
thanks for writing the amazing things you share with us, your subscibers!
i've said it before and like my former bandmate walt wilkins sings...
it's poetry.
Billy Block
________________________________________
When Larry died, three people forwarded your eulogy to me. I immediately subscribed and have been reading you ever since. Although I've never written to you, I almost feel like it's a conversation....I also live for Newsroom, loved Gone Girl and share some of your musical tastes and views.
There's a memorial for Larry scheduled for September 16th in Woodstock, and I've been asked to read your piece. You said important things well. It seems appropriate for me to do, with an omission of a sentence or two. So I wanted to let you know, in time to make any alterations you deem necessary. And of course to get your blessing.
thanks,
Johanna Hall
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I once told Mickie that if he would have said to me "I will sign your group (Herman's Hermits) and we will make 20 hits, your records will last forever, we will laugh for hours together at no other person's expense and you will make no royalties" I would have said.......... "How much do you want ? I will get the money off my Dad!"
Peter Noone
________________________________________
Please tell Mark Linett that the "other" take of "We Gotta Get Outta...." is the one that was used for the UK single, that's why it's on lots of compilations. I agree with him that the take used on the US releases is hugely superior,
Marshall Crenshaw
________________________________________
Mark Linet's right on the money about "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place."
The U.S. mono single is an alternate take from the same session as the UK/international version. The latter one is the rendition played almost exclusively on oldies outlets these days and is decidedly inferior to the original U.S. hit version.
There are many hit single versions that are still not available on CD: something that I and other music lovers are trying to remedy in the waning days of physical CDs.
Cheers,
Ed Osborne
________________________________________
The version of "We gotta Get Out of This Place" both Mark and Kevin are referring to is what I call the " see my daddy in bed a dying" version we all grew up on here in the 60's in America NOT the "watch my daddy in bed a dying" which was the version released in Europe.
You couldn't find the US version nowhere until the Animals Retrospective cd that was released in 2004 on ABKCO, yes that ABKCO (Allen Klein Co. controls The Animals MGM catalog), it even says it in the credits that it's the US version (that we all been waiting for).
All the best,
Bob Herman
________________________________________
Wow..Thanks for the info........Hard to believe that vocal take was thought suitable for release, especially the way his voice shreds on "turning grey" and what with the other take available as well...........
Mark Linett
P.S. Just wanted to add the Most also produced the first two Jeff Beck Group albums. Still two of my favorites.......
________________________________________
This is absolutely true, Bob ("We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" was written for the Righteous Brothers). Like Bill told me, "Listen you can hear my part, "In this dirty old part….." and then what was to be Bobby's, "See my daddy…etc" It was custom made for Billy & Bob, but…….. The guys made a number of strange decisions. The one I have to rag Billy most about is turning down "In The Ghetto," Mac Davis' little masterpiece. Well, I guess Elvis did alright with it tho', didn't he?
Best
Shayne Fair
________________________________________
bob,
i just picked up the first stones album, england's newest hit makers produced by oldham.
all covers except for one original. it's the song, not the singer. great to read oldham's words on
mickie most. i've been raving about most since i was a kid. in addition to the animals (most brought
in "house of the rising sun") hermit's (first ray davies cover "dandy"), and my favorite, donovan (the list
is obvious but top it off with "to susan on the west coast waiting").
thank you.
marvin etzioni
________________________________________
If Rob Meurer means the "yeah, yeah's" on Sam Cooke's Bring It On Home To Me, the whole record is Lou Rawls singing harmony with Sam Cooke AND Ray Charles is playing piano on one of Sam's versions of Lil' Red Rooster. Just a bit of fun to listen for while you're chowing down on your double double.
J.D. Souther
________________________________________
bob,
i had the pleasure of spending a few evenings at rak studios in st johns wood, london talking to mickey most in the mid 90's. a beautiful guy with the energy of a teenager. he loved to tell stories and talk music.
he told me he cut "house of the rising sun" at 8.00 am and it was done by 8.15 am. they played it live. like at the gigs. sure sounds like a late night record instead of an early morning record, right?
he told me he used to do quick trips to new york to the brill building, get songs, come back, record and release them before anyone else.
he told that "we gotta get out of this place" was written by mann/weill for the righteous brothers but
he got the demo and quickly cut it on the animals. never to be a hit by the righteous brothers.
imagine the righteous brothers singing it.
he told me he helped put led zepplin together. jimmy page and john paul jones played on the donovan records. barabajackal, hurdy gurdy man…
he signed and developed the careers of mike chapman and nikki chin.
he signed and developed the career of kim wilde producing "kids in america".
he produced "to sir with love" by lulu. "mellow yellow" donovan. "there's a kind of hush" herman's hermits.
rak still publishes "i love rock 'n roll' and "you sexy thing".
his family still owns rak studios and his daughters work there every day.
it is one of the last standing "proper" live recording studios in london.
every big act records there.
i had a writing room upstairs in one of the bedrooms from 2009-2011,
mickey was a great record man in every way.
and the coolest guy.
best regards,
rick nowels
________________________________________
Bob: If you haven't fully exhausted the topic of Mickie Most, let me quickly weigh in on the man. I produced several records during the early mid 80's at RAK, his beautiful facility in London. Mickie was not only a great producer, he was a great guy. More than once, he
graciously lent me pieces of his personal equipment, synths, outboard gear etc. and when he was in the building, would always inquire as to how my sessions were progressing. If you were lucky enough to see his big black motorcycle parked in front of the studio, you knew you were going to be treated to some of his funny, historical and informative stories of the 60s.
Ritchie Gold
________________________________________
Hey Bob, something to add on Mickie Most....
A little background.
Circa 1969 my wife and I arrived from “the North†into London to “get famousâ€
I had gigged,with my band, through the early sixties around Morecambe/Liverpool/Manchester with bands like the Beatles and the Stones and Gene Vincent supporting us!!
The temptations of alcohol took over from wanting to be a musician but around '68 got sorted, married and got to London.
We looked for a record deal for my wife(she was the talented one!)...wanted a producer/label.
I had heard what Mickie was doing so I walked down Oxford St. into RAK and asked to see him..imagine my pleasure when Mickie came out of his office invited us in and we talked for 2 hours! We both loved a US artiste Emitt Rhodes and we played some tracks and I just listened to some great advice. RAK did not sign my wife...but what an education.
Cut to 1972 I joined WEA as a salesman and became UK MD,
I worked for the greats Nesuih,Ahmet,Mo Austin and learnt a lot...but I never forgot,and tried to emulate,how gracious Mickie had been with a completely unknown, where he gave that most precious gift...TIME, and asked for nothing in return....
Great Man,Great Producer,Top A&R....and a Great Human Being
Love the blog.
MIKE HEAP...London England
________________________________________
Re: Rejection
hey bob,
this was perfectly timed for me today!
my friend and fellow drummer cactus moser had gotten a new lease on life.
he had enormous success with california country act highway 101 in the 80's.
we recently sat next to each other on a short flight from nashville to chicago and it gave us ample time to reconnect.
he was madly in love, had just married country superstar wynonna judd, was producing their next project.
life was great for my pal cactus.
the news reports yesterday he and wy are riding motorcycles in Deadwood, SD and he gets hit head on by an oncoming vehicle.
we hear his injuries are not life threatening on the news but friends report his leg was severed above the knee and his hands are a mess.
this is heartbreaking news.
at 22 i was playing in 5 bands around houston and was diagnosed with level 4 melanoma in my right leg.
the doctor said, "if you survive you'll probably lose your right leg."
thankfully, i have survived two bouts with melanoma.
you are so right!
every day is a wonderful gift.
"what are we living for?" is a question we should ask repeatedly throughout the day.
cactus is a fighter.
he will get the prosthetic he needs and the care it takes to get him back behind a drum kit.
thanks for writing the amazing things you share with us, your subscibers!
i've said it before and like my former bandmate walt wilkins sings...
it's poetry.
Billy Block
________________________________________
When Larry died, three people forwarded your eulogy to me. I immediately subscribed and have been reading you ever since. Although I've never written to you, I almost feel like it's a conversation....I also live for Newsroom, loved Gone Girl and share some of your musical tastes and views.
There's a memorial for Larry scheduled for September 16th in Woodstock, and I've been asked to read your piece. You said important things well. It seems appropriate for me to do, with an omission of a sentence or two. So I wanted to let you know, in time to make any alterations you deem necessary. And of course to get your blessing.
thanks,
Johanna Hall
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Monday, 20 August 2012
Rejection
I have a friend who killed himself. And not long before he did the deed, he told me he "married well."
I know, I know, that seems like a non sequitur. Kind of like turning on your computer and finding out Tony Scott jumped off a bridge. What did Joni Mitchell sing, "We all live so close to that line and so far from satisfaction"?
But Joni was on a search for truth. Taylor Swift is on a search for fame.
I don't know if she called her new album "Red" because I told her in a phone call to listen to Joni's "Blue." And I really don't need to piss Ms. Swift off more than I already have, but what I find so fascinating is Taylor Swift blinked. Fearful of losing her fame, her power, her place on the hit parade, she collaborated with the hitmakers du jour. And so what we've got is a bouncy, idiotic song cowritten by Max Martin and Shellback that will go up the charts but not make a bit of difference. Yes, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" is a hit. A certified one. But it's completely meaningless.
Hell, watch this video:
http://bit.ly/OtNtPo
Instead, we've got the mainstream media trying to figure out who she wrote the song about, as if it'll solve global warming, end the war in Afghanistan and give free health care to all. Ain't that America. Where it's only about the diversion.
I live for "Newsroom."
We all need something to live for. Something to look forward to, that keeps us going. Once life becomes meaningless, we end it. And that's unthinkable. Maybe Tony Scott had inoperable brain cancer, in retrospect my friend had undiagnosed bipolar disorder and was in the throes of a bummer of a depression, but for the rest of us, what are we living for?
Are we living to follow Snooki?
Are we living to accumulate so many toys we'll be the envy of our block?
I'm here to tell you one thing... Nobody else cares. You're so alone you've got no idea. See if they're talking about Tony Scott next week. People haven't got time for the past, only for the future.
And I thought about what my friend had to say because I was reading this book "Mr. Peanut," and the main character was married to someone from a bad background. who had no friends, and I asked myself...is this what love's about? Does life have to be this hard? Do you have to endure the mental illness of another?
We all want someone we can count on. Someone who can dot the i's and cross the t's and won't abandon us.
But on "Newsroom," Mac abandoned Will. Well, not exactly. She rushed into the arms of Brian, because Brian had rejected her and now he wanted her back.
That's an irresistible pull.
Have you been dumped?
To say it doesn't feel good is a gross understatement. You never get over it. Not if you were married, not if you stood up in front of friends and family and swore in front of clergy that it was forever. All you've got is unanswered questions. You review every detail of your behavior...did you cause it to happen?
Usually it's got nothing to do with you. It's all about the other person. But as much as you hear that, it doesn't penetrate, it doesn't sink in.
So I'm reading the Middlebury alumni magazine and they're hyping a book. Entitled "Leaving Sophie Dean." And it's my kind of tome, it's all about relationships. But when I go on Amazon, despite an almost five star average, it's only got sixteen reviews. Mmm... Were those written by the author, by friends and family?
We're all suspicious now.
When I told this story to my shrink today he asked me if I'd read that article in the "New Yorker," about the marathoning dentist who pulled a Rosie Ruiz... (http://nyr.kr/Qn86AQ)
You see none of us want to feel left out. We all want to feel important.
Not everybody can be important.
So I started reading "Sophie Dean," the sample chapter, but I was reluctant to buy it, not because I was afraid of losing ten bucks, but because I didn't want to lose that much time, it was all about plot and there was very little meaning.
So I went through my sample list and settled on "Mr. Peanut," recommended by an author friend of mine and a subscriber.
It's two years old.
That's what people don't realize about music. New is irrelevant. It's what lasts. And today everything's available. When will it be discovered?
I could not put "Mr. Peanut" down. If I tell you anything, I'll ruin it. Then again, I've never heard environmental threats described so well. Getting caught in the undertow. Hiking a trail so narrow you're too scared to go forwards or backwards.
And I'd recommend it.
But it's not easy.
Everybody wants everything easy and dumb. They want the trophy without any work. And if you don't give it to them, they cry like a baby. They want to be rich and famous, they want all the accoutrements, when the real story is they wouldn't make them happy anyway.
Happiness is about experiences. Reading "Mr. Peanut." Watching "Newsroom."
And "Newsroom" has been trashed by the critics. Because it's not what they want it to be. Fair and balanced, safe, pabulum. "Newsroom" is about truth. Can you handle the truth?
The truth is this is your one and only life. Don't screw it up.
If you're feeling safe in your twenties, the ditch is right around the corner.
If you've got no answers at that age, don't worry, things will become clear.
Health is everything. You live long enough and you know this.
As are relationships, both love and friendship. Without others, you've got nothing.
And we live for art, for story and feeling. And when we find something great, something exquisite, we tell everybody about it.
I'm telling you about "Newsroom" because there are some truths in politics. There aren't two sides to every story.
And I'm telling you about "Mr. Peanut" because a book should be more than the story, it should be about life, and "Mr. Peanut" is.
And life is complicated. Full of choices.
Don't be afraid to admit you were wrong. Don't be afraid to retrace your steps and chart a new course. Don't be afraid to change direction, just because you've invested in the path you're on.
We're human beings. We're complicated. One day we're up, the next we're down, and we don't always know why. If your life is smooth, you're doing it wrong, if you never feel uncomfortable, you're not taking any risk.
I'm trying to figure it all out. And it gets harder as you get older. Because you lose your optimism and you see how hard it is to accomplish anything. When you're sixteen you want to be a professional athlete, a movie director and an author. Get old enough and you find it's almost impossible to do one thing.
Sweat the small stuff. Don't let the little things slide. Life is only about the little things. Whether it be the design of the iPhone or the way that girl in Biology catches your eye and lets it linger, doesn't turn away immediately. Pay attention to the details. They'll help you crack the code.
Not everything is good. Not everything is worthwhile. Not everyone makes it.
And if you want none of the above, that's cool.
But if you want to accomplish something, anything, know that it's damn difficult and you're on a solo trip and even though you're going for the grand prize the reward is the journey. Because it can end any minute. And although the solution is satisfying, it's the puzzle that's thrilling.
"Newsroom": http://bit.ly/RuTkoj
"Mr. Peanut": http://amzn.to/NgA4qW
Joni Mitchell "Song For Sharon": http://bit.ly/49NYfg
Taylor Swift "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together": http://vevo.ly/ND3wc9
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I know, I know, that seems like a non sequitur. Kind of like turning on your computer and finding out Tony Scott jumped off a bridge. What did Joni Mitchell sing, "We all live so close to that line and so far from satisfaction"?
But Joni was on a search for truth. Taylor Swift is on a search for fame.
I don't know if she called her new album "Red" because I told her in a phone call to listen to Joni's "Blue." And I really don't need to piss Ms. Swift off more than I already have, but what I find so fascinating is Taylor Swift blinked. Fearful of losing her fame, her power, her place on the hit parade, she collaborated with the hitmakers du jour. And so what we've got is a bouncy, idiotic song cowritten by Max Martin and Shellback that will go up the charts but not make a bit of difference. Yes, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" is a hit. A certified one. But it's completely meaningless.
Hell, watch this video:
http://bit.ly/OtNtPo
Instead, we've got the mainstream media trying to figure out who she wrote the song about, as if it'll solve global warming, end the war in Afghanistan and give free health care to all. Ain't that America. Where it's only about the diversion.
I live for "Newsroom."
We all need something to live for. Something to look forward to, that keeps us going. Once life becomes meaningless, we end it. And that's unthinkable. Maybe Tony Scott had inoperable brain cancer, in retrospect my friend had undiagnosed bipolar disorder and was in the throes of a bummer of a depression, but for the rest of us, what are we living for?
Are we living to follow Snooki?
Are we living to accumulate so many toys we'll be the envy of our block?
I'm here to tell you one thing... Nobody else cares. You're so alone you've got no idea. See if they're talking about Tony Scott next week. People haven't got time for the past, only for the future.
And I thought about what my friend had to say because I was reading this book "Mr. Peanut," and the main character was married to someone from a bad background. who had no friends, and I asked myself...is this what love's about? Does life have to be this hard? Do you have to endure the mental illness of another?
We all want someone we can count on. Someone who can dot the i's and cross the t's and won't abandon us.
But on "Newsroom," Mac abandoned Will. Well, not exactly. She rushed into the arms of Brian, because Brian had rejected her and now he wanted her back.
That's an irresistible pull.
Have you been dumped?
To say it doesn't feel good is a gross understatement. You never get over it. Not if you were married, not if you stood up in front of friends and family and swore in front of clergy that it was forever. All you've got is unanswered questions. You review every detail of your behavior...did you cause it to happen?
Usually it's got nothing to do with you. It's all about the other person. But as much as you hear that, it doesn't penetrate, it doesn't sink in.
So I'm reading the Middlebury alumni magazine and they're hyping a book. Entitled "Leaving Sophie Dean." And it's my kind of tome, it's all about relationships. But when I go on Amazon, despite an almost five star average, it's only got sixteen reviews. Mmm... Were those written by the author, by friends and family?
We're all suspicious now.
When I told this story to my shrink today he asked me if I'd read that article in the "New Yorker," about the marathoning dentist who pulled a Rosie Ruiz... (http://nyr.kr/Qn86AQ)
You see none of us want to feel left out. We all want to feel important.
Not everybody can be important.
So I started reading "Sophie Dean," the sample chapter, but I was reluctant to buy it, not because I was afraid of losing ten bucks, but because I didn't want to lose that much time, it was all about plot and there was very little meaning.
So I went through my sample list and settled on "Mr. Peanut," recommended by an author friend of mine and a subscriber.
It's two years old.
That's what people don't realize about music. New is irrelevant. It's what lasts. And today everything's available. When will it be discovered?
I could not put "Mr. Peanut" down. If I tell you anything, I'll ruin it. Then again, I've never heard environmental threats described so well. Getting caught in the undertow. Hiking a trail so narrow you're too scared to go forwards or backwards.
And I'd recommend it.
But it's not easy.
Everybody wants everything easy and dumb. They want the trophy without any work. And if you don't give it to them, they cry like a baby. They want to be rich and famous, they want all the accoutrements, when the real story is they wouldn't make them happy anyway.
Happiness is about experiences. Reading "Mr. Peanut." Watching "Newsroom."
And "Newsroom" has been trashed by the critics. Because it's not what they want it to be. Fair and balanced, safe, pabulum. "Newsroom" is about truth. Can you handle the truth?
The truth is this is your one and only life. Don't screw it up.
If you're feeling safe in your twenties, the ditch is right around the corner.
If you've got no answers at that age, don't worry, things will become clear.
Health is everything. You live long enough and you know this.
As are relationships, both love and friendship. Without others, you've got nothing.
And we live for art, for story and feeling. And when we find something great, something exquisite, we tell everybody about it.
I'm telling you about "Newsroom" because there are some truths in politics. There aren't two sides to every story.
And I'm telling you about "Mr. Peanut" because a book should be more than the story, it should be about life, and "Mr. Peanut" is.
And life is complicated. Full of choices.
Don't be afraid to admit you were wrong. Don't be afraid to retrace your steps and chart a new course. Don't be afraid to change direction, just because you've invested in the path you're on.
We're human beings. We're complicated. One day we're up, the next we're down, and we don't always know why. If your life is smooth, you're doing it wrong, if you never feel uncomfortable, you're not taking any risk.
I'm trying to figure it all out. And it gets harder as you get older. Because you lose your optimism and you see how hard it is to accomplish anything. When you're sixteen you want to be a professional athlete, a movie director and an author. Get old enough and you find it's almost impossible to do one thing.
Sweat the small stuff. Don't let the little things slide. Life is only about the little things. Whether it be the design of the iPhone or the way that girl in Biology catches your eye and lets it linger, doesn't turn away immediately. Pay attention to the details. They'll help you crack the code.
Not everything is good. Not everything is worthwhile. Not everyone makes it.
And if you want none of the above, that's cool.
But if you want to accomplish something, anything, know that it's damn difficult and you're on a solo trip and even though you're going for the grand prize the reward is the journey. Because it can end any minute. And although the solution is satisfying, it's the puzzle that's thrilling.
"Newsroom": http://bit.ly/RuTkoj
"Mr. Peanut": http://amzn.to/NgA4qW
Joni Mitchell "Song For Sharon": http://bit.ly/49NYfg
Taylor Swift "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together": http://vevo.ly/ND3wc9
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Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
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Re-The Animals/Burgers/+
bob;
mickie most was the most prolific, accomplished producer of our day.
george martin had john & paul's songs, not to take away from what happened to them on his watch.
i encouraged mick & keith to write .... and they did.
and yes, we had outfits and outrageous statements.
but mickie.... he was A & R.... he hunted down the songs and matched them with those he wished to record.
i recall in august of ' 64 mickie had three in the UK top ten.
the animals, groundbreaking 45 RPM; herman's hermits (goffin and king catch the new wave) and the nashville teens (john b. loudermilk meets the suburbs of london),
what prolific casting of song and artist !
less than a year before , in november of ' 63 , mickie was an artist, joint bottom of the bill with the rolling stones supporting the everly brothers and bo diddley.
tom wilson was no slouch either - a totally erudite efficient dude.
very best, andrew loog oldham
______________________________________
Hey Bob,
Mickie Most is my hero, I love every record he has ever produced.
I read an interview with Mr. Most in one of the audio rags about the recording of the Animals first LP. Apparently after a gig the band took an overnight "sleeper" to London (with all of their gear in tow) to record "Baby Let Me Take You Home" at Kingsway Studios. The studio was booked from 8AM-11AM, by 8:15 they had the take.
From the interview:
So what to do during the remaining two hours and 45 minutes? Well, that was easy. Why not make an entire album?
"That consisted of songs that they wanted to record, really," Most explained. "Songs that they'd rehearsed and played many times as part of their repertoire, so I said, 'OK, go for it.' We did everything live, straight to mono."
Now those were the days!
cheers..
Ed Stasium
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug03/articles/mickiemost.htm
______________________________________
Did you know that the singer echoing those "yeah"s was Lou Rawls? Nice trivia!
Rob Meurer
______________________________________
And don't forget Eric's collaboration with War...not just "Spill The Wine," but the whole SOUND.
It may not have come near the historic genius of the Animals, but it was important.
And Mickie Most may be the single most under-rated record producer of ALL TIME. You should do a show on HIM.
Toby Mamis
______________________________________
"White Houses" was the Animals' last hurrah, barely cracked the charts but one of EB's coolest vocals...
Kent Zimmerman
______________________________________
Great piece on the Animals. One thing nobody ever mentions is how much the Doors obviously nicked from the Animals' sound and approach...the prominent cheesoid organ, the brooding/menacing vocals, the dark lyrics...think about it...
Robert J. Lohr
______________________________________
I heard Terry Gross interview Barry Mann of the Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil song writing team on Fresh Air years ago. He mentioned that they originally wrote "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" for The Righteous Brothers, and for whatever reason they didn't record it.
Daniel Angott
______________________________________
I wonder if Sirius is playing the right version of "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" cause oldies radio doesn't. They play a version with a difft. lead vocal not the one on the 45 we all bought and loved. Sounds like an earlier take to me, like Eric hasn't quite found it. And its the same on the hits CD I picked up while back (likely where radio got it). I hate it when radio plays the wrong version of a classic track. Like the Boxtops "The Letter" without the overdubbed vocals that were likely added during the mix, or the wrong vocal on Baby Its You by the Shirelles, tho that one seems to have been corrected. And I swear I once heard Psychotic Reaction on the radio minus the flanging. Not quite the same record.
Caught the Animals on that Ed Sullivan R&R / PBS pledge drive recently. They're playing live and sound great.......
Mark Linett
______________________________________
So good to see you mention the Animals. In 1964, I was an 11 year old kid getting the full effect of The British Invasion via Ed Sullivan. The Beatles were ...The Beatles. Pop smarts, good hooks, catchy melodies and went on to greatness and Lennon/McCartney's songs will live forever.
Then there was The Stones. Scruffy, wearing sweatshirts, looking like hoods as opposed to the clean cut Beatles, Dave Clark Five, Gerry, Freddy, etc. Their music was darker. I later found out it was american blues music.
But then there was The Animals. Their appearance was sort of between scruffy and clean. But their sound!
I was drawn into them unlike any of the other groups. At the time, I din't realize that they were pretty much playing soul music. And Eric could fucking sing, goddammit! Here was a guy that I could FEEL. I got Animal Tracks for Xmas.
It is sad that in this digital age that all of their pre Frisco albums are not readily available.
Hip-O did a limited edition Animalisation, one of my favorites, but is long out of print.
I need to note that Spotify is wrong as far as the version of We Gotta Get Outta This Place. That is NOT the US version. I remember in the late 70s, I started hearing this version on the radio all of the time and it drove me crazy. Probably a tape mix up when they started re-issuing the material again. I know the original's inflections and phrasing by heart, and this one is just WRONG! The correct version is on a CD called The Animals Retrospective. After MUCH searching on Youtube, here is the correct US version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOkDJ7C07lk
There are so many great songs that you failed to mention: I'm Crying, The Other Side Of This Life, Cheating, Inside Looking Out (which Grand Funk had a big hit with), And then their fantastic versions of blues songs such as See See Rider, Smokestack Lightning, Boom Boom, Bury My Body(killer!), Gonna Send You Back To Walker(which I later discovered was their take on Gonna Send You Back To Georgia by Timmy Shaw, the man who brought Bettye to Johnnie Mae Mathews in 1963) and the HILARIOUS Story Of Bo Diddley. So many GREAT songs…
On a related note, Bettye almost recorded When I Was Young for The Interpretations album. She and co- producer/pianist/arranger Rob Mathes did a run through of it when they were working out arrangements.
It was pretty deep, but never brought to fruition due to the amount of slow tunes already on the album. Wish they went ahead with it. But glad I had my mini disc to record the arrangement rehearsal.
Anyway, thanx again for bringing some attention to my favorite band from the Invasion.
Kevin Kiley
______________________________________
Hey Bob, believe it or not I was at that Eric Burden show at The Country
Club in Reseda! Was it -- 1983? You see, this has a vivid and negative
connotation for me too, because, when we exited the club to the parking lot,
I discovered that the windows of my Toyota station wagon had been smashed
and my 1965 Gibson J-50 acoustic guitar had been stolen! A memorable night
(and not in a good way) for both of us!
Yer pal,
Ted Myers
(Note: It was 1982.)
______________________________________
Seven Concerts, Including Gotye in Toronto: http://gr.pn/SgCnRv
Four Concerts, Including Gotye in Toronto: http://gr.pn/PAtzU1
______________________________________
The perfect burger was at Cassell's on west 6th st in LA/Koreatown. I have traveled the universe and Cassells was always what I compared any burger to and it always rated #1! Amazing potato salad with horseradish - fresh ground meat right on the premises-amazing bun and cooked exactly as you asked. Great fixin's bar. Oh yeah and the grilled cheese on giant slices of rye bread was the bestest. I used to go there with the KMET crew and I used to bring everyone there-the classic visit was with Lene Lovich. Shh and I will tell the Frank DiLeo/Michael Jackson Cassell's burger taste test story.
Harvey Leeds
______________________________________
Some time when I see you, I'll tell you about how In n Out bailed on Rick Rubin who hired them to cater the Danzig record release party on American about 4 hours before they were supposed to cater it because they determined he was a Satan worshiper.
Peter Paterno
P.S. It may have been the Four Horsemen, not Glenn.
______________________________________
When recording bridges to Babylon at babyface's studio, it was a daily trip to the one on sunset, kept Keith going for days at a time!
Doug Bell
______________________________________
I've been kind of down on In n Out for a while, kind of burned out on it. But as a SoCal kid I have always stood up for it. I tried Five Guys on my birthday on the East Coast last year and didn't love it. After reading your letter the other day I got the craving for In n Out. Stopped into the Vacaville store amidst a horrendously trafficky drive. Cheeseburger, medium rare, animal-style, sport peppers. Delicious. I didn't know you could order medium rare but I think it makes a huge difference. Nicki got the protein style for the first time, medium rare, and loved it.
It's fast food, but it's the only fast food I can feel ok about eating.
Timothy Bluhm
______________________________________
Missed the original In-N-Out post. I was raised in the burger business. My dad owned a Foster's Freeze from 1957-1975, so I got pretty well versed in what's what.
The places that use griddles for their burgers rock. The ones that use conveyer belts suck. That?s the key, to me. Made-to-order rather than stocked up and sitting under a heat lamp. Of the big four (McDonald's, Burger King, Jack In The box and Carls Jr) only Carl's has a product I would call good (they bought Hardee's in the eastern US and are branding it with the Carl's star and some of the menu items). The rest are crap.
In-N-Out may be legendary, but I don't actually care for their burgers. They taste good, but they taste...little. Give me Fatburger any day of the week. It's leaner and fresher tasting and they taste huge, like a full meal. My kid prefers In-N-Out, and I know others do, but not me.
The Counter rocks, but it's expensive. Twenty-five Degrees in the Hollywood Roosevelt is also brilliant, on a par with The Counter, but with slightly less variety. But they have Guinness milk shakes.
One of your relies mentioned Kuma's Corner in Chicago, and that one is also world claass. And packed. My first visit there was a two hour wait for a table. We chose to only wait an hour for the counter. Well worth it.
Dan Navarro
______________________________________
I'm guesssing there'll be a burgers 2 mailbox so I gotta point one out that nobody mentioned.
New York City in the lobby of the Parker Meridien Hotel on 56th St. between 6 & 7th ave.
Called The Burger Joint and is totally hidden by floor to ceiling curtains so you have to ask where it is. At lunchtime and dinnertime usually really long lines but they move it pretty fast.
Once you order the wait is usually 5-10 mins. The thing that gets me is that it takes me right back to the '50's when these kinda burgers were virtually invented. Fries are great as well.
The inside is extremely 50's right down to a blackboard menu and maybe twelve booths.
Best time to go is 11 AM when they open or 11-11:30 PM when they close. They have a strong local inside following and there is to go as well. Quite a surprise considering it's not yet a chain.
@l k%per
______________________________________
I know I'm late with this, but I had to share. My Dad is the late Roger Miller (King of the Road). We lived in Santa Fe and our family favorite burger of all time is Blake's Lotaburger. This chain is only in New Mexico and are everywhere, there. They are mentioned all the time on Breaking Bad, so I imagine those folks know the secret.
You can get red or green New Mexico chiles on your burger, real cherry syrup for your Cokes, perfect ice and incredible fries
Anyway...if you're ever on a road trip or find yourself in Santa Fe, the best Lotaburger is on Guadalupe Street. It used to be a house and the manager, Dora, was born in that house, went to work there when it became a burger joint, and still works there decades later. She knows how to make a perfect green chile cheeseburger!
Dean Miller
______________________________________
I'm in with my friend John Boylan on this one. We usually commemorate the burger we grew up on. But, despite living nowadays on a mostly organic, fresh caught, locally grown, vegetable and fruit heavy diet, my trio were tired and on our way to Stagecoach Festival from LAX, and NOTHING could have deterred this highway weary gang (TM/FOH mixer, as well) from pulling into the first In-N-Out we saw. It was instantaneous and unanimous. As they say, "..That's what a hamburger is all about". Animal style please w everything.
JD Souther
PS The Apple Pan is just as great but, alas, there is only the one. It's a good thing I'm reading this on the wee farm in the Southeast or I would already be in the car. The response to your column is almost a family reunion of old friends and In-N-Out addicts.
Feel better Wendy, and happy hot fries to Robu, Kathy, Marty, Bob, Dave, Luke, Chris, Peter, Richard, Kenny, and of course, you , too Bob; thanks. ….I've never considered a tail gate party but this would make a helluva first.
John David Souther
______________________________________
I'm pretty sure I have the only one:
yfrog.com/h8k3ygsj
Jeffrey Foskett
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mickie most was the most prolific, accomplished producer of our day.
george martin had john & paul's songs, not to take away from what happened to them on his watch.
i encouraged mick & keith to write .... and they did.
and yes, we had outfits and outrageous statements.
but mickie.... he was A & R.... he hunted down the songs and matched them with those he wished to record.
i recall in august of ' 64 mickie had three in the UK top ten.
the animals, groundbreaking 45 RPM; herman's hermits (goffin and king catch the new wave) and the nashville teens (john b. loudermilk meets the suburbs of london),
what prolific casting of song and artist !
less than a year before , in november of ' 63 , mickie was an artist, joint bottom of the bill with the rolling stones supporting the everly brothers and bo diddley.
tom wilson was no slouch either - a totally erudite efficient dude.
very best, andrew loog oldham
______________________________________
Hey Bob,
Mickie Most is my hero, I love every record he has ever produced.
I read an interview with Mr. Most in one of the audio rags about the recording of the Animals first LP. Apparently after a gig the band took an overnight "sleeper" to London (with all of their gear in tow) to record "Baby Let Me Take You Home" at Kingsway Studios. The studio was booked from 8AM-11AM, by 8:15 they had the take.
From the interview:
So what to do during the remaining two hours and 45 minutes? Well, that was easy. Why not make an entire album?
"That consisted of songs that they wanted to record, really," Most explained. "Songs that they'd rehearsed and played many times as part of their repertoire, so I said, 'OK, go for it.' We did everything live, straight to mono."
Now those were the days!
cheers..
Ed Stasium
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug03/articles/mickiemost.htm
______________________________________
Did you know that the singer echoing those "yeah"s was Lou Rawls? Nice trivia!
Rob Meurer
______________________________________
And don't forget Eric's collaboration with War...not just "Spill The Wine," but the whole SOUND.
It may not have come near the historic genius of the Animals, but it was important.
And Mickie Most may be the single most under-rated record producer of ALL TIME. You should do a show on HIM.
Toby Mamis
______________________________________
"White Houses" was the Animals' last hurrah, barely cracked the charts but one of EB's coolest vocals...
Kent Zimmerman
______________________________________
Great piece on the Animals. One thing nobody ever mentions is how much the Doors obviously nicked from the Animals' sound and approach...the prominent cheesoid organ, the brooding/menacing vocals, the dark lyrics...think about it...
Robert J. Lohr
______________________________________
I heard Terry Gross interview Barry Mann of the Barry Mann - Cynthia Weil song writing team on Fresh Air years ago. He mentioned that they originally wrote "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" for The Righteous Brothers, and for whatever reason they didn't record it.
Daniel Angott
______________________________________
I wonder if Sirius is playing the right version of "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" cause oldies radio doesn't. They play a version with a difft. lead vocal not the one on the 45 we all bought and loved. Sounds like an earlier take to me, like Eric hasn't quite found it. And its the same on the hits CD I picked up while back (likely where radio got it). I hate it when radio plays the wrong version of a classic track. Like the Boxtops "The Letter" without the overdubbed vocals that were likely added during the mix, or the wrong vocal on Baby Its You by the Shirelles, tho that one seems to have been corrected. And I swear I once heard Psychotic Reaction on the radio minus the flanging. Not quite the same record.
Caught the Animals on that Ed Sullivan R&R / PBS pledge drive recently. They're playing live and sound great.......
Mark Linett
______________________________________
So good to see you mention the Animals. In 1964, I was an 11 year old kid getting the full effect of The British Invasion via Ed Sullivan. The Beatles were ...The Beatles. Pop smarts, good hooks, catchy melodies and went on to greatness and Lennon/McCartney's songs will live forever.
Then there was The Stones. Scruffy, wearing sweatshirts, looking like hoods as opposed to the clean cut Beatles, Dave Clark Five, Gerry, Freddy, etc. Their music was darker. I later found out it was american blues music.
But then there was The Animals. Their appearance was sort of between scruffy and clean. But their sound!
I was drawn into them unlike any of the other groups. At the time, I din't realize that they were pretty much playing soul music. And Eric could fucking sing, goddammit! Here was a guy that I could FEEL. I got Animal Tracks for Xmas.
It is sad that in this digital age that all of their pre Frisco albums are not readily available.
Hip-O did a limited edition Animalisation, one of my favorites, but is long out of print.
I need to note that Spotify is wrong as far as the version of We Gotta Get Outta This Place. That is NOT the US version. I remember in the late 70s, I started hearing this version on the radio all of the time and it drove me crazy. Probably a tape mix up when they started re-issuing the material again. I know the original's inflections and phrasing by heart, and this one is just WRONG! The correct version is on a CD called The Animals Retrospective. After MUCH searching on Youtube, here is the correct US version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOkDJ7C07lk
There are so many great songs that you failed to mention: I'm Crying, The Other Side Of This Life, Cheating, Inside Looking Out (which Grand Funk had a big hit with), And then their fantastic versions of blues songs such as See See Rider, Smokestack Lightning, Boom Boom, Bury My Body(killer!), Gonna Send You Back To Walker(which I later discovered was their take on Gonna Send You Back To Georgia by Timmy Shaw, the man who brought Bettye to Johnnie Mae Mathews in 1963) and the HILARIOUS Story Of Bo Diddley. So many GREAT songs…
On a related note, Bettye almost recorded When I Was Young for The Interpretations album. She and co- producer/pianist/arranger Rob Mathes did a run through of it when they were working out arrangements.
It was pretty deep, but never brought to fruition due to the amount of slow tunes already on the album. Wish they went ahead with it. But glad I had my mini disc to record the arrangement rehearsal.
Anyway, thanx again for bringing some attention to my favorite band from the Invasion.
Kevin Kiley
______________________________________
Hey Bob, believe it or not I was at that Eric Burden show at The Country
Club in Reseda! Was it -- 1983? You see, this has a vivid and negative
connotation for me too, because, when we exited the club to the parking lot,
I discovered that the windows of my Toyota station wagon had been smashed
and my 1965 Gibson J-50 acoustic guitar had been stolen! A memorable night
(and not in a good way) for both of us!
Yer pal,
Ted Myers
(Note: It was 1982.)
______________________________________
Seven Concerts, Including Gotye in Toronto: http://gr.pn/SgCnRv
Four Concerts, Including Gotye in Toronto: http://gr.pn/PAtzU1
______________________________________
The perfect burger was at Cassell's on west 6th st in LA/Koreatown. I have traveled the universe and Cassells was always what I compared any burger to and it always rated #1! Amazing potato salad with horseradish - fresh ground meat right on the premises-amazing bun and cooked exactly as you asked. Great fixin's bar. Oh yeah and the grilled cheese on giant slices of rye bread was the bestest. I used to go there with the KMET crew and I used to bring everyone there-the classic visit was with Lene Lovich. Shh and I will tell the Frank DiLeo/Michael Jackson Cassell's burger taste test story.
Harvey Leeds
______________________________________
Some time when I see you, I'll tell you about how In n Out bailed on Rick Rubin who hired them to cater the Danzig record release party on American about 4 hours before they were supposed to cater it because they determined he was a Satan worshiper.
Peter Paterno
P.S. It may have been the Four Horsemen, not Glenn.
______________________________________
When recording bridges to Babylon at babyface's studio, it was a daily trip to the one on sunset, kept Keith going for days at a time!
Doug Bell
______________________________________
I've been kind of down on In n Out for a while, kind of burned out on it. But as a SoCal kid I have always stood up for it. I tried Five Guys on my birthday on the East Coast last year and didn't love it. After reading your letter the other day I got the craving for In n Out. Stopped into the Vacaville store amidst a horrendously trafficky drive. Cheeseburger, medium rare, animal-style, sport peppers. Delicious. I didn't know you could order medium rare but I think it makes a huge difference. Nicki got the protein style for the first time, medium rare, and loved it.
It's fast food, but it's the only fast food I can feel ok about eating.
Timothy Bluhm
______________________________________
Missed the original In-N-Out post. I was raised in the burger business. My dad owned a Foster's Freeze from 1957-1975, so I got pretty well versed in what's what.
The places that use griddles for their burgers rock. The ones that use conveyer belts suck. That?s the key, to me. Made-to-order rather than stocked up and sitting under a heat lamp. Of the big four (McDonald's, Burger King, Jack In The box and Carls Jr) only Carl's has a product I would call good (they bought Hardee's in the eastern US and are branding it with the Carl's star and some of the menu items). The rest are crap.
In-N-Out may be legendary, but I don't actually care for their burgers. They taste good, but they taste...little. Give me Fatburger any day of the week. It's leaner and fresher tasting and they taste huge, like a full meal. My kid prefers In-N-Out, and I know others do, but not me.
The Counter rocks, but it's expensive. Twenty-five Degrees in the Hollywood Roosevelt is also brilliant, on a par with The Counter, but with slightly less variety. But they have Guinness milk shakes.
One of your relies mentioned Kuma's Corner in Chicago, and that one is also world claass. And packed. My first visit there was a two hour wait for a table. We chose to only wait an hour for the counter. Well worth it.
Dan Navarro
______________________________________
I'm guesssing there'll be a burgers 2 mailbox so I gotta point one out that nobody mentioned.
New York City in the lobby of the Parker Meridien Hotel on 56th St. between 6 & 7th ave.
Called The Burger Joint and is totally hidden by floor to ceiling curtains so you have to ask where it is. At lunchtime and dinnertime usually really long lines but they move it pretty fast.
Once you order the wait is usually 5-10 mins. The thing that gets me is that it takes me right back to the '50's when these kinda burgers were virtually invented. Fries are great as well.
The inside is extremely 50's right down to a blackboard menu and maybe twelve booths.
Best time to go is 11 AM when they open or 11-11:30 PM when they close. They have a strong local inside following and there is to go as well. Quite a surprise considering it's not yet a chain.
@l k%per
______________________________________
I know I'm late with this, but I had to share. My Dad is the late Roger Miller (King of the Road). We lived in Santa Fe and our family favorite burger of all time is Blake's Lotaburger. This chain is only in New Mexico and are everywhere, there. They are mentioned all the time on Breaking Bad, so I imagine those folks know the secret.
You can get red or green New Mexico chiles on your burger, real cherry syrup for your Cokes, perfect ice and incredible fries
Anyway...if you're ever on a road trip or find yourself in Santa Fe, the best Lotaburger is on Guadalupe Street. It used to be a house and the manager, Dora, was born in that house, went to work there when it became a burger joint, and still works there decades later. She knows how to make a perfect green chile cheeseburger!
Dean Miller
______________________________________
I'm in with my friend John Boylan on this one. We usually commemorate the burger we grew up on. But, despite living nowadays on a mostly organic, fresh caught, locally grown, vegetable and fruit heavy diet, my trio were tired and on our way to Stagecoach Festival from LAX, and NOTHING could have deterred this highway weary gang (TM/FOH mixer, as well) from pulling into the first In-N-Out we saw. It was instantaneous and unanimous. As they say, "..That's what a hamburger is all about". Animal style please w everything.
JD Souther
PS The Apple Pan is just as great but, alas, there is only the one. It's a good thing I'm reading this on the wee farm in the Southeast or I would already be in the car. The response to your column is almost a family reunion of old friends and In-N-Out addicts.
Feel better Wendy, and happy hot fries to Robu, Kathy, Marty, Bob, Dave, Luke, Chris, Peter, Richard, Kenny, and of course, you , too Bob; thanks. ….I've never considered a tail gate party but this would make a helluva first.
John David Souther
______________________________________
I'm pretty sure I have the only one:
yfrog.com/h8k3ygsj
Jeffrey Foskett
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
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