I had the smallest single in Starr Hall.
Even worse, the janitor's closet jutted into my room, every morning I'd wake up to him running the water in the sink.
Talk about depressing.
First semester senior year was a disaster.
I puked twice in bed.
I was burned out on my friends.
I was already gone in my head, but I still had one year to go at Middlebury.
And what got me through was music, most especially Wendy Waldman's initial LP, "Love Has Got Me," a veritable masterpiece which has not faded with age, but has burned bright and is FINALLY available on Spotify.
And if you check it out, start with side two, which has a trilogy of songs that will blow your mind if you believe wooden music is the apotheosis of sound.
Drop the needle on "Old Time Love" and be inspired to LIVE!
And at this point in time, on one level I wanted to DIE!
"Well I love to dance to your music
Keep me movin' all night long
It's that old time love"
That's what music is, my old time love.
And after "Old Time Love" came "Vaudeville Man." You know that number Maria Muldaur built a whole career upon, it's right here, done by its writer. And it's oh-so-magical.
But then comes "Lee's Traveling Song."
I've got no idea who Lee is.
But this is definitely MY song.
"Catch a ride on a plane to California
My mind won't let me be
Whoa, whoa, what will be my destiny"
That's where I'd been before I'd returned to Middlebury. Dropping my sister off at graduate school in Los Angeles. You know how some place just feels like home?
That's L.A. for me.
To return to Vermont was to go someplace I was already done with.
And it was painful.
But when I played Wendy Waldman's debut, I could get through.
The second semester, I got a better room next door, vacated by a recent graduate. It almost got stolen from me by a returning junior, but I made an incredible stink, I DESERVED IT!
But finally, I graduated.
And I set off for the west.
With a cassette of "Love Has Got Me" for the Blaupunkt.
I'd be in godforsaken Wyoming, the middle of nowhere, and I'd play "Lee's Traveling Song" and a smile would cross my face, I'd get hopeful.
And eventually I landed in L.A.
And the rest is history.
Well, that's not true. Oh, I mean it is, but there were so many bumps in the road. People come and gone. Money come and gone. I can finally identify with that Elton John song, "I'm Still Standing." Surviving is quite a feat.
But that's what Wendy Waldman's "Love Has Got Me" has done.
It was a different era. Ask Wendy. A review in "Rolling Stone" made her career.
And I'm hoping forty years later my writing here will inspire you to check this music out. It's my go-to resource. It's my best friend.
It's everything to me.
And hopefully now, it will be to you.
Coda:
"I have a feelin' that there's something waitin' for me
And may it set me free"
I dreamed of moving to California from the time I began watching TV. It seemed to be such a better place, where everybody was FREE!
That's the essence of music, it sets you FREE!
The world is full of b.s. You're thwarted at every turn. But with a great track riding shotgun, you can get by.
"Whoa, whoa, can't you come and go with me"
That's one of the great disappointments of my life. That everybody I wanted to bring with me, to California, to my brand new life of possibilities, couldn't make it. They couldn't take the risk. You've only got one life, be sure to take chances.
"At last, on the road at last, with the echoes of the past ringin' in my ear
Hand, let me take you by the hand, let me lead you across the land and wash away your tears
I wanna wash away your tears"
You can never forget. You can leave the past behind, but it haunts you. When you're trying to fall asleep at night, when you're driving cross-country alone.
I want you to feel good. I want you to smile, I want you to laugh, I want you to enjoy this journey of life, with its plethora of possibilities. I want you to listen to "Lee's Traveling Song" and be INSPIRED!
"And if I find you with your heart down in the city, hey now
A-dreamin' far away
Whoa, whoa, let it be a brand new day"
There are do-overs in life, don't let anybody tell you otherwise. You can reinvent yourself, you can become someone different, the best you. All you've got to do is try, all you've got to do is try.
"Catch a ride on a plane to California
My mind won't let me be
Whoa, whoa, what will be my destiny"
I'm not sure, I'm still reinventing MYSELF!
I know what I'm not, but I'm still figuring out who I want to be.
I hope you are too.
Original Stephen Holden review of "Love Has Got Me" from the October 25, 1973 issue of "Rolling Stone": http://bit.ly/10hNT45
Spotify playlist: http://spoti.fi/p6HcZ8
Previous Rhinofy playlists: http://www.rhinofy.com/lefsetz
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Friday, 8 March 2013
Thursday, 7 March 2013
The Yahoo Kerfuffle
It's a failing enterprise.
But that didn't keep legions of know-it-alls, moms and corporate experts who don't work at Yahoo and probably never visit the site or use any of its tools, from crucifying Marissa Mayer. Saying she's too cute, too into designer clothing, and a one percenter who built a private nursery for her newborn child adjacent to her office.
Ain't that America. A bunch of blowhards weighing in on other people's business. We're a nation of gossips. And if you listen to the blowback, if you care what people have to say, you're doomed. Because they're never satisfied, they won't be happy until they drag you down into the hole they're in.
Which is why we've become a nation of apologists.
One person gets her knickers in a twist and the offender rushes to the media to say they didn't mean it. It's become laughable. With people going to lying rehab, I never even knew there was such a thing. But in a nation where no one can sacrifice, where no one can lose their job, where no one can suffer whatsoever, that's what we end up with.
You can't raise taxes.
You can't reduce entitlements.
You can't change a damn thing because someone's gonna get the short end of the stick.
Shared sacrifice is out the window. Thinking of the greater good is history. America is all about I've got mine, SCREW YOU!
But unlike the challenged Tim Cook, Marissa Mayer had the true story leaked. And now everybody's shut up, moved on to the next meaningless debate that fascinates our populace as the rich rape and pillage.
Bottom line?
This was about 200 people. Who were working from home. Many of whom were not doing their work. Some of whom had begun their own start-ups on the side.
How did Marissa know?
THE DATA! She checked the VPN logs and found out the truth!
But no one's interested in the truth in America. They'd rather wrangle perception. Try to skew things their way when it's far from reality. We've been hearing forever that piracy has decimated the music business and must be stopped. First by suing users, second by having ISPs send notices to offenders.
What a bunch of b.s.
The NPD report said there was a 26% decline in illegally downloaded music last year. Why, BECAUSE OF LEGAL SERVICES! (http://bit.ly/XXVjoG)
Do you understand?
Progress can't be stopped, and if you want to win, you've got to swallow the pill and change too.
But people would rather see you fail than tolerate your changing.
And you're going to get shouted down by record store owners and everybody else who was plowed under by the future.
It's insane.
Stop listening to the rabble-rousers. They know not of what they speak.
Kind of like the Amanda Palmer kerfuffle. It wasn't her fans complaining, but interlopers wanting to make a point who understood nothing about her business.
Life is hard. If you live it the way everybody else wants you to, it's nigh near impossible.
As for Marissa Mayer utilizing data to make decisions...
Creativity is not about data.
But success is.
We measure it in tracks sold, YouTube videos watched... If your numbers are not high and growing, it's a sign to take another direction. Yahoo already made it. You didn't. You think you can create success through smoke and mirrors. But that paradigm is passe.
But screw the music business.
I just hate it that everybody's such an expert about everybody's business. That ignorance rules the land. That truth won't be swallowed, even when it's proven by facts.
We live in a land of emotion.
But emotion only works when it's in art.
And that's why today's art is lacking. It's got no soul. It's just wannabes who want to compete with Marissa Mayer and the other educated people who earned their place at the top of corporate America by hard work and smarts.
You don't win by accident.
But what we've got to do is create more winners. Lift our brothers and sisters from ignorance and poverty to a better life.
Instead, we feed them TV trials and misinformation.
Oh, what a wonderful world we live in.
P.S. Credit Kara Swisher for getting the story rolling in AllThingsD: http://dthin.gs/13l4hBB
Then the Business Insider amplified the story: http://read.bi/YJozil
Ultimately, the "New York Times" wrote the definitive statement: http://nyti.ms/WJgaKh
How many know the truth? Probably few, since the correction never has the impact of the initial event. And everyone's moved on, what do you think, is Jodi Arias guilty?
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But that didn't keep legions of know-it-alls, moms and corporate experts who don't work at Yahoo and probably never visit the site or use any of its tools, from crucifying Marissa Mayer. Saying she's too cute, too into designer clothing, and a one percenter who built a private nursery for her newborn child adjacent to her office.
Ain't that America. A bunch of blowhards weighing in on other people's business. We're a nation of gossips. And if you listen to the blowback, if you care what people have to say, you're doomed. Because they're never satisfied, they won't be happy until they drag you down into the hole they're in.
Which is why we've become a nation of apologists.
One person gets her knickers in a twist and the offender rushes to the media to say they didn't mean it. It's become laughable. With people going to lying rehab, I never even knew there was such a thing. But in a nation where no one can sacrifice, where no one can lose their job, where no one can suffer whatsoever, that's what we end up with.
You can't raise taxes.
You can't reduce entitlements.
You can't change a damn thing because someone's gonna get the short end of the stick.
Shared sacrifice is out the window. Thinking of the greater good is history. America is all about I've got mine, SCREW YOU!
But unlike the challenged Tim Cook, Marissa Mayer had the true story leaked. And now everybody's shut up, moved on to the next meaningless debate that fascinates our populace as the rich rape and pillage.
Bottom line?
This was about 200 people. Who were working from home. Many of whom were not doing their work. Some of whom had begun their own start-ups on the side.
How did Marissa know?
THE DATA! She checked the VPN logs and found out the truth!
But no one's interested in the truth in America. They'd rather wrangle perception. Try to skew things their way when it's far from reality. We've been hearing forever that piracy has decimated the music business and must be stopped. First by suing users, second by having ISPs send notices to offenders.
What a bunch of b.s.
The NPD report said there was a 26% decline in illegally downloaded music last year. Why, BECAUSE OF LEGAL SERVICES! (http://bit.ly/XXVjoG)
Do you understand?
Progress can't be stopped, and if you want to win, you've got to swallow the pill and change too.
But people would rather see you fail than tolerate your changing.
And you're going to get shouted down by record store owners and everybody else who was plowed under by the future.
It's insane.
Stop listening to the rabble-rousers. They know not of what they speak.
Kind of like the Amanda Palmer kerfuffle. It wasn't her fans complaining, but interlopers wanting to make a point who understood nothing about her business.
Life is hard. If you live it the way everybody else wants you to, it's nigh near impossible.
As for Marissa Mayer utilizing data to make decisions...
Creativity is not about data.
But success is.
We measure it in tracks sold, YouTube videos watched... If your numbers are not high and growing, it's a sign to take another direction. Yahoo already made it. You didn't. You think you can create success through smoke and mirrors. But that paradigm is passe.
But screw the music business.
I just hate it that everybody's such an expert about everybody's business. That ignorance rules the land. That truth won't be swallowed, even when it's proven by facts.
We live in a land of emotion.
But emotion only works when it's in art.
And that's why today's art is lacking. It's got no soul. It's just wannabes who want to compete with Marissa Mayer and the other educated people who earned their place at the top of corporate America by hard work and smarts.
You don't win by accident.
But what we've got to do is create more winners. Lift our brothers and sisters from ignorance and poverty to a better life.
Instead, we feed them TV trials and misinformation.
Oh, what a wonderful world we live in.
P.S. Credit Kara Swisher for getting the story rolling in AllThingsD: http://dthin.gs/13l4hBB
Then the Business Insider amplified the story: http://read.bi/YJozil
Ultimately, the "New York Times" wrote the definitive statement: http://nyti.ms/WJgaKh
How many know the truth? Probably few, since the correction never has the impact of the initial event. And everyone's moved on, what do you think, is Jodi Arias guilty?
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Wednesday, 6 March 2013
Alvin Lee
"I want to know you
I want to show you
I want you to grow
Inside of me"
My tenure as a doper was very brief. I'm just not stable enough for drugs, my hold on reality is just that tenuous. But in my brief window of getting high, especially before sensimilla, when good dope was rare, occasionally you'd find some good bud, you'd pay $20 bucks for a lid instead of $15, and you'd end up with marijuana that would smack you in the head and almost paralyze you. And the only thing to do then was put on the headphones and listen to music. Something like Ten Years After's "50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain."
Once upon a time, before the advent of YouTube and Spotify, you could give the gift of music. A record album was de rigueur. And for Hanukkah 1969, my friend Ronnie gave me Ten Years After's "Ssssh."
I was disappointed. It was on Deram, a second-rate label. And it took me forever to get into it, despite Ronnie's protestations that it was fantastic. He insisted on hearing "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" over and over again, and at this point, I consider Ten Years After's version to be definitive.
And I came to like "Stoned Woman."
But I never completely cottoned to "Ssssh."
But I absolutely LOVED the follow-up, "Cricklewood Green"!
The definitive cut on "Cricklewood Green" is "Love Like A Man." Its riff not quite as famous as that of "Smoke On The Water," but just about as satisfying. "Love Like A Man" was an epic, nearly eight minutes long. Not made for the radio, but you at home. You put this on and the rest of the world disappeared. All your problems faded away.
That's the power of a heavy riff.
And I loved "Cricklewood Green" so much that I went to see Ten Years After at the Fillmore East.
We had dinner at El Faro, my parents went to a play, and they deposited my friend Marc and I at the hallowed rock hall, where we had sixth row seats, the best I ever got.
Alvin Lee was RIGHT THERE! Playing that red semi-hollow Gibson, just like in the "Woodstock" movie.
Yes, "Woodstock" had been released just two months earlier.
But most people hadn't seen it. Because it was platform released. Played in only the big cities until the summer. Mere months later, Ten Years After was one of the biggest bands in the land, because of their live rendition of "I'm Going Home," in its nearly ten minute version. Check it out. It'll make Justin and Britney and the rest of the poseurs look positively two-dimensional. Because it was live, and the band was POSSESSED! By the music. It was undeniable. That's why it had to take up so much time in the film.
And when the show was over, and I'd like to tell you it was spectacular, but it was not, the band was not completely into it, they seemed to be saving it up for the late show, we met my parents at Ratner's next door. Where I proceeded to puke all over the sink. My father said it was paella, the waiter didn't believe him, he thought it was drugs.
Now the follow-up to "Cricklewood Green" was a dud. "Watt" was only memorable for being "stolen" by a guy in my dorm who signed his note " Gnossos Pappadopoulis," which meant nothing to me, thank god he returned it a few days later. No, that's not exactly right, I knew who Gnossos Pappadopoulis was, he was the main character in Richard Farina's "Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me," which we had to read in English 102, spring semester. That book inspired me, changed my life, back when books did that.
But then Ten Years After switched labels, they went to CBS and promptly had a hit, something they'd never managed before.
"I'd Love To Change The World" was undeniable.
But it was a different sound. Featuring acoustic guitars, it was mellower. It was as if Ten Years After had sold out, that they calculated this hit. And this rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't buy the album, not after "Watt."
But what was even stranger was that after that Ten Years After disappeared. Oh, they put out a few albums, but no one bought them. Alvin Lee teamed up with Mylon LeFevre, but got no traction there either.
Disco didn't need to kill Ten Years After, a sinkhole got them. They were just GONE!
And that's the way they stayed. Their material was never featured on classic rock radio, it was like they didn't even exist.
But those of us who were there never forgot.
Not because of "Woodstock," but because of "Cricklewood Green."
How do I explain this?
Imagine there was a band. They weren't especially good-looking. But they could play. And their ability to do this, especially the lead guitarist, got them traction and granted them a career.
That was Ten Years After.
That's not today.
Maybe that's Alabama Shakes. They've got that one cut that's undeniable, "Hold On." It's no "I'm Coming Home," but it's good. But they've got no more and nobody else does either.
Not that Alvin Lee was a songwriting genius. But he hit a few out of the park. And when you do this, you've got a career.
Everything's gone topsy-turvy. MTV made it so you had to be beautiful, so you had to know how to dance, and then the Internet made marketing more important than music. It's like being pecked to death by ducks, all the wannabes forcing their music upon you.
But no one had to force "Love Like A Man" on anybody.
You just had to hear it and you wanted to hear it again, you needed to buy the record, you wanted to see the band live. It was solely about the music, image had nothing to do with it.
What's the essence of "Love Like A Man"?
There's that riff.
But focus on the bass, dancing under the track.
And the way the organ accompanies everything, lubricates the cut.
And then there's the way the track goes up in the middle.
You don't want to change "Love Like A Man," you just want to get close to it.
But having said all that, my favorite track on "Cricklewood Green" is "50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain."
"I want to see you
I want to free you
I want to be you
Inside of me
Love me, 50,000 miles beneath my brain
Love me, 50,000 times and then again"
It's so INTIMATE!
And then it becomes so RAUCOUS!
How do we explain this to the younger generation?
Once upon a time we were not all connected. If you were lucky, you had a few friends, you had a few favorite bands. And whether alone or with buds, you went to basements, to holes to see your favorites, and what happened there was only for you. There were no iPhones, no cameras, the experience happened in front of your eyes and lived on in your brain.
That was it.
But oh was it special.
And Ten Years After had a place in the firmament. They were not one hit wonders, ignore the chart, that's meaningless, especially in the early seventies, when AM radio was a joke, all the action was over on the FM band. But really, it was in your house. People owned Ten Years After records. This was no PSY, no Carly Rae Jepsen, this was a band, with a body of work, and a career.
And I still listen to this music today. Because we always go back to the classics, and "50,000 Mile Beneath My Brain" is one of mine. There was that night in my dorm room when I was too stoned to move and I played it over and over again, I remember it like yesterday.
And I owe it all to Ronnie.
Who passed away two decades ago.
Alvin Lee died today.
Some people are gonna say he played too fast. That that was his only skill.
But if you were there, you know it was much more than that.
Yes, his quickness got him noticed.
But his music made us remember him.
And I do.
"Love Like A Man": http://bit.ly/exDrU
"50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain": http://bit.ly/12RmDp
"I'm Going Home (by Helicopter!): http://bit.ly/VgdLdl
"Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me": http://bit.ly/7cgjdT
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I want to show you
I want you to grow
Inside of me"
My tenure as a doper was very brief. I'm just not stable enough for drugs, my hold on reality is just that tenuous. But in my brief window of getting high, especially before sensimilla, when good dope was rare, occasionally you'd find some good bud, you'd pay $20 bucks for a lid instead of $15, and you'd end up with marijuana that would smack you in the head and almost paralyze you. And the only thing to do then was put on the headphones and listen to music. Something like Ten Years After's "50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain."
Once upon a time, before the advent of YouTube and Spotify, you could give the gift of music. A record album was de rigueur. And for Hanukkah 1969, my friend Ronnie gave me Ten Years After's "Ssssh."
I was disappointed. It was on Deram, a second-rate label. And it took me forever to get into it, despite Ronnie's protestations that it was fantastic. He insisted on hearing "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" over and over again, and at this point, I consider Ten Years After's version to be definitive.
And I came to like "Stoned Woman."
But I never completely cottoned to "Ssssh."
But I absolutely LOVED the follow-up, "Cricklewood Green"!
The definitive cut on "Cricklewood Green" is "Love Like A Man." Its riff not quite as famous as that of "Smoke On The Water," but just about as satisfying. "Love Like A Man" was an epic, nearly eight minutes long. Not made for the radio, but you at home. You put this on and the rest of the world disappeared. All your problems faded away.
That's the power of a heavy riff.
And I loved "Cricklewood Green" so much that I went to see Ten Years After at the Fillmore East.
We had dinner at El Faro, my parents went to a play, and they deposited my friend Marc and I at the hallowed rock hall, where we had sixth row seats, the best I ever got.
Alvin Lee was RIGHT THERE! Playing that red semi-hollow Gibson, just like in the "Woodstock" movie.
Yes, "Woodstock" had been released just two months earlier.
But most people hadn't seen it. Because it was platform released. Played in only the big cities until the summer. Mere months later, Ten Years After was one of the biggest bands in the land, because of their live rendition of "I'm Going Home," in its nearly ten minute version. Check it out. It'll make Justin and Britney and the rest of the poseurs look positively two-dimensional. Because it was live, and the band was POSSESSED! By the music. It was undeniable. That's why it had to take up so much time in the film.
And when the show was over, and I'd like to tell you it was spectacular, but it was not, the band was not completely into it, they seemed to be saving it up for the late show, we met my parents at Ratner's next door. Where I proceeded to puke all over the sink. My father said it was paella, the waiter didn't believe him, he thought it was drugs.
Now the follow-up to "Cricklewood Green" was a dud. "Watt" was only memorable for being "stolen" by a guy in my dorm who signed his note " Gnossos Pappadopoulis," which meant nothing to me, thank god he returned it a few days later. No, that's not exactly right, I knew who Gnossos Pappadopoulis was, he was the main character in Richard Farina's "Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me," which we had to read in English 102, spring semester. That book inspired me, changed my life, back when books did that.
But then Ten Years After switched labels, they went to CBS and promptly had a hit, something they'd never managed before.
"I'd Love To Change The World" was undeniable.
But it was a different sound. Featuring acoustic guitars, it was mellower. It was as if Ten Years After had sold out, that they calculated this hit. And this rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't buy the album, not after "Watt."
But what was even stranger was that after that Ten Years After disappeared. Oh, they put out a few albums, but no one bought them. Alvin Lee teamed up with Mylon LeFevre, but got no traction there either.
Disco didn't need to kill Ten Years After, a sinkhole got them. They were just GONE!
And that's the way they stayed. Their material was never featured on classic rock radio, it was like they didn't even exist.
But those of us who were there never forgot.
Not because of "Woodstock," but because of "Cricklewood Green."
How do I explain this?
Imagine there was a band. They weren't especially good-looking. But they could play. And their ability to do this, especially the lead guitarist, got them traction and granted them a career.
That was Ten Years After.
That's not today.
Maybe that's Alabama Shakes. They've got that one cut that's undeniable, "Hold On." It's no "I'm Coming Home," but it's good. But they've got no more and nobody else does either.
Not that Alvin Lee was a songwriting genius. But he hit a few out of the park. And when you do this, you've got a career.
Everything's gone topsy-turvy. MTV made it so you had to be beautiful, so you had to know how to dance, and then the Internet made marketing more important than music. It's like being pecked to death by ducks, all the wannabes forcing their music upon you.
But no one had to force "Love Like A Man" on anybody.
You just had to hear it and you wanted to hear it again, you needed to buy the record, you wanted to see the band live. It was solely about the music, image had nothing to do with it.
What's the essence of "Love Like A Man"?
There's that riff.
But focus on the bass, dancing under the track.
And the way the organ accompanies everything, lubricates the cut.
And then there's the way the track goes up in the middle.
You don't want to change "Love Like A Man," you just want to get close to it.
But having said all that, my favorite track on "Cricklewood Green" is "50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain."
"I want to see you
I want to free you
I want to be you
Inside of me
Love me, 50,000 miles beneath my brain
Love me, 50,000 times and then again"
It's so INTIMATE!
And then it becomes so RAUCOUS!
How do we explain this to the younger generation?
Once upon a time we were not all connected. If you were lucky, you had a few friends, you had a few favorite bands. And whether alone or with buds, you went to basements, to holes to see your favorites, and what happened there was only for you. There were no iPhones, no cameras, the experience happened in front of your eyes and lived on in your brain.
That was it.
But oh was it special.
And Ten Years After had a place in the firmament. They were not one hit wonders, ignore the chart, that's meaningless, especially in the early seventies, when AM radio was a joke, all the action was over on the FM band. But really, it was in your house. People owned Ten Years After records. This was no PSY, no Carly Rae Jepsen, this was a band, with a body of work, and a career.
And I still listen to this music today. Because we always go back to the classics, and "50,000 Mile Beneath My Brain" is one of mine. There was that night in my dorm room when I was too stoned to move and I played it over and over again, I remember it like yesterday.
And I owe it all to Ronnie.
Who passed away two decades ago.
Alvin Lee died today.
Some people are gonna say he played too fast. That that was his only skill.
But if you were there, you know it was much more than that.
Yes, his quickness got him noticed.
But his music made us remember him.
And I do.
"Love Like A Man": http://bit.ly/exDrU
"50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain": http://bit.ly/12RmDp
"I'm Going Home (by Helicopter!): http://bit.ly/VgdLdl
"Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me": http://bit.ly/7cgjdT
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Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Getting Lucky
You've got to tell the truth.
I want you to read this article:
"How I Landed on the New York Times and What It All Means": http://www.thesaleslion.com
Yes, this is the same Marcus Sheridan I wrote about last week, you know, the pool-builder, who believes in blogging.
After reading this webpage, you'll know why Mr. Sheridan is a success.
In this sold out, self-hyping, everybody's a genius world, truth stands out.
If one more person e-mails me their MP3, I'm gonna scream.
THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!
And even though she's a friend of mine, I'm not gonna say that Amanda Palmer's TED talk will help you one bit.
Haven't seen it?
It's burning up the internets, you can view it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMj_P_6H69g
What you've got to understand is Amanda Palmer is a special person. And if you think doing it her way is going to work for you, you're sorely deluded. The only thing that's gonna work for you is YOU! Your personality! Your uniqueness! Your honesty!
That's what art is. Not a cash cow, but a missive from deep inside one human being to another.
Can you do that?
Probably not.
Because you're scared.
And artists are brave. Very brave.
Because first and foremost you're going to be ignored. It's like you don't even exist.
And then you're going to be hated.
And then you're gonna realize you're not really that good. That's what a little traction will yield. Used to be our artists developed far from the mainstream, they reached us fully realized. Elton John sang covers and was with a band long before almost anybody knew who he was. Now you put your stuff up on YouTube and if you stick with it, years later you wince at how bad you were.
But if you told us you were bad, if you told us you were insecure, if you shared your hopes, dreams and desires, and didn't just give us opacities, then you might have a chance.
I don't know Marcus Sheridan. I don't want to buy a pool. And I don't want any advice. But by lifting the curtain and telling how he ended up in the "New York Times," and how he felt about it, I feel good about HIM!
That's what you want, people to feel good about you.
Not EVERYBODY, just SOMEBODY!
Don't shoot for the stars, shoot for your own neighborhood, like-minded people on the Internet.
My inbox is filled up with people defending David Bowie. They can't read, they can't understand what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that with so many options, very little is universal. This is very different from the sixties and seventies. There's more art exposed than ever before. As a result, it's nigh near impossible to get traction.
Here's a dirty little secret.
Publicity buys you nothing.
Makes you feel good. You can show your mother.
But what you want is luck.
People can smell the difference.
The key is to be in the game long enough that you can get lucky.
Talk to anybody who's successful. All their big breaks didn't pan out. But something from left field did.
That's why you've got to give it your all every night.
Maybe there's a financial backer in the house.
Maybe there's a blogger you don't know who's going to go home and write about you.
You're in the luck business.
Anybody who tells you different is lying.
Look at the major labels. They've got two paradigms. Major market crap that they hone, which is soulless and empty, and that which they sign which already has traction. If you can't drive a truck, i.e. your music, through this giant hole, you're ignorant.
The playing field is vast. Opportunity is huge.
But very few will reap significant rewards.
And those who win will have two qualities.
One, they'll be great.
Two, they'll persevere.
If you're not improving every day, give up. It's not about spreading the word, it's about getting better.
You have to like creating as an end unto itself. Otherwise it's just too frustrating in today's world.
Don't pay attention to the old model, investing a lot of money to get publicity in magazines and newspapers and on TV. Talk to someone who's been on Letterman or Leno, they don't even see a sales bump!
Everything they're telling you is wrong.
It's not about the right showcase.
It's not even about the right people.
It's LUCK!
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I want you to read this article:
"How I Landed on the New York Times and What It All Means": http://www.thesaleslion.com
Yes, this is the same Marcus Sheridan I wrote about last week, you know, the pool-builder, who believes in blogging.
After reading this webpage, you'll know why Mr. Sheridan is a success.
In this sold out, self-hyping, everybody's a genius world, truth stands out.
If one more person e-mails me their MP3, I'm gonna scream.
THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!
And even though she's a friend of mine, I'm not gonna say that Amanda Palmer's TED talk will help you one bit.
Haven't seen it?
It's burning up the internets, you can view it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMj_P_6H69g
What you've got to understand is Amanda Palmer is a special person. And if you think doing it her way is going to work for you, you're sorely deluded. The only thing that's gonna work for you is YOU! Your personality! Your uniqueness! Your honesty!
That's what art is. Not a cash cow, but a missive from deep inside one human being to another.
Can you do that?
Probably not.
Because you're scared.
And artists are brave. Very brave.
Because first and foremost you're going to be ignored. It's like you don't even exist.
And then you're going to be hated.
And then you're gonna realize you're not really that good. That's what a little traction will yield. Used to be our artists developed far from the mainstream, they reached us fully realized. Elton John sang covers and was with a band long before almost anybody knew who he was. Now you put your stuff up on YouTube and if you stick with it, years later you wince at how bad you were.
But if you told us you were bad, if you told us you were insecure, if you shared your hopes, dreams and desires, and didn't just give us opacities, then you might have a chance.
I don't know Marcus Sheridan. I don't want to buy a pool. And I don't want any advice. But by lifting the curtain and telling how he ended up in the "New York Times," and how he felt about it, I feel good about HIM!
That's what you want, people to feel good about you.
Not EVERYBODY, just SOMEBODY!
Don't shoot for the stars, shoot for your own neighborhood, like-minded people on the Internet.
My inbox is filled up with people defending David Bowie. They can't read, they can't understand what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that with so many options, very little is universal. This is very different from the sixties and seventies. There's more art exposed than ever before. As a result, it's nigh near impossible to get traction.
Here's a dirty little secret.
Publicity buys you nothing.
Makes you feel good. You can show your mother.
But what you want is luck.
People can smell the difference.
The key is to be in the game long enough that you can get lucky.
Talk to anybody who's successful. All their big breaks didn't pan out. But something from left field did.
That's why you've got to give it your all every night.
Maybe there's a financial backer in the house.
Maybe there's a blogger you don't know who's going to go home and write about you.
You're in the luck business.
Anybody who tells you different is lying.
Look at the major labels. They've got two paradigms. Major market crap that they hone, which is soulless and empty, and that which they sign which already has traction. If you can't drive a truck, i.e. your music, through this giant hole, you're ignorant.
The playing field is vast. Opportunity is huge.
But very few will reap significant rewards.
And those who win will have two qualities.
One, they'll be great.
Two, they'll persevere.
If you're not improving every day, give up. It's not about spreading the word, it's about getting better.
You have to like creating as an end unto itself. Otherwise it's just too frustrating in today's world.
Don't pay attention to the old model, investing a lot of money to get publicity in magazines and newspapers and on TV. Talk to someone who's been on Letterman or Leno, they don't even see a sales bump!
Everything they're telling you is wrong.
It's not about the right showcase.
It's not even about the right people.
It's LUCK!
--
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Monday, 4 March 2013
Wealth Inequality In America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM
YouTube is more trusted than CNN.
But it's not only the Time Warner news outlet... People trust YouTube more than any television news, from cable to network, from Fox to ABC.
Why?
Because there's no filter.
No one beholden to banks or advertisers skewing what's exhibited.
Now I haven't checked the data in this clip. For all I know, it could be inaccurate. But I doubt it, after all, just the other day I saw in the "Wall Street Journal" that nine bankers collectively made in excess of $1 billion last year. A BILLION DOLLARS! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO COMPETE WITH THAT!
I can't.
And here's where I give the rap that our whole country has been skewed, its culture compromised, by income inequality. Of course the poor are disadvantaged, but each and every American is culturally disadvantaged because the best and the brightest no longer go into the arts, because they just can't make enough money. And no one wants to be poor anymore. The middle class is a fiction. Ivy Leaguers, they want that cash.
But let's not get sidetracked.
This is about the power of YouTube.
First, the power to reach people.
Second, the impact of said videos.
Yes, you at home, with a really good idea, well executed, can reach a million people. This was previously impossible. Distribution was controlled by said networks and cable outlets. That's what happened in the music business. The labels lost control of distribution and...
Revenues collapsed and the whole industry went topsy-turvy.
And now the same thing is going to happen to government.
You see D.C. is out of touch. They think they're playing for the money, for the special interest groups. If you think politicians are beholden to the public, you've got a third grade education.
That's America in a nutshell. Everybody owes somebody else.
Except on YouTube.
Yes, just like the public was far ahead of the music business, it's now far ahead of the government.
Same deal with the rich.
If you're wealthy, I'd say it's time to keep your name out of the paper, to forgo that victory lap, along with the yacht. Because there's more of us than there are of you. Hell, did you read today's "Wall Street Journal," about how in Switzerland there are new rules regarding executive pay?
Why should America be different?
Why can't there be an Arab Spring here?
This video says both Democrats and Republicans desire the same income distribution, which is a far cry from today's reality. This is not a political issue, this is a HUMAN issue!
"A Jumbo Payday for Deal Titans": http://on.wsj.com/XPlEXh
"Swiss Back Executive-Pay Controls": http://on.wsj.com/ZZYuQS
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YouTube is more trusted than CNN.
But it's not only the Time Warner news outlet... People trust YouTube more than any television news, from cable to network, from Fox to ABC.
Why?
Because there's no filter.
No one beholden to banks or advertisers skewing what's exhibited.
Now I haven't checked the data in this clip. For all I know, it could be inaccurate. But I doubt it, after all, just the other day I saw in the "Wall Street Journal" that nine bankers collectively made in excess of $1 billion last year. A BILLION DOLLARS! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO COMPETE WITH THAT!
I can't.
And here's where I give the rap that our whole country has been skewed, its culture compromised, by income inequality. Of course the poor are disadvantaged, but each and every American is culturally disadvantaged because the best and the brightest no longer go into the arts, because they just can't make enough money. And no one wants to be poor anymore. The middle class is a fiction. Ivy Leaguers, they want that cash.
But let's not get sidetracked.
This is about the power of YouTube.
First, the power to reach people.
Second, the impact of said videos.
Yes, you at home, with a really good idea, well executed, can reach a million people. This was previously impossible. Distribution was controlled by said networks and cable outlets. That's what happened in the music business. The labels lost control of distribution and...
Revenues collapsed and the whole industry went topsy-turvy.
And now the same thing is going to happen to government.
You see D.C. is out of touch. They think they're playing for the money, for the special interest groups. If you think politicians are beholden to the public, you've got a third grade education.
That's America in a nutshell. Everybody owes somebody else.
Except on YouTube.
Yes, just like the public was far ahead of the music business, it's now far ahead of the government.
Same deal with the rich.
If you're wealthy, I'd say it's time to keep your name out of the paper, to forgo that victory lap, along with the yacht. Because there's more of us than there are of you. Hell, did you read today's "Wall Street Journal," about how in Switzerland there are new rules regarding executive pay?
Why should America be different?
Why can't there be an Arab Spring here?
This video says both Democrats and Republicans desire the same income distribution, which is a far cry from today's reality. This is not a political issue, this is a HUMAN issue!
"A Jumbo Payday for Deal Titans": http://on.wsj.com/XPlEXh
"Swiss Back Executive-Pay Controls": http://on.wsj.com/ZZYuQS
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