I LOVE this album, it's a complete return to form after too many mellow offerings, it's got everything I always loved about Kenny and MORE!
That's right, he was country's biggest star, the entertainer of the year, and then...he was eclipsed by Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan and it looked like he was in the rearview mirror, despite a few hits, and then he dropped THIS!
In 2014. I know, I'm late to the party. But I was reading a story about Kenny that got me intrigued and I checked it out and there was this one moment...
I'll get there, but the point is in country they've still got room for you if you've made it. The stars are not one hit wonders. And too many of the lyrics here are generic, but this is the straight ahead rock we were inured to forty years ago, that we yearn for, right here on this little LP, with only 39 minutes of music that leaves you wanting more. Imagine that! Someone who saw no need to fill a CD, especially now that CDs are history. I've been playing this album incessantly for a week and my only regret is I have to wait for new material.
So, without further ado...
ROCK BOTTOM
This is the song that sealed the deal, that made me love this album. It's the sound. The descending notes in the intro...I got caught up in the groove and I've never left it. "Rock Bottom" ultimately rocks hard with references to AC/DC and my only regret is I was out of town when Kenny played the Rose Bowl, because I'm dying to throw my fist in the air as I sing along. Come on, fat guitars, Marshall stacks, lyrics about hitting the bottom and bouncing back, what more could you ask for?
A wailing instrumental section, that's what. With a southern rock groove that has you banging your head like Beavis and Butt-head are your best friends. Whew!
DON'T IT
This is the best song on the album. Comes right after "Rock Bottom," a great one-two punch. But "Don't It" is slower and evidences even more despair...
"Life has its way of movin' you on, don't it"
Ain't that the truth! Life is about doors closing, not opening. And then you're forced to go in a certain direction and find out...
"Life has its way of keepin' you strong, don't it"
Live long enough and you'll realize this, you get stronger with the lessons you learn.
"I've been right and I've been wrong
Somewhere in between for so long"
Those with wisdom know this, you don't always have all the answers, but you make the best of it.
Ah, this song is just like life, with more questions than answers, but you've got no other option than to keep on keepin' on.
TIL IT'S GONE
This was a number one country track, and the descending notes hook you and won't let you go. And it seems so simple, yet it's so right.
But if you hang in there long enough, you'll experience the real magic.
That's right, you think the song is over, at 3:08 it fades out and almost comes to a complete stop and then...it goes on for another minute plus and you're reminded of Clapton and the rest of the Fillmore bands who loved to play so much that they just couldn't stop, their fingers kept picking as you were locked in the groove. Pure magic.
AMERICAN KIDS
Speaking of number ones, this made it too.
And I used to hate this cut and then I heard it so much that I got it.
It's so simple, almost a novelty track, but then you get hooked and you smile and look forward to hearing it.
WILD CHILD
With Grace Potter.
A summer afternoon in the hammock song, it sneaks up on you, it seems formulaic, but its simplicity and quietude get under your skin.
Another number one, which is three already on this LP, if you're counting.
SAVE IT FOR A RAINY DAY
Not number one yet, this is all about the chorus...
"'Cause the sun's too bright
The sky's too blue
Beer's too cold to be thinkin' 'bout you
Gonna take this heartbreak and tuck it away
Save it for a rainy day"
Optimism in the face of defeat. We've all got to pick ourselves up off the floor at some point, and this song is a great soundtrack.
DRINK IT UP
Sounds like a rock song from '73, albeit with a twangy vocal from the boy from Tennessee.
You think it's easy to write a simple hit?
Just ask Steve Miller...
I love the stinging guitar, I still love the sound of a guitar, plug it into the amp, let it wail and squeeze all the bad thoughts out of my brain, that's the power of rock and roll.
BEER CAN CHICKEN
Maybe the weakest song on the album, I like that they made a whole song out of this concept, but... Really, beer can chicken?
But the truth is this track is wholly listenable, there's not a single clunker on this album. And "Beer Can Chicken" has got a killer chorus you can sing along to.
FLORA-BAMA
The other weakest cut on the LP, but with big guitars and hooks nonetheless. And dynamics. You end up nodding your head from side to side with the beat. And isn't that what the best music does, penetrate us and draw us in?
IF THIS BUS COULD TALK
If you don't think of Jackson Browne's "The Load-Out" when you hear this, you haven't heard the original...
Not that this is a rip-off, it's mostly reminiscent in concept, but it does start off quietly in the same way. But Jackson's track goes over the top when David Lindley starts singing "Stay," there's no moment like that in "If This Bus Could Talk," but there is story and sincerity and the more I hear it, the more I like it.
Because the truth is, it's all about the rock and roll dream. Which so many of us still believe in. If we can't be in the band, we have the fantasy that if we just follow the act from town to town, our lives will be happy, everything will work out.
"Many years of summers and I hope it never ends
Been down so many highways, full of twists and turns and bends
We caught lightning in a bottle, somehow we survived it all
All the stories he could tell, if this bus could talk"
Life... It's about experiences, and the stories attendant thereto.
And what do they say, music is the soundtrack to that?
And we revere those who make it, because their tunes are an integral part of our lives. We know their songs by heart. And if they do it right, they've got an audience 'til they die, because...
We just can't get enough.
Get ready for the big revival.
Drop the proverbial needle, get in the van, and go for a ride with today's rock and roll, otherwise known as country music. It's not testing any limits. Dylan can sleep at night, the lyrics are not challenging our brains. But...in this crazy world where we're overwhelmed with input and feel like a square peg in a round hole Kenny Chesney's "The Big Revival" just feels right, is a good sound to help you through...and what's wrong with that?
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/1UCzKdV
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Friday, 11 September 2015
Wednesday, 9 September 2015
Narcos Lessons
GENIUS TRIUMPHS
It's not something you learn in books, but an ability you're born with, that you believe in, that you exercise. Success in life is about analysis. That's what they teach in the elite institutions that those going to lesser colleges miss out on. Facts are irrelevant, you can look them up online. But how to put them together to create something new... That's what the stars know, how to hold two contradictory thoughts in their brain simultaneously and then 3-D model the future. Geniuses are one step ahead and are ultimately decried and hated for it. They have insight the rest of us lack. Or as Gretzky put it, skate to where the puck is going, not where it is right now.
INFORMATION IS EVERYTHING
That's why superstars are on the phone all day, why they cultivate relationships. Life is war and if you want to triumph you need to know where all the bodies are buried, who is relevant and who is not. Once someone focuses on personal hurts by irrelevant people you know it's time to move on. Winners focus on the prize, and never remove their eyes. So, once again, collect information, and then synthesize it into a plan.
BEWARE OF ADVERTISING AND PR
The narcos hired a PR firm, which charged them deep five digits for a logo that accomplished little. Use your PR team to navigate media outlets, advertising firms can come up with ideas, but you're in the driver's seat, you have to guide them and make the final decisions.
LOYALTY IS EVERYTHING
If you've got no one you can count on, who'll take a bullet for you, you're lost. Life is a team sport, which is why loners end up on the sidelines.
SOMEONE'S GOT TO BE THE LEADER
Once you're ceding territory to another, not wanting to be perceived as aggressive, you're lost. Natural leaders want the power the same way LeBron wants the ball. If you're questioning yourself, if you're letting someone else go first, you're doomed.
LEADERS AREN'T ALWAYS RIGHT
Gustavo gets Pablo to change course, but only after he hears Pablo out. He who speaks first often fails. Let others talk, and then gently nudge them in the direction you believe should be pursued.
THERE'S NO HONOR AMONG THIEVES
Not only in drugs, but tech and music too. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are not lovable teddy bears. Same deal with label heads. They need to make choices to stay in power and win, choices that you might think are illegal or abhor. You can quit, but if you won't do these same things you're never going to win. That's what they don't tell you about life... School teaches you to conform but rules are for suckers. If you don't believe everything is up for grabs, you're a loser.
PIVOT
Pablo Escobar didn't start out in drugs. Don't be married to who you are. A musician, a coder, a... Winners are always open to opportunities. If you're not willing to change your mind, change course, you're not going to win.
IF IT'S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT IS
We want to believe, and therefore we give charismatic leaders the benefit of the doubt when we shouldn't. People are mindless sheep who will do anything if given attention, especially by someone rich, powerful and famous.
FAMILY IS EVERYTHING
There's a reason your spouse can't be forced to testify against you in court. Choose your spouse wisely and teach your children well.
EVERYBODY LOSES IN THE END
When you hang it out that far, you're gonna get caught. What did the DEA man say... "The bad guys need to get lucky every time. The good guys just need to get lucky once."
EVERYTHING'S NEGOTIABLE
If you don't have the chutzpah to ask for the unthinkable, you're not dreaming big enough.
MONEY TALKS AND JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY HAS A PRICE
And if they're reluctant to conform, just threaten their family, see above.
LADIES LOVE OUTLAWS, AND MEN DO TOO
We want to believe we've got a way out, that's why we lionize the renegades.
THE LITTLE PEOPLE DON'T COUNT
They're uninformed and stupid and can be manipulated and are expendable. Don't believe me? You keep the Fortune 500 alive, but do these corporations care about you as they pollute, overcharge and pay no taxes? The sooner you wake up and realize the game is rigged, the earlier you get on the path of success.
LOVE WILL GET YOU IN TROUBLE
Following your johnson is the best way to be blown off course. If you can't say no to the little man, the big man may not survive.
WINNERS SLEEP WITH ONE EYE OPEN
They know someone else wants their perch.
WORK IS BORING, THE SPOILS ARE INTERESTING
Just ask a banker. If money is the byproduct you're looking for, don't be surprised if the work is drudgery. Which is why fat cats are always looking to invest in the entertainment business. And are always ripped off by the lifers in it. Don't go where you don't know. At best you have one area of expertise. Nobody knows everything and no one wins it all. Life is a game where the board is wiped clean every generation and no one has a sense of history. Do you think they'll be talking about Pablo Escobar fifty years from now? Probably not, but we're intrigued by those who make it from the bottom on smarts alone, who are willing to challenge institutions and take big risks, because...we usually are not.
YOU WANT TO BE IN THE ROOM
That's where all the action takes place, where the story is hashed out. By time you read it in the newspaper it's usually wrong. If you want to win, if you want to be a player, you've got to find a way to get inside the room, where decisions are made and most of what is said never seeps out of the walls. It's all about uncovering the REAL STORY. And you can only do this by knowing the right people and being in the right place at the right time. People love to talk, they'll tell you anything. As long as you can keep a secret...
DON'T WRITE ANYTHING INCRIMINATING DOWN
That's the mark of an amateur. Success is all about plausible deniability.
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It's not something you learn in books, but an ability you're born with, that you believe in, that you exercise. Success in life is about analysis. That's what they teach in the elite institutions that those going to lesser colleges miss out on. Facts are irrelevant, you can look them up online. But how to put them together to create something new... That's what the stars know, how to hold two contradictory thoughts in their brain simultaneously and then 3-D model the future. Geniuses are one step ahead and are ultimately decried and hated for it. They have insight the rest of us lack. Or as Gretzky put it, skate to where the puck is going, not where it is right now.
INFORMATION IS EVERYTHING
That's why superstars are on the phone all day, why they cultivate relationships. Life is war and if you want to triumph you need to know where all the bodies are buried, who is relevant and who is not. Once someone focuses on personal hurts by irrelevant people you know it's time to move on. Winners focus on the prize, and never remove their eyes. So, once again, collect information, and then synthesize it into a plan.
BEWARE OF ADVERTISING AND PR
The narcos hired a PR firm, which charged them deep five digits for a logo that accomplished little. Use your PR team to navigate media outlets, advertising firms can come up with ideas, but you're in the driver's seat, you have to guide them and make the final decisions.
LOYALTY IS EVERYTHING
If you've got no one you can count on, who'll take a bullet for you, you're lost. Life is a team sport, which is why loners end up on the sidelines.
SOMEONE'S GOT TO BE THE LEADER
Once you're ceding territory to another, not wanting to be perceived as aggressive, you're lost. Natural leaders want the power the same way LeBron wants the ball. If you're questioning yourself, if you're letting someone else go first, you're doomed.
LEADERS AREN'T ALWAYS RIGHT
Gustavo gets Pablo to change course, but only after he hears Pablo out. He who speaks first often fails. Let others talk, and then gently nudge them in the direction you believe should be pursued.
THERE'S NO HONOR AMONG THIEVES
Not only in drugs, but tech and music too. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are not lovable teddy bears. Same deal with label heads. They need to make choices to stay in power and win, choices that you might think are illegal or abhor. You can quit, but if you won't do these same things you're never going to win. That's what they don't tell you about life... School teaches you to conform but rules are for suckers. If you don't believe everything is up for grabs, you're a loser.
PIVOT
Pablo Escobar didn't start out in drugs. Don't be married to who you are. A musician, a coder, a... Winners are always open to opportunities. If you're not willing to change your mind, change course, you're not going to win.
IF IT'S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT IS
We want to believe, and therefore we give charismatic leaders the benefit of the doubt when we shouldn't. People are mindless sheep who will do anything if given attention, especially by someone rich, powerful and famous.
FAMILY IS EVERYTHING
There's a reason your spouse can't be forced to testify against you in court. Choose your spouse wisely and teach your children well.
EVERYBODY LOSES IN THE END
When you hang it out that far, you're gonna get caught. What did the DEA man say... "The bad guys need to get lucky every time. The good guys just need to get lucky once."
EVERYTHING'S NEGOTIABLE
If you don't have the chutzpah to ask for the unthinkable, you're not dreaming big enough.
MONEY TALKS AND JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY HAS A PRICE
And if they're reluctant to conform, just threaten their family, see above.
LADIES LOVE OUTLAWS, AND MEN DO TOO
We want to believe we've got a way out, that's why we lionize the renegades.
THE LITTLE PEOPLE DON'T COUNT
They're uninformed and stupid and can be manipulated and are expendable. Don't believe me? You keep the Fortune 500 alive, but do these corporations care about you as they pollute, overcharge and pay no taxes? The sooner you wake up and realize the game is rigged, the earlier you get on the path of success.
LOVE WILL GET YOU IN TROUBLE
Following your johnson is the best way to be blown off course. If you can't say no to the little man, the big man may not survive.
WINNERS SLEEP WITH ONE EYE OPEN
They know someone else wants their perch.
WORK IS BORING, THE SPOILS ARE INTERESTING
Just ask a banker. If money is the byproduct you're looking for, don't be surprised if the work is drudgery. Which is why fat cats are always looking to invest in the entertainment business. And are always ripped off by the lifers in it. Don't go where you don't know. At best you have one area of expertise. Nobody knows everything and no one wins it all. Life is a game where the board is wiped clean every generation and no one has a sense of history. Do you think they'll be talking about Pablo Escobar fifty years from now? Probably not, but we're intrigued by those who make it from the bottom on smarts alone, who are willing to challenge institutions and take big risks, because...we usually are not.
YOU WANT TO BE IN THE ROOM
That's where all the action takes place, where the story is hashed out. By time you read it in the newspaper it's usually wrong. If you want to win, if you want to be a player, you've got to find a way to get inside the room, where decisions are made and most of what is said never seeps out of the walls. It's all about uncovering the REAL STORY. And you can only do this by knowing the right people and being in the right place at the right time. People love to talk, they'll tell you anything. As long as you can keep a secret...
DON'T WRITE ANYTHING INCRIMINATING DOWN
That's the mark of an amateur. Success is all about plausible deniability.
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Apple Presentation
How did they get TV so right and music so wrong?
Probably because they invented TV in-house, and they bought music from an outside source, and instead of trusting their gut, they deferred to Jimmy and his team, who are so out of it they believe that radio is gonna save the music business, as if we didn't live in an on demand culture.
What the present team doesn't understand is first and foremost it's SHOW BUSINESS! The presentation started out so slow it was hard to stay tuned in. Thank god I could surf while I watched. And if the public didn't want a huge Kindle, why does Apple think people want a huge iPad? Sure, iPad Pro does more, but the truth is the iPad is a faltering product, cannibalized by huge smartphones, and at best the iPad Pro is a niche product, made for artists and business users, and if you think we care...
We don't.
But television, we're all over that, it's driving our culture in a way music used to. Testing limits and titillating our senses, what kind of crazy world do we live in where it's more fun to stay home than go out?
And the truth is the new Apple TV doesn't include all services/providers, and I don't trust Siri, I wish there were a keystroke way of searching, maybe on my iPhone, maybe that's a hidden feature, but Apple has leapt forward and it's very impressive except for the fact that...
This is an old idea, Steve Jobs hinted at it to Walter Isaacson half a decade ago.
But give Apple props for execution.
But still the company is drifting without a center. First and foremost every product was foreshadowed in the press. If Jobs were still running the company tyrannically heads would have rolled. Where was the element of surprise? And I like that they included multiple women but so many people on stage were charisma-challenged it was hard to watch, once again, first and foremost, it's show business, content is secondary to presentation.
As for the new iPhones... They made Force Touch work, sounded like it wouldn't, but I was impressed.
And Apple is still the leader. But there's little innovation there. The limits are being tested, we're being wowed by new outsiders, Uber is cooler than almost everything on this presentation.
As for One Republic...
It's like putting lipstick on a pig. Everybody lost with One Republic's performance. Today's presentation had nothing to do with music, why include it? And if you do, why not mention the failing numbers at Apple Music? Just because people signed up that does not mean they use it. In the modern world most upgrade their software, especially on Apple devices. So people are signed up, but not trying it out, not extensively.
And multiple songs? Is this a concert or a tech presentation or..?
And who gives a whit about One Republic. It's kind of like hyping TV via "Green Acres," sure the sales are good, but there's no nougat, no meaning.
But everybody takes everything so seriously. As if we should care.
The public is disenchanted with politics and is following Donald Trump and you think we believe in One Republic, we the people who buy Apple products?
Make me puke.
Once again, a rudderless company where the design and fashion heads have too much pull. New Watch bands and colors? How about better functionality? I returned mine, it sucks.
And if I have to watch one more Jony Ive video... Who is he, Oz? Come out on stage and speak Jony, be human.
But he can't.
The formula is so tired as to almost be unwatchable.
I'm looking for innovation.
I'm not finding it at Apple.
I'm not finding it in music.
It's all over TV.
Which is why I'm excited about Apple's new television offering.
And that's just sad.
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Probably because they invented TV in-house, and they bought music from an outside source, and instead of trusting their gut, they deferred to Jimmy and his team, who are so out of it they believe that radio is gonna save the music business, as if we didn't live in an on demand culture.
What the present team doesn't understand is first and foremost it's SHOW BUSINESS! The presentation started out so slow it was hard to stay tuned in. Thank god I could surf while I watched. And if the public didn't want a huge Kindle, why does Apple think people want a huge iPad? Sure, iPad Pro does more, but the truth is the iPad is a faltering product, cannibalized by huge smartphones, and at best the iPad Pro is a niche product, made for artists and business users, and if you think we care...
We don't.
But television, we're all over that, it's driving our culture in a way music used to. Testing limits and titillating our senses, what kind of crazy world do we live in where it's more fun to stay home than go out?
And the truth is the new Apple TV doesn't include all services/providers, and I don't trust Siri, I wish there were a keystroke way of searching, maybe on my iPhone, maybe that's a hidden feature, but Apple has leapt forward and it's very impressive except for the fact that...
This is an old idea, Steve Jobs hinted at it to Walter Isaacson half a decade ago.
But give Apple props for execution.
But still the company is drifting without a center. First and foremost every product was foreshadowed in the press. If Jobs were still running the company tyrannically heads would have rolled. Where was the element of surprise? And I like that they included multiple women but so many people on stage were charisma-challenged it was hard to watch, once again, first and foremost, it's show business, content is secondary to presentation.
As for the new iPhones... They made Force Touch work, sounded like it wouldn't, but I was impressed.
And Apple is still the leader. But there's little innovation there. The limits are being tested, we're being wowed by new outsiders, Uber is cooler than almost everything on this presentation.
As for One Republic...
It's like putting lipstick on a pig. Everybody lost with One Republic's performance. Today's presentation had nothing to do with music, why include it? And if you do, why not mention the failing numbers at Apple Music? Just because people signed up that does not mean they use it. In the modern world most upgrade their software, especially on Apple devices. So people are signed up, but not trying it out, not extensively.
And multiple songs? Is this a concert or a tech presentation or..?
And who gives a whit about One Republic. It's kind of like hyping TV via "Green Acres," sure the sales are good, but there's no nougat, no meaning.
But everybody takes everything so seriously. As if we should care.
The public is disenchanted with politics and is following Donald Trump and you think we believe in One Republic, we the people who buy Apple products?
Make me puke.
Once again, a rudderless company where the design and fashion heads have too much pull. New Watch bands and colors? How about better functionality? I returned mine, it sucks.
And if I have to watch one more Jony Ive video... Who is he, Oz? Come out on stage and speak Jony, be human.
But he can't.
The formula is so tired as to almost be unwatchable.
I'm looking for innovation.
I'm not finding it at Apple.
I'm not finding it in music.
It's all over TV.
Which is why I'm excited about Apple's new television offering.
And that's just sad.
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Monday, 7 September 2015
More Narcos
Pablo Escobar was a rapper. A member of the underclass with no upward mobility who decided to take matters into his own hands and not only triumphed, but had the whole world watching and his minions paying fealty.
If you remember, rap replaced hair bands. Not overnight, the initial hits were nearly a decade before. But when MTV saw the rap ratings, they switched videos, guys from the ghetto became millionaires. And the white people who thought they ran this country, controlled people's hearts and minds, found out they didn't.
Like Escobar, the newly-minted rap impresarios lived large. They weren't saving for retirement, they weren't even planning to get to retirement. Money can't buy you love, but it can buy you a boat, some sex and a big 'ol house and a Maybach. Which everybody can view. A college degree sits on the wall, but clothes and babes and parties and jets are for all to see.
Now eventually the rappers got co-opted by the money. That's what happens with anti-establishment figures, once they have something to protect, they want to. And the public...it's left out, withering on the vine, kind of like today.
We've got a great unwashed underclass with no opportunity. We've got a failing middle class that just can't believe the jobs are gone. And a horrified upper middle class, that believed its Ivy League degrees were a Get Out of Jail Free card, that they could survive on their education, when the truth is we live in the land of money, and unless you've got it, you're screwed.
Oh, you can be a techie.
And what's most interesting about the techies is like Escobar and rappers they see no rules, and those that are in their way are broken. It's what happened with Napster, and if you think the music industry won there, you're probably still buying CDs. Because once the flower of justice blooms, life is never the same.
Fifteen dollar CDs with one overpriced track were too much. People poured through the hole Napster provided. To bitch about Spotify and Apple Music is to misunderstand history, they're just trying to put a wall around the chaos. The people want all the music for a very low price, and that ain't gonna change.
And then there are the bankers. Who skim in ways not only the government can't understand, but neither can most of Wall Street's workers. As for the hedge funders, they've rigged the tax system to their advantage, the government can't get them, because they're paying elected officials off. If you think this is any different from how Pablo Escobar reigned, you think bankers don't snort cocaine.
But they do.
And the leader of the rap cartel was Jay Z. Who escaped the streets with the most money and the best babe and got cash from major corporations to boot. But then he made a mistake, he forgot his roots, he bought Tidal, not realizing that once you've left your audience's side, once you're no longer doing it for them, you're screwed.
So Jay Z has been replaced by Donald Trump. Who was born on third base, maybe second, and is far from home, he lies about his success, but he's a beacon to the underclass...that someone at the top is on their team, someone at the top is telling the truth.
Did you see Trump came down on Karl Rove?
"Why does @oreillyfactor and @FoxNews always have Karl Rove on. He spent $430 million and lost ALL races. A dope who said Romney won election"
http://bit.ly/1NO07Jq
Who says this stuff? Who speaks the truth?
Once upon a time Pablo Escobar did. And then the rappers.
And now Trump.
Illustrating that he who ties in with the underprivileged ultimately wins. Not only do politicians no longer get it, that the public is fed-up with D.C., but it's musicians too. Musicians haven't been in bed with their audience for such a long time. They scalp their own tickets and rake in money from endorsements and keep bitching that's someone's screwing THEM without realizing that the system is screwing their audience every damn day, and unless you're humble and know which side your toast is buttered on, your piece of bread is going to be burned.
Out of fear our whole nation has been running for safety, in a game of musical chairs where most are left out. Not realizing there will be a price to pay.
We're looking for leaders.
Don't like today's music? Just wait a while, the slate's gonna be wiped clean. Just like the gays killed corporate rock with disco and the rappers killed hair bands, something is gonna come along and knock vapid pop off its perch. Could take years, but it's coming.
As for politicians and the rich... Let this be the great awakening, you can't leave the rest of us this far behind for this long. Rules, schmules. Laws, schlaws. Did laws stop the internet? Where the revolutionaries spread their gospel? Hell, even Muslim terrorists employ the internet for propaganda today. There's less control than ever before. And what side you're on counts. In Colombia, they shot the rich, those who got in their way. Because the truth is nobody is protected. How it goes down in America..? We'll see.
But one thing we know is what's happening today ain't gonna last.
Never does.
The oligarchs and their sycophants, everybody worshipping cash and believing they're immune, they've got another thing coming. Because human nature trumps money. And those who help their brother ultimately succeed.
Fight abortion and unions and taxes and then find out...
The public isn't with you. Isn't that the essence of Trump? Read Paul Krugman's piece today for insight ("Trump Is Right On Economics": http://nyti.ms/1NkPeik). Everything you thought you knew was wrong. And the control the media thinks it has is nonexistent.
This is when people fight for their rights. When their backs are up against the wall and they see no options.
That's how we got Pablo Escobar.
And that's how we got rap.
What's next?
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If you remember, rap replaced hair bands. Not overnight, the initial hits were nearly a decade before. But when MTV saw the rap ratings, they switched videos, guys from the ghetto became millionaires. And the white people who thought they ran this country, controlled people's hearts and minds, found out they didn't.
Like Escobar, the newly-minted rap impresarios lived large. They weren't saving for retirement, they weren't even planning to get to retirement. Money can't buy you love, but it can buy you a boat, some sex and a big 'ol house and a Maybach. Which everybody can view. A college degree sits on the wall, but clothes and babes and parties and jets are for all to see.
Now eventually the rappers got co-opted by the money. That's what happens with anti-establishment figures, once they have something to protect, they want to. And the public...it's left out, withering on the vine, kind of like today.
We've got a great unwashed underclass with no opportunity. We've got a failing middle class that just can't believe the jobs are gone. And a horrified upper middle class, that believed its Ivy League degrees were a Get Out of Jail Free card, that they could survive on their education, when the truth is we live in the land of money, and unless you've got it, you're screwed.
Oh, you can be a techie.
And what's most interesting about the techies is like Escobar and rappers they see no rules, and those that are in their way are broken. It's what happened with Napster, and if you think the music industry won there, you're probably still buying CDs. Because once the flower of justice blooms, life is never the same.
Fifteen dollar CDs with one overpriced track were too much. People poured through the hole Napster provided. To bitch about Spotify and Apple Music is to misunderstand history, they're just trying to put a wall around the chaos. The people want all the music for a very low price, and that ain't gonna change.
And then there are the bankers. Who skim in ways not only the government can't understand, but neither can most of Wall Street's workers. As for the hedge funders, they've rigged the tax system to their advantage, the government can't get them, because they're paying elected officials off. If you think this is any different from how Pablo Escobar reigned, you think bankers don't snort cocaine.
But they do.
And the leader of the rap cartel was Jay Z. Who escaped the streets with the most money and the best babe and got cash from major corporations to boot. But then he made a mistake, he forgot his roots, he bought Tidal, not realizing that once you've left your audience's side, once you're no longer doing it for them, you're screwed.
So Jay Z has been replaced by Donald Trump. Who was born on third base, maybe second, and is far from home, he lies about his success, but he's a beacon to the underclass...that someone at the top is on their team, someone at the top is telling the truth.
Did you see Trump came down on Karl Rove?
"Why does @oreillyfactor and @FoxNews always have Karl Rove on. He spent $430 million and lost ALL races. A dope who said Romney won election"
http://bit.ly/1NO07Jq
Who says this stuff? Who speaks the truth?
Once upon a time Pablo Escobar did. And then the rappers.
And now Trump.
Illustrating that he who ties in with the underprivileged ultimately wins. Not only do politicians no longer get it, that the public is fed-up with D.C., but it's musicians too. Musicians haven't been in bed with their audience for such a long time. They scalp their own tickets and rake in money from endorsements and keep bitching that's someone's screwing THEM without realizing that the system is screwing their audience every damn day, and unless you're humble and know which side your toast is buttered on, your piece of bread is going to be burned.
Out of fear our whole nation has been running for safety, in a game of musical chairs where most are left out. Not realizing there will be a price to pay.
We're looking for leaders.
Don't like today's music? Just wait a while, the slate's gonna be wiped clean. Just like the gays killed corporate rock with disco and the rappers killed hair bands, something is gonna come along and knock vapid pop off its perch. Could take years, but it's coming.
As for politicians and the rich... Let this be the great awakening, you can't leave the rest of us this far behind for this long. Rules, schmules. Laws, schlaws. Did laws stop the internet? Where the revolutionaries spread their gospel? Hell, even Muslim terrorists employ the internet for propaganda today. There's less control than ever before. And what side you're on counts. In Colombia, they shot the rich, those who got in their way. Because the truth is nobody is protected. How it goes down in America..? We'll see.
But one thing we know is what's happening today ain't gonna last.
Never does.
The oligarchs and their sycophants, everybody worshipping cash and believing they're immune, they've got another thing coming. Because human nature trumps money. And those who help their brother ultimately succeed.
Fight abortion and unions and taxes and then find out...
The public isn't with you. Isn't that the essence of Trump? Read Paul Krugman's piece today for insight ("Trump Is Right On Economics": http://nyti.ms/1NkPeik). Everything you thought you knew was wrong. And the control the media thinks it has is nonexistent.
This is when people fight for their rights. When their backs are up against the wall and they see no options.
That's how we got Pablo Escobar.
And that's how we got rap.
What's next?
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
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The Rich Get Richer
"The Crowding-Out Effect of Gargantuan Movies": http://nyti.ms/1g5UpE5
This has already happened in music, it's just that nobody wants to admit it.
A few superstar acts are making all the dough. The rest are blaming the internet and Spotify for decimating their financial careers.
But the truth is most people don't care.
Most people are lonely, disconnected, they want to belong, and therefore they partake of what's popular in order to have a basis of conversation.
In the information economy it's simple to ferret out what is a quality product. It happens in phones, it happens in social networks... Facebook succeeded not because of advertising, but because unlike MySpace it just worked, and therefore people gravitated to it and spread the word about it.
And that's the ultimate success, word of mouth. Which is why you can have a huge advertising campaign that results in a dud. Kinda like last year's Tom Petty release, definitely like this year's Keith Richards release. Incredible PR efforts with no one talking about the underlying product... And there's new product every week, so why should we spend time digging deeper on the mediocre?
That's right, unless you're going to put out incredible music, you're playing to your fans only, your audience isn't going to grow. Chances are, it's going to shrink, because people are constantly exposed to great new stuff, and they'd rather listen to that.
This is what the internet has wrought. With all information at our fingertips, it turns out we all want the same thing. You may think you're immune, but you too are using Google, Amazon, iPhone or Android. As for the faltering Twitter, it doesn't even have a competitor! That's right, the techies are smarter than the media companies, they know success lies not in reinventing the wheel, but in coming up with a whole new product.
So the tail is wagging the dog. And it hasn't been this way since the dawn of advertising. The consumer rules. You can make people aware, but with everything available instantly, with quality assessments easily accessible, and the ability to communicate with the world at your fingertips, it turns out the public is in control. And he who does not accede to this dictum is destined for death.
Kind of like the marginal cable TV channels. Kept alive by system payments. They never had large audiences, but now the systems themselves are in transition, because of cord-cutting. That's right, the public doesn't want to pay. And the truth is cable systems will end up fine, they're just switching to being internet providers. Even Jim Dolan, New York City's most hated man, knows this, Cablevision upgraded its internet to compete with FiOS. But artists cannot see that the game has changed.
The truth is we want very few movies. First they came for the indies, now they're coming for the studio pictures.
That's right, indie pics are failing at the box office and studios have ratcheted down their production. The Sundance whizzes have whiffed. It's about "Jurassic Park" and...
"Straight Outta Compton."
Feel good about the latter. Its success was unpredicted, at least at this large scale. Turns out the public adopted the N.W.A. story and spread the word.
And, just to make sure you're paying attention, just to confound you further, in an overly-noisy environment only that which is highly promoted/advertised has a chance! Virality is dead. There's just too much information. You need a head start. Major labels and studios are kings. But, most of what they purvey will flop too. Which is why studios and labels are putting out ever less product, and are fearful of taking a chance on something risky.
And next comes TV. There are 400 scripted shows. There won't be in the future.
But TV is expensive compared to music. But just because the barrier to entry is so low in music, that doesn't mean you will gain attention. It's easier than ever to play, it's harder than ever to get noticed.
This is not the way it was supposed to be. The internet was supposed to level the playing field, let the cream rise to the top. Allow everybody to begin from the same starting line and let the best man win.
Well, the starting lines are now staggered. Unless you have a head start, you're almost definitely going to fail. And when we reach the finish line... We'll find only a few men and women standing.
You can't tour because no one wants to see you, not because expenses are so high.
You're broke not because streaming services don't pay well, but because no one wants to listen to you.
You can't get ahead because you're not in bed with the usual suspect powers, with all their connections, not because your music isn't good enough. You need the A level manager, agent and label to push you.
You may be mad that everybody knows Bieber and Gomez, Perry and Swift, and not you. But the former are playing the game most people are paying attention to, everybody knows their name and not yours. And they're the beneficiaries of committees of the best people creating and pounding their product. Which you pooh-pooh, but the joke is on you.
You can play to your niche, there's nothing wrong with that.
But if you're gonna bitch...
"Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'"
Already changed, in fact. To bitch about pop, to rail against music by committee, to agitate against streaming payments, is a fruitless effort made by those not clued in. Wanna make change? First be a success. Wanna be a success? Create something as good as Max Martin does. Max not only made Taylor Swift an international pop phenomenon, he did the same for the Weeknd.
There are fewer new stars than ever before.
But that does not mean they will all sound the same forevermore.
Innovation works. We're looking for the new and different. "Straight Outta Compton" proves this.
But no review said "Compton" sucked. "Compton" had to vault a high bar. And once it did, its fans got the rest of America to go too.
We're in the midst of a great consolidation. You can either obey the new rules or get left behind.
It's your choice.
--
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--
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This has already happened in music, it's just that nobody wants to admit it.
A few superstar acts are making all the dough. The rest are blaming the internet and Spotify for decimating their financial careers.
But the truth is most people don't care.
Most people are lonely, disconnected, they want to belong, and therefore they partake of what's popular in order to have a basis of conversation.
In the information economy it's simple to ferret out what is a quality product. It happens in phones, it happens in social networks... Facebook succeeded not because of advertising, but because unlike MySpace it just worked, and therefore people gravitated to it and spread the word about it.
And that's the ultimate success, word of mouth. Which is why you can have a huge advertising campaign that results in a dud. Kinda like last year's Tom Petty release, definitely like this year's Keith Richards release. Incredible PR efforts with no one talking about the underlying product... And there's new product every week, so why should we spend time digging deeper on the mediocre?
That's right, unless you're going to put out incredible music, you're playing to your fans only, your audience isn't going to grow. Chances are, it's going to shrink, because people are constantly exposed to great new stuff, and they'd rather listen to that.
This is what the internet has wrought. With all information at our fingertips, it turns out we all want the same thing. You may think you're immune, but you too are using Google, Amazon, iPhone or Android. As for the faltering Twitter, it doesn't even have a competitor! That's right, the techies are smarter than the media companies, they know success lies not in reinventing the wheel, but in coming up with a whole new product.
So the tail is wagging the dog. And it hasn't been this way since the dawn of advertising. The consumer rules. You can make people aware, but with everything available instantly, with quality assessments easily accessible, and the ability to communicate with the world at your fingertips, it turns out the public is in control. And he who does not accede to this dictum is destined for death.
Kind of like the marginal cable TV channels. Kept alive by system payments. They never had large audiences, but now the systems themselves are in transition, because of cord-cutting. That's right, the public doesn't want to pay. And the truth is cable systems will end up fine, they're just switching to being internet providers. Even Jim Dolan, New York City's most hated man, knows this, Cablevision upgraded its internet to compete with FiOS. But artists cannot see that the game has changed.
The truth is we want very few movies. First they came for the indies, now they're coming for the studio pictures.
That's right, indie pics are failing at the box office and studios have ratcheted down their production. The Sundance whizzes have whiffed. It's about "Jurassic Park" and...
"Straight Outta Compton."
Feel good about the latter. Its success was unpredicted, at least at this large scale. Turns out the public adopted the N.W.A. story and spread the word.
And, just to make sure you're paying attention, just to confound you further, in an overly-noisy environment only that which is highly promoted/advertised has a chance! Virality is dead. There's just too much information. You need a head start. Major labels and studios are kings. But, most of what they purvey will flop too. Which is why studios and labels are putting out ever less product, and are fearful of taking a chance on something risky.
And next comes TV. There are 400 scripted shows. There won't be in the future.
But TV is expensive compared to music. But just because the barrier to entry is so low in music, that doesn't mean you will gain attention. It's easier than ever to play, it's harder than ever to get noticed.
This is not the way it was supposed to be. The internet was supposed to level the playing field, let the cream rise to the top. Allow everybody to begin from the same starting line and let the best man win.
Well, the starting lines are now staggered. Unless you have a head start, you're almost definitely going to fail. And when we reach the finish line... We'll find only a few men and women standing.
You can't tour because no one wants to see you, not because expenses are so high.
You're broke not because streaming services don't pay well, but because no one wants to listen to you.
You can't get ahead because you're not in bed with the usual suspect powers, with all their connections, not because your music isn't good enough. You need the A level manager, agent and label to push you.
You may be mad that everybody knows Bieber and Gomez, Perry and Swift, and not you. But the former are playing the game most people are paying attention to, everybody knows their name and not yours. And they're the beneficiaries of committees of the best people creating and pounding their product. Which you pooh-pooh, but the joke is on you.
You can play to your niche, there's nothing wrong with that.
But if you're gonna bitch...
"Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'"
Already changed, in fact. To bitch about pop, to rail against music by committee, to agitate against streaming payments, is a fruitless effort made by those not clued in. Wanna make change? First be a success. Wanna be a success? Create something as good as Max Martin does. Max not only made Taylor Swift an international pop phenomenon, he did the same for the Weeknd.
There are fewer new stars than ever before.
But that does not mean they will all sound the same forevermore.
Innovation works. We're looking for the new and different. "Straight Outta Compton" proves this.
But no review said "Compton" sucked. "Compton" had to vault a high bar. And once it did, its fans got the rest of America to go too.
We're in the midst of a great consolidation. You can either obey the new rules or get left behind.
It's your choice.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
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