He was everywhere and then he was nowhere. He's the only classic rock act that hasn't burned it out on an endless dash for cash, making me squirm.
I bought "Tea For The Tillerman" and "Mona Bone Jakon" simultaneously in April 1971, I'd never heard either on the radio but the positive reviews were deafening. I knew he'd broken through when my old, long gone friend Ronnie and I stopped for a bite in Burlington after a day banging the bumps at Stowe later that month and I heard "Tea For The Tillerman" pouring through the open doors of a van. That was the ultimate vehicle back then, you could take all your stuff with you. Funny how today these same people need SUVs, afraid a van will give them a bad image, but the image back then was...I'm free and easy, the road is wide open, I'm gonna suck the marrow from life.
And then Reagan legitimized greed, acquisition became everything, musical acts couldn't stop telling us how much better than us they were, who they were hanging with, how they were extracting cash from corporations, and the gulf between them and us was wide and palpable.
But not Thursday night.
Kinda weird, I know. These are songs we know by heart, but it's like they don't exist outside of our brains. And then Cat Stevens steps up to the mic and starts singing "Where Do The Children Play?" and you're jetted right back to what once was. There was a collective gasp in the audience, was this really happening? And then applause and a standing ovation, in this case not obligatory, but well-deserved.
Being gone for three decades will do that for you.
And it will also leave your voice intact. He sounded no different than he did in the seventies, it was as if no time had passed, and he was exuding such warmth.
This was billed as an acoustic enterprise. And although ultimately there were two accompanists, on guitar and bass, sometimes electric, that's what it was, quiet and intimate, as if the man himself had stopped by in your living room and told his tale with a smile.
He was glad to be there.
No one's glad to be on stage anymore. They're all pissed they don't make as much from recordings. It's just one of an endless number of dates. Whereas every live show used to be an opportunity for the performer and audience to bond, to get high together.
We got high Thursday night.
This was not Bob Dylan refusing to speak to the audience. And no video screens were necessary, we were all up close and personal. And...
Cat/Steven/Yusuf told us his story. From living atop his parents' cafe in London to hearing the Beatles to picking up a guitar to having a hit.
When music was the juice of the world, not only a way to get rich and travel, but to get your point across.
And when it's an "Evening With," with no opening act, no time constraints, you get to hear not only the whole story, but the songs you thought you'd never hear again. Not only "Father and Son,' but "I Love My Dog."
But the first transcendent moment was "Trouble."
"Trouble
Oh trouble set me free
I have seen your face
And it's too much for me"
This track stuck out of "Mona Bona Jakon." And when I heard it in "Harold and Maude" I swooned. Some cuts are hiding in plain sight, they're monsters that never got any airplay, but are well-known and mean so much to those familiar with them, kinda like Brian Wilson's "'Til I Die."
I'm pinching myself. Telling myself to concentrate. Because soon the song would be gone, into the ether, it was a moment in time not to be repeated, that's the essence of a live show.
And Cat sang a bit of "From Me To You," before dropping the needle on an actual record player on stage so we could hear the rest of it. That's what we did back then, dropped the needle. Vinyl wasn't fetishized, it was mostly abhorred, Cat had a hard time extracting the record from the sleeve, and we heard the pops and clicks, CDs with their digital tracks were a revelation. Progress is amazing. But have we progressed in music?
He also played "The First Cut Is The Deepest." The original iteration, before Rod Stewart added soul and took it from a ditty to an anthem, before it became a popular standard, Cat wrote it. That used to be the ultimate goal, not to sing the song, but to write it, hopefully to do both.
And after an hour, there was an intermission.
I went backstage with Michael McDonald, one of three managers, the others being Kelly Curtis and Michele Anthony, and I figured it'd be the usual hang and then...
Cat appeared, in between sets, with a smile on his face, he gripped each of our hands and stared into our eyes for what seemed like an eternity. We're supposed to be paying fealty to him, but he was paying fealty to us!
I don't need to meet the act. If you've got a wall full of pics with you and famous icons I'm laughing. Is that how you get your jollies? They've got no idea who you are and they don't care, but Cat wasn't leaving so I asked him about his t-shirt, with a logo I didn't know. He didn't either, he said his son had given it to him, and he laughed. Remember when you wore on stage what you wore off? When the clothes didn't matter? This was the t-shirt Cat was wearing on stage.
And the highlight of the evening was "Father and Son."
Cat said it was supposed to be part of a musical, a Russian father telling his son not to go off to war.
"I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy
To be calm when you've found something going on
But take your time, think a lot"
Nobody thinks anymore. Either they run on instinct, or just go head first into the future. With age comes wisdom, but when the aged are imitating the young, getting plastic surgery, slithering into skinny jeans, who's going to listen to them?
We used to listen to our rock stars.
And there were further covers. A singalong to "All You Need Is Love," "People Get Ready," when you're comfortable in your own skin you can shine the light on others, on the experience we all had back then.
We all sang "Moonshadow." Removed from the radio, played in a venue where it was just him and us, it was a religious experience. You couldn't help but vocalize.
It was like it was back then, everybody sat.
But it was today. As if a relative or friend returned from the dead and although he was aged and gray, he was the same as he ever was. HOW CAN THIS BE?
Chris Cornell came out and duetted on "Wild World," but I just wanted to hear Cat, I needed no stunting, no trappings, the man was enough, the glass was already full, overflowing, in fact.
"If you want to be free, be free
'Cause there's a million things to be
You know that there are"
You didn't have to work for the bank, nobody wanted to. Life was about personal fulfillment, not avoiding the pitfalls. A potter, a teacher, a singer, they were all reasonable professions.
"Well, if you want to sing out, sing out"
I'm still digesting Thursday's concert, I still haven't wrapped my head around it. I own these records, and it turns out so many others do too. We remember what once was, it's only a smidge beneath the surface. We remember when music ruled the world, when we knew not everybody could make it, and we hoisted the talented to the top of the world, their deserved perch.
And then this guy who's been absent from the scene re-emerges and it's like not a single day has passed. And he's so similar to the rest of us, he got hooked by the music, he was searching for meaning.
His conversion to Islam was completely comprehensible when put in context. Over and over again Cat was searching for answers, reading, because money and fame are not everything, that's just a canard the media sells us.
But the Beatles went to India and Cat studied Buddhism and I...
Studied them. They were my mentors, my beacons, all the truth, all the guidance I needed was contained in the grooves.
And the grooves came alive Thursday night.
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Saturday, 8 October 2016
A Man Called Ove
If movies were this good, I'd go every day.
We were planning to go to the Reagan Library. I took my mom to lunch at an Indian restaurant in the West Valley. She's here for the Jewish holidays. My sister recommended a place with a patio, but I can't sit in the sun, the pill I take makes me super-sensitive. You know how the pharmacist always warns you? Well, with Gleevec it's real, I've got the sunburn to show for it. My beach days are through. So, I Googled, and L.A. Eater said to go Anarbagh, it was listed first. Now there's nothing like Indian from a dive in London, and I can't say today's dishes were as good, but like Joey Ramone, I like a good vindaloo, and it hit the spot.
So, with the rest of the afternoon to kill I suggested we visit the Reagan Library, in Simi Valley, a mere half hour away, my mother was not a fan of the man but she loves a good museum and I called and they were open and had wheelchairs and after a preparatory pee I realized...
We couldn't do it. I couldn't push the wheelchair. Because of my shoulder surgery.
So we decided to go to the movies. My mother goes every Friday night. Recently, she's seen dogs. But she grew up going to the flicks and she can't break the habit. I told her about "Narcos," other stuff you can stream, but she's got to see it on the big screen.
I figured we'd go see "The Girl On The Train." But she already knew it had gotten bad reviews. I checked it on the Tomatometer, she was right, it was under 50%. And I suggested "Birth Of A Nation" but time was tight and then I saw...
"A Man Called Ove." Which had an 88% rating, and few things break 90 on Rottentomatoes.com.
Amy recommended the book. She's a social worker at UCLA Hospital. She's the most compassionate person I know. But the story didn't quite resonate, maybe it was the translation, it seemed a bit too one note, a sour man gets redeemed.
But the film was better than the book. This is only the second time I've ever experienced this, the first was with "Wonder Boys."
So we drove to the Laemmle Town Center.
It's where the old Jews go. The stooped, the infirm, they're keeping the foreign movies alive. It was an endless parade of the less than functional, interspersed with Valleyites walking by while we waited for the film to begin. We had an hour to kill. My mother caught me up with her circle. That's what Jews do, tell the stories of people. This one who made the bad choice, that one who's in the bad marriage, it's an endless movie not projected on screen, but based in reality. And when you get older and no one works it's the petty that gets in your way. Is someone inviting you expecting payback? By taking up that invitation did my mother get herself into a quagmire, will she have to include this woman forevermore?
And it's a game of musical chairs. Everybody keeps dying. There are only a few left. My mom is gonna be ninety in December. A hard number to fathom, but it will be crushing when she's gone. For us. She's ready to go, she keeps saying that people live too long.
So we rode the handicapped elevator down to the main floor. Shuffled into the theatre and were confronted with trailers that were actually interesting. An Israeli movie about finding an old love, I wanted to see it.
And I didn't really want to see "Ove." I had a bad experience with "Indignation," I read the book right before, my expectations were too high, they left the climactic snow scene out.
I go for plot, for story, and if I know it already...
But "A Man Called Ove" was different.
First and foremost, it was a film.
I live in Los Angeles. It's sunny nearly every day. And I'm not complaining, but I miss the mist and the fog and the snow, they breed character.
And Ove is like me. This I remember from the book. WHY CAN'T PEOPLE OBEY THE RULES! Ove is bothered when bikes are left out, when cars go down pedestrian avenues. I'm bothered when you try to sneak into line, when you toss your garbage from your automobile. I don't know why I'm this way. Bending rules is so difficult for me. Which is probably why I'd make a bad entrepreneur, because sometimes they don't even know where the line is!
And in the book, they paint a better picture of Ove's upbringing, where he's coming from.
But in the film there's a better depiction of his marriage.
Bottom line, Ove gets laid off and he doesn't know what to do with himself. His wife has died and he decides to join her. But he keeps getting interrupted.
Everybody's so busy getting rich and famous. Sure, social media is communication, but there's a level of boasting underneath. It's a giant pecking order and you're valued by your followers and your likes and everybody can see. Life is no longer for the living, it's about quantification.
But if you're an oldster in Sweden...
America has devolved into the land of comic book movies.
But overseas, they're still telling stories about life.
"A Man Called Ove" is sad, but it's funny, just like life. If you're not laughing at a funeral... Or, as Joni Mitchell sang, "Laughing and crying, you know it's the same release."
What makes life worth living?
To what degree are we our neighbors' keepers?
Is what we base our judgment and friendship upon valid? If you drive a Volvo instead of a Saab, Ove is going to have a hard time being your friend. If you drive a BMW, forget about it.
Sure, it's easier to watch at home. But going to the theatre... You've got to make the effort, the room is dark, and when done right film takes you away and informs you about real life.
"A Man Called Ove" did this.
It's not perfect, but it'll get you thinking... What is life about? Are you just a rat in cage? Are you so set in your ways you can't get out of your own way?
And some of us are burdened with tragedies through no fault of our own.
But we must soldier on.
Ove learns it's worth soldiering on.
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We were planning to go to the Reagan Library. I took my mom to lunch at an Indian restaurant in the West Valley. She's here for the Jewish holidays. My sister recommended a place with a patio, but I can't sit in the sun, the pill I take makes me super-sensitive. You know how the pharmacist always warns you? Well, with Gleevec it's real, I've got the sunburn to show for it. My beach days are through. So, I Googled, and L.A. Eater said to go Anarbagh, it was listed first. Now there's nothing like Indian from a dive in London, and I can't say today's dishes were as good, but like Joey Ramone, I like a good vindaloo, and it hit the spot.
So, with the rest of the afternoon to kill I suggested we visit the Reagan Library, in Simi Valley, a mere half hour away, my mother was not a fan of the man but she loves a good museum and I called and they were open and had wheelchairs and after a preparatory pee I realized...
We couldn't do it. I couldn't push the wheelchair. Because of my shoulder surgery.
So we decided to go to the movies. My mother goes every Friday night. Recently, she's seen dogs. But she grew up going to the flicks and she can't break the habit. I told her about "Narcos," other stuff you can stream, but she's got to see it on the big screen.
I figured we'd go see "The Girl On The Train." But she already knew it had gotten bad reviews. I checked it on the Tomatometer, she was right, it was under 50%. And I suggested "Birth Of A Nation" but time was tight and then I saw...
"A Man Called Ove." Which had an 88% rating, and few things break 90 on Rottentomatoes.com.
Amy recommended the book. She's a social worker at UCLA Hospital. She's the most compassionate person I know. But the story didn't quite resonate, maybe it was the translation, it seemed a bit too one note, a sour man gets redeemed.
But the film was better than the book. This is only the second time I've ever experienced this, the first was with "Wonder Boys."
So we drove to the Laemmle Town Center.
It's where the old Jews go. The stooped, the infirm, they're keeping the foreign movies alive. It was an endless parade of the less than functional, interspersed with Valleyites walking by while we waited for the film to begin. We had an hour to kill. My mother caught me up with her circle. That's what Jews do, tell the stories of people. This one who made the bad choice, that one who's in the bad marriage, it's an endless movie not projected on screen, but based in reality. And when you get older and no one works it's the petty that gets in your way. Is someone inviting you expecting payback? By taking up that invitation did my mother get herself into a quagmire, will she have to include this woman forevermore?
And it's a game of musical chairs. Everybody keeps dying. There are only a few left. My mom is gonna be ninety in December. A hard number to fathom, but it will be crushing when she's gone. For us. She's ready to go, she keeps saying that people live too long.
So we rode the handicapped elevator down to the main floor. Shuffled into the theatre and were confronted with trailers that were actually interesting. An Israeli movie about finding an old love, I wanted to see it.
And I didn't really want to see "Ove." I had a bad experience with "Indignation," I read the book right before, my expectations were too high, they left the climactic snow scene out.
I go for plot, for story, and if I know it already...
But "A Man Called Ove" was different.
First and foremost, it was a film.
I live in Los Angeles. It's sunny nearly every day. And I'm not complaining, but I miss the mist and the fog and the snow, they breed character.
And Ove is like me. This I remember from the book. WHY CAN'T PEOPLE OBEY THE RULES! Ove is bothered when bikes are left out, when cars go down pedestrian avenues. I'm bothered when you try to sneak into line, when you toss your garbage from your automobile. I don't know why I'm this way. Bending rules is so difficult for me. Which is probably why I'd make a bad entrepreneur, because sometimes they don't even know where the line is!
And in the book, they paint a better picture of Ove's upbringing, where he's coming from.
But in the film there's a better depiction of his marriage.
Bottom line, Ove gets laid off and he doesn't know what to do with himself. His wife has died and he decides to join her. But he keeps getting interrupted.
Everybody's so busy getting rich and famous. Sure, social media is communication, but there's a level of boasting underneath. It's a giant pecking order and you're valued by your followers and your likes and everybody can see. Life is no longer for the living, it's about quantification.
But if you're an oldster in Sweden...
America has devolved into the land of comic book movies.
But overseas, they're still telling stories about life.
"A Man Called Ove" is sad, but it's funny, just like life. If you're not laughing at a funeral... Or, as Joni Mitchell sang, "Laughing and crying, you know it's the same release."
What makes life worth living?
To what degree are we our neighbors' keepers?
Is what we base our judgment and friendship upon valid? If you drive a Volvo instead of a Saab, Ove is going to have a hard time being your friend. If you drive a BMW, forget about it.
Sure, it's easier to watch at home. But going to the theatre... You've got to make the effort, the room is dark, and when done right film takes you away and informs you about real life.
"A Man Called Ove" did this.
It's not perfect, but it'll get you thinking... What is life about? Are you just a rat in cage? Are you so set in your ways you can't get out of your own way?
And some of us are burdened with tragedies through no fault of our own.
But we must soldier on.
Ove learns it's worth soldiering on.
--
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Thursday, 6 October 2016
Twitter For Sale
"He not busy being born is busy dying."
Bob Dylan wrote that. It's a line from "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding," a track on the 1965 album "Bringing It All Back Home." That's right, while you were listening to Herman's Hermits Bob Dylan was revolutionizing songwriting. By the end of the year he triumphed with "Like A Rolling Stone," which not only contained its sneering lyrics and Al Kooper's organ, but lasted over six minutes when AM radio ditties rarely broke three.
Bob Dylan was a revolutionary, breaking convention. One of the best and the brightest, he'd been inspired by folk music and twisted the past into something brand new. He had something to say, and refused to be embalmed, living in the past. Pete Seeger's heyday was already behind him. Dylan went electric and went worldwide.
Twitter became moribund. It captured the zeitgeist and refused to innovate. Kind of like all those bands the Beatles and Dylan pushed off the pop chart. There was something there, but the old acts did not know how to reconstitute the elements to move forward. Tech is all about pushing forward, it's what have you done for me lately. How did music become just the opposite?
Marc Benioff wants Twitter for the data, and the customer service opportunities. Kind of like a wizard A&R guy he wants to strip what doesn't work and emphasize that which does. Meanwhile, the underpinnings are the essence. The treasure trove of information generated each and every day.
Music services generate said info. And insiders use it more and more. But still not enough. Meanwhile, users are basking in the glory of Spotify's "Discover Weekly," "Release Radar" and "Daily Mix," all data-generated, all filling needs we did not know we had. You've got to hit 'em with the Hein, fast and furious, when they least expect it. That was Steve Jobs's magic, he got you to buy that which you could not previously conceive, and kept upping the ante with new software products, most of which were free, from iTunes to iPhoto to...
We've had two great upheavals in the music business. One was classic rock and the other was MTV. Both drew out not only fans, but creators. But somehow the business has become calcified, protecting what once was as opposed to what could be.
Artists can't stop bitching their cheese has been moved. If they were Oracle, they'd get Salesforce shut down. Yes, Marc Benioff runs Salesforce. His revelation was to put software online, in the cloud, as opposed to the old model of having servers inside the building. This is no different from the move from physical to streaming. Someone comes up with a new, more efficient way of distribution and...the smart money goes along with it, the dumb money stays behind.
But the dumb money rules the music business. Which believes change is anathema. The great crunch came and the record labels cut back. Instead of releasing more material, experimenting, because costs were so low, they got safe, they put out very little and it sounds just like what came before. Just try selling a non-friendly radio act to a record label, can't be done, unless it comes with an already established fanbase.
Jack Dorsey was married to the past, no one could mess with his baby. Which is why old acts are superseded by new ones. You need a clean sheet of paper, you must see things differently. Like any act without hits the buzz on Twitter faded, and now it's for sale.
Now there's a roll-up factor here. That which seemed independent is oftentimes better as part of a conglomerate, where synergy can transpire. Spotify should not be an indie company. Not because it can't make money, but because it can't monetize its data as well as a bigger entity could.
And Pandora has hit a wall.
And iHeart is just catching up.
And Apple Music keeps having its lunch eaten. While it's fixing its interface, Spotify is running circles around it with its utilization of data. Apple believes the big kahuna never fails, because of scale, but that's not the story of Silicon Valley.
So what's a poor boy to do?
No one at a label will take a risk, because no one has any ownership, they're all employees who are afraid of losing their jobs. This is not Herb and Jerry allowing the fields to go fallow so they can reap huge rewards in the future.
And the best and the brightest see little opportunity. Who wants a job with no upward mobility where you can't make that much money? And the acts provide no counsel. They're all brands looking to sell out to corporations. That only appeals to the have-nots.
But there is a revolution happening in music. It's the top list.
Radio is dying. Please embrace this truth, it's the only way forward. Forget the disinformation campaign of the usual players. Stations want to make money and labels like the control. But online, on the Spotify chart, anything can happen.
And "Billboard" can't even codify it. Because it's still counting sales and saying one track streamed a number of times is an album, huh? Tech is about wiping the slate clean, and music is tech, never forget it, move into the future.
Radio hits are built more slowly than ever before. Unless you're a superstar, it could take a year or more to break through.
But not on Spotify.
And it's only about Spotify, because Spotify has by far the most market share and so much of its data is public. You can see what people are playing and how much a hit is streamed, EVERYBODY CAN SEE THIS! What I want from Apple Music is not exclusives, but data, what is happening behind the curtain? But the company has always been secretive and Jimmy Iovine likes to work behind the scenes and it's a bad fit for the present and future.
It was not uncommon for a fan to own Yes, Ry Cooder, Little Feat and Doobie Brothers albums back in the early seventies. Along with Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor. These acts sounded nothing alike, what drew people to them was their refusal to play it safe, they were all testing limits all the time. It was new and exciting, everybody was a music fan.
Those days need to come back.
It starts with the music.
Sure, fresh-faced kids propped up by old pros have a spot in the marketplace. This has always been the case. Can you say "New Kids On The Block"?
But now even the Weeknd, our most vaunted act, collaborates with Max Martin. And that's just sad.
You've got to pay your dues. And not complain. And your way out is through art. And now, more than ever, the competition is fierce. You're not only competing against more product, you're competing against the history of recorded music, at everyone's fingertips, for free!
If you've got a bad voice you must be an incredible lyricist.
Or get out of the way. We don't need you. You can make your music, but don't expect to become rich and famous, you're cluttering the channel, you're a Zune in the era of iPods.
And we're looking for breakthroughs. A few brave souls who are willing to take the untrodden path, inspired by what once was into making something brand new.
And we need the labels to market it, to take risk, it's their only way forward. They've utilized their catalogs to prevail in the present, but that won't carry them into the future.
And it starts with recordings. Promoters can tap demand, but they don't build it, unless you're a phenomenal performer, and that's rare at the outset.
We need to pull the entire populace along with us. And we'll do this by throwing the old rulebook out and taking risks, which has become anathema to the entire industry.
We used to have a new sound every three years, wiping out the old. Grunge eviscerated hair bands. But for the last fifteen years it's essentially been the same thing. Wouldn't you get bored eating the same lunch for a decade and a half?
But the insiders can't see it. They live for music, they believe they're entitled.
Which is why disruption always comes from outside.
I want further disruption. Spotify is a good thing, it creates new opportunities. And if you don't believe this...
You're part of the problem, not part of the solution.
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Bob Dylan wrote that. It's a line from "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding," a track on the 1965 album "Bringing It All Back Home." That's right, while you were listening to Herman's Hermits Bob Dylan was revolutionizing songwriting. By the end of the year he triumphed with "Like A Rolling Stone," which not only contained its sneering lyrics and Al Kooper's organ, but lasted over six minutes when AM radio ditties rarely broke three.
Bob Dylan was a revolutionary, breaking convention. One of the best and the brightest, he'd been inspired by folk music and twisted the past into something brand new. He had something to say, and refused to be embalmed, living in the past. Pete Seeger's heyday was already behind him. Dylan went electric and went worldwide.
Twitter became moribund. It captured the zeitgeist and refused to innovate. Kind of like all those bands the Beatles and Dylan pushed off the pop chart. There was something there, but the old acts did not know how to reconstitute the elements to move forward. Tech is all about pushing forward, it's what have you done for me lately. How did music become just the opposite?
Marc Benioff wants Twitter for the data, and the customer service opportunities. Kind of like a wizard A&R guy he wants to strip what doesn't work and emphasize that which does. Meanwhile, the underpinnings are the essence. The treasure trove of information generated each and every day.
Music services generate said info. And insiders use it more and more. But still not enough. Meanwhile, users are basking in the glory of Spotify's "Discover Weekly," "Release Radar" and "Daily Mix," all data-generated, all filling needs we did not know we had. You've got to hit 'em with the Hein, fast and furious, when they least expect it. That was Steve Jobs's magic, he got you to buy that which you could not previously conceive, and kept upping the ante with new software products, most of which were free, from iTunes to iPhoto to...
We've had two great upheavals in the music business. One was classic rock and the other was MTV. Both drew out not only fans, but creators. But somehow the business has become calcified, protecting what once was as opposed to what could be.
Artists can't stop bitching their cheese has been moved. If they were Oracle, they'd get Salesforce shut down. Yes, Marc Benioff runs Salesforce. His revelation was to put software online, in the cloud, as opposed to the old model of having servers inside the building. This is no different from the move from physical to streaming. Someone comes up with a new, more efficient way of distribution and...the smart money goes along with it, the dumb money stays behind.
But the dumb money rules the music business. Which believes change is anathema. The great crunch came and the record labels cut back. Instead of releasing more material, experimenting, because costs were so low, they got safe, they put out very little and it sounds just like what came before. Just try selling a non-friendly radio act to a record label, can't be done, unless it comes with an already established fanbase.
Jack Dorsey was married to the past, no one could mess with his baby. Which is why old acts are superseded by new ones. You need a clean sheet of paper, you must see things differently. Like any act without hits the buzz on Twitter faded, and now it's for sale.
Now there's a roll-up factor here. That which seemed independent is oftentimes better as part of a conglomerate, where synergy can transpire. Spotify should not be an indie company. Not because it can't make money, but because it can't monetize its data as well as a bigger entity could.
And Pandora has hit a wall.
And iHeart is just catching up.
And Apple Music keeps having its lunch eaten. While it's fixing its interface, Spotify is running circles around it with its utilization of data. Apple believes the big kahuna never fails, because of scale, but that's not the story of Silicon Valley.
So what's a poor boy to do?
No one at a label will take a risk, because no one has any ownership, they're all employees who are afraid of losing their jobs. This is not Herb and Jerry allowing the fields to go fallow so they can reap huge rewards in the future.
And the best and the brightest see little opportunity. Who wants a job with no upward mobility where you can't make that much money? And the acts provide no counsel. They're all brands looking to sell out to corporations. That only appeals to the have-nots.
But there is a revolution happening in music. It's the top list.
Radio is dying. Please embrace this truth, it's the only way forward. Forget the disinformation campaign of the usual players. Stations want to make money and labels like the control. But online, on the Spotify chart, anything can happen.
And "Billboard" can't even codify it. Because it's still counting sales and saying one track streamed a number of times is an album, huh? Tech is about wiping the slate clean, and music is tech, never forget it, move into the future.
Radio hits are built more slowly than ever before. Unless you're a superstar, it could take a year or more to break through.
But not on Spotify.
And it's only about Spotify, because Spotify has by far the most market share and so much of its data is public. You can see what people are playing and how much a hit is streamed, EVERYBODY CAN SEE THIS! What I want from Apple Music is not exclusives, but data, what is happening behind the curtain? But the company has always been secretive and Jimmy Iovine likes to work behind the scenes and it's a bad fit for the present and future.
It was not uncommon for a fan to own Yes, Ry Cooder, Little Feat and Doobie Brothers albums back in the early seventies. Along with Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor. These acts sounded nothing alike, what drew people to them was their refusal to play it safe, they were all testing limits all the time. It was new and exciting, everybody was a music fan.
Those days need to come back.
It starts with the music.
Sure, fresh-faced kids propped up by old pros have a spot in the marketplace. This has always been the case. Can you say "New Kids On The Block"?
But now even the Weeknd, our most vaunted act, collaborates with Max Martin. And that's just sad.
You've got to pay your dues. And not complain. And your way out is through art. And now, more than ever, the competition is fierce. You're not only competing against more product, you're competing against the history of recorded music, at everyone's fingertips, for free!
If you've got a bad voice you must be an incredible lyricist.
Or get out of the way. We don't need you. You can make your music, but don't expect to become rich and famous, you're cluttering the channel, you're a Zune in the era of iPods.
And we're looking for breakthroughs. A few brave souls who are willing to take the untrodden path, inspired by what once was into making something brand new.
And we need the labels to market it, to take risk, it's their only way forward. They've utilized their catalogs to prevail in the present, but that won't carry them into the future.
And it starts with recordings. Promoters can tap demand, but they don't build it, unless you're a phenomenal performer, and that's rare at the outset.
We need to pull the entire populace along with us. And we'll do this by throwing the old rulebook out and taking risks, which has become anathema to the entire industry.
We used to have a new sound every three years, wiping out the old. Grunge eviscerated hair bands. But for the last fifteen years it's essentially been the same thing. Wouldn't you get bored eating the same lunch for a decade and a half?
But the insiders can't see it. They live for music, they believe they're entitled.
Which is why disruption always comes from outside.
I want further disruption. Spotify is a good thing, it creates new opportunities. And if you don't believe this...
You're part of the problem, not part of the solution.
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I'm Learning
My father taught me to be skeptical.
Middlebury taught me how to interact with the rich.
And seemingly every day since I've gone to school, even if it hasn't taken place in a classroom.
I just listened to Tom Brokaw on David Axelrod's podcast. He was telling the story of questioning President Nixon about executive privilege. Dick's handlers accosted him after the press conference and asked him how dare he, treat the President that way. Tom said he'd done the scholarship, had they?
Intimidation... It doesn't only happen on the schoolyard. Bullies are everywhere. And you don't want your mommy to complain to the principal, you have to learn how to stand up to them, they're often paper tigers.
But I get scared.
But now I won't be as much.
Irving Azoff taught me not to be insulted by the offer, it's just a starting point.
Marty Albertson taught me when the economy is tanking, you go for market share. Which is why when the Dow Jones crashes the pros buy, because they know it will go back up.
They also have cash to burn. You've got to have cash to burn. If you're looking after every last dollar you're not gonna get ahead.
And although you have a responsibility to aid those less fortunate, America is a jungle where it's every person for themselves and if you don't learn the hard lessons you're gonna end up on the sidelines. Those who complain they just weren't born with the talent or the skills or the right parents are left out of the game to their detriment. Each of us has own special gifts, you too can triumph, if you continue to educate yourself.
My shrink taught me how to get along. That no one gets to be themselves 24/7, that I'm in control of my own life, I get to interact however I want to, what choices can I make that will behoove me?
And my dad taught me...
Being a member of the group is overrated.
But being a member of the group is everything.
And if that sounds contradictory, the point is you need friends to survive, but don't jump off a bridge just because they did.
My father taught me to search for the truth. This is a skill especially helpful in Hollywood, where everybody's full of crap, putting up a good image. If the person has no visible means of support yet drives a Mercedes... They have a rich father or are up to their neck in debt. And the media prints the legend, because oftentimes the truth is too disillusioning.
And as I get older I keep peeling back the layers of the onion. I'm constantly learning new tricks, gaining new insights.
But time is running out.
My education lags my career. If only I knew then what I know now.
Like commitment is everything in relationships. Sure, sex and attraction are important. And never rule out money, it's the number one relationship killer. But having someone who'll stick by you through thick and thin, that's key.
We get dazzled by looks, we can't see through the skin, so we oftentimes make bad choices.
And sometimes we're so worried we're gonna make mistakes that we make no choices at all.
Book learning is cool. You've got to know how to read and write, er, type. Even more important is the power of analysis. The mark of an educated man is one who can hold two competing thoughts in his brain at the same time. You'd be surprised how few can do this, it's what separates the men from the boys, it's what you learn at elite institutions. If you're going to college to make money...there are easier ways.
So it's thrilling to uncover the truth on seemingly a daily basis. To tear down icons in my mind and realize I've got the chops, I can play.
And then I learn something new and feel so stupid. Now I get how it works. If only I knew then...
Too many people will tell you they have the answers. You can put your faith in a guru, you can read endless self-help books. But nothing equates with personal experience. We're all individuals and we all have lessons to impart.
You're on your own.
But that's the game of life.
We can all play, if we realize the adventure is about lessons. Wisdom is gained through experience. Signposts are everywhere. You've just got to open your mind.
And apply yourself.
My father always told me to apply myself.
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Middlebury taught me how to interact with the rich.
And seemingly every day since I've gone to school, even if it hasn't taken place in a classroom.
I just listened to Tom Brokaw on David Axelrod's podcast. He was telling the story of questioning President Nixon about executive privilege. Dick's handlers accosted him after the press conference and asked him how dare he, treat the President that way. Tom said he'd done the scholarship, had they?
Intimidation... It doesn't only happen on the schoolyard. Bullies are everywhere. And you don't want your mommy to complain to the principal, you have to learn how to stand up to them, they're often paper tigers.
But I get scared.
But now I won't be as much.
Irving Azoff taught me not to be insulted by the offer, it's just a starting point.
Marty Albertson taught me when the economy is tanking, you go for market share. Which is why when the Dow Jones crashes the pros buy, because they know it will go back up.
They also have cash to burn. You've got to have cash to burn. If you're looking after every last dollar you're not gonna get ahead.
And although you have a responsibility to aid those less fortunate, America is a jungle where it's every person for themselves and if you don't learn the hard lessons you're gonna end up on the sidelines. Those who complain they just weren't born with the talent or the skills or the right parents are left out of the game to their detriment. Each of us has own special gifts, you too can triumph, if you continue to educate yourself.
My shrink taught me how to get along. That no one gets to be themselves 24/7, that I'm in control of my own life, I get to interact however I want to, what choices can I make that will behoove me?
And my dad taught me...
Being a member of the group is overrated.
But being a member of the group is everything.
And if that sounds contradictory, the point is you need friends to survive, but don't jump off a bridge just because they did.
My father taught me to search for the truth. This is a skill especially helpful in Hollywood, where everybody's full of crap, putting up a good image. If the person has no visible means of support yet drives a Mercedes... They have a rich father or are up to their neck in debt. And the media prints the legend, because oftentimes the truth is too disillusioning.
And as I get older I keep peeling back the layers of the onion. I'm constantly learning new tricks, gaining new insights.
But time is running out.
My education lags my career. If only I knew then what I know now.
Like commitment is everything in relationships. Sure, sex and attraction are important. And never rule out money, it's the number one relationship killer. But having someone who'll stick by you through thick and thin, that's key.
We get dazzled by looks, we can't see through the skin, so we oftentimes make bad choices.
And sometimes we're so worried we're gonna make mistakes that we make no choices at all.
Book learning is cool. You've got to know how to read and write, er, type. Even more important is the power of analysis. The mark of an educated man is one who can hold two competing thoughts in his brain at the same time. You'd be surprised how few can do this, it's what separates the men from the boys, it's what you learn at elite institutions. If you're going to college to make money...there are easier ways.
So it's thrilling to uncover the truth on seemingly a daily basis. To tear down icons in my mind and realize I've got the chops, I can play.
And then I learn something new and feel so stupid. Now I get how it works. If only I knew then...
Too many people will tell you they have the answers. You can put your faith in a guru, you can read endless self-help books. But nothing equates with personal experience. We're all individuals and we all have lessons to impart.
You're on your own.
But that's the game of life.
We can all play, if we realize the adventure is about lessons. Wisdom is gained through experience. Signposts are everywhere. You've just got to open your mind.
And apply yourself.
My father always told me to apply myself.
--
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Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Instant Releases
It used to be about fighting piracy.
Now it's about getting attention.
That's the story of today, media matters, the world has flip-flopped back to the way it used to be, but it's even worse, because there are so many messages.
In other words, publicity counts. Going viral is a near-impossibility. If you're depending on word of mouth, count on your audience being very small. Of course, some of the best stuff breaks organically, but to go big, you need a push.
Media sways the story.
The media coronated Kanye West and the media decided Hillary Clinton won the initial debate. In both cases, there's a solid groundswell agreeing with these proclamations, but the sheer fact of their publicity becomes reinforcing. The media said Trump lost the first debate and he immediately became defensive, making excuses.
That's the power of the press.
Today, if someone's pirating your music, that's a good thing. Especially since the lion's share of revenue does not come from recordings. Your goal is to get people to listen, if at all. Releases come and go so fast, you know something's available but you don't even bother to check it out, there's already something new.
Sure, the instant release is losing its special character, it's not the revelation it once was. But instant availability is a treasure. We live in the era of instant gratification. To promote that which we cannot consume is to leave money on the table. If you can get someone's attention, let them click, let them experience, let them listen!
Which is why exclusives are to the detriment of artists. There's a movie on Apple Music and the press does a story and then the rest of the world forgets about it. If you're bothering to sell, let people partake.
But the music business has become about the short money. If you pay me now, I'll forget about tomorrow.
But we're not selling Wimpy Burgers.
Remember the days of leaks?
Sure, security is so much better.
But the acts are so much smaller.
With the death of MTV came the loss of ubiquity. Nobody's that big. Sure, they might sell out a stadium, but I'd argue there are more people who haven't heard Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Coldplay's new work than have.
There's a business in preaching to the converted.
But the converted die. They lose interest, they literally die. He not busy making new fans is in danger of losing his career.
So, decide if you're shoring up your fanbase or trolling for new customers.
If you're shoring up your fanbase, release music with no hit potential that sounds like what you've already done, that's fine.
But if you're looking for new listeners, write a hit. Don't put out music until you've got one. One successful track is better than a dozen album cuts...on an album. It's hard to get people's attention, you can only go to the well so many times. Mixing metaphors, if you're coming to bat, hit it out of the park!
So, if you're a star, you're better off with an instant release. All your publicity will be coordinated, there will be buzz, excitement for at least a week, when your record hits number one (and then, in too many cases, falls right off the chart.)
If you're not a star...
It doesn't matter when your album comes out. Whether there's advance publicity or not. It's about a story, that spreads.
But the underlying material has to support the venture.
Forget about the cycle. Whether it be once every two years or even once a year. When you ramp up your publicity for a stiff album...you alienate people, it's hard to get them back.
So, for your core fans, constantly put out new music under the radar. See if it gains traction. If so, work it into your live set. Make it a staple. So the attendees are not subjected to unwanted stuff and forced to take a bathroom break.
But if all eyes are upon you...
You've got to deliver. You've got to have music that people want to hear more than once. With the plethora of material the bar has been raised. If your inner circle isn't doing cartwheels, expressing hosannas, go back to the drawing board. Furthermore, you know when you do great work, it's part of being an artist. And so much great work comes from sheer inspiration. We live in a land where too many do it too slowly. And they over-process a lame song into a turd. We're looking for energy, passion, that ethereal sound that makes us want to listen to something again and again and again.
And with so much stuff to listen to...
It's a privilege to get someone to check your stuff out. You may be putting out an hour long album, but you'd be stunned to find out that only your hardest core of fans listens all the way through, because you've let them down, in an era of plentitude, only the strong survive.
Music is a marathon. Your goal is longevity. You start with the media story, but then it's all in your own hands.
And radio helps.
But today the playlist rules.
You need to be in the Top Lists. The Spotify chart does not lie, and that's the only one that means anything, because it evidences listenership, sales are a false metric. You might have gotten paid, but someone might have deleted the album after hearing it once.
It's going to get ever tighter. People only have so much time. They're in search of the new, but they'll discard the work of their favorites just like that if it doesn't measure up.
So, start with a song. Release it to fanfare.
Then see if the public gets on board.
P.S. I'm waiting for the instant movie release. It'll be a monster. A comic book flick starring Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lawrence that just shows up in the theatres on Friday. Imagine the buzz! The studios are too busy infiltrating Comic Con, laying the groundwork. If it's all about the first weekend, why not truly make it an event!
P.P.S. The music business is far ahead of film and TV. You can get everything for one low price instantly. Which is why piracy is on the wane. Ten percent of the public will never pay, forget about them. The rest embrace convenience. And you should too, by making all your tunes available instantly on all services.
P.P.P.S. Only Luddites keep their songs off streaming services. Don't put the money first! Most of Neil Young's material is unavailable to stream, but the dirty little secret is it sells poorly anyway. Why not let newbies check it out? I heard "Don't Let It Bring You Down" on Sirius today, I didn't write about it because I couldn't link to it on Spotify.
P.P.P.P.S. Read David Brooks's "The Age Of Reaction": http://nyti.ms/2dqiREy?utm_source=phplist5588&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Instant+Releases He's talking about politics, but his words apply to the music business. Things will only get better, we've endured fifteen years of chaos, but revenue is up and the tools of creation are in the hands of the proletariat and we cannot go back to what once was, we can only go forward.
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Now it's about getting attention.
That's the story of today, media matters, the world has flip-flopped back to the way it used to be, but it's even worse, because there are so many messages.
In other words, publicity counts. Going viral is a near-impossibility. If you're depending on word of mouth, count on your audience being very small. Of course, some of the best stuff breaks organically, but to go big, you need a push.
Media sways the story.
The media coronated Kanye West and the media decided Hillary Clinton won the initial debate. In both cases, there's a solid groundswell agreeing with these proclamations, but the sheer fact of their publicity becomes reinforcing. The media said Trump lost the first debate and he immediately became defensive, making excuses.
That's the power of the press.
Today, if someone's pirating your music, that's a good thing. Especially since the lion's share of revenue does not come from recordings. Your goal is to get people to listen, if at all. Releases come and go so fast, you know something's available but you don't even bother to check it out, there's already something new.
Sure, the instant release is losing its special character, it's not the revelation it once was. But instant availability is a treasure. We live in the era of instant gratification. To promote that which we cannot consume is to leave money on the table. If you can get someone's attention, let them click, let them experience, let them listen!
Which is why exclusives are to the detriment of artists. There's a movie on Apple Music and the press does a story and then the rest of the world forgets about it. If you're bothering to sell, let people partake.
But the music business has become about the short money. If you pay me now, I'll forget about tomorrow.
But we're not selling Wimpy Burgers.
Remember the days of leaks?
Sure, security is so much better.
But the acts are so much smaller.
With the death of MTV came the loss of ubiquity. Nobody's that big. Sure, they might sell out a stadium, but I'd argue there are more people who haven't heard Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Coldplay's new work than have.
There's a business in preaching to the converted.
But the converted die. They lose interest, they literally die. He not busy making new fans is in danger of losing his career.
So, decide if you're shoring up your fanbase or trolling for new customers.
If you're shoring up your fanbase, release music with no hit potential that sounds like what you've already done, that's fine.
But if you're looking for new listeners, write a hit. Don't put out music until you've got one. One successful track is better than a dozen album cuts...on an album. It's hard to get people's attention, you can only go to the well so many times. Mixing metaphors, if you're coming to bat, hit it out of the park!
So, if you're a star, you're better off with an instant release. All your publicity will be coordinated, there will be buzz, excitement for at least a week, when your record hits number one (and then, in too many cases, falls right off the chart.)
If you're not a star...
It doesn't matter when your album comes out. Whether there's advance publicity or not. It's about a story, that spreads.
But the underlying material has to support the venture.
Forget about the cycle. Whether it be once every two years or even once a year. When you ramp up your publicity for a stiff album...you alienate people, it's hard to get them back.
So, for your core fans, constantly put out new music under the radar. See if it gains traction. If so, work it into your live set. Make it a staple. So the attendees are not subjected to unwanted stuff and forced to take a bathroom break.
But if all eyes are upon you...
You've got to deliver. You've got to have music that people want to hear more than once. With the plethora of material the bar has been raised. If your inner circle isn't doing cartwheels, expressing hosannas, go back to the drawing board. Furthermore, you know when you do great work, it's part of being an artist. And so much great work comes from sheer inspiration. We live in a land where too many do it too slowly. And they over-process a lame song into a turd. We're looking for energy, passion, that ethereal sound that makes us want to listen to something again and again and again.
And with so much stuff to listen to...
It's a privilege to get someone to check your stuff out. You may be putting out an hour long album, but you'd be stunned to find out that only your hardest core of fans listens all the way through, because you've let them down, in an era of plentitude, only the strong survive.
Music is a marathon. Your goal is longevity. You start with the media story, but then it's all in your own hands.
And radio helps.
But today the playlist rules.
You need to be in the Top Lists. The Spotify chart does not lie, and that's the only one that means anything, because it evidences listenership, sales are a false metric. You might have gotten paid, but someone might have deleted the album after hearing it once.
It's going to get ever tighter. People only have so much time. They're in search of the new, but they'll discard the work of their favorites just like that if it doesn't measure up.
So, start with a song. Release it to fanfare.
Then see if the public gets on board.
P.S. I'm waiting for the instant movie release. It'll be a monster. A comic book flick starring Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lawrence that just shows up in the theatres on Friday. Imagine the buzz! The studios are too busy infiltrating Comic Con, laying the groundwork. If it's all about the first weekend, why not truly make it an event!
P.P.S. The music business is far ahead of film and TV. You can get everything for one low price instantly. Which is why piracy is on the wane. Ten percent of the public will never pay, forget about them. The rest embrace convenience. And you should too, by making all your tunes available instantly on all services.
P.P.P.S. Only Luddites keep their songs off streaming services. Don't put the money first! Most of Neil Young's material is unavailable to stream, but the dirty little secret is it sells poorly anyway. Why not let newbies check it out? I heard "Don't Let It Bring You Down" on Sirius today, I didn't write about it because I couldn't link to it on Spotify.
P.P.P.P.S. Read David Brooks's "The Age Of Reaction": http://nyti.ms/2dqiREy?utm_source=phplist5588&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Instant+Releases He's talking about politics, but his words apply to the music business. Things will only get better, we've endured fifteen years of chaos, but revenue is up and the tools of creation are in the hands of the proletariat and we cannot go back to what once was, we can only go forward.
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Joe Dirt Car
This is one of the great live albums of all time.
I was listening to a Kenny Aronoff podcast. I'm not sure of the future of podcasting, not because of the measurement issue, but because so many players are gonna be disillusioned when the great consolidation occurs. That's the story of new technology, everybody plays, ultimately they find few are paying attention and then the big boys come in and clean up.
Right now I'm hooked on this David Axelrod podcast wherein he interviews all these politicos. I gave it a whirl since Chelsea Handler said she was wowed by S.E. Cupp and had her on her show. I was not, wowed, that is. Anybody who has no idea what party their parents belong to is lying. And when you start saying that Democrats are anti-religion, you lose me. But Cupp is intelligent and the level of discourse is an antidote to the drivel so often posing as entertainment. That's what's so great about podcasts, they're the last bastion of intellectualism, where being smart isn't stupid, where you can dig down deep believing someone cares until you find out they don't.
And I was deciding between listening to Michael Steele or Tom Brokaw, I'm not anti-Republican, I found listening to Karl Rove's story quite illuminating, when I saw that "Rock Solid" podcast someone had hipped me to, with the lengthy interview with Kenny Aronoff:
https://rocksolidguide.blogspot.com/2016/03/episode-244-kenny-aronoff.html?utm_source=phplist5587&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Joe+Dirt+Car
You should check it out if you remember when. When bands were everything, a hit on MTV was everywhere and knowing how to play was a calling card.
Kenny was hooked by the Beatles.
But then he took lessons.
I believe if we had music in the schools it would revolutionize the business. Because when you've got the building blocks you can construct amazing edifices. Education is just a jumping off point. But when you know nothing it's hard to achieve much, just look at reality TV, tune in to the hit parade, it's paint by numbers work created by the usual suspects or those who've foraged on their own. Max Martin and Adele went to music school, never forget it.
So, after getting his start with John Mellencamp, Kenny ultimately played with a cornucopia of acts, some he's still dedicated to, like John Fogerty.
And the BoDeans.
They were on Slash. That made them uber-hip. When that still mattered, before getting noticed at all was a challenge and we no longer made delineations between that which had elan and that which did not.
And there were a number of BoDean tracks.
I'm not talking about the overplayed "Closer To Free," which is good, but...
"Idaho," "Black, White and Blood Red," and...
"True Devotion."
"I was lucky for a long, long time
I never felt much pain
Mess of clouds came over me
The night it finally rained"
That's growing up. The loss. Everything's working out, and then it doesn't. It's even worse when you're out of school, no one cares.
And I played the studio iteration on "Black and White," the band's 1991 release, over and over again. But not the whole album, I cherry-picked.
And then I got "Joe Dirt Car."
Used to be a live album was a cheap shot. A way to bide time, make some quick bucks. For every classic double package there's a plethora of junk.
There's "Frampton Comes Alive," the legendary seller.
"Live At Leeds," considered to be the best, even though I think it suffers for lack of crowd noise.
And the unheralded "Five Man Acoustical Jam," if you don't know this Tesla live set you're in for a treat, then again, you're probably best off knowing their material.
And then there's "Joe Dirt Car," the BoDeans' 1995 double CD package.
It came in a box from Warner Brothers, back when being on the mailing list was everything, even though the more that came the less you listened to. But there was certain stuff you spun that became your favorite even though it got so little traction, like "Joe Dirt Car."
It's the feel. Like you're at the gig, inside the club, with a band firing on all cylinders, not faking it whatsoever, not needing hard drives to get their message across.
And for a long time "Joe Dirt Car" was not on Spotify.
But listening to Kenny testify I searched and found out it. I decided to check it out, it's been years.
It sounded just as special, just as good. It was a sui generis Dead Sea Scroll. There's no context, "Joe Dirt Car" is part of no continuum. It's like stumbling into a local gig where a band better than the neighborhood is playing and slaying you, you're in the groove, you're hooked, you feel fully alive.
So, if you remember rock and roll. When it was all about guitars and drums. When what you wore was irrelevant. When immediacy was more important than perfection.
You're gonna love this.
"Before you go to sleep tonight
Say a prayer for me, yeah
And all the other wasted souls
Drowning definitely"
Those who saw the Beatles on TV, who cast aside our previous desires and took up instruments, like Kenny Aronoff, who got bitten by the sound.
Our lives took a U-turn. And we've never recovered. And it wasn't only about hits, but bands that had that sound.
BoDeans had that sound.
I'm going down with true devotion. I've wavered, but when this music fills my ears...
It's the only thing that makes me feel good.
https://open.spotify.com/album/44YRSC1ovUgLcSlpG7EYDS?utm_source=phplist5587&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Joe+Dirt+Car
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I was listening to a Kenny Aronoff podcast. I'm not sure of the future of podcasting, not because of the measurement issue, but because so many players are gonna be disillusioned when the great consolidation occurs. That's the story of new technology, everybody plays, ultimately they find few are paying attention and then the big boys come in and clean up.
Right now I'm hooked on this David Axelrod podcast wherein he interviews all these politicos. I gave it a whirl since Chelsea Handler said she was wowed by S.E. Cupp and had her on her show. I was not, wowed, that is. Anybody who has no idea what party their parents belong to is lying. And when you start saying that Democrats are anti-religion, you lose me. But Cupp is intelligent and the level of discourse is an antidote to the drivel so often posing as entertainment. That's what's so great about podcasts, they're the last bastion of intellectualism, where being smart isn't stupid, where you can dig down deep believing someone cares until you find out they don't.
And I was deciding between listening to Michael Steele or Tom Brokaw, I'm not anti-Republican, I found listening to Karl Rove's story quite illuminating, when I saw that "Rock Solid" podcast someone had hipped me to, with the lengthy interview with Kenny Aronoff:
https://rocksolidguide.blogspot.com/2016/03/episode-244-kenny-aronoff.html?utm_source=phplist5587&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Joe+Dirt+Car
You should check it out if you remember when. When bands were everything, a hit on MTV was everywhere and knowing how to play was a calling card.
Kenny was hooked by the Beatles.
But then he took lessons.
I believe if we had music in the schools it would revolutionize the business. Because when you've got the building blocks you can construct amazing edifices. Education is just a jumping off point. But when you know nothing it's hard to achieve much, just look at reality TV, tune in to the hit parade, it's paint by numbers work created by the usual suspects or those who've foraged on their own. Max Martin and Adele went to music school, never forget it.
So, after getting his start with John Mellencamp, Kenny ultimately played with a cornucopia of acts, some he's still dedicated to, like John Fogerty.
And the BoDeans.
They were on Slash. That made them uber-hip. When that still mattered, before getting noticed at all was a challenge and we no longer made delineations between that which had elan and that which did not.
And there were a number of BoDean tracks.
I'm not talking about the overplayed "Closer To Free," which is good, but...
"Idaho," "Black, White and Blood Red," and...
"True Devotion."
"I was lucky for a long, long time
I never felt much pain
Mess of clouds came over me
The night it finally rained"
That's growing up. The loss. Everything's working out, and then it doesn't. It's even worse when you're out of school, no one cares.
And I played the studio iteration on "Black and White," the band's 1991 release, over and over again. But not the whole album, I cherry-picked.
And then I got "Joe Dirt Car."
Used to be a live album was a cheap shot. A way to bide time, make some quick bucks. For every classic double package there's a plethora of junk.
There's "Frampton Comes Alive," the legendary seller.
"Live At Leeds," considered to be the best, even though I think it suffers for lack of crowd noise.
And the unheralded "Five Man Acoustical Jam," if you don't know this Tesla live set you're in for a treat, then again, you're probably best off knowing their material.
And then there's "Joe Dirt Car," the BoDeans' 1995 double CD package.
It came in a box from Warner Brothers, back when being on the mailing list was everything, even though the more that came the less you listened to. But there was certain stuff you spun that became your favorite even though it got so little traction, like "Joe Dirt Car."
It's the feel. Like you're at the gig, inside the club, with a band firing on all cylinders, not faking it whatsoever, not needing hard drives to get their message across.
And for a long time "Joe Dirt Car" was not on Spotify.
But listening to Kenny testify I searched and found out it. I decided to check it out, it's been years.
It sounded just as special, just as good. It was a sui generis Dead Sea Scroll. There's no context, "Joe Dirt Car" is part of no continuum. It's like stumbling into a local gig where a band better than the neighborhood is playing and slaying you, you're in the groove, you're hooked, you feel fully alive.
So, if you remember rock and roll. When it was all about guitars and drums. When what you wore was irrelevant. When immediacy was more important than perfection.
You're gonna love this.
"Before you go to sleep tonight
Say a prayer for me, yeah
And all the other wasted souls
Drowning definitely"
Those who saw the Beatles on TV, who cast aside our previous desires and took up instruments, like Kenny Aronoff, who got bitten by the sound.
Our lives took a U-turn. And we've never recovered. And it wasn't only about hits, but bands that had that sound.
BoDeans had that sound.
I'm going down with true devotion. I've wavered, but when this music fills my ears...
It's the only thing that makes me feel good.
https://open.spotify.com/album/44YRSC1ovUgLcSlpG7EYDS?utm_source=phplist5587&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Joe+Dirt+Car
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Tuesday, 4 October 2016
Dolly Parton At The Hollywood Bowl
So I'm driving down Route 30 looking for something to listen to. Funny to remember the days when music was scarce, when it wasn't available in quantity at your fingertips, when you were in rural areas and you were lucky to find anything to listen to at all.
I'd inherited the car from my older sister. Who'd gotten it from my father, a '63 Chevy Impala. It had a wandering eye, as in if you took your hands off the steering wheel you might end up in a ditch, but you could put the top down, which I did on this fall day in the seventies.
There was no underground FM radio in Vermont. Never mind no FM radio in the car. You were lucky to find a few ersatz pop stations and a country outlet, and that's what I settled upon on this trip.
I heard Dolly Parton's "Jolene."
That's the power of music, you remember where you heard it forevermore.
And I knew she wrote her own material and was a big star but the closest I got to country was listening to Charlie Rich sing about the most beautiful girl in the world on the jukebox at the diner in Rutland. I hated the twang.
But now I get it.
Country music has moved on. Ironically, it's more akin to the rock of the seventies than the legends of C&W, but it's funny how that old sound permeated the rock scene, from Gram Parsons to CSN to the Grateful Dead to Tom Petty... I've got a lot of learnin' to do.
But that's not why I went to see Dolly Parton. My friend was the agent. Otherwise I would have skipped it. She's lovable, she made that movie with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, but she's irrelevant and I wasn't that interested to begin with and...
It was one of the best shows I've seen all year.
Boomers go to see the same acts over and over again. Never mind in the original epoch, but the comeback tour and then the endless dashes for cash. I don't quite understand the motivation to take a Desert Trip. Those acts have been hiding in plain sight, you haven't seen them already? But to experience something new...
Normally I hate going to shows when I don't know the material. It's an endless wash of sound. It's a clarion call to check your phone. But Dolly had me hooked from the get-go. Because she's old school in a good way, her music has melody, the lyrics are comprehensible and...
She had that legendary sense of humor about herself.
And she could tell a story! Boy could she tell a story.
She emerged to "Hello Dolly." In an era of big production she had little. Some sashes hung from the ceiling and there were three supporting musicians and...it was old school in a good way. Remember when the acts had to hold your attention? Hook you and keep you on the line?
Dolly has that skill.
"Jolene" was one of the first songs.
It's a real story. About a woman at the bank. Her husband said he was looking for a loan, couldn't he talk to a man?
Human emotions...too many are swinging for the fences, or playing to the cheap seats, but when you just tell the honest to goodness truth, we resonate. Dolly's a big star, but she too can be jealous.
So, between every number was a tale. Mostly about growing up with eleven brothers and sisters in the holler, dirt poor.
I'm not sure anybody's that poor anymore, sipping stone soup.
But they used to be, and it was hard, but it built character. When sacrifice was everything and we did not know what we did not have.
I wanted nothing so much as to take a road trip. To get in my car and drive to eastern Tennessee, to see what it was like. We're all in it together, the separation of the sixties is passe, I want to know what made you you.
And Dolly talked and sang about her mother and her father. The former making clothing and the latter going up to Detroit for little more than a minute, because he missed his family and he knew where he belonged.
And then there was the tale about graduating from high school and taking the bus to Nashville, tears streaming down her face along the way. I did some research after the fact and it turned out Dolly had some traction before this, she wasn't a complete newbie, but no one leaves home like this anymore. They might travel, but they're in constant contact with mommy and daddy, there's an emotional safety net, it used to be you were on your own.
But there's still risk involved. And most don't want to take it. America's about playing it safe. Staying where you grew up, going to a good college to get a job in finance. But creating your career out of whole cloth?
That's what a musician does.
And it's a long strange trip. You don't know you're gonna be in movies, you don't know you're gonna duet with Kenny Rogers. Today too much is codified to the culture's detriment. It's so hard to make it that people rarely take chances, they just follow in the footsteps, but that won't take you where you want to go.
And where do I want to go?
Live long enough and you feel that you've been there and done that.
And then you go to see Dolly Parton and a whole world opens up to you, something new, that you can not only enjoy, but sink your teeth into. How did this itty-bitty woman from nowhere channel truth all the way to stardom? How did she get it right when so many get it wrong? How is she more cutting edge than those with all the media attention?
This is a woman who not only covered "Stairway To Heaven," but Collective Soul's "Shine."
And the highlight of the show was her medley of sixties and seventies hits, "American Pie" into "If I Had A Hammer" into "Blowin' In The Wind" into "Dust In The Wind" into "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."
These are songs we know by heart. That bring us back to those halcyon days when we not only listened to music, but played it and sang it. When the tunes bonded us together, when they were more than the song of the summer, when they were life itself.
The tour was called "Pure and Simple."
And that's what it was. Pure talent evidenced in songs played simply on stage, in this case linked together by a narrative, the story of Dolly Parton's life.
She's seen as a cartoon character.
But the other night she was three-dimensional, a woman who could not only sing, but play and write. She got bitten by the bug and rode her talent and inspiration to stardom.
She's been hiding in plain sight.
But she deserves your attention.
Go.
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I'd inherited the car from my older sister. Who'd gotten it from my father, a '63 Chevy Impala. It had a wandering eye, as in if you took your hands off the steering wheel you might end up in a ditch, but you could put the top down, which I did on this fall day in the seventies.
There was no underground FM radio in Vermont. Never mind no FM radio in the car. You were lucky to find a few ersatz pop stations and a country outlet, and that's what I settled upon on this trip.
I heard Dolly Parton's "Jolene."
That's the power of music, you remember where you heard it forevermore.
And I knew she wrote her own material and was a big star but the closest I got to country was listening to Charlie Rich sing about the most beautiful girl in the world on the jukebox at the diner in Rutland. I hated the twang.
But now I get it.
Country music has moved on. Ironically, it's more akin to the rock of the seventies than the legends of C&W, but it's funny how that old sound permeated the rock scene, from Gram Parsons to CSN to the Grateful Dead to Tom Petty... I've got a lot of learnin' to do.
But that's not why I went to see Dolly Parton. My friend was the agent. Otherwise I would have skipped it. She's lovable, she made that movie with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, but she's irrelevant and I wasn't that interested to begin with and...
It was one of the best shows I've seen all year.
Boomers go to see the same acts over and over again. Never mind in the original epoch, but the comeback tour and then the endless dashes for cash. I don't quite understand the motivation to take a Desert Trip. Those acts have been hiding in plain sight, you haven't seen them already? But to experience something new...
Normally I hate going to shows when I don't know the material. It's an endless wash of sound. It's a clarion call to check your phone. But Dolly had me hooked from the get-go. Because she's old school in a good way, her music has melody, the lyrics are comprehensible and...
She had that legendary sense of humor about herself.
And she could tell a story! Boy could she tell a story.
She emerged to "Hello Dolly." In an era of big production she had little. Some sashes hung from the ceiling and there were three supporting musicians and...it was old school in a good way. Remember when the acts had to hold your attention? Hook you and keep you on the line?
Dolly has that skill.
"Jolene" was one of the first songs.
It's a real story. About a woman at the bank. Her husband said he was looking for a loan, couldn't he talk to a man?
Human emotions...too many are swinging for the fences, or playing to the cheap seats, but when you just tell the honest to goodness truth, we resonate. Dolly's a big star, but she too can be jealous.
So, between every number was a tale. Mostly about growing up with eleven brothers and sisters in the holler, dirt poor.
I'm not sure anybody's that poor anymore, sipping stone soup.
But they used to be, and it was hard, but it built character. When sacrifice was everything and we did not know what we did not have.
I wanted nothing so much as to take a road trip. To get in my car and drive to eastern Tennessee, to see what it was like. We're all in it together, the separation of the sixties is passe, I want to know what made you you.
And Dolly talked and sang about her mother and her father. The former making clothing and the latter going up to Detroit for little more than a minute, because he missed his family and he knew where he belonged.
And then there was the tale about graduating from high school and taking the bus to Nashville, tears streaming down her face along the way. I did some research after the fact and it turned out Dolly had some traction before this, she wasn't a complete newbie, but no one leaves home like this anymore. They might travel, but they're in constant contact with mommy and daddy, there's an emotional safety net, it used to be you were on your own.
But there's still risk involved. And most don't want to take it. America's about playing it safe. Staying where you grew up, going to a good college to get a job in finance. But creating your career out of whole cloth?
That's what a musician does.
And it's a long strange trip. You don't know you're gonna be in movies, you don't know you're gonna duet with Kenny Rogers. Today too much is codified to the culture's detriment. It's so hard to make it that people rarely take chances, they just follow in the footsteps, but that won't take you where you want to go.
And where do I want to go?
Live long enough and you feel that you've been there and done that.
And then you go to see Dolly Parton and a whole world opens up to you, something new, that you can not only enjoy, but sink your teeth into. How did this itty-bitty woman from nowhere channel truth all the way to stardom? How did she get it right when so many get it wrong? How is she more cutting edge than those with all the media attention?
This is a woman who not only covered "Stairway To Heaven," but Collective Soul's "Shine."
And the highlight of the show was her medley of sixties and seventies hits, "American Pie" into "If I Had A Hammer" into "Blowin' In The Wind" into "Dust In The Wind" into "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."
These are songs we know by heart. That bring us back to those halcyon days when we not only listened to music, but played it and sang it. When the tunes bonded us together, when they were more than the song of the summer, when they were life itself.
The tour was called "Pure and Simple."
And that's what it was. Pure talent evidenced in songs played simply on stage, in this case linked together by a narrative, the story of Dolly Parton's life.
She's seen as a cartoon character.
But the other night she was three-dimensional, a woman who could not only sing, but play and write. She got bitten by the bug and rode her talent and inspiration to stardom.
She's been hiding in plain sight.
But she deserves your attention.
Go.
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Sunday, 2 October 2016
Today's Twitter Rules
NO SELF PROMOTION
Nothing will get someone to unfollow you faster than constant links to your appearances online, trying to bolster your brand. We already follow you, we believe in you, we want to bond with you, but when you keep selling to us it's a turn-off.
NEWS WE CAN USE
First and foremost, Twitter is a news service. Informing your followers is the number one thing you can do. Turn them on to stories that give them insight into popular topics and expand their horizons. You're a courier, your personal curation skills are your calling card. We're all hoovering up information, we're looking to separate the wheat from the chaff, if you come across a brilliant analysis, tweet it, if you stumble upon a story that fleshes out a popular topic, tweet it, we're following your intellect, your curiosity, more than your shenanigans.
MAKE IT PERSONAL
We want to bond with you. In a cold world of endless messages we want to have friends. Just don't tweet links, add some spin. Either your opinion or your emotional reaction.
HAVE A PERSONALITY/VIEWPOINT
Those trying to appeal to everybody appeal to nobody. Your edge is your advantage. Don't worry about alienating some mythical segment of the population, everyone is never gonna follow you, there's a huge tribe with similar viewpoints if you can just find it.
FREQUENCY
If you're tweeting all day it shows you have no life, that you're trying to become famous, and that's a turn-off. If you're at an event, feel free to go on a tweetstorm, as long as it's informative and not just "look at me!" Otherwise, limit your tweets to four or five a day...certainly fewer than ten. If you're thinking about your online life, about what you're going to tweet next, you're doing it wrong. You should encounter something, whether it be online or in real life, and be so inspired you want to tweet about it.
FLAME WAR
If you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen. There's someone who's gonna hate everything you say, if for no other reason than you have followers and they don't. In an anonymous world, haters just double down. Ignore them. Don't even bother to unfollow them, that shows they've gotten to you.
AW SHUCKS
Sure, post your cat videos, other heartstring-pullers, but know it's a low, gutter activity, he's who's trolling for love is ultimately unlovable, because they don't love themselves.
OPINIONS
Only matter if you're not trying to rally support. Twitter is very intimate. We want to know what's going on in your head. If you're trying to build a movement... That had better be your main goal of being on Twitter. And never forget, further fame for yourself, or furtherance of your artistic career, is not a qualifying movement.
EVERYONE'S A REPORTER
Jammed up in traffic? In the midst of a natural disaster? Tweet about it! Skilled users search for keywords. Forget hashtags, that's for those looking for fame, a false enterprise. When I'm stuck on the 101 I search that highway and the Hollywood Bowl and I find out what's slowing me down. As for those too ignorant or unskilled to do this? Forget about them. Online is for those who've learned on the fly, who are curious, who want more. Twitter is the land of power users. But you can enjoy the site quite a lot without being one, it's just a different experience.
STARS
Yes, they can utilize Twitter to speak to their flock. But really, other sites are so much better for this. I'd start with Snapchat Stories.
Marc Andreessen gave up Twitter. He tweeted in the triple digits every day. But his business, his VC firm, Andreessen Horowitz, trailed its competitors in returns. He made himself a target, by being an endless expert online. Would the media have gone on attack otherwise? Probably not. And one had to wonder, was this guy working at all, if he was tweeting so much? Live your life in public and people will investigate your activities and try to bring you down. Either realize this and bring yourself down first, or get off Twitter.
Twitter is not Facebook, nor is it Snapchat. Twitter is a news medium. It's all about information. Facebook has devolved into a sharing site. I went here and did this and look at the picture. It's about your small community of friends, if you're doing it to get ahead you're doing it wrong. Snapchat is one on one and entertainment.
So, if you're not dispensing news, you're wasting your time on Twitter. All those people detailing the escapades of their life? They missed the memo. Twitter is turning into a hotbed of trusted sources. Either you're somebody, or you're nobody. Everybody should not be tweeting. But if you want to know what's going on in the world right now, if you want opinions other than those given in the mainstream news, Twitter is the go-to source. It's gotten a bad name because of its lack of growth, but those who open the app are ADDICTED TO IT! It's where stories are spread, it's the town square, it's where we go straight into candidates' heads.
If you have a public image, and your success is based on interaction with your acolytes, you should be on the service. It's where we go to take the temperature, to find out what you're thinking.
As for what you're doing... We only care if you're famous. Which is why so many people dropped out. They found out no one cares they went to the beach or the concert, that information belongs on Facebook.
And Twitter's biggest problem is telling people who to follow. There are suggestions in the app, but they're nonsensical. We need a Twitter Top 100, with individual statistics for each listing. The subjects they report on and the number of times they tweet. I don't care who you are, if you tweet twenty times a day I'm unfollowing, you're cluttering up my feed. Furthermore, there should be categories and subcategories...news, sports, you name it. Who should I follow for breaking news and who should I follow for analysis? Who do I follow for skiing? I want this information, but it's so hard to find the right people to follow. As for the timeline... It's totally comprehensible if you follow the right people and they don't overtweet. You just scroll through and see what's happening now. Of course you're going to miss out on things, but no one is going to catch everything. As for the "While You Were Away" tweets... They need a better algorithm or they can forget about this.
Instant, citizen news is here to stay. It's just that Twitter was advertised as social network and the story became about its growth or lack thereof. And in the middle we got the live-tweeting blip, as if we all wanted to hear what we all had to say about some fleeting event... Once again, we do want to hear what some knowledgeable people have to say about a live event, everybody else can just keep quiet.
It looks like Twitter will be sold. To a company that believes it's a business tool. But Twitter is all about news. Either it goes deeper or it's superseded by a company that has a better interface. Yes, Twitter might not be the last stop, it might be eclipsed just like MySpace, Facebook works so much better. Unfortunately, Twitter is married to its interface and 140 character paradigm. Should we even be getting real time news in an endless scroll? Do the posts have to be this brief? Maybe only a company with a clean sheet of paper can get it right. But right now, if you want to know what's going on right now, Twitter's the place.
P.S. I follow the "Washington Post" on Twitter because the "New York Times" tweets too much. And I've come to find the "Post" is vastly improved in the Bezos era, although it can sink to the level of linkbait. But the "Post" mostly tweets in a storm, late at night, upon publication time. I'm now used to this. I'm willing to scroll through and see what's happening at this time. Or not.
P.P.S. Personalities count. I follow Liz Spayd, the new "New York Times" public editor, although I must say I prefer the old public editor better, Margaret Sullivan, who now writes for the "Post." The "Times" is stuck in an old paradigm, it thinks it's about the enterprise when we live in an era of stars. I'd like to follow "Times" stars, but so many have exited the paper, like Frank Rich and Nate Silver, because the "Times" wouldn't accommodate them.
P.P.P.S. Speaking of Nate Silver, he owns the polling dialogue, even if he did get the Republican nomination/Trump phenomenon, wrong. Nate knows to tweet when his topic is hot and shut up when it's not. Amp it up when there's a story in your wheelhouse, it's best to go silent when your area of expertise is dry. Or maybe tweet now and again just to show you're alive.
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Nothing will get someone to unfollow you faster than constant links to your appearances online, trying to bolster your brand. We already follow you, we believe in you, we want to bond with you, but when you keep selling to us it's a turn-off.
NEWS WE CAN USE
First and foremost, Twitter is a news service. Informing your followers is the number one thing you can do. Turn them on to stories that give them insight into popular topics and expand their horizons. You're a courier, your personal curation skills are your calling card. We're all hoovering up information, we're looking to separate the wheat from the chaff, if you come across a brilliant analysis, tweet it, if you stumble upon a story that fleshes out a popular topic, tweet it, we're following your intellect, your curiosity, more than your shenanigans.
MAKE IT PERSONAL
We want to bond with you. In a cold world of endless messages we want to have friends. Just don't tweet links, add some spin. Either your opinion or your emotional reaction.
HAVE A PERSONALITY/VIEWPOINT
Those trying to appeal to everybody appeal to nobody. Your edge is your advantage. Don't worry about alienating some mythical segment of the population, everyone is never gonna follow you, there's a huge tribe with similar viewpoints if you can just find it.
FREQUENCY
If you're tweeting all day it shows you have no life, that you're trying to become famous, and that's a turn-off. If you're at an event, feel free to go on a tweetstorm, as long as it's informative and not just "look at me!" Otherwise, limit your tweets to four or five a day...certainly fewer than ten. If you're thinking about your online life, about what you're going to tweet next, you're doing it wrong. You should encounter something, whether it be online or in real life, and be so inspired you want to tweet about it.
FLAME WAR
If you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen. There's someone who's gonna hate everything you say, if for no other reason than you have followers and they don't. In an anonymous world, haters just double down. Ignore them. Don't even bother to unfollow them, that shows they've gotten to you.
AW SHUCKS
Sure, post your cat videos, other heartstring-pullers, but know it's a low, gutter activity, he's who's trolling for love is ultimately unlovable, because they don't love themselves.
OPINIONS
Only matter if you're not trying to rally support. Twitter is very intimate. We want to know what's going on in your head. If you're trying to build a movement... That had better be your main goal of being on Twitter. And never forget, further fame for yourself, or furtherance of your artistic career, is not a qualifying movement.
EVERYONE'S A REPORTER
Jammed up in traffic? In the midst of a natural disaster? Tweet about it! Skilled users search for keywords. Forget hashtags, that's for those looking for fame, a false enterprise. When I'm stuck on the 101 I search that highway and the Hollywood Bowl and I find out what's slowing me down. As for those too ignorant or unskilled to do this? Forget about them. Online is for those who've learned on the fly, who are curious, who want more. Twitter is the land of power users. But you can enjoy the site quite a lot without being one, it's just a different experience.
STARS
Yes, they can utilize Twitter to speak to their flock. But really, other sites are so much better for this. I'd start with Snapchat Stories.
Marc Andreessen gave up Twitter. He tweeted in the triple digits every day. But his business, his VC firm, Andreessen Horowitz, trailed its competitors in returns. He made himself a target, by being an endless expert online. Would the media have gone on attack otherwise? Probably not. And one had to wonder, was this guy working at all, if he was tweeting so much? Live your life in public and people will investigate your activities and try to bring you down. Either realize this and bring yourself down first, or get off Twitter.
Twitter is not Facebook, nor is it Snapchat. Twitter is a news medium. It's all about information. Facebook has devolved into a sharing site. I went here and did this and look at the picture. It's about your small community of friends, if you're doing it to get ahead you're doing it wrong. Snapchat is one on one and entertainment.
So, if you're not dispensing news, you're wasting your time on Twitter. All those people detailing the escapades of their life? They missed the memo. Twitter is turning into a hotbed of trusted sources. Either you're somebody, or you're nobody. Everybody should not be tweeting. But if you want to know what's going on in the world right now, if you want opinions other than those given in the mainstream news, Twitter is the go-to source. It's gotten a bad name because of its lack of growth, but those who open the app are ADDICTED TO IT! It's where stories are spread, it's the town square, it's where we go straight into candidates' heads.
If you have a public image, and your success is based on interaction with your acolytes, you should be on the service. It's where we go to take the temperature, to find out what you're thinking.
As for what you're doing... We only care if you're famous. Which is why so many people dropped out. They found out no one cares they went to the beach or the concert, that information belongs on Facebook.
And Twitter's biggest problem is telling people who to follow. There are suggestions in the app, but they're nonsensical. We need a Twitter Top 100, with individual statistics for each listing. The subjects they report on and the number of times they tweet. I don't care who you are, if you tweet twenty times a day I'm unfollowing, you're cluttering up my feed. Furthermore, there should be categories and subcategories...news, sports, you name it. Who should I follow for breaking news and who should I follow for analysis? Who do I follow for skiing? I want this information, but it's so hard to find the right people to follow. As for the timeline... It's totally comprehensible if you follow the right people and they don't overtweet. You just scroll through and see what's happening now. Of course you're going to miss out on things, but no one is going to catch everything. As for the "While You Were Away" tweets... They need a better algorithm or they can forget about this.
Instant, citizen news is here to stay. It's just that Twitter was advertised as social network and the story became about its growth or lack thereof. And in the middle we got the live-tweeting blip, as if we all wanted to hear what we all had to say about some fleeting event... Once again, we do want to hear what some knowledgeable people have to say about a live event, everybody else can just keep quiet.
It looks like Twitter will be sold. To a company that believes it's a business tool. But Twitter is all about news. Either it goes deeper or it's superseded by a company that has a better interface. Yes, Twitter might not be the last stop, it might be eclipsed just like MySpace, Facebook works so much better. Unfortunately, Twitter is married to its interface and 140 character paradigm. Should we even be getting real time news in an endless scroll? Do the posts have to be this brief? Maybe only a company with a clean sheet of paper can get it right. But right now, if you want to know what's going on right now, Twitter's the place.
P.S. I follow the "Washington Post" on Twitter because the "New York Times" tweets too much. And I've come to find the "Post" is vastly improved in the Bezos era, although it can sink to the level of linkbait. But the "Post" mostly tweets in a storm, late at night, upon publication time. I'm now used to this. I'm willing to scroll through and see what's happening at this time. Or not.
P.P.S. Personalities count. I follow Liz Spayd, the new "New York Times" public editor, although I must say I prefer the old public editor better, Margaret Sullivan, who now writes for the "Post." The "Times" is stuck in an old paradigm, it thinks it's about the enterprise when we live in an era of stars. I'd like to follow "Times" stars, but so many have exited the paper, like Frank Rich and Nate Silver, because the "Times" wouldn't accommodate them.
P.P.P.S. Speaking of Nate Silver, he owns the polling dialogue, even if he did get the Republican nomination/Trump phenomenon, wrong. Nate knows to tweet when his topic is hot and shut up when it's not. Amp it up when there's a story in your wheelhouse, it's best to go silent when your area of expertise is dry. Or maybe tweet now and again just to show you're alive.
--
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