"Exile" was released on May 22nd in the U.S. (the 26th in the U.K.), not May 12th:
https://twitter.com/stonesdata/status/1524625328655712257?s=21&t=iXJpW08xdJovhkyemTgFrA
I guess you can't trust the "Wall Street Journal," where I read about the anniversary.
Then again, it didn't ring right. I wondered why I didn't buy the album while I was still at school. I distinctly remember buying it at Korvette's in Trumbull when the semester was over, and I'm not one to wait.
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Thursday, 12 May 2022
Exile On Main Street 50th Anniversary
1
Is today.
It's hard to convey how big "Sticky Fingers" was, how it permeated the culture, burned its way into the consciousness of America. The party didn't start until the needle was dropped on "Brown Sugar," it was a Saturday night tradition.
Now aficionados will tell you the Stones' best album is 1968's "Beggars Banquet." And it's hard to argue with that, but "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Street Fighting Man" were not as big as you think. They didn't get AM radio airplay in an era when AM still ruled. You had underground FM in New York and San Francisco, but not everywhere. In other words, in most burgs you had to buy the album to hear them, and most people didn't. That's the dirty little secret of the Stones, their albums have never sold in prodigious numbers. Then again, neither have Bob Dylan's. You see "Beggars Banquet" followed up the Stones' answer to "Sgt. Pepper," 1967's "Their Satanic Majesties Request," and despite having gems like "2000 Light Years from Home," one of the first true stoner numbers, and "She's a Rainbow" and "Citadel" and possibly the best Bill Wyman song ever, "In Another Land," "Satanic Majesties" was derided as me-too, and notwithstanding the 3-D cover, most people neither owned it or knew it, so having a lack of momentum, despite stellar reviews, it took a while for "Beggars Banquet" to permeate the consciousness. As a matter of fact, "Beggars Banquet" is still permeating the consciousness. The Stones went from bombastic to simple, loud to quiet, became authentic and meaningful in a way they hadn't been before, and you should know every lick on that album.
And then came "Let It Bleed," a stone cold masterpiece whose every song is now part of the culture but did not feature a hit single. However, the group went on the road, they were billed as "The World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band," and people believed it, and album rock was king, but still every show did not sell out.
Then there was Altamont, and the movie, and the live album "Ya-Ya's" and the pump was primed for what came after. And that was "Sticky Fingers," with its Andy Warhol cover with the zipper (which imprinted itself upon adjacent LPs). FM rock was soon everywhere. But the Stones did not tour "Sticky Fingers" in America. "Exile on Main Street" they did.
It's hard to compare the hype of yore with the hype of today. In the days of old, if you had enough money and power, you could reach the whole world. And I mean THE WHOLE WORLD! Even those who cared not a whit about what you were promoting. Today it's hard to reach almost anybody, and that which is perceived to be ubiquitous is not. Does everyone in America know a Weeknd song? No. But you can't find a baby boomer who does not know "Brown Sugar," utterly impossible.
So the Stones amped up the publicity. They were going on the road. Getting a ticket was the goal of every music fan extant. It's not that they were expensive, it's just that there weren't that many of them. This is when the Stones still worked arenas, they didn't have the confidence they could sell out stadiums. And there was no StubHub, there wasn't even a secondary market in most places. You had to wait in line, and the odds of getting a ticket past the on sale date were essentially nonexistent, and most of those in line didn't get a ticket either.
And in tandem with the announcement of the tour was the statement that the Stones would release a new album in conjunction, a double, "Exile on Main Street."
2
If I thought really hard I could remember the name of that guy who'd graduated the year before, who came back to campus in his Buick convertible twirling the new Stones single on his finger. It was brand new, I hadn't even heard it. "Tumbling Dice" had been released on the fourteenth of April. And when you dropped the needle you said...
Well it's not "Brown Sugar."
I mean that was our expectation, the Stones were on a roll. And the track made it all the way to number 7 on the "Billboard" chart, but it wasn't everywhere, and wherever it was it was there for a relatively brief time. It was a stumble.
As for the double album...
Most people had no idea who Robert Frank was, they had no context to aid their perception of the cover. And there were postcards included. And you dropped the needle and...
You didn't get it.
There were four sides. Which made it harder to digest, even though those four sides ultimately fit on one CD. There was not that single to carry you through. If you were addicted to records you played it, and you weren't eager to play it again, there was so much other good music out there to listen to, and as I say all the time, you can only listen to one record at one time.
But John Hughes had gotten tickets for the Kansas City show. He was in line in the analog era and everybody had been given a number, and he wasn't going to make it, so he changed it, it was just written on a piece of paper, and when it was called...he and another guy sidled up to the ticket booth, there was a momentary exchange of words, and then they were both sold tickets. And I bought an airline ticket to go. John was always testifying about K.C., which was seen as backward on the east coast, he was dying for us to come, and I did, and I must say everything is up to date in Kansas City, as it is in Minneapolis, not every Midwest metropolis is a backwater.
So in preparation for the show, I had to know "Exile," front to back, who knows what they'd play from it, and in a cavern, which all the arenas were in 1972, if you didn't know the tune when they played it you oftentimes didn't recognize it. And ultimately five of the fifteen songs were from "Exile," my memory is refreshed by setlist.fm, which didn't exist back then, you went blind, or maybe I should say deaf: https://bit.ly/3Nsx53Z
3
So I set to listening to "Exile" on headphones, front to back, doing nothing else, just listening. And I still didn't get it. I mean "Sweet Black Angel" was good, "Sweet Virginia"...this was back when swearing on records was still controversial, there were two versions of the MC5's "Kick Out the Jams," but it wasn't until the very last song that I got it, "Soul Survivor."
It's the changes. But mostly it's the machine gun guitar. And it was definitely the music, because the words were nearly impenetrable. This was a big story back then, how the vocals were so low in the mix. It wasn't until the Virgin remaster, or maybe it was the Columbia one, that the words emerged, and believe me, there was no genius.com, never mind LyricFind, etc. And, oh yeah, listening now I forgot to mention Nicky Hopkins's piano work, back when he was on all the elite albums.
If I hadn't been hooked by "Soul Survivor" I'm not sure I would have dropped the needle on "Exile" again, but loving the final track I played it a few times to confirm my love, to satiate my desire, and then I started off at the top once again. And this time it took me to side three to get hooked by another track, "Let It Loose."
Now this is not a song you ever heard on the radio, ever. You had to own the album to know it, and those who did tended not to play it, I know from conversations back then. The album immediately shot to number one but as soon as the summer tour was over it faded, very very quickly.
And it's funny how a track is a personal favorite. If anybody else recognizes it you remember, like when Don Was featured "'Til I Die" in his Brian Wilson movie. Anyway, there was a letter to "Rolling Stone" back then, when the magazine was still the bible, when it still had a fold, and the writer testified as to the background singer at the end of "Let It Loose," how he wanted to marry her or something, and I resonated. She was hung out there alone at the end of the song, the rest of the track faded away, and she was singing like she was nearly dying, like the words coming out of her mouth were vital, she certainly was not thinking about a cosmetics deal.
And now knowing two tracks, I kept listening, and other cuts revealed themselves, and I went to the show with John and I remember dancing in the aisle with some girl and I also remember "Midnight Rambler" being the highlight of the show, with the scarves and the light changes and...if you've seen the Stones you know what I'm talking about.
4
So when I went to college we had what was called "winter term." Middlebury College had the 4-1-4 system, which it still does, even though the 1 is a bit shorter and they now call it "J-Term." And during this four and a half week period you took one course, intensively. And all the courses were different. And as we b.s.'ed in the dorm we decided the best way to make it through winter term was to teach your own course, that only met in the morning, so you could ski every afternoon, and skiing was the most important thing, that's why I went to Middlebury, and I've got to say all these years later skiing is the one thing I still do from college, passionately. And I talked about teaching a course on rock music. And I decided to follow through. And I did, teach my own course on rock music, and the final...you had to write a paper on one of three songs, one being "Sail On Sailor," from the Beach Boys' "Holland," which had just came out, and I think there was an Allman Brothers number and...
"Casino Boogie."
Now let's start with the first side of "Exile On Main Street." Because you always start with the first side. You initially play that the most, because traditionally that's where acts put the best songs and it is side one, after all.
And at this late date I still don't get "Rocks Off." So it's aggressive and noisy, but it's far from memorable. It's not something you hear once and need to hear again and again and again. It's just another Rolling Stones album track, albeit with great horn playing from Jim Price and Bobby Keys. Even when I hear it on SiriusXM today I change the channel, not that they play it much.
The second song on side one is "Rip This Joint." I always saw this placement as the replication of a live show. The band opens with "Rocks Off" to set the tone and then it amps up the energy with the blisteringly fast rock and roll heritage number "Rip This Joint." And "Rip This Joint" is a ten as a palate cleanser, a levitation of the energy, and it's not exactly a throwaway, but it's not a ten.
And smack dab in the middle of side one is "Shake Your Hips." This is where "Exile" really begins. "Shake Your Hips" sounds not quite like anything the Stones have done before, it's not made for the radio, it sounds like where it was cut, in a dark, dusty basement in France. It's a Slim Harpo song, not that most people knew who Slim Harpo was, but the Stones came up on delta blues. But "Shake Your Hips" is part of "Exile On Main Street" and nothing more. It's a mood, an attitude, there's no issue of money, it's nearly hermetically sealed, and that's its magic, as well as "Exile On Main Street"'s in its entirety.
And then comes "Casino Boogie."
"No good, can't speak, wound up, no sleep"
This is the first time we experience that "Sticky Fingers" magic. Although less obvious than it was on that 1971 album. It's the sound of the opening guitar, which leads into a riff, that once it enters your brain you need to hear again and again, like shooting heroin. It's the magic of the Stones, from their middle period, when Mick Taylor was in the band. Taylor was key to the renaissance, sure they did good work thereafter, but without Taylor the band was not the same, it was like losing your dominant hand and trying to masturbate with the other. You can get to the end result, but it's just not the same.
"Casino Boogie" was a secret song. I never heard anybody talk about it until this century. But it's been my favorite on "Exile" for quite a while. Not that there's really that much to say about it, I realized this when the class papers came in.
5
"Tumbling Dice." It's a classic. And in this case, just like with the Eagles' "Desperado," you've got to credit Linda Ronstadt, who was in the middle of her incredible seventies run, which still does not get enough acclaim.
Ronstadt belted in a Jaggeresque voice, there was a rollicking piano from a honky tonk and all the faders were turned up to ten and by this point every hamlet in America had an FM rock station, and Ronstadt's "Tumbling Dice" got airplay the original never did, and over time people have gravitated back to the Stones version. Which still does not capture the hypnotic feeling of Ronstadt's take, but live...
The next time the Stones went on tour, in '75, it was still in arenas, and a ticket was even harder to come by. But stunningly, a friend of my sister, a nerd who'd suddenly become hip with therapy, scored them, she'd lined up at the Forum. And our seats were in the lower bowl at the back and they were actually pretty good and this was the tour with the petal opening stage, back when you had to go to see it, experience it, this was before YouTube, we'd read about it, but when you were there...
And the Stones are better today. Last time I saw them, at the Rose Bowl, they were very consistent. But they used to be more like the Grateful Dead...it would take them a while to lock in, for all cylinders to fire and to go speeding down the highway, and then they'd lose the mojo, but that half hour in the middle of the ninety minute show, whew!
So they were playing "Tumbling Dice" and...
If you listen to Ronstadt's take you'll find the ending is hypnotic, you can't help but nod your head, well the Stones did it first, and they did it so well that night back in July of '75. I've never forgotten it, it unlocked the song for me, and looking it up on setlist.fm...I can see it was song ten of twenty two that evening.
6
Which brings us to side two.
"Sweet Virginia" stuck out, because of the s-word. It was a slow country number, a paradigm the Stones had executed before, but they'd done it better before.
But then comes "Torn and Frayed." Here we have that legendary "Exile" sound I referenced on "Shake Your Hips." Only "Torn and Frayed" is a b-number when it comes to the totality of "Exile On Main Street," but it's not a button-pusher, it always feels good.
As does "Sweet Black Angel." Which the press told us was about Angela Davis when revolution was still something we thought about, and we thought would come from the left, we couldn't fathom it coming from the right:
"What's Happening to America? A Theocratic-Fascist Revolution - When a Fanatical 30% Suddenly Seizes Control of Your Society, It's Called a Revolution": https://bit.ly/3w6SARM
And this wasn't a revolutionary subject for dyed-in-the-wool credible rockers, Bob Dylan had put out "George Jackson" the year before, but the Stones wrote and recorded a better song, and its acoustic feel penetrated and the song was far from maudlin, "Sweet Black Angel" is a winner, but compared to what comes after...
"Loving Cup." This is where "Exile On Main Street" truly starts.
"Loving Cup" is majestic in a way nothing that comes before it on "Exile" is. The Stones have entered the middle of the show, they're together, that melding of rock and soul, that groove that made them famous, it's all there. But in this case, it's not written for the radio, I've never heard it over the air, whether AM or FM. It was written for listeners, who got all the way to the second side.
And "Loving Cup" has got great changes, and great horn parts and once again, the magic of Nicky Hopkins. And as good as the number is, it's the minute long outro that seals the deal, with the piano and horns blasting and Mick and the backup singers testifying in the midst of it all.
But once again, it's another act that made "Loving Cup" legendary. In this case "Phish." I remember seeing the band at the Forum decades ago, b.s.'ing with their manager John Paluska, and I hear something in the background...IS THAT LOVING CUP?
It most certainly was, and it's become a staple of their shows. It's almost associated with them more than the Stones. Well, that's an overstatement, but Phish fans are true believers and they spread the word.
Which brings us to side three.
7
This is the heart of "Exile," disc two, this is what made the band's reputation, this is the essence, the marrow, not that the first record does not have its highlights, sometimes transcendent, but the second record...sides three and four have no clinkers, they're all winners, and it took a long while for people to get there, to realize this, being stuck on the first disc, with the radio tracks of the time, except for side three's opener, which got a ton of airplay, which has become Keith Richards's signature song...
I NEED LOVE TO KEEP ME HAPPY!
Keith is doing more than croaking. It's his best vocal. And the words are honest. "Happy" is a blending of what came before, from the fifties, all the way to the seventies, with an outro shorter than the one in "Torn and Frayed," but magical nonetheless.
Also, if you listen for the first time in a while, you'll be stunned how young, energetic and fast "Happy" is. This was before Keith became so dark, not that he was lovable. Sure, we all knew he had heroin issues, at least after his arrest in Canada five years later, but his yin was not as far away as Mick's yang, not at this point.
As for "Turd On the Run"... This is the fully-jelled "Rip This Joint" from side one. It sounds like it exists in outer space, at least high in our atmosphere, it hearkens back to the fifties, but there's more in the track than they used to put in in the old days, the track is saturated, and between that guitar part and the harmonica...who knows exactly what this is, you just know IT FEELS RIGHT!
"When your spine is cracking..."
"Ventilator Blues" was the third track that revealed itself to me on "Exile" back in '72, after "Soul Survivor" and "Let It Loose."
The groove is so tight and focused, it's like it was cut by a machine, but this was before that was possible. "Ventilator Blues" is gritty in a way the Top Forty is not, in a way the Stones had moved away from, and the outro is akin to "When the Levee Breaks" from Led Zeppelin's fourth album, it feels like you're being hit over the head with a ball-peen hammer over and over again and it feels so good, and you don't want to stop it, and the ending goes through changes, different instruments featured, it's like you're at a rehearsal in that Riviera basement, however much tighter, there's nothing loose about "Ventilator Blues." I mean I sing the opening line to myself all the time, it gets me in a groove, in a good mood.
"I Just Want to See His Face" took a while to enter the public consciousness, people now talk about it, but it's the heart of "Exile On Main Street," the keyboards, the drums, the bass, and then Mick and those ethereal background singers singing about Jesus. You don't know whether they're praying or screwing in the studio, all you know is you suddenly feel relaxed, warm all over, in a way that only music can do. The Stones do the religious south, gospel, better than any American rock act. And I've got to single out Bobby Whitlock, for his electric piano playing, so soulful, then again, he comes from Memphis, where they don't play too much, just what's right.
And then comes "Let It Loose." And when it ends, when it gets quiet, when the needle enters the runout groove, when it returns to its perch, when you hear the silence you wonder where you are, you don't quite fit into the regular world, you can only drop the needle on "Exile" once again. (This is back when we'd all stopped stacking records, word had spread that it ruined them, and they were our most treasured artifacts.)
8
"All Down the Line" is a ripper. They should have started the album with this instead of "Rocks Off."
"You can't say yes and you can't say no"
All you can do is go along for the ride. And it's got the power of a freight train. Every player is integral, and every person delivers at a ten level. Once again, Nicky Hopkins on the ivories. And Price and Keys on horns. And then there's that change...
"Won't you be my little baby for a while"
It's like someone turned up the dial to eleven! Meanwhile, Mick Taylor continues to wail on the slide. It's a concoction, a Baskin-Robbins sundae. Take out any single part and it no longer works.
"Stop Breaking Down"...that freight train has stopped and it's now starting to roll again, you can feel it, that slow repetitive groove. And Mick's vocal is exquisite, but it's Mick Taylor's slide guitar that is the cherry on top. It's a Robert Johnson cover, but the Stones have made the song their own, by throwing a number of elements into the fryer, and once again the band is tight in a way they usually weren't live.
The title of "Shine a Light" is now known by all rock fans, after all it was the name of the Stones concert movie from 2008, but the most memorable event that night was the slip and fall and ultimate death of Ahmet Ertegun. What people don't know about Ahmet is he had a dignified appearance, wearing a suit, but he could exist, play in the gutter just as easily. "Shine a Light" is a melange of what came before, a bit of gospel, stinging guitar, rich backup vocals, and once again an extended sped-up outro which adds spice to the slow beginning of the number. Once again Mick Taylor adding the special sauce on slide.
And then we're back where we started, with "Soul Survivor."
9
And there's "Exile On Main Street." Unlike the blues records that underpin it, it's never been unavailable, out of print. It's been there for everybody to consume, remastered as the band took its catalog from one label to another, but that does not mean it ever got its victory lap. There was no TV show, no radio weekend, it was just a time bomb waiting to be discovered and blow you up.
The '72 tour ended. The Beatles were gone, the Rolling Stones were the undisputed rock champs, if for no other reason than they continued to exist. Fifteen months later they put out the confounding "Goats Head Soup." By this time the Stones were front and center, everybody was paying attention, everything they did made news. We heard about "Star Star" for nearly a year in the rock press, and this was it? Johnny Winter ultimately made "Silver Train" his own, I loved "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)," Billy Preston's key work made it irresistible from the very first note, but the rest was...serviceable. Sure, "Angie" was a hit in a way nothing on "Exile" was, and we kept hearing it was about Angie Bowie, but really...seemed pretty sappy to me.
"It's Only Rock 'n Roll" hit higher peaks, but was less consistent. The title track was a legitimate hit and the cover of "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" is arguably the band's finest, at least it's my favorite, it's even got an energy and zing the original doesn't possess. And there's one certified gem, a killer that was rarely talked about but has been anointed over the past couple of decades, "Time Waits For No One," which could be the best showcase of Mick Taylor's guitar work, his cementing as a foundational member of the band, but soon after that he quit, and the Stones have never been the same since.
1976 saw the thrown-together "Black and Blue," with the disco number "Hot Stuff," which seemed a sell-out, and the hit "Fool to Cry," neither of which appealed to me, but the record did include a stone killer, "Hand of Fate," with Wayne Perkins on guitar, and the criminally overlooked "Memory Motel," which seemingly nobody knew until Dave Matthews duetted with Mick on it and it was released on a live album and radio not only played it, they never stopped.
The year before the band toured stadiums with their temporary guitarist Ronnie Wood, on loan from the Faces, where he did such good work with Rod Stewart, but Wood was and still is too similar to Keith and that something extra Mick Taylor added was sorely missed.
Now Taylor made a guest appearance on the 2013 tour, and if you saw it, he may have looked puffy, no longer the golden-haired young thing, but when he wailed on "Midnight Rambler" it was the highlight of the night.
'78 brought "Some Girls." Which was very good, just not as good as everybody said. I mean compared to "Exile"...
But at this point the Stones were still together, disco was raging, you needed to believe in someone, and many people did, believe in the Stones that is.
This is when everybody who believed the Stones were too dangerous in the sixties glommed on. Bought overpriced merch. And ever since then it's been an endless victory lap. As the band loses members. As Mick and Keith and now permanent member Ronnie carry on.
Not that there hasn't been good, great work done. Most especially "Steel Wheels." The band was fearful they'd missed the wave, were no longer relevant, they employed Q Prime to help them, in any event "Steel Wheels" resonated with the marketplace, the tickets sold and the Stones maintained their place at the pinnacle of rock and roll.
Not that anybody goes back and listens to "Steel Wheels" anymore. The cognoscenti are all enamored of "Tattoo You," which I don't understand. It does start with "Start Me Up," a classic Stones opening killer cut, unlike "Rocks Off," albeit a bit obvious, and I like "Little T&A" but thank god for the death of MTV, I don't think I could watch that video for "Waiting on a Friend" one more time.
10
And now the Stones have stopped putting out albums of new material, they put out a blues project, but that's not the same thing. So as a result...
What we've got is the classics.
Now to the hoi polloi, that means "Satisfaction" and "Brown Sugar" and the rest of the obvious children. That's all they think they need. But those more interested in the music than their image have never stopped spinning the old records, and the one they knew least, not by heart, was "Exile On Main Street." And now, fifty years later, instead of being considered a detour, an art project cut by tax exiles, most people, at least those who care, consider it their best.
Because they had fifty years to listen to it. And "Exile" takes a long time to reveal itself, to understand. You've got to commit. And word started to spread how great "Exile" was and that brought new listeners in, both old and young, and one thing's for sure, you can't get this sound anywhere, else, not even from the Stones, who ultimately became more obvious, nearly a cartoon jukebox. Then again, when you go to see them they're the antithesis of their brethren in the classic rock world. They've got no secrets, no hard drives, no slew of ringers replicating the records, rather it's not a whole hell of a lot different than it was fifty years ago. A group of scruffy now old men, shouldering the instruments one more time, looking for the groove. They start out rough, but there's always a point in the show where they lock in, and they truly become the world's greatest rock and roll band. But this all happens in stadiums, whereas a lot of this music, especially on "Exile On Main Street," is made for your bedroom, listening on headphones. And, in truth, the Stones don't even get any respect anymore, I saw them perform "Sticky Fingers" at the Fonda and it was fantastic, but when the numbers ended and Mick strode to the mic...the audience didn't listen, they talked amongst themselves, they thought they were more important.
But truly it's neither the audience nor the band that counts, but the music. And it's hard to get the same hit these days. No one is as big as the Stones yet everybody is playing for world domination. But when the Stones were truly dominant, they did the opposite, they went inside, they made a record not for the hit parade, but for...themselves? Or was it just that this was their job and this was all they could do, make another album? And believe me, it was different, but we've still got "Exile On Main Street," not remixed, occasionally remastered, but essentially the same album, the same music it was in 1972. And I won't say when you listen to "Exile" you're jetted back to that year, rather you're jetted into the stratosphere, or plowed into the earth, where you're alone except for this music surrounding you.
You either get it or you don't. And if you don't have hours of time to concentrate on "Exile On Main Street" you won't. It's not that it's obtuse, it's just that it doesn't play to the audience. You've got to get into the right headspace to understand it. You know, like being the new kid at summer camp, or going to college that first September, you have to leave the past behind, you've got to adjust for the experience you're about to have.
And what is that experience?
One that is dark. Where the music is not competing with the internet for attention, where it's still the most important art form, back to an era where rock was not only king, it meant something, it drove the culture.
Is anybody exiled on Main Street anymore?
Hell, in many communities Main Street has been hollowed out by Walmart and Amazon.
And the losers of society get no attention. We're not all in it together. As far as wisdom...that comes from some influencer online. There's no truth. And I'd say that we need an emotional rescue, but that's another track I never loved. Still, you can go down the proverbial rabbit hole with "Exile On Main Street," and it's a better adventure than you can find at Disneyland or any theme park. And unlike the rides there "Exile" sticks with you, it's not momentary. And there's an hour of it to digest. And most people don't listen that way anymore, but maybe you do.
And if you pay your dues, do the work, you'll become a member of a club, who can talk about the individual tracks, who you can feel the magic with. And it's still not that many, but those who truly know know just like the Beatles in "Get Back" the Stones were not trying to create a masterpiece, it started out as bits and pieces, there was no big plan, and as a result of taking endless risks they ended up with something that's neither obvious nor mannered, but something that is human, that in the end is inexplicable, but explains so much.
After "Exile" it wasn't only the Stones who became more commercial, but rock music in general. "Exile" is the end of what once was, but lives forevermore. Longer than almost everything that came thereafter. They don't even make the records the same way, almost no one could afford to.
I guess it's a splitting of the amateurs from the professionals. You call yourself a rock music fan, even better you call yourself a Stones fan, but until you understand and know "Exile On Main Street" you do not have your degree.
This is a sound you can't get anywhere else. It may not set your mind free, but it will get you thinking.
And I'm thinking right now.
I've dedicated my entire life to this music. And not only me, there are tons of us out there, certainly in Southern California, but truly all over the world. They may be doctors, they may be street sweepers, but the most important thing to them is this sound, it defines their life, it makes it worth living. And there are a number of albums in the pantheon, and "Exile On Main Street" is one of them. Fire it up and go back to the era locked on tape when giants ruled the Earth, when being a rock musician made you royalty, as rich as anybody in America, with the ability to take life on your own terms. When the lifestyle was secondary to the music. When the money was important but not the defining characteristic of your career. When you could strike gold or end up exiled on main street, but never gave up, you still tried, because it's not only rock and roll but EVERYTHING!
Is today.
It's hard to convey how big "Sticky Fingers" was, how it permeated the culture, burned its way into the consciousness of America. The party didn't start until the needle was dropped on "Brown Sugar," it was a Saturday night tradition.
Now aficionados will tell you the Stones' best album is 1968's "Beggars Banquet." And it's hard to argue with that, but "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Street Fighting Man" were not as big as you think. They didn't get AM radio airplay in an era when AM still ruled. You had underground FM in New York and San Francisco, but not everywhere. In other words, in most burgs you had to buy the album to hear them, and most people didn't. That's the dirty little secret of the Stones, their albums have never sold in prodigious numbers. Then again, neither have Bob Dylan's. You see "Beggars Banquet" followed up the Stones' answer to "Sgt. Pepper," 1967's "Their Satanic Majesties Request," and despite having gems like "2000 Light Years from Home," one of the first true stoner numbers, and "She's a Rainbow" and "Citadel" and possibly the best Bill Wyman song ever, "In Another Land," "Satanic Majesties" was derided as me-too, and notwithstanding the 3-D cover, most people neither owned it or knew it, so having a lack of momentum, despite stellar reviews, it took a while for "Beggars Banquet" to permeate the consciousness. As a matter of fact, "Beggars Banquet" is still permeating the consciousness. The Stones went from bombastic to simple, loud to quiet, became authentic and meaningful in a way they hadn't been before, and you should know every lick on that album.
And then came "Let It Bleed," a stone cold masterpiece whose every song is now part of the culture but did not feature a hit single. However, the group went on the road, they were billed as "The World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band," and people believed it, and album rock was king, but still every show did not sell out.
Then there was Altamont, and the movie, and the live album "Ya-Ya's" and the pump was primed for what came after. And that was "Sticky Fingers," with its Andy Warhol cover with the zipper (which imprinted itself upon adjacent LPs). FM rock was soon everywhere. But the Stones did not tour "Sticky Fingers" in America. "Exile on Main Street" they did.
It's hard to compare the hype of yore with the hype of today. In the days of old, if you had enough money and power, you could reach the whole world. And I mean THE WHOLE WORLD! Even those who cared not a whit about what you were promoting. Today it's hard to reach almost anybody, and that which is perceived to be ubiquitous is not. Does everyone in America know a Weeknd song? No. But you can't find a baby boomer who does not know "Brown Sugar," utterly impossible.
So the Stones amped up the publicity. They were going on the road. Getting a ticket was the goal of every music fan extant. It's not that they were expensive, it's just that there weren't that many of them. This is when the Stones still worked arenas, they didn't have the confidence they could sell out stadiums. And there was no StubHub, there wasn't even a secondary market in most places. You had to wait in line, and the odds of getting a ticket past the on sale date were essentially nonexistent, and most of those in line didn't get a ticket either.
And in tandem with the announcement of the tour was the statement that the Stones would release a new album in conjunction, a double, "Exile on Main Street."
2
If I thought really hard I could remember the name of that guy who'd graduated the year before, who came back to campus in his Buick convertible twirling the new Stones single on his finger. It was brand new, I hadn't even heard it. "Tumbling Dice" had been released on the fourteenth of April. And when you dropped the needle you said...
Well it's not "Brown Sugar."
I mean that was our expectation, the Stones were on a roll. And the track made it all the way to number 7 on the "Billboard" chart, but it wasn't everywhere, and wherever it was it was there for a relatively brief time. It was a stumble.
As for the double album...
Most people had no idea who Robert Frank was, they had no context to aid their perception of the cover. And there were postcards included. And you dropped the needle and...
You didn't get it.
There were four sides. Which made it harder to digest, even though those four sides ultimately fit on one CD. There was not that single to carry you through. If you were addicted to records you played it, and you weren't eager to play it again, there was so much other good music out there to listen to, and as I say all the time, you can only listen to one record at one time.
But John Hughes had gotten tickets for the Kansas City show. He was in line in the analog era and everybody had been given a number, and he wasn't going to make it, so he changed it, it was just written on a piece of paper, and when it was called...he and another guy sidled up to the ticket booth, there was a momentary exchange of words, and then they were both sold tickets. And I bought an airline ticket to go. John was always testifying about K.C., which was seen as backward on the east coast, he was dying for us to come, and I did, and I must say everything is up to date in Kansas City, as it is in Minneapolis, not every Midwest metropolis is a backwater.
So in preparation for the show, I had to know "Exile," front to back, who knows what they'd play from it, and in a cavern, which all the arenas were in 1972, if you didn't know the tune when they played it you oftentimes didn't recognize it. And ultimately five of the fifteen songs were from "Exile," my memory is refreshed by setlist.fm, which didn't exist back then, you went blind, or maybe I should say deaf: https://bit.ly/3Nsx53Z
3
So I set to listening to "Exile" on headphones, front to back, doing nothing else, just listening. And I still didn't get it. I mean "Sweet Black Angel" was good, "Sweet Virginia"...this was back when swearing on records was still controversial, there were two versions of the MC5's "Kick Out the Jams," but it wasn't until the very last song that I got it, "Soul Survivor."
It's the changes. But mostly it's the machine gun guitar. And it was definitely the music, because the words were nearly impenetrable. This was a big story back then, how the vocals were so low in the mix. It wasn't until the Virgin remaster, or maybe it was the Columbia one, that the words emerged, and believe me, there was no genius.com, never mind LyricFind, etc. And, oh yeah, listening now I forgot to mention Nicky Hopkins's piano work, back when he was on all the elite albums.
If I hadn't been hooked by "Soul Survivor" I'm not sure I would have dropped the needle on "Exile" again, but loving the final track I played it a few times to confirm my love, to satiate my desire, and then I started off at the top once again. And this time it took me to side three to get hooked by another track, "Let It Loose."
Now this is not a song you ever heard on the radio, ever. You had to own the album to know it, and those who did tended not to play it, I know from conversations back then. The album immediately shot to number one but as soon as the summer tour was over it faded, very very quickly.
And it's funny how a track is a personal favorite. If anybody else recognizes it you remember, like when Don Was featured "'Til I Die" in his Brian Wilson movie. Anyway, there was a letter to "Rolling Stone" back then, when the magazine was still the bible, when it still had a fold, and the writer testified as to the background singer at the end of "Let It Loose," how he wanted to marry her or something, and I resonated. She was hung out there alone at the end of the song, the rest of the track faded away, and she was singing like she was nearly dying, like the words coming out of her mouth were vital, she certainly was not thinking about a cosmetics deal.
And now knowing two tracks, I kept listening, and other cuts revealed themselves, and I went to the show with John and I remember dancing in the aisle with some girl and I also remember "Midnight Rambler" being the highlight of the show, with the scarves and the light changes and...if you've seen the Stones you know what I'm talking about.
4
So when I went to college we had what was called "winter term." Middlebury College had the 4-1-4 system, which it still does, even though the 1 is a bit shorter and they now call it "J-Term." And during this four and a half week period you took one course, intensively. And all the courses were different. And as we b.s.'ed in the dorm we decided the best way to make it through winter term was to teach your own course, that only met in the morning, so you could ski every afternoon, and skiing was the most important thing, that's why I went to Middlebury, and I've got to say all these years later skiing is the one thing I still do from college, passionately. And I talked about teaching a course on rock music. And I decided to follow through. And I did, teach my own course on rock music, and the final...you had to write a paper on one of three songs, one being "Sail On Sailor," from the Beach Boys' "Holland," which had just came out, and I think there was an Allman Brothers number and...
"Casino Boogie."
Now let's start with the first side of "Exile On Main Street." Because you always start with the first side. You initially play that the most, because traditionally that's where acts put the best songs and it is side one, after all.
And at this late date I still don't get "Rocks Off." So it's aggressive and noisy, but it's far from memorable. It's not something you hear once and need to hear again and again and again. It's just another Rolling Stones album track, albeit with great horn playing from Jim Price and Bobby Keys. Even when I hear it on SiriusXM today I change the channel, not that they play it much.
The second song on side one is "Rip This Joint." I always saw this placement as the replication of a live show. The band opens with "Rocks Off" to set the tone and then it amps up the energy with the blisteringly fast rock and roll heritage number "Rip This Joint." And "Rip This Joint" is a ten as a palate cleanser, a levitation of the energy, and it's not exactly a throwaway, but it's not a ten.
And smack dab in the middle of side one is "Shake Your Hips." This is where "Exile" really begins. "Shake Your Hips" sounds not quite like anything the Stones have done before, it's not made for the radio, it sounds like where it was cut, in a dark, dusty basement in France. It's a Slim Harpo song, not that most people knew who Slim Harpo was, but the Stones came up on delta blues. But "Shake Your Hips" is part of "Exile On Main Street" and nothing more. It's a mood, an attitude, there's no issue of money, it's nearly hermetically sealed, and that's its magic, as well as "Exile On Main Street"'s in its entirety.
And then comes "Casino Boogie."
"No good, can't speak, wound up, no sleep"
This is the first time we experience that "Sticky Fingers" magic. Although less obvious than it was on that 1971 album. It's the sound of the opening guitar, which leads into a riff, that once it enters your brain you need to hear again and again, like shooting heroin. It's the magic of the Stones, from their middle period, when Mick Taylor was in the band. Taylor was key to the renaissance, sure they did good work thereafter, but without Taylor the band was not the same, it was like losing your dominant hand and trying to masturbate with the other. You can get to the end result, but it's just not the same.
"Casino Boogie" was a secret song. I never heard anybody talk about it until this century. But it's been my favorite on "Exile" for quite a while. Not that there's really that much to say about it, I realized this when the class papers came in.
5
"Tumbling Dice." It's a classic. And in this case, just like with the Eagles' "Desperado," you've got to credit Linda Ronstadt, who was in the middle of her incredible seventies run, which still does not get enough acclaim.
Ronstadt belted in a Jaggeresque voice, there was a rollicking piano from a honky tonk and all the faders were turned up to ten and by this point every hamlet in America had an FM rock station, and Ronstadt's "Tumbling Dice" got airplay the original never did, and over time people have gravitated back to the Stones version. Which still does not capture the hypnotic feeling of Ronstadt's take, but live...
The next time the Stones went on tour, in '75, it was still in arenas, and a ticket was even harder to come by. But stunningly, a friend of my sister, a nerd who'd suddenly become hip with therapy, scored them, she'd lined up at the Forum. And our seats were in the lower bowl at the back and they were actually pretty good and this was the tour with the petal opening stage, back when you had to go to see it, experience it, this was before YouTube, we'd read about it, but when you were there...
And the Stones are better today. Last time I saw them, at the Rose Bowl, they were very consistent. But they used to be more like the Grateful Dead...it would take them a while to lock in, for all cylinders to fire and to go speeding down the highway, and then they'd lose the mojo, but that half hour in the middle of the ninety minute show, whew!
So they were playing "Tumbling Dice" and...
If you listen to Ronstadt's take you'll find the ending is hypnotic, you can't help but nod your head, well the Stones did it first, and they did it so well that night back in July of '75. I've never forgotten it, it unlocked the song for me, and looking it up on setlist.fm...I can see it was song ten of twenty two that evening.
6
Which brings us to side two.
"Sweet Virginia" stuck out, because of the s-word. It was a slow country number, a paradigm the Stones had executed before, but they'd done it better before.
But then comes "Torn and Frayed." Here we have that legendary "Exile" sound I referenced on "Shake Your Hips." Only "Torn and Frayed" is a b-number when it comes to the totality of "Exile On Main Street," but it's not a button-pusher, it always feels good.
As does "Sweet Black Angel." Which the press told us was about Angela Davis when revolution was still something we thought about, and we thought would come from the left, we couldn't fathom it coming from the right:
"What's Happening to America? A Theocratic-Fascist Revolution - When a Fanatical 30% Suddenly Seizes Control of Your Society, It's Called a Revolution": https://bit.ly/3w6SARM
And this wasn't a revolutionary subject for dyed-in-the-wool credible rockers, Bob Dylan had put out "George Jackson" the year before, but the Stones wrote and recorded a better song, and its acoustic feel penetrated and the song was far from maudlin, "Sweet Black Angel" is a winner, but compared to what comes after...
"Loving Cup." This is where "Exile On Main Street" truly starts.
"Loving Cup" is majestic in a way nothing that comes before it on "Exile" is. The Stones have entered the middle of the show, they're together, that melding of rock and soul, that groove that made them famous, it's all there. But in this case, it's not written for the radio, I've never heard it over the air, whether AM or FM. It was written for listeners, who got all the way to the second side.
And "Loving Cup" has got great changes, and great horn parts and once again, the magic of Nicky Hopkins. And as good as the number is, it's the minute long outro that seals the deal, with the piano and horns blasting and Mick and the backup singers testifying in the midst of it all.
But once again, it's another act that made "Loving Cup" legendary. In this case "Phish." I remember seeing the band at the Forum decades ago, b.s.'ing with their manager John Paluska, and I hear something in the background...IS THAT LOVING CUP?
It most certainly was, and it's become a staple of their shows. It's almost associated with them more than the Stones. Well, that's an overstatement, but Phish fans are true believers and they spread the word.
Which brings us to side three.
7
This is the heart of "Exile," disc two, this is what made the band's reputation, this is the essence, the marrow, not that the first record does not have its highlights, sometimes transcendent, but the second record...sides three and four have no clinkers, they're all winners, and it took a long while for people to get there, to realize this, being stuck on the first disc, with the radio tracks of the time, except for side three's opener, which got a ton of airplay, which has become Keith Richards's signature song...
I NEED LOVE TO KEEP ME HAPPY!
Keith is doing more than croaking. It's his best vocal. And the words are honest. "Happy" is a blending of what came before, from the fifties, all the way to the seventies, with an outro shorter than the one in "Torn and Frayed," but magical nonetheless.
Also, if you listen for the first time in a while, you'll be stunned how young, energetic and fast "Happy" is. This was before Keith became so dark, not that he was lovable. Sure, we all knew he had heroin issues, at least after his arrest in Canada five years later, but his yin was not as far away as Mick's yang, not at this point.
As for "Turd On the Run"... This is the fully-jelled "Rip This Joint" from side one. It sounds like it exists in outer space, at least high in our atmosphere, it hearkens back to the fifties, but there's more in the track than they used to put in in the old days, the track is saturated, and between that guitar part and the harmonica...who knows exactly what this is, you just know IT FEELS RIGHT!
"When your spine is cracking..."
"Ventilator Blues" was the third track that revealed itself to me on "Exile" back in '72, after "Soul Survivor" and "Let It Loose."
The groove is so tight and focused, it's like it was cut by a machine, but this was before that was possible. "Ventilator Blues" is gritty in a way the Top Forty is not, in a way the Stones had moved away from, and the outro is akin to "When the Levee Breaks" from Led Zeppelin's fourth album, it feels like you're being hit over the head with a ball-peen hammer over and over again and it feels so good, and you don't want to stop it, and the ending goes through changes, different instruments featured, it's like you're at a rehearsal in that Riviera basement, however much tighter, there's nothing loose about "Ventilator Blues." I mean I sing the opening line to myself all the time, it gets me in a groove, in a good mood.
"I Just Want to See His Face" took a while to enter the public consciousness, people now talk about it, but it's the heart of "Exile On Main Street," the keyboards, the drums, the bass, and then Mick and those ethereal background singers singing about Jesus. You don't know whether they're praying or screwing in the studio, all you know is you suddenly feel relaxed, warm all over, in a way that only music can do. The Stones do the religious south, gospel, better than any American rock act. And I've got to single out Bobby Whitlock, for his electric piano playing, so soulful, then again, he comes from Memphis, where they don't play too much, just what's right.
And then comes "Let It Loose." And when it ends, when it gets quiet, when the needle enters the runout groove, when it returns to its perch, when you hear the silence you wonder where you are, you don't quite fit into the regular world, you can only drop the needle on "Exile" once again. (This is back when we'd all stopped stacking records, word had spread that it ruined them, and they were our most treasured artifacts.)
8
"All Down the Line" is a ripper. They should have started the album with this instead of "Rocks Off."
"You can't say yes and you can't say no"
All you can do is go along for the ride. And it's got the power of a freight train. Every player is integral, and every person delivers at a ten level. Once again, Nicky Hopkins on the ivories. And Price and Keys on horns. And then there's that change...
"Won't you be my little baby for a while"
It's like someone turned up the dial to eleven! Meanwhile, Mick Taylor continues to wail on the slide. It's a concoction, a Baskin-Robbins sundae. Take out any single part and it no longer works.
"Stop Breaking Down"...that freight train has stopped and it's now starting to roll again, you can feel it, that slow repetitive groove. And Mick's vocal is exquisite, but it's Mick Taylor's slide guitar that is the cherry on top. It's a Robert Johnson cover, but the Stones have made the song their own, by throwing a number of elements into the fryer, and once again the band is tight in a way they usually weren't live.
The title of "Shine a Light" is now known by all rock fans, after all it was the name of the Stones concert movie from 2008, but the most memorable event that night was the slip and fall and ultimate death of Ahmet Ertegun. What people don't know about Ahmet is he had a dignified appearance, wearing a suit, but he could exist, play in the gutter just as easily. "Shine a Light" is a melange of what came before, a bit of gospel, stinging guitar, rich backup vocals, and once again an extended sped-up outro which adds spice to the slow beginning of the number. Once again Mick Taylor adding the special sauce on slide.
And then we're back where we started, with "Soul Survivor."
9
And there's "Exile On Main Street." Unlike the blues records that underpin it, it's never been unavailable, out of print. It's been there for everybody to consume, remastered as the band took its catalog from one label to another, but that does not mean it ever got its victory lap. There was no TV show, no radio weekend, it was just a time bomb waiting to be discovered and blow you up.
The '72 tour ended. The Beatles were gone, the Rolling Stones were the undisputed rock champs, if for no other reason than they continued to exist. Fifteen months later they put out the confounding "Goats Head Soup." By this time the Stones were front and center, everybody was paying attention, everything they did made news. We heard about "Star Star" for nearly a year in the rock press, and this was it? Johnny Winter ultimately made "Silver Train" his own, I loved "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)," Billy Preston's key work made it irresistible from the very first note, but the rest was...serviceable. Sure, "Angie" was a hit in a way nothing on "Exile" was, and we kept hearing it was about Angie Bowie, but really...seemed pretty sappy to me.
"It's Only Rock 'n Roll" hit higher peaks, but was less consistent. The title track was a legitimate hit and the cover of "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" is arguably the band's finest, at least it's my favorite, it's even got an energy and zing the original doesn't possess. And there's one certified gem, a killer that was rarely talked about but has been anointed over the past couple of decades, "Time Waits For No One," which could be the best showcase of Mick Taylor's guitar work, his cementing as a foundational member of the band, but soon after that he quit, and the Stones have never been the same since.
1976 saw the thrown-together "Black and Blue," with the disco number "Hot Stuff," which seemed a sell-out, and the hit "Fool to Cry," neither of which appealed to me, but the record did include a stone killer, "Hand of Fate," with Wayne Perkins on guitar, and the criminally overlooked "Memory Motel," which seemingly nobody knew until Dave Matthews duetted with Mick on it and it was released on a live album and radio not only played it, they never stopped.
The year before the band toured stadiums with their temporary guitarist Ronnie Wood, on loan from the Faces, where he did such good work with Rod Stewart, but Wood was and still is too similar to Keith and that something extra Mick Taylor added was sorely missed.
Now Taylor made a guest appearance on the 2013 tour, and if you saw it, he may have looked puffy, no longer the golden-haired young thing, but when he wailed on "Midnight Rambler" it was the highlight of the night.
'78 brought "Some Girls." Which was very good, just not as good as everybody said. I mean compared to "Exile"...
But at this point the Stones were still together, disco was raging, you needed to believe in someone, and many people did, believe in the Stones that is.
This is when everybody who believed the Stones were too dangerous in the sixties glommed on. Bought overpriced merch. And ever since then it's been an endless victory lap. As the band loses members. As Mick and Keith and now permanent member Ronnie carry on.
Not that there hasn't been good, great work done. Most especially "Steel Wheels." The band was fearful they'd missed the wave, were no longer relevant, they employed Q Prime to help them, in any event "Steel Wheels" resonated with the marketplace, the tickets sold and the Stones maintained their place at the pinnacle of rock and roll.
Not that anybody goes back and listens to "Steel Wheels" anymore. The cognoscenti are all enamored of "Tattoo You," which I don't understand. It does start with "Start Me Up," a classic Stones opening killer cut, unlike "Rocks Off," albeit a bit obvious, and I like "Little T&A" but thank god for the death of MTV, I don't think I could watch that video for "Waiting on a Friend" one more time.
10
And now the Stones have stopped putting out albums of new material, they put out a blues project, but that's not the same thing. So as a result...
What we've got is the classics.
Now to the hoi polloi, that means "Satisfaction" and "Brown Sugar" and the rest of the obvious children. That's all they think they need. But those more interested in the music than their image have never stopped spinning the old records, and the one they knew least, not by heart, was "Exile On Main Street." And now, fifty years later, instead of being considered a detour, an art project cut by tax exiles, most people, at least those who care, consider it their best.
Because they had fifty years to listen to it. And "Exile" takes a long time to reveal itself, to understand. You've got to commit. And word started to spread how great "Exile" was and that brought new listeners in, both old and young, and one thing's for sure, you can't get this sound anywhere, else, not even from the Stones, who ultimately became more obvious, nearly a cartoon jukebox. Then again, when you go to see them they're the antithesis of their brethren in the classic rock world. They've got no secrets, no hard drives, no slew of ringers replicating the records, rather it's not a whole hell of a lot different than it was fifty years ago. A group of scruffy now old men, shouldering the instruments one more time, looking for the groove. They start out rough, but there's always a point in the show where they lock in, and they truly become the world's greatest rock and roll band. But this all happens in stadiums, whereas a lot of this music, especially on "Exile On Main Street," is made for your bedroom, listening on headphones. And, in truth, the Stones don't even get any respect anymore, I saw them perform "Sticky Fingers" at the Fonda and it was fantastic, but when the numbers ended and Mick strode to the mic...the audience didn't listen, they talked amongst themselves, they thought they were more important.
But truly it's neither the audience nor the band that counts, but the music. And it's hard to get the same hit these days. No one is as big as the Stones yet everybody is playing for world domination. But when the Stones were truly dominant, they did the opposite, they went inside, they made a record not for the hit parade, but for...themselves? Or was it just that this was their job and this was all they could do, make another album? And believe me, it was different, but we've still got "Exile On Main Street," not remixed, occasionally remastered, but essentially the same album, the same music it was in 1972. And I won't say when you listen to "Exile" you're jetted back to that year, rather you're jetted into the stratosphere, or plowed into the earth, where you're alone except for this music surrounding you.
You either get it or you don't. And if you don't have hours of time to concentrate on "Exile On Main Street" you won't. It's not that it's obtuse, it's just that it doesn't play to the audience. You've got to get into the right headspace to understand it. You know, like being the new kid at summer camp, or going to college that first September, you have to leave the past behind, you've got to adjust for the experience you're about to have.
And what is that experience?
One that is dark. Where the music is not competing with the internet for attention, where it's still the most important art form, back to an era where rock was not only king, it meant something, it drove the culture.
Is anybody exiled on Main Street anymore?
Hell, in many communities Main Street has been hollowed out by Walmart and Amazon.
And the losers of society get no attention. We're not all in it together. As far as wisdom...that comes from some influencer online. There's no truth. And I'd say that we need an emotional rescue, but that's another track I never loved. Still, you can go down the proverbial rabbit hole with "Exile On Main Street," and it's a better adventure than you can find at Disneyland or any theme park. And unlike the rides there "Exile" sticks with you, it's not momentary. And there's an hour of it to digest. And most people don't listen that way anymore, but maybe you do.
And if you pay your dues, do the work, you'll become a member of a club, who can talk about the individual tracks, who you can feel the magic with. And it's still not that many, but those who truly know know just like the Beatles in "Get Back" the Stones were not trying to create a masterpiece, it started out as bits and pieces, there was no big plan, and as a result of taking endless risks they ended up with something that's neither obvious nor mannered, but something that is human, that in the end is inexplicable, but explains so much.
After "Exile" it wasn't only the Stones who became more commercial, but rock music in general. "Exile" is the end of what once was, but lives forevermore. Longer than almost everything that came thereafter. They don't even make the records the same way, almost no one could afford to.
I guess it's a splitting of the amateurs from the professionals. You call yourself a rock music fan, even better you call yourself a Stones fan, but until you understand and know "Exile On Main Street" you do not have your degree.
This is a sound you can't get anywhere else. It may not set your mind free, but it will get you thinking.
And I'm thinking right now.
I've dedicated my entire life to this music. And not only me, there are tons of us out there, certainly in Southern California, but truly all over the world. They may be doctors, they may be street sweepers, but the most important thing to them is this sound, it defines their life, it makes it worth living. And there are a number of albums in the pantheon, and "Exile On Main Street" is one of them. Fire it up and go back to the era locked on tape when giants ruled the Earth, when being a rock musician made you royalty, as rich as anybody in America, with the ability to take life on your own terms. When the lifestyle was secondary to the music. When the money was important but not the defining characteristic of your career. When you could strike gold or end up exiled on main street, but never gave up, you still tried, because it's not only rock and roll but EVERYTHING!
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Dave Robinson-This Week's Podcast
Dave Robinson tour managed Jimi Hendrix and then went on to manage such acts as Van Morrison, Brinsley Schwarz, Graham Parker and Elvis Costello while also starting Stiff Records with his partner Jake Riviera and continuing to run the company after Jake's departure. Dave is an independent thinker who's had great success, this is his story.
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/dave-robinson-96802815/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dave-robinson/id1316200737?i=1000560734754
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Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Re-Would You Still Buy A Tesla
No
Mike Dungan
______________________________________
I purchased a Tesla Model 3 in 2018 after having driven a Model S in 2016 and instantly understanding this was gonna be the new thing. We've had almost 4 years with the car, no problems including driving 4400 miles through 13 states in 2 weeks. Auto pilot made it a lot easier.
I am also a shareholder and have done very well on Tesla.
But not only would I not buy a Tesla - I'd sell the one we have. I refuse to be associated with individuals and companies who support someone who attempted an autocratic coup d'etat, wanted to break apart NATO for the benefit of other autocrats, lies about everything, and is one of the worst grifters the world has seen.
Absolutely nothing wrong with any number of other cars.
All the best,
Anders Chan-Tidemann
______________________________________
Yes.
Bill Geiser
______________________________________
The short answer is no way in hell.
Mike Donahue
______________________________________
I used to want to purchase a Tesla, but as a Black man, I can't comfortably purchase the car after learning how Black workers are treated at their factories. Especially after learning they would be hidden from the floor when Elon was gonna walk through.
America feels is like a dimming lightbulb, about to go dark. I hope we all have to energy to continue to fight against stupidity and status quo white supremacy.
Best regards,
Marc Fort in Austin, TX
______________________________________
If you watch the documentary about Abercrombie & Fitch there is an interview with one of their people about the moment they knew that the culture had turned against the brand. She said it was when she saw the first Tobey Maguire Superman and he was fighting the school bully in the hall and she noticed the bully was dressed head to toe in Abercrombie clothes. She said at that moment she realized they were now the bad guys and were screwed.
I feel the same about this moment for Tesla. Elon went from being Tony Stark to Lex Luthor (I realize I'm mixing my metaverse metaphors) over this Twitter/Speech nonsense and I'd never buy a Tesla from him now.
Ed Dilworth
______________________________________
Despite my misgivings, until recently I was toying with the idea, but now I will never buy a new Tesla as long as Musk's involved (or he engages in some serious mea culpa / repentance action). Not holding my breath. I'll wait for a company not actively supporting the destruction of democracy to come out with a viable alternative.
Michael Bull
______________________________________
No. I won't. I was seriously considering a Model-Y, and I continued to consider it after Musk's purchase of Twitter was announced. I generally have liked Musk, and I can tolerate a lot, but, once he started tweeting about how the *Democrats* are the extremists ... well that was too far. That exposed that he has fully bought into the GOP lies and fake news.
I removed the Twitter app from my phone (as I did with Facebook a while back). I'll still check in over the web occasionally with both, but the removing the apps has fixed the addictive behavior these apps encourage.
No. I won't buy a Tesla.
I won't buy a VW either. Never mind their Nazi connections, they were caught rigging emissions tests.
I'll probably hold off a couple of years, but the Hyundai Ionic 5 and the Kia EV6 look like. I've been Ubered in the Chevy Bolt a few times, and it is surprisingly nice.
Thanks,
-Rich Waters
______________________________________
As an early adopter and stock holder, I love both my car and the company. I will probably never buy another car that's not a Tesla. That being said, as a stock holder, I'd prefer that he not get involved with Twitter. He's already solving the world's biggest problems- climate change (Tesla), getting human life off this planet (SpaceX), traffic (Boring Co), self-driving cars (Tesla), internet connectivity anywhere in the world (StarLink); does he really need to fix our most widely utilized information platform? I say no, but… there's no one that I'd rather have do it. Certainly not a government. Thankfully, it appears, he's doing it for the right reasons, namely freedom of speech in an era of misinformation and censorship. I just wish there were 5 more Elon's so he wouldn't have to fix Twitter on his own.
Scott Baylin
______________________________________
I've been thinking about this very thing all day Bob. I am on my second Tesla and have a reservation in on a cybertruck. My plan was to trade in #2 for the cybertruck at some point but now I am not sure I can go forward with that plan…
Daniel Matthews
______________________________________
I am not in favor of this guy buying twitter anymore than I am into hearing the bs that comes from trump on the platform. He has singlehandedly tainted this country back to the stone age, bringing everything bad out of everyone who never made it. He still has this narrative out there that gets me so ill, he isn't going away till he gets locked up or at least banned from ever running for the office again for so many legit reasons.
Danny Zelisko
______________________________________
I wouldn't rethink the purchase, no. Trump is such an outlier in all respects. I can't disagree with banning him, but it really is a slippery slope. With political figures you really want to be circumspect. And there is a school of thought that airing viewpoints like Trump's allows everyone a window into just how hideous he is.
Having said all that, Musk is a screwy jackass, and no one, as in NO ONE, should have that level of wealth. Pretty volatile combination. On the upside, Tesla cars have been vital in getting electric cars to go from dismissed and/or dissed to desired and loved. I'll take that.
Berton Averre
______________________________________
I test drove one, knowing my next vehicle would be electric. Besides the fact that I thought there were some minor fit and finish issues, it made the list as a possibility. No longer.
I'm not a die-hard progressive, but I believe that anyone with intellect and economic opportunity should never punch down…and that's all I see from Musk. When he called the cave spelunker rescuing children a pedo because his ego was hurt, I knew he was pedantic. When he said he would take Tesla private and used that to thumb his nose at the SEC, I thought he was reckless. When he started this whole shit storm with Twitter in a business deal that makes no financial sense, other than to stoke his rampant narcissism, I realized he was incapable of sound judgement. When he decried his offense at the suppression of free speech but has kissed the ring of the CCP while they run concentration camps, I knew he was a fraud and a phony. Every calculus is about whatever makes Elon feel good in that moment. Elon has the moral compass of a weather vane. This guy will end up as another Howard Hughes type character; alienated, obsequious, paranoid, and alone.
Trent Keeling
______________________________________
Two years in and my Tesla is by far the best car/toy I have ever owned and I have some good ones!
Musk? As an engineer he is right up there and his understanding of physics is unbelievable. If he makes a difference for the better of humanity I don't care about all the other BS.
Don Elford
______________________________________
I bought a Tesla because it was the best car that I ever test drove. And I'll buy another one.
I don't give a shit what Elon Musk espouses. Nor do I look up to Charles Barkley as a roll model. But I'd pick him to be on my basketball team.
Sincerely,
Paul Lohr
______________________________________
I won't either…
Steven Anderko
______________________________________
No, I wouldn't… my answer would have been different a year or two ago… but I can no longer separate the man from the machine… and the man has become an insufferable bully and awful role model.
Dave Mason
______________________________________
Fuck no I wouldn't. And anyone who would is more interested in "status" than they are in humanity.
Seriously fuck that Apartheid-upholding asshole.
Noel Nocciolo
______________________________________
F#CK NO.
And I have actually have been planning on buying one as my next car.
Any self respecting believer in democracy should sell theirs NOW.
Since it's mostly (if not almost entirely), left leaning people who buy them, a Tesla boycott would drive the stock price down instantly and dramatically.
As the saying goes, money doesn't talk, it swears, and I bet Musk would change his mind about trump returning (or be pressured by the board to keep the ban).
This is truly a watershed moment in our history and if Tesla owners and prospective buyers don't SPEAK UP, this will go a long way in getting trump re-elected.
To think otherwise is ignorant or plain stupid.
I will really miss owning a Tesla but the time is now to TAKE A STAND.
DG
______________________________________
Like you, I live in Southern California. My wife and I became a one car household during the pandemic. Now that she has to start commuting back to work 35 miles each way, we thought it was a good time to install solar and get an EV. We've never bought a new car in our lives and hesitated to have a monthly payment but with the price of gas in CA and being able to charge from our solar, it was both a wise choice and a splurge for us.
My wife working for a great company like Patagonia has an added perk of providing incentives to their employees to go solar. Not a huge sum, but at least they're putting some of their money where their mouth is. I guess we're all still figuring out where Musk is putting his.
Do I agree with him on everything? Of course not! But, like you said, it's theatrics and he'll change his tune when it hits his "richest guy in history" title. Jewish people do buy Mercedes and BMW now. Who knows what atrocities, environmental or otherwise, all major auto companies have committed in their histories. I try to vote with my wallet but, like everything, you have to calculate the trade-offs and opportunity costs. I still feel the Model 3 long range is the best bang for the buck in EVs. To your point about VW, who knows how long Musk holds that dominant position?
Take care,
Brett Patrick
______________________________________
As you just predicted. Here we go.
Tom Gribbin
https://boundingintocomics.com/2022/05/10/x2-x-men-united-writer-and-solid-snake-va-david-hayter-says-he-will-give-up-his-tesla-if-elon-musk-reinstates-donald-trumps-twitter-account/
______________________________________
How long will it be until people call them "Muskmobiles" And not as a compliment?
Peter Burnside
______________________________________
Not a Tesla/Musk fan-boy, (can't afford a Tesla) but I will say the Starlink system is phenomenal.
I have it at our land-locked camp 5 hours north of Toronto where the Tel-co's won't service anytime before the decade is out.
Took 15 minutes to set up and runs like a charm with fantastic upload/download speeds.
It has transformed our experience up there, and allows us to work from there seamlessly and enjoy more time outside of the city.
So I will champion his tech for that…it helped that he had a rocket company…but i'm not about to become a Musk evangelist.
Billionaire tech bro operating in a world I cannot relate to.
Rob Johnston
______________________________________
Nope. Was think of a tesla but definitely now only looking at the new Kia or Hyundai. F$ck Musk I won't even use his chargers.
Seth Freeman
______________________________________
I own a Tesla. I love the car. I would buy another one in a heartbeat. It is the peoples' car. And the leader of the company has made a very successful career out of outsmarting the naysayers, thinking leaps and bounds ahead of those who complain, lament and who have attempted to cancel him. I would buy again because of the car. I will buy again because of the man...A man that refuses to cower from those who don't like him. Unlike Trump, Musk does not need to be loved. He only needs to succeed and have the last laugh. I would not bet against him laughing, quite successfully while the complainers continue to complain, watching the world pass them buy yet again.
Paul Nordlund
______________________________________
Hard no.
Patrick Curley
______________________________________
Thanks Bob,
I was pricing out a Tesla just today and your newsletter arrived today, of all days!
What a great analysis of the potential self-immolation of the Tesla brand!
You made it crystal clear, the narrative surrounding a brand is essential. It is not a matter of "what" Tesla is; it's always a matter of "who" is Telsa or any brand is in the heart and mind of the consumer.
So, now I'm asking myself, if Musk green lights a free for all on twitter, turns Twitter into a boiling hell hole of right wing conspiracies and falsehoods, do I really want to even be seen in a Tesla? Uh, I don't think so. Thanks for the wakeup call!
FYI, for few decades I felt like the "Zelig" of the branding world, present at the launch of MTV Networks, soon after partnering with Swatch U.S.A. and finally launching KETO FOODS (second only to Atkins).
Arne Bey
Santa Fe, New Mexico
______________________________________
agree 100%
Michael Rosenblatt
______________________________________
I love my Tesla but I've already decided If trump rises to power again and/or elected because he's back on Twitter I'll never buy another Tesla.
Thank you,
David Brauner
______________________________________
Nice article about Elon, it all rings true for me. I've driven a Tesla for the last 18 months (after 2 Prius' that I drove into the ground) and LOVE it for many reasons.
To me it's kinda like meeting your music idol and finding they're an asshole. As you've said, you can love the art without loving the artist.
Culley Casey
______________________________________
I've driven electric cars for five years, first the BMW i3 and now the Tesla Model 3. There is a lot to love about electric vehicles, but there are some caveats which seem to be largely ignored by the faithful: the range is dramatically affected by sub-30 degree weather (Fahrenheit), and a small wiring failure can result in your vehicle turning into a brick, as mine did recently at Logan Airport. One can love or not love the menu swiping involved on a Tesla to locate the mirror adjustments, etc, but the basically functionality of the vehicle, while ideal in a warm, urban or suburban environment, can be a challenge outside of that.
Thanks
Rich Costey
______________________________________
I won't now… I was going to trade in my 2020plugin hybrid Prius Prime and go all electric but not a chance in hell I will support Musk after that statement.
Mike Lawson
______________________________________
Only a used one, at this point.
What an asshat.
Mike Froedge
______________________________________
I was going to. Now I'll wait for BMW or some other quality electric car. Have absolutely changed our plans to buy a Tesla.
Michael Alex
______________________________________
i don't either. and was considering buying one. but then again, toyota/lexus are also out because they're backing election deniers.
rsands9
______________________________________
I was suggesting this exact possibility to people earlier. Elon Musk feels pretty right-wing now, electric cars… pretty left-wing. It's a bit like when the New Balance guy praised Trump.
My wife put a strong veto on ever buying a Tesla when the "Trump will return to Twitter" news broke this evening
Stephen Curran
______________________________________
Extremely well said. Echoes my feelings exactly. Spot on.
Best,
Jim Peikon
______________________________________
Definitely not.
Matt Gorney
______________________________________
No
Bob Kalill
______________________________________
I got my Tesla (Model Y/P) late last year and I love it. Best car I've ever owned or driven. At the time I just thought Musk was an eccentric genius. Now I think he's a narcissistic buffoon with far too much money and less smarts than I gave him credit for. But, would I buy a Tesla again? Almost certainly. Gas is $5 and the future is in EVs.
Steve Jobs was also a major prick, but yet Apple still flourished and made the best products. It seems people can separate the personality from the product if they want it badly enough.
I hope he pulls out of the Twitter deal and just focuses on cars (and space). We don't need more egomaniacs with 50Million+ followers hogging up all of the social media oxygen (especially TFG) and wagging the MSM dog all day long again.
Wyllys Ingersoll
______________________________________
You hit the nail on the head as usual, Bob. I used to be a fan of Elon, if only through my own ignorance about him and judging on what he's done to make Tesla so damn valuable. But him being on Twitter was already his downfall in my eyes, acting like a child and lashing out after getting his feelings hurt when people criticize him.
I just cannot fathom why the richest man in the world is on Twitter at all. Isn't he busy? Doesn't he have kids, friends, anything else to do?
Now we see Elon for what he is. A buffoon and an egomaniac that wants to control the narrative and to exact revenge on anyone that's critical of him. Once he gets that power, he will wield that power. He's no different than Trump, really.
A few years ago, a Tesla was definitely in my future. No more.
Brian Pluto
______________________________________
Musk declaring that Trump shouldn't have been banned from Twitter is enough to keep many of from the Tesla brand. Fortunately, there are more and more alternatives across a range of prices and styles.
I don't think VW has developed the tech to dominate the EV market yet. They have a high-end Porsche 911, the Taycan, which is bottled lightening, and has all the style you'd expect, but it lacks range, as does their entry level VW ID.4. They have Audi too, so they know cars and engineering. I have no doubt they'll get there, but right now, if you want a hi-tech EV, and, as WSJ car critic, Dan Neil said, "You don't want to be the fourth blue Model Y in the drive thru at Starbucks," your best bet comes from South Korea.
It's in the form of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or its sister, the KIA EV6.Their software is as close to Tesla as you can find, and they have a game changing technology called Battery-to-Load which allows users to get electricity from the cars propulsion batteries. That means you can power your house, campsite, etc. Nobody else can currently do that.
Ford's Mustang Mach-E is also a decent Tesla competitor, even though it can't yet offer Tesla Model S Plaid range. This fall they'll debut an electric version of the biggest selling car or truck in America, the F-150.
There's a Volvo that's incredibly appointed, and bears a reliable badge.
And watch for GMs Lyriq this fall. It's not your father's Cadillac. The start-up Lucid has a Tesla killer in the Air model, but they're hard to source. And Mercedes has its EQS. Late to the game and pricey for its limited range, it will improve.
Tesla has a lead in software and battery tech, but it won't last now that the big players are in the game.
Jon Sinton
______________________________________
I think Musk is a megalomaniacal (evil?) genius. He sold 2 million electric cars without spending a penny on advertising. He knows how to build things that are useful + exciting.
I bought a Model 3 last December. I LOVE IT. The issue was forced when my very practical (I live in the mountains) Subaru Outback was totaled in a bizarre park lot flood. I'd been wanting to go electric for years and I made the leap. It's like driving an iPhone, everything works, it's sleek, minimal, and requires almost no maintenance. It's also fast and fun to drive!
I think Tesla's brand is somehow (probably) strong enough to withstand Elon's shenanigans. They are the clear front-runner in terms of tech but also their charging network. Tesla charging stations are everywhere and everything is integrated, you don't even pull out your credit card. Other EV owners don't have it so easy.
I wish Elon would take a hit for being such an asshole troll but I'm not trading the future for the past. I've spent a lifetime pumping petroleum (the absolute worst of the worst in terms of environmental and human rights abuses) and I'm not doing that anymore. We have a long way to go but electric cars are an important step toward a sustainable future and like it or not Elon Musk has put us on the path. Perfect is not the enemy of good.
I am nervous about his Twitter takeover and what impact it will have but the devil is in the details and we don't have these yet. I read a take recently about how the right has benefitted greatly from Trump being off of the platform. They don't have to own his bullshit if no one sees it. Anyhoo.
I think Musk is a self-important, out-of-touch douchebag lacking in humanity, who's done some truly amazing things, and I'm keeping the car.
Liz Penta
______________________________________
I'm sick of that asshole. Was offered a Tesla company car. Declined.
Dan Fullick
______________________________________
Elon Musk can suck my cock.
Michelle Saar
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Mike Dungan
______________________________________
I purchased a Tesla Model 3 in 2018 after having driven a Model S in 2016 and instantly understanding this was gonna be the new thing. We've had almost 4 years with the car, no problems including driving 4400 miles through 13 states in 2 weeks. Auto pilot made it a lot easier.
I am also a shareholder and have done very well on Tesla.
But not only would I not buy a Tesla - I'd sell the one we have. I refuse to be associated with individuals and companies who support someone who attempted an autocratic coup d'etat, wanted to break apart NATO for the benefit of other autocrats, lies about everything, and is one of the worst grifters the world has seen.
Absolutely nothing wrong with any number of other cars.
All the best,
Anders Chan-Tidemann
______________________________________
Yes.
Bill Geiser
______________________________________
The short answer is no way in hell.
Mike Donahue
______________________________________
I used to want to purchase a Tesla, but as a Black man, I can't comfortably purchase the car after learning how Black workers are treated at their factories. Especially after learning they would be hidden from the floor when Elon was gonna walk through.
America feels is like a dimming lightbulb, about to go dark. I hope we all have to energy to continue to fight against stupidity and status quo white supremacy.
Best regards,
Marc Fort in Austin, TX
______________________________________
If you watch the documentary about Abercrombie & Fitch there is an interview with one of their people about the moment they knew that the culture had turned against the brand. She said it was when she saw the first Tobey Maguire Superman and he was fighting the school bully in the hall and she noticed the bully was dressed head to toe in Abercrombie clothes. She said at that moment she realized they were now the bad guys and were screwed.
I feel the same about this moment for Tesla. Elon went from being Tony Stark to Lex Luthor (I realize I'm mixing my metaverse metaphors) over this Twitter/Speech nonsense and I'd never buy a Tesla from him now.
Ed Dilworth
______________________________________
Despite my misgivings, until recently I was toying with the idea, but now I will never buy a new Tesla as long as Musk's involved (or he engages in some serious mea culpa / repentance action). Not holding my breath. I'll wait for a company not actively supporting the destruction of democracy to come out with a viable alternative.
Michael Bull
______________________________________
No. I won't. I was seriously considering a Model-Y, and I continued to consider it after Musk's purchase of Twitter was announced. I generally have liked Musk, and I can tolerate a lot, but, once he started tweeting about how the *Democrats* are the extremists ... well that was too far. That exposed that he has fully bought into the GOP lies and fake news.
I removed the Twitter app from my phone (as I did with Facebook a while back). I'll still check in over the web occasionally with both, but the removing the apps has fixed the addictive behavior these apps encourage.
No. I won't buy a Tesla.
I won't buy a VW either. Never mind their Nazi connections, they were caught rigging emissions tests.
I'll probably hold off a couple of years, but the Hyundai Ionic 5 and the Kia EV6 look like. I've been Ubered in the Chevy Bolt a few times, and it is surprisingly nice.
Thanks,
-Rich Waters
______________________________________
As an early adopter and stock holder, I love both my car and the company. I will probably never buy another car that's not a Tesla. That being said, as a stock holder, I'd prefer that he not get involved with Twitter. He's already solving the world's biggest problems- climate change (Tesla), getting human life off this planet (SpaceX), traffic (Boring Co), self-driving cars (Tesla), internet connectivity anywhere in the world (StarLink); does he really need to fix our most widely utilized information platform? I say no, but… there's no one that I'd rather have do it. Certainly not a government. Thankfully, it appears, he's doing it for the right reasons, namely freedom of speech in an era of misinformation and censorship. I just wish there were 5 more Elon's so he wouldn't have to fix Twitter on his own.
Scott Baylin
______________________________________
I've been thinking about this very thing all day Bob. I am on my second Tesla and have a reservation in on a cybertruck. My plan was to trade in #2 for the cybertruck at some point but now I am not sure I can go forward with that plan…
Daniel Matthews
______________________________________
I am not in favor of this guy buying twitter anymore than I am into hearing the bs that comes from trump on the platform. He has singlehandedly tainted this country back to the stone age, bringing everything bad out of everyone who never made it. He still has this narrative out there that gets me so ill, he isn't going away till he gets locked up or at least banned from ever running for the office again for so many legit reasons.
Danny Zelisko
______________________________________
I wouldn't rethink the purchase, no. Trump is such an outlier in all respects. I can't disagree with banning him, but it really is a slippery slope. With political figures you really want to be circumspect. And there is a school of thought that airing viewpoints like Trump's allows everyone a window into just how hideous he is.
Having said all that, Musk is a screwy jackass, and no one, as in NO ONE, should have that level of wealth. Pretty volatile combination. On the upside, Tesla cars have been vital in getting electric cars to go from dismissed and/or dissed to desired and loved. I'll take that.
Berton Averre
______________________________________
I test drove one, knowing my next vehicle would be electric. Besides the fact that I thought there were some minor fit and finish issues, it made the list as a possibility. No longer.
I'm not a die-hard progressive, but I believe that anyone with intellect and economic opportunity should never punch down…and that's all I see from Musk. When he called the cave spelunker rescuing children a pedo because his ego was hurt, I knew he was pedantic. When he said he would take Tesla private and used that to thumb his nose at the SEC, I thought he was reckless. When he started this whole shit storm with Twitter in a business deal that makes no financial sense, other than to stoke his rampant narcissism, I realized he was incapable of sound judgement. When he decried his offense at the suppression of free speech but has kissed the ring of the CCP while they run concentration camps, I knew he was a fraud and a phony. Every calculus is about whatever makes Elon feel good in that moment. Elon has the moral compass of a weather vane. This guy will end up as another Howard Hughes type character; alienated, obsequious, paranoid, and alone.
Trent Keeling
______________________________________
Two years in and my Tesla is by far the best car/toy I have ever owned and I have some good ones!
Musk? As an engineer he is right up there and his understanding of physics is unbelievable. If he makes a difference for the better of humanity I don't care about all the other BS.
Don Elford
______________________________________
I bought a Tesla because it was the best car that I ever test drove. And I'll buy another one.
I don't give a shit what Elon Musk espouses. Nor do I look up to Charles Barkley as a roll model. But I'd pick him to be on my basketball team.
Sincerely,
Paul Lohr
______________________________________
I won't either…
Steven Anderko
______________________________________
No, I wouldn't… my answer would have been different a year or two ago… but I can no longer separate the man from the machine… and the man has become an insufferable bully and awful role model.
Dave Mason
______________________________________
Fuck no I wouldn't. And anyone who would is more interested in "status" than they are in humanity.
Seriously fuck that Apartheid-upholding asshole.
Noel Nocciolo
______________________________________
F#CK NO.
And I have actually have been planning on buying one as my next car.
Any self respecting believer in democracy should sell theirs NOW.
Since it's mostly (if not almost entirely), left leaning people who buy them, a Tesla boycott would drive the stock price down instantly and dramatically.
As the saying goes, money doesn't talk, it swears, and I bet Musk would change his mind about trump returning (or be pressured by the board to keep the ban).
This is truly a watershed moment in our history and if Tesla owners and prospective buyers don't SPEAK UP, this will go a long way in getting trump re-elected.
To think otherwise is ignorant or plain stupid.
I will really miss owning a Tesla but the time is now to TAKE A STAND.
DG
______________________________________
Like you, I live in Southern California. My wife and I became a one car household during the pandemic. Now that she has to start commuting back to work 35 miles each way, we thought it was a good time to install solar and get an EV. We've never bought a new car in our lives and hesitated to have a monthly payment but with the price of gas in CA and being able to charge from our solar, it was both a wise choice and a splurge for us.
My wife working for a great company like Patagonia has an added perk of providing incentives to their employees to go solar. Not a huge sum, but at least they're putting some of their money where their mouth is. I guess we're all still figuring out where Musk is putting his.
Do I agree with him on everything? Of course not! But, like you said, it's theatrics and he'll change his tune when it hits his "richest guy in history" title. Jewish people do buy Mercedes and BMW now. Who knows what atrocities, environmental or otherwise, all major auto companies have committed in their histories. I try to vote with my wallet but, like everything, you have to calculate the trade-offs and opportunity costs. I still feel the Model 3 long range is the best bang for the buck in EVs. To your point about VW, who knows how long Musk holds that dominant position?
Take care,
Brett Patrick
______________________________________
As you just predicted. Here we go.
Tom Gribbin
https://boundingintocomics.com/2022/05/10/x2-x-men-united-writer-and-solid-snake-va-david-hayter-says-he-will-give-up-his-tesla-if-elon-musk-reinstates-donald-trumps-twitter-account/
______________________________________
How long will it be until people call them "Muskmobiles" And not as a compliment?
Peter Burnside
______________________________________
Not a Tesla/Musk fan-boy, (can't afford a Tesla) but I will say the Starlink system is phenomenal.
I have it at our land-locked camp 5 hours north of Toronto where the Tel-co's won't service anytime before the decade is out.
Took 15 minutes to set up and runs like a charm with fantastic upload/download speeds.
It has transformed our experience up there, and allows us to work from there seamlessly and enjoy more time outside of the city.
So I will champion his tech for that…it helped that he had a rocket company…but i'm not about to become a Musk evangelist.
Billionaire tech bro operating in a world I cannot relate to.
Rob Johnston
______________________________________
Nope. Was think of a tesla but definitely now only looking at the new Kia or Hyundai. F$ck Musk I won't even use his chargers.
Seth Freeman
______________________________________
I own a Tesla. I love the car. I would buy another one in a heartbeat. It is the peoples' car. And the leader of the company has made a very successful career out of outsmarting the naysayers, thinking leaps and bounds ahead of those who complain, lament and who have attempted to cancel him. I would buy again because of the car. I will buy again because of the man...A man that refuses to cower from those who don't like him. Unlike Trump, Musk does not need to be loved. He only needs to succeed and have the last laugh. I would not bet against him laughing, quite successfully while the complainers continue to complain, watching the world pass them buy yet again.
Paul Nordlund
______________________________________
Hard no.
Patrick Curley
______________________________________
Thanks Bob,
I was pricing out a Tesla just today and your newsletter arrived today, of all days!
What a great analysis of the potential self-immolation of the Tesla brand!
You made it crystal clear, the narrative surrounding a brand is essential. It is not a matter of "what" Tesla is; it's always a matter of "who" is Telsa or any brand is in the heart and mind of the consumer.
So, now I'm asking myself, if Musk green lights a free for all on twitter, turns Twitter into a boiling hell hole of right wing conspiracies and falsehoods, do I really want to even be seen in a Tesla? Uh, I don't think so. Thanks for the wakeup call!
FYI, for few decades I felt like the "Zelig" of the branding world, present at the launch of MTV Networks, soon after partnering with Swatch U.S.A. and finally launching KETO FOODS (second only to Atkins).
Arne Bey
Santa Fe, New Mexico
______________________________________
agree 100%
Michael Rosenblatt
______________________________________
I love my Tesla but I've already decided If trump rises to power again and/or elected because he's back on Twitter I'll never buy another Tesla.
Thank you,
David Brauner
______________________________________
Nice article about Elon, it all rings true for me. I've driven a Tesla for the last 18 months (after 2 Prius' that I drove into the ground) and LOVE it for many reasons.
To me it's kinda like meeting your music idol and finding they're an asshole. As you've said, you can love the art without loving the artist.
Culley Casey
______________________________________
I've driven electric cars for five years, first the BMW i3 and now the Tesla Model 3. There is a lot to love about electric vehicles, but there are some caveats which seem to be largely ignored by the faithful: the range is dramatically affected by sub-30 degree weather (Fahrenheit), and a small wiring failure can result in your vehicle turning into a brick, as mine did recently at Logan Airport. One can love or not love the menu swiping involved on a Tesla to locate the mirror adjustments, etc, but the basically functionality of the vehicle, while ideal in a warm, urban or suburban environment, can be a challenge outside of that.
Thanks
Rich Costey
______________________________________
I won't now… I was going to trade in my 2020plugin hybrid Prius Prime and go all electric but not a chance in hell I will support Musk after that statement.
Mike Lawson
______________________________________
Only a used one, at this point.
What an asshat.
Mike Froedge
______________________________________
I was going to. Now I'll wait for BMW or some other quality electric car. Have absolutely changed our plans to buy a Tesla.
Michael Alex
______________________________________
i don't either. and was considering buying one. but then again, toyota/lexus are also out because they're backing election deniers.
rsands9
______________________________________
I was suggesting this exact possibility to people earlier. Elon Musk feels pretty right-wing now, electric cars… pretty left-wing. It's a bit like when the New Balance guy praised Trump.
My wife put a strong veto on ever buying a Tesla when the "Trump will return to Twitter" news broke this evening
Stephen Curran
______________________________________
Extremely well said. Echoes my feelings exactly. Spot on.
Best,
Jim Peikon
______________________________________
Definitely not.
Matt Gorney
______________________________________
No
Bob Kalill
______________________________________
I got my Tesla (Model Y/P) late last year and I love it. Best car I've ever owned or driven. At the time I just thought Musk was an eccentric genius. Now I think he's a narcissistic buffoon with far too much money and less smarts than I gave him credit for. But, would I buy a Tesla again? Almost certainly. Gas is $5 and the future is in EVs.
Steve Jobs was also a major prick, but yet Apple still flourished and made the best products. It seems people can separate the personality from the product if they want it badly enough.
I hope he pulls out of the Twitter deal and just focuses on cars (and space). We don't need more egomaniacs with 50Million+ followers hogging up all of the social media oxygen (especially TFG) and wagging the MSM dog all day long again.
Wyllys Ingersoll
______________________________________
You hit the nail on the head as usual, Bob. I used to be a fan of Elon, if only through my own ignorance about him and judging on what he's done to make Tesla so damn valuable. But him being on Twitter was already his downfall in my eyes, acting like a child and lashing out after getting his feelings hurt when people criticize him.
I just cannot fathom why the richest man in the world is on Twitter at all. Isn't he busy? Doesn't he have kids, friends, anything else to do?
Now we see Elon for what he is. A buffoon and an egomaniac that wants to control the narrative and to exact revenge on anyone that's critical of him. Once he gets that power, he will wield that power. He's no different than Trump, really.
A few years ago, a Tesla was definitely in my future. No more.
Brian Pluto
______________________________________
Musk declaring that Trump shouldn't have been banned from Twitter is enough to keep many of from the Tesla brand. Fortunately, there are more and more alternatives across a range of prices and styles.
I don't think VW has developed the tech to dominate the EV market yet. They have a high-end Porsche 911, the Taycan, which is bottled lightening, and has all the style you'd expect, but it lacks range, as does their entry level VW ID.4. They have Audi too, so they know cars and engineering. I have no doubt they'll get there, but right now, if you want a hi-tech EV, and, as WSJ car critic, Dan Neil said, "You don't want to be the fourth blue Model Y in the drive thru at Starbucks," your best bet comes from South Korea.
It's in the form of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or its sister, the KIA EV6.Their software is as close to Tesla as you can find, and they have a game changing technology called Battery-to-Load which allows users to get electricity from the cars propulsion batteries. That means you can power your house, campsite, etc. Nobody else can currently do that.
Ford's Mustang Mach-E is also a decent Tesla competitor, even though it can't yet offer Tesla Model S Plaid range. This fall they'll debut an electric version of the biggest selling car or truck in America, the F-150.
There's a Volvo that's incredibly appointed, and bears a reliable badge.
And watch for GMs Lyriq this fall. It's not your father's Cadillac. The start-up Lucid has a Tesla killer in the Air model, but they're hard to source. And Mercedes has its EQS. Late to the game and pricey for its limited range, it will improve.
Tesla has a lead in software and battery tech, but it won't last now that the big players are in the game.
Jon Sinton
______________________________________
I think Musk is a megalomaniacal (evil?) genius. He sold 2 million electric cars without spending a penny on advertising. He knows how to build things that are useful + exciting.
I bought a Model 3 last December. I LOVE IT. The issue was forced when my very practical (I live in the mountains) Subaru Outback was totaled in a bizarre park lot flood. I'd been wanting to go electric for years and I made the leap. It's like driving an iPhone, everything works, it's sleek, minimal, and requires almost no maintenance. It's also fast and fun to drive!
I think Tesla's brand is somehow (probably) strong enough to withstand Elon's shenanigans. They are the clear front-runner in terms of tech but also their charging network. Tesla charging stations are everywhere and everything is integrated, you don't even pull out your credit card. Other EV owners don't have it so easy.
I wish Elon would take a hit for being such an asshole troll but I'm not trading the future for the past. I've spent a lifetime pumping petroleum (the absolute worst of the worst in terms of environmental and human rights abuses) and I'm not doing that anymore. We have a long way to go but electric cars are an important step toward a sustainable future and like it or not Elon Musk has put us on the path. Perfect is not the enemy of good.
I am nervous about his Twitter takeover and what impact it will have but the devil is in the details and we don't have these yet. I read a take recently about how the right has benefitted greatly from Trump being off of the platform. They don't have to own his bullshit if no one sees it. Anyhoo.
I think Musk is a self-important, out-of-touch douchebag lacking in humanity, who's done some truly amazing things, and I'm keeping the car.
Liz Penta
______________________________________
I'm sick of that asshole. Was offered a Tesla company car. Declined.
Dan Fullick
______________________________________
Elon Musk can suck my cock.
Michelle Saar
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Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Horn Songs Playlist
https://spoti.fi/3ysWSVa
Beginnings-Chicago Transit Authority
Baker Street-Gerry Rafferty
Kind of a Drag-the Buckinghams
One Fine Morning-Lighthouse
Suite for 20G-James Taylor
Jungleland-Bruce Springsteen
For No One-Beatles
Spanish Moon-Little Feat
I Can't Stand the Rain
I Can't Stand the Rain Ann Peebles
You Can't Always Get What You Want-Rolling Stones
God Only Knows-the Beach Boys
Don't Do It-The Band-Rock of Ages
Papa's Got a Brand New Bag-James Brown
Tusk-Fleetwood Mac
Bend Me Shape Me-American Breed
Soul Finger-The Bar-Kays
Superfly-Curtis Mayfield
Domino-Van Morrison
Knock On Wood-Eddie Floyd
I'll Take You There-Staples Singers
All the Way From Memphis-Mott the Hoople
I Want a New Drug-Huey Lewis & the News
Tears of a Clown-Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
Higher Love-Steve Winwood
Who Can It Be Now?-Men at Work
New York State of Mind-Billy Joel
She's Gone-Hall & Oates
Late in the Evening Paul Simon
Uptight (Everything's Alright) Stevie Wonder
Tequila-the Champs
It's a Boy-the Who Tommy
So You WAnt to Be a Rock & Roll Star-the Byrds
Somebody Up There Likes Me-David Bowie
Sweet Caroline-Neil Diamond
Paperlate-Genesis
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Beginnings-Chicago Transit Authority
Baker Street-Gerry Rafferty
Kind of a Drag-the Buckinghams
One Fine Morning-Lighthouse
Suite for 20G-James Taylor
Jungleland-Bruce Springsteen
For No One-Beatles
Spanish Moon-Little Feat
I Can't Stand the Rain
I Can't Stand the Rain Ann Peebles
You Can't Always Get What You Want-Rolling Stones
God Only Knows-the Beach Boys
Don't Do It-The Band-Rock of Ages
Papa's Got a Brand New Bag-James Brown
Tusk-Fleetwood Mac
Bend Me Shape Me-American Breed
Soul Finger-The Bar-Kays
Superfly-Curtis Mayfield
Domino-Van Morrison
Knock On Wood-Eddie Floyd
I'll Take You There-Staples Singers
All the Way From Memphis-Mott the Hoople
I Want a New Drug-Huey Lewis & the News
Tears of a Clown-Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
Higher Love-Steve Winwood
Who Can It Be Now?-Men at Work
New York State of Mind-Billy Joel
She's Gone-Hall & Oates
Late in the Evening Paul Simon
Uptight (Everything's Alright) Stevie Wonder
Tequila-the Champs
It's a Boy-the Who Tommy
So You WAnt to Be a Rock & Roll Star-the Byrds
Somebody Up There Likes Me-David Bowie
Sweet Caroline-Neil Diamond
Paperlate-Genesis
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Would You Still Buy A Tesla?
"Elon Musk says he would reverse Twitter's Trump ban": https://cnn.it/3M5i5bU
Don't buy a new gasoline car unless you're planning to get rid of it in just a few years, which is kind of dumb, because then you're eating the depreciation. But if you hold on any longer, the value of a gasoline automobile will sink to nearly zero. What is your 35mm camera worth today?
The whole world is going electric, especially in China and Europe, the way things are going the USA will no longer be number one in so many categories. As for all the b.s. from "patriots" talking about how people are desirous of immigrating into the country...a true patriot would talk about solidifying systems, making America more just, but that doesn't seem to be their goal.
So a car is one of the few signifiers we still have left. We all use the same smartphone, most youngsters don't even bother with a watch, how are you going to evidence your identity in today's world? Well, mostly on social media. But in the real world, it's still about a car. And if you want to show you're cutting edge, you drive an electric one, and Tesla dominates that sphere.
Now let's be clear, electric automobiles were first embraced by the left. The "coastal elites." They wanted to show they cared about climate change, the planet. They put up with inferior workmanship just to demonstrate their bona fides.
As for the right?
Holman Jenkins and the rest of his knee-jerk Republicans in the "Wall Street Journal" have not stopped decrying electric automobiles, endlessly bitching about subsidies, the lack of profit if clean air credits weren't sold. They want the past to endure. They want jobs to maintain. They want the right to drive a bigger and bigger SUV, hopefully a Suburban, or maybe a full-sized pickup truck. That's freedom according to them. As for the planet? Those they hate in Silicon Valley will come up with a solution or God will intervene, it's not worth worrying about. As for the science? There are no facts in America anymore, didn't you hear?
So, Tesla has burgeoned on the good will, the purchases of the educated classes, wanting to make a statement, raving about their automobiles, spreading the word. But now what are you going to say?
I don't care if you're left or right, what you believe in, but when a giant corporation, publicly traded, alienates its base...that's a problem.
I used to be a fan of Elon Musk, no longer. The guy is irrational, and he believes the rules don't apply to him. And he acts like he's the only one who owns the truth, who can move us into the future, and that's just hogwash.
As for Twitter...
Twitter is not a newspaper. It's not even a television station. Twitter only works if it's agnostic, if it's the place everybody goes. Just ask Donald Trump and Devin Nunes, who left Congress to run Truth Social. It's got no traction. Forget that platforms are hard to build, it's nearly impossible to build traffic unless you're a first mover or you're significantly better than the established outfit, neither of which Truth Social is. We've learned that online one company dominates in every sphere. Amazon in retail... Especially when it's consumer facing and depends on traffic.
So, do people on the left need to be on Twitter? Probably. For more than a decade we've heard about tech boycotts, but they've never worked, people don't want to be left out, they want to be in on the action. So ignore the hype about Twitter resignations. Twitter is here until it's superseded by... Well, it took a long time for TikTok and Snapchat to make inroads on Facebook, as for Instagram, the Zuck company bought it!
As for the content on Twitter... Misinformation is a major issue. All over social media, never mind "news" sites. Are we just gonna throw up our hands and say we can't solve the problem, it will have to work itself out?
Twitter is not government-owned, it can regulate content, who can be on the service, all day long.
Just like the "New York Times" does its best not to print untruths.
Can't say the same for Fox, which is kinda the point, but reputable news organizations are not propaganda outlets spewing falsehoods. They're worried about their credibility. As for Musk's credibility, he's diminishing it each and every day. He sees his number of Twitter followers, he thinks everybody's a fan, but that is not the case.
Misinformation has gotten us here, where democracy is in peril. Maybe you don't agree with that, but as the old aphorism goes, you're either part of the problem or part of the solution.
As for the problem... You've got to read a couple of paragraphs of this article:
"As a 'Seismic Shift' Fractures Evangelicals, an Arkansas Pastor Leaves Home - Kevin Thompson thought he would lead his hometown church for the rest of his life. Then came Trump and everything after.": https://nyti.ms/39f2SGM
I'll make it simple, since clicking through is the hardest thing to get a person to do:
"So he was caught off guard when two church members expressed alarm about the passing reference to Mr. Hanks. A young woman texted him, concerned; another member suggested the reference to Mr. Hanks proved Mr. Thompson did not care about the issue of sex trafficking. Mr. Thompson soon realized that their worries sprung from the sprawling QAnon conspiracy theory, which claims that the movie star is part of a ring of Hollywood pedophiles."
I believe the truth here is self-evident.
But it's not self-evident that women are entitled to control their own bodies. Huh?
So online is a huge cesspool of information that is misinforming the public. And it's articles from the right that are shared most on Facebook. Not everything is equal folks.
And the truth is the Twitter deal may not close, and many analysts think it probably won't.
You need to read all of the following article:
"The flawed math behind Elon Musk's Twitter deal - An overleveraged billionaire's bid for an overvalued company may signal the last gasp in an age of magical thinking about markets": https://wapo.st/3FNG3WV
You may be able to twist the facts of social issues, but when it comes to money...cash doesn't care.
Once again, since most people don't have the time or inclination to click through, here's the essence:
"According to Tesla's regulatory filings, Musk had already pledged about half of his 173 million shares of Tesla stock to fund other ventures and activities. He has now pledged an additional 40 percent to secure the new loans to buy Twitter. That leaves only 10 percent of his Tesla shares available as collateral. Because Tesla's policies allow major shareholders to borrow only 25 percent of the value of each share that is pledged, that would appear to limit further borrowing against his Tesla shares to less than $5 billion.
All that borrowing might work out just dandy as long as the value of the collateral — Tesla stock (TSLA) — remains at or near the $1,000 per share it was trading at when the deal was announced last week. Yet in the week since the announcement, it dropped 15 percent, to $870, at least in part out of fear that the stock could get caught up in Musk's Twitter misadventure. Should it fall below $750, Musk could run afoul of Tesla's own leverage ratio. And if it were to fall much below $600, the banks could demand that Musk pony up additional collateral, requiring him to quickly sell some of his shares.
Should Tesla stock fall below $400, the banks would probably demand immediate repayment, triggering a massive, forced sale of Tesla shares, depressing the share price even further and prompting other investors to bail out of the stock."
So Tesla's stock has fallen. Expect Musk to declare victory and pull out of the deal, the breakup fee is de minimis, at least for Musk, only $1 billion.
But let's say it goes through. And right wing propaganda comes flooding on to the site. Are you gonna feel good about buying a Tesla?
I won't. Yes, Teslas are the best electric cars out there, primarily because the company is so far ahead on software, but beware of VW, which has a head start on the rest of the traditional manufacturers, and has made missteps, but is on its way, never mind having worldwide manufacturing and distribution.
And Rivian stock just tanked. So why do we believe the overvalued Tesla will stay high? To a bit it's apples and oranges, but it's hard to find almost anyone other than Cathie Wood who doesn't believe Tesla is overvalued, that the fundamentals don't make sense.
Now in the fifties and sixties and even into the seventies Jews wouldn't buy German cars.
Are lefties, coastal liberals, wanting to demonstrate their beliefs, really gonna line up with Tesla? German cars were the best in the seventies, but people drove inferior products, Volvos and Saabs, because they just didn't want to give Mercedes, BMW and Audi their money.
As for right wingers... They haven't even gotten on the electric bandwagon, there are not enough of them to support Tesla, at least not at this point.
And this is not Disney. ELON MUSK CREATED THIS PROBLEM!
It's not like he was reacting to an incursion upon his business. No, myopically trying to save the world he's dented his cash cow, Tesla. If I was on the board I'd take disciplinary action. Or there should be a shareholder suit. This guy is single-handedly jeopardizing their investment in the car company, which has nothing to do with Twitter.
As for taking a stand...
Do it all day long, it bonds your acolytes to you. But unlike Twitter you don't have to appeal to everybody. You can make a handsome living appealing to a small fraction of America. But a car company? It's got to have broad reach, it's got to have fans in every nook and cranny of the political spectrum.
I'd hesitate to buy a Tesla if I needed a new car right now. And sure, there may be waiting times in America, but there was a slowdown in China... Nothing is unavailable forever, unless it disappears from the market.
People are still buying Apple products because of Steve Jobs. They believed in him and his mission. That's how important a figurehead is. I don't know anybody who believes in Chrysler, other than gearheads.
Fandom smooths out the bumps in the road, provides a ready customer base eager to adopt your new products instantly. You never alienate your fans, at least not intentionally. This is rule one in show business.
And be clear, what's going on with Elon Musk is show business. He loves the attention, the ink, the illusion of power. He believes he's a rock star. And his underlying product, Tesla, is quite good.
But history is littered with acts who blew up their careers overnight. Billy Squier being the best example. Your image is key. And if your image takes a hit it doesn't matter how good the underlying music is, people stop listening to it, maybe not all of them, but enough to put a significant dent in your business.
Poll Tesla owners how they feel about Musk. They used to testify, they're not testifying now. Do you really want to align yourself with the Elon Musk brand?
I don't.
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Don't buy a new gasoline car unless you're planning to get rid of it in just a few years, which is kind of dumb, because then you're eating the depreciation. But if you hold on any longer, the value of a gasoline automobile will sink to nearly zero. What is your 35mm camera worth today?
The whole world is going electric, especially in China and Europe, the way things are going the USA will no longer be number one in so many categories. As for all the b.s. from "patriots" talking about how people are desirous of immigrating into the country...a true patriot would talk about solidifying systems, making America more just, but that doesn't seem to be their goal.
So a car is one of the few signifiers we still have left. We all use the same smartphone, most youngsters don't even bother with a watch, how are you going to evidence your identity in today's world? Well, mostly on social media. But in the real world, it's still about a car. And if you want to show you're cutting edge, you drive an electric one, and Tesla dominates that sphere.
Now let's be clear, electric automobiles were first embraced by the left. The "coastal elites." They wanted to show they cared about climate change, the planet. They put up with inferior workmanship just to demonstrate their bona fides.
As for the right?
Holman Jenkins and the rest of his knee-jerk Republicans in the "Wall Street Journal" have not stopped decrying electric automobiles, endlessly bitching about subsidies, the lack of profit if clean air credits weren't sold. They want the past to endure. They want jobs to maintain. They want the right to drive a bigger and bigger SUV, hopefully a Suburban, or maybe a full-sized pickup truck. That's freedom according to them. As for the planet? Those they hate in Silicon Valley will come up with a solution or God will intervene, it's not worth worrying about. As for the science? There are no facts in America anymore, didn't you hear?
So, Tesla has burgeoned on the good will, the purchases of the educated classes, wanting to make a statement, raving about their automobiles, spreading the word. But now what are you going to say?
I don't care if you're left or right, what you believe in, but when a giant corporation, publicly traded, alienates its base...that's a problem.
I used to be a fan of Elon Musk, no longer. The guy is irrational, and he believes the rules don't apply to him. And he acts like he's the only one who owns the truth, who can move us into the future, and that's just hogwash.
As for Twitter...
Twitter is not a newspaper. It's not even a television station. Twitter only works if it's agnostic, if it's the place everybody goes. Just ask Donald Trump and Devin Nunes, who left Congress to run Truth Social. It's got no traction. Forget that platforms are hard to build, it's nearly impossible to build traffic unless you're a first mover or you're significantly better than the established outfit, neither of which Truth Social is. We've learned that online one company dominates in every sphere. Amazon in retail... Especially when it's consumer facing and depends on traffic.
So, do people on the left need to be on Twitter? Probably. For more than a decade we've heard about tech boycotts, but they've never worked, people don't want to be left out, they want to be in on the action. So ignore the hype about Twitter resignations. Twitter is here until it's superseded by... Well, it took a long time for TikTok and Snapchat to make inroads on Facebook, as for Instagram, the Zuck company bought it!
As for the content on Twitter... Misinformation is a major issue. All over social media, never mind "news" sites. Are we just gonna throw up our hands and say we can't solve the problem, it will have to work itself out?
Twitter is not government-owned, it can regulate content, who can be on the service, all day long.
Just like the "New York Times" does its best not to print untruths.
Can't say the same for Fox, which is kinda the point, but reputable news organizations are not propaganda outlets spewing falsehoods. They're worried about their credibility. As for Musk's credibility, he's diminishing it each and every day. He sees his number of Twitter followers, he thinks everybody's a fan, but that is not the case.
Misinformation has gotten us here, where democracy is in peril. Maybe you don't agree with that, but as the old aphorism goes, you're either part of the problem or part of the solution.
As for the problem... You've got to read a couple of paragraphs of this article:
"As a 'Seismic Shift' Fractures Evangelicals, an Arkansas Pastor Leaves Home - Kevin Thompson thought he would lead his hometown church for the rest of his life. Then came Trump and everything after.": https://nyti.ms/39f2SGM
I'll make it simple, since clicking through is the hardest thing to get a person to do:
"So he was caught off guard when two church members expressed alarm about the passing reference to Mr. Hanks. A young woman texted him, concerned; another member suggested the reference to Mr. Hanks proved Mr. Thompson did not care about the issue of sex trafficking. Mr. Thompson soon realized that their worries sprung from the sprawling QAnon conspiracy theory, which claims that the movie star is part of a ring of Hollywood pedophiles."
I believe the truth here is self-evident.
But it's not self-evident that women are entitled to control their own bodies. Huh?
So online is a huge cesspool of information that is misinforming the public. And it's articles from the right that are shared most on Facebook. Not everything is equal folks.
And the truth is the Twitter deal may not close, and many analysts think it probably won't.
You need to read all of the following article:
"The flawed math behind Elon Musk's Twitter deal - An overleveraged billionaire's bid for an overvalued company may signal the last gasp in an age of magical thinking about markets": https://wapo.st/3FNG3WV
You may be able to twist the facts of social issues, but when it comes to money...cash doesn't care.
Once again, since most people don't have the time or inclination to click through, here's the essence:
"According to Tesla's regulatory filings, Musk had already pledged about half of his 173 million shares of Tesla stock to fund other ventures and activities. He has now pledged an additional 40 percent to secure the new loans to buy Twitter. That leaves only 10 percent of his Tesla shares available as collateral. Because Tesla's policies allow major shareholders to borrow only 25 percent of the value of each share that is pledged, that would appear to limit further borrowing against his Tesla shares to less than $5 billion.
All that borrowing might work out just dandy as long as the value of the collateral — Tesla stock (TSLA) — remains at or near the $1,000 per share it was trading at when the deal was announced last week. Yet in the week since the announcement, it dropped 15 percent, to $870, at least in part out of fear that the stock could get caught up in Musk's Twitter misadventure. Should it fall below $750, Musk could run afoul of Tesla's own leverage ratio. And if it were to fall much below $600, the banks could demand that Musk pony up additional collateral, requiring him to quickly sell some of his shares.
Should Tesla stock fall below $400, the banks would probably demand immediate repayment, triggering a massive, forced sale of Tesla shares, depressing the share price even further and prompting other investors to bail out of the stock."
So Tesla's stock has fallen. Expect Musk to declare victory and pull out of the deal, the breakup fee is de minimis, at least for Musk, only $1 billion.
But let's say it goes through. And right wing propaganda comes flooding on to the site. Are you gonna feel good about buying a Tesla?
I won't. Yes, Teslas are the best electric cars out there, primarily because the company is so far ahead on software, but beware of VW, which has a head start on the rest of the traditional manufacturers, and has made missteps, but is on its way, never mind having worldwide manufacturing and distribution.
And Rivian stock just tanked. So why do we believe the overvalued Tesla will stay high? To a bit it's apples and oranges, but it's hard to find almost anyone other than Cathie Wood who doesn't believe Tesla is overvalued, that the fundamentals don't make sense.
Now in the fifties and sixties and even into the seventies Jews wouldn't buy German cars.
Are lefties, coastal liberals, wanting to demonstrate their beliefs, really gonna line up with Tesla? German cars were the best in the seventies, but people drove inferior products, Volvos and Saabs, because they just didn't want to give Mercedes, BMW and Audi their money.
As for right wingers... They haven't even gotten on the electric bandwagon, there are not enough of them to support Tesla, at least not at this point.
And this is not Disney. ELON MUSK CREATED THIS PROBLEM!
It's not like he was reacting to an incursion upon his business. No, myopically trying to save the world he's dented his cash cow, Tesla. If I was on the board I'd take disciplinary action. Or there should be a shareholder suit. This guy is single-handedly jeopardizing their investment in the car company, which has nothing to do with Twitter.
As for taking a stand...
Do it all day long, it bonds your acolytes to you. But unlike Twitter you don't have to appeal to everybody. You can make a handsome living appealing to a small fraction of America. But a car company? It's got to have broad reach, it's got to have fans in every nook and cranny of the political spectrum.
I'd hesitate to buy a Tesla if I needed a new car right now. And sure, there may be waiting times in America, but there was a slowdown in China... Nothing is unavailable forever, unless it disappears from the market.
People are still buying Apple products because of Steve Jobs. They believed in him and his mission. That's how important a figurehead is. I don't know anybody who believes in Chrysler, other than gearheads.
Fandom smooths out the bumps in the road, provides a ready customer base eager to adopt your new products instantly. You never alienate your fans, at least not intentionally. This is rule one in show business.
And be clear, what's going on with Elon Musk is show business. He loves the attention, the ink, the illusion of power. He believes he's a rock star. And his underlying product, Tesla, is quite good.
But history is littered with acts who blew up their careers overnight. Billy Squier being the best example. Your image is key. And if your image takes a hit it doesn't matter how good the underlying music is, people stop listening to it, maybe not all of them, but enough to put a significant dent in your business.
Poll Tesla owners how they feel about Musk. They used to testify, they're not testifying now. Do you really want to align yourself with the Elon Musk brand?
I don't.
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