Tune in Saturday November 18th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.
Phone #: 844-686-5863
Twitter: @lefsetz
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
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Friday, 17 November 2023
Weight Of Your World
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ub75t8vj
YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/yzv9d8pm
"Give me your darkest hour
Give me your deepest fear
Just give me a call and I'll be there"
When done right, the music is there.
But it hasn't been there for a very long time.
You want to listen to a great record. It calls out to you. And it's never about a party, never about a hang, it's always personal. And that can be Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" or Alanis Morissette's "Hand in My Pocket," never mind Sublime's "What I Got" and scores of classic rock tunes.
Too often it's podcasts that call out to me today. At least they require total concentration, in a world that's so distracting and disturbing, it feels good to surrender, just like watching great streaming television, whereas when you listen to a great record it's just the opposite experience, it's not hard focus, rather the song sets you free.
I mean how many times have I replayed a track, wanting to catch the words from the top, and found I've missed them again. Because as soon as I hear the music it sets my mind free, to roam. And who knows what I'll think about. But one thing is for sure, it's personal, it's from my eyes, my mind, which is quite a respite in this world where people are constantly telling us how to think, what to believe.
So when I step out of the car to go hiking I've usually got a podcast in mind. But I must say, the offerings have slimmed, at least what I want to listen to. Enough with the true crime, enough with the bros pontificating and laughing at a party you were not invited to, I don't want TV on audio, podcasts should be a different experience.
I like news analysis. I can get some great insight, but it's usually dry. But unlike school, I'm choosing to listen. Learning gets a bad name, I wish I was in charge of education. No, scratch that. I just want to inspire people, show them the magic of reading, of listening, of analysis. Not for my benefit but theirs, to enrich their lives, which are too often somnambulant in front of the TV or drinking and getting high with their friends.
But the educational system eviscerates the upside of reading and analysis, makes it anathema as opposed to a pleasure. What's great about college is the hang, the bull sessions, you'll find they're more important than anything you learn in class. And the benefit of a liberal arts education is you learn how to analyze, how to sift through the information and come up with a conclusion, how to argue your case. Law school was dreadful. I already knew how to do it all from college. Law is not an intellectual pursuit. Just read these cases, positively mediocre writing. Not that there are not intellectuals in law, but they're a minority.
Then again, there are intellectuals who need to tell you so. Whereas when done right music is not about status, it's singular, how you respond to it, how it makes you feel. And this is the exact music that is pooh-poohed by the academy, but it is this music that's gotten me through life. Been there when I've been exuberant, been down in the dumps, it's ridden shotgun my entire life, but too often today it's old stuff, even though there's nothing like the discovery of something new.
"I want you to know wherever your road wants to go
I'll never be far, I'll always be right where you are"
Hiking is inherently singular, and that can be both rewarding and disillusioning, and to avoid bad feelings I oftentimes reach for a podcast, like I said above. But last night I reached out for a record. I wanted to hear Chris Stapleton's "Higher," and it's been a long time since that has happened.
I did not feel assaulted. I did not feel like Stapleton was my best friend. But I did think he was emoting, feeling something, and we're all feeling human beings, whether we're in touch with that or not, whether we deny it or not.
And a great record puts you in a mood, and it takes you on a ride. Sometimes on a roller coaster, sometimes a canoe on a placid lake, but it's definitely a journey. One too often I don't want to take. Because of the endless drivel, the endless mediocrity purveyed today. It's a business enterprise, not an artistic one, no matter what the "artist" says. A great album should exist independent of the charts, independent of the system, it should exist in the ether, Dead Sea Scrolls, tablets on a mountaintop, that don't beg for attention but just exist, waiting for your discovery.
And I will say that yes, a lot of Stapleton songs sound similar. And as great as his voice is, it sometimes blends into the track, especially live. But when you listen to "Higher" you can't help but envision a performance, one of yore, in a club, in an out of the way location, with barnboard on the walls, with just acoustic instruments on a low-slung stage. And this is music that can be rendered live, sans hard drive, it breathes, it is not propped up by machines.
Now once upon a time, that pedal steel was akin to biting into a lemon for most boomers. But then Gram Parsons and the rest of the country rockers made it palatable. And Paul Franklin adds flavor, roots "Weight of Your World," makes it the other, because this sound does not exist outside of music, it's truly otherworldly, you know you're in a musical environment.
And the intro to the song is slow and meandering, well, there's a groove, but it's slow, and anything but what you hear on the hit parade, be it on the Spotify Top 50, Top 40 or country hit radio.
That's one key thing about "Weight of Your World," it's authentic. Without pandering. No one is yelling look at us, we're doing it the old school way!
Not that "Weight of Your World" sounds ancient. Rather, it's in a long line of country, rock music. It's the latest exponent, not dated at all.
Not that the lyrics are a breakthrough. This is not Robbie Robertson and the Band. Then again, as great as that music was, so much of it was intellectual. I love "King Harvest (Has Surely Come)," but sans lyrics, sans that story, it wouldn't be the same.
Whereas "Weight of Your World" is mostly about the sound. Slowed down, absent the hustle and bustle of the modern world. It's earnest in a world of irony.
As a matter of fact, there's really nothing new in the words. They verge on cliché but don't cross that line because of Stapleton's delivery. Just straightforward, heartfelt, no melisma, none of the oversinging of today's "stars." And I was analyzing the weight of the lyrics but then I thought of Brian Wilson's two most lauded solo numbers, "Lay Down Burden" and "Love and Mercy," they're minimal too.
"There will come a time when all the words don't seem to rhyme
Please lean on me until you find the harmony
When it's hard to breathe when the right seems wrong
I'll be the hand that helps you along"
What you picture here is two. That's what relationships are made up of. And in a scourge, a panic of loneliness, we're all looking for that connection, someone to be there for, someone to connect with. And relationships, despite the gossip pages, are entirely personal, no one knows exactly what happens behind closed doors.
We all want someone to share with. But as much as we want someone to lift us up when we're down, we feel even better being there for someone else, lifting them up.
"Wherever you go, wherever you've been
Anytime you need a friend"
Forget the words, it's about the sound. This is the bridge. Yes, "Weight of Your World" has a bridge in a world where many records have no change at all. Sure, it's classic song structure, but it's too often been forgotten today, and there's a reason they call it classic.
Not that I expected to be enamored of "Weight of Your World." It's the thirteenth song out of fourteen. And I knew the final track reached me, but last night "Weight of Your World" snuck up on me. After the album finished and started playing again from the top I pulled my phone from my pocket and went back to "Weight of Your World," I wanted to hear it over again, I needed to hear it over again. And then I repeated the process again and again, I didn't want to lose the mood.
And then I wondered if it was me. Had it been my mood, my situation, was there a ton of great new music out there but I was missing it?
So I got in my car and turned on the country station and I heard drum machines and platitudes, people in search of glory, bland and ultimately anything but personal.
Now in truth I get the greatest response when I write about something personal. Second comes politics. Much less if I write about the music business. And if I write about music? If it's new stuff, crickets. Except for the people weighing in to tell me how terrible my taste is. And the funny thing is I save all my e-mail, and everybody's findable online, and when I look up their taste I laugh. If you're a dedicated punk, I know you wouldn't like this stuff, but even more interesting is why you have to tell me so.
And really, this is not about "Weight of Your World." It's about the experience that only music can deliver. And in truth you can get it in punk too. Dedicated punks, dedicated fans of heavy metal, feel alienated, like no one understands them, except the artist, what's coming through the speakers.
There are occasional superstars that are selling the personal, that have you sitting in the assembled multitude feeling it's just you and the person on stage, but that's rare. Too often it's about the penumbra. The grosses, everything but the music. Which when done right is pure experience.
And that's the magic of "Weight of Your World," it's pure. There's nothing extraneous. Most people have never heard it. It's buried deep in an hour long album. It doesn't even have a million streams on Spotify. But it's there, waiting for you, ready to sneak up on you when you're ready, when it crosses your path.
"Give me the balls and chains that won't set you free
Give me the weight of your world
And lay it on me"
I can't hear "balls and chains" without thinking of Janis Joplin. And there's another number with the "weight of the world" that is just beyond my reach, but I keep thinking of it, it will come to me, maybe today, maybe a week from tomorrow. And yes, I thought of Brian Wilson's "Lay Down Burden" when I heard the above words. I also thought of something I said to someone once that I've regretted ever since, because it sounded hokey, undercutting its truth, it could not bridge the distance between us. But that was decades ago, and nothing seems to matter anymore, in a world where rock stars are passing on a regular basis, and now my friends too. And the old records are there, but the experience is not the same as something fresh.
"I want you to know wherever your road wants to go
I'll never be far, I'll always be right where you are
If you lose your way, if your hope is gone
I'll be the light that leads you home"
That's the music. I distinctly remember singing Todd Rundgren's "Something/Anything?" to myself alone in the Tuileries, it rooted me. And walking the halls of my high school, ironically the ones John Mayer sang about running through decades later, singing to make me feel connected in a world where I felt distanced. But now we can take our music anywhere, and that's a great improvement. But in truth these songs live in our head, they're our constant companions. They keep us alive.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/yzv9d8pm
"Give me your darkest hour
Give me your deepest fear
Just give me a call and I'll be there"
When done right, the music is there.
But it hasn't been there for a very long time.
You want to listen to a great record. It calls out to you. And it's never about a party, never about a hang, it's always personal. And that can be Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" or Alanis Morissette's "Hand in My Pocket," never mind Sublime's "What I Got" and scores of classic rock tunes.
Too often it's podcasts that call out to me today. At least they require total concentration, in a world that's so distracting and disturbing, it feels good to surrender, just like watching great streaming television, whereas when you listen to a great record it's just the opposite experience, it's not hard focus, rather the song sets you free.
I mean how many times have I replayed a track, wanting to catch the words from the top, and found I've missed them again. Because as soon as I hear the music it sets my mind free, to roam. And who knows what I'll think about. But one thing is for sure, it's personal, it's from my eyes, my mind, which is quite a respite in this world where people are constantly telling us how to think, what to believe.
So when I step out of the car to go hiking I've usually got a podcast in mind. But I must say, the offerings have slimmed, at least what I want to listen to. Enough with the true crime, enough with the bros pontificating and laughing at a party you were not invited to, I don't want TV on audio, podcasts should be a different experience.
I like news analysis. I can get some great insight, but it's usually dry. But unlike school, I'm choosing to listen. Learning gets a bad name, I wish I was in charge of education. No, scratch that. I just want to inspire people, show them the magic of reading, of listening, of analysis. Not for my benefit but theirs, to enrich their lives, which are too often somnambulant in front of the TV or drinking and getting high with their friends.
But the educational system eviscerates the upside of reading and analysis, makes it anathema as opposed to a pleasure. What's great about college is the hang, the bull sessions, you'll find they're more important than anything you learn in class. And the benefit of a liberal arts education is you learn how to analyze, how to sift through the information and come up with a conclusion, how to argue your case. Law school was dreadful. I already knew how to do it all from college. Law is not an intellectual pursuit. Just read these cases, positively mediocre writing. Not that there are not intellectuals in law, but they're a minority.
Then again, there are intellectuals who need to tell you so. Whereas when done right music is not about status, it's singular, how you respond to it, how it makes you feel. And this is the exact music that is pooh-poohed by the academy, but it is this music that's gotten me through life. Been there when I've been exuberant, been down in the dumps, it's ridden shotgun my entire life, but too often today it's old stuff, even though there's nothing like the discovery of something new.
"I want you to know wherever your road wants to go
I'll never be far, I'll always be right where you are"
Hiking is inherently singular, and that can be both rewarding and disillusioning, and to avoid bad feelings I oftentimes reach for a podcast, like I said above. But last night I reached out for a record. I wanted to hear Chris Stapleton's "Higher," and it's been a long time since that has happened.
I did not feel assaulted. I did not feel like Stapleton was my best friend. But I did think he was emoting, feeling something, and we're all feeling human beings, whether we're in touch with that or not, whether we deny it or not.
And a great record puts you in a mood, and it takes you on a ride. Sometimes on a roller coaster, sometimes a canoe on a placid lake, but it's definitely a journey. One too often I don't want to take. Because of the endless drivel, the endless mediocrity purveyed today. It's a business enterprise, not an artistic one, no matter what the "artist" says. A great album should exist independent of the charts, independent of the system, it should exist in the ether, Dead Sea Scrolls, tablets on a mountaintop, that don't beg for attention but just exist, waiting for your discovery.
And I will say that yes, a lot of Stapleton songs sound similar. And as great as his voice is, it sometimes blends into the track, especially live. But when you listen to "Higher" you can't help but envision a performance, one of yore, in a club, in an out of the way location, with barnboard on the walls, with just acoustic instruments on a low-slung stage. And this is music that can be rendered live, sans hard drive, it breathes, it is not propped up by machines.
Now once upon a time, that pedal steel was akin to biting into a lemon for most boomers. But then Gram Parsons and the rest of the country rockers made it palatable. And Paul Franklin adds flavor, roots "Weight of Your World," makes it the other, because this sound does not exist outside of music, it's truly otherworldly, you know you're in a musical environment.
And the intro to the song is slow and meandering, well, there's a groove, but it's slow, and anything but what you hear on the hit parade, be it on the Spotify Top 50, Top 40 or country hit radio.
That's one key thing about "Weight of Your World," it's authentic. Without pandering. No one is yelling look at us, we're doing it the old school way!
Not that "Weight of Your World" sounds ancient. Rather, it's in a long line of country, rock music. It's the latest exponent, not dated at all.
Not that the lyrics are a breakthrough. This is not Robbie Robertson and the Band. Then again, as great as that music was, so much of it was intellectual. I love "King Harvest (Has Surely Come)," but sans lyrics, sans that story, it wouldn't be the same.
Whereas "Weight of Your World" is mostly about the sound. Slowed down, absent the hustle and bustle of the modern world. It's earnest in a world of irony.
As a matter of fact, there's really nothing new in the words. They verge on cliché but don't cross that line because of Stapleton's delivery. Just straightforward, heartfelt, no melisma, none of the oversinging of today's "stars." And I was analyzing the weight of the lyrics but then I thought of Brian Wilson's two most lauded solo numbers, "Lay Down Burden" and "Love and Mercy," they're minimal too.
"There will come a time when all the words don't seem to rhyme
Please lean on me until you find the harmony
When it's hard to breathe when the right seems wrong
I'll be the hand that helps you along"
What you picture here is two. That's what relationships are made up of. And in a scourge, a panic of loneliness, we're all looking for that connection, someone to be there for, someone to connect with. And relationships, despite the gossip pages, are entirely personal, no one knows exactly what happens behind closed doors.
We all want someone to share with. But as much as we want someone to lift us up when we're down, we feel even better being there for someone else, lifting them up.
"Wherever you go, wherever you've been
Anytime you need a friend"
Forget the words, it's about the sound. This is the bridge. Yes, "Weight of Your World" has a bridge in a world where many records have no change at all. Sure, it's classic song structure, but it's too often been forgotten today, and there's a reason they call it classic.
Not that I expected to be enamored of "Weight of Your World." It's the thirteenth song out of fourteen. And I knew the final track reached me, but last night "Weight of Your World" snuck up on me. After the album finished and started playing again from the top I pulled my phone from my pocket and went back to "Weight of Your World," I wanted to hear it over again, I needed to hear it over again. And then I repeated the process again and again, I didn't want to lose the mood.
And then I wondered if it was me. Had it been my mood, my situation, was there a ton of great new music out there but I was missing it?
So I got in my car and turned on the country station and I heard drum machines and platitudes, people in search of glory, bland and ultimately anything but personal.
Now in truth I get the greatest response when I write about something personal. Second comes politics. Much less if I write about the music business. And if I write about music? If it's new stuff, crickets. Except for the people weighing in to tell me how terrible my taste is. And the funny thing is I save all my e-mail, and everybody's findable online, and when I look up their taste I laugh. If you're a dedicated punk, I know you wouldn't like this stuff, but even more interesting is why you have to tell me so.
And really, this is not about "Weight of Your World." It's about the experience that only music can deliver. And in truth you can get it in punk too. Dedicated punks, dedicated fans of heavy metal, feel alienated, like no one understands them, except the artist, what's coming through the speakers.
There are occasional superstars that are selling the personal, that have you sitting in the assembled multitude feeling it's just you and the person on stage, but that's rare. Too often it's about the penumbra. The grosses, everything but the music. Which when done right is pure experience.
And that's the magic of "Weight of Your World," it's pure. There's nothing extraneous. Most people have never heard it. It's buried deep in an hour long album. It doesn't even have a million streams on Spotify. But it's there, waiting for you, ready to sneak up on you when you're ready, when it crosses your path.
"Give me the balls and chains that won't set you free
Give me the weight of your world
And lay it on me"
I can't hear "balls and chains" without thinking of Janis Joplin. And there's another number with the "weight of the world" that is just beyond my reach, but I keep thinking of it, it will come to me, maybe today, maybe a week from tomorrow. And yes, I thought of Brian Wilson's "Lay Down Burden" when I heard the above words. I also thought of something I said to someone once that I've regretted ever since, because it sounded hokey, undercutting its truth, it could not bridge the distance between us. But that was decades ago, and nothing seems to matter anymore, in a world where rock stars are passing on a regular basis, and now my friends too. And the old records are there, but the experience is not the same as something fresh.
"I want you to know wherever your road wants to go
I'll never be far, I'll always be right where you are
If you lose your way, if your hope is gone
I'll be the light that leads you home"
That's the music. I distinctly remember singing Todd Rundgren's "Something/Anything?" to myself alone in the Tuileries, it rooted me. And walking the halls of my high school, ironically the ones John Mayer sang about running through decades later, singing to make me feel connected in a world where I felt distanced. But now we can take our music anywhere, and that's a great improvement. But in truth these songs live in our head, they're our constant companions. They keep us alive.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
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Made My Day
From: Niko Bolas
Re: The Immediate Family Movie
To get mentioned in the Lefsetz letter is hipper than the cover of RS, back when they were RS!
Thank you for putting a light on the whole thing. I was blessed to be in the room...
Neeks
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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--
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Re: The Immediate Family Movie
To get mentioned in the Lefsetz letter is hipper than the cover of RS, back when they were RS!
Thank you for putting a light on the whole thing. I was blessed to be in the room...
Neeks
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
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Thursday, 16 November 2023
Re-The Immediate Family
How can I sleep after reading your review? That was the coolest thing to read. Seriously tears for me. I want to wake my wife up but she'll kill me. Love to you Bob. Thank you.
Denny Tedesco
______________________________
Thanks so much for the nice review of The Immediate Family Documentary. Fred Croshal and I have managed the Band since its formation five years ago and we are so proud of the guys and the power of the Film. Denny Tedesco did a brilliant job directing the Documentary and telling the story of the band members' careers in a compelling, charming and fun way. When the public sees the Film, they will be amazed to learn that these iconic musicians played on some of their favorite songs of all time. I must admit that I, too, would occasionally say "wow, I didn't know that Waddy played on that tune" or "how did Kootch come up with those great musical ideas".
Hopefully, the Documentary will remind people that these guys were more than just side musicians. They helped to define the Southern California sound in its heyday, and contributed to the music in a way that changed the power and impact of the tunes, working with the likes of Keith Richards, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne, Stevie Nicks, Billy Joel, Neil Young, Phil Collins, Lyle Lovett, Don Henley, David Crosby, and Joni Mitchell, to name just a few. To quote James Taylor, "the creative input of these session guys cannot be overstated". Unlike the members of the Wrecking Crew, the guys in The Immediate Family played on the albums, but then, were invited to join these iconic artists on the road to re-create the music live, as only they could. My hope is that once people see the Film, they will do a deeper dive into the music of The Immediate Family, including the Band's forthcoming Album entitled "Skin In The Game", and embrace their most current tunes as only a musical family could deliver – "the band behind the scene". Let their legacy live on.
David A. Helfant | Arpeggio Entertainment
______________________________
It was a fun adventure but the reason that I'm in it is Denny came to me and he said everybody I ask about these guys says "they're the greatest" and I need to know why and you can tell me and that's the part I played.
Val Garay
______________________________
I'm so glad they did this. I hope Craig Doerge, the keyboard player, is in the mix somewhere; his playing was a big part of that sound. My career started because Craig was always overbooked!! Like you say, it who you know.
Kim Bullard
______________________________
Bravo!
I helped Denny Tedesco in the earliest stage of the Wrecking Crew film by giving him contract info for WC alumni in Nashville out of my Musicians Union book. As a studio musician, I was an acolyte if his legendary father, Tommy.
But as influential as they were to me, the Crew were my parents' generation. The Immediate Family are mine and they had more direct influence on me than the Crew did.
Thank you for your hearty endorsement of the film. After the steep learning and licensing curve on the Wrecking Crew film, Denny got it absolutely right on this one!
Michael Gregory
______________________________
We got to do a show with this band at Ardmore Music Hall in the fall of 2021.
Let me tell you that walking into the green room and seeing THOSE faces...wow. What am I going to say to THOSE guys?
I asked Waddy how he got away with playing through a full-on Marshall stack on the Main Offender tour...
"Did you ever play with Keith Richards?"
"Um, nope, haven't done that"
"Well, he plays LOUD"
I felt like a putz, but hey.
The show was so good, and they were really great to meet. A massive honor.
Jesse Lundy
______________________________
Bob , Thanks for posting about this film, I can't wait to see it . My sister got me a record in 1977 by the Section called fork it over . It was Lee , Russ and Danny and Craig Doerge on keyboards . It was a great record for a 15 year old kid in Upstate NY to listen to and dream one day I want to move to LA and play music . These guys are some of the greatest of all time . I still own the vinyl.
Dan McCarroll
______________________________
Can't wait to see this....I think the first time I saw these guys on stage was when Carole King opened for James Taylor at the Anaheim Convention Center right after Tapestry was released. I think they played for both of them.
Michael Rosenblatt
______________________________
Great timing...I literally just met and hung out with Steve Postell at Kenny's (Loggins) house for his end of tour/end of touring gathering.
Very nice guy and a regular guy, had me punch my info into his phone, had a nice talk for a minute, I guess he's the rookie of Immediate Family at 20 years. He mentioned it was coming out but I don't think I realized it was this soon...after meeting him I'm def gonna go check it out!
Wade Biery
______________________________
I can't wait to see this.
Loved "The Section" LPs.
We devoured the back of the album information.
We soon found out these guys were playing on everything!
Brian Quinn
Last Dance Productions
______________________________
Can't wait to finally see this. Growing up in the age of the singer/songwriter, and becoming one myself, these were the guys who made everyone sound so good whether live or on vinyl.
I devoured the recording credits and used to being bring binoculars to shows with Jackson, Linda, James, Dan Fogelberg, and half of the time was spent watching Russ Kunkel drive the bus.
Thank you for the review Bob.
It makes me even more excited to see this!
Michael Lille
______________________________
Movie was great. The immediate family represent a great artistic era with a lot of great memories
John Huie
______________________________
I can't wait for this..
A Classic indeed, as classic as Ancient Rome!
Gladiators with headphones, creating the world of rock 'n' roll..
Michael Des Barres…
______________________________
Like Lukather pointed out when you interviewed him, session players were given a chord chart, put on the spot, and spontaneously turned raw material into hits by creating signature intros, outros, arrangements, rhythm patterns, and feel. Especially in L.A., Memphis, Muscle Shoals, and Detroit.
I enjoyed Immediate Family's pre-covid Iridium gig (small Times Square club ).
Paul Lanning
______________________________
Thanks! Sounds like fun. On the eagles biopic and Linda Ronstadt's I am always pointing these guys out to my wife. They seemed like Gods.
Michael Becker
______________________________
I really want to go see the Immediate Family .. as a musician that is my generation, and before that the Wrecking Crew movie which I immensely enjoyed as well. They are, however a real California perspective. In New York there was a whole other scene going on that absolutely could match that with some of the finest players in the world. If you were one of the NY Cats fans from all over the world, knew who you. How many great records came from New York in the 1960s that match anything that came out of LA. When I was coming up during the 70s, there were the legendary players that created so many albums that were part of a core group just like in LA. We had bands like Stuff with Richard Tee,Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale, Gordon Edwards,Steve Gadd,Chris Parker. They set the tone of so many albums that they all were on. Then you have Ralph Macdonald, and his crew at Rosebud studios. You could hear these musicians play at clubs like Mikells and 7th Ave south. The stories are there as well. You had Randy and Michael Brecker, and all the great music and musicians that came out of that collective like Will Lee, and David Sanborn, Steve Khan,Don Grolnick, I saw it all go down and as time went on, I became a part of it and believe me it was a huge honor to be on albums with those guys. There was another scene in New York that was making records with the 60s Artists guitarist like Al Gorgoni who I can't even believe how many records he's on
Jason Miles
______________________________
I have been wondering if this would be worth seeing. Well into the Great Shutdown®? and getting very bored at home we turned to endless surfing of You Tube. Having viewed many music videos the algorithm presented Lelend Sklar. I knew of him from reading credits on vinyl and CDs. Having his tour schedule cancelled he took to You Tube and in a charmingly awkward manner shared tracks he had played on while simply staring into the camera or playing along on his bass. My wife and me were enchanted by his calm demeanor and soothing voice. We eagerly await his weekly videos. I was surprised to learn that he resides in Pasadena, the city I was born in. Lives in a 6,000 square feet home built in the 1930s in the Arroyo area just above the Rose Bowl. Paid $700k back in the late 70's. Not bad for a side man! He's probably better off than many of the artists he worked for. Not sure if we will go to a theater to see this. Our last visit to the local cinema was disappointing. The place was a mess. I have my home system with surround sound and my house is clean and neat and I am guaranteed the best seat in the house. Gonna wait for this on a streaming service.
Love the podcasts.
- Bruce Bremer
______________________________
A few years ago a bunch of my music geek friends and I went to see The Immediate Family at the Iridium in NYC. One of friends,a gigging bass player, was very excited to See Lee Sklar in particular. The show was fantastic, Danny Kortchmar was a great host and the band, was of course, perfect. After the show Lee Sklar was sitting at the tiny bar having a drink, we surrounded him and started having a great talk about music and life. My bass player friend was so excited (and a bit herbally enhanced). He eventually mentioned Billy Cobham's Spectrum, a touchstone fusion masterpiece. In his excitemnt and state of mind, he excitedly said he loved it and then asked "Hey, who played bass on that?" (we all almost gasped). Lee, being the gracious awesome gentleman that he is, looked at my friend and quietly pointed at himself, It was an amazing moment (brain fart from my friend aside). We still bust on him about his faux pas years later. Immediate Family are so much more than amazing muscians.
Thanks as always Bob,
Michael Eigen
______________________________
Man, this resonates for me on so many levels. First off, they are my friends, my pals, I've played and recorded with all of them except Waddy. Something to look forward to, doncha think?
The learning... You said it so well, we learned more from Rolling Stone than from class. Bruce said it, "We learned more from a three minute record baby / Than we ever learned in school." A-men to that.
That was my mantra, high school onward, laying out my albums and tracking who played on what, tracing the thread, looking for (or dreaming of) the intersect with my own line, like the branches on Pete Frame's legendary Rock Family Trees, which I still think of as required reading. I got as much out of three years working for Tower Records in Westwood as music school.
The relationships... Waddy got pointed to LA by Bud Cowsill. I worked at a singing waiter restaurant with Barry Cowsill (RIP) circa 1979. That's where I met Eric Lowen, Bobby Romanus worked there as a cook before he was Damone in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Rickie Lee Jones, Katy Sagal, Cindy Lee Berryhill, Lee Ving of Fear, Peter Tork, all did time there. But I digress.
I first saw Russel playing with John Stewart at UCLA Royce Hall in 1972. Tracked his family tree like crazy. Then I got to play with him and learned why he's who he is.
And it was Danny who turned James Taylor on to Peter Asher. "Go see my friend Peter in London." Go figure, no Danny, no James! I did demos for Danny in 1988, as a session singer, long before we hung as pals.
The hang... Danny said, in an interview we all did during a short stretch, pre-Immediate Family when we had a little trio, Kortchmar, Postell and Navarro... Q: "How do you pick who you play with? A: "First off, it's the hang." The hang and the chops, keys to the kingdom. You don't develop either sitting in your room making music with the laptop.
Brings me to Steve Postell. The new guy in the band, besties with Danny and plays and sings better than all of them. Who is this guy? My brother for 37 years, he produced my first solo album, played on every track of my last one, and led me into these incredible friendships. He was tapped to play in David Crosby's band, with James Raymond, Christ Stills, Hutch Hutchinson, Jee-zuss H Wow, then fate stepped in and took Croz. I'm so glad Steve is getting his due. He's a mensch, a master and a monster, with the chops and the hang to run with legends. And he gets better every day.
Retirement... that's for others. Not them, not you, not me. Still too many lines on the family tree not filled in yet. Still on the road, a-heading for another joint. Retire? No effin' way.
Denny Tedesco has done an amazing job humanizing a story that could have just been a parade of hits. We made friends at a screening of Wrecking Crew ten years ago, bonded over mutual friendships and the story he was telling. His commitment to these labors of love is watershed. We need him.
I saw the Immediate Family film in January at a screening at United Western. Can't wait to see it on the big screen in a big dark room. I'll get to relive the records that made we want this silly job in the first place.
Thanks for the reminder.
Dan Navarro
______________________________
Anxiously awaiting this film to arrive in flyover country (MO)
Roberta Mueller
______________________________
Yeah I'm pretty sure I'll be watching this, lol
Peter Roaman
______________________________
I. CANNOT. WAIT.
Marc Reiter
______________________________
hey Bob
waddy here…..hope you're well and safe..
to begin with,
sooo very happy that you actually even saw the film…
and then
that you dug it so much was just such a fantastic way to start my day!
it was really lovely reading your words this morning Bob! truly!
so glad you appreciated Denny's telling of our musical journeys.
blew me away
Thanks VM again rock and roller !
xx
w²:)
Denny Tedesco
______________________________
Thanks so much for the nice review of The Immediate Family Documentary. Fred Croshal and I have managed the Band since its formation five years ago and we are so proud of the guys and the power of the Film. Denny Tedesco did a brilliant job directing the Documentary and telling the story of the band members' careers in a compelling, charming and fun way. When the public sees the Film, they will be amazed to learn that these iconic musicians played on some of their favorite songs of all time. I must admit that I, too, would occasionally say "wow, I didn't know that Waddy played on that tune" or "how did Kootch come up with those great musical ideas".
Hopefully, the Documentary will remind people that these guys were more than just side musicians. They helped to define the Southern California sound in its heyday, and contributed to the music in a way that changed the power and impact of the tunes, working with the likes of Keith Richards, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne, Stevie Nicks, Billy Joel, Neil Young, Phil Collins, Lyle Lovett, Don Henley, David Crosby, and Joni Mitchell, to name just a few. To quote James Taylor, "the creative input of these session guys cannot be overstated". Unlike the members of the Wrecking Crew, the guys in The Immediate Family played on the albums, but then, were invited to join these iconic artists on the road to re-create the music live, as only they could. My hope is that once people see the Film, they will do a deeper dive into the music of The Immediate Family, including the Band's forthcoming Album entitled "Skin In The Game", and embrace their most current tunes as only a musical family could deliver – "the band behind the scene". Let their legacy live on.
David A. Helfant | Arpeggio Entertainment
______________________________
It was a fun adventure but the reason that I'm in it is Denny came to me and he said everybody I ask about these guys says "they're the greatest" and I need to know why and you can tell me and that's the part I played.
Val Garay
______________________________
I'm so glad they did this. I hope Craig Doerge, the keyboard player, is in the mix somewhere; his playing was a big part of that sound. My career started because Craig was always overbooked!! Like you say, it who you know.
Kim Bullard
______________________________
Bravo!
I helped Denny Tedesco in the earliest stage of the Wrecking Crew film by giving him contract info for WC alumni in Nashville out of my Musicians Union book. As a studio musician, I was an acolyte if his legendary father, Tommy.
But as influential as they were to me, the Crew were my parents' generation. The Immediate Family are mine and they had more direct influence on me than the Crew did.
Thank you for your hearty endorsement of the film. After the steep learning and licensing curve on the Wrecking Crew film, Denny got it absolutely right on this one!
Michael Gregory
______________________________
We got to do a show with this band at Ardmore Music Hall in the fall of 2021.
Let me tell you that walking into the green room and seeing THOSE faces...wow. What am I going to say to THOSE guys?
I asked Waddy how he got away with playing through a full-on Marshall stack on the Main Offender tour...
"Did you ever play with Keith Richards?"
"Um, nope, haven't done that"
"Well, he plays LOUD"
I felt like a putz, but hey.
The show was so good, and they were really great to meet. A massive honor.
Jesse Lundy
______________________________
Bob , Thanks for posting about this film, I can't wait to see it . My sister got me a record in 1977 by the Section called fork it over . It was Lee , Russ and Danny and Craig Doerge on keyboards . It was a great record for a 15 year old kid in Upstate NY to listen to and dream one day I want to move to LA and play music . These guys are some of the greatest of all time . I still own the vinyl.
Dan McCarroll
______________________________
Can't wait to see this....I think the first time I saw these guys on stage was when Carole King opened for James Taylor at the Anaheim Convention Center right after Tapestry was released. I think they played for both of them.
Michael Rosenblatt
______________________________
Great timing...I literally just met and hung out with Steve Postell at Kenny's (Loggins) house for his end of tour/end of touring gathering.
Very nice guy and a regular guy, had me punch my info into his phone, had a nice talk for a minute, I guess he's the rookie of Immediate Family at 20 years. He mentioned it was coming out but I don't think I realized it was this soon...after meeting him I'm def gonna go check it out!
Wade Biery
______________________________
I can't wait to see this.
Loved "The Section" LPs.
We devoured the back of the album information.
We soon found out these guys were playing on everything!
Brian Quinn
Last Dance Productions
______________________________
Can't wait to finally see this. Growing up in the age of the singer/songwriter, and becoming one myself, these were the guys who made everyone sound so good whether live or on vinyl.
I devoured the recording credits and used to being bring binoculars to shows with Jackson, Linda, James, Dan Fogelberg, and half of the time was spent watching Russ Kunkel drive the bus.
Thank you for the review Bob.
It makes me even more excited to see this!
Michael Lille
______________________________
Movie was great. The immediate family represent a great artistic era with a lot of great memories
John Huie
______________________________
I can't wait for this..
A Classic indeed, as classic as Ancient Rome!
Gladiators with headphones, creating the world of rock 'n' roll..
Michael Des Barres…
______________________________
Like Lukather pointed out when you interviewed him, session players were given a chord chart, put on the spot, and spontaneously turned raw material into hits by creating signature intros, outros, arrangements, rhythm patterns, and feel. Especially in L.A., Memphis, Muscle Shoals, and Detroit.
I enjoyed Immediate Family's pre-covid Iridium gig (small Times Square club ).
Paul Lanning
______________________________
Thanks! Sounds like fun. On the eagles biopic and Linda Ronstadt's I am always pointing these guys out to my wife. They seemed like Gods.
Michael Becker
______________________________
I really want to go see the Immediate Family .. as a musician that is my generation, and before that the Wrecking Crew movie which I immensely enjoyed as well. They are, however a real California perspective. In New York there was a whole other scene going on that absolutely could match that with some of the finest players in the world. If you were one of the NY Cats fans from all over the world, knew who you. How many great records came from New York in the 1960s that match anything that came out of LA. When I was coming up during the 70s, there were the legendary players that created so many albums that were part of a core group just like in LA. We had bands like Stuff with Richard Tee,Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale, Gordon Edwards,Steve Gadd,Chris Parker. They set the tone of so many albums that they all were on. Then you have Ralph Macdonald, and his crew at Rosebud studios. You could hear these musicians play at clubs like Mikells and 7th Ave south. The stories are there as well. You had Randy and Michael Brecker, and all the great music and musicians that came out of that collective like Will Lee, and David Sanborn, Steve Khan,Don Grolnick, I saw it all go down and as time went on, I became a part of it and believe me it was a huge honor to be on albums with those guys. There was another scene in New York that was making records with the 60s Artists guitarist like Al Gorgoni who I can't even believe how many records he's on
Jason Miles
______________________________
I have been wondering if this would be worth seeing. Well into the Great Shutdown®? and getting very bored at home we turned to endless surfing of You Tube. Having viewed many music videos the algorithm presented Lelend Sklar. I knew of him from reading credits on vinyl and CDs. Having his tour schedule cancelled he took to You Tube and in a charmingly awkward manner shared tracks he had played on while simply staring into the camera or playing along on his bass. My wife and me were enchanted by his calm demeanor and soothing voice. We eagerly await his weekly videos. I was surprised to learn that he resides in Pasadena, the city I was born in. Lives in a 6,000 square feet home built in the 1930s in the Arroyo area just above the Rose Bowl. Paid $700k back in the late 70's. Not bad for a side man! He's probably better off than many of the artists he worked for. Not sure if we will go to a theater to see this. Our last visit to the local cinema was disappointing. The place was a mess. I have my home system with surround sound and my house is clean and neat and I am guaranteed the best seat in the house. Gonna wait for this on a streaming service.
Love the podcasts.
- Bruce Bremer
______________________________
A few years ago a bunch of my music geek friends and I went to see The Immediate Family at the Iridium in NYC. One of friends,a gigging bass player, was very excited to See Lee Sklar in particular. The show was fantastic, Danny Kortchmar was a great host and the band, was of course, perfect. After the show Lee Sklar was sitting at the tiny bar having a drink, we surrounded him and started having a great talk about music and life. My bass player friend was so excited (and a bit herbally enhanced). He eventually mentioned Billy Cobham's Spectrum, a touchstone fusion masterpiece. In his excitemnt and state of mind, he excitedly said he loved it and then asked "Hey, who played bass on that?" (we all almost gasped). Lee, being the gracious awesome gentleman that he is, looked at my friend and quietly pointed at himself, It was an amazing moment (brain fart from my friend aside). We still bust on him about his faux pas years later. Immediate Family are so much more than amazing muscians.
Thanks as always Bob,
Michael Eigen
______________________________
Man, this resonates for me on so many levels. First off, they are my friends, my pals, I've played and recorded with all of them except Waddy. Something to look forward to, doncha think?
The learning... You said it so well, we learned more from Rolling Stone than from class. Bruce said it, "We learned more from a three minute record baby / Than we ever learned in school." A-men to that.
That was my mantra, high school onward, laying out my albums and tracking who played on what, tracing the thread, looking for (or dreaming of) the intersect with my own line, like the branches on Pete Frame's legendary Rock Family Trees, which I still think of as required reading. I got as much out of three years working for Tower Records in Westwood as music school.
The relationships... Waddy got pointed to LA by Bud Cowsill. I worked at a singing waiter restaurant with Barry Cowsill (RIP) circa 1979. That's where I met Eric Lowen, Bobby Romanus worked there as a cook before he was Damone in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Rickie Lee Jones, Katy Sagal, Cindy Lee Berryhill, Lee Ving of Fear, Peter Tork, all did time there. But I digress.
I first saw Russel playing with John Stewart at UCLA Royce Hall in 1972. Tracked his family tree like crazy. Then I got to play with him and learned why he's who he is.
And it was Danny who turned James Taylor on to Peter Asher. "Go see my friend Peter in London." Go figure, no Danny, no James! I did demos for Danny in 1988, as a session singer, long before we hung as pals.
The hang... Danny said, in an interview we all did during a short stretch, pre-Immediate Family when we had a little trio, Kortchmar, Postell and Navarro... Q: "How do you pick who you play with? A: "First off, it's the hang." The hang and the chops, keys to the kingdom. You don't develop either sitting in your room making music with the laptop.
Brings me to Steve Postell. The new guy in the band, besties with Danny and plays and sings better than all of them. Who is this guy? My brother for 37 years, he produced my first solo album, played on every track of my last one, and led me into these incredible friendships. He was tapped to play in David Crosby's band, with James Raymond, Christ Stills, Hutch Hutchinson, Jee-zuss H Wow, then fate stepped in and took Croz. I'm so glad Steve is getting his due. He's a mensch, a master and a monster, with the chops and the hang to run with legends. And he gets better every day.
Retirement... that's for others. Not them, not you, not me. Still too many lines on the family tree not filled in yet. Still on the road, a-heading for another joint. Retire? No effin' way.
Denny Tedesco has done an amazing job humanizing a story that could have just been a parade of hits. We made friends at a screening of Wrecking Crew ten years ago, bonded over mutual friendships and the story he was telling. His commitment to these labors of love is watershed. We need him.
I saw the Immediate Family film in January at a screening at United Western. Can't wait to see it on the big screen in a big dark room. I'll get to relive the records that made we want this silly job in the first place.
Thanks for the reminder.
Dan Navarro
______________________________
Anxiously awaiting this film to arrive in flyover country (MO)
Roberta Mueller
______________________________
Yeah I'm pretty sure I'll be watching this, lol
Peter Roaman
______________________________
I. CANNOT. WAIT.
Marc Reiter
______________________________
hey Bob
waddy here…..hope you're well and safe..
to begin with,
sooo very happy that you actually even saw the film…
and then
that you dug it so much was just such a fantastic way to start my day!
it was really lovely reading your words this morning Bob! truly!
so glad you appreciated Denny's telling of our musical journeys.
blew me away
Thanks VM again rock and roller !
xx
w²:)
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Amy Spitalnick-This Week's Podcast
Amy Spitalnick is CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. Before that she ran Integrity First for America and quarterbacked the lawsuit against the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville. We discuss antisemitism as well as the Charlottesville lawsuit. Amy is focused on community relations between Jews and others in support of a just and equal world.
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/amy-spitalnick-128359276/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amy-spitalnick/id1316200737?i=1000635031181
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zISxPYSwmk1MVnFrkEUQe?si=7DJQ14XRTjWrQpJu13nNrQ
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/4db7614a-1a50-42de-b8b6-73878fd749aa/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-amy-spitalnick
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https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/amy-spitalnick-128359276/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amy-spitalnick/id1316200737?i=1000635031181
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zISxPYSwmk1MVnFrkEUQe?si=7DJQ14XRTjWrQpJu13nNrQ
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/4db7614a-1a50-42de-b8b6-73878fd749aa/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-amy-spitalnick
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Tuesday, 14 November 2023
The Immediate Family Movie
Trailer: https://tinyurl.com/4spev3wa
I didn't expect it to be this good. I thought it would be a sales pitch for the new band of these ancient, road-weary musicians. But really, it's a sequel to the Wrecking Crew movie, but it's even better.
Yes, it took years for the Wrecking Crew movie to come out, it was a rights issue. It was the little engine that could. Whereas this film comes out fully formed, sans the buzz, sans the begging, and I watched it out of obligation. But whew!
This is my era. And there was so much information. I knew who the players in the Wrecking Crew were, I still can't believe Carol Kaye is alive. Yes, a woman was the bass player on all those hit records, and for a while there she was teaching, but the guys in the Immediate Family? They're around, accessible, and I know so much of their story.
But there's more.
But really, this is about perspective. I'm old, I lived through this. But if you didn't...
Well, I don't know if you'd care. But if you do, it's a gold mine. Furthermore, I think many people do and will care, after all they call it classic rock!
Now the beginning is all set-up And there's animation and nothing new, but as they start getting into the story of each member...
More and more is revealed that you don't know.
And then come the studio stories, and then come the road stories.
When Waddy and Jackson Browne talk about recording "Werewolves of London"... They end up calling Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. Mick warns them, they're not like Russ and Leland, this is not their world, don't expect them to be machines and nail it. And then the band records a take. And then another. And then another. And Fleetwood Mac doesn't want to quit, they keep playing, all night. And it's the second of sixty one takes that is the keeper.
Or the story of the recording of "Running on Empty," how it was supposed to be greatest hits and it evolved.
And Don Henley talking about the recording of his solo albums with Danny.
Yes, everybody is in this, from Lou Adler to Niko Bolas to Val Garay to Phil Collins. If you worked with these guys, you spoke on screen, Linda and Stevie too. Too often these movies have holes, because people wouldn't participate, or something couldn't be licensed, but it's all here.
You see people playing along to their hits. Which in most cases they had no idea would be hits.
The highlight of Kootch's life is when he's on the 101, in traffic, and from the car next door he hears "All She Wants to Do Is Dance." The guy is geeking out, in the groove in his automobile, and Danny wrote it. Whew!
And Leland wants no attention, doesn't think he's worthy. But at one JT gig the front row are all wearing Leland Sklar fan club t-shirts...and James is not thrilled.
But it all blurs together. These guys were on the road, staying up all night, playing, partying, talk about not remembering the sixties, the seventies began the era of constant touring, don't forget the tour was the advertisement for the record, as opposed to vice versa today.
And Linda Ronstadt is a great poker player. And she goes with Waddy to a strip club and they won't let her in without I.D. Waddy says IT'S LINDA RONSTADT! But that's not good enough. So then Waddy tells Linda to sing, and she does, and they let her in.
Road stories. Studio stories. That's what people not in the business don't get, that it runs on stories. Hang with a promoter? They've got tons! It's an inside job, part of the culture, and if you're not in it, you're out.
And I think it's Waddy who says put an exec on the street corner next to him and see who survives. He can live on tips, but what is the executive gonna do?
Now in truth there was more than the Immediate Family back in the seventies, other famous studio players. These guys tended to play on certain records, but we all knew their names, they were part of the band, not hit and run musicians.
Someone says that Peter Asher was the first to put the players on the album jacket. That's not the way I remember it. And there are other minor inaccuracies, "Tapestry" was not the first Carole King solo album. They're minor irritations to a fan.
But other than Paul McCartney, I've found that most people don't remember every aspect of their career, it was all a blur. We were home studying the records, they'd moved on to other things, they lived their lives. They spent all that time in the studio cutting these tunes...and in many cases never listened to the records ever again. Sure, they played them a zillion times live, but oftentimes changing certain elements, keeping themselves happy. Yes, the songs evolved.
That's right, the fan oftentimes knows more about the career of the artist than the artist themselves. That's how much these records mean to us. This is why I say selling out should not be de rigueur, that it makes a difference, that it affects the act's credibility, because these records are everything to us, literally. I was brought up on rock and roll, the rest is superfluous. I learned more in college reading "Rolling Stone" and listening to records than I ever did in class. Truly. May be hard to believe, but that's just how dedicated I am, what it meant to me, and still does.
But even casual fans will enjoy "The Immediate Family."
This is not "20 Feet From Stardom," because in that case most of the talent was nearly unknown, certainly their stories were. And let's be clear, Morgan Neville is an auteur. But Denny Tedesco is a fan, a lifer, part of the story, so the movie has a different feel. There's no sheen, you're inside. If you ran into any of these players you'd pick up a conversation immediately, they don't come across as stars, but musicians.
Which is what so many of us wanted to be.
This is the second generation. This is not the British Invasion, these are the people who listened to the Beatles, saw them on "Ed Sullivan."
And it's all about relationships, who you know. That's how music works. And if you're a jerk, you won't make it, because no one wants to play with a jerk. But if you've got the chops, show up on time, deliver, give good hang, you're in!
Another one of my favorite moments in the movie is when Waddy comes in to add notes to "Oh, Sherrie"...I love that record, more than I love Steve Perry Journey. And then Waddy asks about the solo. The producer says the artist plans to put a saxophone there. Waddy gets irritated, says no way, says to fire up the machine, goes in and plays the indelible solo we all know.
And after the seventies everybody needs to reinvent themselves.
And then comes technological disruption.
And I don't know why these movies come out in theatres, this audience ain't gonna pay money to go see it that way. But when it plays on the flat screen, when you can stream it at home as part of your subscription, all of us who lived through it will watch it, and we'll talk about it, the same way we still talk about records and concerts.
And the youngsters... The way it works in the internet age is you make it, and if it's good, if it resonates, it takes on a life of its own. It's just waiting to be discovered, to catch fire with newbies.
"The Immediate Family" will.
The band?
Well, they're not retiring, that's not what a musician does!
Nor does a fan.
You're gonna dig this.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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I didn't expect it to be this good. I thought it would be a sales pitch for the new band of these ancient, road-weary musicians. But really, it's a sequel to the Wrecking Crew movie, but it's even better.
Yes, it took years for the Wrecking Crew movie to come out, it was a rights issue. It was the little engine that could. Whereas this film comes out fully formed, sans the buzz, sans the begging, and I watched it out of obligation. But whew!
This is my era. And there was so much information. I knew who the players in the Wrecking Crew were, I still can't believe Carol Kaye is alive. Yes, a woman was the bass player on all those hit records, and for a while there she was teaching, but the guys in the Immediate Family? They're around, accessible, and I know so much of their story.
But there's more.
But really, this is about perspective. I'm old, I lived through this. But if you didn't...
Well, I don't know if you'd care. But if you do, it's a gold mine. Furthermore, I think many people do and will care, after all they call it classic rock!
Now the beginning is all set-up And there's animation and nothing new, but as they start getting into the story of each member...
More and more is revealed that you don't know.
And then come the studio stories, and then come the road stories.
When Waddy and Jackson Browne talk about recording "Werewolves of London"... They end up calling Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. Mick warns them, they're not like Russ and Leland, this is not their world, don't expect them to be machines and nail it. And then the band records a take. And then another. And then another. And Fleetwood Mac doesn't want to quit, they keep playing, all night. And it's the second of sixty one takes that is the keeper.
Or the story of the recording of "Running on Empty," how it was supposed to be greatest hits and it evolved.
And Don Henley talking about the recording of his solo albums with Danny.
Yes, everybody is in this, from Lou Adler to Niko Bolas to Val Garay to Phil Collins. If you worked with these guys, you spoke on screen, Linda and Stevie too. Too often these movies have holes, because people wouldn't participate, or something couldn't be licensed, but it's all here.
You see people playing along to their hits. Which in most cases they had no idea would be hits.
The highlight of Kootch's life is when he's on the 101, in traffic, and from the car next door he hears "All She Wants to Do Is Dance." The guy is geeking out, in the groove in his automobile, and Danny wrote it. Whew!
And Leland wants no attention, doesn't think he's worthy. But at one JT gig the front row are all wearing Leland Sklar fan club t-shirts...and James is not thrilled.
But it all blurs together. These guys were on the road, staying up all night, playing, partying, talk about not remembering the sixties, the seventies began the era of constant touring, don't forget the tour was the advertisement for the record, as opposed to vice versa today.
And Linda Ronstadt is a great poker player. And she goes with Waddy to a strip club and they won't let her in without I.D. Waddy says IT'S LINDA RONSTADT! But that's not good enough. So then Waddy tells Linda to sing, and she does, and they let her in.
Road stories. Studio stories. That's what people not in the business don't get, that it runs on stories. Hang with a promoter? They've got tons! It's an inside job, part of the culture, and if you're not in it, you're out.
And I think it's Waddy who says put an exec on the street corner next to him and see who survives. He can live on tips, but what is the executive gonna do?
Now in truth there was more than the Immediate Family back in the seventies, other famous studio players. These guys tended to play on certain records, but we all knew their names, they were part of the band, not hit and run musicians.
Someone says that Peter Asher was the first to put the players on the album jacket. That's not the way I remember it. And there are other minor inaccuracies, "Tapestry" was not the first Carole King solo album. They're minor irritations to a fan.
But other than Paul McCartney, I've found that most people don't remember every aspect of their career, it was all a blur. We were home studying the records, they'd moved on to other things, they lived their lives. They spent all that time in the studio cutting these tunes...and in many cases never listened to the records ever again. Sure, they played them a zillion times live, but oftentimes changing certain elements, keeping themselves happy. Yes, the songs evolved.
That's right, the fan oftentimes knows more about the career of the artist than the artist themselves. That's how much these records mean to us. This is why I say selling out should not be de rigueur, that it makes a difference, that it affects the act's credibility, because these records are everything to us, literally. I was brought up on rock and roll, the rest is superfluous. I learned more in college reading "Rolling Stone" and listening to records than I ever did in class. Truly. May be hard to believe, but that's just how dedicated I am, what it meant to me, and still does.
But even casual fans will enjoy "The Immediate Family."
This is not "20 Feet From Stardom," because in that case most of the talent was nearly unknown, certainly their stories were. And let's be clear, Morgan Neville is an auteur. But Denny Tedesco is a fan, a lifer, part of the story, so the movie has a different feel. There's no sheen, you're inside. If you ran into any of these players you'd pick up a conversation immediately, they don't come across as stars, but musicians.
Which is what so many of us wanted to be.
This is the second generation. This is not the British Invasion, these are the people who listened to the Beatles, saw them on "Ed Sullivan."
And it's all about relationships, who you know. That's how music works. And if you're a jerk, you won't make it, because no one wants to play with a jerk. But if you've got the chops, show up on time, deliver, give good hang, you're in!
Another one of my favorite moments in the movie is when Waddy comes in to add notes to "Oh, Sherrie"...I love that record, more than I love Steve Perry Journey. And then Waddy asks about the solo. The producer says the artist plans to put a saxophone there. Waddy gets irritated, says no way, says to fire up the machine, goes in and plays the indelible solo we all know.
And after the seventies everybody needs to reinvent themselves.
And then comes technological disruption.
And I don't know why these movies come out in theatres, this audience ain't gonna pay money to go see it that way. But when it plays on the flat screen, when you can stream it at home as part of your subscription, all of us who lived through it will watch it, and we'll talk about it, the same way we still talk about records and concerts.
And the youngsters... The way it works in the internet age is you make it, and if it's good, if it resonates, it takes on a life of its own. It's just waiting to be discovered, to catch fire with newbies.
"The Immediate Family" will.
The band?
Well, they're not retiring, that's not what a musician does!
Nor does a fan.
You're gonna dig this.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
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The Wager
"The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder": https://tinyurl.com/3mcp7z2s
Yes, this is about a boat, not a bet. Not that I could remember months after I reserved it at the library.
This is a certain kind of book, that may or may not appeal to you. If you're interested in exploration, the Arctic and Antarctica, especially expeditions gone wrong, this is a highlight in the genre. I mean with the trip around Cape Horn...
Now David Grann, the author of "The Wager," is the same guy who wrote "Killers of the Flower Moon," which was recently made into a movie by Martin Scorsese. I haven't seen it. And I don't plan on seeing it until after I read the book. But although I had the book from the library for three weeks, I couldn't get to it, I was backed up.
I'm still backed up. Right now I'm reading Peter Heller's "The Last Ranger," which is a return to form after 2021's "The Guide," which was too simplistic, too obvious. Before that, Heller wrote "The River," which I wrote about back in 2019, you can read what I had to say here: https://tinyurl.com/73ztk7j7 "The River" is an easy read, I recommend it. "The Guide" is an easy read, but I was disappointed. "The Last Ranger" is not the easiest of reads, Heller is showing his writing chops, which decreases readability/understanding a bit, furthermore it is set in Yellowstone and it's hard to paint a mental picture of the locations, even if you've been there, which I have. "The Last Ranger" brings you completely away from today's world, and for that alone it is worth the read. But dive in at your own peril. Meanwhile, Heller made his bones with the cult book "The Dog Stars," a story set in the future that has some of the dense writing of "The Last Ranger." So, start off with "The Guide," and then read "The Dog Stars," and then you'll know if you want to read more, which you probably will, Heller is addictive.
And when I say cult book, I don't mean a personal pleasure that no one is aware of, I'm talking about a book that has not penetrated the entire universe. There is a movie, without great reviews, that I have not seen, but "The Dog Stars" is a book readers talk about, tell people about, implore you to read, and it's got 8,173 ratings on Amazon, and that's a significant number, and by the way, it's got a 4.4 out of 5 rating, and that's extremely high.
Getting back to "The Last Ranger" for a minute... I've spent a lot of time in the wilderness. But that was so long ago, seems like another lifetime. Yet there's so much I can resonate with here. A lot of the people who live in the hinterlands can't fit into regular society, or don't want to fit in. They don't like to compromise, they want to do things their way. But in the hinterlands there are not that many people, and they all don't get along. Some of these square pegs that don't fit in round holes are edgy, rub you the wrong way, and this friction can result in consequences you don't get in the city.
But I'm talking about "The Wager."
Now one of the paragons of this exploration genre is Hampton Sides's "In the Kingdom of Ice - The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette": https://tinyurl.com/4d62fptx This has a 4.6 out of 5 rating and 6,683 ratings. I'd recommend you start here if this is the kind of book that appeals to you.
Actually, you might have heard the story of the Jeannette recently, since Sides's book it's been many places. And the problem here is it's history, all true, but if I tell you what happened it's going to ruin the surprise. Same deal with "The Wager." But the Jeannette set sail in 1889, over a hundred years before the Wager. The Wager set sail in 1740, the dark era, you're stunned they even made the journey, when maps were inaccurate and communication methods were mostly absent.
That's one of the fascinations of the book. You put yourself in these circumstances, and then you realize these guys thought they were living in advanced times, even though they were positively antiquated from our viewpoint.
And by reading the title you can see what happens.
Only you can't. What do they say, the devil is in the details?
And there's an arc, it's inherent in the story, then again so do Erik Larson's books and they're flat. Larson's books are a retelling, almost sans emotion...this happened, then that happened and that's the end. What Larson is writing about is fascinating, but the style undercuts what he has to say. However, having said that, the best is "Devil in the White City," start there if you want to jump in. And my personal favorite is "In the Garden of Beasts," all about the U.S. ambassador to Germany at the advent of World War II. He's got a married daughter who seems to have screwed seemingly every famous Nazi. And when you go to Berlin, which is haunting in its own way, especially if you're a Jew, and you pass the locations, the park where meetings took place, it's eerie.
Recently Larson has been on a losing streak. "The Splendid and the Vile" is a disappointment. Especially if you've been to the Churchill War Rooms, which I highly recommend, for your second trip to London, and on that same journey also take in the Imperial War Museum across the river.
And before that came "Dead Wake," the story of the Lusitania. Interesting, but flat.
"The Wager" is not flat. But it's not for everybody. You know if you like to read nonfiction. You know if you like this kind of explorer history. And if you do, I highly recommend it.
But having said that, I must make you aware that the beginning is slow, before the boat leaves England. What is said is interesting, but it's only when they journey to South America that you get hooked.
Now "The Wager" is not some secret, it came out in April of this year and already has 16,093 ratings on Amazon, with an average of 4.5.
As for my links to Amazon...
You know I'm into digital books. These are all Kindle links. Furthermore, you can get these books digitally via Libby, the library app, and they're completely free.
In other words, there's less friction, even though the digital copy may be just as expensive to purchase as the physical copy.
This is a longer conversation, and the people who disagree with me, who insist one must read physical books and they must be purchased from an independent bookstore, are like Trumpers, whatever you say not only can you not convince them they're wrong, they cannot even accept that you've got a different take.
But that's a fruitless argument for another day.
Sure, "The Wager" is a ride, and it's enjoyable, but the book has stuck with me, and therefore I'm making you aware of it.
P.S. To give you some perspective on the numbers, "The Last Ranger" came out in July, and it has 1,209 ratings on Amazon, illustrating the great uptake of the books above. Having said that, the rating is 4.2 out of 5, and that's great. My metric is if it's under 4, be wary. It has served me well, like under 80% on RottenTomatoes. It's not definitive, but in a world overloaded with product, it's helpful.
Yes, this is about a boat, not a bet. Not that I could remember months after I reserved it at the library.
This is a certain kind of book, that may or may not appeal to you. If you're interested in exploration, the Arctic and Antarctica, especially expeditions gone wrong, this is a highlight in the genre. I mean with the trip around Cape Horn...
Now David Grann, the author of "The Wager," is the same guy who wrote "Killers of the Flower Moon," which was recently made into a movie by Martin Scorsese. I haven't seen it. And I don't plan on seeing it until after I read the book. But although I had the book from the library for three weeks, I couldn't get to it, I was backed up.
I'm still backed up. Right now I'm reading Peter Heller's "The Last Ranger," which is a return to form after 2021's "The Guide," which was too simplistic, too obvious. Before that, Heller wrote "The River," which I wrote about back in 2019, you can read what I had to say here: https://tinyurl.com/73ztk7j7 "The River" is an easy read, I recommend it. "The Guide" is an easy read, but I was disappointed. "The Last Ranger" is not the easiest of reads, Heller is showing his writing chops, which decreases readability/understanding a bit, furthermore it is set in Yellowstone and it's hard to paint a mental picture of the locations, even if you've been there, which I have. "The Last Ranger" brings you completely away from today's world, and for that alone it is worth the read. But dive in at your own peril. Meanwhile, Heller made his bones with the cult book "The Dog Stars," a story set in the future that has some of the dense writing of "The Last Ranger." So, start off with "The Guide," and then read "The Dog Stars," and then you'll know if you want to read more, which you probably will, Heller is addictive.
And when I say cult book, I don't mean a personal pleasure that no one is aware of, I'm talking about a book that has not penetrated the entire universe. There is a movie, without great reviews, that I have not seen, but "The Dog Stars" is a book readers talk about, tell people about, implore you to read, and it's got 8,173 ratings on Amazon, and that's a significant number, and by the way, it's got a 4.4 out of 5 rating, and that's extremely high.
Getting back to "The Last Ranger" for a minute... I've spent a lot of time in the wilderness. But that was so long ago, seems like another lifetime. Yet there's so much I can resonate with here. A lot of the people who live in the hinterlands can't fit into regular society, or don't want to fit in. They don't like to compromise, they want to do things their way. But in the hinterlands there are not that many people, and they all don't get along. Some of these square pegs that don't fit in round holes are edgy, rub you the wrong way, and this friction can result in consequences you don't get in the city.
But I'm talking about "The Wager."
Now one of the paragons of this exploration genre is Hampton Sides's "In the Kingdom of Ice - The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette": https://tinyurl.com/4d62fptx This has a 4.6 out of 5 rating and 6,683 ratings. I'd recommend you start here if this is the kind of book that appeals to you.
Actually, you might have heard the story of the Jeannette recently, since Sides's book it's been many places. And the problem here is it's history, all true, but if I tell you what happened it's going to ruin the surprise. Same deal with "The Wager." But the Jeannette set sail in 1889, over a hundred years before the Wager. The Wager set sail in 1740, the dark era, you're stunned they even made the journey, when maps were inaccurate and communication methods were mostly absent.
That's one of the fascinations of the book. You put yourself in these circumstances, and then you realize these guys thought they were living in advanced times, even though they were positively antiquated from our viewpoint.
And by reading the title you can see what happens.
Only you can't. What do they say, the devil is in the details?
And there's an arc, it's inherent in the story, then again so do Erik Larson's books and they're flat. Larson's books are a retelling, almost sans emotion...this happened, then that happened and that's the end. What Larson is writing about is fascinating, but the style undercuts what he has to say. However, having said that, the best is "Devil in the White City," start there if you want to jump in. And my personal favorite is "In the Garden of Beasts," all about the U.S. ambassador to Germany at the advent of World War II. He's got a married daughter who seems to have screwed seemingly every famous Nazi. And when you go to Berlin, which is haunting in its own way, especially if you're a Jew, and you pass the locations, the park where meetings took place, it's eerie.
Recently Larson has been on a losing streak. "The Splendid and the Vile" is a disappointment. Especially if you've been to the Churchill War Rooms, which I highly recommend, for your second trip to London, and on that same journey also take in the Imperial War Museum across the river.
And before that came "Dead Wake," the story of the Lusitania. Interesting, but flat.
"The Wager" is not flat. But it's not for everybody. You know if you like to read nonfiction. You know if you like this kind of explorer history. And if you do, I highly recommend it.
But having said that, I must make you aware that the beginning is slow, before the boat leaves England. What is said is interesting, but it's only when they journey to South America that you get hooked.
Now "The Wager" is not some secret, it came out in April of this year and already has 16,093 ratings on Amazon, with an average of 4.5.
As for my links to Amazon...
You know I'm into digital books. These are all Kindle links. Furthermore, you can get these books digitally via Libby, the library app, and they're completely free.
In other words, there's less friction, even though the digital copy may be just as expensive to purchase as the physical copy.
This is a longer conversation, and the people who disagree with me, who insist one must read physical books and they must be purchased from an independent bookstore, are like Trumpers, whatever you say not only can you not convince them they're wrong, they cannot even accept that you've got a different take.
But that's a fruitless argument for another day.
Sure, "The Wager" is a ride, and it's enjoyable, but the book has stuck with me, and therefore I'm making you aware of it.
P.S. To give you some perspective on the numbers, "The Last Ranger" came out in July, and it has 1,209 ratings on Amazon, illustrating the great uptake of the books above. Having said that, the rating is 4.2 out of 5, and that's great. My metric is if it's under 4, be wary. It has served me well, like under 80% on RottenTomatoes. It's not definitive, but in a world overloaded with product, it's helpful.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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Ferry/Undercover-How To Watch
My inbox is filling up with people asking in what order they should watch "Ferry" and "Undercover." I've been saying either way, but now I've reconsidered, you should watch in order of release...because "Undercover" grips you right from the beginning and "Ferry" the movie is uneven and "Ferry: The Series" takes a couple of episodes to go gonzo, the first is just exposition, set-up.
So, start off by watching the three seasons of "Undercover." It's gripping nearly immediately. It will ring your bell.
And after these three seasons, which are ultimately a complete story, with nothing left to tell, they made the movie, "Ferry."
"Ferry" explains where Ferry Bouman came from, what made him who he is, including a focus on his family. It's key backstory, very interesting if you watched "Undercover," but not completely satisfying, maybe because it's a movie and therefore everything is compressed.
Then watch "Ferry: The Series." Which picks up right after "Ferry" the movie. Don't watch "Ferry: The Series" without first watching the movie, it's key.
And, you could watch in chronological order, with "Ferry" the movie, "Ferry: The Series" and then "Undercover," kind of like what Coppola ultimately did with "The Godfather," but in truth there's still a hole between the end of "Ferry: The Series" and "Undercover," allowing for another season of "Ferry: The Series," if not more than one.
Once again, they are all on Netflix.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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So, start off by watching the three seasons of "Undercover." It's gripping nearly immediately. It will ring your bell.
And after these three seasons, which are ultimately a complete story, with nothing left to tell, they made the movie, "Ferry."
"Ferry" explains where Ferry Bouman came from, what made him who he is, including a focus on his family. It's key backstory, very interesting if you watched "Undercover," but not completely satisfying, maybe because it's a movie and therefore everything is compressed.
Then watch "Ferry: The Series." Which picks up right after "Ferry" the movie. Don't watch "Ferry: The Series" without first watching the movie, it's key.
And, you could watch in chronological order, with "Ferry" the movie, "Ferry: The Series" and then "Undercover," kind of like what Coppola ultimately did with "The Godfather," but in truth there's still a hole between the end of "Ferry: The Series" and "Undercover," allowing for another season of "Ferry: The Series," if not more than one.
Once again, they are all on Netflix.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
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Monday, 13 November 2023
The Sam Harris Podcast
"The Bright Line Between Good and Evil"
Apple podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/ytzkvm9t
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2juynzxe
You have to listen to this.
Let me repeat that, you HAVE to listen to this!
This is my number one audio recommendation of the year. Of all the music, all the podcasts I've told you about, this is where you should dedicate your time, this is where you should trust me, this speaks to the essence of what is going on in the Middle East.
Jihad.
I can't tell you how many years people have told me to listen to the Sam Harris podcast. I actually tried once, but the slow delivery didn't resonate. You see I'm overloaded, and so are you. In the pre-internet era we could get bored, there was an absence of opportunities, we didn't have access to the entire history of recorded music at our fingertips, we did not even have cable, never mind streaming outlets like Netflix. You could go to the library, you could buy a record and listen to it, but we were starved for input.
Not anymore. But how do you separate the wheat from the chaff?
Much of my inbox is a laugh, written by zealots, in defense of Phish or the Dead or hatred of Spotify, you have to dismiss it out of hand. These people are so inured to their vision that they cannot fathom anybody disagreeing with them. They're fanatics.
But not like jihadists.
God is great, but so is death. Death, being a martyr, is a route to paradise, the afterlife. Most westerners cannot understand this. Which is why this Harris podcast is so illuminating. But nothing I write here, no synopsis, will do justice to Harris's work. He lays it out slowly, deliberately, looking at all sides. Unlike too many testifying he has no agenda, he's just trying to tell us what is going on. And in the process he undercuts a lot of the b.s. that is consuming us on college campuses, on social media, arguments made by people who have no idea what is going on.
And unless you're a jihadist yourself, you'll be intrigued, you'll get it. You can't listen to Harris and say he's biased, that he's taking a side, he's just telling how it is, in a completely comprehendible way, and most people have no idea how it is. It's much greater than Israel/Palestine. It's about fanatical jihadists.
This is how virality works. I started to get e-mail about this particular episode of Sam's podcast. That was not enough for me to listen. But having finished the latest episode of Jackson Hogen's "RealSkiers" podcast on my way up the mountain, I needed something to listen to on the way down. I used to listen to "Pivot," but as much as I'm a fan of Scott Galloway, I find Kara Swisher intolerable. I know this bans me from future opportunities, but if one can't be honest, why even bother. Kara... When you keep boasting about who you know, it's evidence of insecurity. Instead of making you look good, it makes you look bad. Furthermore, you don't have to be an expert on everything, no one can be. And you need to stop telling us you were just on the phone with someone Scott references. Furthermore, your myopia means you're often wrong. Scott isn't, but you're undercutting your credibility by constantly defending the visions of your friends in the tech industry, and in addition you know nothing about the law. And for the past week and a half, I see the "Pivot" podcast in my feed, and I just can't bring myself to press play, because I know when it's done I'll be pissed off.
So I started scrolling through the offerings, and I saw that Bari Weiss was rebroadcasting the same Sam Harris episode people were e-mailing me about. And it clicked, I decided to check it out. I'm up and down on Bari, she's very intelligent, but sometimes thin-skinned, and sometimes self-righteous, and many times too right-leaning for me. But some of her episodes are worth listening to, and unlike Kara she's not plainly obnoxious.
Now not a single major media outlet influenced me. I didn't see the Harris episode in any listing. It's just that it rose up in my world, I saw it in multiple places, it was given the imprimatur of Bari Weiss, and I dove in.
And I need to tell you about it, everybody.
Harris is wiser than all those ceasefire bozos in the "New York Times." Not that Harris believes the Israelis should be attacking Gaza in this way at all. It's just that Harris can see the forest for the trees, he's not caught up in the moment, he's got perspective. It's the opposite of a horse race, like the endless coverage of the presidential election a year out. Harris is not interested in gotcha headlines, you're either into what he has to say or not. And not everybody is going to be into Harris. But his audience will grow if people keep telling others like I am now.
I don't know almost anything about Sam Harris. Who knows, I could do some investigation and find out I don't agree with him on most points.
But this one episode...
Wow.
Apple podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/ytzkvm9t
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2juynzxe
You have to listen to this.
Let me repeat that, you HAVE to listen to this!
This is my number one audio recommendation of the year. Of all the music, all the podcasts I've told you about, this is where you should dedicate your time, this is where you should trust me, this speaks to the essence of what is going on in the Middle East.
Jihad.
I can't tell you how many years people have told me to listen to the Sam Harris podcast. I actually tried once, but the slow delivery didn't resonate. You see I'm overloaded, and so are you. In the pre-internet era we could get bored, there was an absence of opportunities, we didn't have access to the entire history of recorded music at our fingertips, we did not even have cable, never mind streaming outlets like Netflix. You could go to the library, you could buy a record and listen to it, but we were starved for input.
Not anymore. But how do you separate the wheat from the chaff?
Much of my inbox is a laugh, written by zealots, in defense of Phish or the Dead or hatred of Spotify, you have to dismiss it out of hand. These people are so inured to their vision that they cannot fathom anybody disagreeing with them. They're fanatics.
But not like jihadists.
God is great, but so is death. Death, being a martyr, is a route to paradise, the afterlife. Most westerners cannot understand this. Which is why this Harris podcast is so illuminating. But nothing I write here, no synopsis, will do justice to Harris's work. He lays it out slowly, deliberately, looking at all sides. Unlike too many testifying he has no agenda, he's just trying to tell us what is going on. And in the process he undercuts a lot of the b.s. that is consuming us on college campuses, on social media, arguments made by people who have no idea what is going on.
And unless you're a jihadist yourself, you'll be intrigued, you'll get it. You can't listen to Harris and say he's biased, that he's taking a side, he's just telling how it is, in a completely comprehendible way, and most people have no idea how it is. It's much greater than Israel/Palestine. It's about fanatical jihadists.
This is how virality works. I started to get e-mail about this particular episode of Sam's podcast. That was not enough for me to listen. But having finished the latest episode of Jackson Hogen's "RealSkiers" podcast on my way up the mountain, I needed something to listen to on the way down. I used to listen to "Pivot," but as much as I'm a fan of Scott Galloway, I find Kara Swisher intolerable. I know this bans me from future opportunities, but if one can't be honest, why even bother. Kara... When you keep boasting about who you know, it's evidence of insecurity. Instead of making you look good, it makes you look bad. Furthermore, you don't have to be an expert on everything, no one can be. And you need to stop telling us you were just on the phone with someone Scott references. Furthermore, your myopia means you're often wrong. Scott isn't, but you're undercutting your credibility by constantly defending the visions of your friends in the tech industry, and in addition you know nothing about the law. And for the past week and a half, I see the "Pivot" podcast in my feed, and I just can't bring myself to press play, because I know when it's done I'll be pissed off.
So I started scrolling through the offerings, and I saw that Bari Weiss was rebroadcasting the same Sam Harris episode people were e-mailing me about. And it clicked, I decided to check it out. I'm up and down on Bari, she's very intelligent, but sometimes thin-skinned, and sometimes self-righteous, and many times too right-leaning for me. But some of her episodes are worth listening to, and unlike Kara she's not plainly obnoxious.
Now not a single major media outlet influenced me. I didn't see the Harris episode in any listing. It's just that it rose up in my world, I saw it in multiple places, it was given the imprimatur of Bari Weiss, and I dove in.
And I need to tell you about it, everybody.
Harris is wiser than all those ceasefire bozos in the "New York Times." Not that Harris believes the Israelis should be attacking Gaza in this way at all. It's just that Harris can see the forest for the trees, he's not caught up in the moment, he's got perspective. It's the opposite of a horse race, like the endless coverage of the presidential election a year out. Harris is not interested in gotcha headlines, you're either into what he has to say or not. And not everybody is going to be into Harris. But his audience will grow if people keep telling others like I am now.
I don't know almost anything about Sam Harris. Who knows, I could do some investigation and find out I don't agree with him on most points.
But this one episode...
Wow.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
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Higher
Spotify playlist: https://tinyurl.com/mr3r2m3p
That's the new Chris Stapleton album. Came out Friday, and I didn't know until I saw an ad in the "Billboard Bulletin," which undercuts my theory that print advertising doesn't work. But more interestingly, how did I miss this? Was I just too far outside the footprint of the hype or is this an undersell, since it's about the life of an album as opposed to the first week these days.
And if you look at the streams on Spotify, none of the songs, other than the three previously released cuts and the opening track, has a million streams, not yet, which means you don't see "Higher" in the Spotify Top 50, it's positively not mainstream, then again, maybe it is.
Now the bottom line is this album is too long, fourteen songs and fifty four and a half minutes, essentially an hour, and listening all the way through is akin to going to a show, you know, you're excited at first, then you calm down and enjoy the sound, but as the hour wears on you're nearly numb, you're no longer as focused, you're riding along but the feeling is just not as visceral.
But you've got to have a lot of tracks to make money. That's right, if people like what you do, they'll stream the whole album over and over again. So longer albums render more revenue. But this is just too much music to consume all at once. The albums of the past, pre-CD, rarely exceeded forty minutes, and they also had four main entry points, the opening and closing cuts on each side, whereas "Higher" is just a wash of songs, a smorgasbord of sound, partake and you'll be filled beyond the brim. Yet this is superior to the paradigm of the last century, wherein you put out an album and milked it for singles for three years before you put out another. Today people put out more music more frequently, and that is great. But it's a bitch when it comes to marketing.
Let's say "Higher" was two albums, could the media get excited six months from now? How hard would it be to get the word out? Best to blow your load all at once? This has nothing to do with music, but the paradigm ultimately hurts the music. Yes, there's just too much. There, I said it. We all know it, but nothing seems to change, we keep getting more and more.
But having said that, I played "Higher" from front to back, and until I started getting worn out about two-thirds of the way through, I was astounded, because this music doesn't sound exactly like anything else, at least not anything shoved down our throat these days. There's no desperate attempt for a single, it's like "Higher" was cut in an alternative universe, one outside commercial demands, where the focus was solely on the artist and what he wanted to achieve.
The album begins with an acoustic guitar. The Rolling Stones would freak out, this isn't the way you do it, you put your best foot forward, you bang the audience over the head. Then again, the country rock icons the Eagles opened the third side of their double live album and their live shows to this day with an a cappella version of Steve Young's "Seven Bridges Road." Every Eagles fan knows it, but it was never a hit.
But "What Am I Gonna Do" is an invitation. The door has been opened and the musicians are sitting on chairs, picking, vocalizing, welcoming you. That's what "What Am I Gonna Do Is," an invitation, and then comes "South Dakota."
"Lord this morning when I woke up
I wanted that whiskey in my coffee cup
Had last night ringin' in my head
Tellin' me I oughta go back to bed"
I don't drink coffee and the hangovers are not why I gave up drinking but I've been in this space many a time. It's miserable. It's anything but bright and sunny like the nitwits begging for our attention with their pop drivel. This is personal. And "South Dakota" is a perfect title, almost no one lives in that state, and you're positively alone when you wake up after a bad night.
But what grabs you immediately is the groove. They're locked in tight. This is a sound boomers will remember, that has been excised from most popular music. Yes, Chris Stapleton might be considered a country artist, but if this were back when we'd definitely consider him a rocker. And then comes the guitar solo, slow and tasteful, not showing off, but just right, you're twisting and turning along. And that's when you truly start to marvel, this is when you become overwhelmed, this is when you realize that Chris Stapleton could be the best artist working today, in any genre. Not only can he sing and play, he's authentic, credible, you can't criticize where he's coming from. It's hard to criticize his music at all, it hearkens back to what once was that we thought was gone forever, but Stapleton proves it is not.
And the weird thing is Stapleton is revered in Nashville, yet no one sounds exactly like him. You see they're afraid to give up the system, they're afraid to let go of the rules, they want right-leaning stuff about drinking and family, putting the audience first, but Chris Stapleton is not putting the audience first, he's just doing what he wants and the audience follows along.
Not that Stapleton is the only one going straight for the gut in country music. Hardy and Lainey Wilson's "Wait in the Truck" won not only the Music Video of the Year award, but it was declared the Musical Event of the Year at last week's CMA Awards. But crickets at the Grammys, that's right, the Video of the Year in the country world didn't even score a nomination at the Grammys, what was the Event of the Year got no attention from the Grammys. And you wonder why the South hates the North. Talk about elitism. And unlike the drivel with accolades the Grammys focus on, "Wait in the Truck" is about domestic violence. How could the Grammy organization get it so wrong! Sure, they nominated women, kudos, but they're completely clueless in this year of country.
After "South Dakota" comes "Trust," which has got an acoustic feel that got its start with Stephen Stills and hasn't been heard much recently, if at all. "Trust" is sweet, it rings right whether you're sitting in front of the fire or driving down the highway.
"It Takes a Woman" is more authentic country than anything aired in that format on the radio. This is the kind of song you might skip over at first, like "You Gotta Move" or "Dead Flowers" on "Sticky Fingers," but with repeated plays you get it.
And then we get another acoustic number, the title song, "The Fire," that has got that homemade feel, it's simple, a ditty, but not a throwaway, Stapleton can throw this stuff seemingly at will, and the vocal is so sweet.
But then comes "Think I'm in Love with You."
Now when you listen to an album for the first time you see what jumps out. "South Dakota" did. And so did "Think I'm in Love with You," which also has an indelible groove, that is in the pocket from the very first note, it's hard not to move along as you listen, the music penetrates your body and comes out in said movement. And there's tasteful picking, and the chorus sounds more R&B than country, it's positively infectious. And not overproduced. Stapleton is not throwing everything in including the kitchen sink, he's not looking for sheen, he's leaving some air, letting the instruments breathe, and the result is life, which is too often absent in what is made to be a hit.
Now there's the highly revered "White Horse," co-written with Mr. Semisonic Dan Wilson. But the next song that stuck out for me was "The Day I Die."
"I had never ever hurt this way
The pain is almost more than I can take
I'd give anything for you to stay with me
And never say 'goodbye'"
Whew, most of us have felt this way. The celebrities say they can get over breakups instantly, but the rest of us know this is impossible, they may haunt your dreams for the rest of your life.
And there's that change at the end of the chorus, and even a bridge. Stapleton knows how to write a song, something that too many people never even learned, never mind forgotten.
And the two concluding numbers, "Weight of Your World" and "Mountains of My Mind," are winners too.
Assuming anyone gets this far.
Albums are best when played start to finish, for the mood. That's the goal, to entrance the listener, draw them in and change their life, even if it's only temporarily.
Am I going to sit here and say "Higher" is the best album I've ever heard? No. But what stunned me is I played it, through and through, and now as I go back it sounds even better. And that's a rare occurrence. Hell, look at the plays of most albums on Spotify, there are hits and the rest, the rest are overlooked, but the rest resonate on "Higher."
I'd say your mileage may vary, but I also know if you were addicted to buying records back when, especially in the seventies, if you liked not only one style of music, but many, if you could own a Joni Mitchell record and a Zeppelin album too, "Higher" is going to be familiar in a way that you can't quite put into words. You see Stapleton is coming from where your heroes of yore once did. He puts the music first. And he's employing the building blocks. And you don't have to study a manual to get it, you've just got to push play and you're engrossed.
Try it.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
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That's the new Chris Stapleton album. Came out Friday, and I didn't know until I saw an ad in the "Billboard Bulletin," which undercuts my theory that print advertising doesn't work. But more interestingly, how did I miss this? Was I just too far outside the footprint of the hype or is this an undersell, since it's about the life of an album as opposed to the first week these days.
And if you look at the streams on Spotify, none of the songs, other than the three previously released cuts and the opening track, has a million streams, not yet, which means you don't see "Higher" in the Spotify Top 50, it's positively not mainstream, then again, maybe it is.
Now the bottom line is this album is too long, fourteen songs and fifty four and a half minutes, essentially an hour, and listening all the way through is akin to going to a show, you know, you're excited at first, then you calm down and enjoy the sound, but as the hour wears on you're nearly numb, you're no longer as focused, you're riding along but the feeling is just not as visceral.
But you've got to have a lot of tracks to make money. That's right, if people like what you do, they'll stream the whole album over and over again. So longer albums render more revenue. But this is just too much music to consume all at once. The albums of the past, pre-CD, rarely exceeded forty minutes, and they also had four main entry points, the opening and closing cuts on each side, whereas "Higher" is just a wash of songs, a smorgasbord of sound, partake and you'll be filled beyond the brim. Yet this is superior to the paradigm of the last century, wherein you put out an album and milked it for singles for three years before you put out another. Today people put out more music more frequently, and that is great. But it's a bitch when it comes to marketing.
Let's say "Higher" was two albums, could the media get excited six months from now? How hard would it be to get the word out? Best to blow your load all at once? This has nothing to do with music, but the paradigm ultimately hurts the music. Yes, there's just too much. There, I said it. We all know it, but nothing seems to change, we keep getting more and more.
But having said that, I played "Higher" from front to back, and until I started getting worn out about two-thirds of the way through, I was astounded, because this music doesn't sound exactly like anything else, at least not anything shoved down our throat these days. There's no desperate attempt for a single, it's like "Higher" was cut in an alternative universe, one outside commercial demands, where the focus was solely on the artist and what he wanted to achieve.
The album begins with an acoustic guitar. The Rolling Stones would freak out, this isn't the way you do it, you put your best foot forward, you bang the audience over the head. Then again, the country rock icons the Eagles opened the third side of their double live album and their live shows to this day with an a cappella version of Steve Young's "Seven Bridges Road." Every Eagles fan knows it, but it was never a hit.
But "What Am I Gonna Do" is an invitation. The door has been opened and the musicians are sitting on chairs, picking, vocalizing, welcoming you. That's what "What Am I Gonna Do Is," an invitation, and then comes "South Dakota."
"Lord this morning when I woke up
I wanted that whiskey in my coffee cup
Had last night ringin' in my head
Tellin' me I oughta go back to bed"
I don't drink coffee and the hangovers are not why I gave up drinking but I've been in this space many a time. It's miserable. It's anything but bright and sunny like the nitwits begging for our attention with their pop drivel. This is personal. And "South Dakota" is a perfect title, almost no one lives in that state, and you're positively alone when you wake up after a bad night.
But what grabs you immediately is the groove. They're locked in tight. This is a sound boomers will remember, that has been excised from most popular music. Yes, Chris Stapleton might be considered a country artist, but if this were back when we'd definitely consider him a rocker. And then comes the guitar solo, slow and tasteful, not showing off, but just right, you're twisting and turning along. And that's when you truly start to marvel, this is when you become overwhelmed, this is when you realize that Chris Stapleton could be the best artist working today, in any genre. Not only can he sing and play, he's authentic, credible, you can't criticize where he's coming from. It's hard to criticize his music at all, it hearkens back to what once was that we thought was gone forever, but Stapleton proves it is not.
And the weird thing is Stapleton is revered in Nashville, yet no one sounds exactly like him. You see they're afraid to give up the system, they're afraid to let go of the rules, they want right-leaning stuff about drinking and family, putting the audience first, but Chris Stapleton is not putting the audience first, he's just doing what he wants and the audience follows along.
Not that Stapleton is the only one going straight for the gut in country music. Hardy and Lainey Wilson's "Wait in the Truck" won not only the Music Video of the Year award, but it was declared the Musical Event of the Year at last week's CMA Awards. But crickets at the Grammys, that's right, the Video of the Year in the country world didn't even score a nomination at the Grammys, what was the Event of the Year got no attention from the Grammys. And you wonder why the South hates the North. Talk about elitism. And unlike the drivel with accolades the Grammys focus on, "Wait in the Truck" is about domestic violence. How could the Grammy organization get it so wrong! Sure, they nominated women, kudos, but they're completely clueless in this year of country.
After "South Dakota" comes "Trust," which has got an acoustic feel that got its start with Stephen Stills and hasn't been heard much recently, if at all. "Trust" is sweet, it rings right whether you're sitting in front of the fire or driving down the highway.
"It Takes a Woman" is more authentic country than anything aired in that format on the radio. This is the kind of song you might skip over at first, like "You Gotta Move" or "Dead Flowers" on "Sticky Fingers," but with repeated plays you get it.
And then we get another acoustic number, the title song, "The Fire," that has got that homemade feel, it's simple, a ditty, but not a throwaway, Stapleton can throw this stuff seemingly at will, and the vocal is so sweet.
But then comes "Think I'm in Love with You."
Now when you listen to an album for the first time you see what jumps out. "South Dakota" did. And so did "Think I'm in Love with You," which also has an indelible groove, that is in the pocket from the very first note, it's hard not to move along as you listen, the music penetrates your body and comes out in said movement. And there's tasteful picking, and the chorus sounds more R&B than country, it's positively infectious. And not overproduced. Stapleton is not throwing everything in including the kitchen sink, he's not looking for sheen, he's leaving some air, letting the instruments breathe, and the result is life, which is too often absent in what is made to be a hit.
Now there's the highly revered "White Horse," co-written with Mr. Semisonic Dan Wilson. But the next song that stuck out for me was "The Day I Die."
"I had never ever hurt this way
The pain is almost more than I can take
I'd give anything for you to stay with me
And never say 'goodbye'"
Whew, most of us have felt this way. The celebrities say they can get over breakups instantly, but the rest of us know this is impossible, they may haunt your dreams for the rest of your life.
And there's that change at the end of the chorus, and even a bridge. Stapleton knows how to write a song, something that too many people never even learned, never mind forgotten.
And the two concluding numbers, "Weight of Your World" and "Mountains of My Mind," are winners too.
Assuming anyone gets this far.
Albums are best when played start to finish, for the mood. That's the goal, to entrance the listener, draw them in and change their life, even if it's only temporarily.
Am I going to sit here and say "Higher" is the best album I've ever heard? No. But what stunned me is I played it, through and through, and now as I go back it sounds even better. And that's a rare occurrence. Hell, look at the plays of most albums on Spotify, there are hits and the rest, the rest are overlooked, but the rest resonate on "Higher."
I'd say your mileage may vary, but I also know if you were addicted to buying records back when, especially in the seventies, if you liked not only one style of music, but many, if you could own a Joni Mitchell record and a Zeppelin album too, "Higher" is going to be familiar in a way that you can't quite put into words. You see Stapleton is coming from where your heroes of yore once did. He puts the music first. And he's employing the building blocks. And you don't have to study a manual to get it, you've just got to push play and you're engrossed.
Try it.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
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Sunday, 12 November 2023
The WaPo OnlyFans Article
If you're only interested in money...
I got an e-mail about this last Thursday, when it went live. Before I saw it on the WaPo site. Would I have seen it anyway? Probably. It was never the top story, but it was featured pretty prominently in the app.
But no one else contacted me about it until just now, when I got a text.
To analogize the record business, this is a hit, hiding in plain sight. Used to be hits surfaced all by their lonesome, you couldn't keep a good record down. Now a track can be phenomenal and not break. Just like this story.
Ah, it's not that good, it's not phenomenal, but it's very interesting, sex is always fascinating, but the way the business is done, it can translate to almost any industry, but once again, you are probably unaware of it.
This is what happens when you live in a silo. This is a more interesting story than you'll ever read in "Billboard," this is the kind of story we used to salivate over in "Rolling Stone," the kind that made the magazine great, the heartbeat of a generation. But there are no ripples, none that can be found when searching in the Google News. Maybe because it involves sex. Maybe because those purveying conventional celebrities have no idea who the real celebrities are. Scratch that, you can make a ton of dough being known by very few. So if you're interested in cash, don't go into music, which is why so many went into it back when, because there are a lot easier ways to make money.
So now you're interested, I made you aware. But you've got to pay to play, just like with OnlyFans itself. No, that's not true. A lot of these women, and it's almost all women, give away a taste for free. This is how Spotify works. If you want it all, you've got to pay. And you can tell me how bad a free, advertiser-supported tier is, but then I'll tell you Spotify dwarfs its competitors in the number of subscribers, but even more in overall consumption. Spotify subscribers are active, they listen a lot, and only when people listen do they create a bond with the song and the act.
But to subscribe you've got to pay. Oh, you get a certain number of articles free every month, there's a soft paywall, just like with the OnlyFans girls, but this restricts activity, because you don't want to waste your freebies and you end up not even coming close to the limit. Or, you reach the limit and are so damn cheap you won't pay the $120 a year.
But the dirty little secret is you get the "Washington Post" with your Apple News+ subscription. Yes, for ten bucks, you get the WaPo and more. But you've heard that information wants to be free on the internet. But you forgot the second half of that aphorism, it also wants to be really expensive! In other words, if you don't pay, you don't get the good information, and information is everything.
That's what Charlie Munger said. In the "Wall Street Journal," also behind a paywall.
"I think I learn a little something from…everything I've read. I think that one of the reasons I was as economically successful as I was in life is because I read so damn much all my life, starting when I was about six years old. I don't know how to get smart without reading a lot."
https://tinyurl.com/26xznbjp
Bingo, it's all there in books and periodicals, you just have to spend the time. I get more out of reading than I do in conversation with almost anybody. Hate to say it, but it's true. Except for a thin layer of people who truly know what is going on. Then again, everybody thinks they know what is going on, they keep telling me so.
Now here's my gift to you, a free link to the WaPo OnlyFans story:
"Inside an OnlyFans empire: Sex, influence and the new American Dream - The fast-growing platform represents the creator economy at its most bluntly transactional, where sex is just another unit of content to monetize.": https://wapo.st/3u5zgFY
And you should read this article. And be sure to watch the video embedded therein.
Or, you can watch the WaPo OnlyFans video on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/2vp2y39p
And now I'm wondering about the tone of this piece. It's didactic, and angry. And I guess that's a result of all the b.s. that comes over my transom each and every day, oftentimes blatantly wrong, a Google would tell the the writer the truth, and always spewed forth with anger and suffused with intimidation. To the point that you get the pushback above. But it makes me crazy the world we live in, with self-declared experts who've got no clue what is really going on.
Now when I read this OnlyFans article one thing became clear, I'd want nothing to do with this, this is not where I'd want to spend my time, no matter how much money I might make. Because it's boring!
And if you watch enough TikTok you'll see the big-breasted girl lamenting that she can't date because of her OnlyFans account, the boys don't want someone who's been with seemingly everyone. She signed off OnlyFans, gave up porn, but came back, because that's the only place she'd be understood, never mind all that money.
And these are middle class girls. Oftentimes in college.
And Bryce Adams has a boyfriend, her partner in crime. But there is no crime, OnlyFans is totally legitimate. I wonder if it pegs the needle in that anti-masturbation app that Mike Johnson shares with his son.
Now it's not that Bryce Adams is so delicious. I mean she's pretty attractive, but her visage does not send the message "porn star," like that woman with macromastia I referenced above. But Bryce Adams, not her real name, knows how to work it. She knows what her fans want. And how does she do this? VIA THE DATA!
Yes, that's why you should read this article, to see how they do it. This is the modern music business, you just don't know it. You've got to know how the game is played if you want to win. And to win, you don't have to appeal to everybody, just a certain few, who become really attached, who form a bond with you, that you feed.
Sure, you pay for a subscription to the OnlyFans page, but the money is in the upsell. The texts. The private videos. And Bryce doesn't have time to service all her fans, so she has a team that does this. And the guys buy it, because it's all a fantasy anyway.
That's what music, when done right, is also selling, a fantasy. Too often it's based on cash these days, but it used to be based on identity. That the artist understood the listener, and if the listener could just meet the artist, their life would work, it would be complete. Believe me, I've met these people, and it's almost universally untrue. But you need to believe in it to carry on, just like you believe in the American Dream, even though statistically it is fading. That's the world we live in, facts don't matter. But usually those who deny the truth are the ones who pay the price.
And Bryce and her boyfriend are working 'round the clock. They don't have time to crash and smoke dope. They've got to be on their audience, because the audience is fickle, either serve people or die. Truly, there are so many competitors. This is what musicians don't realize, they're competing against everybody, both alive and dead, they've got to be top of mind or they're not in mind at all. But we've still got people hewing to the album paradigm. That might satiate hard core fans, but it's a piss-poor way to grow your career. That's seventies thinking, and we're in the third decade of the twenty first century.
So they comparison test pics and videos, they're constantly researching what works. If you're an oldster, Gen-X or above, you'll read this article and want to give up. Because one thing is for sure, Bryce, and especially her boyfriend, are digitally savvy. And you need to be to succeed in the world today. All those in-person meetings, the bluster of business, it's passé. I hear it from oldsters who work with youngsters all the time. The office is now quiet, whereas it used to be noisy. The youngsters don't talk on the phone. Drives the oldsters nuts, it's not how they did it, but it's much more efficient. God, if I had to talk on the phone I'd get about a quarter of what I do done. The younger generation knows this.
So you've got to know how the devices work. Literally. Because there is no help, you're on your own, there's not time for help, you've got to understand computers, you've got to understand online, you've got to be digitally native. You know how to make a PowerPoint? Whoo-hoo! Welcome to twenty years ago, the younger generation has no time for PowerPoints anymore.
So the money is incredible. But the creators make it perfectly clear, the game changes. This is something that still is not accepted in the music business. Radio is forever, TV counts! No. We're many steps beyond that, but the new world is so chaotic you don't want to admit it, you want to believe the old one still has merit.
"Since sending her first photo in 2021, Adams's OnlyFans accounts have earned $16.5 million in sales, more than 1.4 million fans and more than 11 million "likes." She now makes about $30,000 a day — more than most American small businesses — from subscriptions, video sales, messages and tips, half of which is pure profit."
This is more than almost all musicians. I mean if you're broke playing music, maybe you should do something else, especially if you're into money first and foremost, which seems to be the case with all these artists that call themselves "brands." Bryce Adams is taking her assets and making it the way musicians used to, not by formula, but from her noggin. She's making it up as she goes, there is no template. Sounds more like music of the sixties and seventies than today.
And she is doing it for herself. That's how it works in OnlyFans and that's how it works in music. You build it and maintain it yourself. And you reap almost all of the money when you do, 80% in the case of OnlyFans. And if you don't use a label and go direct to Spotify (via a distributor that charges little), you'll end up with 60-70% of the revenue. But better to bitch at the label, none of which pays this amount, and is busy recouping that advance you thought was so impressive.
And in OnlyFans, like music, your career peak is very short, you'd better make bank then. Sure, a few artists have long careers, but most don't.
Also, all the money is in the top. This is what musicians can't get over. If the best is the same cost as the worst, why would I spend time with the worst, or mediocre, even good? Everybody is available all the time. I've got to be super to gain attention and get paid. But this is unfair! No, it's not! Think of it from the viewpoint of the consumer. Do you want to be forced to watch TV in real time, on network, with commercials, or would you rather stream on demand? Do you want to be forced to watch a mediocre program instead of a great one? This is the modern world, the public only wants a thin layer of what is produced, and if you're not great, superior, incredible, get out of the way, because you're never going to make it.
I know, the truth hurts. But what is great about Bryce and her boyfriend is it's their truth. They're doing it their way. They think they know better than anybody else.
But that damn algorithm, the game is gonna change. Just like in the music business. It keeps evolving, Napster to KaZaA to lockers to iTunes track sales to YouTube to Spotify to TikTok to... Oh, I forgot to mention MySpace! Everything is evanescent, you've got to be a student of the game.
And if you've gotten this far, if you're not turned off by my attitude, please read this piece and watch the video. You'll be stimulated. Your brain will start to cogitate, come up with ideas, refine thoughts. This is what it's all about. And it seems simple, but it's not. Rest on your laurels and you're toast.
"Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'"
Those words are just as relevant today as when Bob Dylan wrote them back in '63. Only now you're on the wrong side of the generation gap. So buckle down, or get out of the way. It's a new world and if you want a place in it...
Read this article.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
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-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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I got an e-mail about this last Thursday, when it went live. Before I saw it on the WaPo site. Would I have seen it anyway? Probably. It was never the top story, but it was featured pretty prominently in the app.
But no one else contacted me about it until just now, when I got a text.
To analogize the record business, this is a hit, hiding in plain sight. Used to be hits surfaced all by their lonesome, you couldn't keep a good record down. Now a track can be phenomenal and not break. Just like this story.
Ah, it's not that good, it's not phenomenal, but it's very interesting, sex is always fascinating, but the way the business is done, it can translate to almost any industry, but once again, you are probably unaware of it.
This is what happens when you live in a silo. This is a more interesting story than you'll ever read in "Billboard," this is the kind of story we used to salivate over in "Rolling Stone," the kind that made the magazine great, the heartbeat of a generation. But there are no ripples, none that can be found when searching in the Google News. Maybe because it involves sex. Maybe because those purveying conventional celebrities have no idea who the real celebrities are. Scratch that, you can make a ton of dough being known by very few. So if you're interested in cash, don't go into music, which is why so many went into it back when, because there are a lot easier ways to make money.
So now you're interested, I made you aware. But you've got to pay to play, just like with OnlyFans itself. No, that's not true. A lot of these women, and it's almost all women, give away a taste for free. This is how Spotify works. If you want it all, you've got to pay. And you can tell me how bad a free, advertiser-supported tier is, but then I'll tell you Spotify dwarfs its competitors in the number of subscribers, but even more in overall consumption. Spotify subscribers are active, they listen a lot, and only when people listen do they create a bond with the song and the act.
But to subscribe you've got to pay. Oh, you get a certain number of articles free every month, there's a soft paywall, just like with the OnlyFans girls, but this restricts activity, because you don't want to waste your freebies and you end up not even coming close to the limit. Or, you reach the limit and are so damn cheap you won't pay the $120 a year.
But the dirty little secret is you get the "Washington Post" with your Apple News+ subscription. Yes, for ten bucks, you get the WaPo and more. But you've heard that information wants to be free on the internet. But you forgot the second half of that aphorism, it also wants to be really expensive! In other words, if you don't pay, you don't get the good information, and information is everything.
That's what Charlie Munger said. In the "Wall Street Journal," also behind a paywall.
"I think I learn a little something from…everything I've read. I think that one of the reasons I was as economically successful as I was in life is because I read so damn much all my life, starting when I was about six years old. I don't know how to get smart without reading a lot."
https://tinyurl.com/26xznbjp
Bingo, it's all there in books and periodicals, you just have to spend the time. I get more out of reading than I do in conversation with almost anybody. Hate to say it, but it's true. Except for a thin layer of people who truly know what is going on. Then again, everybody thinks they know what is going on, they keep telling me so.
Now here's my gift to you, a free link to the WaPo OnlyFans story:
"Inside an OnlyFans empire: Sex, influence and the new American Dream - The fast-growing platform represents the creator economy at its most bluntly transactional, where sex is just another unit of content to monetize.": https://wapo.st/3u5zgFY
And you should read this article. And be sure to watch the video embedded therein.
Or, you can watch the WaPo OnlyFans video on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/2vp2y39p
And now I'm wondering about the tone of this piece. It's didactic, and angry. And I guess that's a result of all the b.s. that comes over my transom each and every day, oftentimes blatantly wrong, a Google would tell the the writer the truth, and always spewed forth with anger and suffused with intimidation. To the point that you get the pushback above. But it makes me crazy the world we live in, with self-declared experts who've got no clue what is really going on.
Now when I read this OnlyFans article one thing became clear, I'd want nothing to do with this, this is not where I'd want to spend my time, no matter how much money I might make. Because it's boring!
And if you watch enough TikTok you'll see the big-breasted girl lamenting that she can't date because of her OnlyFans account, the boys don't want someone who's been with seemingly everyone. She signed off OnlyFans, gave up porn, but came back, because that's the only place she'd be understood, never mind all that money.
And these are middle class girls. Oftentimes in college.
And Bryce Adams has a boyfriend, her partner in crime. But there is no crime, OnlyFans is totally legitimate. I wonder if it pegs the needle in that anti-masturbation app that Mike Johnson shares with his son.
Now it's not that Bryce Adams is so delicious. I mean she's pretty attractive, but her visage does not send the message "porn star," like that woman with macromastia I referenced above. But Bryce Adams, not her real name, knows how to work it. She knows what her fans want. And how does she do this? VIA THE DATA!
Yes, that's why you should read this article, to see how they do it. This is the modern music business, you just don't know it. You've got to know how the game is played if you want to win. And to win, you don't have to appeal to everybody, just a certain few, who become really attached, who form a bond with you, that you feed.
Sure, you pay for a subscription to the OnlyFans page, but the money is in the upsell. The texts. The private videos. And Bryce doesn't have time to service all her fans, so she has a team that does this. And the guys buy it, because it's all a fantasy anyway.
That's what music, when done right, is also selling, a fantasy. Too often it's based on cash these days, but it used to be based on identity. That the artist understood the listener, and if the listener could just meet the artist, their life would work, it would be complete. Believe me, I've met these people, and it's almost universally untrue. But you need to believe in it to carry on, just like you believe in the American Dream, even though statistically it is fading. That's the world we live in, facts don't matter. But usually those who deny the truth are the ones who pay the price.
And Bryce and her boyfriend are working 'round the clock. They don't have time to crash and smoke dope. They've got to be on their audience, because the audience is fickle, either serve people or die. Truly, there are so many competitors. This is what musicians don't realize, they're competing against everybody, both alive and dead, they've got to be top of mind or they're not in mind at all. But we've still got people hewing to the album paradigm. That might satiate hard core fans, but it's a piss-poor way to grow your career. That's seventies thinking, and we're in the third decade of the twenty first century.
So they comparison test pics and videos, they're constantly researching what works. If you're an oldster, Gen-X or above, you'll read this article and want to give up. Because one thing is for sure, Bryce, and especially her boyfriend, are digitally savvy. And you need to be to succeed in the world today. All those in-person meetings, the bluster of business, it's passé. I hear it from oldsters who work with youngsters all the time. The office is now quiet, whereas it used to be noisy. The youngsters don't talk on the phone. Drives the oldsters nuts, it's not how they did it, but it's much more efficient. God, if I had to talk on the phone I'd get about a quarter of what I do done. The younger generation knows this.
So you've got to know how the devices work. Literally. Because there is no help, you're on your own, there's not time for help, you've got to understand computers, you've got to understand online, you've got to be digitally native. You know how to make a PowerPoint? Whoo-hoo! Welcome to twenty years ago, the younger generation has no time for PowerPoints anymore.
So the money is incredible. But the creators make it perfectly clear, the game changes. This is something that still is not accepted in the music business. Radio is forever, TV counts! No. We're many steps beyond that, but the new world is so chaotic you don't want to admit it, you want to believe the old one still has merit.
"Since sending her first photo in 2021, Adams's OnlyFans accounts have earned $16.5 million in sales, more than 1.4 million fans and more than 11 million "likes." She now makes about $30,000 a day — more than most American small businesses — from subscriptions, video sales, messages and tips, half of which is pure profit."
This is more than almost all musicians. I mean if you're broke playing music, maybe you should do something else, especially if you're into money first and foremost, which seems to be the case with all these artists that call themselves "brands." Bryce Adams is taking her assets and making it the way musicians used to, not by formula, but from her noggin. She's making it up as she goes, there is no template. Sounds more like music of the sixties and seventies than today.
And she is doing it for herself. That's how it works in OnlyFans and that's how it works in music. You build it and maintain it yourself. And you reap almost all of the money when you do, 80% in the case of OnlyFans. And if you don't use a label and go direct to Spotify (via a distributor that charges little), you'll end up with 60-70% of the revenue. But better to bitch at the label, none of which pays this amount, and is busy recouping that advance you thought was so impressive.
And in OnlyFans, like music, your career peak is very short, you'd better make bank then. Sure, a few artists have long careers, but most don't.
Also, all the money is in the top. This is what musicians can't get over. If the best is the same cost as the worst, why would I spend time with the worst, or mediocre, even good? Everybody is available all the time. I've got to be super to gain attention and get paid. But this is unfair! No, it's not! Think of it from the viewpoint of the consumer. Do you want to be forced to watch TV in real time, on network, with commercials, or would you rather stream on demand? Do you want to be forced to watch a mediocre program instead of a great one? This is the modern world, the public only wants a thin layer of what is produced, and if you're not great, superior, incredible, get out of the way, because you're never going to make it.
I know, the truth hurts. But what is great about Bryce and her boyfriend is it's their truth. They're doing it their way. They think they know better than anybody else.
But that damn algorithm, the game is gonna change. Just like in the music business. It keeps evolving, Napster to KaZaA to lockers to iTunes track sales to YouTube to Spotify to TikTok to... Oh, I forgot to mention MySpace! Everything is evanescent, you've got to be a student of the game.
And if you've gotten this far, if you're not turned off by my attitude, please read this piece and watch the video. You'll be stimulated. Your brain will start to cogitate, come up with ideas, refine thoughts. This is what it's all about. And it seems simple, but it's not. Rest on your laurels and you're toast.
"Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'"
Those words are just as relevant today as when Bob Dylan wrote them back in '63. Only now you're on the wrong side of the generation gap. So buckle down, or get out of the way. It's a new world and if you want a place in it...
Read this article.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
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Music Tips
Say no. If you can't say no you're never going to have credibility.
You're selling more than music, you're selling your identity. I'm not saying you have to be all over social media, I'm just saying your identity should be baked-in to your music. This is why hip-hop eclipsed hair bands. The hair bands were wearing spandex, unlike the rock bands of the seventies, who wore street clothes, and they were writing ballads to appeal to people who otherwise wouldn't like them. And when the tide turned, the hair bands became laughable. You cannot regain credibility, it doesn't work that way. Meanwhile, hip-hop was all about truth. Living the life. Having an identity. And the public resonated with that.
Your career is your responsibility. If you're looking for people to help you, to shoulder the weight, you've got it wrong. Today you are responsible for your own career. This is something that social media influencers have right that musicians refuse to accept. Yes, pre-internet, when distribution was closed to most, when radio and music television ruled, the major label had power and you could utilize this power to your advantage. But that game is on life support.
No one will work unless pressed. Don't tell the label, anybody who is ultimately working for you, and a label works for you, what you're doing, become friends, contact them on a regular basis, and get them to do work for you that you can't do yourself. Yes, you're willing to help out the label, et al. But my point here is these people are overwhelmed, and if you tell them you're going to do the heavy lifting, you're letting them off the hook. It's a partnership, and your partners have to pull their weight. They love nothing more than to be let off the hook.
Live, live, live. The era of sitting at home in your bedroom and creating a hit are done. Even if you have that hit, odds are you'll never have another one. You've got no real fans, no one to support you. Be ready to go on the road if you get any streaming action.
Ignore Spotify counts. The best thing in life is that Spotify and YouTube are free. You can get your music heard if someone chooses to listen to it. It's available to all. And this is very different from the way it was in the pre-internet era. The key is to have fans who go to Spotify, et al, to hear your music. As far as people discovering your music on streaming outlets... It's nice when it happens, but that's not the way it usually happens. As for the vaunted playlists... Those are listened to by the most passive of listeners. You want active fans. And active fans search and play exactly what they want to. Streaming is the sideshow. Correlate concert grosses with streams, oftentimes they're upside down, incredible dollars in the venue, anemic streams. People are fans of the live experience. And their fan bases are narrow. The billion stream club is populated by those who appeal to the broadest audience, oftentimes sacrificing credibility in the process.
Money comes last. You're a tech startup. Grow the audience, there are plenty of ways to monetize thereafter.
TikTok is a fool's errand. No one has figured out how to game the system. Furthermore, usually only a snippet is employed by TikTokkers anyway. And a lot of people who get traction with their music on TikTok...are homemade artists creating music just for this purpose. The retrograde labels are signing these people, believing they've got an audience, which will scarf up their albums, but in truth that is wrong. People only want the snippet. Yes, you can go viral via TikTok, but it's serendipitous.
Just because it happened once doesn't mean it will happen again. Fleetwood Mac got a bounce from that skateboarding worker, Lil Nas X blew up after TikTok, but that's like Radiohead's "In Rainbows," one and done. When it involves tech, it's a fad. Focus on the music.
It happens later than ever before. If you've got a Plan B, take it. To make it in music requires all of your time and effort. And you still may not make it. But that does not mean you should labor in obscurity forever.
Be wary of focusing on albums. The Stones? All that hype over "Hackney Diamonds"? The album is already in the rearview mirror. People are focused on the now, it's the only way they can cope. What happened yesterday is forgotten. Embrace this paradigm. Think of creating 'round the year, keeping your fans satiated and giving you hope that you'll get lucky with a track down the road.
You know as much as those working at the label, if not more. This is why the labels have not broken a new act in a year. And the landscape has changed, there's no universality. Everybody is listening to different stuff. And the majors don't like this, they are built for mass, and they keep employing old school systems thinking they'll work today. Sure, terrestrial radio reaches more people than any other medium. It's just that it's fewer than ever before and its listeners are the least active. Terrestrial radio is like network TV, it's a business, but a small fraction of what it once was.
Innovators succeed. Both in music and business. The majors are supported by their catalogs, sans them they'd be screwed. Don't let someone tell you how to do it, do it the way you want to. That does not mean you shouldn't respond to audience feedback. You play a song live and you know whether it works or not. In other words, if you're progressing, having success, stick to your guns. If you're not, then you need to change. Or give up. You can wait forever and nothing can happen, no matter how much you like what you're doing, how much your friends and family like what you're doing. As for professional feedback...people will rarely tell you honestly what they think. They're afraid of pissing you off. So, if you adjust to what everybody says, you're screwed. Having said that, if you're going to ask for professional feedback, accept it, don't tell the pro why they're wrong.
Talk to people in the business. They'll tell you they've never gotten an unsolicited tape from an act that they've ended up signing. So don't bother to dun people, it's useless. Focus on satiating your audience, and if you make enough noise people will come check you out, but they still may not be interested.
It's the music business, emphasis on business. The only thing people are interested in is whether you can make them money. Everybody...agents, managers, promoters, labels. If you can make them money, they're interested. If not...they're not running a museum.
Hits often can't be quantified. It's not how many streams a song has, but what it means to the audience. If it means enough, these listeners will tell others.
Virality. It's key, it's king. But don't think of it solely in terms of social media, think about it in everything you do. Did someone tell someone else to listen to your song? Did someone tell someone else to come to your show?
Mobilize your fans. They're your street team, even though they do most of their work online. They love working for you. Find out who wants to participate and give them something to do. Your army spreads the word, better than any other medium.
Print publicity only means something if you're appealing to people who still read newspapers and magazines. And most active young listeners do not read, do not pay attention to those outlets. So the story is worthless. And no story reaches everybody, in fact, stories reach fewer people than ever before. I'm not saying print will hurt, I'm just saying it's oftentimes a wasted effort.
No one knows how online word of mouth, i.e. virality, works. The key is to be in the marketplace, otherwise you can't get lucky. You've got to play to win. And everything starts online, and not on the big music streamers. You keep playing, trying to get lucky.
Your big break is never your big break, ask anybody who's ever had one. Your big break is always the afterthought, the thing you did reluctantly, or that you thought was minor.
There is no one breakthrough moment, it's a slew of breakthroughs. And when you get to the end, you will not be on top of the world, no one is. Be satisfied anybody is listening at all.
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--
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-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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You're selling more than music, you're selling your identity. I'm not saying you have to be all over social media, I'm just saying your identity should be baked-in to your music. This is why hip-hop eclipsed hair bands. The hair bands were wearing spandex, unlike the rock bands of the seventies, who wore street clothes, and they were writing ballads to appeal to people who otherwise wouldn't like them. And when the tide turned, the hair bands became laughable. You cannot regain credibility, it doesn't work that way. Meanwhile, hip-hop was all about truth. Living the life. Having an identity. And the public resonated with that.
Your career is your responsibility. If you're looking for people to help you, to shoulder the weight, you've got it wrong. Today you are responsible for your own career. This is something that social media influencers have right that musicians refuse to accept. Yes, pre-internet, when distribution was closed to most, when radio and music television ruled, the major label had power and you could utilize this power to your advantage. But that game is on life support.
No one will work unless pressed. Don't tell the label, anybody who is ultimately working for you, and a label works for you, what you're doing, become friends, contact them on a regular basis, and get them to do work for you that you can't do yourself. Yes, you're willing to help out the label, et al. But my point here is these people are overwhelmed, and if you tell them you're going to do the heavy lifting, you're letting them off the hook. It's a partnership, and your partners have to pull their weight. They love nothing more than to be let off the hook.
Live, live, live. The era of sitting at home in your bedroom and creating a hit are done. Even if you have that hit, odds are you'll never have another one. You've got no real fans, no one to support you. Be ready to go on the road if you get any streaming action.
Ignore Spotify counts. The best thing in life is that Spotify and YouTube are free. You can get your music heard if someone chooses to listen to it. It's available to all. And this is very different from the way it was in the pre-internet era. The key is to have fans who go to Spotify, et al, to hear your music. As far as people discovering your music on streaming outlets... It's nice when it happens, but that's not the way it usually happens. As for the vaunted playlists... Those are listened to by the most passive of listeners. You want active fans. And active fans search and play exactly what they want to. Streaming is the sideshow. Correlate concert grosses with streams, oftentimes they're upside down, incredible dollars in the venue, anemic streams. People are fans of the live experience. And their fan bases are narrow. The billion stream club is populated by those who appeal to the broadest audience, oftentimes sacrificing credibility in the process.
Money comes last. You're a tech startup. Grow the audience, there are plenty of ways to monetize thereafter.
TikTok is a fool's errand. No one has figured out how to game the system. Furthermore, usually only a snippet is employed by TikTokkers anyway. And a lot of people who get traction with their music on TikTok...are homemade artists creating music just for this purpose. The retrograde labels are signing these people, believing they've got an audience, which will scarf up their albums, but in truth that is wrong. People only want the snippet. Yes, you can go viral via TikTok, but it's serendipitous.
Just because it happened once doesn't mean it will happen again. Fleetwood Mac got a bounce from that skateboarding worker, Lil Nas X blew up after TikTok, but that's like Radiohead's "In Rainbows," one and done. When it involves tech, it's a fad. Focus on the music.
It happens later than ever before. If you've got a Plan B, take it. To make it in music requires all of your time and effort. And you still may not make it. But that does not mean you should labor in obscurity forever.
Be wary of focusing on albums. The Stones? All that hype over "Hackney Diamonds"? The album is already in the rearview mirror. People are focused on the now, it's the only way they can cope. What happened yesterday is forgotten. Embrace this paradigm. Think of creating 'round the year, keeping your fans satiated and giving you hope that you'll get lucky with a track down the road.
You know as much as those working at the label, if not more. This is why the labels have not broken a new act in a year. And the landscape has changed, there's no universality. Everybody is listening to different stuff. And the majors don't like this, they are built for mass, and they keep employing old school systems thinking they'll work today. Sure, terrestrial radio reaches more people than any other medium. It's just that it's fewer than ever before and its listeners are the least active. Terrestrial radio is like network TV, it's a business, but a small fraction of what it once was.
Innovators succeed. Both in music and business. The majors are supported by their catalogs, sans them they'd be screwed. Don't let someone tell you how to do it, do it the way you want to. That does not mean you shouldn't respond to audience feedback. You play a song live and you know whether it works or not. In other words, if you're progressing, having success, stick to your guns. If you're not, then you need to change. Or give up. You can wait forever and nothing can happen, no matter how much you like what you're doing, how much your friends and family like what you're doing. As for professional feedback...people will rarely tell you honestly what they think. They're afraid of pissing you off. So, if you adjust to what everybody says, you're screwed. Having said that, if you're going to ask for professional feedback, accept it, don't tell the pro why they're wrong.
Talk to people in the business. They'll tell you they've never gotten an unsolicited tape from an act that they've ended up signing. So don't bother to dun people, it's useless. Focus on satiating your audience, and if you make enough noise people will come check you out, but they still may not be interested.
It's the music business, emphasis on business. The only thing people are interested in is whether you can make them money. Everybody...agents, managers, promoters, labels. If you can make them money, they're interested. If not...they're not running a museum.
Hits often can't be quantified. It's not how many streams a song has, but what it means to the audience. If it means enough, these listeners will tell others.
Virality. It's key, it's king. But don't think of it solely in terms of social media, think about it in everything you do. Did someone tell someone else to listen to your song? Did someone tell someone else to come to your show?
Mobilize your fans. They're your street team, even though they do most of their work online. They love working for you. Find out who wants to participate and give them something to do. Your army spreads the word, better than any other medium.
Print publicity only means something if you're appealing to people who still read newspapers and magazines. And most active young listeners do not read, do not pay attention to those outlets. So the story is worthless. And no story reaches everybody, in fact, stories reach fewer people than ever before. I'm not saying print will hurt, I'm just saying it's oftentimes a wasted effort.
No one knows how online word of mouth, i.e. virality, works. The key is to be in the marketplace, otherwise you can't get lucky. You've got to play to win. And everything starts online, and not on the big music streamers. You keep playing, trying to get lucky.
Your big break is never your big break, ask anybody who's ever had one. Your big break is always the afterthought, the thing you did reluctantly, or that you thought was minor.
There is no one breakthrough moment, it's a slew of breakthroughs. And when you get to the end, you will not be on top of the world, no one is. Be satisfied anybody is listening at all.
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Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
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-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Ferry-The Series
Netflix trailer: https://tinyurl.com/4xf6j6ae
It's a modern-day "Sopranos."
For those playing the home game, you know I've written rapturously about the three seasons of the Belgian-Dutch production "Undercover," about the travails of Ferry Bouman, and law enforcement's effort to nail him.
Bouman is an antihero, just like Tony Soprano. Someone who can kill on a whim, yet be warm and affectionate moments thereafter.
However, Tony Soprano comes from a long line of Mafiosi, whereas Ferry Bouman is a self-starter, making it up as he goes. Starting with nothing, and climbing his way up the ladder on his wits.
What I like most about Ferry is his ability to stand up to people. We live in a nation, a world, of suck-ups. I just read a review of the new Ray Dalio biography, wherein they eviscerate the self-made myth of this hedge fund titan. They say Dalio is an untalented bully who made his way up the ladder by kissing butt. And to survive in his organization, you have to do the same.
And that's what we're taught in America, for all the veneration of the self-starting entrepreneurs, in truth we're told over and over again to be a member of the group, not to raise our head, not to say something unpopular, to get along. We're told that's where the rewards are. And you might make a living being a cog in the system, but that's not where the fun is.
Which is kind of the story of the British Invasion bands. They were doing it on a lark, they didn't expect to get rich, they were just forestalling a job in the factory.
As for the Silicon Valley titans... Let's be real, these are the people who dropped out of Ivy League institutions. They were the best and the brightest, and were always told so. That's what I've always loved about the music business, it was loose nuts and bolts who didn't fit in anywhere else, people who couldn't work for anybody else, who did it their way. And although we still see this in the ranks of managers, corporate ownership has eviscerated that ethos. Lucian Grainge? Rob Stringer? Even Rob Light? They're working for the man, they've got no skin in the game. When it's your money, you play differently. That's the story of great entrepreneurs like Ahmet Ertegun, Chris Blackwell and Jerry Moss, never mind Jac Holzman. They made it up as they went along. And one thing they all exuded was self-confidence. They didn't care how anybody else did it, they hewed to the beat of their own drummer, they did it their way.
Like Ferry Bouman.
Now after the three seasons of "Undercover," there was a prequel movie. And now there's a prequel series. It's eight episodes. Not a huge commitment. And the first is set-up, it's so-so, not that gripping, and then...
There are two episodes that are so intense, they have you sitting on the edge of your seat, wanting to know what happens while simultaneously wishing you could shut the TV off, not being able to handle the anxiety. This is great television, the last time I've seen episodes this intense was in "The Bureau," the French TV show, which you've got to pay extra for, subscribing to AMC+ or Sundance Now. Meanwhile, is there anybody without a subscription to Netflix?
So Ferry deals Ecstasy. And he's up against the titans. And you know that the government is now sophisticated, which makes it difficult to get the precursor ingredients. And the kingpin has got the market locked up and...
That's my favorite part of the series. When Ferry is caught red-handed, by those well-financed and with a bigger footprint.
Most people would wimp out at that point. Beg for mercy. But Ferry bites back, owns his position, pushes his vision down the throat of the superior. He's got balls. All men have balls, but they're afraid to whip them out, to show them. But real men do.
Ferry Bouman is a real man.
Business is dark and dirty, rules are bent and intimidation is rampant. And it's not only in illegal businesses. If you read the business news you know the most respected corporations are crossing the line constantly. It's a dirty game. And you're told you can't compete.
But Ferry does.
Without a net.
Now in truth, those of Ferry's stripe don't always win, the chutzpah falls flat, they get snuffed out. But they're not going to let the world get one over on them. They're grabbing life by the horns, and it's inspirational.
There are the dumb criminals working for Ferry. It's hard to get the best and the brightest in crime. And it's these dummies that oftentimes get you in trouble. But Ferry is the overlord, he keeps it all going, keeps his compatriots in check. He's like a coach, but sans the guaranteed salary of these college men paid millions in supposed educational systems. You know the world is messed up when a university football coach makes seven million dollars a year.
Most of us will never have that opportunity, but we can make our own opportunities.
And is morality everything? If so, Ferry's in trouble. But Ferry is loyal. Never forget, when it comes to criminal enterprises, loyalty is everything. Scratch that, loyalty is everything in life. Except maybe for artists. What did Bob Dylan say, to live outside the law you must be honest? That used to be the credo of the artist, but today the artists are sold-out whores who think that money and publicity are everything. But it's never the gross, it's the work. And if you do it right, there's plenty of money.
Now you can watch "Ferry" in English, but I wouldn't recommend it. Best to watch it in Dutch with English subtitles.
And because of this, because it is a foreign language program, most people will say no-go, as they consume the week by week dross of HBO and Apple. Man, you've got to marinate in a series, you've got to be captured by it. Its all about mood, an alternative universe, you can't sustain that feeling week by week.
But the bean counters think that's best. I could argue with that, but they can't handle the truth.
It's all about the binge.
And you should binge "Ferry: The Series."
This is what movies used to present, but in a longer form, deeper in character, in story, you truly get to know the players, you're involved, attached. This is the golden era of TV. Zaslav scratched foreign production. Netflix was affected less by the strikes because it's producing shows all over the globe.
And it's these shows that have me keeping up my subscription. It's rare that an American show hooks me. Because American shows are made with the audience in mind, they play outward instead of inward. Ferry has no illusions he's a matinee idol. He's a regular guy, starting from the same line as you and me. He's making it up as he goes. He knows what he wants and he's doing his best to get it. He'd be a role model.
If he wasn't a criminal.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
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If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
It's a modern-day "Sopranos."
For those playing the home game, you know I've written rapturously about the three seasons of the Belgian-Dutch production "Undercover," about the travails of Ferry Bouman, and law enforcement's effort to nail him.
Bouman is an antihero, just like Tony Soprano. Someone who can kill on a whim, yet be warm and affectionate moments thereafter.
However, Tony Soprano comes from a long line of Mafiosi, whereas Ferry Bouman is a self-starter, making it up as he goes. Starting with nothing, and climbing his way up the ladder on his wits.
What I like most about Ferry is his ability to stand up to people. We live in a nation, a world, of suck-ups. I just read a review of the new Ray Dalio biography, wherein they eviscerate the self-made myth of this hedge fund titan. They say Dalio is an untalented bully who made his way up the ladder by kissing butt. And to survive in his organization, you have to do the same.
And that's what we're taught in America, for all the veneration of the self-starting entrepreneurs, in truth we're told over and over again to be a member of the group, not to raise our head, not to say something unpopular, to get along. We're told that's where the rewards are. And you might make a living being a cog in the system, but that's not where the fun is.
Which is kind of the story of the British Invasion bands. They were doing it on a lark, they didn't expect to get rich, they were just forestalling a job in the factory.
As for the Silicon Valley titans... Let's be real, these are the people who dropped out of Ivy League institutions. They were the best and the brightest, and were always told so. That's what I've always loved about the music business, it was loose nuts and bolts who didn't fit in anywhere else, people who couldn't work for anybody else, who did it their way. And although we still see this in the ranks of managers, corporate ownership has eviscerated that ethos. Lucian Grainge? Rob Stringer? Even Rob Light? They're working for the man, they've got no skin in the game. When it's your money, you play differently. That's the story of great entrepreneurs like Ahmet Ertegun, Chris Blackwell and Jerry Moss, never mind Jac Holzman. They made it up as they went along. And one thing they all exuded was self-confidence. They didn't care how anybody else did it, they hewed to the beat of their own drummer, they did it their way.
Like Ferry Bouman.
Now after the three seasons of "Undercover," there was a prequel movie. And now there's a prequel series. It's eight episodes. Not a huge commitment. And the first is set-up, it's so-so, not that gripping, and then...
There are two episodes that are so intense, they have you sitting on the edge of your seat, wanting to know what happens while simultaneously wishing you could shut the TV off, not being able to handle the anxiety. This is great television, the last time I've seen episodes this intense was in "The Bureau," the French TV show, which you've got to pay extra for, subscribing to AMC+ or Sundance Now. Meanwhile, is there anybody without a subscription to Netflix?
So Ferry deals Ecstasy. And he's up against the titans. And you know that the government is now sophisticated, which makes it difficult to get the precursor ingredients. And the kingpin has got the market locked up and...
That's my favorite part of the series. When Ferry is caught red-handed, by those well-financed and with a bigger footprint.
Most people would wimp out at that point. Beg for mercy. But Ferry bites back, owns his position, pushes his vision down the throat of the superior. He's got balls. All men have balls, but they're afraid to whip them out, to show them. But real men do.
Ferry Bouman is a real man.
Business is dark and dirty, rules are bent and intimidation is rampant. And it's not only in illegal businesses. If you read the business news you know the most respected corporations are crossing the line constantly. It's a dirty game. And you're told you can't compete.
But Ferry does.
Without a net.
Now in truth, those of Ferry's stripe don't always win, the chutzpah falls flat, they get snuffed out. But they're not going to let the world get one over on them. They're grabbing life by the horns, and it's inspirational.
There are the dumb criminals working for Ferry. It's hard to get the best and the brightest in crime. And it's these dummies that oftentimes get you in trouble. But Ferry is the overlord, he keeps it all going, keeps his compatriots in check. He's like a coach, but sans the guaranteed salary of these college men paid millions in supposed educational systems. You know the world is messed up when a university football coach makes seven million dollars a year.
Most of us will never have that opportunity, but we can make our own opportunities.
And is morality everything? If so, Ferry's in trouble. But Ferry is loyal. Never forget, when it comes to criminal enterprises, loyalty is everything. Scratch that, loyalty is everything in life. Except maybe for artists. What did Bob Dylan say, to live outside the law you must be honest? That used to be the credo of the artist, but today the artists are sold-out whores who think that money and publicity are everything. But it's never the gross, it's the work. And if you do it right, there's plenty of money.
Now you can watch "Ferry" in English, but I wouldn't recommend it. Best to watch it in Dutch with English subtitles.
And because of this, because it is a foreign language program, most people will say no-go, as they consume the week by week dross of HBO and Apple. Man, you've got to marinate in a series, you've got to be captured by it. Its all about mood, an alternative universe, you can't sustain that feeling week by week.
But the bean counters think that's best. I could argue with that, but they can't handle the truth.
It's all about the binge.
And you should binge "Ferry: The Series."
This is what movies used to present, but in a longer form, deeper in character, in story, you truly get to know the players, you're involved, attached. This is the golden era of TV. Zaslav scratched foreign production. Netflix was affected less by the strikes because it's producing shows all over the globe.
And it's these shows that have me keeping up my subscription. It's rare that an American show hooks me. Because American shows are made with the audience in mind, they play outward instead of inward. Ferry has no illusions he's a matinee idol. He's a regular guy, starting from the same line as you and me. He's making it up as he goes. He knows what he wants and he's doing his best to get it. He'd be a role model.
If he wasn't a criminal.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
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