Doubt Cast on Survival of EMI

Financial Times publishes an article about the dire situation in which EMI finds itself...

It looks like the music industry is meeting the fate that has been predicted for many years. If, by June 14, 2010, £120 million is not raised by investors believing in a new strategic plan, all may very well be lost.

It is, finally, time for these music behemoths to fail. For years and years they haven't been effective purveyors of product and artist discovery and development. Not to mention how they continue to screw artists out of royalties.

It is time, finally, for a new structure, one that cares about the art of making music, and those that make it, to be reconstructed. It will probably take a generation or two, but it needs to happen.

In my lifetime I've seen record companies go from an artist, and fan, centered business to a bunch of creepy suits and bean counters who really think Lady Gaga et al is their answer. I've witnessed the best and the worst; and it's time for the worst to go away.

Somebody forgot to throw the Auto-Tune switch to "On" for Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift's performance with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon was pathetic. I guess somebody forgot to turn on the auto-tune for her mic. I fear that her real talent was on display for all to see, and unfortunately hear. This auto-tune thingy has been helping artists for the last several years achieve vocal tonal accuracy on their recordings and concerts, even if their ability is marginal. Ever wonder why the pop music of today sounds so perfect and devoid of any soul? Auto-tune, and other digital technologies, have a lot to do with it.

Last year Time Magazine blew the doors off this scandal with this article.

Wikipedia has more about auto-tune.

I'm sure the current crop of music executives love this as now they can find the person with the right look and the willingness to do whatever they think will sell and make their talentless vocals perfect thereby manufacturing a pop superstar, you know, like Lady Gaga... Zappa warned us about this.

It's been a while...

Yep it has been a long time since I posted anything.

Here's a great John Hammond live recording from 2007.

Stream and enjoy!

Geeshie Wiley-Last Kind Words

Recorded circa March 1930 in Grafton, Wisconsin. Don Kent has described "Last Kind Words" as "one of the most imaginatively constructed guitar arrangements of its era...."

MIckey Rourke - Hosed by "The Academy"

First Bruce gets snubbed, then Rourke's amazing portrayal of Ram, the tragic figure of excess, is not recognized by the "The Academy." This is more than a shame, but I guess Rourke's movie was too gritty for the lightweight glitterati of the "The Academy." Will Smith had it right when he made the comment that at least action films have fans, unlike this year's nominees. Rourke got hosed. Period.

Bruce Springsteen Live1981 Indianapolis

I thought it might be fun to post a few rare tracks... Enjoy!

Boss - Sherry Darling - Indy 1981

Springsteen Interview 1978

Here's an incredible interview with Springsteen from July of 1978. It starts out a little slow but doesn't take long to get very interesting.

Neil Young Live Track

Reinstate Hank Now!

Sign the petition to reinstate Hank Williams into the Grand Ole Opry.

He was the first Grand Ole Opry artist to be called back for six encores. In 1952 Hank was booted out of the Grand Ole Opry for being too drunk to perform. Hank made a promise to sober up and make amends so he could make his return to the Opry, but his life was tragically cut short and he never had the chance to make things right.

Click here to go to the website to sign the petition. And, click here to access a Rolling Stone article where, Hank's grandson, Shelton (aka Hank III) makes the case to reinstate Hank Williams into the Grand Ole Opry.

8 Tracks Mix

Another site with a way to make music available on the net.  We gave it a try.  Here is our 8 Tracks Mix:

I'm Depressed - Record Stores

Well crap. My days of going to the record store appear to be pretty much over. For years, well since 1974 for Pete's sake, going to the record store has been one of my priorities and joys of my life. In the last couple of months the price of new LPs have gone way up and are now even more expensive than overpriced CDs. There is no way I can justify $18.99 and up for a new LP. I really wanted the new Lindsey Buckingham LP but the price is $24.99 for the new LP including a bonus CD. Please. How many of these do you think the record company is going to sell? I realize that the price of oil is a factor in all of this and the LP is on 180 gram vinyl and the packaging is nice, but a music nut needs to buy more than just one LP every month.

For example, let's say I purchase, at my local independent record store, new LPs from Buckingham, Mudcrutch and U2 (the four newly pressed, remastered reissues), I'm doling out around $170.00 for SIX records!!! Add in the cost of gas to and from the store and the total eats into the grocery budget.

Vinyl LP sales were on the upswing as an alternative to high priced CDs. I cannot get myself to believe anything other than the idiotic record companies noticed this and raised prices trying to cash in on loyal customers that actually care about music. The record companies seem to intent on ruining their own industry. I've never seen anything like it.

So, it looks like I'll be sticking to emusic for new and obscure tunes and scrounging around for used LPs in various dark and dank locations, which is actually kind of fun. But I really will miss the trips to the record store and all of the socializing that went along with it. I'll probably still go now and then, but the last time I visited one, going through the records just made me cringe.

Seperate rant - The price of a music CD is outrageous. Right now I can purchase the last James Bond movie, Casino Royale 2006, on DVD for $16.00. The production cost of the movie was $150,000,000. The new Replacments reissues, with one exception are $17.00. The production cost for the reissues was probably no more than $10,000. What's wrong with this picture is obvious. Price the Replacements reissues at $7.99 and I buy them all. At the current price, I buy none of them.

Until next time, whenever that might be,

Peace

Update on the rant - now the going rate for new vinyl has gone over $20.00 per LP. 2-19-2010

Snoop, etc. Remix The Man in Black?

Holy mixing desk Batman!

From FMQB:

After giving a shout-out to the late Johnny Cash on his new song, "My Medicine," Snoop Dogg is getting further involved in the world of the Man In Black. Comprade Records/Music World Music has announced the release of Johnny Cash Remixed,
which will contain bold new interpretations of Cash classics from top
music remixers and producers. Snoop will executive produce the album
and appear on a remix of "I Walk The Line." When asked about what his father would think of the remixes, Cash’s son John Carter Cash
said, "He would have loved this remix record. While it stays true to
the original recordings, this CD touches on undiscovered ground. This
is what my father was about: staying true to tradition while creating
groundbreaking new music." The album will be released October 14.

Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash

Now This is ENTERTAINMENT!

U2 Working on New Album and more

From Billboard:

Looks like a new U2 LP this year and the first three albums will be reissued with rarities. A tour is to follow in 2009.

From U2.com:

The Edge, Larry, Adam and Bono are back in the Dublin studio, after
their respective Easter breaks, continuing to work on new material with
Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno.


We hear that the recording sessions in Hanover Quay are going well -

with everyone still hoping the new album will be out this year.


No word on how the music is developing from last year's songwriting
sessions in France and Morocco but the band are in good form and

enjoying themselves.




And:


U2’s first three albums have been remastered and will be released by Universal on July 21st.


Following the remastered release of The Joshua Tree last year, Edge has
overseen a similar remastering of Boy (1980), October (1981) and War
(1983). All of which have been remastered from the original audio tapes.


Each album will be released as a standard single disc, a deluxe double
version including a disc of b-sides, live tracks and rarities, and an
LP version pressed on 180gm virgin vinyl.


The packaging on all three titles has been restored and expanded, with
new liner notes for each record, previously unseen photos and full
lyrics. More details as we get them.

2005 Slate Article on Springsteen

I found this little tidbit this AM while having breakfast. This is about the most honest look at John Landau's influence on Bruce that I've read.

Excerpt:

Well, Bruce Springsteen was Jon Landau's future. Over the next couple
of years, Landau insinuated himself into Bruce's artistic life and
consciousness (while remaining on the Rolling Stone masthead)
until he became Springsteen's producer, manager, and full-service
Svengali. Unlike the down-on-their-luck Springsteens of Freehold, N.J.,
Landau hailed from the well-appointed suburbs of Boston and had earned
an honors degree in history from Brandeis.

Check out the entire article here. It has a serious fan's perspective that doesn't take his fandom too seriously.

World's Greatest Music Collection For Sale

Wow. Three million records for sale. Check out this website to see what might be the biggest collection of records in the world. You can bid on the collection at ebay. Let's see...my birthday is coming up pretty soon...

The End of the Music Business

Give the playlist some time to download. I can now embed selections of music for anyone to listen to for free. Why buy music?

U23D

Robyn Hitchcock in Indianapolis

More coming soon, but here's a photo from the Music Mill.