Your responses to your Spotify/ Neil Young/ Rogan coverage has been quite an eye opener for me.
Sad to see these idiots defend misinformation – here's some sad facts that make me so want to move out of this country
"U.S. Has Far Higher Covid Death Rate Than Other Wealthy Countries" :www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/02/01/science/covid-deaths-united-states.html
Vince Bannon
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Subject: Re: Re-Rogan/Spotify
I think the most depressing thing in this entire feed is all these detractors hitting you with the "fake news" on Russia. First, it's got fuck all to do with the discussion, but that doesn't seem to matter. Second, Trump Campaign connections with Russian Intelligence are matters of public record, signed off on by a GOP-led Senate Intelligence Committee, but *that* doesn't seem to matter either. And that's the depressing part: the echo-chamber hearing impairment for the Party of 2+2=5 is apparently irreversible. So climate change isn't a problem even though it's an enormous problem, Biden didn't win even though there's a shitload of real-world evidence he did, Trump wasn't thick as thieves with the Russians, even though he was thick as thieves with the Russians, the vaccines don't work even though the vaccines do work…"You can't make me believe anything I don't want to believe" is a helluva thing to base the future of our country on.
Oh, by the way: the guy who linked an "actual medical doctor" who Rogan quotes? I opened the link. The guy's a fucking osteopath. Who's going to break it to his newest fan?
All the best,
Berton Averre
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From: Kenneth Williams
Subject: Re: Re-Meat/Pop/Covid
Without out going into too much detail. To date I've lost 5 close family members to Covid. A husband and wife actually died within hours of each other. They'd refused to get vaccinated. Florida living, Trump supporting, conspiracy believing black people who have left their adult children with their mouths open and too much grief to bear. Those were my wife's aunt and uncle. My children's Grandmother died in nursing home. A former girlfriend of mine died last week in hospital. Today a friend of mine Dad died today. Covid is no joke. Play stupid games, get stupid prizes.
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Subject: Re: Re-Rogan/Spotify
Free Speech?
The Supreme Court ruled yelling "Fire" in a crowded move theater is not protected speech. You can't go out spewing lies that harm people and the public good.
Vincent "Rocky" Rockland
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Subject: Re: Re-Rogan/Spotify
Well Bob, there's a lot of replies here from the walking potato crowd that will inevitably age poorly. These people who commented with such vitriol to your piece can't discern the difference between baby shit and buttermilk pancakes. The people here who linked YouTube videos as the empirical truth of quack cures couldn't be more on brand.
Emotional maturity has been in jeopardy in this country for years, maybe it plateaued, maybe we never had much to begin with…but the freedumb crowd displays the same maturity of a child's tantrum in a store when denied candy. They're ripe pickings for the grifter model...A Face In the Crowd bunch if ever there was.
The quack docs have a degree and their misleading statements have been debunked repeatedly. The efficacy of vaccines have been vetted through double blind peer reviews, the science gold standard. Every one of these people who attended public school since the late 50's have had multiple vaccines, and the shots now total into the billions with a B...the probabilities of a vaccine induced fatality falls somewhere between getting killed by an asteroid or discovering a unicorn.
AFA Rogan…he's a lampshader. He qualifies all his "just a regular guy and I don't know nothing" bullshit to preface his disinformation, it's the equivalent of "I was just kidding" while encouraging people to self immolate. If fragile white men weren't so terrified of their self imposed irrelevance, Rogan would be back hocking boxing gloves and we wouldn't be having this sorry excuse for discourse.
Trent Keeling
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From: John Brodey
Subject: Re: Re-Rogan/Spotify
Wow, you weren't kidding. I suppose you didn't even bother with some of the more vitriolic emails.
The ones that just name call and make no sense are not worth bothering with.
It's a fact that really smart people can be stupid at times and make serious mistakes. History is filled with examples.
What happens with those who are not so smart is that their inability to think critically makes them more susceptible to making errors in judgement. They're intellectually lazy. I'm not being dismissive just stating the obvious. How do you support a semi fake rich blowhard who has done nothing for the man on the street and yet you criticize the liberal leaders who created most of the legislation benefiting the average Joe over the last 100 years. In case nobody realized it, anybody with real power and position is very wealthy, on both sides.
I wonder how many of your critics are white and entitled. They want our generation to die off (funny, they're next) but that won't assuage their anger when they find out that it reduces them an ever shrinking ethnic minority.
As for mistrust of government? Conspiracies? How is a government that can screw up retreating from a military defeat suddenly capable of masterminding a cabal of dark forces to enslave the populace?
Science? People fear what they don't understand and fear leads to doubt. Another plot? Virology is a real thing and scientists are continually working on the evolution of variants. In the end a lot more people have survived the pandemic thanks to the vaccine than were 'cured' by Ivermectin. You hear someone say it worked and bingo, you shoot past the part where facts show that it is an anti-parasitic and viruses aren't parasites. What's next, using crazy glue to treat hemorrhoids?
Check out the Power of the Placebo. www.health.harvard.edu/mental-health/the-power-of-the-placebo-effect
Despite the battle lines being drawn, one thing we can all agree on is that this house is going to burn to the ground and nothing can stop it.
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From: Dan Navarro
Subject: Re: Re-Neil Young/Spotify
I am jumping on the Neil Young bandwagon, I admit it, I'm following here. The saturation on your mailbag brought it home for me. Will Spotify care? Of course not.
I mean, like Spotify, it's easy, great interface. but I hate how they pay, hate that they fought the rate increase a couple of years ago, while Apple Music agreed to it. Hate that Daniel Eck is a multi billionaire and my community is being called crybabies for to get paid. I hate Apple's interface, and just found out Amazon Unlimited is way cheaper for Prime members. So Imma give it a shot.
An old friend, a great working studio guitar player, is at death's door from Covid, and is anti-vax, anti-mask, "you're all sheep", that shit. And he's dying. Me? I've vaxxed and been exposed twice in the past month, have had eleven negative tests since Jan 5 and no symptoms. And I'm on the road around strangers almost every day. Go figure.
So, yeah, I'm the sheep, following Neil into the meaningless protest. But I'll wave to those other fuckers from the finish line. Oh, wait, maybe I won't. They'll be dead.
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Subject: Re: Censorship
Bob,
I'm in Paris right now. I'd say 90% of people are wearing masks outside, regardless of social distancing, and you have to show your proof of vaccination, and booster if you have it, to do anything, masks indoors and on all public transport are obligitaire.
No one is rioting and protesting their freedom here (as far as my limited French tells me). Sure, am sure there are people who are opposed, but what the general sentiment seems to be is that the sooner we get vaxxed the sooner a version of real life can return. Seems sensible, non?
I still cannot get my head around how basic this all is and yet the conservative right holds firm due to bad facts (and the left rolls their eyes at them). Everyone's an expert on Covid now because they read an article on Facebook from the Daily Sceptic.
The mind simply boggles.
Lindsay Faller
Amsterdam, NL
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Subject: Re: Re-Rogan/Spotify
40 years ago, while a senior in high school, I got a great job driving a taxi in Rochester Minn. Drove many late shifts and ferried 100s of medical professionals and/or families visiting loved ones at Mayo and its sister hospital, St Mary's. About 10% of this segment of my fares wore cloth masks, after work or after patient visits, on their way home or to their hotel. At some point in time, curiosity got the best of me so I got into a conversation with one of these mask wearers and was informed "I'm trying to protect others I encounter because I'm around infectious patients"
There was no mandate, no policy, no orders, and no consequences to not wearing a mask.
I've always viewed that time in life and those interactions as the height of societal respect demonstrated by caring people who went out of their way to exercise caution.
That's why I wear a mask during these times and while my described experience may have been rather unique, the societal respect part is timeless.
All the political posturing over masks is intriguing - in the end, wearing a mask around others is neither hard to do nor is it a sign we're giving up our rights.
It's a matter of common respect for others.
Dennis Pelowski
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From: Gary Lang
Subject: RE: More Spotify/Young/Rogan
I was a VP at Amazon. Amazon's entire existence is based on customer obsession first, then the businesses we got into after. We would never pay Joe Rogan to disseminate misinformation to our customers. Never.
Spotify is a business, but is Ek obsessed by his customers if he's willing to put out information that results in the death of them?
Sorry, but saying it's a business is not a pass for bad behavior that harms customers and destroys the commonwealth. You won't see Amazon or Apple host an idiot going on and on about Ivermectin.
And you jumped the gun saying no one will follow. Give it more than a day.
I'm into HD anyway, so good riddance.
_____________________________________
From: david ferris
Subject: Re: Re-Meat/Pop/Covid
Hey, sir. A note on the legendary Pop. I'm D.X. Ferris, a writer from Pittsburgh, who's been in Ohio a couple decades now. You gave me a quote about Donnie Iris once.
Circa 2005, I wrote a music news column for the Cleveland weekly paper. I had a chance to call Mr. Popovich for something. I left a nervous voice mail, because he's a legend. He returned my call almost immediately — he quickly explained he did so because he recognized my Southwest Pennsylvania accent. We were from the same neck of the woods.
I'm sure he had better stuff to do than take my calls, but he was always generous with his time. And not just with big, accomplished people and cool industry types. That's the kind of guy he was.
Love the show and newsletter. Thank you!
— df
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From: Johnny Palazzotto
Subject: Re: Re-Meat/Pop/Covid
Bob, Don't know why i missed your Steve Popovich story. He was
instrumental in dozens of success stories involving CBS artists.
My stories with Steve are from the first and second Loggins and Messina LP's and tours. Every city on our first tours were covered by a CBS promotion person. Sal Ingeme in Boston was a favorite. Martin Mooney in Cleveland. My best story was day before Carnegie Hall. Steve invited me up to his office in Black Bart. Also there that evening Al Gallico, the music publisher out of Nasville. Steve knew my involvement in pitching songs and asked if I had any suggestions for Al who was looking for songs with Steve for Lynn Anderson. I suggested "Listen to a Country Song by Jimmy Messina and Al Garth. I think it was a big hit for Lynn and another prime example of the impotance of Steve Popovich to the music industry. I MISS STEVE POPOVICH. Johnny Palazzotto
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From: John Brodey
Subject: Re: Re-Meat/Pop/Covid
There was nobody quite like Pop. He had the air of a man possessed while being impossible to dislike. He was relentless. When I was MD at BCN, we (I) had held off adding the album to our library. I didn't mind theatrical aspect but it just didn't have the right vibe for the station. Pop would call every week and ask; how about now? In the end, we were the only reporting FM station left who had not added the record. It got a bit awkward.
Finally Meatloaf was coming to town and Pop called and said he was coming to town and planned to kidnap me and take me to the show at the Paradise. I relented and said okay. The show was tour de force and totally different. Karla D. was fantastic. He knew what he had and sprang the trap. He got his add which closed out the record. I actually apologized to him and like his usual self he said; it's all good.
Soon thereafter I was shocked to get a platinum plaque, so I called and said Steve I don't even deserve a thank you on the Meatloaf success. He said; no man you made it special. Who is that forgiving and passionate? One of the best of that era.
_____________________________________
From: Wendy Waldman
Subject: Spotify
Complicated issue. My music partner and co manager whom you've published before, Mark Nubar, made this very clear observation:
"My biggest issue with all of it is window space. Independent artists finally have a place with Spotify where people are shopping at the mall. Now Neil Young wants to blow the mall up. It's actually infuriating. Indie artists live on islands. With our own records and our own artists and our own record labels. Bridges and boats and planes connect people to our islands. Spotify is a much needed bridge, boat, and plane. It is very difficult to attract audiences without at least some kind of an infrastructure that a place like Spotify provides. "
Bob, this is my dilemma too, and the dilemma of all the artists I work with as I am an independent record producer. I have some name recognition but nowhere near the platform Neil has- I don't necessarily have the luxury to pick and choose-as the labels no longer service my kind of music nor that of my artists, yet the audience continues to want it. So without Spotify, there's no platform and we are once again set back by years.
I like Neil and Joni very much but it's been a long time since they've been down here in the street with the indie artists— some quite famous in fact but nonetheless none of them breathing that rarefied air that becoming a millionaire rock star in the 70s afforded them. I'm a lifelong musician as you know, and I've been at the majors, have had some hits etc but there is no doubt whatsoever that I am an independent artist and producer and have been ever since I left Nashville. So, I agree with Mark- we need these bridges. Even the prominent indies need them as none are a match for the millions a few dudes have from the classic era.
Dilemma indeed.
Wendy Waldman
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From: Steve Popovich
Subject: Meat
Bob,
I hope this email finds you well. Thank you as always for the kind words in regards to my father as you have always been a supporter of his. I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Meat. He moved here to Nashville a couple years ago. It was right after I reactivated Cleveland Int'l he reached out and wanted to meet in person. He came over my house and we sat down and talked about what I was doing with the label and he mentioned he had one album left in him and he wanted to put it out on Cleveland international. You can imagine how excited I was to have that opportunity as for me it was like everything was coming back around full circle. Unfortunately shortly after our meeting Meat was in Dallas, had a horrible accident where he fell off a stage, went through months of recovery, then COVID hit etc. and sadly we never did get it done. All it is now is a great story that I have. Since his passing, I have seen and read from people claiming to take credit for his early success. Barry Gordy once said, if the lion don't take credit for the hunt the hunter will, and thank God my father saved everything pertaining to his legacy. The making of Bat has been documented over the years some good, some not the case where my father was totally left out. I am happy to inform you that we have begun work on my father's documentary and I have some incredible interviews not to mention the story directly taken from my father and am pleased his story will finally be told once and for all. His legacy is far more incredible as to how he championed Meat Loaf but also the incredible signings he had while vice president of A&R while at Epic records not to mention his earlier career while he was the first ever Vice President of promotion under Clive Davis. As Clive said in Pops documentary, "Steve knew how to take Columbia Records from #3 to #1!" He was a man of honesty and integrity and who championed the creative community. He was not a "suit" and that is a huge part as to why people loved him so much. To anyone contesting his belief and being the one responsible for Meat Loaf in the beginning can kiss my ass. Long live Meat may he forever RIP and God bless his family and fans.
"Be stubbornly passionate about your beliefs"
-Steve Popovich Sr.
_____________________________________
From: Stan Goman
Subject: Re: The New Music Dilemma
Bob
I agree with your letter except I would point out that Tower Records paid all vendors big and small on time. All stores took records on consignment from local acts and always paid within 30 days.
I am very proud of this and the support we gave to the indies.
Stan Goman
_____________________________________
Subject: Re: The Joe Rogan Video
Hi from Sydney, Bob
Our airports are open again - time for another tour?
There is something darkly appropriate about Rogan not even being able to fact-check Joni Mitchell v Rickie Lee Jones.
I guess all white chicks with berets look the same?
We live in a post-empirical era.
Sure, there are cultural warriors on the left who push undergrad post- modernism to the point where you are now expected to describe women as "people who menstruate" (and JK Rowling gets a bus- load of strife for calling B/S on that), but its Rupert Murdoch who has elevated the culture wars to the point where every public health issue gets reduced to some purile argument about "freedom" . Its as though Americans are still running around in Tricorn hats, waiting for the next attack from the British, thinking that small-pox is simply God's will.
The difference between the left and right- wing war on facts is one of scale and impact.
Citizen Murdoch has made billions of dollars monetising social disadvantage, resentment and downwards envy. He pushes a particularly Australian form of anti- intellectualism, described best by the Australian historian Donald Horne in his 1964 book "The Lucky Country".
He now pushes that anti-intellectualism through Fox News and even his high brow outlets like the WSJ - with skepticism about climate science and doubt about medical expertise. Even to the point where it now threatens democratic institutions.
You can blame Facebook for sure, but new media relies on old media to generate the content -hence the morbid spectacle of Tucker Carlson acting like he knows more about epidemiology than Tony Fauci, or Sean Hannity thinking he knows more about climate science than NASA.
But be warned - we Australians have had a good 30 years of prior exposure to Murdoch, and another 40 years of his mean old Dad, before Rupert handed in his Australian passport to advance his US business interests.
Murdoch's business model, since the late 70s, has been to pit middle- class voters against workers/unions, workers against the unemployed, and all of the above against migrants.
He converts downwards envy and resentment against academic or scientific "elites" into advertising revenue. Murdoch himself describes his TV personalities as "entertainers" not journalists because that's what they are - a 21st -century version of George Orwell's "two minutes of hate".
It's a delicious irony that the Republicans losing their shit in your email box, wishing you would just stick to class rock, seem happy to be lectured on patriotism by an Australian Billionaire who sold his passport to make a few more bucks.
Bryce Wilson
Sydney
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