For an interesting exercise, compare this 50-years-after-the-fact list with the Top Album list Rolling Stone actually issued in 1974. The original list had jazz or jazz-fusion albums in each of the top five spots. In this list, the top-rated jazz album is Miles Davis at 32 - and Miles wasn't in those original Top 5, which was dominated by Miles-alumni. The original Top 5 are also nowhere on this list.
There's nothing wrong with some critical re-evaluation after 50 years, but that evaluation should be done by people who lived through it.
www.albumoftheyear.org/ratings/35-rolling-stone-highest-rated/1974/1
Charles McGarry
Dallas, Texas
(Note: Bad Company's debut is #46 on this list. Jackson Browne's "Late For the Sky" is #10. New York Dolls' "Too Much Too Soon" is #36. David Bowie's "Diamond Dogs" is #88. KISS is #101. Eric Clapton's "461 Ocean Boulevard," considered a comeback record and a huge commercial success, is #13 on the original list, not evident anywhere on today's list. But the piece-de-resistance, the absolute worst omission from today's list, is ELO's "Eldorado," their true breakthrough album after they made inroads on FM previously with "Showdown." "Eldorado" is #42 on the original list, I couldn't get it out of my head back then, it's the best work ELO ever did and the mainstream's true introduction to Jeff Lynne. But it's nowhere to be seen on today's list. And just one final item and then I'll go. Jimmy Buffett's "A1A" is #22 on the original list and "Living and Dying in 3/4 Time" is #41. "A1" contains "A Pirate Looks at Forty," more memorable than so much of the work on the modern list. And these two albums were released BEFORE "Margaritaville." But Jimmy Buffett built an empire; regular, average people went to his shows, up until the moment he died; therefore he must be decried by the self-described cognoscenti. Hell, I'll go one step further, "Boston" is one of the greatest albums ever made, eminently playable back then, just as fresh and heartwarming today...I play "Foreplay/Long Time" all the time. But since it was a smash on the radio, we must state that it's beaten in the canon by mediocre stuff like Lou Reed's "Sally Can't Dance," which I bought when it was released and liked. God, the rock establishment is just like the Democratic party, holier-than-thou and out of touch.)
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From: Phil Brown
Subject: RE: 74 Of '74
Back when I was a mastering engineer I mastered Time Fades Away, On The Beach, Zuma, Tonight's The Night, Stars And Bars and Decade. And while On The Beach has some of my favorite Neil songs-See The Sky, For The Turnstiles-in this period I don't get it.
Phil Brown
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From: Wendy Waldman
Subject: Re: Libby Titus
Libby and I were very close many years ago and ran around LA together during a particularly crazy time in both of our lives.
We met through Maria Muldaur.
I wrote "Long Hot Summer Nights" about Libby and me-we loved each other, had a lot of fun, wrote songs together, and I even cut some things on her that were not released.
She was a delightful, brilliant, one-of-a-kind human being, a rare bird indeed.
She was also visually one of the most stunning and original women I've ever known.
I saw her in New York years later before she connected with Fagen, when she was working at Henri Bendel (of course, those who knew her would say!) in the fur department, elegant and marvelous as ever whether she was rich or poor.
Complex and authentic. Beautiful, troubled, sweet.
Very sad to hear this.
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Subject: RE: Libby Titus
Hi Bob,
I was a student at Bard College at the same time as Libby Titus (then Libby Jurist). It was certainly a magic time and place. My brother Terence and I were housed in a dorm called Potter Hall, and Libby was in our circle of friends, which included Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, Blythe Danner, Chevy Chase, and quite a few others. We all played in various campus bands at the time. On at least two occasions, Bob Dylan, in the famous blue Ford station wagon, would come by and sit around swapping songs with us. Sitting on the foot of my bed, playing my old Gibson acoustic, he sang a song he had just written, "It's Alright, Ma, I'm Only Bleeding." Libby knew him quite well from Woodstock, her home town. Her father owned a rare sports car dealership in Nyack.
Libby had a beautiful soprano voice and I often played guitar behind her, usually covering Judy Collins material. Her boyfriend and later husband, Barry Titus, an heir to the Helena Rubinstein fortune, was a frequent weekend visitor. She left school to marry him, but we all stayed friendly in New York City afterwards.
I kept in touch with her sporadically over the years, through the many changes in her life, especially when I produced her song, "Love Has No Pride," with Linda Ronstadt. When Columbia released her album, we all attended a lavish showcase for it at the Beverly Hills Hotel. I last saw her at a party at my sister's apartment in Manhattan many years ago. She was a very special person. I will miss her.
Best,
John Boylan
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From: Eddie Trunk
Subject: Re: The New Billy Squier Track
Hey Bob
I am a massive Billy Squier fan and I'm the one guy who he did do an interview with a year ago for the original version of the song. I had Billy live on my SiriusXM show for about an hour. I premiered this track and we discussed the song, where he's at these days, and of course pushed him to do more and play some shows. He has not toured in ages and as we all know you are nowhere if not on the road.
I am grateful Billy let me premiere the song but he pretty much did nothing else to promote it. No other SiriusXM shows or anything else at all.
Billy seems to have really soured on anything related to the music business. But he also did well as the sole songwriter of most of his music and the most sampled rock artist in hip hop . Ironically the song Jay Z , Eminem and others have taken from is not on Don't Say No. It's a track called "The Big Beat" from his solo debut Tale Of The Tape (also a great album !). So he doesn't need to do anything. But he does want to at least in some way keep pushing out this one track it seems.
When looking at his career so much focus is on Don't Say No, but I think many forget the next couple albums were also big and made him an arena headliner with songs like Everybody Wants You, Rock Me Tonight (despite the damage from the video the song and video were huge in '84) and others. In my view he never made a bad album and remains a favorite of mine. The 2 Piper albums I also love.
I wish he'd get more active. Especially judging by how great he sounds on this track. But then again I'd rather have the memories than a favorite artist going through the motions. Anyone want to hear the interview we did it's on my podcast free worldwide and also on the SiriusXM app. Best regards.
Eddie Trunk
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From: Hank Barry
Subject: Quincy Jones
I picked up the phone at Napster and the caller said "Hi, this is Q, Quincy Jones. I have been looking for 20 years for a Dizzy Gillespie record called 'Manteca' ". Is that on Napster? I put him on the speaker, did a search and started the stream. Within about 15 seconds "Manteca" was playing. He said "ok I can help you with this."
And he followed through. Arranged a coffee with then ASCAP president Marilyn Bergman at her house, organized a meeting in his basement of traditional and internet music types called the "Paradigm Shift," complete with a facilitator who made notes in cartoons (met Bob Ezrin!).
We had a breakfast (11 a.m.) at the Fairmont Hotel in SF. When Sen. Hatch surprised me with a call ("hey you're with Quincy - put me on the speakerphone"). Sen. Hatch spent most of the time asking Quincy about the demos he had sent.
In the main hall at Davos, I walked up to Thomes Middelhoff (then head of Bertelsmann) and some other execs. They said "hey Hank let us introduce you". Quincy said "aw I know this guy" and gave me a big hug.
On discovering that he had called on my daughter Emily's birthday, he sang "Happy Birthday" to her.
For all the unexpected courtesy and kindness, I am very grateful.
Hank
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From: Don Rose
Subject: Re: Charge What The Tickets Are Worth
Hey Bob!
Your readers are fast! I was alerted to this shout out by an old chum from my hometown before I could even open my own Inbox.
So thanks for the mention. Aside from the music, of course, I've often reflected that the Rykodisc-led 'Ban The Box' campaign was at the top of things for which I'm proudest about Ryko.
For the record, the initiative and real passion for the project came from my partner Rob Simonds for whom social activism was core to his being. I'm just pleased that I can say I was 100% supportive of Rob's brainchild and the commitment of company resources to the cause.
This included the expenditure of a dedicated six-figure marketing campaign and the cohones to stand up to our friends at Tower Records, who at the time was our largest customer (representing more than 20% of revenues). As the partner leading the Ryko sales effort, let's just say that Rob took a lot of 'incoming.'
With the additional support of many other labels and especially artists- including certain major label big names- we were successful both from the standpoint of environmental impact (the waste cardboard bordered on the grotesque) and restoring some overall perception of the industry as decent stewards of sustainability.
This evolution led to more creative 5x5 packaging (a good thing, as Martha Stewart might say) including our own twist, the trademarked 'Coke bottle green' jewel box as a brand differentiator.
Thanks again for remembering; Bob, you made my day. (Thanks also to Chris Randall for the sharp eye!)
-Don Rose
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From: Jeff Rougvie
Subject: Re: Charge What The Tickets Are Worth
Bob,
Thanks for bringing up Rykodisc and lost music history; these topics dovetail with some ideas I've been hoping to engage with you on.
I worked at the label for nearly 20 years. Don Rose was indeed the President, and while an ardent supporter of the "Ban The Box" campaign, it was his partner and brother-in-law, Rob Simonds, who really drove the movement. Rob engaged the PR firm, coaxed the artists who needed coaxing, and took the battle to music retail who whined about it like pathetic babies, Tower being the worst. Little-known fact; the real pull to keep the useless and wasteful longbox came from the majors, who had guaranteed volume contracts with cardboard packaging manufacturers that they were afraid to break. Ryko was happy to lose it and the associated costs, as every label should've been. No one reported a meaningful rise in pilferage after the box went away and Ryko, at least, passed the savings on to retailers, who should've in turn passed it on to the consumer.
Keep up the great work!
Best,
Jeff Rougvie
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From: Bruce R Kilgour
Subject: RE: Charge What The Tickets Are Worth
1
As a retail executive from 1984 – 2007 (Licorice Pizza / Sam Goody / Musicland / Virgin / Trans World), your first few paragraphs brought back memories.
It took us weeks to convert the LP bins to accommodate CDs… and the "cassette wall" – what a nightmare.
Watching customers immediately rip apart and dump the longboxes in the trash can outside the front door always irked the "collector" in me.
2
I saw the Rolling Stones five times in 2024, and probably spent over $4000 doing so. It was worth every penny, and the memories will last forever (although I likely don't have much forever left).
Great piece, Bob
Bruce R Kilgour
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From: jayne doniger
Subject: Re: A Little More Oasis/Ticketmaster
In countries like Germany it's illegal to scalp tickets. You have to go through Eventim and the tickets need to be verified and sold at face value . I paid about $600 for GA tix for Taylor Swift in Gelsenkirchen from Stubhub and tix got transferred into my Eventim account. Tix face value was maybe $200 max . Stub hub got close to that in fees and the original buyer got a couple hundred. Better one was on eBay, you paid for the right to have the seller list it privately for you to purchase so you pay them whatever price and then pay a small fee on eventim.
There is always a way for the scalpers and the big guys to get around it.
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From: ED TOTH
Subject: Re: 74 Of '74
Doobie Brothers- What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits
Hands down, their best record. Didn't even make the list. (I know I'm preaching to the choir on this one)
Tower of Power - Back To Oakland
Quite possibly their best record as well (although i'm partial to the follow up "Urban Renewal") Also not on the list.
Graham Central Station - Release Yourself
I mean…. C'mon!
Ed Toth
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From: Martin Valentine
Subject: Re: Sherwood-Season 2
Hey Bob - I live in Nottinghamshire. The writing and acting is SO on the money in Sherwood - north of the city of Nottingham life really is like this and the people speak and act exactly like it's shown in the series.
Mercifully, nobody is actually talking about bringing mining back - in fact we've just closed the country's last coal power station here. Instead there's talk of a nuclear fusion reactor and now we have an inland Freeport, so the wealthy can dodge taxes to their heart's content.
We've already had the whole of season two, and it's a cracker. Still weird to see the room Tricia and I got married in used as a film set!
Martin
From: Ariel Levy
Subject: Re: Miami 2024
Glad you came to visit. At least for a little while.
It's sounds like you scraped the surface but the city is burgeoning. Expansion to the suburban sprawl of the Grove and Pinecrest now rivals Scarsdale and Long Island. For the first time Miami is no longer a boom/bust town but a city with multiple layers of residency, tourism, and business ventures. Stability has arrived and the governments are spending to improve the infrastructure and transportation (hopefully). Schools are great and culture is also just 20mins away wherever you go.
Safe Travels
-Ariel
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From: Mike Vial
Subject: Re: Slipknot, Deftones, Nu Metal Gen Z
Bob, as a teacher at an alternative high school in the Midwest, I can attest this statement about Nu Metal is true.
I see more young adults wearing Slipknot or Deftones t-shirts than Swift shirts in Ann Arbor right now— heck, I see more Deftones shirts in the halls at my school than when my friends saw Deftones at St. Andrews Hall in Detroit in the 90s!
Metallica shirts are fashion; Slipknot shirt wearers are true fans: "My dad likes the band! He took me to a concert." Live music converts.
The kids are alright.
Mike Vial
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From: Paul Rogers
Subject: Re: Nick Gravenites
Hey Bob, Thanks for the kind words for Nick. Back in the 90's I had the pleasure of playing a weekly gig with him in SF at the Chi-Chi Club on Broadway. Doug Kilmer ( Commander Cody) on bass, Roy Blumenfeld (Blues Project) and me "The Kid" on keys. Some nights there was just a handful of folks but Nick always delivered. The shows were a weekly lesson in the blues and the backstage banter was a joy to behold. Nick would hold court and regale us with stories from the old days with his inimitable dry humor. He also gave me my one and only golf lesson! Who knew? Rest well Nick.
Paul Rogers
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From: David Ehrlich
Subject: RE: Something Keeps Calling
Hi Bob:
Let me tell you a little more about Rob "Fonksta" Bacon. I was his manager for a few years during the 1990s. He's one of the most talented musicians I have ever met, and also a really nice guy.
Rob hails from Detroit, which is probably not surprising because you can hear some of the Motown-inspired riffs in his music. He came to LA in his early 20s and connected with a bunch of prominent West Coast rappers at that time. For example, a lot of the funky music you hear behind DJ Quik's records came from Rob Bacon. Also, he laid down that funky groove in Domino's hit "Ghetto Jam." Rob also had a record deal with Island Records during those days. It doesn't surprise me that you noticed Rob's guitar on "Something Keeps Calling." We would get that a lot of that back in the day, like, who is THAT guy, on some of the records he appeared on?
Although I haven't spoken to Rob in a long time, my understanding is that he continues to work with prominent producers and artists. It also does not surprise me that he connected with Raphael Saadiq and that they collaborated with each other on this song. Rob's guitar playing on that song has an Isley Brothers feel to it which makes it even that much more special. I'm happy he's listed as a "feature" on the song because he deserves it.
During the time I worked with Rob, he was very inspired by Parliament-Funkadelic, as well as Prince. Rob is a virtuoso on the guitar, as well as on bass, keyboards, and probably a few other instruments that I cannot recall.
Although certain musicians and artists in the music community know about him, it was nice of you to bring attention to him and his special talent.
Regards,
David M. Ehrlich
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From: Andrew Einhorn
Subject: Re: Oasis Won't Use Dynmic Pricing In The U.S.
Hi Bob the G wagon is an interesting example of market forces and scalping. In 2021 the g63 msrp was about 180k fully loaded and it was selling for 100 and even 150 over at times. Mercedes actually said they were not making the majority of v8 engine cars for 2022 which created even further hype. But in July 2022 the 2022 g63 came out and the msrp went up about 20k. The manufacturer saw the dealers making these huge markups so they bumped the price significantly, with zero changes in the model, to capture the money for themselves.
At this moment the 2025 G63 isn't out yet but the 2025 G550 came out recently with a v6 instead of v8 and demand has dropped dramatically and I see dealers selling them under msrp now.
Andrew
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Subject: Re: Ten Years Gone
Hello Bob!
I've been playing Led Zeppelin music now for twenty years. That number is especially shocking considering I am only thirty-six. ;-) And, after all this time, it's true that I might flip the dial, as it were, if "Rock and Roll" or "The Ocean" or "Stairway" were to drop into the Sirius queue. But, "Ten Years Gone?" Never! Never shall I turn away from that most magnificent composition. It is truly sublime in harmony, dynamics — light and shade — and of course, in the beauty of Page's guitar army, which resonates with sparkling perfection as if the weaving, sensuous lines were being played by a symphony of heavenly angels. Do I overstate my love for this song?
Indeed, the era of the album and the artist's intention of telling a story by means of the order of the tracks, is long dead. And yes, we who knew it, miss it dearly. Sadly, it is a lost art. I share your hope that younger artists will look to this "FM" music as inspiration for the creation of something new, or similar, or at least equally hefty. Until then, we will continue to listen to, and in my case, perform the stuff.
As you know, 2025 marks the 50th Anniversary of the release of "Physical Graffiti." To celebrate, we plan to play the album in its entirety at all of our concerts throughout 2025 — yes, all four sides and with only four people, which incidentally is a little insane and near impossible. Many of the songs have never even been performed by Led back in the day. So, why do it? Well, as much as I revere Led's first album — I agree with you there — PG has a unique magical quality and it has always been my (stubborn) dream to play it live. Yes, because of "Kashmir" and "In the Light." But, mostly because of "Ten Years Gone."
So, off we go in that lush garden! If we happen to make it to L.A. maybe I'll see you out there weeping along with me.
Rock on, Bob!
Steph Paynes
LEZ ZEPPELIN
All Girls. All Zeppelin
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From: Tim Trummer
Subject: Re: The Emerald Mile
In August of 1974 I went with two college friends on a 10-day non-powered rafting trip of the Grand Canyon, ending at Lake Mead. A plane went overhead each day to receive messages from the crew, but that was our only connection to the world for those ten days. Difficult to believe.
I'll tell you one thing. We would stop in advance of reaching a rapids every night, so we would start each new day in fast-moving water. We were told that if we wanted we could take the rapid in the water, not on the raft. I did this every day, and sometimes it was easy, and somedays I thought I was in real jeopardy. You wear shoes and a life jacket, but as the water dips and flows at high speed, sometimes you are sucked down into a hole and you think you are never coming up. If this happened 5 or 6 times in a row, even my twenty-year-old self was physically and emotionally exhausted, and I had to be helped back into the raft.
We also saw animals that we had never seen and would never see again. We saw side canyons carved by thousands of years of water flow. Wild, colorful vegetation grew in the side canyons, and it was so beautiful and remote that we didn't want to leave.
But it was the water and the pure power of its flow that provided the sense memory of the place. I will look at these books.
Tim
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Re: Clubs
I cut my teeth in clubs and they are the heart of cross-pollination for touring bands, but it is true that the paradigm has changed. I fear a world where only theaters and arenas make sense, but there are other more grass roots options. A lot of folks are hosting shows in rural areas and unconventional spaces. Back yards. Warehouses. Book shops. Often, these hosts are doing so for the love of it, and giving pretty much all the proceeds to the artists. Could this replace clubs as a playground for artists to cut their teeth? I don't know, but Side Door has paid out over $1.6m to artists over 1500 shows - everywhere from goat farms to autobody shops. 3k hosts and 11k artists now involved. I don't know if it's the solution but it is an option. Thx Bob
Dan Mangan
Co-Founder, Side Door
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Re: Clubs
I dunno Bob
As to the assertion there's no economic viability of small dive live music clubs and that there's a diminishing audience? Or that the clubs themselves cannot stay afloat? The fact is my two insignificant dive clubs (460 cap + 600 cap) in downtown Toronto, non aligned with LN or AEG, mom n pop owned and operated, (post COVID) had record profits! The problems you and others described don't exist!
So I can't speak as to what's occurring financially in the United Kingdom, Europe, or in the United States, with live music venues, and or in smaller secondary markets (as Toronto is a first rate live music city) but I think you jumped the gun transferring what may be a big issue overseas to propagating that the same situation exits world wide and in North America.
Our annual ticket sales don't fit the 'false' narrative, lol
In Toronto specifically COVID did in fact wipe out some local venues but b4 and after there is/was a GROWTH spurt here supported by a progressive city music office, city councillors who see live music venues as both a cultural incubator and a tourist attraction (which creates increased hotel and restaurant income) and our local government has enacted polices which encourages increased live music venue growth.
To that end a decade ago ex Councillor Josh Colle and I, with tremendous help from the major labels (Music Canada) and at the time Graham Henderson, Amy Terrill, & (NxNE) Mike Tanner and (Massey Hall) Jesse Kumagi, travelled to Austin, Texas to take a hard take look at what was at the time the only local Government live music office in the world - We copied it and enacted it in Toronto - And we quickly went to bat
for a 50% reduction in commercial property tax, something the city was giving to other key city cultural industry's.
Sure, it took like 6-7 years to get er done and a health crisis where our venues were shuttered for the most part of two years but our city councillors eventually passed the legislation - (At the same time we started the CLMA and other key live music advocacy groups)
60-65 clubs get the discount every year which was a way better solution to helping small clubs survive than say um letting them die - They (councillors) saw the common sense logic that allowing live music clubs to go under would really harm the cultural dynamic of our city but additionally create unemployment and a significant drop in hotel stays, restaurant spends, and folks out and about heading downtown -
And from my point of view commercial property tax relief was a simple solution to enact in comparison to what is being proposed in the UK
Can this be achieved in every North American City? It sure can! I'm fairly certain Josh, Mike, or I, would offer up our time in helping anyone out there to copy what we did in Toronto - I'll fly to the UK anytime (if invited) or anywhere in Europe or DC and help them organize and copy what we successfully did here
Small live music clubs do not have to die period - In fact the opposite can be achieved to help them grow and flourish into the 22nd century
Jeff Cohen (JC)
The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
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Re: Clubs
Hi Bob,
I was in an act signed to Geffen. I still make music and we took our swing at bat in 1990-94. I was then the Production Manager at Key Club in LA for almost 10 years from '97-06.
What too many of your followers forget is that live music venues are in the food and beverage industry more than they are in the music industry. Music is just the hook. The battle between the talent buyer and management was always bringing in higher beverage numbers through well curated music.
I cut my teeth and played…as well as worked…in many famous LA clubs. Club Lingerie, Scream, Music Machine etc. Without these venues, my band could have never showcased our songs and musical abilities. There was no internet or social media in those days and live music was an integral part of young people's social fabric. Music was more important as a cultural force than now. The "industry" has shifted from monetizing ears to monetizing eyeballs. Data is king…not hooks, lyrics and the artists ability to make statements that people needed to hear in the relative void of expression that the Internet provides today.
Clubs were struggling before Covid and the shift to other cultural outlets away from their local venue that were seen as Petri dishes for a respiratory virus hasn't helped revive that sector of the food/beverage (music) business.
The reality is that before the Internet, there was no format to get a band or artist heard without a connected manager or attorney. To get to that level of representation and get your music in front of the A&R department, you needed to create a buzz on the street…be it in NY, LA or whatever city had some accredited purveyors of commercially promising music that spoke of the street buzz an artist was creating.
The hackneyed adage that girls wanted to see cute guys in bands and the boys would flock to where the girls are, which supported small clubs, has gone away.
Generating eyeballs through Tik Tok, YouTube and other platforms has replaced the small music venue as the fertile field that the folks who try to sell music go to harvest. Many of these now arena acts that have used home studios (that's another decimated sector) use digital tools to hide their flaws and use autotune and lip syncing to hide their weaknesses. It's forgiven and built into the business model now.
The whole model of "local band does live shows, books recording studio time, hands out demos, gets attention from commercial distributors" is gone. It's all done online now. The first thing any distributor, be them small or large, looks at today is followers
I still tour on my 15 minutes of fame in the EU and UK. It's the same exact situation over there. The whole previous model is dead and clubs are the casualties of that reality.
Ron Young
Little Caesar
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Re: Clubs
Bob,
I fell in love with live music the moment I stepped into an amazing live music venue in Columbia Missouri 900 ot years ago. Still to this date, my favorite place on earth is at the end of the bar at The Empty Bottle in Chicago's Ukrainian Village. With a nice beverage in hand, watching fellow music fans immersed in the live music experience still makes my heart sing.
Over the past 34 years we here at 16 On Center have built a pipeline from the Empty Bottle (my baby) (350 cap) to Space (300 cap), Promontory (500 Cap) to Thalia Hall (900 cap), to our newest room The Salt Shed (3500 / 5500 cap).
The Bottle Still books 349 days a year (down from 363), and I am glad to report that folks still come out to enjoy live music.
Over the last 3 years as the Salt Shed has become a reality, I have been fortunate to see quite a few of my favorite people / bands grace the Salt Shed stage. Quite a few have spent time playing each of our rooms, growing with us, and becoming part of our family.
Not only is the interest strong from a fan perspective, but I've seen continued interest from talented folks who want to work in the industry from door folks to production, sound people, to touring peeps. All incredibly important to the fabric and economy of the small club scene.
Now the crowds continue to change over the years, but the smiling faces as their favorite band hits the stage, still let us know that there will never be a substitute for the live musical experience.
Cheers!
Bruce Finkelman
16 On Center | Chicago, IL USA
16oncenterchicago.com
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Re: Clubs
If you don't play live, you don't really get to be good. You don't develop the skills to communicate musically as a band, and you don't develop the incentive to grow and expand your music. I know things are changing. I guess that's inevitable.
"Do I really want to hear some unsigned band playing original material, drowning out my conversation? ABSOLUTELY NOT!" That's the problem. People want music in a bar or club to be in the background. They don't want to be distracted from their smartphones or from the sporting event on the television. There are some advantages to that for musicians. Learn to develop guitar tone with your fingers and technique rather than through volume. Learn to get a crowd's attention by playing well. But live music depends on people paying focusing on your performance and musicians hone their skills by playing live.
Having said that, a lot of you say is wise and correct. And a lot of it comes down to the fact that there really isn't any music now that is truly innovative or ground breaking. It's true that grabbing people's attention is tough because there are so many screens and speakers and you can choose to hear whatever you want whenever you want. And it's also true that it's a rare, rare thing for a song to reach out to you and make you think, "I've never heard anything like this before."
Joe Taylor
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Re: Clubs
Here's my take (and some of this echoes what you said):
It's too expensive for the clubs.
Real estate (if you own) or leases (if you rent) is expensive (in places like London, its absurd). You've got to generate a lot of dough to cover the overhead, including employees whose compensation is on the rise. They are not making bank, but they are making more.
People are drinking less. Alcohol sales are a huge revenue stream for clubs. People are watching their money, paying more attention to their health, and staying out of the long arms of the law. Oh, and I almost forgot (because I'm high)….weed.
There are too many clubs. When artists began to lose revenue from album sales in the early 2,000s, it looked like touring and merch were the only available revenue streams for artists (music placement and other revenue opportunities were rare and less known). This was a boon for the live music industry, including festivals and clubs. Now, we have too many.
Mediocrity
There are too many mediocre artists. Music is easier to make and distribute than ever. And there are no producers or industry experts available to help acts develop. Musicians throw their product on stage (against the proverbial wall) and see if it sticks. Often, it does not. Sure, mediocre artists cost the club less money than paying for an established act, but when you weigh it against the cost to keep the lights on, the doors open, and the employees paid, well…you might as well close up shop.
Too expensive for musicians
It's expensive to tour. Lodging, gas, and food costs are tough expenses against paltry paydays from a club gig. I'm not saying the clubs are cheap (well, some are), but they can only pay so much after they account for their expenses. Door deals are becoming more common than guarantees and don't often include extra for lodging or meals. When you put half the burden of marketing on a band in a market they don't know, it can spiral further downward. Never mind that the time they spend marketing could be better used to become better music makers.
Social media. People can indeed experience music through their handheld video delivery machines. And it's easier and cheaper to do so. It's enough for a large segment of the music-consuming population. But it's not enough for me. The difference is enormous, in my opinion. But,
Listening to live music at clubs has become a secondary experience. We used to line up, get in the front row, and devour every guitar lick, vocal screech, heart-pounding decibel, and stage histrionics. Now, most clubs have a bar in the back of their tiny rooms, where ticket buyers hang out with their friends and talk loudly while the band plays in the background. Is it the band's fault for not capturing their attention? I used to think so. Not so much anymore. What it means is that ticket buyers can take or leave the band. They are more interested in taking pics or videos of the band and sharing them with their social networks to demonstrate how cool they are, not how good the band is. Part of the blame for this lies in social media zombie-ism, the ubiquity of product in the market, and too much disposable income to think that live music is the special experience it used to be.
What to do?
Musicians should focus on improving and letting the market take care of itself. Be better writers and performers, and love what you're doing. Get closer to humility and further away from entitlement. It's easier said than done. Music is subjective, but the market will respond when you're good.
Let the clubs fail. For that matter, take out half of the music festivals while you're at it. They are battling against the aforementioned economics and putting out a mediocre product. And don't force your alcohol on me.
Subsidize, but don't tax, good music. Art – all art, has been subsidized for thousands of years. Famous painters, sculptors, composers, and photographers, would never have seen the light of day without their generous patrons. The National Independent Venue Foundation was a good idea that helped rescue dying venues during CoVid. But that was a band-aid. There needs to be dedicated funders (fans included, although they are doing their part by buying tickets and merch) There needs to be bravey and strategy, incubators, consultants, venue ladders, and …..
Curators. Yes, music is subjective. But someone has to tell Marty (insert random musician name here) that he should be a plumber, not a musician. More importantly, we need someone to tell Mary she has a chance if she does this, this, and this. Radio DJs used to be curators (some still are – thanks 105.5), but algorithm music distribution is not where you find the good sh*t. Nobody wants to have these hard conversations because someone's feelings might get hurt.
Make art and support art. It's the better part of our nature. It's evolved and it's healing. And in this day and time, it could save us.
Tom Scharf
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From: TOM TWIN
Subject: Re: Israel/Hezbollah/Iran/Gaza
Hey Bob,
Thanks a ton for your clarity – you really nailed it. The part where you talked about the blurred lines between Zionists and Jews hit home for me in a big way. It took me back to a story my great-grandfather used to tell, and though I was just a kid when I heard it, it stuck with me.
My great-grandfather was a cantor in Hungary back in the 1930s, but he wasn't just any cantor – he was such an incredible singer that he landed a spot as the first tenor at the Budapest Opera House. And in my family, they always said that was the equivalent of being a rock star back then.
He was in his late 20s, no wife, no kids – pretty unusual for that time, but he was this free-spirited, real "artist" kind of guy. He used to hang out with a crew of writers, actors, philosophers, and musicians, throwing these dinner parties where they'd get drunk and debate the day's hot topics.
As the Nazis started gaining momentum, their conversations naturally shifted to that. At first, the group was mostly in shock, cracking little jokes about it. But over time, my great-grandfather started feeling uneasy around his so-called friends. Turns out, a lot of them were quietly backing Hitler and Germany, coming up with all kinds of excuses for why it was a "good" thing. They'd always reassure him, though, saying it wasn't about him – he was a "good Jew."
But my great-grandfather saw the writing on the wall early. He packed up and left before it was too late, got on a ship to Palestine, and dodged the war altogether. He built a family there and never stopped singing.
Now, here I am, playing guitar in a rock band. We're not massive, but we get by – some airplay, plenty of touring. That's how I make a living. My circle today? Musicians, writers, influencers – all kinds of creatives. And we too have those dinner parties, we're talking about the state of the world while getting drunk and high.
Over the past year, though, I've been shocked by the hate I've heard coming from people I once called friends – even some of my bandmates. It's hard to even function normally anymore, and I can't shake the feeling that maybe I need to follow in my great-grandfather's footsteps and leave Canada behind.
Thanks again for your letters. It's comforting to know I'm not the only one feeling this way.
Cheers,
-TOm
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Subject: Libby
Christ on a bicycle Bob, I've got enough stories about Libby Titus to fill a stadium, but half of them are too wild to tell, and the other half… well, they're even wilder.
Andy Newmark's comment (hey Andy!) sparked a memory for me.
I first crossed paths with her at Doc Pomus' table—tucked just behind the railing—at the Lonestar, where he presided over the evening like a Buddha with a cigar. I was behind the kit for the San Francisco All Stars: Nick Gravenites, John Cipollina, Harvey Brooks, and me. Buddy Miles was either in jail or headed there, so they threw me in. I'll never forget the slow drawl of my darling, Mac Rebennack—Dr. John to the uninitiated—when he introduced her. "This here's Princess Libby," he said, dragging out the syllables like they were floating down the Mississippi. Then, in that hushed, conspiratorial tone of his, he whispered in my ear, "I think she may have a bi-polar bear dis-odor."
What the hell does that even mean? Didn't matter. When Dr. John says it, you just nod along, like it's the secret of the universe. And Libby, standing there like she'd just blown in from some unholy cocktail party of royalty and rock 'n' roll, didn't even need an introduction. She was the kind of woman who walked into a room, and all the oxygen left.
It was like watching two lightning bolts have a conversation. You knew from minute one that these two were going to tear each other apart, but hell if it wasn't going to be interesting to watch.
Later, I caught up with them in L.A. They'd gotten a house together—God knows how that didn't end in flames—and Mac played me this new tune he was tinkering with: "Lonely Girl, Living in a World of Dreams." We recorded it years later in New York, though the only copy of it I had is probably decomposing in the trunk of some wrecked cab in a junkyard in the Bronx by now. But I still remember it, every note.
By '85, the dust had settled. Libby and Mac cleaned up (as did I.) They sobered up and, of course, broke up. Libby floated through my life in fits and starts after that—at first, a fleeting glimpse across some dive bar, then eventually we became friends. Proper friends.
Now, there are so many Libby stories, and each one's got more layers than a Russian novel, but here's one I think you will get a kick out of.
In the early 90s, my buddy Jimmy Vivino and I put together a band. Tuesdays, Upper East Side, a joint called Hades. We called it The Little Big Band, and we stacked it with our dream lineup: Harvey Brooks, Catherine Russell, Bones Malone, Ronnie Cuber, Jeffrey Young… these were the cats you'd know, only if you were a muso. To me, they were legends, every last one of them.
It became the spot. Tuesday nights, no pressure. BB King covers to kick it off, some soul, some rockin' blues, and then we'd buckle up and see where the music led us. One night, in walks Donald Fagen. With Libby. And Phoebe Snow.
Donald had been on the down-low for years, hadn't touched a stage in ages. He got up there, the crowd started buzzzing, and just like that, Tuesday nights became the best-kept secret in the city. Libby, meanwhile, was all over the place, dating Donald, promoting gigs at the Lone Star, doing her rock 'n' roll princess routine. Phoebe Snow, Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs, Rick Danko—they all came through to jam. It was like the ghosts of rock 'n' roll past came out to play, only these ghosts weren't done living.
And then it happened: Walter Becker. The elusive, enigmatic, half of Steely Dan. He hadn't set foot on a stage with Donald in nearly two decades. But there he was, in the crowd. Vivino, bless his audacity, grabbed the mic and said, "Anybody wanna hear Walter Becker sit in?"
The room stopped. Like, stopped. And then it roared.
You could feel it—the energy in that room, like the planets had aligned for a second, just for us. Steely Dan, together again, right there at Hades on a random Tuesday night. And it was all Libby's doing. She had pulled these wild, disparate threads together into one impossibly perfect moment.
Libby was… well, hell, she was Libby. A force. A storm. Smart as a whip, cruel as being dope sick, and funnier than anyone has the right to be. She could make you feel like a king one minute, and then rip you apart with a smile the next. But you'd thank her for it. Every damn time.
I'm sorry for your loss Donald… and Amy.
Shine on, Libby. We were lucky. You made the chaos a little brighter, you would be so happy to know, you'll be missed more than you could ever imagine.
xoxo
GG
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Subject: Re: 74 Of '74
Got my first speeding ticket on Route 17 headed to Binghamton while listening to "Movin' On"!
Bob Levy
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