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The Police on Tour
talking about the dirth of good musicians on the charts these days:
I did a record a few years back with David Hidalgo of
Los Lobos. The depth of his musicality was truly astonishing
and humbling. Literally, I saw him pick up almost everyone's
instrument, from djembe drum to stand up bass to guitar to accordian
during the session to demonstrate to the various musicians an idea
he had for a tune. Each time, the person would take the suggestion
and, VOILA!, the piece of music just began to gleam.
This was a record with some true heavy hitters on it, too, like
Okinawas' Sanchin master, Hiryasu Takashi and American National Steel
phenom, Bob Brozman (who I'm about to record another CD with in a couple
of weeks).
There are so many fanastic musicians out there, both older and younger
that
it
seems silly to me to rail about the current state of music.
The industry itself is changing very quickly and the old paradigms are not
working.
I heard an industry insider talking about the label who has Green Day the
other day.
They were saying that Green Day was there biggest cash cow for the label
and yet there own profits were only around $400,000 for each member.
Compared to the music business of 10 and 15 years ago, that is nothing.
The major labels have gotten so greedy and they've become so usurous that
they are hated
by everyone.....................the whole MP3 phenomenon is really taking
a
huge toll on CD sales.
Unfortunately, it has also had a devastating impact on emerging artists.
With the high costs of touring (gas, transport, hotels, et. al.),
incredible decling profits by the majors
and the major indepedents it has gotten to the point where NO new young
bands can make any money
anymore (with the possible exception of hip hop artists because there
touring expenses are so low)
but fantastic music is out there....................................there
is
more diversity and more plentifulness
on online radio stations than ever in the history of the
planet...............it's just no longer centralized as it was
when some of the older musicians on this list were growing up.
Sting in an interview talked about the fact that, growing up, the only
time
anyone in Britain could see live music
on television was when an act went onto Top of the Pops on Friday evening.
He said that for the rest of the weekend
that everyone in all the pubs in England would talk about the Stones
perormance on that show.
There was a commonality to the musical experience of the whole country
that
has completely disappeared.
I asked a young student today if he had ever heard of a certain album and
the response I got was typical for almost all my students.
"If you ask me if I"ve heard a certain song I might be able to tell you
but
I don't know any albums at all...............I download
everything I listen to, one song at a time".
Man, it's a new world, but as critically acclaimed singer songwriter Sam
Phillips said once in a brilliant interview,
"The label heads, A&R people and Lawyers for the record companies all come
and go but the Artists never go away"
"We've always been here and we will always be here."
So , for you skeptics out there who think nothing good is coming out these
days.......................you have to go looking for it and
it might not be as convenient as finding it on the top of the charts.
Remember that the system that brought you Jimi Hendrix also brought you
the
1910 Fruitgum Company and the Fifth Dimension at
the very same time.