The Logic Off Topic list

Dennis Gunn wrote:

>Sure there are a billion "me too" artists out there and with the new 
>technology they will sound marginally better than they did before and 
>remain just as obscure.  The exceptional artists will always be 
>exceptional.  Putting more power into the hands of individuals is in 
>no possible way a bad thing.
>
>This is like saying that the fact that the economy has improved to 
>the point where anyone can buy paint, canvas and brushes has 
>destroyed the art of painting.
>
I totally agree, but unfortunately, especially in continental Europe, 
but elsewhere to a slightly lesser extent as well, that's exactly what 
the major labels thrive on. They tend to sign artists on the strength of 
their 'me too' appeal. The classic A&R manager with a vision and a well 
formed taste in music seems to be extinct, and the marketing-trained red 
wine and sushi aficionado dressed completely in black seems to have 
taken his/her place. The result: artists who - even IF they can sing 
and/or write - have a life span of 2 years max, because nobody's ever 
bothered to check whether they have any long-term potential in them, 
i.e. nobody's nurtured them or built them up. Somone like Billy Joel, 
despite shitloads of talent and long-term potential wouldn't get signed 
today. Major labels today want instant results. They don't seem to think 
that breaking lots of one hit wonders might actually work out more 
expensive than sticking to one highly talented individual. But the 
amount of money they waste on completely useless activities, e.g. big 
press parties although the record release has been delayed, etc., makes 
me sick anyway. And now they're all crying because their turnover has 
plummeted.
Unfortunately, this also means that fewer and fewer artists will get 
signed, and that recording budgets will be significantly reduced. Forget 
the string section and the session musos! Bedroom productions will be 
even more commonplace than what they are now. And even though I don't 
really want to, I side with the record companies when it comes to new 
technologies and copyright etc. Example: one of my songs will be 
released on a European album next month. It's already on rotation on 
Russian independent (pirate) radio. I will not see a penny for this. So, 
how the hell did the song get there when it hasn't even been released 
yet? And why do people think they have the right to use music written by 
others as if it were their own? The same goes for those who pirate CDs. 
If it was just a couple of skint teenagers here and there, noone would 
give a shit, but as it is, everybody working in the music industry is 
losing income big time. And we're not all at the top of the food (and 
income) chain! According to my publisher, the greatest culprit in the CD 
pirating game in Europe is Germany. (I'm German myself, so I can say 
this without being accused of racism :-)). Surprising, considering CDs 
are relatively cheap compared to other European countries. Lack of 
respect for music, perhaps? I dunno! Copy protection for music CDs? YES 
PLEASE!

Cheers,

Recky

>
>
>>Also the availability of good quality (and poor quality...) sample
>>libraries - that make everybody sound the same.
>>
>
>Everyone that is but those who put in the effort and take the time to 
>sound different.
>
>
>
>>Then what napster/mp3.com has done for changing the way people view music
>>distribution and copyright.
>>
>
>
>
>>Copyright is a good and bad thing. Good in that it allows creators of music
>>keep control of their product, but bad in that multinationals can beat
>>consumers over the head with copyright as in the latest piracy-protected CD
>>scandal (where the majors were shipping faulty CD's that are not meant to
>>work in computer CD players).
>>
>
>We'll see what happens in the end but it is pretty easy to understand 
>why the high quality copies people can make with computers is 
>alarming to rec. companies.
>
>>Time was when people insisted on having an object to hold as they listened
>>to music - CD's, LP's etc. are really fetish objects in this context. The
>>new objects that people want to have and hold might be MP3 players etc. The
>>music itself MAY be secondary, just a sound bite in conversation - 'yeah I
>>have the latest from XYZ, downloaded it from nickster.org'.
>>
>
>It will be interesting to see how the mp3 revolution will play out. 
>I think the people trying to put that Genie back in the bottle are 
>deluding themselves to the point of absurdity.
>
>>Whatcha think yourself?
>>
-- 
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs.

There's also a negative side."

(Hunter S. Thompson)