Re: The Police on Tour

["Arne R. Skage jr" <arneskage@gmail.com>]

True - i agree with you completely, this is what i tried in my
norwenglish way to comunicate
arne

On 2/16/07, RICK WALKER <looppool@cruzio.com> wrote:
> 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.
>
>


-- 
Arne R. Skage jr.

91157204
arne@skage.com
www.skage.com