Just finished reading "The Last Sultan," a biography of Ahmet Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records. Very interesting. He was a fascinating guy. Many insights into the ruthlessness of the music biz, and more than a few choice anecdotes about bands and performers'... uh...peculiarities.

I've seen some reviews about that book but was waiting to hear more before I purchased it. From what I read Ertegun kept up with or surpassed any rock star in his pursuit of pleasure (drugs and women). But he was also a hardnosed businessman who was fair by the standards of the day? Is that accurate?

I think it will be more of the same. At the tip top you will have a few bands that made it before the internet age and whose fans largely don't relate to them via the net. You'll also see a few post-internet bands who've figured out how to make downloading work for them. The rich will get richer.

But for the vast majority of bands there will be less work and less money. On the one hand since I think the music industry has way too many bands or performers anyway a certain shaking out of the marginal talent will be a good thing. On the other hand, a lot of the musicians I like from back in the day took two or more albums to build a name for themselves and find some level of commercial success. That's almost impossible today. You either make it big right away or you stay laboring in anonymity.

I am not bothered by the prospect of record companies making less money since they are responsible for $18 cd's with 1 or 2 decent songs on them BUT I can't accept people saying they have a "right" to free music. That same attitude is harming the newspaper industry, the fiction market and is impacting the film industry as well. If you're a creative person you have the right to create product and put it in the market at a price you think reasonable. The consumer has the right to not buy it or attempt to negotiate with you for a different price. They don't have the right to take your stuff for free and tell you they're doing you a favor.

We'll see higher concert ticket prices as bands attempt to make up the difference.

Lilo, the book is generally quite favorable to Ertegun. It's a little fuzzy about drug use, but he could party down with any rockers.
I guess you could also say he was "fair" by record industry standards, which are lower than whale s**t.

Van Halen back with Roth.
We're putting the band back together

Didn't they have a scheduled reunion years ago that never came off?

Van Halen was the icon of every beer-soaked 14-year-old (including my son). I drove him to a Van Halen concert at Radio City Music Hall in the Eighties. When I picked him up and asked how it was, he said, "Eddie blew Jimi away." I almost threw him out of the car.

Then I bought a video, "Jimi Plays Berkeley," which has the best extant footage of his technique (and a great concert, too). After showing him that video, I heard no more about Eddie's playing.

Yes, they did have a reunion planned but I think that there was some miscommunication between Roth and Eddie (big surprise) and words were spoken and blah blah blah.

Speaking of Hendrix though:

There is a "new" Hendrix release available: The Jimi Hendrix Experience Winterland (4 CD's) and bonus CD (Jimi Hendrix Experience at Fillmore West).

There is a story-possibly apocryphal , though I seem to remember reading it in Miles' autobiography-that as a member of Miles Davis' band , John Coltrane , who was even then known for incredibly long solos, went to Miles and initiated a long musical discussion about how Coltrane was having trouble wrapping up his solos and how did Miles think he should handle it. Miles' typically terse response was "John. Put the f*****g horn down!!!"

I mention that because even as a Hendrix slappy on some this release's solos I sorta wish Miles had been around to tell Hendrix that. Hendrix here is in full effect though. It is an expansion and remastering of the previous Winterland release. Versions of old songs are drastically reworked and expanded.The highlight is undoubtedly an 11 minute marathon of "Like a Rolling Stone". The Fillmore CD has two different versions of "Dear Mr. Fantasy".

To the extent you can say anyone was the greatest, Hendrix certainly fit the bill. But even the greatest is only one man. It would have been interesting to hear a second guitarist, organist or horn player on some of these songs. Because Hendrix goes on and on and on...

Because obviously everybody is suffering in the current economy...

Jay-Z and Kanye West Earn Nearly $6 Million for Playing 16 Year-old's Birthday Party

I didn't know Rihanna and Kenny Chesney were that popular.
And Roger Waters got to keep all that money for himself without having to share any with David Gilmour...

Cuts in Grammys -grumbling but no action

What strikes me is the highest average ticket price.

Sir Paul, I adore your work, both Beatles and solo catalogues. The locals know I'm a Beatle nut. And in recent years, I've increasingly respected the shit out of your indeliable contributions to pop music. (Especially after the recent reissues of MCCARTNEY and MCCARTNEY II albums.)

But $135 for one of your concerts?!? Are you nuts? Did that golddigger ex really nail you that badly? Are you starving for cash? Jesus Christ I like you dude, but I pay that much to buy a guitar, not a concert ticket. Excuse me, "not an average concert ticket." Yeah that means a good half of a concert audience of yours pays more than $135 just for a seat.

Even if John and George came back to life and told God to suck it and the Beatles got reformed, that's still too much.



To be fair, unless I'm mistaken, he underwrote the entire $60-70 million tour pricetag (varies by account) so he's entitled to break even. Which is funny because that THE WALL concert (strong contender for concert of the year IMO) is practically an excuse for Waters to make his anti-capitalist rant.

Hilarious. (Capo would've loved it.)

Peter Frampton Sues A&M Records Over Digital Royalties



http://www.billboard.com/news/peter-fram...005751352.story

EDIT - It should be noted that last year, Pink Floyd sued EMI over similar complaints in UK courts and won.

Lilo, my nephew sent me the Hendrix at Winterland CDs, as well as West Coast Seattle Boy, Wild Blue Angel (Isle of Wight) and Hendrix in the West. As with so much of what's been released within the last 10 years, nothing on Winterland is bad, but it's all been done before--and better. The first Seattle Boy disc has some pretty decent R&B from the bands Jimi played with before the Experience, but the playing isn't readily identified as Jimi. The rest is like the Winterland stuff--there are only so many times you can hear "Foxy Lady," "Purple Haze," etc. and maintain interest (although one of the "Purple Haze"'s on the boxed set, "The Jimi Hendrix Experience," contains one of his patented big finishes). Jimi was way off at the Isle of Wight, his last concert.

"Hendrix in the West" was the first posthumous release of live Jimi, and it's still one of the very best. I held onto my vinyl all these years, hoping for a CD release--now I have it.

An on-line article about Prince refusing to let former associated acts The Time and The Family tour/record again under their names, which he owns the copyright.

Trouble at Paisley Park

http://www.dominionofnewyork.com/2011/12/30/trouble-in-paisley-park/

Weird how that article brings up Susannah Melvoin without mentioning in context that (1) her sister was in Prince's Revolution band, and (2)she was once Prince's finance, allegedly the inspiration for his track "Forever in My Life."

Anyway, in related "Screw You Purple Mother Fucker!" news, The Time (now the "Original 7ven") have scored a deal with Fox Sports Network to showcase their single "#Trendin" during televised regional NBA games and other similar network programming. Good for them.

http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=7393873

I enjoy their sincere fanboy covers, whether covering Berry or Perkins or Little Richard or Holly or whoever ("Baby, It's You" is particularly fun) but that's the thing, they're just that: covers that don't (for me) match up to those originals. (Nobody especially beats Berry at his own original licks & tracks.)

Except for one exception. A cover they did that I'll argue is actually superior than the original, and Lilo will probably have my head for this but alright..."Twist & Shout."

Why? Maybe it was recording circumstances for the PLEASE PLEASE ME album, having to record all the tracks in one day, mixing a few originals with covers they regularly performed in concert. Working like dogs all day and into the night as a band together (complete contrast with them just several years later), all that adrenaline flowing at max power as they tackled the song: "Twist & Shout."

They followed the basic beat and rhythm of the Isley Brothers version, but they gave it balls. John's throat was shredded after that long day, but that group tight as fuck as any rock band can be with the members responded to his desperate, charismatic vocals and each other in real time.

If this was done today, critics would label it a purposeful "punk rock" track. But back then, it was just dudes "high" from kicking ass on their first album but wanted to leave that damn studio after tripping out in massive sweat. That one take forever captured in audio is easily one of the more inspirational, great rock n roll recordings from that decade.

RR,

I'm with you on Twist & Shout. I do remember John saying how his voice was really strained. It's just a wonderful version of the song that's all there is to it. Now my daughters always think of Ferris Buller when they hear that song.



TIS

New (reformed) Van Halen Album Art/Release Date revealed!





Meanwhile, Paul McCartney's reps have stated that his upcoming jazz/standards album will NOT be titled My Valentine after all. Instead NME reports that it's going to be actually titled...I'm not making this up...Kisses on the Bottom.

What some on the subtle-deaf Internet don't get is the purposeful double entendre, since the album title is a reference to a lyric from one of the tracks Macca reportedly covered: "I'm Going to Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter."

Hilarious. Such a better, if initially stunning, album title than the alleged old, bland record title. It's right up there in the Macca cheekyness of his masterpiece Ram album where he had a picture of beetles mating to tell everyone how he felt treated by his ex-Beatle bandmates. Or singing "Eat at Home" with his wife, and they obviously weren't talking about "eating" food.

Can't wait for the Kiss My Ass album.

From the Old Grudges Die Hard With a Vengeance newsdesk:

Sex Pistols' Steve Jones: 'Glen Matlock was a middle-class mommy's boy'



http://www.nme.com/news/sex-pistols/61160

Salt, meet Grain.

Pink Floyd To Reunite For 2012 London Olympics?



http://ultimateclassicrock.com/pink-floyd-london-olympics/

Album cover for McCartney's upcoming KISSES ON THE BOTTOM revealed:

Actually I kind of like it. It's small pic but Paul looks good.




TIS

How old is that picture?

Today Paul looks more like Margaret Thatcher than "The Cute One."

Ha ha ha! Yea it does look like it's an older pic but it's hard to tell. Paul has aged but still has that boyish look(cute) if you ask me. But then, I'm a fan.


TIS

Yeah, he still looks 16, Tis.

Now, come on, I didn't say that. You're cold!



TIS

You know I'm kidding, Tis .

I've told you many times that Paul was my favorite Beatle, which puts me in the minority.

The older I get, the more tolerant of old age I am.





TIS

Live Streaming of Van Halen NYC concert?

Allegedly tonight's gig at CafeWhaNYC for the media (and reportedly debut their first album single) is allegedly supposed to stream tonight at 8 PM, ET.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cafewhanyc

EDIT - Said single, "Tattoo," will be released next tuesday.