Jet Black (Stranglers) on the current state of the music industry.

 
From December 2011 - full article starts about half way down THIS PAGE if you're interested. It's mainly about Jet's perception of the music industry as it's developed during his lifetime.
 
I think in this extract he's got it just about spot on. To put it in context, this part leads on from his perceived demise of the CD 'era'.
 

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So, what’s next? Well, in my opinion we have already got the ‘what’s next’, it’s the Cowell empire!

Now, I’m not going to jump on the ‘I hate Simon Cowell’ bandwagon. Love him or hate him, he is just a businessman, doing what businessmen do. They make money. That’s their job. The real problem as I see it, is not Mr Cowell per se, businessmen will always grab as much as they are able. It’s that he has been allowed to create yet another virtual monopoly, and that shouldn’t be allowed and there is no meaningful alternative to it. Anyone with wall to wall TV coverage, could sell sand to Arabs and you wouldn’t need any talent to achieve it. How can anyone compete against that kind of dissemination.

So we as a nation, are no longer able to enjoy the wide and varied creations of the worlds finest artists, because their work would simply be stolen, but we are able to be battered and brainwashed with an avalanche of repetitive mediocrity for weeks if not months on end, created, not by artists of extraordinary vision and ability, but by businessmen who’s abilities are not derived from the creative music processes, but rather, the manipulation of the balance sheet. That just cannot be right.

It should not be so surprising, that programmes emanating from the newly constituted music industry format, bespoken by a new breed of muso-magnates, have succeeded in supplanting a thriving and vibrant musical industry, with a chain of mindless repetition, reliant on endless overstatement of it’s participating stars’ abilities and alleged sales achievements and aspirations, rather than any self evident and/or stunning display of inherent creative ability, has succeeded in it’s quest so to do, by way of it’s unchallenged monopoly of the supreme marketing podia of television, whilst it’s defeated former music industry would-be competitors’ resources, have been stolen, thereby rendering them impotent. Nice one Simon!

At the very least, there ought to be a level playing field upon which those that choose to buy into the creations of the businessman, can do so, but alongside those who would choose that of the artist.

The tool that facilitates this biassed marketplace against fair competition, is of course the talent show. The talent show is nothing new, it’s been around as long as I’ve been watching TV. The basic principles remain the same. You watch a series of competitors vying to be chosen as the ‘best’ of the entrants.

In other words, it’s all about watching people learning how to do something. Become professional singers, in the case of the largest of the genre.

Then there’s another show about learning how to become a variety act, or a novelty act. Then there’s a show about learning how to survive in a jungle.

Followed by another about learning how to become a dancer. And yet another about how to become a cook.

It’s all so ridiculous. What’s actually happened, is that we have gone from watching the craftsman, to watching the apprentice! And as if you needed any confirmation about that, we even have one CALLED ‘The Apprentice’, which is about watching people who want to learn how to become business people!

Now we are no longer watching great performers, we are reduced to watching learners. In any event, the majority of contestants are failures by definition since there can only be one winner! So we are in effect, watching a bunch of no-hopers showing us how bad they are. Admittedly, some are actually so bad they inadvertently become quite funny, but that’s not the point.

Have we all gone completely mad to stand for this nonsense? This surely, if nothing else is, is something up with which, we most vehemently should not have to put! Where are the crusaders when you need them? Why is no-one shouting from the rooftops?

Of course Mr Cowell’s end product is still exposed to the worst wild-west like activities of the internet, like everyone else, but he has the overwhelming advantage of massive and biassed broadcasted marketing facilities whilst the rest of the industry can go to hell, and has largely done so.

Are we all now, those of us still surviving within the industry of music, actually occupying the position once experienced by our beloved Beeb? Do we need to become as radical as did they back in the 60's and face the music of the 10's by joining those in the vanguard, if it can be so described, even if we were able?

But perhaps I’ve got this all wrong. Is it a question of that lexicon of notes about which I previously speculated, having finally reached the end of the road? Is it just that we have now used-up all the possible combinations of notes and genre within the pantheon of music? Has the last song now been written? Is that the reason that music has plummeted down to where it now is? Are we now back at the proverbial square one?

Do we now have to regress to the point where it all started scores of, maybe even hundreds of, years ago, and start all over again? If that is so, then we had all better find something else to do until we get back to where we were in the 50's/60's and once again marvel at the excitement of music.

Of course if that is the case, it won’t in fact be us enjoying it, but rather some distant relatives of ours, if they in turn succeed in surviving through the dangerous world we now inhabit. Oh dear, it all now looks rather depressing, but I needed to get it off my chest................................just for the record.

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Many of us know it.
 
Jet Black sezzit from a position where somebody might hear it.  Good for him.
 
Yet millions will veg out in front of the one eyed tranquiliser nightly encouraging it. Even paying good money to subscribe to the merchandise and downloads generated by it.  There isn't a 'them' in this scenario it's all of us that need to take responsibility for sleep wallking our way into making magnates unassailable. 
 
TBH 'Making it' in the music business these days is nearer to what our Karl has done recently than it is to making a hit record and has been for a fair while now.
 
I tend not to see the 'recording' industry as much of anything really, I never have.  The fact remains if you want to 'play' you best turn up in front of a crowd, look them in the eye and make something happen.  There's always a market for someone that can entertain a crowd and always will be.
 
Make music because you enjoy it.  What else is there?

I think Cowell's empire will crumble soon enough.

Those that want good, creative music can find it in a thousand different places now, whereas decades ago TV was king, and a handful of radio stations sticking rigidly to a playlist.

What amazes me is why anyone actually wants to go on those shows, do they not wonder what happened to the past winners? Very few have managed to stay the course, most have been dropped like a stone after one album and a couple of tours.

I'd like to see Mr. Jet Black step up and perform one of his own songs for an audience of 30 million humans and see if he can hang with the people he describes as apprentices.

Google 'The Stranglers'. At 74 years old, he's probably played to quite a few people in his time.

If musicians only performed their own material there would be a lot less music to listen to.

Same amount of songs though eh?

"Google 'The Stranglers"

Yes, I happen to know of the Stranglers... they're the guys that made 17 studio albums and after lots of expensive 1980's MTV airplay they got one of those records to enter the U.S. charts and top out at 172.

The rest of the albums never even made it on to the RADAR over here... we had our own punk rock.

The singles weren't listened to much either... we have our own punk rock. :-)

My comment was merely a reaction to Mr Black's comments that people whom have out performed him are some how apprentices. That doesn't seem accurate.


best regards,
mike






edited grammar

My comment was merely a reaction to Mr Black's comments that people whom have out performed him are some how apprentices. That doesn't seem accurate.

That seems reasonable.


J

mike_mccue


A colleague was explaining to me that he thinks that live music and connecting with the audience is where it's at and that he doesn't see much value in recordings, records, or listening to records.



I asked him how a young person in China would be able to experience the Beatles under his preferred paradigm.


I asked him if he thought music, as documented on the Grateful Dead's American Beauty, should have just blown away in the wind for no one in the future to enjoy the moment when that performance came together with a synergy that may rarely be equaled.



I was gonna ask him if he appreciated the idea that John Coltrane, after he rehearsed it for 6 months, managed to get Giant Steps down on tape for anyone, anywhere, to enjoy listening to. I was gonna ask him, but then I realized that I don't think he knows who John Coltrane is.

The great recordings will always rise to the top and there will always be people inteersted in listening to great recordings.

That's why the internet is full of traffic with music flying back and forth to eager ears.

best regards,
mike

edit grammar

 
 
Did you also explain to your colleague how grateful he should have been that you were there?
 
Did you hear me say recording was invalid in anyway when you made that response?
 
McQ = "incapable of grasping what others are capable of grasping"

You seemed to be suggesting that the 74 year angry dude had some sort of pedigree.

Mr. Jet Black has a UK platinum album.

Taylor Hicks, an alumni of Mr. Cowell's artist promotion, has a USA platinum album.


In the U.S.A. a platinum album is 1,000,000 units.

In the U.K. a platinum album is 300,000 units.

My point is I don't think the 74 year old angry dude has any thing on the people who do well on Mr. Cowells TV shows... and I'd enjoy seeing him strut his stuff and see how an audience of 30,000,000 would vote after his best shot.

I'll quote myself:

"My comment was merely a reaction to Mr Black's comments that people whom have out performed him are some how apprentices. That doesn't seem accurate."


all the best,
mike

He alluded to the fact that he was part of a once thriving music industry, which I question.

Then he described other musicians derisively as "apprentices" who's music has become popular because the audience that enjoys it has been "battered and brainwashed".

His essay is © Jet Black 2011 as part of his very own public relations blog... which I guess just sort of gently brainwashes people?




Enjoy your pint... tell him I say "Hi".  :-)


all the best,
mike

Remember the boy band era and the girl band era. This is the same thing only for single talents; business manufacturing and creating music for a profit. It has little to do with what people want or need in terms of a musical experience.

I think it was Vince Gill who recently stated he could make more money from the ring tones of his songs than by selling albums these days. It's what the music buying public, or what is left of it, wants today.

We the people don't support live music or venues that provide live music. Plain and simple until that happens again, if ever, we must try to find paletable music on the menu screen of a digital device. We must also suffer the business view of what music is.. essentially one big competetive (we are a sports centric culture) talent show.

Yeah, I read the whole article.

On another note; I'd think a guy like you think would think that I am entitled to my own opinion without taking the liberty of describing my opinion as an axe to grind.

I see. You'd like your opinion put forward unchallenged, but would happily discount someone else's on the basis that they only sold 1.5 million albums outside the US, or that they are too old to dance around a stage singing karaoke.

..and what, pray tell, is a 'guy like me'? :-)

" He was talking about the endless succession of shows like 'The Apprentice' (where various wannabee businessmen and women vie for a chance to be Alan Sugar's new little darling) where we get to watch people who are not very good at cooking, dancing, skating or singing, becoming slightly better at it over 13 weeks in the run up to Christmas."


Here's some info on Taylor Hicks, I've seen him in the flesh and the guy has the goods.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_Hicks

"Taylor Reuben Hicks (born October 6, 1976)[2] is an American singer who won the fifth season of American Idol. Hicks got his start as a professional musician in his late teens and performed around the Southeastern United States for well over the span of a decade, during which he also released two independent albums.



Here's some info on Melinda Doolittle, who placed third on the show but is still a "winner" in my book. Honestly, I just think she is a fantastic singer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melinda_Doolittle


"Melinda Marie Doolittle (born October 6, 1977) is an American singer who finished as the third place finalist on the sixth season of American Idol. [1] Prior to her appearance on American Idol, Doolittle worked as a professional back-up singer for, among others, Michael McDonald, Kirk Franklin, Aaron Neville, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Alabama, Jonny Lang, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Carman, and Anointed."



It's not like the "battered and brainwashed" audience is ignorantly watching a caterpillar turn in to a butterfly... they are actually recognizing accomplished talent and enjoying watching said talent have a moment in the spotlight.


best regards,
mike

jamesg1213

On another note; I'd think a guy like you think would think that I am entitled to my own opinion without taking the liberty of describing my opinion as an axe to grind.

I see. You'd like your opinion put forward unchallenged, but would happily discount someone else's on the basis that they only sold 1.5 million albums outside the US, or that they are too old to dance around a stage singing karaoke.

..and what, pray tell, is a 'guy like me'? :-)

I don't know, maybe like a guy that likes to insults singers by referring to their craft as karaoke?


In actuality I was referring to your statement "anyone's right to an opinion" ... which seemed quite reasonable at the time... when I stated "a guy who thinks like you think."

I do not think you ask these questions to foster greater understanding but rather to find a fresh place to wedge your next argument.





I hope you enjoy the pint. Tell him I say "Hi"... and to stop in to Tally town on his next world tour.


best,
mike