On 17 Jul 2002 at 10:25, Kate Bennett wrote: > sorry its so long, i wasn't given a link...(relates to the discussion > on rome burning & rock stars falling, etc.) >
Here's the link: http://www.newyorkmag.com/page.cfm?page_id=6099 The one point I think he misses here is distinguishing the major label recording industry from everything else in the "music business." Recorded music is fast approaching a price of zero, but live music is not. The thing about the Janis Ian article that was noteworthy to me in the growing lexicon of editorial on the subject was the point about the number of releases and the presence of music all around us: "And to make matters worse, we hear music everywhere, whether we want to or not; stores, amusement parks, highway rest stops. The original concept of Muzak (to be played in elevators so quietly that its soothing effect would be subliminal) has run amok. Why buy records when you can learn the entire Top 40 just by going shopping for groceries? " Live performances are scarce compared to the abundance of recorded music. And if Clear Channel continues on the path of the last couple of months (declining stock price and more legal attention than they anticipated) the company will, with any luck, be broken up and the concert business will be more competitive. And the artists who give more than just "sounding like the record" will continue to pack houses. This is the place where his analogy with authors and rock stars falls down in my view. The experience of hearing Toni Morrison read "Song of Solomon" was great but it was not nearly as monumental as hearing Joni perform "Hejira" live with an orchestra. B n.p.: Stevie Ray Vaughan - "Voodoo Chile" ------------------------------ Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous.
