Flea Mail
Doesn’t this sound suspiciously like the Oscar campaign telling us that a movie is only good if you see it in a THEATRE?
Decades after Burger King made major inroads into McDonald’s market share by announcing to consumers they could have it "their way", backward record companies and artists STILL believe they dictate how people should acquire and play music. God, if they could, they’d have everybody playing CDs in their homes only. So they could hear the "warm", pristine sound.
Well, CDs are pristine. But the sound is so brittle, so unlike music, that I truly believe whole GENRES of music have fallen by the wayside because when listened to on the disc format they LACK said warmth, they hurt your ear and DON’T touch your heart. Ever notice that the only thing that SOUNDS good on CD is hip-hop?
But what blows my mind about Flea’s e-mail is two things:
1. The fact he sent it.
So, I’m sitting here at home, eagerly awaiting May 9th to buy the album of my favorite artists, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and its BASSIST, its CORE MEMBER, tells me the album is available all over the NET? Shit, I’ve got to file up the P2P app. I’ve got to go to AltaVista. I’ve got to GET IT!
People were ignorant, out of the loop, and Flea informed them. They call this ADVERTISING! And Flea just advertised in the greatest word of mouth forum of all time. The word is going to spread like wildfire. Couldn’t ANYBODY stop him? Get him to shut his mouth?
Which brings us to number 2:
2. What a fucking Luddite.
"it will be of the poor sound quality of the technique they used to get it on there"
What the FUCK does THIS mean?
I’ve heard of rehearsal tapes being leaked. Of it not being the final version. But Flea doesn’t say this.
What exactly is this technique? Did they invent some new way to convert music to files while I was sleeping? Other than ripping?
And getting it on there? Like there’s a central server that hosts ALL the pirate files, that they’re not on individuals’ hard drives, available to others.
How could it be that everybody under twenty knows what the fuck is going on with computer music, and MANY OLDER THAN THAT, and the guy making the music is completely fucking ignorant?
Flea, do you own an iPod? Is there anything on it? How did the music get on there?
Meanwhile, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are selling their album on iTunes. The difference between MP3s on the Net ripped at 128 and the M4A files sold at the iTMS is like the difference between a BMW 325 and a BMW 330. If you don’t know the difference, that proves the point. Because there almost IS no difference. Furthermore, if the leaked files are ripped at 160, or 192, as advance copies so often are, they’ll sound BETTER THAN THE FILES YOU BUY!
What business is Flea in? The career business, or the DISC business?
The disc business is dying. All you’ve got is your name. And you want to do NOTHING to tarnish it. So people will give you money in the future. For live performances. For merchandise. AND music, when all this P2P trading is monetized.
Shit, it’s as if Flea accused his fans of getting the files on the INTERNETS, in the style of our beloved President.
And who is getting these files? Certainly not fans of Mariah Carey. No, rabid RHCP fans. Who are going to buy the album ANYWAY!! Unless they believe it sucks. Can you blame them for wanting to hear it first, before they buy it?
But they really want to hear it because that’s just how much they love the RHCP. And Flea has now pissed on them. By saying he doesn’t understand them.
Shit, if Flea were smart, he would have told these people to GO ONLINE AND CHECK THE NEW ALBUM OUT! It’s SO fucking good it’ll blow their minds. He could have been WITH them as opposed to AGAINST them.
I haven’t seen such ridiculous bullshit since Lars equated stealing a file with stealing a couch. Showing he had no comprehension of bits and bytes.
Sure, they’re both right. People should pay for music.
But the companies they’re signed to won’t let consumers acquire music the way THEY want to.
The street date is no longer inviolate. Marketing campaigns are bullshit. The dike is leaking and is about to break.
Furthermore, did you read that Canadian study that said P2P had essentially NO IMPACT on CD sales? CRIA’s Own Study Counters P2P Claims Yup, people are gonna buy the CD anyway. Especially one like this, with 28 tracks.
Utterly fucking ridiculous.
Legalize the trading and shut up.
AND be thrilled that people WANT your stuff. Your fans control your destiny, don’t EVER forget that.
And while you’re at it, pull down "Dani California". Best song the Peppers have done in eons.
