I’ve been meaning to write about “Bang a Gong (Get It On),” which I’ve heard on Sirius twice in the last two weeks, and the deejay on Deep Tracks said he was gonna play some T. Rex, but he started out with some Klaatu, and I pushed the button to Top Tracks and heard this.

People forget that “Led Zeppelin III” was a dud. History has been rewritten, its experimentation and acoustic elements have been trumpeted. But the truth is after “II” it was a disappointment, the band had hit the mainstream, they were superstars, and then not only did they veer from the track, they didn’t deliver upon their own expectations.

And then came “IV.”

It started off with the two-headed punch of “Black Dog” and “Rock and Roll,” assaulting the listener with something to prove, the band illustrated that not only was it back but there were no contenders.

And then came “Battle of Evermore,” my personal favorite, with the vocal abrasions of one Sandy Denny, delivering on the promise of “III,” this is what they meant to do.

And side two featured the introspective “Going to California,” which immediately grabbed you and made you think of the Golden State, and “When the Levee Breaks,” the heaviest track ever recorded and…

Right smack dab in the middle was “Stairway to Heaven.”

The cognoscenti had abandoned the band. They felt Jimmy and the crew had steered too far from their blues roots.

But the hoi polloi embraced “IV” because of the radio airplay. They didn’t need no stinkin’ rock magazine to tell them what to listen to, they knew excellence when they heard it.

And after the opening rockers, what they heard on the airwaves was “Stairway to Heaven.” Over and over again. Back when rock ruled the world they had the top 500, the inspiration being the Indianapolis car race, and “Stairway to Heaven” always topped it, always.

Usually “Free Bird” was number two.

And oftentimes “Kashmir” was number three.

And what they all had in common was their length, their exploration, they were not quite what had come before, but they were ultimately what the audience was looking for.

But today when you hear those intro notes you usually push the button, you know “Stairway” by heart, you don’t need to hear it again, you’ll play it when you want to online, on demand, which won’t be very often, because it’s like that person you went to summer camp with but lost touch with, you know them through and through, a revisit is unnecessary.

But today I let the track play.

And it was a revelation.

Unlike today it’s subtle. Multiple hooks are not inserted ad infinitum to ensure we don’t lose interest, the track is not begging for our attention, it seems to be cut in a world where the audience doesn’t exist, making it ever more interesting.

They say we live in an interactive world, where we’re all in touch and the walls are closing in, but the truth is our minds are just as separate as ever before. And we want art that stimulates us and takes us away, reminds us of what once was, gets us in touch with our emotions, shines light on what can be…and that’s what “Stairway” does, it seems to be cut just over the hill and not that far away, and we want to go there.

And the lyrics seem straightforward and then they are not, you get images but have a hard time following the narrative, and then there’s a switch, it makes you wonder, it really makes Robert wonder. He’s been the opposite of his image, crooning instead of belting, but now an intensity is evidenced.

There’s a feeling I get
When I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving

Oh, how many times I felt the same way, growing up on the east coast, the self-professed most important area of the country, I yearned to go where the mountains were tall, to California, where my soul would be free.

But it’s not only Robert’s vocalization, it’s Jimmy’s guitar playing, it’s like a warm embrace from someone who understands you, who is not wearing a three piece suit but has a full sleeve tattoo. It’s a lullaby for grown-ups.

And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter

As it once was it is now again, we’re waiting for a new dawn, eager for a new dawn, we want to believe our values will triumph, we want to be happy and free, we’re sick of being oppressed.

The guitar twinkles, as if the message is being beamed down from the heavens, and then Bonzo finally hits the skins and the track starts to transition, not that you know this at first, but you’re still surprised every time it happens, as if the song goes from black and white to Technicolor, from 480 to 4K.

You’re on an aural trip, you’ve transcended your body, you’ve melded with the music, you’re locked on to the beat and then…

MAJESTY!

The guitar army emerges from behind the curtain, a force that cannot be conquered, and Jimmy starts to wail, not like Yngwie and the rest of the pretenders who don’t realize fast and more is usually less, but like someone with experience, who’s paid his dues, who’s not fresh to the game but is an experienced veteran who can hit the home run again and again.

And suddenly the Robert we know emerges from the wings after Jimmy’s machinations and starts to belt. The band is firing on all cylinders, it’s a monolith we can only pay fealty too, it dwarfs everything in its path.

And then it fades and is gone.

And you only have one choice, to play it again. And again. And buy the album, to find out what else this band has to say.

And what Led Zeppelin said back in ’71 is that you’re best doing it your way, by yourself, with your peeps, than hiring outside hands to meddle with your vision. That we react to and love most that which is personal and human. That length is irrelevant if you achieve excellence. That the audience has no idea what it’s looking for but when it finds it it embraces it. And if you grab the brass ring you own the world, your acolytes will follow you anywhere, you can sell out stadiums, people will hang on every word, you’ll be more powerful than any politician, any business titan, because you own hearts and minds.

And hearts and minds are everything.

I’ll take this over OK Go any day of the week.

Watch this video.

At first you’ll think it’s gimmicky, created to get your attention and go viral.

But then you’ll find the music is actually hooky and good, it starts to stick in your brain, to the point you feel forced to queue it up again and see what it’s all about and go deeper.

And then you realize as cool as the machine is it’s about the music, a switcheroo we haven’t seen since the nineties, when MTV became more about flash than substance.

And you can’t help but contemplate the journey involved, building this creation. It reminds you of the sixties, when artists went off on singular pursuits, driven by their muse more than a desire to please the audience, and as a result we bonded ever closer to them.

We haven’t had this kind of innovation around here for a very long time. It’s stuff like this that will break the logjam, in a world where everybody’s trying to do it like everybody else.

And funny how it comes from Sweden, a land of social safety nets that is supposed to be no rival for the vaunted USA. But Spotify came from Sweden, along with Max Martin. It seems that when you’re not busy looking for your next meal, when you’re no longer desperate and can explore, you end up pushing the envelope in ways those down in the trench cannot.

You don’t have to play the game, you just have to be different, and great.

And never forget, indelible art is not about execution, but conception. That’s the ethos of punk and so many other notable artistic movements, musical and visual. You may be able to create an abstract expressionist canvas, but could you come up with the idea?

Here’s to those throwing off the shackles and trying something new.

This video is not just about train-wreck value, it’s not something you view once and pass on. It sets your mind ‘a wandering. You start to wonder about this guy, who is he, how did he come up with this, why did he come up with this?

And that’s how we got intrigued by our heroes and bonded to them in the old days.

That’s right, this hearkens back to the old, but is certifiably new.

Like all great art.

More like this please.

Wintergatan

 

Could it be that no one wants to hear what actors have to say, which generally speaking is nothing?

We’re at the threshold of the death of baby boomer constructs, and art too. The belief was that when classic rockers passed, concert attendance would crumble, but live events are burgeoning, there are more stadium acts now than there were at the beginning of the century, youngsters have an attachment to performers from their era, and are interested most in those who have something to say.

Well, it’s complicated. We have too many two-dimensional stars in music, those who are propped up by the work of others. But no one doubts that Taylor Swift’s words are her own, that’s what made her the biggest star in the land, along with a plethora of hooks. But actors, playing roles, reading the lines of others, there’s no there there.

If you want to entice the younger generation you’ve got to include their heroes, not only their infrastructure. Sure, it’s great to employ Snapchat, to shoot selfies, but today’s adolescents are enthralled by YouTube stars and others who evidence a personality, there’s a human bond between them and their heroes and there’s this feeling that the famous and the hoi polloi are in it together, it’s not about being put on a pedestal, especially not in a culture where kids view themselves as stars, especially on Instagram. Right now that site is driving the culture, it’s mostly where you’ve been with whom, but also about fashion, and no one can afford the outfits worn by the stars Sunday night, but they can put together a look from cheap and vintage clothing.

So the Oscars have become unmoored from their audience. This self-hating outfit, which sells lowest common denominator cartoon tripe to the masses leaves those flicks in the rearview mirror and trumpets low-grossing adult fare at awards time and no wonder younger people don’t care, they’re not adults! Either make the show about what they’re interested in, acknowledge they’re propping up the industry, or they’ll abandon you, because today we’ve got endless entertainment options and if you don’t purvey what we like, we’re gone.

That’s what baby boomers can’t fathom, the inability of today’s kids to stay tuned in at length to that which they don’t care about and think is lousy. Kids today don’t have short attention spans, they just have incredible shit detectors. If it doesn’t appeal to them, NEXT!

Now I’m not saying long form visual entertainment has no future. Story is king. And we are looking for rallying points, that’s why “Star Wars” became a phenomenon, why the big become even bigger, trumping all contenders. But I am saying that you can’t keep going by the old playbook and continue to win.

The Oscars is a bad TV show. It wouldn’t get sold to HBO and despite being on network is canceled in the minds of so many. We keep hearing that a billion people are watching… If only 34.4 million are viewing in the U.S., who is watching this live telecast elsewhere? Just another lie in an era where people are searching for truth. There’s no bite, no edge, just endless formula. And one thing the internet has taught us is people are constantly in search of new.

But more interesting is what other baby boomer constructs will fall by the wayside.

It’s boomers who keep terrestrial radio alive. Youngsters can’t tolerate the commercials, they believe music is an on demand item, and he who disbelieves this is forced to throw out their DVR and cancel their Netflix and Spotify accounts.

And jokes are forever, but Chris Rock is 51, it was really Kevin Hart’s gig. But the oldsters in charge would say “Kevin who?” You don’t play it safe, you take risks, isn’t that how the techies took over the country?

At least the Grammys featured music, that’s what everybody tuning in wants to see. They don’t want to hear speeches, they don’t want to see TV stars, they only care about a few awards and…remember when there used to be classical segments? Those were excised long ago, because most viewers don’t care. Tragic, but if you’re making a show for consumers…

That’s right, if the Oscars were a party, not a telecast, it would be fine to please the members. Then again, the membership does not reflect America. Still, it would end up more like the Golden Globes, but with teeth and true humor, with put-downs and references and all the elements that make everyday life interesting and what’s made for mass consumption boring.

That’s the story of 2016. You want authenticity, credibility, from those with edges who are willing to display them. If you want to succeed with millennials you’ve got to deliver your truth, something they can bite into, digest and reflect upon.

Otherwise you’re the Oscar telecast, a barge set out to sea in search of a port that no longer exists.

It’s a great big country with a vast number of people who may not see things the same way those in L.A. and NYC do. I rode the lift with fiftysomethings who’d never left the state and had great-grandchildren, they lived for their families.

Not everybody has money. It would be so great if the incomes of the wealthy trickled down to those with less, because then those without could spend and boost the economy. That’s right, the American economy is driven by consumer spending. And I saw more straight skis and aged boots worn on the feet of those who deserve better, if only they could afford it.

There’s a thin layer of super-intelligent, super-educated upscale 25-50 year olds living a lifestyle that most are unaware of and couldn’t fathom if they encountered it.

The spoils go to those who pay their dues. For all the stories of the success of college dropouts, there are many more tales of those who went to a good school and a top-notch graduate school and not only got ahead, but are running our country. I’m not saying you cannot make it from a state school, but so many who did then went on to Harvard Business School, or Columbia. Or to an Ivy undergrad and then a state school for business, law or medicine. Life is a long hard slog and if you give up early, don’t bother to get an education, chances are you’re not going to win later, and you’re certainly going to suffer in income. The spoils go to those who stick it out. If you’re eager to get out into the world as opposed to being educated…the joke’s probably gonna be on you.

And this was always true, but not as much as now. Today’s best and brightest know how tough the world is and want to buy insurance to make sure they get ahead, and that’s what education is. Not partying your ass off but getting good grades and networking nonpareil. If you take time off after college to find yourself you’re already being left behind. And it’s your choice, but don’t complain when you hit forty and are left behind.

The wealthy are willing to risk. A friend told me he was willing to lose his two million dollar investment, he didn’t want to, but not all startups succeed. If you’re protecting your assets and afraid of risk you’re gonna get nowhere, the wealthy make big bets.

The successful see the world as their oyster, have confidence that they can change the game, that they’re just as competent as the established movers and shakers.

Today’s younger generation respects its parents. It’s very different from the baby boomer ethos where our parents were clueless and we were doing our best to extract ourselves from their clutches. Parents are heroes, people you look up to, and you’re doing your best to please them, oftentimes doing exactly what they tell you to do.

The winners search for the real story. They don’t stop at the surface. Truth is a labyrinth, an onion, an orange that is peeled. If you stay engaged and listen long enough you might just find out that silent people are in power whilst those bragging have a minimal impact.

It comes down to money. Getting those with it, who have expertise, to commit. And once they do…they ultimately hold all the cards.

Trump truth appeals to the young wealthy, whose success is based on truth. I heard eagerness for Trump to confront Hillary with Bill’s peccadilloes in a debate. In a duplicitous country where image is everything and fakery rules the younger generation with cash and influence and those burdened by modern economics are dealing with reality every damn day, they want to see it evidenced on the political stage. They don’t care that Trump might not have any power if he wins, they want to see things shaken up. Yes, the tech entrepreneurs are all about shaking things up.

Change comes from outside. I know, this is well-documented. But whenever an entrenched player at the corporation tells you about his or her new idea…tune out. The future will be made by those presently not in the business, who are not burdened with any preconceptions, who are not worried about protecting the traditional players. It started with Napster, it’s only gonna get worse.

Stimulation is the essence of life. Sure, some want to do drugs and check out, but they’re missing out. We want to be engaged, in conversation, physical activity, we want to feel alive. And you never feel as alive as you do when you meet new people, who stimulate you and make you look at the world in a different way.

You can’t get to the top from the bottom. Being born with a silver spoon in your mouth helps, but not as much as knowing the right people. Life comes down to who you know. And I’m not saying to jettison your friends who are nice and supportive, I’m just saying if you want to win in business you’ve got to know those who are winning already.

The truly rich might want to hang with other truly rich, but not in numbers. They want exclusivity and privacy. A place where their children can be safe. And so many of the young movers and shakers have families.

The pivot is everything. I met many lawyers who no longer practice law as well as those who’ve turned their companies into something else.

Entrepreneurship is not something you can learn, it’s innate, some people think big and are risk-takers, others are not.

The winners are always thinking about money, that’s how they frame every opportunity, it’s what they learned in business school. If you’re jealous of their cash, you should go to business school too. Even if you don’t start a company, you’ll meet people who can give you a job.

The business people can’t be artists and the artists can’t be business people. But they’re chasing each other’s tails. As much risk as a business person might take, they don’t know how to let go of preconceptions, to truly jump off the cliff because they feel like it. They’ve invested too much in their education, they’re so busy winning they can’t risk losing, not at life. As for artists, once they start telling you about their app and other tech plays tune out, they can’t compete with the big boys. But artists can encapsulate emotions in their work and speak truth to power. In an era where we need the artistic voice most most artists have capitulated.

Time has moved on. Classic rock is in the rearview mirror. For many, Mariah Carey embodies the superstar paradigm. Boomers may have fostered change, they may be a huge part of the population, but their time is nearly done.

Winners try to help you as well as themselves. They ask questions and are always networking. If a winner doesn’t ask you for your Twitter handle or to friend you on Facebook or for your e-mail address, you’re a loser, you’ve got to change your style, you’re doing something wrong, learn how to stop selling and be warm and caring, that draws people to you.

Most people have no idea what’s going on. They think they do, they’ll tell you they do, but they don’t. You can learn a lot on the internet, but you learn most by traveling and actually meeting people. Because people will surprise you. They tend not to be what they appear. Gossip and fame are diversions from reality, they keep you from focusing on the non-sexy who run this country.

Artists are equal to business people, maybe not in money, but even more in power, but you must be true to yourself, you must speak the truth, you must explore the uncomfortable, you must show your warts, you must be unafraid of people and the world. If you’re worried about alienating potential fans, you’re doing it wrong. It’s about bonding those who care to you, and you can only do this by being honest and transparent. Artists can impact this world, if they stop kissing the butts of those with money and have some self-respect…and do what they do at an elite level without compromise, knowing that money is a benefit, but not the main goal in making art.