We haven’t had an act worth talking about since Gaga.

And she took herself out of contention by disconnecting from reality, the bane of too many stars. Once you stop walking the street, once you think you truly are a celebrity, we’re no longer interested.

That’s why we loved John Lennon. He’d fuck up now and again. Do or say something strange. Whether it was saying the Beatles were more popular than Jesus or photographing himself nude with his new bride. Lennon had an edge. Then again, this was a guy who wanted to live in New York City without protection. Unfortunately, it cost him.

Remember when everybody was talking about music?

Then you’re a baby boomer. Or a Gen-X’er who came of age with MTV. Or a hip-hop acolyte. At all three times, music drove the culture, it gave us a reason to pay attention. Now..?

Who do we blame?

The people who make and sell it.

Primarily the people who sell it, who’ve never had skin in the game and think the business goes on forever, which it does, not realizing most people are only interested in the spike.

Maybe we need a commissioner. It’s helped out professional sports.

But the truth is, music is adrift. With Bono the face of Elevation Partners and Guy Oseary trumpeting his investments with Ashton Kutcher it’s no wonder that U2’s track had no traction and the band postponed their album and tour.

You see they just don’t get it.

They’re an oldies act.

Go out and play the hits. You’re done. Toast. We don’t want any more.

The only person who seems to know this is Billy Joel. Who’s refused to make new music for decades, because no one wants it.

We don’t want that which will top the chart, we want that which has to be released or its maker will self-destruct.

We live in an era that’s all about TV and tech. Dramas and apps. And the only way to compete with them is to be just as innovative and good.

So…

1. Every major label should invest in one work project. An act that does not fit the Top Forty paradigm that the purveyors believe deserves to be heard, that they’re willing to stand by album after album as the artist develops. This is the essence of Richard Russell’s greatness. He signs the act first, then figures out how to sell it. Have a competition, put it on television, we want the best new acts and we don’t want them to be like anything before, unless they can sing well and write even better, which no one seems to be able to do today, ergo the usual suspect songwriters dominating the chart.

2. Indie labels can play, but the truth is indies are usually ignorant and indiscriminating, just like the acts they sell. Recording is cheap, distribution is even cheaper. Today, it’s all about the marketing, that’s the advantage the major labels have. But the only person who ever started a record company at Sony is Doug Morris, who swears by radio and retail, and that was a good formula…in the last century.

3. New executive blood. In the sixties, labels had the house hippies. The truth is there’s no upward mobility at record labels today. Until we let teenagers work there, they’ll continue to write apps. Until we let people make decisions on taste, we’ll get me-too product. Until you can make millions in your twenties, no one of any worth will want to work at a label.

4. The curious case of Scooter Braun. Bieber was worthless, but he garnered a lot of attention. Credit Braun, who decided to do it his way. Imagine if Bieber truly had something to say, if he was not just a pin-up for those who had never had sex. Imagine if all the attention paid to this nitwit was focused on someone of merit. Braun did it his way, but most people of his ilk, from good families with money, don’t want to go into the music business. Why? So you can make little money as old farts control your game? Scooter started in the uncontrollable world known as YouTube, before the labels even knew its power. If you can’t see the game differently, we don’t care what you’ve got to say or sell.

5. Universality. That was the key to Adele’s success. What we need is something that plays to almost everybody, but what we’ve got in music are endless niches, from hip-hop to metal to EDM. But the truth is members of all cadres glom on to something great, something transcendent, like Adele. Dream big.

6. Pull, not push. We’re immune to marketing messages, especially when they’re all about crap. If what you’ve got doesn’t ignite passion and followers all by its lonesome, forget about it. This is the story of Lorde, “Royals” sold itself, all the label did was pour gasoline on the fire. More like this please.

7. The curse of plenty. The public is overloaded. At least TV is expensive. But there’s an endless tsunami of records and most people just throw up their hands and say NO MAS! We’ve got to spoon-feed people, just a couple of acts at a time.

8. Classic rock is fading in the rearview mirror. Hip-hop is deep into its maturity. We’re ready for something new. But all the brains are not focusing on music. Music is a special medium, none other competes, but people are only interested when it’s great.

9. Innovation sells. Avicii mashes up acoustic and soul with EDM and he ends up with the most played track in the history of Spotify. Avicii thought outside the box. When he previewed this music, the horde at Ultra pooh-poohed it. Because people always first reject what they ultimately embrace. If you’re not getting a huge reaction, you’re not different enough. If you’re so outside that people hate you, that’s not so bad, people hate everything different, and it takes years for people to embrace things. The masses came late to both the “Sopranos” and “Breaking Bad.”

But no one wants to change the paradigm, no one wants to lead, except for the powerless. And the powerless don’t seem to be able to stem the tide of income inequality, why should they be able to bring back the heyday of music?

We’ve got to jawbone the powerful to the point where they take risks, to the point where they just don’t do it the way they always have.

The public is ready for new and different, the public is ready to embrace great. But instead, they’re fed an endless buffet of who gives a shit.

Like Coachella… Let’s see, I go see some ancient acts and those who will never go mainstream. Good for those who want to parade in bikinis and ogle other bodies, bad for music. And the complacent press writes about this festival as if it matters. And Coachella is the granddaddy! Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo mean even less. The former is a party and the latter is a rite of passage, neither breaks any music.

Same with television competitions. They don’t want new and different, it doesn’t get instant ratings. No one is interested in last week’s episode of the “Voice,” but a great record can sell decades later.

And all the fighting amongst ourselves! The acts decrying streaming services, everybody complaining they can’t get paid. Most people ignore these battles. Just deliver a hit, then they’re interested.

There’s more good music than ever before.

But that’s not good enough.

We watch the Oscar people trumpet that which no one cares about. Which is why the movie business is being driven towards a cliff. It’s worldwide blockbusters or art films that play better as extended series on television. Remind me why I should overpay to go to the theatre again?

We need a rethink. And a doubling-down. And a stop to complaints. And a removal of focus on tech. Everything ever recorded is already available… What are we gonna listen to? How are we gonna get others to listen? When are we going to go out to dinner and find people talking about music instead of television??

THIS DIAMOND RING

You know the Gary Lewis & the Playboys version, but Al envisioned it as a horn-fueled soul number and recorded it on his album “Act Like Nothing’s Wrong,” check it out.

LIKE A ROLLING STONE

Yes, that’s Al’s organ on the supposed #1 rock single of all time. He’s told the story many times of how he planned to play guitar but was intimidated by Michael Bloomfield and sidled up to the organ when Tom Wilson wasn’t looking and Dylan liked what resulted. The saying is “You’ve got to have friends,” even more you’ve got to have BALLS!

I CAN’T KEEP FROM CRYING SOMETIMES

Back when music was not free, there were certain albums you’d see in bedrooms that you didn’t own but realized were important, like the Blues Project’s “Projections.” Their take on Blind Willie Johnson’s composition…was a sixties classic.

FLUTE THING

But this was the most famous Blues Project song, written by Kooper and featuring Andy Kulberg’s flute. This track could be just as successful today. Be sure to check out Seatrain’s cover…

I CAN’T QUIT HER

Cowritten with his “This Diamond Ring” compatriot, Irwin Levine, “I Can’t Quit Her” explodes out of the speakers and knocks you dead in a way that Bruno Mars can only dream of.

It begins with a piano figure, but the horns come in and seal the deal.

This is musical, melodic in a way today’s hits are not.

Then again, this initial Blood, Sweat & Tears album fronted by Kooper was not a hit, but it’s the only one that counts. The second, fronted by David Clayton Thomas, featured all the hits, but it’s been completely forgotten and only “Child Is Father To The Man” remains in the cognoscenti’s mind. It’s pure magic. If you don’t know it, you’ll be stunned music was so good back in 1968.

MY DAYS ARE NUMBERED

A Kooper original no one ever talks about, this is the kind of track that drove the “album cut” mantra. Just imagine lying on your bedroom floor listening to this on headphones…I did!

I LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU’LL EVER KNOW

Donny Hathaway had the cover of this Kooper original, but despite having a superior voice, BS&T’s take is better, because no one can compete with the original version sung by the original writer…they feel it!

SO MUCH LOVE

But this is a cover, of a Goffin/King composition.

There are multiple versions, most notably Dusty Springfield’s from her “Dusty In Memphis” album, but none of them hits. But this is not only my favorite take, but my favorite track on the album, because it’s a perfect closer, they throw in everything but the kitchen sink, Kooper, the backup girls, the horns, and build it up and then break it down. Exquisite!

SEASON OF THE WITCH

It was just a Donovan cut, but Al Kooper and Stephen Stills made it legendary. It’s eleven minutes long. It came out the same time as the Band’s “Big Pink,” but for some reason it hasn’t been remembered.

The “Super Session” formula would still work today, in our live-centric world. Put Eddie Van Halen or Derek Trucks in a room with Joey DeFrancesco and Lady Gaga and have them perform covers…and watch it become classic, because music can still triumph, if it’s about music. Put it on YouTube and watch the counter roll.

IT TAKES A LOT TO LAUGH, IT TAKES A TRAIN TO CRY

Completely different from Dylan’s original.

Yes, I love the Stills side of “Super Session” better. Call me a heretic!

STOP

From the Bloomfield side.

It’s classic, but equally is good is the James Gang’s rendition on their debut, “Yer’ Album.”

Yes, Bloomfield could wail. Listen.

YOU DON’T LOVE ME

For the phaser if nothing else!

This was metal before Metallica, when it was not about speed, but heaviness.

Yes, this has a killer riff, once again from the Stephen Stills side.

DEAR MR. FANTASY

Hard to believe, but for years this was the definitive version, Traffic’s initial LP had almost no traction, the original has only grown with time. Great organ effects, and listen to when the vocal mic cuts out and the room mic picks Al up.

I STAND ALONE

It swings!

For those of us who were waiting, and I certainly was, Al was finally up front and center and this title track delivered.

HEY WESTERN UNION MAN

You can hear the telegraph!

I was unaware of the Jerry Butler original, Al turned me on to this classic, he always had great taste.

This cut is an absolute killer. It locks into the groove and doesn’t let go, the horns have you throwing your arms in the air, it’s a masterpiece of arranging. Listen.

TOE HOLD

And check out this Isaac Hayes/David Porter composition too. Al may be white, but he’s got soul!

COLOURED RAIN

Overproduced but not to the point of tragedy, this is a Traffic cover for those of us who hadn’t bought Winwood’s group’s original LP. But after this, the Kooper/Bloomfield cover of “Dear Mr. Fantasy” and Three Dog Night’s version of “Heaven Is In Your Mind,” I had to own it.

MAGIC IN MY SOCKS

The opening cut off of Al’s second solo LP was unavailable in the U.S. until the advent of streaming services…

YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE

Ain’t that the truth, the title cut from the second solo.

TOO BUSY THINKING ABOUT MY BABY

Another soul cover, more obvious than what had come previously, but Al still knocks it out.

YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT

Yes, that’s Al playing the French horn on the Stones classic, making him a classic too. Come on, you know the interlude…

BRAND NEW DAY

From 1970’s double album, “Easy Does It,” this cut was featured in the Hal Ashby film “The Landlord,” which sank like a stone, so did this cut.

COUNTRY ROAD

That’s how big James Taylor was, Al covered him.

SWEET HOME ALABAMA

Yes, Al produced “Free Bird,” but before the initial LP came out, Al got a call from Lynyrd Skynyrd saying they wanted to come into the studio to cut another track. That turned out to be “Sweet Home Alabama,” which wasn’t released until long after, but not because it was not a hit, Al knew it was a smash from the moment he heard it. That’s the power of a hit single.

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM LIFE?

Ah, to jet back to 1975, when the Tubes were one of the biggest bands in Los Angeles. Sure, “White Punks On Dope” had an impact, but it was this number that cemented the band’s credibility and career. If you’ve never heard it, you’ll be stunned that something so smart and so good could get airplay on America’s radio stations. Well, not all of them, but those in L.A., and the Tubes ended up being big in the U.K., but they didn’t break through over here until Kooper was long gone and David Foster was king, but if you want the original sauce, dial this in, the Tubes sacrificed their shot at legendary stardom when they parted with Al Kooper.

Rhinofy-Al Kooper Primer

Nobody realizes they’re traceable online. That they’re leaving a constant trail of digital cookies delineating their thoughts, beliefs and behaviors.

If I told you hate mail did not bother me I’d be lying.

But keeping all my e-mail, I look back and it turns out this person has been calling me a doodyhead, but with much worse language, from back when the century was still in single digits. If every e-mail you’ve ever sent tells me what a loser I am, I know I can dismiss everything you have to say.

But even worse are the right wing nutjobs.

Yes, that’s what they are. You write anything that squares with the Democratic agenda, or a left wing position, and you hear from these people, again and again and again. It’s astounding, you go back through years of e-mail and you realize whenever you hit the topic, they hit you back.

They’re working the refs. Trying to silence those with contrary opinions.

That’s their job.

I’m unaware of this behavior on the left. Then again, I’m now going to hear from these same crazies telling me I’m wrong.

But what is truly astounding is you can look up the rantings and ravings of these same people online. That’s the power of Google.

Yes, when someone sends me something particularly heinous, I look them up.

And it turns out I’m not their only victim, they’ve written letters to the editor on the exact same subject, saying how the right wing does not get a break, that we’re moving towards socialism and the country is going to hell in a hand basket.

Call me crazy, but I think everyone is entitled to food on their plate, a roof over their head, an education and a good start. And if you believe everybody in America has got that today, you’re delusional.

Then again, that’s how the music has changed. The Youngbloods used to sing about getting together, John Lennon was all about love, and today it’s all about mine for me, and I could trace it back to Ronald Reagan, but then I’d get that e-mail once more…there you go again, Bob.

But this is not about my inability to take criticism, this is not about politics, this is about the ignorance of people who don’t realize no one’s anonymous any longer.

Now the truth is if you randomize your e-mail address, use an assumed name, you’re immediately discounted and forgotten. Because that’s so AOL circa 1998. With Facebook playing with real names, with no one paying attention to the Twitter feeds of those utilizing their real monikers, we don’t have time for fakes.

Furthermore, unless you’re immediately taking yourself out of the game by using a different anonymous e-mail address every time you send a missive, you’re findable.

Yup, if you use the same anonymous e-mail every time…

It shows up on Google. We can triangulate, we can discover who you are.

I’ve looked up every girl I ever kissed, every girl I ever had sex with, do you think I can’t find you?

It’s not only the government. I don’t need texts, I don’t need subpoenas or have to break the law. Your complete history is sitting there in plain sight, for anybody to discover.

But the truth is most people don’t care.

That’s the scourge of today’s society. For all the talk of social networks, most people are still alone with no economic mobility and they hate those who’ve risen above, whether their status is earned or not.

That’s the e-mail that cracks me up the most. People telling me how to do my job, the frequency with which I should hit send, that I should stop completely. THIS IS AN OPT-IN MAILING LIST! I never signed you up, you receive it at no cost and you can sign off any time with a click. But somehow you think I should be listening to you tell me how to do it?

Hysterical.

But it’s not only me.

Musical artists listen to their most vocal critics and change direction even though their silent fans are happy with where they’re going.

And left wingers are afraid to speak up because the same right wing nuts are going to shout them down.

The truth is, if you can’t handle abuse, you’re going to have a hard time in modern society.

Because so many feel held down with no opportunity, they’re angry, they want to feel powerful, by putting others down or shutting them up.

In other words, it’s about you, not them.

So rant away. Splurge online. Lay down your thoughts.

But don’t think you deserve any attention.

And know that you’re building a permanent record that could haunt you for the rest of your life.

Now that’s scary.

It’s about the data and the footprint.

In other words, the more information you have, the fewer mistakes you make, and if you’re America-centric, you’re gonna get your butt kicked by those who see the entire world.

Music is a dumb business.

Technology is not.

Musicians know the least about everything in life other than what they do. Which may be the result of total dedication to their craft. In other words, if you’re not doing it myopically, you won’t make it. But to listen to artists rail about the future and payment is to listen to uninformed crybabies wailing. You learn not to take children out of the crib. Leave the artists there too.

As for businessmen… It’s all about relationships and intimidation and the music business did not see the technologists coming, they’re still having their lunch eaten by people who see a future they cannot.

Like Daniel Ek.

I’m not saying Daniel is a rip-off artist hoodwinking the labels, he’s got to play fair, because he needs their licenses. But living in Sweden, where the Internet connection is screaming, and growing up in the land of tech, he just sees things a bit differently.

Kind of like Pandora.

No one can compete with them because of their data.

You see every time you log on to Pandora, the service learns more about you. To the point that no one else can compete. Their suggestions are going to be better. Sure, you don’t want to leave the same way you don’t want to abandon Sprint for Verizon, but the truth is you’re getting better service from Pandora, and despite all the press being about royalties, the reality is no one can compete with the service they’re delivering. Certainly not Apple, whose iTunes Radio has had no impact since the launch date.

Kind of like BeatsMusic. You log on, check it out, and then…

You see Jimmy Iovine lives in the land of marketing, but the kings of tomorrow live in the land of data.

Spotify never launches a product that fails, because they’ve tested it long before it launches. Yes, up to 150,000 users might be employing new features without knowing it. So by time Spotify rolls the feature throughout the world, they know it’s going to gain acceptance, they know it’s going to work.

Kind of like free mobile access.

The company had more sign-ups in the one month they launched it than they did in the previous eleven. But they knew that, the data told them that in the test.

In other words, while the record labels are still dependent upon CDs, Spotify is multiple steps ahead.

Can anybody compete with them?

The labels certainly think so, because they’re ignorant as to the winner take all nature of the web. Where one company dominates, whether it be Google, Amazon or Facebook. If you think we’re going to have multiple streaming services per territory, you believe the history of the Internet will be upended, and the data shows us otherwise.

As for Amazon… They’d be profitable if they didn’t spend $3 billion in China and $2 billion on entertainment rights.

Yes, Daniel Ek gave me that perspective, when I asked him about the profitability of Spotify. Were they going to be chasing the elusive profit for years, or…

If Amazon was interested in satiating its critics, it could stop spending on tomorrow and deliver the numbers everybody wants today, but it might not triumph in the future.

It’s all about triumphing in the future.

Spotify’s in so many countries around the world that you’re probably unaware some of them exist. They’re not in Japan, where people subscribe to rental kiosks, wherein they bring the CD home, rip it, and return it for another. Because the rights holders will not deliver reasonable terms. And there’s no YouTube.

There’s no music on YouTube in Germany, so Spotify subscriptions are huge.

In Scandinavia, they’re running in excess of 10% of the population, paying.

And now they’re part of Apple’s CarPlay. And Android’s automobile play too. Spotify is platform agnostic. And over the course of this year, Spotify chips will be embedded in so many entertainment devices, so your boom box or speaker will know what you were listening to last, and will play it on the touch of a button, or a command from your phone, streaming directly from the Internet, or your phone.

And the truth is Sonos streaming is hard.

Yes, Sonos is the streaming kahuna. Because it has figured out both hardware and software. That’s how Apple succeeded. It’s still the recipe for modern success. You can build the chip, but can you build in the delay from speaker to speaker? Can they speak to each other?

And Bluetooth might rule in units, but does the sonically superior Sonos garner all the revenue?

This is very different from play my record because I made it. The pure intimidation paradigm the business has historically run upon.

Daniel Ek is building a service so good, that you’ll want to pay for it and not abandon it.

Will Beats go free? Will it sell itself to Apple or Amazon?

Maybe. That’s Jimmy’s out. Because he’s exhausted his marketing power. People tried out Beats and abandoned it. The curation is cool for a couple of days, but then you’re done.

Or, we could have the ongoing discussion about how Spotify rips off artists and kills music dead.

But that’s only for musicians. Labels are making a fortune from streaming services. Are they passing most of it on to artists? No. But that’s not the streaming services’ fault.

And streaming kills piracy. It’s just not worth the effort.

And streaming is not only what the public wants, but what it’s already embraced.

Spotify’s vision is to have your music follow you everywhere. So it can be called up with the touch of a button.

As for the ability to sync only 3,333 tracks to your mobile handset…that’s not technology speaking, that’s rights holders speaking, they imposed that limit. Which might ultimately be lifted.

So Spotify wants to be in Japan. And China. And India. But most of the major territories are already covered, so profitability is imminent. Then again, there’s constant reinvestment in the product. To make sure it doesn’t hiccup, to make sure it delivers what you want. People rarely tolerate bugs anymore. They expect it to work, right away and forever. It’s all about scale.

As for the purchase of Echo Nest… It’s about predicting what people want to listen to. And that company with 70 employees was founded by M.I.T. people in Boston.

So techies have taken over the world.

That’s the story of this decade.

The aughts were all about the freak-out, the disruption, the casting aside of the baby boomers who believed it was about going to lunch as opposed to knowledge.

But now it’s all about tools. He who has the best wins.

And you ensure loyalty via data.

It’s no different from Billy Beane and the Oakland A’s.

You’ve got to collect the numbers and sift through them.

Which is why booking bands is cool.

But agents and promoters will be utilizing software to determine who plays and at what price in the future.

So either get on the bandwagon or get out of the way.

And know if you want to know what’s going on, a meal with expensive wine tastes good, but you’re probably gonna learn a lot more by lunching with the guy in a t-shirt.