This is not really my thing. But I find myself deeply affected.

I won’t say the Beastie Boys were the Beatles of their generation, but they too tested limits and were decried by oldsters and embraced by youngsters. Their party anthem was ubiquitous on MTV when that channel still meant something. And unlike too many TV bands they didn’t stagnate and repeat themselves, they didn’t have their moment in time and fade away, rather they continued to test limits and grow. "Paul’s Boutique" was so far ahead of what was in the marketplace that it took many years to catch up with it. If it had been on Sony instead of Capitol, it would have been just as big as the debut. Still, the music lives on.

As does "Sabotage" from "Ill Communication". In an era where videos were becoming more formulaic, focusing on glitz and beauty, "Sabotage" was a precursor to "Pulp Fiction", it was less about a fantasy life the fan could never inhabit than musical stars inserting themselves into our everyday world. The pictures were so good you continued to watch the clip, even if you were not enamored of the music.

And in an era where everybody’s got a clothing line, most forget the Beastie Boys were there first. Or close to it. It wasn’t seen as a cash-in so much as satiating the fans, who wanted to separate those who got it from those who did not, the same way Ken Kesey did for a generation previous, delineating that some were on the bus and others were off it.

And there were movies and a record label, even a magazine, but what’s most important other than the music is what the act meant to its generation. Generation X. The one that Douglas Coupland wrote about in his book, those now approaching fifty, who grew up in the shadow of the baby boomers.

Sex was no longer free. The cost could be your life. The boomers were suddenly greedy and all that was left were McJobs. But Gen X had its music, rap, which most baby boomers still hate, still don’t understand.

It was a different era. Madonna went on tour with an unknown opening act that she had no financial investment in. Can you imagine that happening today? And if you think the Material Girl’s fans embraced the Beastie Boys, you probably believe the Greatest Generation, the baby boomers’ parents, loved the Stones.

And despite succeeding with a hedonistic party anthem, the Beastie Boys radiated intelligence. Stupid was an act, which was quickly cast aside. Entertainment has too often sold dumb, and too much of our country embraces ignorance, the Beastie Boys wanted no part of that.

And they took a stand. Musical stars have power. But those with stature have abdicated it. They’re afraid of turning off potential audience members. Whereas the Beastie Boys didn’t care. Furthermore, they led their audience, they educated fans on issues. There’s a direct line from the Beatles to San Francisco to the Beastie Boys. And MCA was an integral part.

Ian Rogers? Majordomo of Topspin? He started with the Beastie Boys. He gave up pursuing his Ph.D. because of the sound.

That’s the power of music.

It’s a sad day. For a long time we believed Adam would pull through.

Death is final. It creeps you out. Be sure to live while you’re still alive.

They’re the new radio.

As a result, you’ve got to exercise tender loving care, you’ve got to be a deejay, you’ve got to earn your listeners’ trust and keep it. We’ll only tolerate a fifteen or twenty percent tune-out rate.

I was forwarded Esquire’s "Songs Every Man Should Listen to 2012" and you shouldn’t. But there are some gems, like Van Halen’s "Stay Frosty" and Ben Howard’s "Black Flies"… We’re open to new music, if you deliver it in a playlist, if you gain our trust.

Which Al Kooper has done.

Yes, the irascible musician who composed "This Diamond Ring" as an R&B track and famously played organ on "Like A Rolling Stone" is quite an A&R guy, in the traditional sense, he knows artists and he knows repertoire. And every week he sends out a playlist, e-mail him at al@alkooper.com if you want on.

And I told him not to do ten cuts every week.

But every week there are a few gems.

And this week there’s one that cleared my sinuses and blew smoke out of my eardrums…

You’ve GOT to listen to this Paul Thorn cut "What The Hell Is Goin’ On".

A former pugilist now songwriter, I saw Paul at the Universal Amphitheatre a decade or so ago and he impressed me. But his manager called me and worked me so hard I’ve been turned off ever since. And now he’s made a COVERS album?

You’ve got to check this out…

It’s an Elvin Bishop composition, and Elvin WAILS! He hasn’t wailed this hard since he played with Mr. Kooper back at the Fillmore. Mickey Thomas always got the credit for Elvin’s hit, "Fooled Around And Fell In Love", and Elvin’s been unfairly overlooked and forgotten.

But now he’s back, and he’s as good as ever. Which is great.

It’s about the groove, the feel. And this track is so in the pocket it’s like you’ve just swallowed a jumping bean, you can’t help but get up from your seat and start flailing your limbs like Gumby. To paraphrase our forebear Ahmet Ertegun, this is the kind of cut that you hear on the radio that makes you jump out of bed and go to the all night record store in your pajamas to buy.

You won’t hear this on Top Forty radio. Paul Thorn is never going to be on "American Idol", never mind Elvin Bishop, but this is the essence, this is what this wonderful business was built upon. SOUND!!!

And while I’ve got your attention, be sure to listen to Booker T’s track "The Best Of You".

And any playlist that contains "It’s About Time" warms my heart.

And who even knew Elvis Costello had a live album out, never mind that he covered "Out Of Time"?

We’re music fans. We know it when we hear it.

But there have been so many layers of b.s. inserted between the musicians and us, the listeners, that we’ve become frustrated, we’ve tuned out, believed there’s no good new music when nothing could be further from the truth.

But we’re taking it all back. The old boys ruined it, and we’re gonna rebuild it. We’re in the process right now.

Al Kooper playlist

"Esquire" playlist

Pebble: E-Paper Watch for iPhone and Android

1. It’s cool.

No amount of marketing genius will blow into the stratosphere something that is not cool, something that is not great. There are millions of marketers out there, few idea people and even fewer who can execute.

2. Updates

If you think it’s about releasing an album and waiting for your career to happen, you’re sorely mistaken.

Pebble has updated their Kickstarter offer eight times:

Update #8: RunKeeper Announces App for Pebble!

This creates return visits. This keeps people interested and talking. Change for the sake of change yields little.

In updates Pebble gives more information, thanks and new offerings.

We live in the information age. Not everyone wants to read every word you write, but a small coterie of your audience does. And some of these are the sneezers who will spread the word.

If you write your autobiography online, you might think you’re pissing in the wind, but you’re not.

Assuming people have a reason to be interested to begin with, or you write in such a fascinating manner.

The album is dead and buried. It doesn’t work career-wise and barely works economically. Can you see the benefit of constant contact with your audience? Pebble can.

3. Varying price/offer points.

Some people want to jump in head first and give you all their money and time and others just want to dip their toes in the water. Allow both to participate.

By charging one price for an album, you’re missing the point.

You may lament the advent of the iTunes Store, but allowing grazers to buy one single is a good thing. If you’re really that good, they’ll buy more.

As for live business… I can’t see why Phish and Gaga and anybody with a dedicated fanbase doesn’t sell a season ticket. The best seats in the house for every show. And to block scalpers you get a laminate, with your picture on it. Check Kickstarter, there’s always someone who’s gonna pay a fortune. LET THEM!

4. Hipsterism

Your copy should evidence a knowledge of your customer and a relationship. Straight, overhyped copy is ignored. Make inside jokes, be self-deprecating, be entertaining.

5. Quality photos

Unfortunately, we’ve gone lo-fi in music. But the pics of the Pebble are part of the enticement. It almost seems real. You can see one on your wrist, you want one.

Someday we’ll have music this good. Remember the advent of HDTV? You’d watch the test pattern it was so good. We need that to happen in music.

6. Testimonials

This is already happening in music. That’s the best way to break a band today. By getting another act to vouch for you, whether it’s Patterson Hood with the Alabama Shakes or Usher with Justin Bieber.

This paradigm may ultimately be overused, but now it’s paying dividends.

7. Selling out

As you can see, the cheapest Pebble is no longer available. That’s how you create heat, by selling out. Works no different in music. Once it’s a hot ticket, everybody wants in, there’s a feeding frenzy. We’ve got it wrong, we want everybody to pay a lot from the get-go. But what if we had a low hurdle for a desirable product. Let’s say a band sold twenty of the best seats in the house for twenty bucks. Once again, we’ve got the issue of scalpers, but never forget entertainment is all about smoke and mirrors, creating the sensation of heat. There’s not enough innovation in pricing, in supply and demand.

8. Deadline

It incentivizes people to buy, they don’t want to be left out. The fact that this Kickstarter offer ends on May 18 is driving business.

9. Success breeds success

The fact that Pebble asked for $100k and has now raised in excess of $8 million makes it a story. And people are touched by the warmth and fuzziness of it. The upstart beating the man.

1. Jack White "Blunderbuss"

Sales this week: 137,554

Most people just don’t care. Despite saturation marketing, Jack White is a niche player. His only hope is that his fans spread the word, the media’s not cutting it.

This is no reflection upon Mr. White or his music. It’s just illustrating that SNL and print media alert the faithful, the vast masses ignore it.

You can’t convince he who does not care. Your only hope is to convince he who does, and hope that that person spreads the word to his friends. For that to happen, the fan must love the new music and it must be able to be sold to non-fans in one listen.

Disheartening?

YOU BETCHA!

The old days of repetitive radio airplay which would sear the track into the brains of the unwilling…are gone. Especially if it’s not a Top Forty act.

2. Adele "21"

Sales this week: 83,917
Percentage drop: -6
Weeks on chart: 62
Cume: 8,908,991

It’s still selling because a great percentage of the public is still discovering it. Even Adele can’t convince everybody overnight.

Furthermore, although there’s been tons of press, it never appears that Adele herself is behind it, she never seems to be working it. So when you come across a story about her, you’re not immediately turned off by the unending force of a salesperson.

Furthermore, nearly nine million copies is a staggering figure.

It’s the reward for going your own way and performing at a top level.

Listen to "21". Then listen to your album.

Now you know why she’s outselling you by a large margin.

And it’s not only the wannabes. The superstars don’t make albums this good.

Furthermore, this music is not niche. Go where the people are if you’re desirous of selling tonnage. And that may not be hip-hop or country… How many people are going to immediately turn off your record? If it’s a lot, expect to sell a little.

3. Lionel Richie
"Tuskegee"

Sales this week: 78,345
Percentage drop: -31
Weeks on chart: 5
Cume: 615,312

I listened to the album. I can’t say it’s good. The originals are all better.

This is a victory lap. It’s meaningless unless you too are a has-been.

Good for Lionel, but it’s sui generis. A marketing exercise. NEXT!

14. Bonnie Raitt "Slipstream"

Sales this week: 22,050
Percentage drop: -37
Weeks on: 3
Cume: 121,727

And here’s where I contradict myself. Press, old line media still works for heritage acts that appeal to baby boomers.

There was an excellent press campaign and it sold records. And it’s her label.

But very few acts fit Bonnie’s paradigm and are as likable. Just because she did it, that does not mean you can. If you’re a heritage act, first and foremost know who your fans are and how to get in touch with them. Yes, that’s about e-mail lists and Facebook and Twitter. And then raise the cash on Kickstarter. Don’t worry about reaching everybody, just the people who care.

17. Alabama Shakes "Boys & Girls"

Sales this week: 18,531
Percentage change: -31
Weeks on: 4
Cume: 113,202

Buzz counts. This is the buzz band amongst those who’ve passed puberty.

42. Shins "Port Of Morrow"

Sales this week: 9,445
Percentage change: -25
Weeks on: 6
Cume: 146,281

No buzz. Lots of publicity, but the Shins are no longer hot, like Alabama Shakes.

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The number 5 and 6 records are both by county artists, debuts, by Lee Brice and Kip Moore respectively. The country world embraces artists, not songs, and will buy an album. They believe the act has something to say. Hit singles give your career momentum, but it’s about you, despite how many people you collaborated with to make the music. In Top Forty, it’s about the track.

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Nicki Minaj is number 8 after four weeks. She’s sold 415,406 records. She’s got tons of buzz. But it used to be many acts had buzz. There were many Nicki Minajs. Does this mean there’s only one slot or it’s hard to break through the clutter? I’ll say we don’t have enough exceptional acts, those that make you turn your head. There’s tons of good, very little great.

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Jason Mraz’s new album is number 10, Train’s is number 11. They’re both in their second weeks. Mraz’s album dropped 71% and Train’s 65%. The hard core fans have already bought the album. There were a limited number of them. Now it’s about hit singles.

And that’s a tough row to hoe.

Both acts appeal to a fickle female audience. If you’re one of these acts you must do incredible work and hope your major label makes you a priority.

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Tiesto debuts at number 16, selling 19,288 albums. Of course we expect the record to descend quickly. But for those who say electronic music is solely a live medium…well, not exactly! But more telling, you can be number 16 in a country of 300 million people selling only 19,288 albums? Albums are niche and so are so many of these acts.

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Eric Church (#20 with a 756,330 cume)… Although I think "Springsteen" is a cheap shot, even though it’s better than most of the tracks on the Boss’s new album, he said something incredible in "Rolling Stone":

"Once your career becomes about something other than the music, then that’s what it is. I’ll never make that mistake. I don’t care if I starve."

Hooray! Someone speaking the truth!

Unfortunately just before this, Church said:

"’Honestly, if Blake Shelton and Cee Lo Green turn around in a red chair, you got a deal? That’s crazy,’ he said. ‘I don’t know what would make an artist do that. You’re not an artist.’"

Hooray again! We live in a country where no one speaks English. We’re drawn to those who utter the truth.

But we can’t handle the truth. So Eric Church apologized.

You can read the text

Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton Blast Eric Church for Anti-‘Voice’ Comments

he wiggled a bit, he didn’t completely undercut his position, but why couldn’t he let what he said initially stand? These artists are all whores who are hurting the industry at large by sucking up for what is ultimately very few dollars. Making it money before music.

And speaking of whoring out… Have you seen the Steven Tyler Burger King commercial?

YouTube

What’s even more fascinating is comments are disabled. Now I disable comments on my blog not because I can’t handle negativity, but because it’s a full time job fighting spam. They disabled comments because they know there’d be an onslaught of complaints. Tyler’s good in the commercial. But Ozzy was good on his TV show. It killed his live career. I hope Steven got paid a fortune. Because you take the short term money at the expense of the long. It’s your hard core fans who’ll keep you in business. Many fans gave up on seeing Ozzy after he became everybody’s doddering uncle. And despite the present hoopla, hard core fans are turned off by Tyler selling out. This was the guy who sang "Back In The Saddle" and did drugs all day? Don’t these acts get it, that they’re heroes to their fans, that they look up to them, that they idolize them, that they represent what the fan could never have or be? Once you humanize yourself, most people no longer care. I know, it doesn’t make sense. You, the act, are human too. But the public will never accept that…unless you ram it down their throat.