Is Taylor Swift Debbie Gibson or Joni Mitchell?

"Speak Now" is Taylor Swift’s effort at self-justification.  She wrote all the songs, it’s totally her…and we wish it wasn’t.  We wish she still co-wrote, that she used the usual suspect producers, then it would be more professional, less cringeworthy, more radio-friendly and acceptable to those who are not diehard fans.

What you notice first is the terrible sound.  Loud and edgy, which does a disservice to Taylor’s voice.  And the endless "Dear John" makes it clear why Mayer has not acknowledged, never mind refuted Taylor’s account. Hey, she was nineteen!  But didn’t Steely Dan sing "we got nothing in common" in "Hey Nineteen"?

Then you notice that this is not a country album.  Then again, country isn’t even country anymore and Taylor Swift inhabits that rarefied world where you’re genre-proof, where your fans accept you for who you are, you don’t have to worry about playing the game…or do you?

Give Taylor credit.  Listening to "Speak Now" the radio singles don’t jump out.  "Speak Now" is statement, from the mind of a twenty year old, who’s had way too much success way too fast and missed out on growing up but learned so many lessons she wish she hadn’t.

Listening, you think of a million rock albums.  The endless dirgey numbers Alice In Chains specialized in.  You can see a rock band working out on stage.  And you think this record is written for little girls, allowing the elder audience to dismiss Taylor Swift.

Then you come to "Never Grow Up".

It was the quiet numbers that Taylor built her reputation upon.  "Tim McGraw", "White Horse"…  And they’re strangely absent from "Speak Now".  You know, the kind of number you listen to while sitting alone on the floor of your bedroom in a rainstorm.  "Never Grow Up" has all the honesty, all the insight Taylor Swift is famous for without the wincing indictments of those who’ve wounded her.

You’re in the car on the way to the movies
And you’re mortified
You’re mom’s dropping you off

Whew!  Who hasn’t been there, too young to drive, still tethered to your parents yet so desirous of being independent and grown up, cool.

But, don’t make her drop you off around the block
Remember that she’s getting older too

Funny to see a song that can juggle two perspectives.  Reminds me of Jay-Z’s "Can I Get A…"  He’s ripping on the women and then they come in to tell their own side.  It’s revelatory, it illustrates how complicated life truly is. Parents were children once too.  And as much as they want you to grow up so that they don’t have to endure your whining and your sleeve-tugging demands, they’re mortified when you do.  It means they’re getting older.  It means soon they’ll have too much time on their hands instead of not enough.

This is what Taylor Swift specializes in.  The honest communication of the teenage landscape.  When she tries to be an adult, she gets confused.  You see teens still show their bruises, complain and cry, whereas adults are more cerebral, they play the game and only reveal themselves intermittently.

"Speak Now" will sell through Christmas.  It’s review-proof.  And after that, Taylor Swift will play live to swooning masses.  After that?

Give John Mayer credit, he broke the mold.  He was overexposed when everybody said to hold back and now he’s removed when everybody else is finally exposed.  He’s ahead of the game.  Because he realizes the rules have changed.

"Speak Now" is all about the rules.  An album two years after the last one, hyped to high heaven in every medium known to man.  As far as playing the Jet Blue terminal…is this her target demo, or does she just want to fly free for life?

"Speak Now" does not augur well for longevity.  It’s both too cutesy and too dramatic, just like an adolescent girl. The question is whether Taylor Swift can grow.

If Taylor can be as honest about being a woman as she was about being a girl, there’s hope.  But she’s got to work with a producer who flatters her voice, she has to decide whether she’s removed or involved, whether she’s giving us a peek at the life of a star or a regular person.  I mean it’s hard to have sympathy for someone who says they were screwed by John Mayer…what did she not know?  And isn’t she living out every high school girl’s fantasy?  Wouldn’t it have been better if she blamed herself instead of John?  If she owned her actions instead of blaming him for the hurt?

A lot to contemplate.

But "Never Grow Up" points a way out.  "Never Grow Up" is infiltrated not a whit by all the b.s. of her public life. It’s private, just like the lives of the rest of us civilians, we can identify, we want more like this.

Taylor Swift should not wait two more years for another album, to release more new material.  I’d love to hear a monthly report on her growing up, told with the hooks which are evident on "Speak Now".  She needs to blend the authenticity of "Never Grow Up" with the world of modern communications.  Because this wounded teen bird act ain’t gonna last forever.

What would it take to get you to pay for content?

I was planning on making a phone call during my drive to Santa Monica.  But the radio was tuned to Howard Stern and I wanted to find out who had this voice, who had this accent.

It turned out to be Mike Ditka.

Don’t we hate Mike Ditka?  You know, the martinet, the coach?  If there’s a single successful musician who played on the football team, I want to know about it.  Musicians are not team players.

And neither is Howard Stern.

But the funny thing about getting older is we realize we’re all in it together.  Bullying decreases, acceptance emerges, and we wonder what makes the other guy tick.

Not that you’ll find out on television.

Once upon a time "The Tonight Show" was ninety minutes and Johnny Carson even interviewed authors.

Now everybody in late night is doing Letterman’s show, a comedy extravaganza, where the guests are all pre-screened to tell bite-sized stories that will make the audience chuckle and then go to sleep.

There’s no substance, no honesty, no truth, because as Jack Nicholson so famously said in that movie, YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!

But you can.  That’s the dirty little secret.  The audience is hungry for the truth.  And as difficult as it is to get on TV, it’s almost impossible to get it in mainstream music.

Which is why the alternative scene, the indie scene, is growing so much.  It’s based on honesty, truth, ability, MUSIC!

Now as much as I hate when Howard self-hypes, lobbying for a new contract, it’s nothing compared to the musicians.  Who are shills for dollars.  That’s all we hear in every interview, whether print, audio or video…GIVE ME MONEY!

And who wouldn’t be turned off by that.

Tell me again why I should pay you?  Because you’ve got a BMW payment?  Because you want to buy a second house?  Because you want to party in Vegas?

And sure, there are idiots who think they can live this same lifestyle, get up close and personal with the famous faces in clubs in Hollywood and Sin City, but most people are more realistic, they dismiss the "artists", they might buy the track, but they no more believe in these acts than we did in Ed McMahon, or Andy Richter.

Howard asked Ditka about violence.  Open the paper and you’re constantly confronted with another football player who’s been paralyzed.

I expected Ditka to pooh-pooh the injuries, to say football is fine.  That’s what I love about big time entertainment, the denial.  Everyone should listen to their music on CDs and watch the World Series after midnight….  Huh?

But being an insider, a master of the game, Ditka said it was the helmet’s fault.  That the helmet is so good, it’s become a weapon.  That there are fewer injuries in rugby than there are in football, and rugby players don’t wear helmets at all.  Remove the face guard and let’s see people hit like that.

Mmm…  Never thought of that.

And then Howard asked the coach if he ever cried.

After getting fired.  Twice.  It’s tough to lose a gig.

Have you ever lost your job?  It’s your identity!  Your phone stops ringing.  Everybody moves on but you.  It’s depressing.

But there’s no depression on television unless you’re watching drug addicts, everybody in music is a winner, who can identify?

And I’m driving down the freeway and I’m wondering…  If Howard left the satellite, could I do without him?

And lo and behold, I realized I couldn’t.  That I’d gotten hooked.

Sure, I could live without the obligatory questions on broads, then again, I am interested in the answers.  But I realized Howard’s become such a good interviewer, he elicits such juicy truth from his guests, that I couldn’t live without him.

Can you live without Taio Cruz? Or the Far East Movement?  Or Maroon 5?

And you wonder why revenues are decreasing in the music business.

In order to be successful, you’ve got to either sell a commodity, like food or shoes, or you’ve got to be necessary, an integral part of people’s lives.  They’ve got to be unable to live without you.

And this has got nothing to do with your paycheck.  And everything to do with how skilled a musician you are, what you say in your lyrics, how your tunes connect.

Infectious is not only Top Forty beats.  A moody number can infiltrate a listener’s mind just as much.  You might be attracted to someone’s looks, but who they are is what keeps you sticking around.

We’ve lost the plot.  We’re making entertainment for people who don’t exist.  And everybody believes they deserve to be famous.  Even if they can’t sing or haven’t practiced their instrument.  The focus is on fame, not achievement.

Ditka played on two championship teams before he ultimately coached the Bears to a Super Bowl victory and became a legend.  But now people want to become a legend first.  What makes them believe this is possible? Other than the handlers who blow smoke up their rear ends?

Don’t listen to those people.  Now it’s a connection directly between you and your audience.  And don’t go away for three years concocting new product…  Keep delivering it, like Howard, hook us every day.  We want more. Play to your core, don’t try to close those who don’t care.  If you’re truly good, word of mouth will grow your audience.  But the days of the casual audience are done.  There are just too many entertainment options.  You want a tribe.  And if you grow one, it’ll give you all of its money.  Hell, Howard Stern gets paid $100 million a year, he built Sirius radio…he’s richer and more powerful than almost any musical act.  Think about that…

Mgmt in the New Digital World.m4v

To succeed in the artistic world you need two things: concept and execution.

Execution without concept is all those big name records that you spin and find not exactly unlistenable, but unmemorable.

Concept with failed execution is this video.

But watch it anyway, because the concept is so damn good.

Anybody who tells you they’ve got a grip on today’s landscape, that they know everything, what’s truly going on, is full of shit.  I doubt anybody even knows all the sites name-checked in this video.

But that’s the point.

It’s overwhelming.

Meanwhile, never forget most people start these sites with money in mind.  They say they want to help the artist, but after they’re helped first.  Which is why they suck and so often don’t get traction.  Because the concept is lame.  The concept is how can I get rich?  Whereas if the concept is about the art, then you truly have got a chance of getting rich.

2. Darius Rucker "Charleston, SC 1966"

Sales this week: 100,745

And they said Hootie was done.

Make it in the country world and they stand by you, unlike in the pop world.

But also credit hard work by Darius, good management by McGhee, et al, and songs…they may not be the best, they may not be perfect, but at least you can sing along!

3. Big Time Rush

Sales this week: 66,588
Debut

Once upon a time I knew every record on the chart.

I was clueless when it came to this.

But the Wikipedia tells me it’s a Nickelodeon TV show.

What kind of crazy fucked up world do we live in where I look to the Wikipedia for music explanations?  Used to be a tour of the radio dial would be enough.

6. Kenny Chesney "Hemingway’s Whiskey"

Sales this week: 39,932
Percentage change: -39
Weeks on: 3
Cume: 288,655

This album is boring.  When is Kenny Chesney gonna rock again?

See Darius Rucker above.  Kenny is coasting on his past reputation.  There’s not even another "Never Wanted Nothing More" on this record, never mind "I Go Back".

Kenny’s got to thank his lucky stars country fans are not as up to speed in stealing music as pop fans.

7. Sufjan Stevens "Age Of Adz"

Sales this week: 36,113
Debut

Whew!

Don’t expect it to sell much next week, but Sufjan’s got fans and they all came out.  This is the new music business.  It’s not about hype, it’s about the tribe, with its ear to the ground, knowing that Sufjan’s got a new album.

11. Linkin Park "A Thousand Suns"

Sales this week: 28,133
Percentage change: -23
Weeks on: 5
Cume: 417,656

Brand names mean something.  Despite a lackluster debut, people know and still remember Linkin Park and want more.

18. Maroon 5 "Hands All Over"

Sales this week: 19,995
Percentage change: -18
Weeks on: 4
Cume: 226,824

James Diener is charming.

But he’s a publicity whore.

If he’s so fucking great, if Octone is such a brand new paradigm, both of which I doubt, why isn’t this album in the Top 5?

Because it’s a pop band and in pop you’re only as good as your last hit.

I’m not saying Octone won’t find a track to promote further down the line, never count out Mutt Lange, but can we stop hearing what a genius Diener is?  About Maroon 5 and K’naan and Coke and…

Make me puke.

19. Santana "Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time"

Sales this week: 18,741
Percentage change: -3
Weeks on: 4
Cume: 134,130

I’m stunned that the record is doing this well.  It’s been excoriated in the press.  As for listening to it, why should I, when every review says it’s the exact same arrangements as the originals?

Used to be best sellers were about creativity.  That’s how you built cred and a career.

But in a world where it’s almost impossible to get a toehold, brand names are king.

But there will be new brand names.  Who build over time.

That’s the story here.  The anemic sales of these brand names.

This is not where the action is.  The action is live.  And it’s online.  Expect the SoundScan chart to get flushed away, like feces in a toilet, not too long from now.  It just doesn’t matter anymore.  And neither does Big Champagne’s Ultimate Chart, because no one believes it’s the ultimate.

If Big Champagne wanted to win, they’d pull a page from Tim Westergren’s book, get the public behind them. Right now, no one cares.

27. John Legend "Wake Up!"

Sales this week: 14,679
Percentage change: -21
Weeks on: 4
Cume: 127,155

John Legend, Alicia Keys, can’t anybody go by their real name?

Legend’s a likable guy.  But if John Cougar can become John Mellencamp, can’t John Legend become John Stephens?

30. Eric Clapton "Clapton"

Sales this week: 13,268
Percentage change: -33
Weeks on: 3
Cume: 80,496

Boring.

48. Black Keys "Brothers"

Sales this week: 8,427
Percentage change: -3
Weeks on: 22
Cume: 332,095

This album has sustained.  Credit Q Prime, credit radio airplay, credit a public that’s embraced them as being credible.

In other words, without massive mainstream publicity, somehow hard core fans of music, people who are really passionate listeners, have found out about and embraced this band.

70. David Archuletta "Other Side Of Down"

Sales this week: 6,237
Percentage change: -74
Weeks on: 2
Cume: 30,463

Why?

And if you think the new crew is gonna breathe life into "American Idol", you’re expecting Rick Springfield and Bobby Sherman to have more hits.

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LIVE GIGS

Rush

9/14 TD Garden, Boston

11,331 sold, 95% of house
Gross: $948,003

No mainstream press, not appealing to everybody, just a core, which loves this band to death.

And it’s not only Boston.  They did 12,403 for $870,118 at Verizon in Irvine the month before and even 11,053 for $687,691 in PITTSBURGH two days later.  With more acts like this, Live Nation would be profitable.

Meanwhile, Brad Paisley and Toby Keith do in excess of half a million a night.  In other words, their albums are just an advertisement for the tour.

Avett Brothers

10/1/10 Nokia, L.A.
3,453 sold, 90% of house
Gross: $123,264

You’ve got to see ’em live.  That’s what everybody says.  Hell, their Rick Rubin-produced album did not break them through.

Bottom line…  Most people in America have no idea who the Avett Brothers are.  But hard core music fans do. They don’t have to reinvent the wheel every year, they just build on their cumulative efforts.  Maybe one day they’ll be a household word, just maybe.  But if not, they’ll still be able to make more than a living and continue to work.  The Top Forty/SoundScan wonders?

Meanwhile, tickets were $25-$41.00

Widespread Panic

10/1/10 St. Augustine, FL
3,110 sold, 79% of house
Gross: $112,924

Can’t sell an album.

But have no problem selling tickets.

Pooh-pooh jam bands.  But at least it’s MUSIC!

You can make a lot more money on the road than you can selling recorded music.  And just because you sell recorded music, that doesn’t mean you can sell tickets.  Better to create a tribe that will buy tickets than covet an impulse buyer who will click and download your track.  Doesn’t take much effort to buy a track, but even though you can buy a ticket online, it’s a schlep to the venue, but real fans put up with the hassle for the music!

In other words, our future is live-based.  Even if P2P was killed, we can see from above that it’s the brand names that sell, it’s hard to establish a new brand.  And so expensive to do it the old way.  Better to start small, building fans in clubs than trying to convince radio programmers and journalists to expose you to a vast, but ever-shrinking audience much of which just doesn’t care about you.