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The smooth frontman of Matchbox Twenty.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rob-thomas/id1316200737?i=1000661134169

 

 

 

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast

1

“And sooner or later

Everybody’s kingdom must end”

Elton John had already cut an album that wasn’t even released in the U.S. Despite the Troubadour hoopla, most people first became aware of Elton on the radio, with “Your Song,” another ballad by a pop star.

Only it wasn’t. Not only was “Your Song” a step above, far from evanescent, a track that hit you in a different way from the rest of the hit parade, it wasn’t really representative of who Elton was, or didn’t show his suit of many colors, shall we say.

Now conventional wisdom at the time was that “Tumbleweed Connection,” released shortly after the American debut, the eponymous “Elton John,” was superior. And I felt the same until the release of the CD.

“Tumbleweed Connection” didn’t have a hit single, but it had the studio version of the live showstopper “Burn Down the Mission.” And Spooky Tooth covered “Son of Your Father,” and Rod Stewart did an even better version of “Country Comfort” on his true American breakthrough, “Gasoline Alley,” whereupon Rod the Mod gained believers, who were ready to spread the word when “Every Picture Tells a Story” was released.

As for the rest of the album, for a long time my favorite Elton number was the second side opener, “Where to Now St. Peter,” I’d play it every day when I got back from skiing at the Middlebury Snow Bowl, and there is the exquisite “Come Down in Time,” never mind the charming yet insistent “Amoreena” and the floating down the river feel of “My Father’s Gun.”

But “Tumbleweed Connection” sounded different from “Elton John.” And I didn’t truly realize this until the CD was released.

Unlike a lot of albums, the initial Elton John CDs sounded great. And I played them a lot. And being able to cherry-pick and repeat tracks, I got beyond hooked on “Sixty Years On” and “The King Must Die.”

Now my favorite cut initially was “Take Me to the Pilot,” which never got the respect it deserved. This showed that Elton was not just the crooner of “Your Song.” You only had to hear “Take Me to the Pilot” once to get it, and when you listened to it it brightened your mood.

But now it was the opener and closer of side two that had my attention, twenty five years later.

“Sixty Years On” is eerie. Magnificent. The kind of haunting track that built the reputation of rock music. It was far from one dimensional. Rock was a big tent that allowed experimentation, which is why you could hear Jethro Tull, Yes and Elton on the same radio station, never mind Led Zeppelin.

As for who’ll walk me down to church when I’m sixty years of age, the most amazing thing, the spookiest thing, is I’m older than that now.

And as big as Elton was, he became even bigger. Many listeners believe “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” is the best, but it’s not. And let’s be sure to mention “Captain Fantastic,” but that first American album was cut when Elton was nobody, when he had something to prove. And you can hear it. And it sounds not like it was cut in a studio, but a church.

“Caesar’s had your troubles

Everybody’s kingdom must end

And I’m so afraid your courtiers

Cannot be called best friends”

You can’t do it alone, you can never do it alone. We live in a society. Those billionaires would not be if the public didn’t buy their products. And there’s a story in today’s “New York Times” how Tesla’s sales are off because the left-leaning acolytes who purchased the cars are now looking elsewhere: https://rb.gy/xuyxcm In other words, it’s a two way street. Even if you’re a dictator, that does not mean you’re safe, ever heard of a revolution? That’s what happens when you push too far, when you abuse the public.

Everybody’s kingdom ends. No one lives forever, no one rules forever, even though many think they will. They serve at the mercy of the public, even though it may not seem that way. But even more they serve the board, their constituents, the elected officials.

You may pack the board with your cronies, but good luck once things go wrong. You may get a proxy fight, you must always look over your shoulder, you’ve got to sleep with one eye open. Rust never sleeps and neither do your detractors, the Apostles even plotted against Jesus.

2

“And sooner or later

Everybody’s kingdom must end”

What they’ve been telling us is not true. That it’s Biden’s decision whether to continue to run for President or not. He not only serves at the will of the people, but the Democratic Party, which is now turning against him.

That’s today’s news. Gotta say, we haven’t had this momentary excitement since Napster. Or at least I haven’t been refreshing the news on the internet this constantly since Napster. But now there are even more sites. I’m looking for stories, I’m trying to take the temperature. Exactly what is going on?

It’s one thing to have a belief, to pontificate, but it’s another thing to know which way the wind blows.

Today is the beginning of the end. Because elected Democratic officials are breaking rank. They’re speaking publicly, Nancy Pelosi just said on MSNBC that Joe Biden’s mental status is a “legitimate question.”

And then there’s the slew of news on Axios:

Four hours ago:

“‘Freaking the f*** out.’ Turmoil in the White House over Biden”: https://t.ly/ToQ0K

And posted at the same time:

“Biden faces growing revolt from Democrats in Congress”: https://t.ly/8fJwO

Within this article it was stated that Sheldon Whitehouse had broken ranks. And Peter Welch too. Both elected Democrats.

And then just twenty five minutes ago: 

“Scoop: Inside House Democrats’ anti-Biden vent session”: https://t.ly/9wJ3H

But it wasn’t only Axios, the “Wall Street Journal”:

“Biden Campaign Tries to Calm Democratic Donors, Lawmakers as Criticism Mounts – Rep. Lloyd Doggett calls on president to leave race, while other Democrats urge him to take hard look at his future”: https://t.ly/OPz2C

That’s right, another elected Democrat has come out of the closet, broken ranks, it’s not quite a tsunami, but it’s a very different situation than it was over the weekend.

And the “New York Times” came out with a double-barreled shotgun:

“Biden’s Lapses Are Said to Be Increasingly Common and Worrisome – People who have spent time with President Biden over the last few months or so said the lapses appear to have grown more frequent, more pronounced and, after Thursday’s debate, more worrisome.”: https://rb.gy/vjmoow

And the piece-de-resistance:

“Democrats Go Public With Panic About Biden Amid Fears of an Electoral Debacle – After days of quiet hand-wringing, a few Democrats went public with their concerns about the president, worried not only about his chances but also the party’s ability to hold the Senate and win the House.”: https://rb.gy/76piyi

Never mind Biden’s campaign alienating Democrats by calling those agitating for Biden to drop out as “the bedwetting brigade,” as out of touch and offensive as Hillary Clinton labeling citizens “deplorables.”

3

I’d rather write about music. Politics is not my passion. Art and skiing are. But I’ve been distracted by the maelstrom, in addition there’s so much at stake.

Then again, Elton John appealed to everybody without even trying. He didn’t make music for a small subset of listeners. There was melody, choruses, and in addition to being able to write and play Elton could sing, prodigiously.

But the stars had to align for him to reach people, to have commercial success. It took a team, and talk to any label, they don’t want to work with a**holes. It’s not as simple as delivering a great record.

But Elton did.

It ain’t easy for Elton to crack the Spotify Top 50 these days, then again he’s one of the few classic rockers able to do this. Has Elton lost his touch, or is the game unrecognizable. Nepo-baby Gracie Abrams has been the beneficiary of umpteen reams of hype, but did you listen to her voice? This is not Elton John. As for great lyrics and great delivery, Joni Mitchell aced it in the vocal department too. And her music is still sitting there online for youngsters to discover and listen to.

There comes a time when it ends for everybody. And now it’s Biden’s time to go. And since he wouldn’t leave of his own volition, he’s being pushed. And once a couple of people break ranks, the dam crumbles, and everybody else does.

It’s kind of like seeing an act that can’t sing anymore. Are you going to go again?

Even Bob Dylan. He’s got fans just like those of Biden who say how great his shows are. But his voice has deteriorated and he rearranges the songs to the degree that you don’t know what they are, even if you know the recordings by heart. Some people still go, but most are not interested, especially if you’ve seen him in the last thirty years, once is enough.

We vote every day in the music business. By choosing to stream, by choosing to purchase a ticket. But we only get to vote for president every four years. And we depend upon our proxies, the parties and the elected officials, to vet and put forth the best candidates. And you can’t hide failings, you can only obfuscate for so long. And then the truth comes out.

The truth was revealed Thursday night.

The king is dead.

Long live the king.

Spotify: https://rb.gy/h9budq

YouTube: https://rb.gy/8j5fq2

Subject: Re: Chris Stapleton At The Hollywood Bowl

Hi Bob,

Light moves faster than sound- the images are often timed to give a better experience to people farther back who make the most use of the screens.

The production will calculate the best delay to cater to the largest % of the crowd, this will be lessened if there are additional screens father back which themselves may be timed to the sound as it travels

Before the digital processing, analog image and audio were in sync at the stage, great for those us up close, and for the band looking at themselves- but not as good for the majority of audience.

The audio will also be delayed in any rear speakers so that they are in sync with the main PA avoiding the “parade ground echo” we see in movies

Eventide provided what were probably the first audio delays at Watkins Glen.

Cheers, TS

________________________________________

From: Tom Johnston

Subject: Re: Chris Stapleton At The Hollywood Bowl

Thanks for shining the light Bob, Chris Stapleton is indeed the real deal and an Uber talented singer/ performer. In this time we’re in he’s an example of the path back to reality in the music world. But we need more examples to make the journey.  When musicians could write, play their instrument(s), and sing in their own style the music world was genuine and had a vast array of styles. All viable.

My 2 cents

________________________________________

From: Don Forbes

Subject: Re: Chris Stapleton At The Hollywood Bowl

In 200?? my niece got married in Swannee Tenn. At the time, Southwest had direct flights from SFO to Nashville so we flew in, spent the night in town, and hit Main Street for music. After checking out everything for two blocks, it became apparent that nothing was going on but rather tired, country cover bands, grinding it out. I pulled up the “local music scene” on my phone and saw “Jompson Bothers”, rock ‘n’ roll, somewhere nearby. I loaded everybody in the car and headed out. We found the place and walked in to find maybe 10 people in the club. The band was like a throwback to some 1970s-looking southern rock ‘n’ roll ensemble with this big shaggy-haired guy killing it on vocals and guitar. We only heard them for about 20 minutes before they quit for the evening but I was knocked out! So while my family was trying to hustle me out of there, I went up to the bandstand and talked to the guy. I wished him luck and ended up buying their CD or EP. “The Jompson Bros”. 4 or 5 years later I was reading an article in Songwriter Magazine about Chris Stapleton, and how he had both a bluegrass band and a rock band, The Jompson Bros that it connected!🙀

I immediately got on the phone and called my kids saying “HEY!!!!! REMEMBER THAT GUY IN NASHVILLE?? THAT WAS CHRIS FRICKIN’ STAPLETON!!!!!!  Another chapter!

Love your writing, Bob!

Cheers,

Don

________________________________________

From: Robert Paris

Subject: Re: The Chart Is Broken

Date: May 29, 2024 at 9:02:01 PM PDT

“Used to be charts impacted sales. Because retailers would order and feature more product.”

Not only retailers.  The upshot is that “cooking” the charts also caused labels’ inventory control to order more product since they thought they had a hit on their hands and reorders would follow.  This provided a boon to my business as I dealt in overstocks and cutouts and enjoyed feasting on these deals.  I even procured Beatles product that Capitol dumped even though it was contractually prohibited.  Those were the days….  Bob Paris

________________________________________

From: Colin Newman

Subject: Jeff- guitar-Dead & Company At The Sphere

Bob, Your poignant mention of Jeff Beck moved me to respond with a small exclusive story and reveal. As Jeff’s managment team Sandra, shon and myself are creating and filming a documentary on Jeff’s # 3 Strat that he used in 2022.  It wasn’t the main guitar he played on stage but it was the one he played the most in 2022.  In his final tour he just played it on one song on stage but it was in his dressing room, bus and hotel throughout. He essentially lived with it.  He played that guitar more in his last year than he did any other. 

We chose this guitar to create a filmed journey through the hands of his friends,  associates and admirers by inviting them to play and use the guitar in some cases “on stage” as an unannounced guest.

Here comes the relevance of my note to you. 

As you say, when Weir and Lesh and Hart and Kreutzmann are gone, it will be over. Period. Just like with Jeff Beck. I still can’t believe he’s gone. That SOUND!

On the very night you saw The Dead Jeff was there in spirit and with John Mayer playing Jeff’s #3 Strat. Other uses are in process and we hope the sound and spirit of Jeff’s very  personal instrument will continue to tell his story.

By supporting the voyage of the guitar we are ensuring that even though Jeff is gone his legacy is still with us although no one will likely capture THAT SOUND, but his spirit can still live on through the guitar and those who carry that torch with equal passion, humility and respect. 

It’s a security nightmare as the guitar has its very own minder but we shall endeavour to continue the journey with a biography of Jeff’s guitar told through the playing of this instrument by others.

Colin Newman, friend and co executor of Jeff’s estate.

________________________________________

From: Shawn Mckelvey

Subject: Re: The Road Less Taken

Thank you for being you, Bob. You’re a voice of reason in a forest of hostile, conformity demanding,  falling trees. I don’t agree with everything you say, but the insistence of absolute “with us or against us” thinking is everywhere.

I even see it in Led Zeppelin groups, where if you dare to question the authorship of songs, “you’re not a real fan”. I am a “real fan”who loves Zep, but I am also realistic.  I saw people complain about Keith currently singing 3 songs, presumably to ease Mick’s workload, and getting attacked as, again, “not real fans”. I love 3 Keith tunes, but can absolutely see how someone else would not. God f’n help you if you say that aloud among your fellow parishioners.

Thanks again, I really needed to read this today.

________________________________________

From: Michael Alex

Subject: MTV News archive (I created it) deletion

Hi Bob.  Don’t know if you’re going to write about Paramounts deletion of MTV News digital archive, but if you are, do what you like with this (I founded MTV News digital and ran it from 1994-2007 btw)

The archive was my doing in 1996, as we prepared to launch daily music news online.   At my local used record shop they sold old copies of Rolling Stone, Circus, Creem etc.  They were wonderful to page through…I turned on to Led Zep in 1975 but wanted to read what Jimmy Page was saying years earlier, and with old magazines I could!  So archiving MTV News’ about to be launched digital first work was a no brainer. Music fans always wanted more information, more context, more history, and the archive made it available.  We even seeded it with transcripts of select interviews from older acts with legs  (the Pixies, Nirvana etc) to share what fans never previously got to see or read.

 

Within 18 months the archived news and interviews were doing more traffic per week than the new music news coverage.  The archive was an easy and obvious win.  Music fans cared about the pasts of their favorites.  Over the years the archival traffic kept growing, becoming particularly huge around our hip-hop coverage.   They were gold that kept on giving.

 

That Paramount saw no value in maintaining 20+ years of music news history is mind boggling.

________________________________________

From: Fred Goldring

Subject: Re: The Debate And Its Aftermath

Bob – I was at the event in the Hamptons yesterday and saw it with my own eyes.

I’m a huge admirer of Joe Biden and I think he is a true patriot whose heart, wisdom and experience are exactly what you’d want in a president. He truly cares about people and has done an amazing job against enormous headwinds (the democrats just suck at getting this information out). I went to the event hoping that Thursday was an anomaly and that there would be some logical explanation given – especially to the small group of high roller donors in attendance – but there was nothing other than he “had a bad night”.   And you would think at least he would have an impromptu conversion with his donors to allay concerns that he can’t think on his feet not a completely scripted speech.

Jill came on to  introduce him – super strong, loud and energetic. You almost felt like she was auditioning for the job not him. Joe stood stiffly zombie-like next to her. It was like “Weekend At Bernie’s”. Then Joe gets up to speak and weakly gives the exact same stump speech he gave at a rally in NC the day before reading off a teleprompter – to a small group of important donors, not thousands at a huge rally! And it got worse. He used an example of how when he had his aneurysm years before and the doctor told him there was a 35-40% chance he could die his doctors said he was an eternal optimist. Why the hell would his handlers write a speech that brings that up and reminds people he had an aneurysm especially at this moment? The contrast between his much more youthful wife and Joe was such that you wondered why they even had her introduce him. I spied Jeffrey Katzenberg watching with a sullen face and then walk backstage before Joe was even finished. (If you read the NYT article on Katzenberg he seems like somebody who could  – and should – get to Joe and tell him the truth.) Because he saw exactly what I saw.

James Carville (who I wish they’d put in charge of the campaign) is a no bullsh*t guy who calls it as he sees it. And he said the problem is that Joe needs advisors and what he has is employees. He’s right; employees are afraid of losing their jobs so they tell the boss what he knows he wants to hear not what he needs to hear.  And Joe needs to hear that he must step aside. For the good of our country and the future for our children and grandchildren.  One thing we do know is that in a Trump second term DT will only surround himself with sycophants and we’ll have no guardrails. That would be catastrophic and we’ll have Project 25 and be living like in “The Handmaids Tale”.

If Joe decides to stay on I’ll still vote for him because the alternative is unthinkable. And because there is a difference between right and wrong, morals and no morals, narcissistic dictatorship vs putting country first and democracy vs authoritarianism and facism. But it’s now abundantly clear that it’s time for Joe to pass the baton and save his legacy in the process. Because unfortunately what I saw and heard yesterday just confirmed that what 50 million people saw on Thursday was not a one off.

Fred G

________________________________________

From: Matthew Meyers

Subject: Re: The Debate And Its Aftermath

The NYT article comments today about Biden campaign hurrying to reassured big donors is the real article.  Readers comments say it all.

“Top Biden Officials Seek to Calm Donors: ‘Breathe Through the Nose’ – The senior Biden officials downplayed the political fallout of President Biden’s debate performance but provided precious little new information.”

Free link (scroll down the page to click on the blue bar at the bottom of the page for reader comments): https://t.ly/1wYcW

________________________________________

From: Kevin Andrusia

Subject: The Debate

Hi Bob

Thank you for weighing in on the debate, both with the analysis and the Napster item today. I tried sharing both on my Facebook feed and they were both taken down, TWICE, by their “technology” for attempting to mislead or share falsehoods (my words, but that’s the gist).  They have never done this before with anything of yours I share.  Ever.  Only since the debate.

Welcome to America. The takeover has already begun.

Kevin Andrusia

Orlando, FL