Bobby Colomby, drummer of Blood, Sweat and Tears, and director John Scheinfeld talk about the new movie “What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears?,” and more!
The highlight of my day is watching streaming television.
Whether it be after six or after ten, when I’m done with my work, we hit the Roku and jump into another series. As I’ve stated previously, for some reason I can’t watch these shows sans Felice. Sure, there are a couple of exceptions, but if I’m viewing alone I get distracted, wondering what is happening on my phone, thinking about the rest of my life. But when Felice is in front of the set too…
I pick the shows. But that doesn’t mean we watch them, beyond an episode or two. Felice has veto power. And there are shows she won’t watch, because they’re too bloody, but I did convince her to watch “Gomorrah,” she tolerated the blood because she was hooked on the story, which I analogized to “The Godfather” to get her to dive in. Occasionally Felice suggests a show, and I’ll watch it, but only after checking the RottenTomatoes scores, only after doing research. My threshold is 80%, below that no go, because my time is just that valuable.
As is yours. I’m surprised how many people only watch HBO and what the Netflix algorithm suggests. It’s kind of like the people who e-mail me factual questions, have they never heard of Google? There’s a vast cornucopia of streaming series out there, and if you pick the right one your life will be enhanced.
Prior to the internet era, prior to the blockbusterization of films, that began with “Jaws” and took over the business completely sometime in the nineties, I used to go to the movies all the time, sometimes every night. To tell you the truth, I could watch almost anything, I loved the experience, of a darkened room where you were not interrupted. And although I might go opening weekend, back when films played for months, most of my viewing was in the afternoon, or weeknights, when the theatre is relatively empty and there are no distractions. Sure, a horror movie is great with a full audience, but most films…I can do without the hoi polloi.
But that experience…
It’s the same one I have watching the flat screen.
As I’ve stated previously, about two and a half years ago we got a top of the line LG OLED TV, and it makes all the difference. The images are sharp. And when it’s in 4k…
As for interruptions… Not when I’m watching. I never pick up the phone, I leave it at a distance, sometimes in the other room, I don’t want to be distracted, I want to be immersed.
But not everything floats my boat. As a matter of fact, people recommend the mainstream tripe…and that’s what it is, tripe. Like that show about the making of “The Godfather”…some of the worst reviews ever. Although it’s got a 95% audience score, it only has a 57% critics’ score, and when it comes to movies and television, the wisdom of the crowd is occasionally right, but so is a stopped clock, the critics are a much better metric.
Then again, what do you expect from your television? If you’re looking for entertainment… That’s far down my list. I don’t want to smoke a doobie, check out and see hellzapoppin’…no, I’m looking for something deeper, something more meaningful, something that reflects life. Not that all the shows I like are heavy, some are family dramas, like “Bonus Family” and “The A Word,” but they’re all real, about people. As for those who say they watched a show and there was no one to root for… Welcome to real life, I don’t care if every character is a knucklehead, rooting for someone is an archaic construct that is perpetuated by Hollywood, to its detriment.
That’s right, almost all of the television I watch is foreign. Not that there aren’t some good American shows, but they’re rare. They focus on production, not essence. Not that all of the foreign productions are highbrow, “Farzi” certainly is not.
So “Farzi” is comprised of eight episodes, almost all an hour, so it took us a few days to watch it. You see Felice only watches TV from 6-11 PM. So we’re limited. I could breeze through a whole day straight. I’ve seen three movies in a day many times, once or twice four. I’d drive around with the L.A. “Times” Calendar section in the back, with the listings. This was before even Moviefone. Both have been wiped out by the internet.
So last night we watched the final two episodes of “Farzi,” and when the show was over, I spontaneously exclaimed, THAT WAS FANTASTIC!
Now not as good as “The Bureau.” Not as good as “Prisoners of War,” but really fulfilling. And it’s hard to find those shows now, because during lockdown we watched so many of the greats.
So, as you know, there’s a rigid class system in India. And upward mobility is extremely limited. But that does not mean you don’t dream…
Certain partners are off limits. Irrelevant of your personality, they don’t want to live broke, or close to it.
Opportunities are closed.
But that does not mean you’re not smart, and willful.
So Sunny has a grandfather fighting from the bottom, with a newspaper that tries to equalize everybody, but is failing. In more ways than one. Not only is circulation down, but the grandfather is about to lose the printing press and the building and…
Sunny comes up with a plan.
Oh, it’s a bit of a buddy show. Sunny and Firoz bonded at a young age, and they never go against each other. Firoz is the salesman and Sunny is the brains.
And they want more.
But more means getting involved with shady characters. And the bad guy, Monsoor, is a classic, you believe he’d be the same guy if you met him on the street.
And there’s the police team trying to bring Monsoor down. Led by Michael. Who has to convince the minister to give him assets, and can only do so by lying and pointing to political dividends. So Michael has a team, and cat chases mouse.
But along the way…
Michael has marital problems. There’s a scene between him and his wife that is so realistic that I was riveted. This is how it really is.
And then there’s Megha. Who is still idealistic, all in on her job, but her mother wants her to get married.
As for what happens… The bad guys keep winning, but then just when you’re starting to wince, they don’t, the plot turns.
And “Farzi’ is one of the rare shows that gets better as it plays out. This is oftentimes not the case with streaming series. They set it up and then they play it out and the denouement is palpable. But “Farzi” is visceral and comic and riveting. You’re drawn in. Sure, there’s an element of fantasy involved, almost all crime shows have this (would these people really do this, and would they succeed if they did), but you’re drawn right in.
I’m not saying you’ll have the exact same experience, because I’ve come to find people are looking for different things, not the same thing I’m looking for. They’re addicted to the brand, HBO or Apple TV+, like their smartphone manufacturer. They only watch light stuff, comedy, they say real life is daunting enough, they don’t want to be brought down by a show. They’re entitled, but that’s not me. Man, real life is exactly what I’m looking for on the flat screen. I don’t watch fantasy, I don’t watch science fiction, if it’s not plausible, if it’s not real, I’m out. Sure, there are exceptions, but they’re very rare.
Want to watch an amazing series? Watch “Ethos,” a Turkish series on Netflix. That’s the kind of show I like, having to do with emotions and choices and… “Farzi” is much lighter than “Ethos.” “Farzi” can be dark, but it’s really like a great movie you’d see in the theatre, but stretched out to eight hours. It’s not just a caper, the characters are fully-developed, there’s action, but not all the time, and there’s love and…
Try it. Even if nothing I’ve said above resonates. Because that’s what life is all about, new experiences, stretching your world, because unless you do this you’ll end up living on repeats, waiting to die.
In truth, everything runs on word of mouth these days. Sure, big projects are hyped to high heaven, but that does not mean they succeed. Furthermore, you can ignore them and not feel left out, it’s not the twentieth century anymore.
“Ticketmaster fees: ‘There’s a real lack of understanding,’ analyst says”
Quote from analyst Brandon Ross:
“The problem that you have is, I think there’s a real lack of understanding, sometimes from the artist’s perspective, and definitely from the fan perspective, as to where those fees are actually coming from. In the case of The Cure, you had half of the fees going directly to the venues to cover things such as parking and other services that are given at the venue.
“And then, half of the ticket portion of the fee went to Ticketmaster, and half of that actually goes back to venues. So the venues are taking 75%-plus of that fee, and Ticketmaster only 25%. And I don’t think most fans actually understand that.”
Entire interview: https://yhoo.it/3lv2daG
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The complexity, that has in essence created itself, is unnecessary.
If legislation was in operation both in the UK and USA that ruled that tickets cannot be sold for more than 10% of the face value, the whole business would normalise.
Official re-sale sites could also re-sale for 10% of the value.
That is the fairest way to sell and distribute tickets.
The ticketing companies and the Artists would make a bit less.
The system would however become clear and transparent.
All the layers that are currently in place would once and for all disappear.
Then we can all get on with developing new artists and protect the business going forwards.
Harvey Goldsmith
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DAVEY JOHNSTONE PODCAST
I have been following your podcasts and the Lefsetz Letter for many years now and I just wanted to compliment you on the podcast with Davey Johnstone….. That episode was probably the best one yet although there are so many great ones, it’s hard to choose, but that particular episode was just great from start to end and so informative. In fact, Elton’s tour manager, DC Parmet is a good friend of mine.
Steve Wood
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This is one of your finest interviews – Davey Johnstone’s remarkable story flows intelligently and with great humility and grace; I was deeply moved by his personal story. And what a career – His name won’t be familiar to most people even though he’s spent decades playing the biggest stages as a key player with one of music most popular artists. I was very familiar with his work prior his to joining Elton and always appreciated his playing. I first saw Elton with Dee Murray and Nigel Olson at Stockport college in the early 70s followed by several with Davey in the 70’s and 80’s – I haven’t dug out Elton’s albums for many years, but after listening to Davey’s insights into those early recordings, the first thing I did this morning was grab honky chateau, don’t shoot me and goodbye yellow brick road and get the turntable rolling. Davey Johnstone is truly one of the greats – Thanks for the interview Bob and pushing Davey into the spotlight where he deserves to be.
Pete Carroll
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Thank you so much for the Davey Johnstone podcast. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it. It was a long one, but could have gone on so much longer. You asked great questions and he really opened up. The man’s memory is amazing – the fact that you could mention a random song from 50 years ago, and he could tell you what instruments he played on it and share a studio story…wonderful! I knew about the loss of his son, too, but to hear him tell the story was heartbreaking. So sad.
Some years back, I had the chance to have lunch with him and his then-fellow Elton guitarist John Jorgenson and Davey’s stories were fantastic. As wild as the Elton stories could be, the Alice Cooper ones were as good or better. I’m looking forward to a part two someday!
All the best,
-John Michaels
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FANTASTIC INTERVIEW…how come no one has talked to him before? He was one of my original inspirations in music, particularly to branch out to mandolin, which became my primary instrument.
Whenever I see an Elton biography I have one criterion: I look at the index in back…if there are more entries for Rod Stewart than for Davey Johnstone I don’t even bother to look at the pictures, I put it down (I’m more into the music than the fame). This far no Elton bio has made it.
🙂
Thanks for a great interview, hope you’re well!
Matthew R. Wehling
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That was great! Great guest and you let him run. I didn’t think I’d last the 2+ hours, but so entertaining. Thank you.
Edwin Rojas
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Great Davey Johnstone interview. You must do a part 2 interview with Davey Johnstone to cover more of the 70s albums, especially Captain Fantastic. By the time EJ and the band recorded Captain Fantastic, they were at their best in terms of vocals, songwriting, musical arrangement and production.  It’s one of those albums that must be heard in its entirety – the songs flow so well.
-Steve Coscia, CSP
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Man, THAT was a good podcast!
Johnstone is one of rock’s iconic sidemen..Alongside Clarence Clemons, Neil Geraldo, Randy Rhodes ,and the guy who drummed for Melissa Manchester..
The most underrated band of the rock era? The Elton John Band..I was floored when I first saw them.. They nailed the vocals! While playing!..You often don’t get that..
Their vocal arrangements became increasingly intricate..Not just harmony on the chorus, but the oohs and aahs served more as orchestration..Almost like the Jordanaires (Elvis), but on a whole other level..
The Classic Album episode of the making of GYBR details the process..Better than the biopic/musical thing, whatever TF THAT was..
You missed out by not seeing the Vegas shows..The Red Piano was seminal in rise of the rock residency..The production value really set the standard for subsequent shows..
I found the footage with Justin Timberlake as 70s Elton…The whole show was shot for a DVD release from Best Buy, and lives on YouTube..As does the final Dodger stadium show..
Timberlake as rocket man
James Spencer
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Fantastic pod with Davey Johnstone!
Robert Bond
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What an absolutely fascinating interview with Davey. Never a doubt he had a lot of stories to tell and you had him deliver. Great job.
Mitchell Sussman
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Your recent podcast with Davey Johnstone was two hours, forty-eight minutes and thirty-two seconds in length.
Accordingly, it was too short.
Gil Alloul
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Davey is one the greats and also a friend and hero.
I learned so much about playing guitar for records dissecting his parts on all the incredible Elton records that sound as good today as they did the day they came out!
I stole a lot from him in doing my own music. Still do. ‘What would Davey play on this?’ He is a musical reference I still use to this day.
He always came up/comes up with the perfect parts with the perfect sounds with such diversity style and flare. Â Acoustic 12 string parts to Mandolin to the amazing layered electric guitars and tasty solos…. I could go on and on.
I have had the honor of doing records with him back in the days when humans played together on tracking sessions.
First one was a Kiki Dee record Bill Schnee Produced in 1978. I was so thrilled to be in the same room with him and man .. one of THE nicest guys you will ever meet.
Luke
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Thanks Bob,
What a pleasure talking with you.
I leave Monday for the final 4 months of our touring career!
Talk to you when it’s over!!
Best,
DJ
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MORGAN WALLEN
He’s the sound — and life — of a lot of kids coming of age between the Coasts.
They don’t care about what the “tastemakers” do, they care about people who sing about THEIR moments, loves, wants, hurts.
Find me a NYC critic who’s gone muddin’, and they are welcome to comment.
I got my country bona fides when I was growing up + the best original band who played cool covers was Deadly Earnest + the Honky Tonk Heroes.
Stones, Ry Cooder, Waylon Jennings. NO difference, so no shame.
But my uncle also owned a (dynamite) fuse factory, and had to have land all around it for safety… so he had a bunch of black Angus cattle, then 5 buffalo to get into the Beefalo Race (he came in 2nd, I believe, or 3rd). But it’s people from West Virginia who worked those jobs… So, 70s country was what I heard when I went out to ride one of the horses or see my Dad when my parents would be split up.
I can’t say it’s my birth right, but I know that it’s in the veins of those folks. They’re not like fancy people in NY, LA or Miami.
He’s for them, plain and simple. They don’t read you, or me in HITS or even POLLSTAR. But they get out there and live, and these are the songs that celebrate those things.
It’s why he’s in stadiums, and so is Luke Combs. It’s why Kenny Chesney is the ONLY country act on BILLBOARD’s Top 10 Touring Acts of the Last 25 Years for the last 14 — and he didn’t tour during the pandemic.Â
Nobody wants to see or honor these people, and that’s fine. The fans don’t mind… at all.
Holly Gleason
Nashville, TN
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In the streaming era where no-one listens to albums unless they’re by Beyonce, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Drake or Jay Z, Morgan Wallen has had over one billion streams on this album, which is phenomenal in itself. This is an album that was released on MARCH 3 – less than three weeks ago.
And this isn’t one of those Track One Side One events. His fans are digging deep.
Track 17 is approaching a quarter billion; track 18 is on 132m as I write.
There isn’t a single track on this 36 track album that newcomers wouldn’t give their right arm to achieve.
Nothing under 6m and 22 tracks over 10m.
I don’t like the music, but the man is giving his audience what they want.
I love the streaming era, and I love the fact that artists most people have never heard of are doing gangbusters.
Best wishes
Paul Phillips
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Best country record since “Traveler†by Chris Stapleton.
I had 3 different decades of people tell me to check out his record the day it dropped, but I already had been listening.
This is the album that country fans will love that live outside the echo chambers of NYC and LA.   People in these places still have little clue what the middle of the country likes….
Josh Petersen
Music City Management
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Mine, my daughter’s opinion is that Morgan’s songs are great. His songs are crafty, original so why not release more that are ready to go. I know I’m preaching to the choir here but music promotion and the times have changed, people’s attention, interest limited so why not?
The guy is going to be around for a long time…
Steve Anderko
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I love it
The guy is a genius with a catchy hooky hook
Check these out:
“Thinkin’ Bout Me”: https://spoti.fi/42x0phS
Sunrise: https://spoti.fi/3FEMEDR
Jil Goldhand
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Subject: Jamie Lee want’s to have rock n’ roll matinee shows
Hey Bob,
Peter Shapiro’s points out the economic and venue side of this scenario, but can I point out the logistics side of loading in an arena show….
7am Rigging Call
8am Trucks start to unload (most arena tours are 8 – 16 trucks)
9am Lighting starts going up
Followed by sound, video, stage being built, etc.
Then you have lunch breaks for your crew / stagehands
Then risers, set and band gear
2pm: Chairs start being setup as floor clears
Usually by 4pm, the stage is ready for a soundcheck
5pm: Chairs are done, house gets dressed
6pm: Venue call for all security / ushers / concessions workers
And if everything goes well that day, with no hiccups…..Doors at 7!
So tell me, what bands (or promoters) are going to want to do a full loadin day, so the people over 60 (and I’m one now), can watch a show at 1pm the next day and be home by 5pm??
Kent Black
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SUMNER REDSTONE
Back in the 90’s, Nickelodeon hired us to interview Sumner Redstone for a corporate video. His nervous assistant led him into the room. He was on time and crotchety. I asked him a bunch of tedious questions about globalization and marketing strategies, which he answered intelligently enough.
Then I decided to ask him some questions the Nick audience might actually be interested in.
“How many potato dishes can you name?â€
He stared at me in astonishment. “How many potato dishes can I name? What kind of a question is that?â€
He glared at me, barely containing his fury. The room was silent. I had just asked the world’s most powerful media mogul the stupidest question he’d ever heard.
Then he fired off his answer like a machine gun. “Well, there’s baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, french fries, potato salad, roast potatoes, home fries…†his voice trailed off, as he considered the question further. “And… potatoes au gratin!†he declared triumphantly.Â
I immediately launched a follow-up. “What’s funnier, cheese or bananas?”
Another withering stare. The man who had cut the most ferocious business deals weighed his options carefully. “You can slip on a banana,” he declared. “But” he said after a long pause, “you can cut the cheese.”Â
“So cheese then?” I asked him.
“Yes, cheese is funnier than bananas” said Sumner Redstone.
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BILL MAHER/COVID
From: Andrew Oldham
Bob;
Obviously Maher did not do enough drugs …
We got Covid for Christmas. And the Ides of March are looming and it’s still here. Round 1 was like being spiked by David Crosby pre Monterey back in ’67. 4 days in a tunnel of vomit before the light came in.
Round 2 not unlike the Scientology Purification Rundown when all the drugs seep out. Obviously some decided to stay.
… and Covid decided that was where it would attack , as opposed to all the other candidates i.e. anyone who smoked anything for more than 30 years.
The Covid war is not over, you never know where or if the beast is going to hit.
Used to love Bill M . Guess he got scared. Now it’s all about him, maybe it’s time for him to adopt a kid ?
Ralph sent me this article from the “Times,” that’s the “Times of London.”:
“INHALER ARE BREATHING EASIER – Eli Hewson (aka Bono’s son) and his bandmates are shaking off the #NepoBaby tagline with their fantastic second album”
Inhaler? Didn’t ring a bell. Bono’s son has a band? I probably saw that somewhere, but unlike with actors, rock progeny never seem to exceed their progenitors. But I’m reading the article and the writer Dan Cairns is referencing everybody who tried and didn’t quite get there, from Julian Lennon to Sting’s kids to Pixie Geldof, and then I was further intrigued, this guy had perspective, this wasn’t just pure hype.
So I decided to play it.
It was rock.
Rock is in the doldrums for many reasons. First and foremost because it’s not a new sound, and when you pull up this Inhaler album that’s one thing you’ll notice, it’s not breaking new ground, and then however much you might hate hip-hop or electronic music, you’ll give these newer styles of music credit for moving forward, pushing the envelope. Second because rock is based on energy, a feeling, best experienced at a sweaty gig. However, that paradigm has taken a hit in the modern era, where everybody and everything is available online. Sure, concerts are burgeoning, but to a great degree they’re just replicas of the record, they are not separate, breathing things, at least not at the top level. So the magic is gone. I mean how much magic is there in wearing a leather motorcycle jacket?
Not that there are not acts making rock music. But the starting point is not the Beatles, but Metallica. Something edgier, more intense, often fast, frequently with screaming vocals and…there is a market for this, but it’s far from everybody. In other words, Active Rock is a backwater.
So I’m listening to the opening cut on the album, “Just to Keep You Satisfied,” and the weird thing is…I immediately get it, I don’t want to turn it off. Which is strange in today’s day and age. But as it plays out, I realize it’s somewhat familiar. First and foremost because Eli Hewson’s vocals sound very close to those of his famous father, Bono. It’s not exactly like U2, if for no other reason than the groove, but it’s got the same intensity…
Eureka! That’s it! These guys are playing like they mean it, like they have something to prove, like they and their music can make a difference, change the world. Which is positively retro in an era where acts are a brand and the music is just a stepping stone to an empire of endorsements and clothing and perfume… The music wasn’t about a look, it stood alone.
And I’m listening and it starts to become hypnotic, the guitars don’t sound exactly like the Edge and I continue to marvel that I’m not stopping it, which is the case with most new music, there’s more of it, but finding the good stuff is nearly impossible.
So I start to research. Yes, Inhaler’s first and second albums did debut at #1 in Ireland. But that’s Ireland, a small country where Bono is God. But it was true that the first album debuted at #1 on the U.K. chart and the second at #2. Well, novelty works the first time around, but the second?
And the numbers reveal what I believed, Inhaler means nothing in America, it’s like they don’t even exist. I didn’t miss something, there was nothing to see. There were a few cuts on AAA, with chart positions of 14, 15 and 28, but that’s like having a middle of the night show on Newsmax, the host is thrilled, but there’s no real impact.
Now just to make sure I wasn’t missing something, I pulled up the Mediabase charts, and “Love Will Get You There,” from Inhaler’s new album, is now at #15 on the AAA chart. Sounds impressive until you look what’s above it. Do you know Lone Bellow, Joe P, Three Sacred Souls, White Reaper, Beach Weather, the Heavy Heavy? Maybe if you’re in the AAA world.
So I went to Spotify. Lone Bellow’s song “Honey,” #4 on the AAA chart, has 2,432,866 streams. There are 36 cuts on Morgan Wallen’s new album “One Thing at a Time,” and the track with the fewest number of streams, “Outlook,” is #35 in the running order, and it’s got 7,653,113 streams.
I’m not passing artistic judgment. I’m just saying that the impact of terrestrial radio, in this case AAA radio, on music consumption, is miniscule.
I don’t want to beat up on AAA radio, it’s doing a great job of exposing new music, it’s just that other than diehard listeners…it’s not minting stars. It’s getting acts started, but where do they go from there, how do they get noticed?
As for the Active Rock and Alternative charts… To a great degree you see the usual suspects, acts who’ve been on the scene for years, in some cases decades, and others most people have never ever heard of. AAA is doing a better job of featuring new music than they are.
But they’re all backwaters.
Can we all agree that terrestrial radio is a dying enterprise that does deliver some exposure, but only a faction of what it once did? It’s like being on the Yahoo homepage, not even that good. MySpace instead of TikTok. It’s not serving the music world.
Which brings us back to this Inhaler album.
It’s not breaking new ground, but as it slips from track to track…I want to let it play, which is extremely rare. And I realize if I continue to play it the songs will grow on me, they’ll penetrate, and I’ll want to see the band and will go to the show and thrust my arm in the air.
Hmm…
So what I’m yearning for is a new sound. But how come this old sound works overseas and not here? Is it the smaller countries, the prevalent press?
Now if you’re over forty, “Cuts and Bruises” will be the best thing you’ve heard all year. Not only will you play it, you’ll play it again, and tell your friends about it, the same way I’m doing here. That’s the essence, do you want to tell people about it? That’s what happened to me. I was reading news for two hours, many things stimulated me, but when I opened this package from Ralph and read this article and played Inhaler’s music the first thing I thought was…I’ve got to tell people about this! I was excited. Yes, the record was flawed in that it didn’t break any ground and the sound was familiar, but it was a pleasurable listening experience, more than that, a vital listening experience, it wasn’t the background music that dominates today, or the soulless, trying to be meaningful dreck that slips right off of us who’ve been there and done that, were alive when music was king, not streaming television.
Maybe if Inhaler doesn’t extend the brand. Doesn’t do social media. Survives on the music alone… Maybe that’s the essence of keeping the magic intact, allowing rock to survive. Because really, the genre feels out of step and out of time. But if you were there then, you still have a hankering for it.
