Some interesting things came across the transom today and I thought you’d be interested.

________

Hi Bob

Thank you for the super insightful interview with Fred Rosen. As Fred mentioned at one point latterly in your interview, it appears that Ticketmaster’s most significant ongoing error (previous controversies aside) is its singular failure to communicate clearly to ticket buyers what value and practical benefits they are getting from what otherwise at first sight appear to be egregious service fees.

Even to both seasoned music industry professionals and concertgoers in the UK, I believe that there is a significant lack of awareness on this topic. To my mind there’s either something fundamentally wrong with Ticketmaster’s PR strategy. Or perhaps they’re now so powerful that they simply don’t care about public perception and are happy to be viewed as a “necessary evil”.

Speaking of egregious, I would love to hear your thoughts on the US Dept of Homeland Security’s proposed fee increases for O and P visa applications.

As the manager of a number of non-US bands, the proposed hike in P visa costs from US$460 to US$1,615 – a mere 250%! – will transform touring the US from being expensive to becoming impossible. One band I manage, Big Big Train, were initially set to tour North America for the first time ever in spring 2020. The pandemic put paid to that tour but we lost ca. US$10k in visa application costs which were unrecoverable. Post pandemic we have been dusting off our plans to play the USA (and Canada) but the hike in visa costs severely threatens the financial viability of the tour.

I completely get that DHS requires funding but US$1,615 per individual risks pricing the vast majority of non-US artists out of touring the States. Sure, if you’re the Rolling Stones, U2, Adele or Ed Sheeran, we’re just talking about visa application costs being a rounding error in the tour accounts. But for the 99% of mere mortal non-US musicians, these amounts are simply unaffordable. As such the US music market risks becoming more parochial. And surely local economies will suffer too if the proposals are enacted.

Has DHS really thought through the likely consequences of the cost increases properly? I suggest not!

Best wishes

Nick Shilton

Kingmaker Management

________

I’ve been in a losing battle trying to convince people not to take Social Security until they hit 70, unless absolutely necessary, absolutely necessary.

Today the “Wall Street Journal” printed an article citing the statistics as to why you should wait until you are 70:

“The High Price Retirees Pay for Collecting Social Security Too Early – A study suggests that many retirees give up tens of thousands of dollars – Researchers found that almost 90% of workers age 45 to 62 would benefit by waiting until age 70 to collect Social Security.”: https://on.wsj.com/3SrMKEk

If you’re thinking of taking Social Security early, DEFINITELY read the above article.

For those click-averse (and that’s a free link above), let me quote a couple of relevant sections:

“A recent study, funded by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, finds that retirees often give up tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars by taking Social Security benefits too early. That takes into account that if a retiree claims Social Security at age 70 instead of 62, the monthly benefit could be 76% higher, adjusted for inflation.

“The researchers looked at lifetime discretionary spending and determined that almost 90% of workers age 45 to 62 would benefit by waiting until age 70 to collect Social Security. Indeed, waiting would boost the typical worker’s median discretionary spending over a lifetime by $182,370, or around 10%.

“Yet less than 10% of retirees are likely to wait that long, the researchers said.”

“Another issue is that many retirees don’t account for the value of their Social Security benefits over a 30- or 40-year period, thinking they won’t live that long. Financial experts and even guidance on the Social Security website recommend that retirees use average death rates to estimate the value of their Social Security benefits and cash flow during retirement. But Prof. Kotlikoff says that ‘using averages is highly irresponsible.’

‘It’s more important to think about how long you could possibly live,’ he says, adding that Social Security becomes a lot more valuable if someone expects to live to 100 years old and maximizing benefit becomes even more essential.”

________

The endless antisemitism conversation…

Noa Tishby wrote a necessary book re understanding Israel and the Palestinians entitled “Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth”: https://amzn.to/3lZrysU

Unfortunately, those who need to read it won’t. Tishby delineates the history of the land, from way back when, thousands of years ago, to today.

But like Tom Lehrer sang, “Everybody hates the Jews.”

Anyway, Tishby recently posted on TikTok re the Super Bowl, Kanye and antisemitism.

I’m not going to address Tishby’s point about Rihanna not singing songs that Kanye had a hand in, it’s what comes after that resonates, that what people need to hear. THE BLOWBACK!

Tishby calls it “Being online while Jewish.”

I certainly have experienced this.

You need to watch this video. It’s not a big commitment. And Tishby delivers the message with all the appropriate intense emotion.

https://bit.ly/41bRHoN 

RE: KIM CARNES/DON’T CALL IT LOVE

Hey, Bob. Thank you so much for your very kind words about “Don’t Call It Love.” You’ve given an old songwriter a big lift and I’m grateful.

Tom Snow

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Original Tom Snow version of “Don’t Call It Love”

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3YMY6oz

Hyperbolium

____________________________________

Hi Bob,

You don’t know me personally, but after reading your Feb.15th letter I feel like you do. I was heavily involved in “Mistaken Identity” being the arranger on “Bette Davis Eyes”, “Mistaken Identity” and writing the music for “Draw Of The Cards.”

I wanted to give you a quick back story regarding “Don’t Call It Love”. EMI wanted that for the first single, but Kim was adamant about it being too commercial despite being the obvious choice. She felt it wan’t unique to her, instead wanting something that was more of a game changer and more in the direction she was seeking.

Jim Mazza, Gary Gersh, Don Grierson all complained that BDEyes was not suitable for a radio single: No chorus, no guitar solo, synth based etc., etc.. Kim went to EMI daily to plead her case and finally got EMI president Jim Mazza to acquiesce. Of course, the rest is history along with the execs applauding “their decision” to release “Bette Davis Eyes” as the first single.

I was fortunate in having a long time relationship with Kim (still hang with her and husband Dave today) in that she was always open to hear new ideas. I never thought she would like the music, but I played her the song that would become Draw Of The Cards and she along with Val Garay (producer) loved it. The result was a waltz that rocked. By the way, the laughing at the end is Kim’s husband Dave.

You are so right about memorable music. The home computer/studio opened the floodgates and the gate of talent required was removed. These days I rarely work in the studio unless I’m making music of merit (indie films) and also not expecting anything to become of it. I realize I am battling 2 fronts: Ageism and Public numbness. However that doesn’t stop me from getting together to work with old friends like Dann Rogers who I’ve known for decades and putting out some quality pieces of work. We just put out a song (Let Go and Be Still) and if anyone listens, that’s a bonus. Really can’t ask for anything more. The pleasure of creating is always there.

Best regards,
Bill Cuomo

____________________________________

Should have been the 2nd single off that album as you’re right it was a hit song and he gave me a demo of it when I was buying his Yahama C5 piano. But she insisted it be “Draw Of The Cards” which I co-wrote with her and it was written about Josh Leo getting cancer and I said it was all in the draw of the cards and so the song was written.  Interesting insight Bob and yes Jerry’s solo was killer. He called it playing “Elephants” where he would play a tenor and alto sax together at the same time. 

Val Garay

____________________________________

I can’t begin to tell you how happy I was to read your post about the song, “Don’t Call It Love”.

I spent most of my career as a song plugger and truth be told, you are only as good as the songs you pitch.

I was at Arista Music in 1984 when we acquired Dean Pitchford’s catalogue and I was put in charge of going through it and finding songs to pitch.

At my initial meeting with Dean, I told him how much I loved “Don’t Call It Love”. Knowing it had been cut a few times before I asked him what his “Christmas wish” was for it. He said immediately, Dolly Parton.  Challenge accepted.

I booked a trip to Nashville and played it in person for David Malloy, who was producing the next Dolly Parton album. He put it on hold immediately and was in the studio within weeks cutting the record.

In 1985, it was released as a single and reached number 3 on the Billboard country charts and awarded the grand prize for Song of The Year at BMI.

 

As a song plugger, one of my prouder moments.

Thanks for bringing attention to the song and the song writers!

Kindly

Judy Stakee

____________________________________

I was a baby rock critic when Dolly had the hit… and it has that full stop heading into the chorus, which just grabbed you.

It took a few listeners to realize it WAS the song from MISTAKEN IDENTITY, which everyone I knew obsessed with after Kim Carnes opened for — I believe — James Taylor at Blossom. She was so cool, in her oversized tuxedo jacket, that smoky, salty voice just sandpapered down to raw emotion.

The cleaner synth track of Carnes’ track seemed poppier, but her vocal was delivered through (we thought) a lot of life.

Dolly’s version, once I figured out it was the same song,  was silkier, her voice a bit more rooted in the vibrato and the the full-on pledge. It was less fraught, more sweet.

Each woman, though, had iconic tone — and were able to be all-in and then some without sounding like a cliche, over-emoting or having that amyl nitrate/coked up enthusiasm.
AND you;re right about the sax solo, too.

and if you really wanna hear Carnes’ at her finest, a ballad called “Still Hold On.” WHOOOOOOwooooooooooWH!

Holly Gleason\
Nashville, TN

____________________________________

I’m pretty sure my little brother’s finger[prints are
all over Kim’s album, most definitely Bette Davis Eyes.
FYI.

Jimmy Wachtel

____________________________________

“Don’t Call it Love”

Yes, written by Tom Snow.

He wrote lots of great songs.

Had a few solo albums.

His first band was called ‘Country”

There was a song on there called “Sylvie”

Lowell George plays slide guitar on it.

Ta-da!

Marty Bender

____________________________________

You forgot to mention that Kim Carnes didn’t write Bette Davis Eyes either.

Original version here:

Best Regards,
Zach Goode

____________________________________

____________________________________

RE: FRED ROSEN PODCAST

____________________________________

Wow Bob

Blown away by that interview and wish it went another couple hours!

I hope he writes some sort of book.  Hearing his perspective on the Pearl Jam fiasco, Dean Budnik’s book, Telecharge’s litany of bad business decisions, and how he ran TM… just wow.  It all just seems like a no-brainer now, but clearly here’s a guy who knows where the money is and how to make a deal, and then how to see the deal through.

I’m sure I could come up with better words to express how amazing that interview is, let’s just say that if Fred Rosen was as truly authentic during his time at Ticketmaster I certainly would have run through walls for him.

Not many in this biz inspire that kind of emotion in me that’s for sure!

Get him back for round two!

Cheers

Dan Millen

____________________________________

How great to hear Fred‘s voice again.

Early in my career I was a Ticketmaster client in several markets, part of a number of Ticketron conversions, and never had a bad day using the service, striking new deals, getting data or payment or dealing with a smart, talented and diverse staff.

Later in my career, as a TM Vice-president (after Fred), we blazed new trails in Asia, cutting deals with global impact. Pound for pound probably the smartest group of people I’ve ever worked with.

Now, as an occasional consumer, but knowing all the history and backstories, I’m still amazed at the costs and machinations involved in selling a ticket.

Alan DeZon

____________________________________

SPECTACULAR Interview!!!

Steve Gerardi

____________________________________

Wow. Completely fascinating. I love hearing about the underbelly of the ticketing business. I’m no businessman but I was enthralled.

Russ Turk

____________________________________

Great interview!

Kyle JF

____________________________________

____________________________________

RE: SPRINGSTEEN TICKETS

Most of the third and fourth row behind the pit went unsold in Dallas. Even the $405 face value was too high for the folks who didn’t fall prey to the “platinum” pricing.

I bought a side-stage ticket with an amazing view from a scalper 45 minutes before the show for $20.

Charles McGarry

____________________________________

____________________________________

RE: JACK ANTONOFF ON TOURING

As a former small market promoter, Mr. Goldsmith’s comments are spot on. 

 

As a former concert ticket buyer, the day the fees and parking exceeded the ticket price was the day I quit going to live events.

Add to that utter disregard for attendee safety shown recently by some artists in Festival settings and there is no way I’m going to or allowing my kids to go to such an event.

Allen Craft

____________________________________

____________________________________

RE: DAVID CROSBY

Hi Bob

Here’s my David Crosby tale:

It was probably the late 80’s. I used to eat breakfast at Saul’s Deli (later Delmonico’s) on Ventura in Encino. I’d occasionally see David Crosby there doing the same with his wife. We’d exchange, ‘hi’s’ in passing. One morning, as I was walking by, he stopped me. HUH?! He gestured at a yellow, lined pad on the table in front of him containing scribbling, ’actually, my wife and I are having an argument about this song,’ he said, ‘I’m trying to finish it. Maybe you could help us out.’ I picked my teeth up off the floor and responded with an enthusiastic, ‘sure.’ He smiled and pointed at the paper, ‘she thinks it should be this. I think it should be the words of the hook.’ I read through the words and said, ‘well, being a songwriter (he’d never heard of me), I’m generally biased in favor of using the words in the hook.’ He smiled broadly and said, ‘me too!’He turned to his not-as broadly-smiling wife and chided, ‘there – TOLD you!’ We all laughed – nervously. The song eventually appeared on a solo album, but I remember no more than that – except the title was amazing. What writer’s percentage should I have requested?! But seriously, that throw-away moment for him has always been one of my favorite memories. R.I.P., David.

Best,

Manny Freiser 

____________________________________

____________________________________

RE: THE SHANE MCNALLY ARTICLE

“New Musical ‘Shucked’ Headed To Broadway This Spring With Songs By Nashville Hitmakers Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally”: https://bit.ly/3xChUz7

Janet Richardson

____________________________________

____________________________________

RE: FOX NEWS SCANDAL/DAVID MURPHY

Proves what point, Bob?  CNN’s news reporting isn’t inclined to cover Don Lemon’s idiotic remark (on CNN, of course) about women over 50 being past their prime, either.   Like people everywhere, news networks endeavor to protect their own reputations. Call it human nature.

Kevin Green

Washington, DC

_____

Note: 

“Don Lemon apologizes to CNN colleagues for sexist remarks: ‘I’m sorry that I said it’: https://cnn.it/3xD7KhC

By Oliver Darcy, CNN

Published 11:31 AM EST, Fri February 17, 2023

____________________________________

Thanks for sharing. David is a smart man

Richard Carlson

____________________________________

And your point?
The majority of the country agrees with him. Myself included.
I feel like we’re living in “All Along the Watchtower.”

Thanks,
Ernie Canadeo
Chairman and Founder
The EGC Group
egcgroup.com

_____

Note: My inbox does not concur. Criticism of Mr. Murphy’s opinions outnumbered those supporting them by a ratio of thirty to one.

____________________________________

Your emails have been so spotty lately that I’ve relegated them to the “read last” group. The just published string of replies you’ve received from Mr Murphy, however, have given me hope. Going forward, if you’re to feel compelled to get political, please consult with him first.

Mark Terry

____________________________________

You really should listen to this David Murphy..I don’t even know who he is, but he’s spot on.  Big disconnect that you’re trying to make an example him and yet you cant see it.

Funktion808

____________________________________

Geez – thanks Bob.
You make me look pretty good here.

David Murphy

Playlist: https://spoti.fi/3YHgkYx

1

“Remaking Country’s Gender Politics, One Barroom Weeper at a Time – The Nashville songwriter Shane McAnally is behind many of country music’s No. 1 hits, which aren’t as straight as they seem.”: https://nyti.ms/3Kh19RC

You won’t read this. That’s the dirty little secret, nobody clicks through. They’ve been burned with bad, or mediocre, articles too many times, and they only have a limited amount of time to begin with, everybody, even babies, are overscheduled. Which demonstrates how hard it is to reach people today, ask them to listen to a three minute song and they won’t, it’s too big a chore.

Not that I recommend this article. It’s not bad, but not great, not necessary reading. But I’m a fan of Shane’s work and I was interested in a bit of backstory, what he was hyping.

Not that I could figure out what it was. You see no article just appears out of thin air. There’s a publicist, the artist is promoting something. Maybe it’s set-up for Shane’s ultimate solo album, which he is working on, or something bigger, it’s definitely part of a plan.

And every article has to have a hook. And the first one is that Shane is gay. Which everybody in Nashville knows, I certainly know, but that’s not the audience they’re looking for, they’re trolling for newbies, and that’s a revelation to them.

And, that McAnally lost his voice, it’s psychological, he has trouble singing. It’s coming back with treatment, however the extensive focus on this in the article was because…I’m not exactly sure why, it’s not like he makes his living singing, at least not at this point.

Then again, you write these articles and then they’re edited, and the final product might barely resemble what you laid down.

But the writer, Carlo Rotella, does nail songwriting:

“Think of a song as an ancient technology for imposing form and meaning on experience, a device for filtering the chaotic noise of inner life and the world around us so it can be translated into meaningful signal. Or think of a song as a container into which you can pour a distilled feeling that others can then imbibe by playing or singing or listening to it.”

Could have been written in a more simple fashion, but intellectuals want to appeal to other intellectuals, to make themselves feel good, and the ultimate point comes across…

THE BEST SONGS ARE ABOUT INNER LIFE, WRITTEN IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO THEM.

Try relating to the hip-hop and pop songs dominating the Spotify Top 50. It’s fantasies, cartoons, akin to the Marvel movies that dominate the cinema. It’s far from your regular life. Or so bland as to be unrelatable.

But Shane McAnally’s songs…

Now as you read the article you’ll wince a bit. Over the fact that Nashville’s a machine, and you play by the rules, or try to break them very very slowly, which McAnally is doing. It’s a controlled marketplace.

I was listening to the Highway on SiriusXM yesterday and you could see the cynicism behind the songs. They were written to be hits. And therefore they didn’t ring true, never mind being rehashed. But I did hear one good one, Kelsea Ballerini’s “What I Have.”

“I bought the shoes where the bottom is red

But who the hell am I tryin’ to impress

When you sit back that’s when you notice

The Joneses can’t even keep up with the Joneses

I know, don’t gotta shine to be gold”

Even I know the brand name of the shoes with the red soles. The name isn’t checked, the reference is enough, a great songwriter knows when you’re obvious you usually sacrifice greatness right out of the box, it might be a hit that panders to the masses, it might be serviceable, but it’s not a classic.

And we’ve got a war going on in America between the red and the blue, but in truth we’re all just trying to get along. Then again, unless you’re a member of the one percent, you’re struggling. You can identify.

“‘Cause I got a roof over my head

I got a warm body in bed

I’m doing all right where I’m at

With what I have”

A bit too optimistic, a bit too glass half-full for this boy, but the chorus immediately conveys what the song is about and it’s catchy, the whole number is a bit sing-songy, but that’s what hooks you. Does country radio want to play a soft number like this? That’s irrelevant, “What I Have” is a good song. Not forever, but pretty good.

As for “Follow Your Arrow”…

2

The article says “Follow Your Arrow” is one of the lowest charting songs to ever be anointed the CMA’s Song of the Year. It was cowritten with Shane by Brandy Clark and Kacey Musgraves, and the latter recorded it.

I figured the number was from Kacey’s last album, you know, the one that wasn’t country enough for the country awards.

But it turned out that “Follow Your Arrow” was from 2013. I’d never heard it. And that’s something that media and society have yet to realize and acknowledge. Every person today has huge blind spots, they might know about certain subjects in depth, but they’re clueless as to others. As stated above, time is precious, and there’s no authoritative voice directing you to greatness outside your field(s) of interest. That used to be radio, especially back in the sixties, AM would play country tracks along with the Beatles. And MTV featured a smorgasbord of acts that everybody knew about, you couldn’t avoid them. If you were alive in the early eighties, you not only know Culture Club, you can sing their hits, which is impossible with most of today’s hit parade.

So I listened.

The article quotes the lyrics from the chorus, supporting the gay-theme penetrating country point of the article.

“So make lots of noise

Kiss lots of boys

Or kiss lot of girls

If that’s something you’re into

When the straight and narrow

Gets a little too straight

Roll up a joint, or don’t”

Some might say it’s subtle, but to me it’s pretty obvious. If this is the breakthrough we’re waiting for… We’ll be waiting a very long time. Come on, there are gay people everywhere, you’re related to them, this song is not going to change beliefs.

But the rest of the number…

“If you save yourself for marriage

You’re a bore

You don’t save yourself for marriage

You’re a horrible person

If you won’t have a drink

Then you’re a prude

But they’ll call you a drunk

As soon as you down the first one”

 

We ALL face these issues. It’s not a matter of being born one way or another, you’ve got a choice, which path are you going to take? The religious one? The one society tells you to? Or the one that feels right to you? And if you stumble from your perch, take a risk, you will be labeled. Come on, we all grew up with the concept of refraining from sex until marriage. To break that taboo was not so easy.

“If you can’t lose the weight

Then you’re just fat

But if you lose too much

Then you’re on crack”

This is brief, but brilliant.

You can’t talk about being fat in a song, even worse you can’t reference fat-shaming.

But come on, when you see these super-skinny people, don’t you wonder if they’re doing drugs? And the truth is, if you’ve been following the recent news, THEY ALL ARE! They’re all taking the the diabetes drug Ozempic to lose weight. Hell, Lisa Marie Presley took drugs to lose 50 pounds in a matter of weeks, to look good for the potential awards for the “Elvis” movie. I have no idea if she was taking Ozempic, but while you’re worried about exceeding size 10, the celebrities believe if they’re not size 0, with no extra flesh on their bodies, THEY’RE FAT!

Ultimately “Follow Your Arrow” is not a hit. A hit is something you hear once and need to hear again. Or as Ahmet said, something you hear on the radio and have to get out of bed and go to the all night record shop to buy.

“One Night Standards” is closer.

3

“One Night Standards” I knew. From hearing the Ashley McBride song on the radio. It’s got a groove and a catchy chorus to the point where you can like the song without even knowing most of the lyrics. Hell, I caught the chorus but not every word, but when I listened this afternoon…

“I ain’t gonna stay for the weekend

I ain’t gonna jump off the deep end

I ain’t gonna ask where your ring is

Thing is, we all got secrets”

Let’s skip the moral debate, the truth is an incredible percentage of people in relationships cheat. And girls as much as guys, some studies say more. And just because you’re married that does not mean you don’t look, don’t fantasize, and “One Night Standards” speaks to the situation, the dilemma.

This is sex. Probably more. There’s always a basic connection, but you don’t really know the person. You have to jump over so many hurdles, endure so many hardships to make a relationship sustain. That person who titillates you at the bar, two or three days later might drive you nuts. But while you have the desire…

“It’s just a room key

You ain’t gotta lie to me

Can’t you just use me like I’m using you

How it goes is bar closes

There’s no king bed covered in roses

Just a room without a view”

It’s down and dirty. She’s empowered. This isn’t a fantasy, what she wants is an experience, something physical, to take her away from her regular life, she knows you do too.

“Well I ain’t Cinderella, but who is?

Call me what you want if the shoe fits

I ain’t gonna say I never do this, ’cause truth is

Lonely makes a heart ruthless”

Self-knowledge. It’s so appealing, and so rarely encountered. Few of us are Cinderella, and you know the cliché, show me a man married to a beautiful woman and… Sex happens inside the brain.

As for “lonely makes a heart ruthless,” I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I know what it FEELS LIKE!

“No I don’t give a damn about the morning after

Bottles on the floor don’t even matter

I don’t want a number, you ain’t gonna answer

Let’s just stick to the one night standards

The one night standards

The one night standards”

This isn’t romance, this is sex. This isn’t about the trappings, but the essence. You get hooked on the music and ultimately hear the song enough to get the rest of the lyrics, assuming you hear it to begin with.

4

Chris Stapleton keeps winning all the awards. People e-mailed me about his performance at the Super Bowl. He’s the king of Nashville, he may have a few hits, but it’s something more, Stapleton is authentic, he’s doing it his way and having success, which everybody else wishes they could do, stop pandering and be real.

But the above lyrics are much more real than those you’ll find in the Spotify Top 50. You can relate to them. They’re issues you’ve thought about, dealt with.

And Ashley McBryde and Nicolette Hayford cowrote “One Night Standards” with Shane, and that checks the box for me of having the performer involved in the songwriting. Then again, writing sessions… I’m more about inspiration.

Then again, if you read every word of the article, you’ll see that in truth it is all about inspiration. Shane doesn’t show up to the writing room empty-handed, he’s got an idea, a phrase he heard, at a party, at the grocery store. And it’s a very short window within which you can lay it all down. Then the muse goes. You need to get caught up in the mood, lose your self-consciousness, and as soon as you think about what you’re doing you lose it. Ultimately the great stuff is about inspiration.

It’d be one thing if I heard these words on Active Rock.

And too many of today’s singer-songwriters have inadequate voices and substandard songs. When these “artists” complain, saying Bob Dylan has a poor voice, I always tell them that might be true, but Bob Dylan IS THE GREATEST LYRICIST OF THE PAST HALF-CENTURY!

Maybe Shane will have hits on his own.

As for making a complete album, I hope he enjoys the process, because getting people to check out an album of music today is nearly impossible unless there’s a hit. If you want to be a star, find a hit and then build upon that. And go short with frequency if you want to make albums. Less than forty minutes, like the old days. And regular releases, to satiate not radio, but your FANS!

Of course the rules can be broken, but when Morgan Wallen released the double-album “Dangerous” he already had success under his belt.

I don’t know where this leaves us. I’m inspired by these songs. But this movement is constrained by the Nashville establishment and doesn’t spread that far to non-country fans. It could. At festivals. And despite country’s image as being all-red, that’s no longer the case, don’t forget Maren Morris calling out Brittany Aldean’s transphobic Instagram post and her her husband Jason’s PR firm dropping him. As for trans issues… You use the same bathroom at home, right? And it’s barely an issue. What I mean is gay people are not going to take over the world, be fifty percent of the population, and neither are trans people, can’t you leave these people in peace and let them live their lives? After all, as in “Follow Your Arrow” we’re all struggling, just trying to get along, why are you so interested in what everybody else is doing, especially when it doesn’t even impact you?

But at least these songs lead to questions. There are no questions in the Spotify Top 50, just dashes for cash.

And cash is very important, but Shane McAnally was writing songs when he was in the single digits, it’s not solely about the Benjamins, and how much money do you need anyway?

Enough.

But money isn’t everything. You need soul fulfillment, you want art you can relate to. One thing is for sure, Shane McAnally and his posse are on the right path.

Re: Fox News Scandal

What scandal? Is this subject line just click bait? I have no earthly idea what you are trying to say. If you have something to say then just say it, for god’s sake.

David Murphy

________

Previous e-mail from Mr. Murphy:

Re: The Unrest In China

JFC Bob – you couldn’t get three paragraphs into a piece on China without bringing up Trump?

Get over it man. He’s gone, he’s over. Nothing to be afraid of anymore. Move the f**k on.

David Murphy

__________________________________

Re: Biden’s Speech

How in the world are you able to get your head so far up your ass?

Truly remarkable.

David Murphy

__________________________________

Re: Biden

Bob – you really should think twice before weighing in on politics. It makes you sound simple.

“The right” didn’t define Biden as old, doddering and senile – people can see with their own eyes what he is, in spite of media attempts to cover for him. It is unsettling for Americans to have this person running the country and embarrassing to have him representing us on the world stage.

That’s about as far as I could get with this diatribe. Defending Biden and promoting Newsome as being presidential timber is not a good look. Saying Kamala knows how to “make news” is true but is it the kind of news you want form your party? She’s a laughingstock.

Democrats are in for a well-deserved beating this fall and it is all due to self-inflicted wounds.

David Murphy

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Re: Musk Self-Immolates

Musk predicted “The Left” would come after him. Not at all surprised to see you chiming in.
It’s baffling how a man who has done more to improve the lot of humankind than any other could stir up so much ire.
He is now seen as a threat to the grand plans of the left to control speech – so he must be destroyed. So far, no one has withstood this kind of retribution – certainly not Trump, although he is still a thorn in the Democrats’ hides. But Musk is a different species altogether. He has the resources and seems willing to commit them to whatever extent necessary. He is also smarter than any ten NY Times staffers combined. Actually, he has no match at all – left or right.

David Murphy

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Re: A Little More Abortion

For all the self-referential material you spin out, you are one of the least introspective people that I follow. You need to check in with Joe Rogan. I recently discovered that he is nothing like the hateful low-life that leftist media tried to make him out to be. He is reasonable and open to ALL points of view and can hold his own in a discussion of topics which you might find difficult to defend. His conversations with people as opposite as Bill Maher and David Mamet are instructive, enjoyable – really good media.

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Re: Ukraine

I’m surprised I had to scroll all the way down to the 16th paragraph before Trump’s name came up. Trying to blame what’s happening in the world now on Trump – or Tucker Carlson – is foolish. This would not be happening if Trump wasn’t replaced by this feeble old man – period. The Democrat party is responsible for this terrible shift in world politics and our allies know it. The US could be finished as the primary world power – we will soon see. Up until last year, we were the world’s leading producer/exporter of energy products – thank you Donald Trump. No longer – thank you Biden & Co. Russia and China are focused on expanding their empires and we are focused on expanding our deficit spending and which f**king pronouns are appropriate.

Democrats have failed this country and you don’t even have the balls to admit it – that’s why you feel so alone. I would say “come in, the water’s fine” but it’s not.

David Murphy

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Re: Biden Plays Offense

I don’t have to say much – you are going to hear plenty about the foolishness on full display in this essay. I will simply say this: the Biden administration and the Democrat party in general have brought the country to what is shaping up to be the most destructive period in my lifetime – 70 years – and maybe since the Civil War. If you can’t see this, at least try to understand why a majority of people in this country do. As far as Republicans “circling the wagons”, consider this: there is no f**king way Republicans could pass the kind of legislation the Dems are proposing and will likely pass with such a thin majority.

Biden is being a leader? You debase yourself.

Dave Murphy

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And many more…

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P.S. foxnews.com still has not reported on the Fox/Dominion depositions/information

“Fox Stars Privately Expressed Disbelief About Election Fraud Claims. ‘Crazy Stuff.’ – The comments, by Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and others, were released as part of a defamation suit against Fox News by Dominion Voter Systems.”: https://nyti.ms/3Ke0OiC