All you have to know is “Rich Men North of Richmond” went to number one on the streaming chart. Which is a bit complicated, because there’s on demand streaming and radio-style streaming, and YouTube and… But if you make it to number one, one thing is for sure, people are listening!

It’s all about consumption.

Can we forget about the good old days? You know, with fat label contracts and prodigious CD sales? They’re never coming back, ever.

And we can forget about sales all together. The iTunes Store is de minimis, a fraction of what it once was. Twenty years have passed since its inception. To talk about iTunes consumption today is like talking about 78 consumption after the introduction of the 45. It’s over. As for physical sales… That’s souvenirs, that’s not about listening. Travis Scott? He’s number one this week because of a cheap vinyl offer. In other words, his residence atop the chart is manipulated. Unlike Morgan Wallen, who is #2, based on consumption, not sales. Ignore sales. They’re a metric the labels use to manipulate the chart. But streaming?

You only get paid when people listen. The pre-internet generation hates this. They’d rather sell you the album, get their bucks and forget you. But this is incredibly shortsighted. What you want to do is create something so infectious that it will continue to be consumed, and you will get paid handsomely.

Now in the pre-internet era, the way you sold was via radio, and then music videos on MTV. People saw the product and then went out and bought it. In other words, radio and MTV were promotional tools. Radio’s business is advertising. Stations don’t care about the music, they’d air anything if enough people listened that they could sell advertising. It was a marriage of convenience. But that marriage is on the rocks.

Yesterday you used radio exposure to sell product. Today, when it works, you are selling streams. Sure, there’s publishing money on airplay in the U.S., but the record company doesn’t get paid a penny. And the majors no longer own all the publishing, or have admin deals on the hits at a very low rate. So the labels need to focus on streaming to make money, to pay their bills.

Now online radio pays both the record company and the publisher. As does satellite radio, which is selling subscriptions, not ads. But the real money for the labels is in direct consumption. People choosing to listen to a certain track, streaming it. That’s it. To think otherwise is to deny the present.

However, the major labels are lost in this new era, and keep on pouring money into radio. Just like advertisers overpay for spots on network TV. Listenership and viewership are way down, but radio and TV are the best way to reach mass, however tiny.

But we’ve noticed for over a decade that terrestrial radio is moribund, it goes on records after they’ve become established hits online. But never have we had a track like “Rich Men North of Richmond,” which went to number one and stayed there based solely on streams, with radio not even playing the track. “Rich Men North of Richmond” is nowhere to be found on the Mediabase Country chart. And it’s not on the Top Forty chart either.

Sure, maybe both of these formats will ultimately go on the Oliver Anthony track. But I must ask, who are these passive terrestrial radio listeners who need to hear it on the radio to then consume? And as I stated above, it is all about consumption. Terrestrial radio pays no recording royalties. None. So why is radio still the labels’ number one focus?

And so far, Oliver Anthony has refused to make a deal.

Chance the Rapper made it without a deal, but that’s hip-hop, with a long history of free mixtapes. But country? A supposedly controlled market, all beholden to radio?

Maybe we’re entering the second revolutionary age. The first started with the internet and Napster. The second starts with the death of traditional exposure outlets. It’s not only radio, but television. A late night appearance? Means nothing. SNL and CBS “Sunday Morning” can move the needle, but no other show has this power.

So, the labels find the talent online, after it established success with a fanbase. And then the major label exploits said music…exactly how?

I’m not saying the major labels are going out of business, no way, they control almost all of recorded music history, it’s in their vaults. But new music?

Which is why we have so many successful genres of music today. Used to be if it wasn’t on radio it was marginal. Then on MTV. Now you don’t even need a label to sell tickets. And there’s more money in tickets than recordings anyway. Tickets are expensive and shows bond your audience to you. Live is efficient in a way that radio never was.

But how do you get found online?

Well, if you’re trying to work it, your only hope is to have a profile in the genre in which you participate. The other players and the audience must be aware of you. Starting from absolute scratch is nearly impossible. As is worldwide domination. The majors still control Top Forty, but it means less than it ever has in its history. The majors fight for slots in the Spotify Top 50, but some of those acts are one hit wonders. Furthermore, as detailed by “Billboard,” the majors can’t even break a new act anymore. Acts come from the bottom up, not the top down. The bottom up is the internet, top down is manipulation, the aforesaid radio and TV and…if this were working, we’d have new breakout stars, but we don’t.

As for dead tree publicity…it works for acts for the aged, it’s irrelevant when it comes to youngsters, who are active consumers. Everything that moves the needle is online. Which is a great miasma of information.

Then again, “Rich Men of North Richmond” breaks the paradigm, it is unique. Because it was grown by the public and agitated politicians, who pushed the number. Yes, politicians and their news outlet penumbra have more power than terrestrial radio, traditional TV, anything.

Turns out organic is desirable. And if you’re organic, you have a chance of being embraced by people who will promote you.

“Rich Men North of Richmond” is not “Try That in a Small Town.” Jason Aldean came from Macon, and he didn’t even write the song. And the controversy superseded the track. Which shot up and then fell online, which is the only place where you can make any money. Aldean is #10 on this week’s Mediabase Country chart, but “Try That in a Small Town” is #32 on the “Billboard” streaming chart. All that terrestrial radio airplay? The label ain’t making a dime. The publisher is. And maybe Aldean’s image is being burnished. But when it comes down to money, Oliver Anthony trumps Aldean, period. Because Anthony’s consumption figures are much higher.

Mania might get you noticed, but it’s the music that sustains you. Which is why Morgan Wallen continues to dominate the charts, with no stunts employed. Wallen can be loved by everybody, it’s conventional song structure, with verses and choruses, the basic building blocks. Which are rarely the key elements in the Spotify Top 50, and if they’re present the tracks are rarely believable, barely credible.

Something is happening here.

Don’t forget, although distributed by a major, Big Loud, Wallen’s label, is an independent. Next time will the independent do it themselves?

Do you sell your soul to the company man?

That’s what we’ve been told to do for decades. To take the money. Forget the audience perception. Sell your songs, better to have the cash than the control.

Maybe that’s all wrong.

Maybe radio is no longer all powerful.

Maybe Oliver Anthony is a harbinger of what’s to come.

But maybe not.

But one thing is for sure, terrestrial radio is circling the drain when it comes to breaking acts. It’s never meant less. Maybe you want it to be part of your marketing campaign, but if you’re making it number one, you’re missing the target.

Trailer: https://tinyurl.com/mvs7bvua

I recommend this movie. You can watch it sans ads on Amazon Prime, or for free, with ads, on Tubi and the Roku Channel, or completely free with no ads on the library outlet, Kanopy. And, if you ever want to know if and where you can stream something, please go to justwatch.com – it’s a great resource, especially when my friends in Australia and the U.K. recommend shows and it turns out they’re unavailable for streaming in the U.S.

I can’t tell you how I found out about “Golden Voices,” but you do know that my standard is 80%+ on the critics’ meter on Rotten Tomatoes. I will watch something in the high seventies, but below that… The “New York Times” recommended a fascinating film last week, “Paradise.” Bottom line, you cash in future years of your life for a benefit today, a great concept. But it’s only got a 55% critics’ rating and I’m afraid to dive in, the last time the “Times” recommended a sub-80% movie and I took the time to watch it I ultimately wanted my two hours back. In other words, the “Times” recommendations have a credibility issue with me. But “Golden Voices” has a 100% RT critics’ score, and an 80% audience score. Beware of the audience score, it oftentimes is completely whacked. Like on that series “The Offer,” you know, the one about the making of “The Godfather.” It’s got a 95% audience score, but only a 57% critics’ score. People have been imploring me to watch this series to this day. But the truth is it’s wildly inaccurate, it got some of the worst reviews of all time, and that’s not how I want to use my time. Call me a highbrow, I’ll own it. Movies are not entertainment for me, they’re a true life experience, one that takes me away from everyday life and touches my heart. I want to bond with the flick, I want to feel like I’m the only one watching. I want to think about it when it’s over. And that’s why I won’t go to see the superhero movies… Meanwhile, am I the only one who didn’t read comic books growing up? I just didn’t get it. There was too much left out, and all that writing over pictures? I’d rather read a book.

So…

The key to great entertainment is emotion. I’m not talking about singing with melisma, showing off, I’m talking about connecting with me emotionally. That was a feature of the dark music of the past, but it’s hard to find in hit music today. Most stuff is obvious, it’s about partying, being a member of the club…and I don’t ever want to be a member of that club. I go to the show to see the act, not to hang with my friends.

Anyway, the main character in “Golden Voices” is a highbrow, he reveres Fellini.

Well, let me go back a chapter. What you’ve got here is two Russian immigrants to Israel just after the fall of Communism. They were famous film dubbers in Russia, but what are they going to do for work in Israel?

Displacement. I’ve been there. You’re in a new town, a new situation, it can be lonely, depressing, you dig down deep and carry on into the wilderness, try to sustain your optimism, but it is very hard.

And then you’ve got love.

Your hopes and dreams… You know, your inner life. Don’t tell me yours and I won’t tell you mine. It’s too hard to talk about. But when we see it on the screen it feels so good. Love, hope, connection… Relationships are the basic building block of humanity. It’s in our DNA. We fantasize, we’re desirous, and are our hopes dashed or fulfilled? We may be a desirable star in our own minds, but in the eyes of our crush?

So “Golden Voices” probably won’t grip you from the very beginning, it’s not that it’s slow, it’s just that it’s not whiz-bang, which so many people expect from a film these days. And then the story evolves, the plot interweaves and you’re right there with the characters, contemplating your choices, your life.

Yes, this is an Israeli film. With subtitles. I hope that doesn’t turn you off. But it’s not a heavy drama, it’s not a slog, at times it’s funny…it’s akin to regular life. It demands very little of you, don’t see viewing it as an assignment or a sentence…

I’ve already told you too much.

But if you’re a foreign film fan, from back before the days of streaming, when you used to go to the art house, this is the kind of film you saw, that generated word of mouth. Now, with so much in the marketplace it’s nearly impossible to gain notice.

So, if you’re posting on TikTok, if you have no time to slow down, don’t even bother. But if you can stop for an hour and a half… It’s this downtime that inspires you. That’s why vacations are critical. Your mind is cleared, it’s open to new things…

I don’t tell you about every series and film I watch. This is not a list service. I don’t need you to judge me based on my level of consumption, never mind the quality of what I watch, but… It’s hard for most people to find good stuff to watch. And everything I’ve watched in the last couple of weeks is not as good as “Golden Voices,” so I figured I’d hip you to it. I watched three other movies in the past couple of days, I’d prefer to watch series, but we’ve already viewed so many of the greats, and this is the only one I can whole-heartedly recommend, even though the others were all over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.

This is the type of movie that you’ll want to talk about with others. Then again, part of the stimulation is personal. I really questioned one of the basic tenets of my life after viewing “Golden Voices.” I don’t want to overhype it, it’s a small movie, but I do recommend it.

Spotify playlist: https://tinyurl.com/hzdja2h6

 

“Casino Boogie”

EXILE ON MAIN STREET

The Rolling Stones

 

“Superwoman”

MUSIC OF MY MIND

Stevie Wonder

 

“Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters”

HONKY CHATEAU

Elton John

 

“School’s Out”

SCHOOL’S OUT

Alice Cooper

 

“Take It Easy”

EAGLES

Eagles

 

“Thick as a Brick”

THICK AS A BRICK

Jethro Tull

 

“The Night the Carousel Burned Down”

SOMETHING/ANYTHING

Todd Rundgren

 

“Hold Your Head Up”

ALL TOGETHER NOW

Argent

 

“Shaft”

SHAFT

Isaac Hayes

 

“From the Beginning”

TRILOGY

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

 

“Moonage Daydream”

THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS

David Bowie

 

“Telegram Sam”

THE SLIDER

T. Rex

 

“If There Is Something”

ROXY MUSIC

Roxy Music

 

“Gudbuy T’Jane”

SLAYED?

Slade

 

“True Blue”

NEVER A DULL MOMENT

Rod Stewart

 

“Johnny’s Garden”

MANASSAS

Stephen Stills

“Squaring the Circle (The story of Hipgnosis)”: https://tinyurl.com/3rr5rvuz

It was a moment in time. But we thought it would last forever.

The oldsters, the denizens of the sixties, crapped on the seventies. It was too obvious, too overblown, some sunny element had been sacrificed, it was no longer a lark, but business, and what exactly was prog rock anyway, didn’t we abhor those who were classically trained?

And then disco came along and killed it all. Well, there was corporate rock before that. Which was akin to the hair band era of the late eighties, but less cynical. But the entire enterprise collapsed, the music business was in the doldrums, only to be saved by MTV and a wave of young English bands not beholden to what had come before.

And now everybody is getting older. Even the seventies are fading in the rearview mirror. Nirvana and Pearl Jam came along to kill the hair bands, and then hip-hop powered through, the internet came along and it hasn’t been the same since.

The feeling of isolation, doing it with no one watching, that’s palpable in the beginning of this film. Today as soon as you create, you post, maybe even hype. You feel you’re part of something, that if you’re lucky you could go viral. But there was no virality in the pre-internet era. Very few could play. And they were on the road less taken. But you could afford to do that back then. Today America is immobilized, people don’t have enough money to move. But relocating was a feature of the seventies. You packed up and drove to another city, another state, to live another life, to learn, to leave the past behind. Now you can never leave the past behind, it follows you your whole life.

And life is very hard financially. The best and the brightest don’t become artists, because they know how cruel capitalism is, and they don’t want to be left without. I remember someone at the Howard Stern Show taking a year off to bicycle around the world. Howard couldn’t fathom it, what about his career? Well, back in the seventies we weren’t worried about careers. We were living in the moment. And going to the show was a regular activity, after all the tickets weren’t even ten bucks, the hardest part was getting one. And bands were still rampant. You got a gang together to conquer the world. That’s rare these days because it’s economically unfeasible. Even if you make it you’ve got to split the money too many ways. Believe me, it is different now. Hell, in an electronic world so much of the music is electronic, it doesn’t even resemble the music of the past.

So everything you know about the music business was codified in the seventies. That’s when Peter Grant flipped the live script, so that the act got ninety percent and the promoter only a sliver. Hell, everybody knew the show was playing, advertising was unnecessary. Today you constantly hear about acts that have already played that you missed, that you didn’t even hear about.

If you’re a boomer, if you were conscious in the seventies, if you were a music fan, addicted to the record store, you’ll know every song in this movie. The album covers. This is your DNA. The school I went to when I was supposedly in college and law school. The music was art, it was vital, it was everything.

And it channeled the culture so well that it threw off untold amounts of currency. Bands were rich. As rich as anybody in the world. Taxes were high, there were no billionaires, to be a rock star was to be unfettered, to be free, with millions waiting for your words.

Sure, there was a commercial business. Kind of like today. But that was on AM radio. Some tracks could cross over to the Top Forty, but oftentimes albums had no singles, and it didn’t matter.

You went to the record store, purchased your disc, came home, ripped off the shrink-wrap, dropped the needle and listened. You didn’t do anything else, you only listened. As you studied the album cover, memorized the album cover. We knew who Hipgnosis was, they did all the innovative sleeves!

They weren’t the only ones, but the Hipgnosis covers were statements unto themselves. They weren’t dashed off, you could see the thought behind them. And the only thing you wanted to do was to get closer. I was talking to a friend with a record company today who lamented he couldn’t get good help, couldn’t even get his millennial employees to go to the gig. In the seventies you couldn’t even get a job at Tower Records, never mind a record company. If you worked at a record company you were part of the retinue, royalty, you were where the essence was created, where it all lived, you were where we all wanted to be.

This was not tech. Tech is tools. You deliver the content on social media. The smartphone is inert, you take the journey. Back in the seventies the artists took the journey and we marveled. We revered the art itself. Sure, we studied the equipment, the guitars, the Fenders, Gibsons and Martins, and the Marshall and Hiwatt amplifiers and the Neve consoles and…those were the tools and the music was the product. Everything was in service to the music. And it was hard to play and hard to sustain. You had to have the chops, the vision and someone who believed in you. Everybody wrote their own songs, because the music was direct from them to us, unfettered. And selling out was anathema, your credibility was everything. And Hipgnosis did not make the music, but the covers, the artwork, was created with the same intentions. If it didn’t feel right, if it wasn’t art, Storm wasn’t interested. He walked from “Venus and Mars” because he didn’t like McCartney’s concept, there just wasn’t enough there, he left it to Po.

The concept. That’s the essence of art. Always. It started in the modern era with abstract expressionism, and then we had the minimalists. Maybe we need to hearken back to Picasso, at the turn of the century. You see the idea is everything, but sans execution it’s nothing. Prog rock was an idea. Punk was an idea. What have we got today? A bunch of me-too. When was the last time you were amazed, wondered how someone came up with something?

So they attribute the breakthrough to the Nice album “Elegy.” With the live version of “America” we heard on FM radio. Nice couldn’t break through because the vocals were substandard. So Keith Emerson decamped and formed ELP with Greg Lake and Carl Palmer.

And “Atom Heart Mother,” when most people still had no idea who Pink Floyd were. The cow on the cover. It’s meaningless! Intentionally. But it became iconic because of the success of the album.

“Band on the Run”… The video of the photo shoot is a window into what once was. When everybody was still young and it was all the aforementioned lark. People with no CV succeeded and then blew all their money pushing the envelope, constantly. Not only the acts, but Hipgnosis too.

And there’s footage of the Wings Over America tour. The trucks were famous, they were featured in “People.” And the video of fans running onto the field. He was not yet Sir Paul, he was a guy who created a breakthrough LP that was all over the airwaves and people had to go to experience it. Nostalgia was a minor factor. Today it’s all nostalgia.

So the issues of talking heads and licensing are nonexistent when you play on this level. The members of Pink Floyd, Graham Gouldman of 10cc, Peter Gabriel, McCartney, they’re all testifying, as to their relationship with Hipgnosis and how the album covers came to be. And we get a window into Peter Grant. You couldn’t speak to his acts directly, you had to go through him. Everything was still street, you can’t learn how to be Peter Grant in music college. And Grant’s instincts and creativity… Yes, not only the acts were inventing it as they went along, but so were the managers, the record companies, the promoters…

And we all wanted in.

These movies cost too much to make, so they open them theatrically for reviews, hoping to get better streaming licensing deals. But the audience for these flicks doesn’t go to the theatre. And by time the films hit the flat screen, the audience has moved on and forgotten about them.

You can rent “Squaring the Circle” for $5.99, but no one does that, almost no one anyway. I wish the hype coincided with streaming availability, but it does not.

The business still hasn’t adjusted to the present. It’s the opposite of the seventies, everyone can play and it’s nearly impossible to break through to an audience. Millions of tracks on Spotify have never been listened to even once. So, in the world of creation today, always put money second, like the techies. Gain an audience, then there are a ton of ways to monetize. Monetize first and you’re screwed. Building an audience behind a paywall? Nearly impossible.

So, can you live without seeing “Squaring the Circle”?

Absolutely. But if you lived through the era, you’ll be brought back, your life will seem meaningful, you’ll be reminded how much it counted, and that they call it classic rock for a reason.

If you’re a young ‘un… “Squaring the Circle” is like the Dead Sea Scrolls. An artifact of a past era that will utterly amaze those who were not there originally. I’m glad it’s documented, because history is slipping through our fingers as I write this. At least there starts to be footage in the seventies, unlike so much of the sixties. But how much art from the past has been lost to the sands of time because documentation was so expensive or impossible, everybody did not have a 4k video camera in their pocket. I’d like to go back, but I can’t.

But you can go back to when dinosaurs roamed the earth in the seventies. And at this point, just like little kids know the name of all the reptiles, everybody knows almost all of the work in this movie. “Dinosaur” is no longer a pejorative when it comes to music. All the young people wish they were there.