Have you listened to this album? IT’S A REVELATION!

The insider buzz got to me. How could a guy have the same last name as one of the biggest stars in country music? I couldn’t take him seriously. But when I started seeing his name everywhere…

Let’s be clear, I’m not talking about consumer publications, that’s hype. I’m talking about trade publications. There’s hype there too, but they’re really focused on numbers, and they’re all talking about Zach Bryan, so I decided to check out the music.

And I’m stunned. This is closer to 1972 than 2022. This is mostly one guy on his acoustic guitar, singing from the heart.

So I start to do some research.

I’m late to the party. This guy had indie success, he’s got a hit on the country chart. But how is anybody supposed to know?

Also, you dig deeper and you see his music was featured in one of Spotify’s fakokta new programs, promoted by the streaming company. But that’s not the interesting part of that story, but the fact that people continued to play it. You can get it on the playlist, but will people listen to it more than once, will they save it?

The music is so AUTHENTIC!

Authenticity is rare these days. Do I really care what Britney Spears has to say about the Texas school shooting? At first I couldn’t find any musician weighing in, but then I searched. Were any of them canceling gigs, putting their careers on the line? Of course not, that would be too much to risk. They’re no different from the Republicans, they offered thoughts and prayers. Remember when Boston called on James Brown to quell riots? Who would you call today?

The acts are so busy selling out that when you encounter authenticity you’re stunned, you’re drawn to it.

And it didn’t happen in rock. Because rock considers streaming the devil. Did you watch that Ted Gioia YouTube video with Rick Beato? It’s laden with so much b.s. I wanna puke. Why don’t people understand that streaming saved the recorded music business instead of killed it? As for Sony and Warner immediately selling their shares in Spotify, they didn’t do that because they thought it was gonna tank, they wanted that money right away, to add to their bottom line. If you think major label executives are thinking long term, you’ve never seen their contracts. All the action, the upside, is in the bonus, just like in Silicon Valley it’s in the low-priced stock options.

Not that anybody on the inside is going to listen to Ted Gioia. But my inbox is full of recs of this video. Yes, the key is to sell physical recordings, that’s the future for artists? Huh??? Do you see the movie studios putting all their energies into DVDs? Hell, it’s all about getting the product as soon as possible on their proprietary streaming services. And vinyl? Talk to anybody in the recording business, vinyl is an inherently flawed reproduction method and the vinyl “warmth” you’re hearing is mostly distortion. Never mind the inherent problems with the needle being at a different angle in every groove. And all these damn records are cut digitally to begin with. And now streaming services allow you to listen to them at HIGHER than CD quality. But you’re telling us to go back to vinyl? To come out with a better vinyl record? That’s like movie studios championing VHS tapes.

And there’s no understanding of popular music and the money involved. It’s a business.

I could go on and on, and not all of what Gioia says is wrong, but too much of the nuts and bolts is, and he’ll be steering the wannabe musicians and even the real musicians the wrong way. It’s not only the Republicans who are prey to misinformation.

Anyway, turns out Zach Bryan was in the military. And he’s from Oklahoma. I listened for right wing b.s., which permeates the country scene, I couldn’t find it right away, but I’m not sure it’s not there. But there are THIRTY FOUR SONGS! Yes, Zach Bryan’s new album, “American Heartbreak,” is two hours long. That’s double the length of “Exile on Main Street.” It’s gonna take a long time for me to digest this. But I wanted to hear it, I listened to the whole damn thing, it was more interesting than any of the usual suspect podcasts, more genuine, more lifelike, it’s what music can do that no other art form can, assuming you’re trying to get it right.

That’s the funny thing about music. Play the game by the rules and the result is rarely transcendent and ubiquitous. But go on your own hejira and your honesty might resonate with the public, blowing you up in a way that could not be foreseen.

And if you listen to Zach Bryan’s hit, with 92 plus million streams on Spotify, you’ll find “Heartbreak South” is sans all the studio tricks, it’s got a feeling of life absent from all the stuff on the hit parade. And he’s singing about being alienated and misunderstood, remember when that was the essence of hit music as opposed to bragging about how rich you are or singing about how you love your family?

And “Heading South” is almost three years old.

And those focusing on the marketing as opposed to the music will talk about the “Yellowstone” synchs, when the truth it’s in the MUSIC!

I mean start playing “American Heartbreak” from the top. You’ll be amazed, this is not in-your-face, this is just someone playing their music, you’re eager to lean in.

And unlike too many lauded singer/songwriters, Zach Bryan has a good voice. Bob Dylan could get away with having a less than perfect voice, BUT HE WAS THE BEST LYRICIST OF ALL TIME!

Another thing about “American Heartbreak,” its success is ahead of the usual suspect sites. I couldn’t find credits for the album on AllMusic or Discogs, which are usually extensive. The guy is in the spotlight, but the album in so many ways is still a mystery.

But one thing I can tell you is that Zach Bryan did not do it how everybody else does it these days, HE WROTE THE SONGS HIMSELF! At least that’s how it appears based on my research, like I said, there’s so little info.

But really it’s all about the music.

In case you haven’t been paying attention, the biggest album of the last eighteen months has been Morgan Wallen’s “Dangerous,” another double album. But on Bryan’s more than double album there’s none of the studio trickery, it’s not overproduced, it’s closer to one of the initial, magical Bonnie Raitt records, with that homemade feeling.

Maybe Zach Bryan is so good because he’s been removed, in Oklahoma and the Navy, he’s not in Hollywood groveling for attention.

Not that Bryan is Dylan, and…

You may click to stream and turn “American Heartbreak” off immediately. It’s not noisy enough, not punk, not loud enough. Or maybe you’ll lament the absence of beats. But that’s just fine, because there are enough people looking for this stuff to build an audience and a career.

Zach had to prove it independently before Warner got on board. That’s the majors for you, they don’t believe in it until you prove it, they don’t want to take a risk.

But Zach Bryan is not a business story, it’s a MUSIC story.

And I’m not gonna provide any links. Either you’re interested in checking him out or you’re not. That’s right, a real music fan makes an effort…is looking to be plucked from the desert, saved by what they cannot articulate, but they know it when they hear it.

And in this case it is Zach Bryan.

You know when you do something great.

Conventional wisdom is no one knows anything in Hollywood. Only hacks believe that. Certainly when it comes to music, some songs are UNDENIABLE!

My favorite story here involves Al Kooper. He was being inducted into the Guitar Center RockWalk and we’re sitting in the green room after the ceremony and Lonn Friend was interviewing him, he’d scored that gig, and Al said that Lynyrd Skynyrd cut “Sweet Home Alabama” a year before it came out.

He was in Atlanta, he’d moved there because of the music scene, funny how it’s one of the epicenters of hip-hop today, and he’d signed Lynyrd Skynyrd to his label Sounds of the South and had recorded the first album and “Free Bird” was just starting to gain notice and Ronnie Van Zant called him up and said the band had a new song they needed to cut right away, and Al booked the studio time and they cut the track and like I said above, it wasn’t released for another year. So I asked Al if he knew it was a hit. And he said…IT WAS SWEET HOME ALABAMA!

If you listen to the John Fogerty podcast, you’ll hear the story of how he wrote “Proud Mary,” as well as how he decided to start playing Creedence songs live again. I don’t want to step on the story, but the bottom line is he wrote nearly all of “Proud Mary” in a flash, alone. And when he was done he felt like he’d written a standard, something on the level of Stephen Foster, something that would last forever. HE KNEW!

So the arc of this season of “Hacks” is Deborah Vance, i.e. Jean Smart, has lost her residency in Vegas… That happened last season, but now I’ll give a spoiler alert, even though you know how these shows play out, maybe you want to be surprised and can stop here but…

Deborah goes on the road to hone her new routine. She’s throwing out the old, the stale one that worked for decades in Vegas, and is starting with a clean slate, she wants to tell her story, she wants to be honest.

But it’s not working.

Get this straight. She’s come down from the mountaintop. She had a steady gig in Vegas baby, and now she’s back on the road, paying her dues, in small clubs, in secondary, TERTIARY markets and you’d think a star of her caliber would kill, but that’s not how it plays out. She keeps missing the mark, she wants to give up.

That’s another thing, the greats not only know when they’ve hit a grand slam, created an 11, they also wrestle with giving up. If you haven’t thought of giving up, you’re probably a hack. Because a true great may project an image of confidence, but inside many feel like a fraud. After all, they need the success to make themselves complete, it’s all that counts, success, they’re just that damaged.

And after you decide to stick with it, the light bulb does not go on instantly, you just have a little more oomph, a little more inner strength that keeps you keepin’ on. You’re in the creative wilderness, looking for hooks. And if you’re honest with yourself, you know what’s B material. You not only know what is B material, but B+ too. You need to be in the A category to play, especially today. An A- will get you notice, but to transcend the pack, to truly gain traction with the public, you need a solid A, and hopefully an A+.

And the dirty little secret is no one can reach that level every time out, NO ONE! Furthermore, the best stuff usually comes when you’re not even trying. You’re taking a shower, you’re driving in your car, you’re out and about and suddenly you have a blast of insight. And sometimes the insight feels good but ultimately is not good, but then there are other times when your adrenaline starts to pump, you know you’re on to something, and you know you have to commit, catch lightning in a bottle, or the moment may pass, your opportunity will be history.

Deborah keeps missing the mark.

But then it comes to her in a flash. Like my shrink says, sometimes you change one little thing and the whole picture changes. And suddenly she’s back on track, it all works and now she wants success even bigger than she had, more than Vegas and…

This is a business built on dishonesty. Either people are falsely humble or falsely bragging. It takes years to understand the game. Actually, someone had me going today, and then I got off the phone and realized I knew much more about the subject than they did, but they had me convinced for a while there, I just needed to step back and give it some context.

And when you hit a grand slam, create an 11, you’re not thinking about the money, the sponsorships, none of the crap that the amateurs can’t stop talking about. No, you get this feeling inside, like you’ve climbed Mount Everest. You’ve planted your flag but you’re solo, there is no audience, it’s just you, and that’s enough.

Sure, after the fact, when the track is released, you might get the accolades, even win an award. But if you think it’s about the award you’ve probably never been in the zone and hit it far over the fence, nearly 600 feet. Which is why the greats put their Grammys in the bathroom, if they even know where they are.

The feeling of victory is fleeting. On one hand you’re excited, on the other you’re scared.

You see you want to try again, you need to try again, but you’re afraid you won’t reach the same level.

And A+, undeniability, is very rare. A great will always produce something serviceable, but something transcendent? If you can do it once or twice a year that’s a good record.

And you know it!

The one and only. I guarantee you’ll learn something you never knew before.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/john-fogerty/id1316200737?i=1000563978104

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/e5ac6f22-b10c-4d7c-8625-9dbca28e7205/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-john-fogerty

https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast/episode/john-fogerty-203502496

Benghazi.

Hillary’s e-mails.

The stolen election.

You know exactly what I am talking about, even if you don’t know the underlying facts, because the Republican party hammered these messages every day for years, they kept them top of mind, they still want Hillary locked up, even though she’s a doting grandmother sans elected office.

Abortion?

That was last week’s news. Or maybe a couple of weeks back there. How long did abortion stay top of mind? Oh, it’s gone folks. People don’t dig deep, they hit the headlines and move on, they’re trying to cope with their own incoming, we’re all overscheduled and overwhelmed.

Back in the old days, twelve to fifteen years ago, the left controlled the internet. There were all these victory laps after Obama got elected. The lionization of nerds who ran the online campaign. Since then? Nothing. As a matter of fact, the Democrats have gone on defense, they can’t cope with the incoming, Cambridge Analytica…

This is a messaging issue folks. And if you want to change hearts and minds, if you want people riled up, if you ultimately want change, you’ve got to start at this grass roots level.

Once again, the music business is at the forefront, the canary in the coal mine.

You see there are too many acts and no universal outlet to expose them. There’s no MTV, minting stars overnight all over the world, and terrestrial radio has a fraction of the number of active listeners it had previously, no matter what bogus statistics the industry keeps proffering. So where do you go? ONLINE!

Musicians are everywhere. Labels, having realized their reluctance to license their wares hurt them at the turn of the century, are willing to license anybody who can pony up with big bucks today. They realize what looks like nowheresville today can be absolutely crushing it in a matter of months, and you’ve got to be ready, be prepared to seize the moment.

Everywhere you go online you see musicians hawking their wares.

You know where else you see this tsunami of hype, and that’s what it frequently is, false information…POLITICS! On the right, the left is way behind. Yes, every interactive platform is inundated with right wing acolytes spreading their message. Furthermore, they’ve falsely accused Facebook and Twitter of being left wing havens, when that’s not true whatsoever. Check those Facebook stats, it’s always the right wing views that are shared most.

Are you getting this? Not only do Republicans own the sphere, they gain even more power by saying they don’t!

That’s been the Twitter argument, “free speech.”

Well, in truth Twitter is not owned by the government and can do whatever it wants, it’s a private company, all the social media companies. And unlike the mall cases of yore, saying they were the public square even though they were private property, there are endless places to spew the same stuff all over online, you can even create your own platform, like Truth Social. The barrier to entry is nil. Just like in music. The mall was the only place in town, online we have Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok…never mind websites. You can get your message out. The question is whether these social media outlets have an obligation to allow you to post. OF COURSE NOT! Come on, when the shoe was on the other foot, when David Geffen dropped the Geto Boys, you didn’t see these same right wingers crying freedom of speech, and that was when the barrier to entry in the music business was so much higher!

Are you getting this? It’s a full court press, 24/7.

And what do the Democrats fight it with? A circle jerk of complaints about the heinosity of the right wing. And not only does it have no effect, it doesn’t even reach the intended targets!

Man, we’ve got to wipe the dead wood from the Democratic party.

And I’d start with Schumer and Pelosi. Both lauded as political professionals, they’ve got no idea what is going on in America today, because to know that you’ve got to be online, like youngsters, ALL THE TIME! And what do we constantly hear from left wing educated boomers? The smartphone is the DEVIL! We’ve got to limit screen time. Meanwhile, the right wing keeps populating the platforms with information and disinformation. I mean you’ve got to play to win.

AOC bitched about this. The last election cycle. How candidates have to focus their campaigns online, instead of TV and print. But the oldsters blew back. AOC is right!

Sure, older people vote in higher percentages than younger people. But who do you know under the age of 35 who even sees commercials? Youngsters don’t have cable, their computer is their television and they watch streaming services with no commercials. So these TV ads aren’t reaching them AT ALL!

But the old school reporters inured to the old game parrot the words of the out of touch ancient.

You don’t want to be too progressive. You’ve got to fight for the center, that’s the only way you can win. IS THAT HOW THE REPUBLICANS DID IT?

No, the Republicans realized first and foremost you need to stimulate your constituency, rile them up, and give them hope you can effect change. We don’t see the equivalent on the left, AND THE LEFT IS IN POWER!

Oh, we hear Democrats crying about Manchin. Well, the Republicans don’t have any problem keeping their elected officials in line. Either you get with the program or you’re ostracized. They’re trying to achieve goals, they’re taking the long view.

As for the Democrats? They’ve got no plans and are just waiting for the future to play out. I don’t recognize my country, but the Greatest Generation? They’ve never seen anything like this. Disputing election results. Conspiracy theories. Listening to Q. Taking the voting power out of the hands of the public and giving it to legislatures and elected officials. This is nuts. And what is the left wing plan? I can’t even see one!

Every week Bill Maher said that Donald Trump wouldn’t leave office quietly, he’d do his best to stay. And what did the Democrats on his program say? THAT CAN’T HAPPEN! But that’s exactly what did!

So the majority of Americans want meaningful gun control.

But what have we got? More and more states allowing open carry.

It’s like we’re living in bizarroland.

The public will get behind leaders hammering a point. As for the usual suspects on TV and in print, who can believe in those people?

It’s not like we haven’t seen this movie before, this is not our first school shooting, it’s not our first rodeo. But all the Democrats can do is say they can’t do anything. To the point where their constituency is completely demoralized.

You want change?

You’ve got to keep the story alive. And today you do that online. And it’s only going to be more so, forget that b.s. about streaming services and their ads, the overwhelming majority pay. You’ve got to go WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE!

At every level.

The Republicans play the long game, fifty years of trying to get rid of Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, along the way, abortion rights are tightening, pro-life people are surrounding clinics and killing doctors… Believe me, we’ve got the same passion on the left, if only they believed they could make a difference!

There are so many ways. The recent California law allowing individual citizens to report gun manufacturers for shirking their responsibilities. Yes, you can force gun companies to cower.

A vigil. That’s endless. We did this during the Vietnam era, reading the names of the dead.

We see this time and time again in music. The biggest bands have ARMIES! Remember the KISS Army? And Lady Gaga’s Little Monsters? And BTS fans? Cross them, say something negative about their beloved, and they’ll track you down and inundate you with hate, over something you wrote/said about a musical act! But do we have these equivalents in politics? Oh yes, on the right, but not the left. If I write anything political I immediately get e-mail from those on the right, they’re the first ones in, and they keep at it, no matter what. The left? They respond later, if at all. They’re asleep at the wheel.

Hollywood has been completely disrupted, it’s not business as usual. And you know what the cause of that was? THE INTERNET!

And 4G/LTE allowed new apps to appear, like Uber.

But when it comes down to Democratic politics…IT’S THE SAME AS IT EVER WAS! It’s like the internet didn’t even happen.

So if you’re a Democrat, I’ve got to tell you, you’re the lobster, you’re the frog, you’re already in the pot and the water is beginning to boil. But since you’re not yet cooked you believe everything’s groovy. BUT IT’S NOT!

What did James Carville so famously say? IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!

And he was and still is completely right, everybody in America is selfish, they’re watching their money first and foremost and want more. Yes, the right is famous for fighting culture wars, which they ultimately lose, but they know it’s not truly about culture, it’s about winning elections. Which they are very very good at, whatever it takes.

IT’S THE INTERNET STUPID!

Go on Reddit. Find those OnlyFans women. That’s right, sex sells and they want some of that cash. So what do they do? They cross post! They don’t post in only one category, but any one they even remotely qualify for. And they post each and every day! Frequently multiple times a day!

That’s what YouTube and Instagram “influencers” do too.

Democratic politicians? How do they expect to influence anybody if they don’t even play. You decide on your message and hammer it everywhere each and every day, to the point it becomes conventional wisdom, like Biden has dementia, can’t put two sentences together, and has accomplished nothing in office. THAT’S COMPLETELY UNTRUE! But the right wing has hammered this everywhere each and every day to the point where even the left wing outlets repeat it. Like the fact that Republicans are gonna win big next November. Where’s the campaign to say the opposite? Oh, that’s right, the rule tells us it’s an off-year election and the other party…

Come on, that’s not a rule.

Yes, the Democrats are playing by rules that don’t even exist.

And for the right, it’s a FREE-FOR-ALL!

And the Republicans are working the angles to boot. I hate to tell you, all those professional sports teams, even college, they’re working the angles. Did you see Nick Saban accusing his competition of buying players?

But the left is afraid.

No wonder the right is winning, AND THEY’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WIN!