Mad Dogs & Englishmen killed Joe Cocker’s career.

But it built Leon Russell’s.

Cocker was an FM staple before most people had an FM rock station in their market. After all, this was 1969. In the metropolis, AM faltered, everybody tuned into the FM dial, music was defining the culture and if you wanted to know which way the wind blew you turned on the radio.

At least in major markets like New York.

My father had a Thunderbird with sketchy FM reception. But most radio listening was done at home. The biggest deejays were on at night, not in drive time. And you listened and listened and listened.

We’d started with transistors. But by the late sixties you needed a “stereo.” Hopefully made out of components, for that sound separation, to hear the detail that got buried on the radio.

It was “With a Little Help from My Friends” that got initial FM play. It was almost sacrilegious, reconstructing a Beatles song, from “Sgt. Pepper” to boot, but it was so innovative it became addictive.

And then there was the cover of “Feelin’ Alright”… Cocker took a Traffic album cut out of obscurity into the mainstream, and lined Dave Mason’s pockets forever.

And not long thereafter, in the same year of ’69, Cocker put out a second LP and the track that got the most airplay, the one that stood out from the rest of the album, was entitled “Delta Lady.” The horn part put it over the top, and the credits told us it was written by one Leon Russell, someone we knew not whatsoever.

The rest of the second LP was full of songs written by household names, Dylan, Cohen, John Sebastian and…the Beatles. Yes, this was the first time the world heard “She Came In Through the Bathroom Window,” sans the songs on either side of it in the “Abbey Road” medley. It was a curio. The track that enraptured you after “Delta Lady.” But it was “Delta Lady” that reached listeners first.

And at this time the credits were a gold mine, that’s where you learned about the music, there was no Wikipedia page, no internet whatsoever, and “Rolling Stone” was a mostly unknown publication based in San Francisco. You learned the names and then cross-checked them with other LPs and that’s how you gained your knowledge. You combed the record bins to further your education. Not that everybody was in the know. But plenty were. To the point when Leon Russell released his first solo album in March of 1970, I had to buy it. And…the version of “Delta Lady” blew the roof off of Cocker’s version. There was this Okie vocal, and the production was so over the top, with everything including the kitchen sink thrown in, all you could do was turn it up and luxuriate in the sound, as the background singers echoed Leon and the horns flourished and the finale encapsulated all the power of Hollywood, of rock and roll, it was a showstopper, where did they create this sound and how could I get more of it?

At the Mad Dogs & Englishmen show.

That’s what drove me to the gig. I needed to see Leon Russell. At this point I didn’t even own any Cocker albums, but to see the Master of Space & Time!

Not that we knew he was called that yet.

So I bought tickets to see the entourage at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York.

It was different then. There were a few rock places. The Fillmores. But most other shows were one-offs, and although they were not scarce, it’s not like today, where your favorite band can play and you’re completely unaware of it. You combed the ads in the newspaper. And a certain segment of the public had to go. And I was one of them.

This was just when Joe Cocker was in the Woodstock movie. This was just before John Belushi imitated him in National Lampoon’s “Lemmings.” This was fully five years before most people saw the act on “Saturday Night Live.” This was months before the double live album was released. This was unknown. We knew there was a troupe, but when they hit the stage in the theatre!

It made no financial sense. Twenty-odd people on stage, never mind the associated hangers-on. They were not playing stadiums. But this was long before production was a necessary part of the equation. Sound and lights, that’s all you needed.

So, Mad Dogs & Englishmen was a triumph. Upon which Leon Russell achieved fame, and Joe Cocker drank himself into a giant beer belly and nearly disappeared. When Joe put out new music at the end of ’72, it was a disappointment. One can argue Cocker didn’t really come back until 1982, when he and Jennifer Warnes duetted on “Up Where We Belong” from the soundtrack of the hit movie “An Officer and a Gentleman,” and Leon Russell was nearly completely forgotten.

At the peak of his fame, Leon Russell went country when country certainly was not cool, with “Hank Wilson’s Back Vol. 1,” but before that he burned out the fans with a TRIPLE LP live album that was not only too long, but not too good.

But before that…

While Cocker was off nursing his beer, Leon took the Mad Dogs & Englishmen concept and doubled down on it, this time calling the entourage “The Shelter People” and now…

Leon Russell was a star.

There was the cover of Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall,” and a rendition of “Beware of Darkness” from George Harrison’s monstrous three album set “All Things Must Pass,” but the track that put it over the top was the opening “Stranger in a Strange Land,” a more slowed-down “Delta Lady,” but once again including seemingly everybody available to work in L.A.

There was a follow-up, not as good as what came before, but bearing a soon-to-be standard, “This Masquerade,” although “If the Shoe Fits” nailed the phenomenon of hangers-on and “Out in the Woods” was swampy and infectious, and then there came that triple live album and Leon’s career went into decline but…

We’d read all the credits in the interim, and were aware these records had been cut at Skyhill Studios.

That’s the amazing thing about coming to L.A., the songs come alive! Not only did Frank Zappa write a song referencing El Monte Legion Stadium, he also had Flo and Eddie singing about Zachary All. Hell, you couldn’t even get the references until you journeyed to SoCal.

And we knew the studio names. And assumed Skyhill was just another joint on the boulevard.

But it wasn’t.

I never read the real estate section of the newspaper. It’s just not that interesting to me. I live in my mind more than a house. But Felice kept pointing out abodes in the “Hot Property” section of the “Los Angeles Times” and now I tend to peruse the Saturday section too.

And I was reading it yesterday and I saw:

“Leon Russell’s former home and studio lists in Hollywood Hills”

All those records were cut in a home studio! I had to completely rearrange my conception of their creation. Instead of parking on a main drag in Hollywood, or maybe in back in the parking lot, the players drove up into the hills where a house had been turned into a studio…

Which almost no one did until the eighties.

And now home studios are de rigueur.

But not then.

Not only were Russell’s LPs cut there, but seemingly all of the Shelter Records product.

I had to do some research.

Willis Alan Ramsey’s debut was cut at Skyhill! Unavailable for a long time, it was a cult item, revered by insiders, it contained “Satin Sheets,” which Shawn Colvin covered so expertly.

And Albert King and Don Nix and Freddie King and…the truth is most credits don’t cover all the details. And with a home studio, you’re not paying by the hour, so your friends can come by and…

Now on “UltimateClassicRock” they’ve even got pictures:

Leon Russell’s ‘Skyhill Studios’ Home on Sale for $1.398 Million

It doesn’t look like the home of rock and roll from the outside, then again, back then your exterior was secondary to your interior, rock stars were not in the gossip pages, you spoke with your music, it didn’t matter what you looked like.

And then on another page it said that J.J. Cale was the original engineer! It was not like today, where the industry is looking to promote the barely pubescent, at this point marketing was secondary to the music, and you were in the scene, paid your dues for a long time before everybody knew your name.

So I mapped it. Skyhill was across the street from Universal Studios. Back when you didn’t have to be rich to buy property in the hills.

I can’t get over this. My mental picture of the creation of all those albums has changed. They were not cut in the sterile environment of a commercial studio, but in a home, from which they spread out to the world as if they were produced in the finest, most expensive recording palace, what did we know, Skyhill Studios, sounded like an official place to me!

Leon’s gone. J.J. Cale and Denny Cordell too.

But the records live on. It was a brief moment in time. But it lasts forever, at least in my mind.

If this were on Netflix, it would be a big hit.

Every show has a backstory, and with “ZeroZeroZero” it’s that the creative force is Robert Saviano, the same guy who did “Gomorrah,” which I haven’t seen yet, because it left Netflix.

It’s unclear whether you can watch it on Sundance Now. Well, when you click through it says “Not Available,” which I guess is definitive, but why is it still on the site anyway?

Turns out “Gomorrah” is caught up in rights issues, the wrenching transition of ownership of the Weinstein Company. At least that’s what my e-mail says. I’m not gonna research every damn thing, I’m gonna rely on the gossip. Which, of course, begs the question what else I’ll rely on the gossip for.

So somehow Amazon has screwed up its foray into streaming television. At this late date, people seem to know, at least subscribers, that it’s baked into Amazon Prime. But maybe it’s if something is completely free, or feels free, it gets no respect. Or maybe it’s the less than sexy interface. Yes, I used that word, it’s the first that came to mind, although I used to wince when everybody else used it. It’s just that Amazon’s interface is dull. And scrolling leads to incomprehensibility. In an effort to be all-encompassing, Amazon Prime is confusing. You see everything is not free, many shows require you to subscribe to a further service, which catches the viewer in the tyranny of choice where they go back to Netflix for a seamless experience.

Netflix hypes the show it’s promoting right on the home screen. That’s what you’re confronted with first. Along with what’s new, what’s hot…

It’s not that simple on Amazon Prime.

But people found “ZeroZeroZero.” Just like they found “Gomorrah.” Why wasn’t it as big as “Narcos,” is it that it’s in a foreign language, or that Pablo Escobar was famous? Yes, there’s been less excitement about “Narcos” in Mexico, but it’s getting pretty good.

And there are narcos in “ZeroZeroZero.”

It’s really damn hard to do comedy, so much of what appeals on streaming services is drama. Police procedurals. Crime. I’m not exactly sure why viewers are drawn to these shows. Is it a vicarious experience, as in “there but by the grace of god go I,” or “I’m too timid to live this life but I like to dream” or is it that these shows are easier to make, I’m not sure.

But I found out about “ZeroZeroZero” from Michael Rosenblatt. He raved. But that’s not enough for me, TV series take up so much time, I quizzed him further, he doubled-down, and I ventured in.

Now the thing about “ZeroZeroZero” is it’s a movie, albeit eight hours long. It’s what we used to go to the theatre for, and sometimes still do, at least when the theatres were still open, not overcrowded with those seeking escape in the fantasy world of superheroes. “ZeroZeroZero” is big screen entertainment. The visuals are rich. The locations exotic. The acting first rate. The story…

“ZeroZeroZero” is entertainment. There are no lessons, no deeper meaning. Oh, you can dig some metaphors up, but that’s not what it’s really about. “ZeroZeroZero” is a ride for adults. Who’ve seen some of the world, know to a degree how things work, and want a story to take them out of their regular life.

There are three main locations. Mexico, Africa and Italy. And they’re beautiful and fascinating. I’m afraid to go to Mexico because of the lawlessness of the cartels, but the landscape is overwhelming and the life… I like places that are different. When you’ve still got dirt roads, when you’re still developing, that’s when I’m interested. Once again, my trip to Bogota back in 2013 was the one that impressed me most, that I think of most. It wasn’t all cushy, you could get shot, you could die, but that make you feel so alive.

And in Africa…

When you’re outside of the U.S. the same rules don’t apply, you don’t always feel safe. Which is a good reason not to go, but it’s also a good reason to journey abroad, it’s exhilarating, you’ve got your wits about you, you feel alive.

So, “ZeroZeroZero” is about a drug deal.

Mexico provides the cocaine. The Lynwood family from New Orleans is the broker doing the shipping and the Mafia in Calabria, Italy is the customer.

Only there are struggles in each location. In New Orleans, a son has Huntington’s, which you’ll remember took the life of Woody Guthrie. In Italy there’s a turf war in the family. In Mexico…there’s a power struggle.

Actually, it’s what happens in Mexico that is most vivid. Because the drug wars are real. People do die.

So on some level “ZeroZeroZero” is “The Wages of Fear,” i.e. a story about the dangerous journey of an illicit substance, not that cocaine is going to explode.

So the usual rules of visual entertainment don’t necessarily apply in “ZeroZeroZero.” Those who can’t die, the heroes of the story, the focus, sometimes do.

And there’s this weird construct where events are foreshadowed, and then you go back and see what really happened. It’s hard to explain, but it happens right in the first episode, you’ll be caught off guard, but then you’ll expect it.

And the acting is superb.

Andrea Riseborough as Emma Lynwood is cunning and can be an iron fist in a velvet glove and can also exhibit emotion.

Dane DeHaan is one of the few Americans in the series, he looks like Leonardo DiCaprio, but is more believable. DiCaprio always looks preternaturally young to me, it’s always Leo, and he always seems too soft and smooth to play the role.

Harold Torres as Manuel…

It takes you a while to figure out his loyalties. But ultimately his strength and intelligence shine through. We’re used to leaders being self-satisfied hotheads, but Manuel is not. He’s got a vision, he’s calm and collected…ultimately you can’t take your eyes off him.

So, at first the stories are intermingled. But as you progress, locations/stories can make up nearly an entire episode. And this allows you to go into depth, and it’s so satisfying.

And there are constantly roadblocks to execution. Some seem phony, but most seem real.

So what do we have here?

Kind of a seventies movie. Like “French Connection.” Not with the same plot, but with a driving story that takes you around the world, where you align yourself with the characters and you’re not quite sure how it’s all going to play out.

Now the most prominent show Amazon Prime has is “Mrs. Maisel.” And I dig it, but it’s not for everyone.

“Mozart in the Jungle” won Golden Globes, but that was about the only publicity the series got. And when you watched it…it wasn’t THAT good.

But “ZeroZeroZero” is something different.

Oh yeah, they don’t explain the title in the series. But it’s easily Googlable. I’ll leave it to you.

The creation of shows, movies too, is a group effort. And it’s expensive. And you can find yourself in the middle of it and realize you veered off course and cannot get back on the right path. It’s different from music, which is best when it runs on sheer inspiration, and is unhobbled by too much input. And it takes much longer to make visual entertainment than audio. We’re always hungering for more.

Of that which we like.

But we don’t like that much.

I don’t know if there’ll be another season of “ZeroZeroZero.” It’s based on a book, and I don’t know where that book ends. Then again, they’ve been making James Bond movies for years with no books. But Bond is now a joke, about gadgets and big forces whereas “ZeroZeroZero” is a smaller story about people, and they’re not like you and me, but it illustrates how many stories there are on this globe, what makes the world turn.

So, when there’s a hit in America, there’s always a sequel, there’s always more, and it’s rarely as good as what came before.

It’s different overseas, it can be one and done.

But honestly, I’d like more from these characters, I want to see where they go, how their lives and organizations develop.

“ZeroZeroZero” is beyond HBO. Because of the production qualities. HBO is television, so they usually focus on talking. “ZeroZeroZero” paints on a big canvas. And it’s not “House of Cards,” it’s not throwing off lessons constantly, but you’ll get hooked, believe me.

“History Will Judge the Complicit – Why have Republican leaders abandoned their principles in support of an immoral and dangerous president?”

This was the most e-mailed article in my inbox this week.

It should have been in “The New Yorker.”

In case you missed it, the “New Yorker” and the “New York Times” got into a pissing match over Ronan Farrow’s #MeToo reporting, to the point where even Matt Lauer came out of his bunker with a new tattoo to set the record straight. The “New Yorker” fought back. But Mr. Lauer’s statement was compelling. He did not deny all of his behavior, but went into depth re certain accusations. But Lauer’s been taken off the table, kicked out of the casino, he’s just a news reader and he’s been replaced by the analyst Farrow. But now Farrow’s credibility is in question.

And then the “New York Times” took a hit.

Wednesday all hell broke loose, assuming you’re on Twitter. You see the “Times” posted an opinion piece by Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton entitled “Send In The Troops,” and the staff broke the paper’s rule and commented on its publication. But even more interesting were the outsiders with their analysis. To what degree was the publication of the opinion piece done to drive up subscriptions? You see news is a business. And the analysis said if the “Times” can appeal to more moderates, its numbers will go up. That’s why you’re on Twitter, for the analysis, for the insight you don’t get from the constant assault of 30,000 feet news headlines all day long on TV and the web.

So, the “Times” did a mea culpa. Said the opinion piece did not meet its standards. Even worse, James Bennett, the editor in charge of the opinion section, said he didn’t even read it. This is the plausible deniability Sarah Kendzior keeps going on about. It’s like “Casablanca,” you’re positively shocked and you evade penalty. But Twitter also told us that Bennett was in line to become the next executive editor of the paper, now his ascension is in question, as it should be.

You see journalism is a game. Forget the talking heads, that’s showbiz. Journalists are all about paying their dues and moving up the ladder. There’s gossip and politics and infighting and what looks to you like a seamless product is not.

But it’s so interesting that the Times employees broke the rule on commenting. It’s kinda like the Facebook employees standing up to Zuckerberg. We’re at that point, do you do what you know is right or are you complicit, to save your job, to continue to be a part of the enterprise.

Now despite the dearly departed Tom Wolfe excoriating the “New Yorker,” it is held in the highest regard in journalistic circles. No higher regard than in the cabal comprised of the magazine’s employees. And David Remnick improved the magazine, but it’s rarely the heartbeat of America. The “Talk of the Town” is always slyly placed publicity. As for the feature articles…they’re in-depth, but do they make a difference?

Anne Applebaum’s article in the “Atlantic” makes a difference.

People make a difference.

Once upon a time, there was this magazine editor Clay Felker. He was the best in the business. He was responsible for “New York.” He redid “Esquire.” He created his own magazine, “Manhattan, inc.” that was a cover to cover read.

Just like Marty Baron has lifted the “Washington Post” from second-rate to top tier.

But Marty did it with the help of Jeff Bezos.

And the “Atlantic” is doing it with the help of Laurene Powell Jobs.

Give both Bezos and Jobs credit, they’re putting their money where their mouth is. They’re laying it on the line in pursuit of a better world. And you can criticize Amazon all you want, but only the president believes Jeff is hands-on with the “Post.” Murdoch’s fingerprints are all over Fox News and the “Wall Street Journal,” but it’s the right that shoots as the left defends. And the “Times” has taken a hit, but it’s not the only game in town.

So, I recommend reading the above article, but you must budget almost an hour. And most people won’t dedicate that amount of time.

But in this case, there’s a shortcut. You can listen to the NPR podcast. Pull up the NPR app on your favorite podcast platform, or you can listen on the NPR site. And, if podcasts are not your thing, you can read the transcript of the NPR interview. The podcast and transcript are here:

“Journalist Explains Why Republican Leaders Back Trump’s ‘Proto Authoritarian Cult'”

Now there’s a dividing line in the public. Either you’re open to new ideas, you check different sources, or you don’t. If you’re someone who remains in their silo, who believes all politics are tribal, that it’s a team sport, you might not be open to Anne Applebaum’s analysis.

Anne Applebaum is educated. And intelligent. And these are denigrated in today’s society. If you got an elite education, you’re not entitled to an opinion. Because chances are you’re rich and lording it over us.

Unfortunately, in many cases that’s true. But let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

And if you have an elite education, unfortunately you are separate from the hoi polloi. Because you’ve been taught how to analyze.

This is what most Americans can’t do. All they can do is gather the facts. But what do they mean? How do you merge all these facts, how do account for conflicting opinions? The dumbing down of America has consequences. And since public schools are underfunded and teach to the test, it’s getting even worse.

So, Anne Applebaum uses Nazi analogies, but she says multiple times, the U.S. is not equivalent to Nazi Germany. But the point remains, why did everybody go along with Nazi policy, why were they complicit?

That’s what Ms. Applebaum is analyzing here.

Her main analogy is Vichy France.

I recommend once again that you watch the series “A French Village.” When it’s all said and done, the Nazi collaborators…they were in trouble, they paid the price. Will today’s Republicans pay the price for supporting Trump?

History will not be kind to them. But what Applebaum is dissecting is the slippery slope, the stories you tell yourself as you enable authoritarianism.

The article goes into the strange case of Lindsey Graham, how he sacrifices everything he believes in to support Trump. How he basks in the aura of the president after meeting with him.

There are many reasons people are complicit with authoritarians, and Applebaum goes into them, which is why you shouldn’t let her story pass you by. She brings up every scenario, every motivation.

Why did the National Park Service doctor photos increasing the attendees at Trump’s inauguration. Everybody knew it was a lie, but it’s best to satiate the new president, give him a break. But Applebaum’s point is it’s not about the number of attendees, it’s that Trump can lie with impunity, with no consequences. Which leads us to…

Impeachment. Everybody in the Senate knew Trump was guilty. Why did they not vote to convict him?

Well, they were playing a team sport. They liked being in office. And if they stood up, they’d be excoriated by Trump and primaried out of office.

Never underestimate personal motivation. It’s rampant in America today. People do what is expedient as opposed to what’s right. For themselves.

To stand up is to be an outcast. To be pilloried.

So people go along, they don’t want to ruffle the feathers of those around them, never mind those in power.

Meanwhile, the person in power gains more and more power, and exercises it. To the point where you’ve got elected officials in Russia and Hungary, but they’re powerless, the authoritarian rules.

And this is what is happening now in America. Threatening to use the military on the people it’s supposed to defend, who are exercising their lawful right to protest, is akin to what they do in dictatorial countries. All in the name of law and order. Yes, the authoritarian says they’re protecting the people as they take away their rights. And the truth is the authoritarian is protecting his or her self, not the people. Hell, look at Trump’s response to Covid-19. He doesn’t care about the people, he cares about himself!

Go online, argue with the Trumpers, it’s a fool’s errand.

You always have to go to the top. And in this case I’m speaking of D.C. These are the people who are in power, and they keep enabling Trump. As for the Democrats…they keep going on about the rules, say their hands are tied, but when it comes to right and wrong, when democracy hangs in the balance sometimes you’ve got to break the rules, like the reporters at the “Times.” Otherwise, is the organization worth saving?

So start off with the podcast. Applebaum is not histrionic, and she does cover the bases. And listening you’ll think…this could happen here.

Sadly, it already has.

WARNER MUSIC IPO

The crime here goes back to 2004, when Time Warner blew out its record division for $2.6 billion.

Today Warner Music is valued at $15 billion.

Assuming you’d taken that $2.6 billion, invested it an annual rate of return of 10%, after fourteen years, i.e. today, you’d have $11.95 billion.

10% is a pretty good rate of return. Look at all the hedge funds in a negative position, that have gone out of business.

The sale of Warner Music back in 2004 was an ignorant one based on emotion.

Let’s look at the company, comprised of Warner/Atlantic/Elektra and many associated labels.

There was the thought that the value of recorded music would go down to zero. And that no one would make music anymore because of the lack of remuneration. Well, one thing’s for sure, today we’ve got too much music, furthermore, income is now going up after being halved, because of streaming. Proving that the music business itself is run by hustlers with no familiarity with tech or trends, and that Time Warner was a boondoggle from day one, after Steve Ross died the enterprise was run off the rails.

Let’s start with the flawed merger with Time (which Ross was in favor of). A conglomerate with a future, based on its cable system, cable channels and music companies, merges with a dead tree enterprise on its way down. Talk about not seeing the future, Time declined to nearly nothing and was then blown out. As for AOL…anybody who actually was online knew AOL was a walled garden and that the future was the worldwide web, with access to all via broadband. Once again, AOL went down in value and was blown out.

And they blew out the record division too. Even though it was the record division that generated all the profits that built the cable system.

You see music scales. If you have a hit, it costs very little to continue to sell that hit. In other words, costs are amortized quickly and then the rest is almost pure profit, especially in the era of digital, without production costs, never mind shipping and returns, and the era of streaming, where music lives forever and pays forever.

None of this was hidden when Warner Music was sold by Time Warner. It’s just that the majordomos had no respect for music, they were building a TV empire that ended up being sold to AT&T, as if a conglomerate is the best place to put content. At least NBC, Universal and Comcast are essentially in the same business, i.e. visual programming. Furthermore, Comcast had the pipes to distribute said content. The synergy with AT&T and Warner is hard to figure out. The wireless business was not built on paid-for visual content. But, AT&T bought DirectTV, which anybody savvy would know was going down, because people would cut the cord, and the satellite service, no matter how good for the distribution of television, lacks a high speed internet component. But AT&T needs growth for Wall Street. Same deal with Verizon, which purchased AOL, supposedly for its ad tech, but that didn’t play out, certainly not for the cost…proving that the history of the past three decades is technologists making marks out of traditional media empires, the truth being they just want to lay off their duds.

So, Warner Music has assets that will never go down to zero. Call it the history of recorded music, Warner has one of the best catalogs extant. People are gonna want to listen to “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” and “Stairway To Heaven” and “Little Red Corvette”…until the copyright runs out, which it never seems to, these tracks are gonna rain revenue for decades! It’s even a better investment than real estate! You never have to refurbish the buildings, the tracks are evergreen forever!

But Richard Parsons and Jeffrey Bewkes seemed to be ignorant to this fact. Hell, Parsons came from Amex. As for Bewkes, he was enamored of TV. Proving, once again, even though there’s no qualification to work in the music business, it does require expertise, it is a skill, and decisions should be made by those having said skills, with a clear vision of the future.

This IPO was just about Blavatnik getting his investment back, Warner Music doesn’t need the money.

Then again, HBO, or Netflix, an independent company, needs to do a documentary on Len Blavatnik. Exactly how did he acquire this wealth? And now Blavatnik has laundered his reputation, by donating to cultural institutions, to seemingly every museum in London and $75 million to the University of Oxford for a new school of government.

What happened when Communism fell, when Yeltsin was in power, before the kleptocratic Putin took power? Maybe Blavatnik’s billions are totally legit, but maybe not. But just like with Jeffrey Epstein, when a billionaire gives you money…you take it and shut up.

Then again, the people dancing to Ed Sheeran have no idea about all of this.

Then again, Warner could completely shut down the cost heavy investment in new music and still be worth many billions.

But new music is sexy, which brings us to…

IT’S STILL ROCK ‘N’ ROLL TO ME

https://bit.ly/3cyi11L

Bottom line, most of the money is in rock, not hip-hop.

That’s what the stats say.

But whenever you employ Nielsen stats there’s a question of reality. Like physical and tracks…do they really matter anymore?

But one thing is for sure, hip-hop is nowhere near as dominant as the major players and the major media say it is. This narrative is similar to the one that got Time Warner to blow out its music division sixteen years ago. The sky is falling, no one will pay! People only want to hear hip-hop music, the rest is irrelevant!

Only it’s not. The other genres combined surpass hip-hop, and the same is true even if you throw in pop.

But now we’ve got a different metric, streaming and it is skewing perception.

Look at concert grosses. Rock overwhelmingly dominates. And there’s a huge component of today’s country, which is really just the rock of the seventies, albeit with bogus lyrics about church and trucks and family.

And not only in ticket sales is rock king, but merch too.

And if you’ve gone to any of these classic rock shows, it’s definitely not all oldsters. As for kids not being able to pay these high ticket prices…the prices are only that high because the demand is so great!

Now in the old days a sale was a sale, whether you listened to a record or not was irrelevant. Records were promoted via radio and print, and only those promoted had a huge number of sales.

Print is nearly worthless. The eighties and nineties paradigm of TV is a joke and radio still promotes, but mostly the promotion of music is about internet word of mouth. But the truth is the youngsters have more time to waste online, and they’ve got more time to listen to music, so they stream their favorites ad infinitum and then the media anoints the Spotify Top 50 and says THIS IS THE MUSIC OF AMERICA!

But it’s not.

Now what you hear on today’s Active Rock radio does not resemble anything close to classic rock, it’s noisy and discordant and oftentimes has poor vocals. As for Adult Alternative…a lot of those acts are inherently niche. However, both of these formats have a significant number of fans. But imagine if they were promoting acts that could write songs who had good voices…

Look at the classic acts. Not only could the Beatles write, they could sing! Same deal with the Eagles. Only on Active Rock and AAA is it believed you need no skills to survive. Sure, Bob Dylan’s voice is questionable/an acquired taste, but he is the best rock lyricist of all time!

In other words, the niches are driving today’s new rock off the cliff. And those who make it are playing to these niches, for these formats. Whereas if there was a push behind acts that covered the basics…

As our country grows more diverse, only in the music business do offerings and promotion get narrower. It’d be like Netflix only producing teen dramas. They might be successful, but most people would not tune in. They might even make money, but imagine how much more could be made if other genres were produced too!

That’s today’s major music business.

But music is so far ahead of movies and TV. For ten bucks a month, or a near equivalent around the world, you get the history of recorded music at your fingertips. And it is about subscriptions. Adobe went to subscription, Microsoft too. You charge less and charge forever. Stop paying and you’ve got nothing. People will pay. But we still have Nielsen factoring in sales. This would be like Apple factoring in how many people install their software via CD-ROM. Oh, that’s right, it’s all downloaded, the computers don’t even come with CD drives!

But Nielsen is so backward because that’s how the labels like it.

Proving, once again, all the innovation has been made by youngsters and outsiders.

Proving, once again, the conventional wisdom is wrong.

There’s a story in today’s WSJ comparing the value of Warner to Spotify. They’re both in the music business, but their models are totally different. Music is the ultimate in scale. Spotify doesn’t scale at all, it always has to pay sixty something percent in royalties, which is why Spotify is pivoting into podcasts, which is why its stock jumped after it acquired Joe Rogan’s show.

But Spotify is looking to the future, the music business is always stuck in the past.

You’re pissed Daniel Ek is a billionaire? Without Daniel Ek, Warner Music would be worth less than half.

But streaming was inevitable, because it’s on demand distribution, which now rules the world. Apple and HBO dribble out episodes, Netflix delivers them all at once. On Spotify, you get it all and you get it now. Which is the way people want it.

I don’t agree with all of Russ Crupnick’s conclusions here. But he’s the first person other than myself railing against the unending focus on hip-hop.

I’ve got no argument with the power of hip-hop, or its impact upon the market, but to believe it’s the only sound people want to listen to is…

Myopic.