This was the week Elizabeth Warren’s candidacy was taken seriously and Donald Trump lost all credibility.

And “Old Town Road” continued to triumph in the music sphere, because it’s a fad driven by social media and that’s how far we’ve sunk these days.

It comes down to substance. And experience. The entertainment business believes it’s all about marketing, and it happens instantly, you throw it all up against the wall and see if it sticks. And if it doesn’t, you throw your hands in the air and move on to the next project. Meanwhile, the person whose work you threw against the wall, which failed, is usually lost in the shuffle, forgotten, like an autoworker whose plant has closed.

Backstory matters. Sure, be an OG if you really are one. But if it’s an act, the truth outs. We live in an era of authenticity.

Meanwhile, if you can’t play your instrument and can’t write a song, you’re going to be outed too. Of course you’ll push back, crying about all the haters, but once you’re in a Twitter war, once it becomes about the battle as opposed to the issue, you’ve lost. Real players know you only respond to haters if it will move your agenda. You never try to correct people. Hell, there isn’t even one agreed upon news source, people believe different “truths,” what are the odds you’re going to set someone straight on Twitter…NONE! But if the perp has enough followers and you nail them the story might be picked up elsewhere, it could go viral, your cause could be helped.

But you can’t analyze it that much, you can’t map out a definitive plan. Actually, you’ve got to live outside the system, hewing to your own tuning fork and hope that it resonates. If it doesn’t resonate… You’re toast.

The story in America today is income inequality.

Forget all the minimum wage earners who can’t make ends meet. I mean don’t truly forget them, but chances are you aren’t one of them. Chances are you’re middle class, wondering how in hell your dreams didn’t come true. There’s a whole class of people with more money than you, and there’s no legal way you can penetrate, ascend to their level.

Of course techies and entrepreneurs and basketball players can get there. But not graduates of good colleges, professionals, intelligent, hard-working people.

And the country is controlled by the wealthy, with their dollars. What cash buys you is influence. And you’d be surprised what a ride on a private jet can get you. Then again, chances are you’ve never been on a private jet. That’s another thing the rich don’t want you to know, how grand their lifestyles truly are. While you’re waiting in line, dealing with TSA, getting to the airport two hours in advance to fight your way onto the plane and find storage for your carry-on, the elite are showing up on the tarmac five minutes before takeoff, with no TSA hassle, it’s wheels-up and they’re at the destination before the hoi polloi has gotten in the air.

Not that some haven’t earned it. That’s one of the reasons you wanted to become a rock star, so you could live the lifestyle. Now rock stars make a pittance, relatively speaking. So managers are investing in startups. And WME is going public. Everybody in Hollywood is trying to get rich, and usually it’s not even on the backs of talent, TALENT DOESN’T YIELD ENOUGH CASH!

But chances are you don’t know how the real world works. Because they don’t want to let you know. But one thing’s for sure, you know you got a raw deal, and your opportunity is limited.

The Democratic National Committee doesn’t want to lose control. So they’re on a disinformation campaign, anointing Joe Biden, which is like saying a second-string player on the Bulls teams of yore is your best bet. At least give us Michael Jordan, even better, STEPH CURRY!

But the DNC won’t acknowledge the game has changed, doesn’t even know the game has changed. Curry revolutionized play in the NBA, with the 3-pointer. America is far different from what it was even in the Obama era. We live in an era of cacophony where everybody believes in their own truth and those with power are on massive disinformation campaigns. If you think the number one problem in America is immigration, you don’t understand the economy. But Trump is diverting you, so you won’t see the real issues.

But Trump made a deal with Mexico and then reneged.

This is his pattern, and now foreign governments don’t trust him. What do they say, you’re only as good as your word? Well Trump’s word ain’t worth much. This fact was buried before there was national scrutiny, but now we know.

As for Warren, the DNC said she couldn’t win, she was another strident woman only this time with left field, progressive views they didn’t cotton to.

The rule in America today is no one can lose their job, no one can lose power, you’re entitled to keep everything you earned and never lose your station. Only that’s B.S. That’s like saying Madonna should still sell out stadiums. But she can’t. Oh, we could argue that one… That’s like saying Alanis Morissette can still go clean at every arena, along with Miley Cyrus. Times change, the heat dissipates, stars lose their light. But not in business, in business you’re entitled to keep your job, just like the coal miners and autoworkers and the post office people. Only you’re making a lot more money and have a lot more power.

So the establishment, those with money and power, HATE Elizabeth Warren, because they’ve got something to lose and they don’t want to lose ANYTHING!

Now Warren has paid her dues. And is organized. She’s been pounding policies, plans, ad infinitum while Joe Biden isn’t sure whether he’s for the government paying for abortions or not.

And this work, along with Warren’s truth, is making people cling to her, believe in her, and the press is only noticing now.

This is just like a band. You practice, pay your dues, work in the trenches and WAIT for your moment. And if it doesn’t come, it often means you just weren’t good enough. People recognize excellence, they’re wowed by excellence, they can’t get enough of it, opportunity comes to those who deliver stellar performances.

But of course those on the right, still on the Trump train, decry everything I just said. But elections are like the music business. NO ONE LIKES EVERY ACT! For every Drake lover, there are tons of haters. You just need enough to make it work economically, you just need enough votes to win.

If you think it’s business as usual in America, you’re either rich or delusional.

As for the Pocahontas thing…epithets never triumph over substance. And America is all about redemption. And name-calling has no chance against hope, which is what Warren delivers. Hell, even George Will thought she’d be the right person to run, that’s what he said on “Real Time” tonight, that Warren would be FUN, and that politics should be fun.

And politics is no different from music. We’re always looking for something new, something outside, something different. We get sick of the same old thing. The landscape keeps changing, we want new faces that understand it.

So what you’ve got is a disconnect between those with power and the rest of the world, the internet world, the connected world, the cacophonous world. Used to be you could get away with being out of touch, but no longer, it just makes you look dumb. Like Congressman Steve King bitching to the CEO of Google Sundar Pichai about his iPhone…GOOGLE MAKES ANDROID!

Conventional wisdom is just that. And in today’s overloaded world there’s a belief that he or she who yells loudest triumphs. But that’s B.S. You can yell, but that does not mean anybody is listening. What you’re hyping can be forgotten in a minute, heard anybody talk about Steve Perry’s solo album recently? But if you’ve got the goods, if what you’re working is great, you’ve got a chance that the people will glom on to it and spread the word. The press is always last. It’s just the cherry on top, like radio. But when a track gets on radio, IT BLOWS UP!

This week Elizabeth Warren blew up.

And Trump blew himself up.

And Nancy Pelosi and the old farts are afraid of impeachment, even though daily telecasts will inform those on the right what is really going on, will pierce the Fox bubble.

But never expect change from the entrenched. It always comes from outside. It’s always supported by the people. It’s all about connection and resonance. Trump resonated with people the RNC denigrated. And the DNC was too stupid to see that Hillary Clinton resonated with almost nobody. She was like a great session guitarist, no one pays to see that.

We’re looking for superstars. And now, more than ever, the penumbra is irrelevant, it all comes down to substance.

And that’s how Elizabeth Warren got traction.

P.S. If you’re interested in the Warren phenomenon, whether you love her or hate her or just want more information, please read the “New Yorker” story on her, it’s balanced and thorough and after you read it, you can talk like an expert, which everybody wants to be these days:

Can Elizabeth Warren Win It All?

Quite possibly the best songwriter of her generation, Karla’s most famous for the Linda Ronstadt covers, but her own versions have more emotion and both resonate and sting, depending upon the track.

Of course I saw the credits for the cuts on “Hasten Down The Wind,” but the real revelation was when Karla’s first LP was released. Her versions were less produced, her voice was less bombastic and…those lyrics play in my head all the time!

“Someone To Lay Down Beside Me”:

Still you know that may be what I need
Is someone to lay down beside me
And even though it’s not real
Just someone to lay down beside me
You’re the story of my life

We all need touch, comfort, sex, understanding, and when you don’t get it you yearn for it.

And “If He’s Ever Near”:

They say just once in life
You find someone that’s right
But the world looks so confused
I can’t tell false from true

And love’s so hard to find
In this state of mind
Oh, I hope I’ll know him
I hope I’ll know him
If he’s ever near

We’re looking, do we trust our judgment, will we know..?

“Rose In The Garden”:

There’s a rose in the garden
It will bloom if you’re sure
That you pay close attention
But leave it room

I’m not telling any lies now
I need you
You know how
I think I can see how to let you grow
I’ve got to let you go

Whoa! This is not the typical love song, even though Karla sings “We’ve been here for so long now, I see your soul in me”. That’s closeness. And unless you married your high school sweetheart, you’ve been here, you’re so close, but it can’t work. It’s so painful.

“Isn’t It Always Love”

Isn’t it always love that makes you hang your head
Isn’t it always love that makes you cry
And isn’t it always love that takes the tears away
And I wouldn’t have it any other way

The track is upbeat, but the message is important. Life has its ups and downs, it’s your job to ride the pony. Too many people give up, find someone new, when the truth is they need to stick with what they’ve got, develop it, change.

When you find someone that’s true to you
Some days are up and oh some days are blue
Just don’t go and throw it all away
Wait a minute, you gotta hear what I say

Those cuts are all on the Columbia debut.

But in 1988, Karla dropped the album “New World,” which is marred a bit by the dated production, but contains just as much wisdom.

“Goodbye My Friend”:

Oh we never know where life will take us
We know it’s just a ride on the wheel
And we never know when death will shake us
And we wonder how it will feel

This is the song I played on 9/11. And now with so many of my friends sick and dying…

“All My Life”:

Am I really here in your arms
This is just like I dreamed it would be
I feel like we’re frozen in time
And you’re the only one I can see

And hey
I’ve looked all my life for you
Now you’re here
And hey
I’ll spend all my life with you
All my life

It’s the flip side of “Rose In The Garden,” she’s decided he’s here and she recognizes it.

And “Still Be Getting Over You.” All you need to know is the title. We’re human, we have emotions, we just can’t jump from one situation to another…the thoughts, the feelings, live on.

Now Karla’s got a new album, “Carry Me Home,” where she rerecords some of her best songs, and includes a take of Jackson Browne’s “Something Fine,” to boot.

Listen here: Carry Me Home

But be sure to also listen to the self-titled debut: Karla Bonoff

And hell, if you like that, listen to “New World”

Most songs are of a time, they’re dated, they’re a return to what once was.

But Karla Bonoff nails life, her songs are as relevant now as they ever were.

Furthermore, she’s regularly on tour. You should see her. Sit in the audience as you ponder your life and tingle.

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“The Day the Music Burned”

Artists should own their masters.

Executives come and go, the tracks they’re in custody of are forever.

In other words, acts care more about their material than any executive, IT’S THEIR LIFE’S WORK!

Now in the book publishing world the author owns the copyright, even if the book is a loser. How come not in the music industry? Especially when the act is in profits and has paid for the recording of the album. Not to mention, it’s not a dollar for dollar reimbursement, no, recoupment is based on your royalty rate. In other words, if you’re a newbie with a bad deal it takes longer to recoup than if you’re a star with a better one. Aren’t costs costs? Not in the record business, where the acts are slaves. And with 360 deals, the labels have an interest in all income streams, the acts are tied to the label, and if they’ve got a bad deal they can’t make any money. This is fair? NO!

Now the problem with the major labels is no one who works there has skin in the game. They’re not playing with their own money. If you own the label you know your masters are your lifeblood, they’re all you’ve got, you want to protect them. When you sell out, the purchaser is buying your catalog first and foremost, especially if you’ve been in business for decades. But if you don’t own the label, if you’re working for the man, why in hell would you want to protect the company’s back assets? You weren’t involved in creating them, you don’t own them, the revenues derived from them don’t represent the majority of your paycheck. And you want to make your bonus, why would you add costs to your detriment? Because the assets are a national treasure? That goes against the self-interest that has taken root over the past few decades in the U.S., never mind instinct.

So the acts are victims.

But it gets worse, you’ve got the duplicity of Universal itself. I remember when the fire happened, I bought the line that everything had been digitized, that these were safeties, that nothing of value was lost…BUT THAT WAS A LIE!

And now Universal is trying to cover up with subterfuge, saying that good enough copies exist, that the material wasn’t lost forever… BUT THAT’S NOT THE POINT! Universal is just like a man accused of bad behavior, rather than admitting it, it’s denying it, making excuses.

So the public is pissed.

This was the most popular story in “The New York Times” and it hasn’t even hit print yet! Because these songs are the lifeblood of the audience, they’re what make life worth living. Movies are larger than life, music is life itself.

And fans are never satiated. They want to hear the work tapes, the alternative takes. Hell, the Beatles sold multiple CDs of outtakes. Imagine if Universal had been in control of THEIR tapes!

Universal owns them, but the Beatles are savvy enough to have not coughed them up.

Actually, many acts don’t cough them up. And then there are the acts that leave them in the studios they’ve been working in, especially mastering. They seem to care less than Universal. Until income dries up and they want to maximize what’s in the vault and they find there’s nothing in it.

And yes, the original copy is the best. Talk to anybody who’s been in the studio. The sound comes out of the speakers and you’re wowed. Getting closer to the original sound was a big thing in the sixties and seventies, ergo the audio revolution, when everybody bought a big rig. Those days are coming back, maybe not with big rigs, but technology keeps improving which will ultimately let us get closer to the sound. But if the original doesn’t exist, this is a problem.

And what were the tapes doing in that facility on the Universal lot anyway. Everybody knows that storage is key. We’re told to stack our vinyl vertically, not too tight, to keep it away from heat, but those who manufacture it care not a whit about the masters? Temperature-controlled, fireproof, these are not exotic concepts, it’s just that Universal didn’t care enough, it took its eye off the ball. Hell, Doug Morris is long gone. And Lucian can say it’s not his fault. But this is the problem with corporations, they continue to exist but the leaders change, there’s no accountability.

But the acts… They’re not faceless. Their music is their statement, their income, it is everything. A manager can always get a new act, the act is itself for all time. To the point where a mistake can ruin your career. Can you say Billy Squier’s pink video? But at least Squier can continue to get paid for airplay from his monster LP “Don’t Say No,” which ironically is on Capitol. You know that Billy would love to sell alternative mixes, outtakes, anything to bring in income, but now he can’t.

All those albums on Geffen?

As for digitization… We were told that CDs were perfect copies, turns out they weren’t. Sure, it was a learning process, but also better, more accurate, recording formats/transfers have been invented since.

But the original never changes, it remains the same. You want to get to the source, reproduce it as well as possible. But if that’s impossible?

So the public at large is up in arms because of the significance of the loss. These tracks are the building blocks of their lives, the foundation, to wipe them out is like destroying the Twin Towers. Oh, maybe that’s a low blow, but in some ways this is even worse. Yes, copies remain, but what was lost impacts even more people. I just can’t fathom that Joni Mitchell masters, and Don Henley masters, went up in smoke, are gone forever. Iconic musicians and material… Gone. Because someone just did not care enough. No bomb was dropped, no act of terrorism was involved, Universal just did not care enough.

Universal should do a mea culpa and produce a list of exactly what was lost, as a public service. Universal should not be adversarial, it should be on our side, it should be on the music’s side. This is like having a fire at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and being told that nothing of value was lost and furthermore they’re never going to tell you what it is. The conservation, the well-being of these recordings, is a national trust. Believe me, if this was a government organization, there’d be hearings, people would lose their jobs. For those who say the private sector does better, this proves in some cases it does not. Universal SKATES! Tells the insurance company the breadth of its loss and then denies it to everybody else. Hell, they haven’t even told the artists what’s been lost!

Loss happens. Tragedy occurs. We ultimately deal with it, accept it, and then institute procedures so it won’t happen again.

Unless there’s a cover-up.

Universal put in peril the essential fuel, the only asset the company is built upon. It deserves the backlash, it needs to be held accountable.

And this must be a warning to labels…keep your assets, your recordings safe.

And it must also be a warning to artists. DON’T COUGH UP YOUR MASTERS! Send the label copies. Hold on to your work because nobody cares about it as much as you. And the public.

The right knows it got screwed by globalization.

The left still thinks it will work for them. At least the educated left, in control of the Democratic Party. These professionals and high-earners believe that change can happen just as long as it doesn’t affect their wealth too much, that they can ride this horse into the future via a bit of compromise and that the problem is Trump.

WRONG!

It’s not the mainstream Republicans who believed in Trump, as a matter of fact, they anointed Jeb Bush. And now that Trump is actually President, they’re aligning with him, knowing that their party has been taken over by the rank and file, who’ve been left behind in the last forty years, and are looking for hope.

Hillary didn’t embody hope, and neither does Biden. They’re just more of the same. And that’s not gonna work anymore.

I’d say we’re in uncharted territory, but that’s only true of the establishment, believing it is safe in its power, that money rules, and only the most experienced get to steer.

Oh, don’t tell me about the evangelicals, or the racists, sure, they’ve been enabled by Trump, but the reason the real estate developer won is that he spoke to the disenfranchised. Someone must be responsible for their drop in income and living standard. Make it the immigrants. Make it the left with their welfare state. Make it anybody but themselves. Which is kind of weird, since the Republican ethos is individual responsibility.

On the left, the intelligentsia in charge has contempt for everybody sans a college diploma, and is so busy arguing identity politics when a slew of voters just want to put food on the table. This is another thing the Democrats don’t understand. When you’re starving, the cuisine doesn’t matter, any food will do. Once your belly is full you can debate what’s coming from the kitchen.

So the issues of the left are protection for the religious freedom of Muslims and more jobs for women and a greater focus on rapists. Of course these are all good causes…BUT THEY DON’T RESONATE WITH THE RANK AND FILE! It’s not that they don’t have opinions on these issues, it’s just that they’re dealing with bigger ones, like the loss of their jobs. They want someone who’s going to give them hope for the future. Trump might have lied, but that was his promise. Furthermore, Trump was speaking English, as opposed to arguing about trigger warnings, getting so caught up in what is right and doesn’t negatively impact any special interest group that the message ends up broad without bullet points.

But that’s the way the leaders of the Democratic Party want it.

Everybody wants to stay in control, nobody wants to lose their job. Meanwhile, the Clintons have gone on to become fabulously wealthy after losing their gigs, and there’s not even a sufficient safety net for the blue collar worker. OF COURSE it’s the right that wants to eviscerate the safety net, but the left can’t get its messaging right, it’s too busy infighting, too wimpy to put one foot forward. So, the blue collar Democrat votes for Trump, at least there’s a possibility of change.

But the left is afraid of alienating potential voters. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?? Trump supporters will kick and scream, but Democratic voters will think the party has a backbone, whether it succeeds in getting rid of Trump or not. Certainly Nancy Pelosi is a brilliant politician, but she’s using an old playbook, the younger generation wants a voice, the younger generation wants CHANGE!

This is what oldsters cannot fathom. The anger, disillusionment and debt of the youngsters. All boomers can do is excoriate millennials. You’ve read it, they need hand-holding, positive reinforcement, you can’t say anything negative to them. This has become the perception, is it any wonder that the younger generation is disillusioned?

Now if you’re a professional golfer, you play to win, you go for it, because once you lay up, play it safe, you lose your edge and you never know when a competitor will get hot.

But the Democratic Party refuses to play to win. Whether it be combating the right or running a candidate who is going to push the envelope and institute change.

Biden’s strategy is to run out the clock. To say nothing until Election Day, and have all the anti-Trumpers vote for him. That’s not a recipe for success, that’s a recipe for disaster. Whenever you play it safe you lose, can you say Kerry, can you say McCain?

And the Democrats always point to McGovern’s defeat. Saying if you run too far left you’ll lose, the center won’t accept you. But that was back in ’72! Furthermore, society was much less tribal back then, even though we still view it as the hippies versus the rednecks, the political division was not as great as today. And ALMOST NO ONE was excited about McGovern. He was not a dynamic speaker, some of his positions were good, but you didn’t want to go door to door convincing people. The goal was to defeat Nixon instead of pushing the envelope and delivering what the country needed.

People are excited about Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg. And that goes a long way.

People say Warren can’t win because anybody with money abhors her. But the truth is, MOST PEOPLE DON’T HAVE MONEY! And an election is decided by the rank and file, not the elite.

And Buttigieg spoke truth to power, and is continuing to coast on his statements. How SIXTIES!

Bernie Sanders is Curt Flood. He broke the reserve clause. In this case Bernie demonstrated how many people were disillusioned with business as usual, but the fruits of his efforts will probably be reaped by those who follow in his footsteps, just like Curt Flood opened the door but didn’t profit financially the way the resulting free agents ultimately did.

But when it looked like Bernie would win, Neera Tanden and the rest of the Democratic Party were up in arms, they had to undermine him, make it so he couldn’t win. THEY DON’T GET IT, THEY ARE THE PROBLEM!

Bernie still could get the nomination, although it doesn’t look like it.

Beto was a one hit wonder.

Harris doesn’t have enough of a C.V.

You’ve got to give Warren credit, she’s been preparing for this fight for decades, unlike the wankers who are running even though they know they’ll lose. She was a law professor, of bankruptcy. And now the entire country is morally and economically bankrupt. The rich have all the cash, seventy percent of adults possess eight percent of the wealth

The Wealth Detective Who Finds the Hidden Money of the Super Rich

AND THEY KNOW IT!

The right is rallying around the flag, the American Dream, a past era that was not that good, and today the odds of moving up the economic ladder are better outside the U.S. than they are inside the country. Sure, it’s all subterfuge, but the left doesn’t counteract this message for fear it will be labeled socialist. Just because the right keeps yelling about the evils of government and taxes doesn’t mean they’re right. It’s an issue of messaging, unfortunately Frank Luntz is on their side.

But this is the problem with impeachment, with all of the left’s positions. So fearful of pissing some potential voter off, they pussyfoot and say nothing, and allow the right to define the debate.

I just don’t get it. In an era of smartphones, the left wants to go back to rotary dialing. You embrace change, you don’t deny it. And this avenue is wide open, because Trump keeps promising to preserve the past, the jobs in coal and other dying industries, and it’s just not happening.

But when you tell a coal miner that a woman gets his gig and that all men are rapists he throws his hands in the air and votes Republican.

I’m not saying I’m against affirmative action, but if there’s more than one college to go to, the loss is not as great as if you didn’t get into UCLA and then you have to perform manual labor.

And even on the broad issues the left’s messaging is screwed-up. People are truly afraid the left will take away their guns. Let’s speak the truth…THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN! Why can’t Democrats say that instead of living in a fantasyland. Yes, many people are one issue voters, and if they think someone’s gonna take their gun away, they’re gonna vote Republican.

So the Democrats have to anoint a progressive candidate. Even if he or she loses. Because it’s just a matter of when. Because it’s gonna get worse, the rank and file are gonna have less, and they’re gonna be even more pissed about it. Now is the time to throw the long ball. And it needs to be a team effort. Whoever is nominated, all Democrats must rally around that person. But no, they’ll continue to bad-mouth them even after they’ve got the nomination.

The problem is the media is detached. We live in a country where it’s impossible to know what’s really going on. No one can watch all the movies, never mind the TV shows. You can’t listen to all the records… We’re in an era of change, and if you believe you can solve the issues via an old paradigm, you’re dreaming.

Bill Clinton played the sax.

Joe Biden has hair plugs in an era where the follically-challenged shave their heads.

Let’s see, Biden is gonna promise us bell bottoms, breakdancing and beer? The truth is beer consumption is down, the younger generation doesn’t cotton to it. But no, the Democratic Party wants to play it the same as it ever was.

There might be revolution in America.

But it’s got to happen in the Democratic Party first.