the way the music died
Posted: Fri May 28, 2004 9:25 pm
Yeah, it was both horrifying and clarifying in the same moment. I understand that the music that most of us on this forum make is in other entire equations than that shown on that show but it does hint at some similarities. The recent inquiry of Steve about raising the rates of his services and the studio just to survive might have some sort of indirect connection. There is a lack of quality at the top (the 'top' being billion dollar corporations or banks that invest in 'product' for the sole reason of large returns) that trickles down and drives an industry based on products that have just enough 'quality' to get the momentary attention of the buying masses made up of the lowest common denominator. That, as Walter Sear says in his recent TapeOp interview, muddies the waters for the rest of us. As much as we decide our music or band or circle of influences is in another whole pond than that of the above mentioned, we still have to deal with the byproduct of the above for no other reason than their sheer volume and omnipresence and their effect on everything that touches (CD prices, sales, recording quality standards, the power of radio, favored recording medium, favored recording format, music booking, space on store shelves, etc.). Money drives such things and we, sad to say, do not have the money.
One good thing about the program was that it showed the business of putting out recordings at that level as just that, a business that brings all that businesses are built on into play; spending as little as possibleto try to earning a lot more with the least amount of effort as effort equals time spent which in turn equals money spent. You have to be able to call it what it is and know the enemy and not be a sucker. If one chooses to enter into that world, you must do it with open eyes.
