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Post by FreeRider on Feb 25, 2022 21:43:28 GMT -5
oh of course...today's musicians are screwed along with the older ones. There was a Steely Dan interview where they mentioned that touring was a necessity since their back catalog stopped selling and the royalties were diminished. And someone did an analysis to see whether Donald Fagen was just clueless about this statement: Fagen is upset that his income is taking a hit because his recorded music sales aren’t what they used to be. He recently said this to the Wall Street Journal:
"When the bottom fell out of the record business a bunch of years ago, it deprived me of the luxury of earning a living from records. I don’t sell enough albums to cover the cost of recording them the way I like to. For me, touring is the only way to make a living." The entire article is here: www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2017/08/steely-dans-donald-fagen-just-doesnt-get-it-unless-he-does.htmlBut yeah, the major label thing is not something Paul is going to do again. It would mean he'd be beholden again to a label and contractually obligated to give them X amount of albums or releases and tours, etc. His touring and promotion days for a major label are over. Now maybe due to economic necessity (like Donald Fagen) Paul might have to do something again to pay the bills and the rent.
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Post by FreeRider on Feb 25, 2022 16:18:49 GMT -5
there was no comparison between the two Paul's. I was merely commenting on Simon's quote about not having anything left to say anymore as a songwriter and suggesting that perhaps that is where Westy is as well. He's run out of steam with nothing really left to say. But that doesn't mean every song has to have significant artistic meaning, just that perhaps he's already mined the material from topics regarding love and death, angst, etc... Does he really have much financial support with one phone call? Are we talking major labels again? He's done that already and I don't think he's gonna go that route anymore. Indie labels? Maybe, but how much are they going to put behind him for a cultish figure who doesn't tour to support the release? Even an indie label is going to want to get a return on their investment. The major record labels and industry are seemingly super risk averse and won't really get behind new bands anymore according to this one essay: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/01/old-music-killing-new-music/621339/An excerpt: Old songs now represent 70 percent of the U.S. music market, according to the latest numbers from MRC Data, a music-analytics firm. Those who make a living from new music—especially that endangered species known as the working musician-—should look at these figures with fear and trembling. But the news gets worse: The new-music market is actually shrinking. All the growth in the market is coming from old songs.
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Post by FreeRider on Feb 25, 2022 11:27:03 GMT -5
Crowd funding his next album, eh? That would be a fun experiment. Maybe the first 100 fans who chip in X amount of dollars will get like bonus tracks and a performance video clip, the next 100 fans who chip in Y amount of dollars, will get like 15% off the CD, vinyl, or downloads and a poster, etc... I mean, hell, why not? He gets some profit and a chance to get some of his songs out there to the fans, gives him a goal to shoot for other than just writing and recording for himself. Just as long as the songs aren't all like Oompa! soundcloud.com/user-964848511/oompa😛
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Post by FreeRider on Feb 24, 2022 10:59:28 GMT -5
Very true, Jer.
I'm no mind reader so I can't question what motivates Paul, it's all speculation. I'm sure he has his reasons and rationales. Yet---economic necessities forces one's hand a lot. And we don't know exactly what kind of hand he was dealt. I had forgotten that during the reunion thing that they still owed Warner's a lot of money for studio time, etc....and they came collecting. Now is Paul poor mouthing a bit about how much the accountants and bean counters at Warner's came calling to collect? I dunno, I have no reason to doubt him. So who knows if he and Darren and his publisher try to get more of his songs put into movies or TV or whatever to get an income stream. or probably easiest is to release some more solo stuff.
But as far as writing tunes for the fans? Maybe he's run out of steam, like the way Paul Simon felt in that old interview. Or maybe he's hit his songwriting peak? But he could write for others or for film, I'd think, if he's not writing stuff for the fans. He's still a very talented writer and if he called up Cameron Crowe and asked Cameron if he could get him in contact with others in the film industry for film scoring stuff, I'd think he'd have a job. But again, who knows? I'm just speculating.
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Post by FreeRider on Feb 22, 2022 10:03:52 GMT -5
Excellent point and one that I'm behind. The I Don't Cares CD came out in 2016, just 2 years ago. Paul must be chuckling and shaking his head, thinking, "I just gave you folks something and you're still begging for more?" I mean, doesn't it take a band an average of like 2-3 years to put out another album? This songwriting stuff is hard, it takes time. This is true. Just to offer a simple comparison: I went and had a look at Paul Simon's solo output between the release of his first album in 1972 (not counting that 1965 Songbook thing) and his most recent release of new music in 2016. So within that span of 45 years (1972-2016) Simon released 12 albums, or an average of one new album every 3.75 years. Now let's look at PW: If we exclude EPs and singles and soundtrack work and the Dry Wood Garage project, PW has released 10 albums of new music over 24 years (1993-2016), or an average of one new album every 2.4 years. And he's obviously as serious a songwriter as Paul Simon. So yeah, he might very well be done (although I reckon he has a LOT of unreleased stuff that is as worthy as your favorite tunes on Wild Stab), but while he was at it he was certainly chugging away. Nice analysis there. I recall reading some interview with Paul Simon some years back---can't find the damn article now---but he said that he felt he was coming to an end. He said at some point, he had nothing left to say, nothing to inspire him, nothing left to communicate to the listener that he hadn't seemingly done before. Then he went on for another 10 years or so recording and touring! So Paul might not have "anything to say to anyone anymore", but still. Even if he's run out of things to say, or he's said it all, we've got him singing about birds (Love on The Wing), or hawks ripping at your throat, coffee (Come Hither), etc, there is an entire world out there changing right before our eyes everyday. Now, he can go ahead and churn out his basement songs about being not being a country boy, or Mrs. Beethoven, or what the gym couldn't do stuff and write about various things that strike him as topic worthy. But has he anything artistically left to say that connects to the fans? He's already written about love, death, the bigger topics in life that everyone can relate to. He's had a huge cultural reckoning in his own backyard with the George Floyd stuff, the big political divide tearing at us all, a global pandemic. But I know he's said he is not about anthems/movement songs and about politics. I know he's an observer and sentient being, capable of expressing what may of us feel but can't quite articulate in some way. You would think he's been affected by world events to write or get inspired by something here. But maybe he has and chooses to keep it to himself, he alluded to some stuff in "Country Boy" though. And in that sense, if he's writing stuff about Mrs. Beethoven, and hawks, and birds, it is seemingly apparent he's writing for himself and his own need to amuse and express himself. He is done writing for an audience and his fans. (of course, he could fool all of us and drop a bomb on us and release a bunch of new material any day now! 😁 )
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Post by FreeRider on Feb 20, 2022 10:36:19 GMT -5
pretty funny---too bad nobody had a camera to catch them break dancing. Dan Baird talks about the Mats and Slim
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Post by FreeRider on Jan 24, 2022 18:27:13 GMT -5
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Post by FreeRider on Jan 22, 2022 22:48:04 GMT -5
missed this show. Here's a link to the live stream of the show youtu.be/htLmT-b40Nche's playing thru a Fender Acoustic Pro amp?
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Post by FreeRider on Dec 31, 2021 23:33:18 GMT -5
Happy birthday! Please don't make your last one really the last. We know you got more music in you, so please let us hear it 😉
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Post by FreeRider on Oct 17, 2021 14:58:07 GMT -5
jeez, can't imagine getting covid a 2nd time , especially when Tommy was fully vaxxed. Man, this damn delta variant is potent. Hope Tommy stays okay if he continues to get out there and tour. I’m pretty sure I’ve had it twice. Jan 2020 when nobody knew what it was. That was rough. Again in Jan 2021 with a confirmed test. That was mild, but then long VID symptoms after that, SCARY brain fog. Not remember the zip code brain fog. The vaccines gave me almost instantaneous relief. Glad you're ok and the vaccines helped clear out the long haul symptoms. Heard that a college dorm mate from back in the day passed away just a few weeks ago. We Just saw him at a reunion where everyone was expected to be vaxxed---honor system, ya know. This guy wasn't vaxxed apparently and paid for a ticket on the Herman Cain train with delta after the reunion thing. some other college buddies told me the guy had gotten infected before delta and I guess he thought he could beat it again unvaxxed. My cousin got infected pre-delta, was in hospital. And once released, a week later, had trouble breathing and had to go back into the hospital. Scary and nasty stuff.
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Post by FreeRider on Sept 20, 2021 9:04:53 GMT -5
....We opened for Soul Asylum (and Local H) in Detroit last week and talked quite a bit to Mr. Bland. He's a great guy. He said he gets asked about Paul constantly. I'll def check this out. That's awesome, Jer. Remember when Michael B showed up here on the board? He's a helluva nice guy, I had some PM's with him...he told me Paul kept playing the Stones on the tour bus during that tour! Michael B is a fantastic drummer.
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Post by FreeRider on Sept 17, 2021 17:07:19 GMT -5
Wichita Lineman is no guilty pleasure in my book! I'm certainly not embarrassed to let others know I dig this song. 😉 This is one of Jimmy Webb's best songs.
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Post by FreeRider on Sept 10, 2021 9:34:27 GMT -5
Golden Earring - Bullet Hits the Bone English Beat - Save it For Later
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Post by FreeRider on Sept 10, 2021 9:32:47 GMT -5
nice, I think I remember seeing this before. Very cool story
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Post by FreeRider on Sept 10, 2021 9:31:55 GMT -5
Thanks Freerider it’s exactly what you said really just as slip during a fun story. When we talked it was a joke about Paul’s clinical state. Paul was so thin skinned at that time that’s all it would take. I can’t remember the exact wording from mehr but he confirmed this basically in trouble boys. cool, thanks for the additional info there. Yeah, I couldn't see Slim talking crap or anything as part of any gossip or story telling. I read Trouble Boys but after finishing it, I was kind of disappointed by their antics and all and didn't feel the need to revisit the book! But I'll take a gander and flip thru the book again to see how Mehr wrote this episode up
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Post by FreeRider on Sept 7, 2021 18:37:11 GMT -5
that's interesting, hoodwinkjr. But I can't see that Slim's storytelling would involve really painting the band in a really bad light. Or maybe it was a slip of the tongue in some of those stories? it depends upon what is considered bad light, I suppose. Still, let's not forget that it was Slim who had all the tapes stashed away for all these years! Did the others know that Slim had them? It may also be part of his maturity and wisdom to NOT trash the "master" tapes or whatever. He had the foresight to realize, "hey, we shouldn't be recording over these" or "these tapes are worth keeping, we can't just erase these!" When Slim’s wife, Chrissie Dunlap, discovered the tapes in 2014, she was a bit aghast at first that her husband — sidelined by a severe stroke in 2012 — might be in trouble.
“The first thing I noticed when I found the seven tapes in a cupboard in our basement was ‘Paisley Park’ (written on them), and my first thought was that Slim was holding out on Prince stuff,” said Chrissie, who later learned that this was just another way Slim’s old band wanted to protect its recording legacy.
“Slim certainly proved worthy of Paul’s trust in hiding them, because for over 30 years he told no one we had them, and remarkably they were not corroded.”
Fittingly, Dead Man’s Pop repositions Slim as something of an unsung hero from the Replacements’ most high-profile era. Dunlap had only just joined the Replacements on tour in 1987 after the firing of Bob Stinson — bassist Tommy Stinson’s late brother — but he was already proving a valuable player and something of an anchoring presence in the studio in 1988.
“At first, Slim really stood back more and just cheered Paul on, which was probably good for Paul,” Wallace said. “But as time wore on, Paul and I and the whole band realized Slim was an integral and exceptional element.
“You can really hear it now in his playing and his background vocals. Slim provided a nice yin/yang from Tommy and Paul’s bluster. He was more gentle and brought out a quieter side to these songs, which really was called for.”
Dunlap’s presence is also heavily felt on the more blustery two-disc live set, recorded at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s student union ballroom the night before the band returned home to play Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul in June 1989.
“Slim was so solid as a player, he allowed Paul and Tommy to wing it more in the shows without everything falling apart like it used to,” Mehr said. [i/i]
www.vnews.com/The-Replacements-get-a-redo-on-the-album-that-purportedly--ruined--them-28778422
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Post by FreeRider on Sept 5, 2021 20:57:22 GMT -5
Pete is an interesting case, I mean the guy was labeled "The Most Articulate" rock star by all sorts of critics, yet the guy has a talent for putting his ass into his mouth. Great example! As for Townshend being the "most articulate", it's more like "most verbose and driveling". It's obvious there's a cerebral part to him, the guy reads and thinks about stuff. But when he starts going on about these muddled ideas in his head, it may sound like he knows what he's talking about but after awhile it's just blah blah blah.... But again, my point is not to throw Paul's words back in his face as an attack or anything. I mean, I wouldn't like someone finding something goofy I said years ago and tossing it back at me today and saying, "Ok, account for this!" Also, I kind of take Paul's interviews with a grain of salt at times.... The maturity thing is that Slim was still young enough to know what was going on but old enough to know better!
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Post by FreeRider on Sept 5, 2021 20:47:01 GMT -5
Yes, good perspectives by everyone here. I give Paul a pass here but know that he's a paradox, a complicated individual at times. But here's the thing: we're all human and flawed. For as much as Paul has been generous and kind to the fans, he has his moments like anyone else and so maybe for various reasons---some that are noted here---chose to say some unkind things about Slim.
It's like meeting your pro sports heroes-- ever met any of them? Some are nice and some of them are shockingly a huge bunch of assholes! And some of them are nice but you caught them at a bad time and they're a little abrupt with you. It happens, but the asshole thing is really disappointing, when these guys are purposefully mean and you see their real colors about how they treat others and fans.
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Post by FreeRider on Sept 4, 2021 8:55:20 GMT -5
I got to meet him a couple of times in Louisville.....a complete gentleman and a great storyteller. I don't do Facebook anymore, have there been any updates on how he has been lately? I don't do Facebook either so don't know how he is. I'm guessing he is still paralyzed and needs constant care, but I hope he's okay otherwise and no complications.
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Post by FreeRider on Sept 4, 2021 8:52:01 GMT -5
I didn't post that old interview to bash Paul or anything. I certainly don't want to throw his words back into his face, but... really, I was trying to emphasize what oldmatsfan said about Slim being a bit more mature than the rest. So from the interview, Slim actually held a job while playing his own acoustic gigs, according to Paul. but Slim had a family to support. he had responsibilities versus sitting around the house waiting for the next songwriting royalty check to come in the mail. And sure, there is a bit of disingenuous stuff there coming from Paul. He could've gotten the band back together at any time. Hell, he could've gotten them back together for Karl Mueller's benefit concert instead of doing a solo gig. How hard would've that been to do? And there's no touring. While Paul had been pretty candid in a lot of interviews and forthcoming in some ways, he's a bit mean spirited in this one. And as stated previously, maybe Slim and Chris both had good reasons at the end to shy away from getting back into the past. Jer makes a good comparison with Pete Townshend. I loved the Who and like Townshend but he can let his mouth get ahead of him and his overthinking stuff makes him blurt things out that weren't well articulated as to what the hell he meant. There was some interview after the Cincinnati stampede where he said something weird about maybe an event like that needed to happen for rock and roll, spewing some vague crap about the ideals and state of rock and the business end, like this was a needed catalyst for change. Say wha' Yeah, no---that didn't need to happen where fans lost their lives that night. But who knows, maybe it was nice being asked to go but it was just something Slim didn't care to do, that he moved on from the past like Chris. Still, a weird thing to come out and trash Slim like that...
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