March 2001 - So they nominate Steely Dan for album of the year, and put Eminem together with Elton John at the Grammy's? And they make a big speech about how artistic integrity is so important and freedom of speech and the right to disagree about the lyrics. Big deal. He sold about a bazillion albums, so they had to cover their corporate assets!! Now that the music industry is in the hands of just a few people who are determining what the next big thing will be, we don't stand much of a chance to hear about real music. If you're a female, it's all about your navel these days. If you can't see at least 6 inches of bare skin above and below your navel, you ain't gonna have a hit.
Boy bands are in and it's not important whether they play instruments or write songs - it's about the "major buying segment" (which happens to be 11 to 14 years old kids). Watch Frontline on PBS the next time they run "The Merchants of Cool". Limp Biskit, and a lot of your favorites are todays version of the Monkees - made for TV, created by faceless people, sitting in unmarked offices in some stone tower in New York city. It's all about the "targeted market segment" and "return on investment" and spin-offs that determine whether a band lives or dies. Get used to it - it ain't changing anytime soon. A while back, it was a bunch of stars, singing, "We Are The World". Today, it's about five conglomerates singing, "We Own The World".
Yeah, you bet I'm bitter. I remember a time when it was about real music and real talent, not "market share". So what can we do about it? Nationally, almost nothing, except to not vote with our wallet. But locally, we can support live clubs, local bands, buy the CD from the bandstand, call the radio stations and demand more local music, and turn out to hear some of the best music around, played live almost every night of the week, all over the country. If you gotta hear the latest from Bittany, or Christina or N'Stink, or all your other pop favs, listen to the radio. Don't support them with your dollars. Every time you shell out your bucks, you're just confirming some suit in New York that says "I've got these kids pegged".
Look around you. Right now the music business is about as ugly as I've ever seen it, but that doesn't mean we can't change it. The real question is, do you want it to change, and what are you gonna do about it?