I may not listen to a lot of Zappa but his section in this excellent video essentially describes what’s wrong with the music industry these days: presumed familiarity with the market. When there was no feedback and no real understanding of demographics, you were able to experiment. Now, with the granularity available from modern data gathering techniques you have a set of executives who know they don’t have to move too far off of a median of “music that sells” to make money.
Then there are the rest of the guys in this video, including Chuck D, who are all riffing on this initial concept. Even Dick Dale has some great advice. Amazing stuff.
Billy was a mountain
Ethel was a tree
growing off his shoulder…
Okay, you have to think different to like Zappa. But I tell you, the world is full of people who want inane drivel spoon fed to them. American Idol gives them what they’re familiar with even as they pretend they want “artists” who are musicians on their own terms. But you have to be outrageously good to be that.
In the end, the voters pick cute and cuddly rather than hot and edgy.
The Rock n Roll hall of fame is a big lie, a travesty and a farce. They have not honored Dick Dale. He was seminal to the industry, artistically and technologically. They are like the “Chamber of Commerce” of Big Music. Dick Dale is fiercely independent. They do not like artists who are not making money for big labels. Why does The System hate Dick Dale?
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is about $$$$ in the pockets of fat cats, not music.
Jan and Dean have been honored, why not Dick Dale?
Watch here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AJxc3Lxn4o