On My Mind: The State of the Music Business
This piece, penned by John Cougar Mellencamp and is an insightful look at the goings-on within the music industry.
Over the last few years, we have all witnessed the decline of the music business, highlighted by finger-pointing and blame directed against record companies, artists, internet file sharing and any other theories for which a case could be made. We’ve read and heard about the “good old days” and how things used to be. People remember when music existed as an art that motivated social movements. Artists and their music flourished in back alleys, taverns and barns until, in some cases, a popular groundswell propelled it far and wide. These days, that possibility no longer seems to exist. After 35 years as an artist in the recording business, I feel somehow compelled, not inspired, to stand up for our fellow artists and tell that side of the story as I perceive it. Had the industry not been decimated by a lack of vision caused by corporate bean counters obsessed with the bottom line, musicians would have been able to stick with creating music rather than trying to market it as well. (more…)
Oysterhead — Denver, CO (10/30/2001)
Disc 1 – [59:34]
01 – [16:11] – Army’s on Ecstasy *
02 – [10:37] – Little Faces
03 – [07:06] – Owner of the World
04 – [06:20] – Grand Pecking Order *
05 – [05:56] – Birthday Boys **
06 – [13:24] – Psuedo Suicide ***
Disc 2 – [42:49]
01 – [10:40] – Polka Dot Rose
02 – [08:49] – Shadow of a Man *
03 – [10:25] – Mr. Oysterhead ****
04 – [02:35] – encore break
05 – [10:21] – Rubberneck Lions
* Trey on the Matterhorn
** Trey on acoustic and Les on banjo
*** With “Moby Dick” and “Rapper’s Delight” teases
**** With “Another One Bites the Dust” tease
The Dead — Spring ’09 Rehearsal
Filmed by Billy Kreutzman’s son, Justin.
Talking Heads — “Born Under Punches”
The Talking Heads with Adrian Belew.
R.I.P. — Kurt Cobain (1967-1994)
Fifteen years ago today, Kurt Cobain committed suicide in his Lake Washington, WA home. Cobain had been battling heroin addiction, stomach issues and depression. It didn’t help matters that he was married to Courtney Love. Love had recently given birth to their daughter, Frances Bean. Here’s a picture of Frances Bean Cobain now.
Here’s “Heart Shaped Box” from Nirvana’s last studio release, In Utero.
R.I.P. — Bob “The Bear” Hite (1943-1981)
Canned Heat’s blues shouter and vocalist, Bob Hite died of a heart attack at the age of 36 on this date in 1981. Here’s Bob with the band in the summer of ’69:
