Fascinating piece, Jon. Particularly for me since a lot of the ideas which occupied me while writing my book are central to Haynes approach to Dylan:
“I will open my mouth in parables,” Haynes copied down from the Gospel of Matthew. “I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” He copied down pages and pages of quotes from social commentaries, from folk songs, from Dylan songs. In one of his notebooks, under the heading “governing concepts/themes,” he wrote: “America obsessed with authenticity/authenticity the perfect costume/America the land of masks, costumes, self-transformation, creativity is artificial, America’s about false authenticity and creativity.”
This is something that comes up in Warren Zanes 33 1/3 book about Dusty Springfield too, and I think almost anytime you write about a popular artist you have to confront these notions of persona and authenticity. In America, authenticity is the great beast. Maybe because it allows so much freedom to reinvent yourself.
Yet another article about the decline of the music industry blah blah downloads blah blah industry panic blah blah blah. Except, this one's British: [link]
A few days late but "Hey Corwood!"
I would just like to posit that the death of the music industry is not necessarily a bad thing.
We're obviously not experiencing the death of music, as iPod sales attest.
It's easier and cheaper than ever to both record and distribute your music.
The fact that six companies aren't controlling ninety percent of it and signing bands to ruinous deals isn't that awful.
I would just like to posit that the death of the music industry is not necessarily a bad thing.
I had a conversation with a kid who said he worked for a Hollywood Video and that places like Netflix (which I love) are damaging actual movie rental stores. It's a matter of recognising a change in product delivery and then finding ways to adjust accordingly.
Right, I'd much rather have Netflix than bowdlerizing Blockbuster.
For the industry, having the artists turning more of a profit than the suits just makes sense.
down with large record labels!!!
or something.
Elvis Costello is playing at Hillary Clinton's 60th birthday party/fundraiser later this month: [link]
There's probably a joke to be made involving some Costello lyrics, but I'm too busy to think of one....
