{"id":1387,"date":"2011-03-11T08:01:25","date_gmt":"2011-03-11T13:01:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rabbitwho.com\/blog\/?p=1387"},"modified":"2011-03-11T08:01:50","modified_gmt":"2011-03-11T13:01:50","slug":"ladies-and-gentlemen%e2%80%a6-this%e2%80%a6-really-is%e2%80%a6-the-very-first-hidden-master-we-found%e2%80%a6-song-3%e2%80%a6-by-jess-roden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.rabbitwho.com\/blog\/ladies-and-gentlemen%e2%80%a6-this%e2%80%a6-really-is%e2%80%a6-the-very-first-hidden-master-we-found%e2%80%a6-song-3%e2%80%a6-by-jess-roden\/","title":{"rendered":"Ladies and gentlemen\u2026 this\u2026 really is\u2026 the very first Hidden Master we found\u2026 Song 3\u2026 by Jess Roden."},"content":{"rendered":"

jess-roden-neil-storey-storeys-neil-storey2<\/a>\"jess-roden-neil-storey-storeys-neil-storey-poster\"<\/a>TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2011
\nJess Roden : Song 3
\nThe room to the back of the anonymous back-street building in which I\u2019ve been placed is, at best, serviceable; it is approximately fifteen feet square with walls painted a uniform, hint of a tint (but now-fading), Magnolia. Truth to tell, the colour scheme is actually more off-white with no tinted hint at all. <\/p>\n

There is just the one, metal-framed window. It is set annoyingly high on the far wall \u2013 presumably so as to preclude any view other than that of the gun-metal grey, rain-bearing clouds, scudding past on this dreary, mid-February, afternoon. <\/p>\n

Beneath the window is an oversized, malt-brown melamine-topped desk \u2013 more junior accountant than office manager. The right-hand border is scored with blackened cigarette burns that spread along its edge like so many decaying woodlice; I\u2019ve seen fag-end burns like this many times before \u2013 most often on old B3 Hammond Organs played by the likes of Steve Winwood. <\/p>\n

On the desk and in a mug that\u2019s known better days, there\u2019s a half-drunk cup of coffee. It has been poured from a machine down-along the frayed-brown-carpeted hallway. Even behind the now-closed door, the percolator gives off its own signature odour of stale dregs at twenty paces. <\/p>\n

The entire place reeks of early-Seventies, Habitat-inspired, office functionality.<\/p>\n

My Moleskin notebook lays bare and untroubled (yet) by note-taking on the desk; my coat is hanging on a hanger that, itself, is suspended from the single hook on the back of the plywood door. My brown-leather briefcase is huddled against one of the desk-legs; much like a cat, hungry for its master\u2019s affection. <\/p>\n

Spread across the stone-carpeted floor are plastic crates \u2013 some are green, others are Air Force grey while a few began life as shout-out-loud iridescent orange. <\/p>\n

Some are stacked, one upon another while others have been spaced apart in random order; all are heavily pock-marked \u2013 as if suffering from crate-acne \u2013 and scratched from being thrown into and around the back of Transit vans; their heavy contents man-handled with ease by burly men with muscles to match. <\/p>\n

Functional boxes which, in their own simple way, are simply that \u2013 since there is no other requirement\u2026 strong but serviceable; sturdy and utilitarian. <\/p>\n

And each of these containers that are approximately three foot long by eighteen inches by another eighteen or so in depth hold innumerable smaller boxes. <\/p>\n

Most of these are twelve-inches square; some are over two inches deep, some are slimmer volumes. All are stacked vertically and\u2026 sprinkled amongst them are a handful of smaller boxes \u2013 a mere seven inches square and slender in width too. <\/p>\n

All of them have been labeled at some long-past time or other; the labels themselves have been stuck on the actual box fronts \u2013 some have been scrawled on, some have a good deal of writing that\u2019s been crossed out and replaced by other, almost-as-old, scribbles; some have a doodles and drawings while some of the labels have been neatly typed out. <\/p>\n

Like ancient hieroglyphics high on a wall on the inside of a Pharaoh\u2019s tomb, they offer their own clues\u2026 hints that these boxes contain the treasure which, Indiana Jones-like I\u2019ve been hoping to find for many months. <\/p>\n

Fast backwards: a restaurant from the Indian sub-continent on the main drag that connect Chiswick to Hammersmith; Popadum frenzy, Chapatti heaven and Korma bliss. Two Kingfisher beers have been part-supped yet we\u2019re not quite ready for the next infill; the singer and writer of songs and I sit opposite one another.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes,\u201d he muses, \u201cI do wonder what still exists\u2026 Me and my bands, y\u2019know\u2026 over the years\u2026 we recorded a lot; over at Basing Street and just down the road at the back of St Peters Square\u2026 And\u2026 now that I come to think about it, I do wonder what\u2026 might have survived.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a lot that never got released\u2026 but\u2026 I suppose all that stuff probably got wiped\u2026 or, maybe recorded over\u2026 or, perhaps those tapes just got chucked out. I dunno\u2026 but\u2026 yes, absolutely, if you wanted to do your Sherlock Holmes thing and\u2026 see what really is there\u2026 then\u2026 yeah, I\u2019d be up for that\u2026\u201d <\/p>\n

He sits quietly for a moment or two; a sliver of Naan bread held lightly in his fingers, hovering just above his side-plate. \u201cY\u2019know\u2026 there was some really good stuff that we did\u2026 so yes\u2026 it\u2019d be interesting to see what they have\u2026 but, honestly, I don\u2019t suppose there\u2019s very much. Another beer..?\u201d<\/p>\n

Fast forwards a few months\u2026 the singer and writer of songs wanders back into his sitting room with two large glasses, each having been re-charged from the bottle of well-chilled in the fridge; a couple of reserves are laying in wait in the garage that’s attached to the house… just in case. <\/p>\n

A real-fire hisses and pops in the grate\u2026 the gentle scent of top-notch Welsh lamb being oven-roasted in the kitchen across the hall mixes with the wood-smoke to permeate the air. A cat trails in after him and struts past the small, elderly dog curled up on the hearth. <\/p>\n

The singer of songs settles into the depths of the sofa as I sit on the floor, just in front of the drawn curtains in the bay window. There\u2019s a MacBook attached to the stereo-system; speakers placed either side of the fireplace. <\/p>\n

A portrait of him, his young son and his wife taken at the time of the photosession for his first solo-album hangs, ever so slightly off kilter, above and to the side of the left-hand speaker. Books of eclectic persuasion stand to attention like so many soldiers line abreast on their parade-ground shelves. The lights are low with music in the air. <\/p>\n

\u201cY\u2019know\u2026 I\u2019m amazed at what you\u2019ve found\u2026already\u2026 and you say there\u2019s lots more?\u201d His trademark eyes are lined by no regrets as he leafs through the box-front scans from today\u2019s work-in-progress for project-X.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis\u2026 y\u2019know what it is..? It\u2019s pretty much the whole album I did with Rabbit who nowadays plays keyboards with The Who\u2026 the one that CB (Chris Blackwell \u2013 owner \/ founder of Island) kinda rejected\u2026 I mean, we kept one track\u2026 but\u2026 really, it\u2019s quite incredible that you\u2019ve found this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, some of it is a bit\u2026 y\u2019know\u2026 but\u2026 this one still stands up, don\u2019t you think..? I have to be perfectly honest, though\u2026 I can\u2019t really remember writing this let alone recording it\u2026 Let\u2019s have a bit of a memory-jog.\u201d He presses play on the MacBook and the unedited song is counted in by an unknown voice and then sparks into life. <\/p>\n

Three minutes or so later, the tune gradually fades into the distance\u2026 the singer and writer assumes a far-away stare. Abruptly he says, \u201cHeaven’s, what kind of compression did we use on that piano..! That\u2019s Mike Kellie from Spooky Tooth on drums\u2026 Pat Donaldson who played with The Fairports as well as lots of others is playing bass\u2026 that\u2019s Rabbit on keyboards\u2026 and me strumming away on an acoustic guitar\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy is it listed like that on the box? Well\u2026 I never came up with a title for the song. I think\u2026 maybe\u2026 I was planning to call it Hallelujah or something like that\u2026 but\u2026 \u2018cos it was the third song on the tape and had no proper title, the engineer or the tape-op would have written it up as that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we can stick this on the list as a definite for inclusion\u2026 don\u2019t you..?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ladies and gentlemen\u2026 this\u2026 really is\u2026 the very first Hidden Master we found\u2026 Song 3\u2026 by Jess Roden. <\/p>\n

(nb, this is an edited clip \u2013 there being very real reasons why the full track isn\u2019t being posted\u2026 a) this song has yet to be re-mastered (this is a lo-res MP3 audio) and b) to make it less attractive to the pirates – copyright must be respected. In time, however, this track \u2013 as well as the original non-vocal demo \u2013 will be part of the Hidden Masters : The Jess Roden Anthology set that is in preparation currently).
\nPOSTED BY NEIL STOREY AT 5:08 PM 4 COMMENTS
\nLABELS: CHRIS BLACKWELL \/ ISLAND RECORDS, HIDDEN MASTERS, JESS RODEN, JOHN ‘RABBIT’ BUNDRICK, MIKE KELLIE, THE WHO
\nWEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011
\nThe Party\u2019s Over
\nSo, it\u2019s the morning after the night before: The BRITS has been, gone and put back in its cupboard for another year.<\/p>\n

Collectively, the UK business of music is nursing a monumental hangover; drinks were drunk, little black dresses got crushed and without a shadow of a doubt, some woke up this morning with an unfamiliar person next to them \u2013 its not always that the best fun is had in the kitchen at after-show parties. <\/p>\n

Yet, while this is the British equivalent to The Grammys, it strikes me as being extraordinary that neither organising \u2018committee\u2019 on either side of the pond can get their own flagship \u2018awards show\u2019 anywhere near right.<\/p>\n

The Grammy\u2019s, for example, have in excess of one hundred categories\u2026 that\u2019s a bit like awarding a child at school a prize for attending class; you know \u2013 the modern \u2018no one is a loser\u2019 ethic which, actually, stifles competitiveness. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a way (they would argue) of covering all the bases\u2026 when the reality is that they (the Grammy organising wallahs) are simply finding more and more genre boxes into which they can conveniently put \u2018music\u2019.<\/p>\n

Have a look at category 108 and tell me about its relevance\u2026 please. It is: Best Long Form Music Video and subtitled (presumably for the hard of understanding) as follows \u2013 For video album packages consisting of more than one song or track. Award to the Artist and to the Video Director\/Producer of at least 51% of the total playing time.<\/p>\n

This little Voltaire out there on its windswept knoll would argue strenuously that there are only two of these cardboard boxes\u2026 one is marked good\u2026 the other is labeled bad. End.<\/p>\n

Anyhow, as a consequence of this boxing-off of genres, The Grammys go on for\u2026 hours\u2026 really they do; quite literally from mid-afternoon to lateish in the evening. How those attending get through that without resorting to the intake of advanced pharmaceuticals to stave off the boredom of all those acceptance speeches (Mum, Dad, my Record Company, Juan Pelota my underwear stylist, my managers, the person tending my Cairn Terrier, Auntie Joan, God and, before I forget\u2026 you \u2013 the fans!!! And, Mum \u2013 this if for YOU\u2026 etc etc) is entirely beyond me. <\/p>\n

Besides which, there are \u2013 in reality \u2013 almost two shows\u2026 the first (lengthy) segment isn\u2019t televised\u2026 that\u2019s when the boxes labeled \u2018Best Sleeve Notes\u2019 or Best Traditional World Music Album \/ Vocal or Instrumental \u2013 that being category 72 of the 108) are ticked and the (doubtless) worthy winner steps forward to thank God, his \/ her Mum and Dad, Lover, Dog (again), MTV, the Fans etc etc).<\/p>\n

To underline the absurdity of all the categories, back in 1996 Eddie Veeder said, when accepting Pearl Jam\u2019s Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance, \u2018I don\u2019t know what this means, I don\u2019t think it means anything.\u2019<\/p>\n

The second part begins with the televising of the (ridiculous) parade down the blood red carpet when the interviewers ask, in the main, \u2018Who are you wearing\u2019 to each of the freshly-coiffed contestants. The answers that spill from between their professionally whitened teeth seem to (somehow) add up to enough product placement-endorsement to satisfy the likes of Armani, Malandrino, J-P Gaultier, Pucci, Cavalli, Givenchy and D&G as worn by the Beiber-ling. <\/p>\n

After which, the main show begins with a mere twenty or so Awards\u2026 yet, this is so muddled as to make no sense\u2026 Best Recording is up against Best Song\u2026? Errr. Hello? <\/p>\n

The BRITS, on the other hand, only had \u2013 by comparison \u2013 a handful of trophies to give out\u2026 in which were categories described as\u2026 Best Male\u2026 Best Female\u2026 yes, but Best Male or Female what exactly\u2026? <\/p>\n

Well, in the former we had the likes of Paul Weller up against Robert Plant, Tiny Temper, Mark Ronson yet someone called Plan B won\u2026 other than observing that the \u2018list\u2019 is horribly mismatched, I find it hard to understand how someone like the constantly reinventing-himself Robert Plant isn\u2019t recognised as being\u2026 the best. <\/p>\n

As to the other \u2018best\u2019s of the evening\u2026 Adele is being lauded by the \u2018real commentators\u2019 for her performance of Someone Like You \u2013 sparse and real, just piano and vocal. Sure, it is a great song but, I couldn\u2019t help feeling that \u2013 while great \u2013 that greatness could have been embellished with strings to turn her performance into something quite remarkable. <\/p>\n

Money on a big string section that would, quite frankly, have been better spent by the organisers than on the horrid troops (sic) of totally unnecessary \u2018dancers\u2019 dressed up as quasi-Fascist riot police for Take That and\u2026 the aforementioned Plan B who reenacted some kind of eccentric court scene while strangling his lyrical language by rapping it at us in pure, unadulterated, estuary. <\/p>\n

Best hair on the night belonged to uber-puppet Beiber \u2013 he turned up, looking far to fresh-faced from a transatlantic flight to be real \u2013 no dark glasses for him unlike Cee-Lo who swung very low in his.<\/p>\n

Chaps \u2013 dark glasses indoors are a sign\u2026 a signal\u2026 of utter affectation; they\u2019re not cool\u2026 not funny\u2026 not glamorous\u2026 they just make you look plain stupid. <\/p>\n

And, of the acceptance speeches\u2026 Laura Marling\u2019s was \u2013 without doubt \u2013 the most real, most normal. I admit I was rooting for Rumer in this category but, Ms Marling \u2013 who looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights \u2013 was head and shoulders (sic) over the likes of Jessie J whose crocodile tears were as false as her eyelashes. Critics\u2019 Choice..? Well, in that respect, those critics should be lined up against a wall and\u2026 because time will out on this, as I guarantee that, in five years time, people will be asking\u2026 Jessie who? And, the song was\u2026 Do It Like A Prude..? Nah, don\u2019t remember that one. <\/p>\n

And\u2026 the best album\u2026 the BEST British album of the last year was\u2026 really\u2026 honestly\u2026 you\u2019re telling me that Mumford & Sons\u2019 record was THE BEST British album of last year\u2026 ok, I\u2019ll accept it was better than Take T\u2019at \u2013 who\u2019re collectively fast becoming the Queen Mother of The Brits\u2026 I mean, they\u2019re like a standard fixture aren\u2019t they, rather like that bloke seen at every Rugby match, wearing a Union Jack coat and a top hat being the epitome of a British Bulldog by the touchline. <\/p>\n

And, James Corden\u2026 well, he looked (and acted) more like a safe Vicar who\u2019d had one too few glasses of Sherry at Christmas\u2026 bumbling and smiling inanely. Time, if ever there was, to bring back a proper presenter or to say sorry to Jarvis Cocker and acknowledge that his stage invasion whilst wacko-Jacko was acting out his Christ-like tendencies surrounded by children was a genuine act that everyone in the hall that night (including self) wished they\u2019d have been nearer the stage and been able to protest in like manner. <\/p>\n

Oh\u2026 and its about time that the background TV presenter stopped using the word Platinum\u2026 honestly, luv\u2026 no one out their watching from the comfort of their sofa knows what it means\u2026 neither is it impressive. <\/p>\n

But, hey, this was all about the \u2018live\u2019 music\u2026 wasn\u2019t it\u2026? Maybe so \u2013 and Adele and the rather loud Arcade Fire certainly showed how it could be done\u2026 However, the Mumblefords, scored a spectacular own goal by playing like a bunch of subway-buskers who are so ordinary that one hurries by without dipping the hand in the trouser pocket. <\/p>\n

And Rihanna\u2026 I\u2019m told that was a medley of her hit\u2026 hmmm\u2026 clearly lip-synching, it was not far short of a total travesty; guileless style over minimal content\u2026 and with choreography (was that what it really was?) that was about as exciting as watching a parody of all those old Top Of The Pops routines. Grabbing your crotch while wearing a ?dress? that shows all and sundry that your bottom is the size of Trindad isn\u2019t raunchy, its just plain sad. <\/p>\n

And so\u2026 the morning after\u2026 and as much-heralded 24 hours previously, up on iTunes are the live performances from last night to download and enjoy\u2026 for as long as one likes\u2026 <\/p>\n

Well, actually, that\u2019s not quite correct \u2013 not all of the performances are there due to technical hitches (according to my mole); hitches like auto-tuning and lip-synching… ha ha!<\/p>\n

Be that as it may, some are… go to The Brits site and up there on the top right hand corner a graphic shows that the Cee Lo performance with Paloma Faith is available via iTunes\u2026 <\/p>\n

Except, its not\u2026 it is geographically challenged\u2026 meaning that if (for example) one is logging on from the US or Australia\u2026 its not available.<\/p>\n

Brilliant\u2026 how utterly fxxxxxg dumb is that? Someone in (say, Detroit or Adelaide) wants that recording and so how do they get it..? <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what they\u2019ll do: they\u2019ll go to YouTube, engage a gadget called AudioHiJack (a free download – about which I’ve written and emphasised the dangers thereof in relation to pircay before) and\u2026 press record\u2026 Four minutes and thirty-two seconds later and it\u2019ll nestle happily within their iTunes folder.<\/p>\n

For free\u2026 that\u2019s zilch\u2026 nada\u2026 nothing\u2026 FREE\u2026 <\/p>\n

Fuck me, but record companies are about as stupid as they get\u2026 one day, those that forge these licensing arrangements will actually understand that the web is a global entity\u2026 global equals worldwide\u2026 <\/p>\n

Is it any wonder that the \u2018record companies\u2019 are losing money \/ the war against piracy? <\/p>\n

And, as a final comment on the success of this year\u2019s BRIT Awards\u2026 we need look no further than Music Week who have just announced that the 2011 awards had the lowest viewing figures for five years and was outstripped by not only the film, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding (6.5 million viewers against 4.7 for the BRITS) but also Holby City which attracted 5.6 million. <\/p>\n

Re-make \/ re-model..? Yes, please.
\nPOSTED BY NEIL STOREY AT 3:52 PM 0 COMMENTS
\nLABELS: ARMANI, CEE LO GREEN, GRAMMYS, JUSTIN BEIBER, PAUL WELLER, PEARL JAM, ROBERT PLANT, THE BRITS
\nTUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2011
\nOne Moment In Time
\nToday, via the auspices of Music Week \u2013 Britain\u2019s one and only trade magazine for the business of music \u2013 came the news that tonight\u2019s BRIT Award performances will be available online via a dedicated BRITS page on iTunes. All proceeds from said recordings will go to the BRITS Trust.<\/p>\n

This follows last year\u2019s \u2018experiment\u2019 of the same which saw the collaboration between Dizzee Rascal and Florence of Florence + The Machine sell over three hundred thousand copies of their mid-February BRIT Awards\u2019 on-stage mash-up. <\/p>\n

Not much to concern ourselves about here\u2026 is there?<\/p>\n

Not really\u2026 so long as those involved (the artists \/ their management \/ the musicians involved \/ relevant record companies etc etc) are all totally cool flying by the seat of their proverbials.<\/p>\n

And, so long as those who purchase said artefact of the night, fully understand what they\u2019re shelling out their money for \u2013 \u2018cos what the public will be offered to acquire will be nothing more than an officially sanctioned bootleg of song X \/ onstage collaboration Y.<\/p>\n

Perhaps I should set my stall out here and state that I believe live recordings contain some of my most favourite moments within all music: this is when it really is down to those four fundamental chords and the truth. Its when the magic of a band at the top of their game can send shivers down the spine; moments that can never be replicated \u2013 it is, for the moment and of the moment \u2013 a true snapshot in time.<\/p>\n

And, something that\u2019s incredibly rare to capture since every single star has to be perfectly in alignment for it \u2013 the magic \u2013 to happen. <\/p>\n

Come with me, if you will and we\u2019ll head off to Hammersmith Palais on the night of September 29th, 1980. <\/p>\n

This venerable building began life in 1919 as The Hammersmith Palais de Danse and, besides being a ballroom it hosted an ice rink and was also where tanks were constructed during the war besides doubling as a tram shed. It was also one of the greatest music venues in all of London\u2026 and I saw countless bands there\u2026 U2 supporting Talking Heads (standing next to Bruce Springsteen on the balcony and later helping smuggle his Broooceness into the dressing room so that Bono and Bruce\u2019s first meeting could be committed to celluloid by (our) photographer who, himself, gained access to the inner sanctum through an open window); OMD, The Clash, the B52s, Nils Lofgren, The Cramps, The Alarm, King Sunny Ad\u00e9 , Orange Juice, The Waterboys and literally dozens of others.<\/p>\n

Its a warm, balmy early autumn evening\u2026 outside and inside some three thousand or so punters are gathered \u2013 John Curd the promoter of many Palais gigs was never that fussed with fire regulations that called for specified maximum numbers of an audience to be adhered to. <\/p>\n

Edged up onto the pavement is a big truck; a mobile studio\u2026 cables spill from its innards like so much spaghetti, trailing into the venue via side doors. Inside this state of the art (for its time) articulated lorry are slightly-bearded sound engineer Godwin Logie, a veteran from Island Hammersmith studios, The FallOut Shelter and the ever-suave Alex Sadkin, imported over from Compass Point in The Bahamas to produce the recording. <\/p>\n

A large spliff smolders on the edge of the desk, the air is fetid with the reek of high quality grass. Marianne Faithfull and her then husband, The Vibrators\u2019 Ben Brierly are hovering in the background. Richard \u2018Hutch\u2019 Hutchinson \u2013 more regularly employed as front-of-house sound engineer for The Jess Roden Band \u2013 meanders back and forth between his desk in the hall and the truck, checking and double-checking. <\/p>\n

Inside, it\u2019s a cauldron of noise, heat and anticipation \u2013 the latter most keenly felt by those at the sharp end of proceedings. A little over a week previously, a bit of a plan had been hatched\u2026 we\u2019re going to create a bit of history here by putting out the fastest live recording in history; the Guinness Book Of Records are in our collective sights. <\/p>\n

As near as dammit to the appointed hour, at nine pm, Toots and The Maytals bound on stage\u2026 theirs is high-energy reggae, not for them the languid build of a set\u2026 it kicks off in the overtaking lane with Pressure Drop (covered by label-mate Robert Palmer) and morphs along the central-reservation barriers almost seamlessly through classic Toots tracks such as Monkey Man, Funky Kingston, Time Tough and his timeless 54-46 That\u2019s My Number\u2026 the crowd, predictably, go nuts\u2026 and, ninety or so minutes later\u2026 this one night of music is all there, committed to reels of two-inch, 24-track, analog tape.<\/p>\n

The guys in the truck have been mixing on the hoof; they have time for one more pass of the entire show to readjust levels before filtering out the songs that \u2013 for whatever reason \u2013 are deemed (in those pre-ProTools days) as being sub-standard\u2026 thankfully, the key Toots songs have made it\u2026 Crowd noise is edited\u2026 the song sequence is chosen\u2026 before that is run off as a final, quarter inch, stereo mix.<\/p>\n

A fast car is waiting\u2026 the stereo mixes \u2013 accompanied by Alex Sadkin \u2013 head to the mastering suite where the two sides of vinyl will start to take shape. The tapes are run through, levels are once again tweaked and the alchemy of mastering is underway; memory at a distance (in this instance) is hazy but, I\u2019m pretty sure the knob-twiddler in chief would have been John Dent, one of the masters of this alchemic artform. In general terms, a good couple of hours would have been allowed for each track\u2026 but, on this particular night where time was of the essence, this vital process would have been cut to maybe two or, at a pinch, three hours max. <\/p>\n

In the background \u2013 and only once the final album running order had been confirmed \u2013 the artwork was being completed\u2026 and sent straight to the printers, bypassing the usual colour checking processes. <\/p>\n

Once the finished album had been mastered, the fast car was employed yet again \u2013 this time, destination EMI\u2019s pressing plant at Hayes\u2026 the master became the laquer\u2026 the lacquer became the stamper that would produce the vinyl. The presses rolled early in the morning and each album was hand-sleeved\u2026 more fast cars stood by and, as record stores in London opened for business, the album was there to buy\u2026 recorded and in the shops in under twenty-four hours and yes\u2026 a few weeks later, the letter from the Guinness Book Of records people duly arrived. <\/p>\n

So\u2026 how does all that relate to this evening\u2019s little BRITS exercise\u2026?<\/p>\n

I\u2019d say it was more down to the performance than anything\u2026 IF \u2013 and this a huge ask \u2013 IF everything goes according to plan for song X or Y then the sheer logistical exercise of putting that performance up on iTunes isn\u2019t that much of a difficulty.<\/p>\n

That IF, however, should be written in sky-high letters. For example \u2013 and lets take as one example the Grammys from the other night\u2026 in which Bruno Mars\u2019 (sort-of) tribute to James Brown, a song called Grenade went horribly, horribly wrong. <\/p>\n

For why\u2026? Master Mars\u2019 vocals were as flat as a pancake throughout much of the song\u2026 ooopsy, should\u2019ve used the old auto-tune gadget, son\u2026 fixable after the fact in ProTools\u2026 yes, undoubtedly but\u2026 its time consuming. <\/p>\n

So, lets imagine that there is a cock-up with an instrument\u2026 violas are notorious but lets think about something more fundamental, the bass drum pedal is at the root of most songs isn\u2019t it? <\/p>\n

So, consider what happens IF the mic isn\u2019t securely-enough attached to the floor and, throughout performance Z\u2026 it moves\u2026 just a few centimeters but, trust me, that\u2019s enough to matter. Why? Sonically (and noticeably) the song is out of kilter. Is it fixable\u2026 of course\u2026 ProTools to the rescue yet again. However\u2026 this, and trust me here, really can be time-consuming. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a process I watched unfold during one of the archive projects I\u2019m engrossed in currently \u2013 we wanted to use a particular live recording (from The Marquee since you\u2019re wondering) and an absolute belter of a performance it is too. <\/p>\n

However, during initial playback of the two inch multitracks something sounded\u2026 out\u2026 we couldn\u2019t quite figure it out but, definitely something was wrong. My lankily-haired, cup-cake-eating, engineer cocked his head on one side\u2026 listened intently again and again then, one by one, started to \u2018solo\u2019 every single mic-input. <\/p>\n

\u2018Aha\u2026 found it\u2026 the bass-drum mic moved.\u2019 he pronounced after an hour of twiddling. \u2018And the solution is\u2026?\u2019 I asked \u2013 worrying that this might be a problem too far even for his skill-set. <\/p>\n

\u2018Well\u2026\u2019 he said, scratching what passes for a beard\u2026 \u2018I could take one bass-drum beat right at the start where everything is aligned properly and use that and put it back on every beat in the song\u2026 that should, in theory, do the trick\u2026 you might want to go and make a big pot of coffee, though\u2026 we\u2019re in for the long haul\u2026 it\u2019ll probably take the rest of the day.\u2019 <\/p>\n

The song was nine minutes long and\u2026 it did take the rest of the day. Ultimately, it did get fixed but the point is, it would have been unusable without that fix. <\/p>\n

With the BRITS tonight\u2026 how will they do this; make sure that that we, the end-users \u2013 the iTunes purchasers, are on the receiving end of performances that are as good as they can be in every single way?<\/p>\n

Well, if they\u2019re heading down the sheer speed route, I\u2019d imagine its highly unlikely that they\u2019ll use the actual performance from the televised show \u2013 there will be a safety net in place whereby the run throughs, the sound-checks will have been recorded and those performances will act as audio-security\u2026 perhaps with a live (auto-tuned) vocal laid on top. <\/p>\n

Why..? Well, I can\u2019t imagine any of tonight\u2019s scheduled performing (loosely applied adjective as that is) acts such as Take That, Plan B, Rihanna, Cee Lo or Tinie Tempah) comfortable enough with their own \u2013 raw \u2013 performances to allow anything sub-standard out there. <\/p>\n

Arcade Fire or The Mumfords\u2026 perhaps\u2026 but then again and in the cold light of day, would one want to really head over to iTunes and pay to download a copy of The Mumfords backing His Bobness, growling out a dirge-like Maggies Farm from the recent Grammys?<\/p>\n

You know what… quite honestly, I reckon its far better to leave everything as is… don’t bother with the kerfuffle and uncertainty (and undoubted pressure) of recording to release from a show like this… leave it as a moment in time that can be found on YouTube in time to come, just like so many great performances where the visual combines with the audio – and its that which makes it work as well as it does – as a final example, Mick Jagger’s solo Grammys performance of Everybody Needs Somebody To Love was hardly perfect but, the visual of Mick as man in motorway service station caught out by an over-hot hand-drier in the men’s lavaotories, belting it out made it work.
\nPOSTED BY NEIL STOREY AT 6:21 PM 2 COMMENTS
\nLABELS: B52S, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, CLASH, GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS, HAMMERSMITH PALAIS, JESS RODEN BAND, MUSIC WEEK, OMD, THE ALARM, THE BRITS, THE WATERBOYS, TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS, U2
\nMONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2011
\nCelluloid Heroes #1 John Barry (The Beyondness Of Things)
\nThere is an inescapable quietness, an unavoidable sadness that underpins today: the world is collectively mourning one of the compositional giants of modern music \u2013 John Barry.<\/p>\n

There will, no doubt, be acres of prose written in the next however long in praise of his lush melodies and remarkable prowess with minor and major chords as well as his skill at letting notes just hang in the air like so much honeysuckle-scent on an evening breeze. <\/p>\n

Yet \u2013 more often than not, it wasn\u2019t (as I believe Miles Davis once said) the notes that were played that counted, but those that weren\u2019t \u2013 JB created spaces within music in which one\u2019s imagination was left to roam. <\/p>\n

Above all, though, it is the sheer elegance of his music; exemplified by a series of unmatched film scores that were\u2026 still are\u2026 (and crucially) remain to be discovered by generations to come… his remarkable legacy. <\/p>\n

Quite a few years ago (in 1999 to be exact), when a project involved a close working relationship with The English Chamber Orchestra, they played a couple of nights under JB\u2019s baton at The Royal Albert Hall. This was a year of so after JB had signed to Decca and released his first non-soundtrack album for a quarter of a century, the timeless The Beyondness Of Things. <\/p>\n

Not being on the ball as rapidly as I should have been, I missed out at the box-office. The shows were beyond sold-out; tickets were as hard to find as hen\u2019s teeth \u2013 this being only the second time in many, many, years that JB had played a UK show and coming on the back of the critical acclaim that his Beyondness album had received. Thus, it was all about cadging a gigantic favour. So, it was after much grovelling and begging on bended knee, that a pair of guest tickets arrived in the post. <\/p>\n

In the hall that night, as my pal Honest John (the financial adviser) and I settled in the side-stalls, the air was thick with expectation\u2026 could the maestro deliver; would these themes of his, these glorious and magnificent melodies translate to a space like this without the visual benefit of being set to celluloid? <\/p>\n

The players took their seats, tuned up as they do \u2013 taking their cue from number one fiddler \u2013 then the lights dimmed. Smaller than imagined, a gaunt, somewhat insignificant-looking, grey-haired figure took to the platform\u2026 <\/p>\n

He tapped his baton a couple of times and then\u2026 the distant thunder of kettle drums cracked the air; the strident shout of trombones marched to the beat as swelling strings added their own counterpoint to\u2026 the opening title-music to Zulu. <\/p>\n

Three or so minutes later, as the final chords washed away, there was absolute silence for maybe five or six seconds (although it felt longer). Then the audience, as one, stood as an explosion of applause detonated throughout the hall. <\/p>\n

Two and a bit hours later, the man who conducted by using his shoulders as much as his baton had satiated the five or so thousand people in the hall with music. As much as we\u2019d been beguiled by the lushness of the Beyondness album, we\u2019d been treated to a voyage through his soundtracks by way of symphonic sadness within the likes of Out Of Africa and Mary Queen Of Scots and the evergreen branches of enticement of a near-thirty minute James Bond medley.<\/p>\n

It was one of the greatest shows (among countless hundreds) I\u2019ve been luck enough to witness. <\/p>\n

Was he a composer as important as (say) Puccini or Beethoven? Should he be revered as painter of musical sound-scapes as important as (say) Monet or Kandinsky? <\/p>\n

Yes, I would argue that JB rightly occupies a pedestal alongside those who are rightly regarded as colossuses within their own field. <\/p>\n

The world is a richer place for his music and a sadder one for his untimely passing.<\/p>\n

Fare thee well then, JB\u2026 a lion of Africa sleeps tonight.
\nPOSTED BY NEIL STOREY AT 5:58 PM 1 COMMENTS
\nLABELS: BEYONDNESS OF THINGS, ENGLISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA, JAMES BOND FILM SCORES, JOHN BARRY, KANDINSKY, MONET, PUCCINI, ROYAL ALBERT HALL, ZULU
\nTHURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2011
\nThieves Like Us
\nWoke up\u2026
\nDragged a comb across my head…<\/p>\n

Yeah, you know how that song goes\u2026 part of the soundtrack to my youth as much as it is to this and every other generation that\u2019ll follow.<\/p>\n

And, this morning, I did exactly that\u2026 well, not really \u2013 took a bit of a squint in the mirror whilst gargling with the old Listerine Total Care (Cinnamint flavour since you\u2019re wondering \u2013 I\u2019ve become a bit bored with the mint only of late) and thought\u2026 hmm, ok, that\u2019ll have to do\u2026 the bags under the eyes (which I thought\u2019d look cool \/ make me look a bit lived in when I was younger than today but which, actually, are now permanent fixtures) aren\u2019t gonna go away\u2026 time to get on with my day. <\/p>\n

Then\u2026 the unmistakable sound of the Inner Terrier barking ferociously, straining at its leash from within its kennel.<\/p>\n

Damn, whats got him so worked up\u2026 I\u2019ve a load of research to complete, Skype calls with my lawyer later, masses of writing to do, dozens of emails to answer, designs to be getting on with as well as new designs to start and\u2026 just a whole shedload of\u2026 stuff\u2026 to be getting on with.<\/p>\n

But the Inner Terrier is barking louder than before\u2026 interspersed with a strange kind of yowling sound. OK, best go see what\u2019s up. <\/p>\n

Aha\u2026 The headline (via TorrentFreak.com) was enough\u2026 RapidShare Accuses \u2018Piracy Report\u2019 Publisher of Defamation; Might Sue.<\/p>\n

Ok\u2026 no wonder the Inner Terrier was way beyond just apoplectic yapping. This relates to the widely published story that was picked up by the likes of the BBC yesterday when RapidShare were \u2018branded\u2019 as being the leading digital piracy site.<\/p>\n

RapidShare \u2013 for their part \u2013 have responded by emphasising that they are a legitimate company. <\/p>\n

Well\u2026 it is clear that with such opposing viewpoints that one side or the other are trolling out Porky Pies.<\/p>\n

And, this little Voltaire out on its windswept knoll would like to tell you who, precisely, is being untruthful. Yes, my Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen \u2013 readers of this little Voltaire as far flung around the globe as you truly are\u2026 it is RapidShare who are about as illegitimate a company as trades as makes no difference. <\/p>\n

Indeed\u2026 of late, courts in Germany have ruled (that\u2019s confirmed legally to the likes of you and me) that RapidShare runs a perfectly legal business.<\/p>\n

However\u2026 that is absolute and utter CRAP. They don\u2019t. <\/p>\n

For the hard of hearing, I\u2019ll repeat that\u2026 the people who runs these sites are deluded at best \u2013 they\u2019re simply offering a service that rips off creatives. <\/p>\n

Because\u2026 RapidShare (along with MegaUpload) are the leading conduits for any piece of music that you care to think of\u2026 the channel or means or\u2026 route (however you care to term it) \u2026 to download whatever you feel like listening to (or viewing) FOR FREE. <\/p>\n

Which, basically, means that creative person X does not get paid.<\/p>\n

Please, therefore could someone explain how that is legal?<\/p>\n

Its not\u2026 is it?<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, apparently RapidShare\u2019s big-wigs are so incensed at being labeled the world\u2019s largest \u2018digital piracy site\u2019 that they\u2019re considering legal action on the grounds that this \u2018statement\u2019 by MarkMonitor \u2013 culled from a report via the RIAA and others \u2013 is defamatory.<\/p>\n

Indeed, RapidShare have gone so far as to offer up their own statement\u2026 \u201cThis defamation of RapidShare as a digital piracy site is absurd and we reserve the right to take legal action against MarkMonitor. RapidShare is a legitimate company that offers its customers fast, simple and secure storage and management of large amounts of data via our servers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Defamatory\u2026 my arse\u2026 its not! It\u2019s the truth\u2026 <\/p>\n

And, for the disbelievers (and I fail to see who could fail to grasp this)\u2026 here\u2019s how it works. This is how easy it is to download any piece of music you like \/ fancy \u2013 FOR FREE \u2013 via the likes of RapidShare or MegaUpload.<\/p>\n

Step 1\u2026 Log on to your favoured internet browser\u2026 type in (for example) the album title you\u2019re looking for and search for it using the \u2018image search\u2019 function.<\/p>\n

Step 2\u2026 Scroll down a bit \u2013 past all the links to the likes of iTunes and HMV digital and so forth\u2026 down a bit further and you\u2019ll find the blogspots that \u2018purport\u2019 to \u2018write\u2019 about particular Album X.<\/p>\n

Step 3\u2026 Click on the image link and that\u2019ll (generally) take you to the blog page so illustrated. Scroll down a bit, past the album cover\u2026 and you\u2019ll find the track-listing and, more often than not, a box marked links. <\/p>\n

Step 4\u2026 Hit the link \u2013 sometimes it\u2019s not even hidden away in a box but there, in plain sight for anyone to see\u2026 and, that link will open up a new page. <\/p>\n

Step 5\u2026 That new page will offer you your download and more often than not, you\u2019ll find that page hosted by\u2026 yes, you\u2019ve guessed it\u2026 either RapidShare or MegaUpload. <\/p>\n

Step 6\u2026 Click on \u2018download this file\u2019 and, depending on the speed of your connection, you can be listening to your own copy of Album X \u2013 FOR FREE \u2013 within five minutes or so. <\/p>\n

(for exactness, this isn\u2019t a precise science\u2026 from time to time you have to kiss a few internet frogs along the way\u2026 but, ultimately, it shouldn\u2019t take much more than ten minutes of searching to provide the link you\u2019re looking for). <\/p>\n

And\u2026 that is legal?<\/p>\n

Nope\u2026 I don\u2019t think so\u2026 <\/p>\n

And\u2026 can it be stopped? On balance I\u2019d say no\u2026 it cannot. The likes of RapidShare will not be shutting the doors to their zillion-times terabyte servers any time soon \u2013 after all, they\u2019re making a small fortune acting as conduits. <\/p>\n

Equals, this form of filesharing ain\u2019t gonna go away. <\/p>\n

So… is there a solution? <\/p>\n

Fuck yeah\u2026 With the technology available, how hard would it be to enforce a methodology that makes this new form of distribution a legal way to dole out music (and film \/ games etc etc)?<\/p>\n

And\u2026 via that methodology \u2013 which would mean the likes of RapidShare \/ MegaUpload etc paying a form of royalty based on downloads \u2013 it would mean that the creatives \u2013 the song-writers\u2026 the copyright holders\u2026 the people who invent games\u2026 the authors… the film-makers\u2026 are FAIRLY PAID. <\/p>\n

Enough\u2026 I need to take the Inner Terrier out for his walk; he’s howling like a banshee. However, I\u2019ll end this by appending a few pithy sentences from the noted author, David Thomas (aka Tom Cain). Not much more needs to be added (other than to state he granted permission for his words to be used here). <\/p>\n

One of these days, the entertainment industry will find the form of words that explains a few very simple ideas to the people who steal copyright material and the theorists who dispute the very meaning of copyright itself. <\/p>\n

Such as, for example … when you rip off a music file you steal the musician’s work and deny them the means of earning a living … no one would expect a plumber to work for free, why should a pianist, an actor or an author? … if you larcenous fuckwits keep stealing stuff, then eventually no one will be able to afford to spend the tens or even hundreds of millions it costs to make a movie, or the months and years it takes to write a novel, and then where will you be?
\nPOSTED BY NEIL STOREY AT 4:41 PM 6 COMMENTS
\nLABELS: BEATLES, DAVID THOMAS, HMV DIGITAL, ITUNES, MARKMONITOR, MEGAUPLOAD, RAPIDSHARE, SKYPE, TOM CAIN, TORRENTFREAK.COM
\nFRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2011
\nBroken English
\nIt is the time of the year when those who\u2019ve made their New Year resolutions start to break \u2018em: you know the kind of thing\u2026 awash with Champagne on New Year\u2019s Eve, gazing unsteadily into the eyes of the one you love, you pledge daily visits to the gym, self-discipline that equates to a pumping iron regime that\u2019ll make you all the more attractive by\u2026 oh, Valentine\u2019s Day latest. <\/p>\n

Did I make one of these resolutions..? Well, not really \u2013 I certainly didn\u2019t make futile promises to dust down my running shoes in a vague attempt at getting fitter. <\/p>\n

Nevertheless, I did think to myself whilst quaffing a rather pleasing item from the Veuve Clicquot stable and watching the fireworks that perhaps 2011 would be the year when I became less of a perennial grump. <\/p>\n

So, in between sips from the sippy-cup and as the clock turned, I decided that I\u2019d let my Jack Russell tendencies off the leash.<\/p>\n

And\u2026 you know what..? All was going swimmingly until\u2026 the inner Terrier bounded up and started snapping ferociously earlier today. <\/p>\n

It had spied such utter hypocrisy it couldn\u2019t be ignored. <\/p>\n

Sadly, however, I can\u2019t imagine that the little news item that the inner Terrier spotted will be among the front-runner on News At Ten tonight, nor would it fight for a place in the headlines on ABC News or France Soir or whatever the German equivalent is. Will it make the Antipodean equivalent of TVN 24 Horas in Chile\u2026? I rather doubt it. Where will it be placed on RTPN in Portugal or will they ignore it just as much as CBC in Canada undoubtedly will? That, too, is highly probable. <\/p>\n

So\u2026 what is this duplicity and double standards that have so incensed; what has raised the inner Terrier’s hackles to vertical? <\/p>\n

OK\u2026 here is the full quote from Daniel Raimer who is RapidShare AG\u2019s lawyer (and spokesman). RapidShare have just overturned a court ruling where, originally, Atari (the gaming company) had said RapidShare did not take sufficient measures against copyright infringement. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe ruling demonstrates once again that RapidShare is operating a fully legal range and has taken measures against the misuse of its service which go beyond the level that is legally required. We are confident that copyright holders will gradually come to accept this conclusion.\u201c<\/p>\n

This is absolute, total\u2026 BOLLOX.<\/p>\n

This little Voltaire out on its grassy knoll has expounded on this before but, this latest court ruling \u2013 and the utterly contemptible accompanying quote – has started the inner Terrier growling as well as barking loudly. <\/p>\n

Because\u2026 the simple fact of the matter is that RapidShare (and dozens of other similar \u2018sites\u2019) host files that are shared by \u2018consumers\u2019 from which the rights owners do not earn. <\/p>\n

There is so much proof of the above being absolute FACT out there in wibbly-wobbly-web land that there is no requirement for further expansion or examples here. <\/p>\n

File-sharing (in this manner) is, to all intents and purposes, the new distribution of music\u2026 (and film, tv, video and so forth). <\/p>\n

And, no matter what all the worthy people at the tops of those respective industries say they\u2019re going to do to stop it, they\u2019re ignoring the incontrovertible fact that the stable door got left open long ago and\u2026 the horse went that-a-way. <\/p>\n

So\u2026 while it is entirely galling to read the complete pack of lies that Daniel Raimer spouted earlier \u2013 and, being a lawyer he should know a lot better \u2013 isn\u2019t it better to accept that Shanks\u2019 pony has bolted over the near horizon and implement a practical solution whereby rights holders are paid?<\/p>\n

I mean\u2026 its not difficult\u2026 is it?<\/p>\n

IF music is to be freely available \u2013 and all the recently published figures detailing sales downturns point to that as an inevitable conclusion (cf recent editions of Billboard etc) \u2013 then these *new distribution channels* are going to have to contribute \u2013 otherwise the creators\u2019 creativity will simply dry up\u2026 they\u2019ll starve. <\/p>\n

RapidShare (so it proudly notes) is one of the 100 most visited websites on the planet. It estimates that over 400,000 files are uploaded to its servers every single day. In any calendar year, that equates to more than 14.5 million. The company has over 1,000 servers with combined storage capacity measured in Petabytes (one unit being I million gigabytes). The bandwidth that their millions of visitors a day occupy means that the income they are generating is colossal. Oh, and lets not forget the subscription services they offer as well. <\/p>\n

In other words, RapidShare are generating seriously huge sums of money and yet\u2026 as things stand\u2026 they do NOT make any payments to ‘rights holders’ for distributing those ‘rights’ as they do. <\/p>\n

Hypocritical – yes, I would argue so… wouldn’t you?<\/p>\n

Limetorrents is another in a similar vein. However (and rather cleverly) on their web site they state that they are: a torrent search engine and directory which do NOT host torrent files but links to torrents hosted on other websites. We do NOT have any copyrighted or illegal content on Limetorrents, and we do NOT host torrent files on our servers.<\/p>\n

Technically correct and very much holier than thou\u2026 But, straight out of the school of \u2018nuttin\u2019 to do with me guv\u2019\u2026 <\/p>\n

One wonders how they manage to keep a straight face (other than laughing all the way to the bank) when simple random searches show them to be offering links to literally any film, game or piece of music one cares to think of. <\/p>\n

And\u2026 for taking their place within this new distribution egg and spoon race, what do LimeWire contribute to the creatives? Jack shit.<\/p>\n

With the kind of numbers that companies such as these two (of very many similar) reporting, it would be impractical to try to instigate internal systems whereby ever single file uploaded was pre-screened. <\/p>\n

Nevertheless, since this method of distribution is gradually becoming the norm and to stop it becoming what it now is \u2013 the unacceptable \u2013 then methodology has to be put in place whereby these distributors of \u2018rights\u2019 contribute. <\/p>\n

This Voltaire on its grassy, windswept knoll, therefore wonders what on earth organisations such as PRS are actually doing to protect their members from the rape and pillage being meted out by companies such RapidShare who are contentedly boating down the middle of the fast-flowing river of pure profit?
\nPOSTED BY NEIL STOREY AT 7:50 PM 0 COMMENTS
\nLABELS: BILLBOARD, DANIEL RAIMER, ILLEGAL FILE SHARING, LIMETORRENTS, PRS, RAPIDSHARE
\nMONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2010
\nPicture This
\nDunno about you but, I\u2019m a bit of an information junkie\u2026 For instance, I devour sleeve notes; call me a train-spotter but I really do like to know the inner bits and bobs behind the recording of the record I\u2019m listening to\u2026 and, I don\u2019t believe I\u2019m alone in that enjoyment. <\/p>\n

Same goes for art galleries\u2026 as much as I like to go and gaze at painting X or Y by great-master A or B, the same goes for the captioning thereof. To me, its all part of the learning; the acquisition of knowledge if you like \u2013 the tale behind the painting adds immeasurably to the pleasure in looking at what the exhibit\u2019s curator has hung on the wall. <\/p>\n

The upper space in this particular gallery is all whitewashed walls and rectangular shapes. The floors are anonymous pine planks; Norwegian blonde \u2013 each footfall echo bounces back in an area otherwise bereft of meaningful life. It reeks of uninviting post-industrial chic.<\/p>\n

And, this scrupulously scrubbed room into which I have wandered through a wide white opening is perhaps forty feet wide by maybe thirty deep and about fifteen or so in height. <\/p>\n

And there, hanging artistically off-centre and suspended from the ceiling, occupying some (but not all) of the white space in this white box-lozenge that has no door, is a huge jumble of autumnal-hued\u2026 string. <\/p>\n

The string \u2013 so I\u2019m reliably informed by the caption that\u2019s been stuck at eye-level on the white wall \u2013 entitled \u2018Untitled Number One\u2019. <\/p>\n

The first line of this \u2018caption\u2019 reads as follows: You may imagine that this is unfinished. <\/p>\n

Taking my cue from the caption \u2013 bible-black, 14 point, Times Roman on the scrubbed-white wall \u2013 I extend my imagination. <\/p>\n

However, much like an engine running low on diesel, it only travels so far: it splutters to a halt at the point when I\u2019ve decided the dangling mess of twine resembles nothing other than a poorly assembled squirrel\u2019s dray that has recently been savaged by a hungry feline on its quest for hatchling breakfast. <\/p>\n

Looking for clues, I re-examine the caption again, the one that solemnly informs me: You may imagine this is unfinished. Sorry pal, I don\u2019t imagine anything of the kind actually\u2026 What I clearly see \u2013 and right before my eyes \u2013 is a heap of total bollox\u2026 full-throttle pretentious, art-installation, crap. The person who \u2018assembled it\u2019, the people who commissioned this thing\u2026 AND the person who wrote this \u2018caption\u2019 \u2013 all of \u2018em should be ashamed of themselves. <\/p>\n

But\u2026 why are you here Neil\u2026 especially when you know this sort of thing irritates the be-jaysus out of you? Ahh\u2026 I\u2019m here because\u2026 but, you know what, I really wish I hadn\u2019t bothered. Where, why, what, how, when\u2026 then? <\/p>\n

Just the other day actually \u2013 when it seemed like a beezer idea to avoid Christmas shopping by nipping in to have a squint around an Exhibition that advertised itself as displaying loads of Edward Hopper pictures. <\/p>\n

And, since I\u2019ve been a bit of a sucker for Hopper\u2019s art since my mid-teens\u2026 off I toddled. The only problem was that the advertising exaggerated somewhat\u2026 there were only a very few of Hopper\u2019s work on display and very few had any meaningful captioning either. Plus, since the gallery’s coffee-emporium was closed and they’d indulged in daylight robbery to actually get in to said gallery, exploration of the other floors seemed in order. Hence the reasons for the irritating ball of string encounter. <\/p>\n

Anyway, Hopper\u2019s art and I first became acquainted by way of another artist \u2013 Edward Kasper who I imagine, (tho\u2019 honestly don\u2019t know for sure), probably drank deep from the well of Hopper\u2019s realism-inspired-inspiration. Edward Kasper\u2026 who\u2019s he?<\/p>\n

He\u2019s the bloke responsible for this – the wrap-around poster-like sleeve to the original inner for The Band\u2019s Moondog Matinee. <\/p>\n

Not, frankly, the greatest album they ever delivered but it\u2019s contained within one of my favourite covers. And, it\u2019s not too far a throw of the imagination to see Kasper\u2019s sleeve-art with its own antecedence in Hopper\u2019s own Nighthawk\u2019s masterpiece of 1942. <\/p>\n

Which, led me to thinking\u2026 album art is not what once it was\u2026 is it?<\/p>\n

Growing up musically (before) and during time spent at the coal-face of Island Records, one of CB\u2019s (Chris Blackwell \u2013 founder of) firm beliefs that was imbued within us was\u2026 and I\u2019m quoting him here; \u201cIf you felt that the artwork was intriguing then there must be something going on inside; there\u2019s some thought, there\u2019s some creativity. Artwork was very important to Island\u2019s life\u201d. <\/p>\n

And it was\u2026 oh but it really was. Yet, as we moved from the 12 square inches \u2013 a format that gave designers space within and on which to create \u2013 through cassettes and in to CDs, the size came to matter. Why? \u2018cos the combination of the art and the information became almost a by-product of the whole. It was as if\u2026 look, you\u2019ve got the music, what more do you want?<\/p>\n

And now, the art that comes with our music has been reduced to the size of a postage-stamp since that is what iTunes downloads dictate. <\/p>\n

Time was when new-release record X or Y would appear in one\u2019s local Diskery; the hard-earned would be handed over and one\u2019d hop back on the bus and then it was either back home or to a mate\u2019s house full of eager anticipation not just for the needle to make its first drop onto pristine vinyl but\u2026 to examine \u2013 in detail \u2013 the sleeve in which said new release resided. Why?<\/p>\n

Because these sleeves were not only (in general terms) works of art in their own right but one also elicited a heap of information: who played what and with whom\u2026 who produced this or that\u2026 which studios were used\u2026 who engineered this or that\u2026 who was this or that person thanked and what role did they play in the overall proceedings? One stored this information up in one\u2019s head and applied it to other albums, thereby drawing up a form of knowledge database. <\/p>\n

Download your \u2018product\u2019 off of iTunes and none of this is contained within your download\u2026 you get the music (of course) plus the pea-sized replica of the sleeve. And that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n

The other day, I finally \u2013 and I\u2019ll be beating myself for being late to the ball here \u2013 for some time to come\u2026 but, anyway, I managed to cotton on to what is rapidly becoming my album of the year. Seasons Of My Soul by the chanteuse otherwise known as Rumer.<\/p>\n

And yes, the album art \u2013 a nice black and white image of the young lady \u2013 nestles quite comfortably in my iTunes folder. And (or should that be but) as much as I really like the music, there is nothing much \u2013 other than that nice black and white image \u2013 to look at. No real \u2018information\u2019 to acquire. <\/p>\n

Big pity really\u2026 that the digital generation are cheated of this pleasure. I understand its not for everyone\u2026 but, I tend to think its for more than maybe people realise. <\/p>\n

Perhaps that\u2019s why there is a very real rise in vinyl sale\u2026 not just because of the (well-known) warmth of the musical-listening experience but equally because the sleeve designers can create better than is possible with a palette the size of a stamp.
\nPOSTED BY NEIL STOREY AT 6:47 PM 1 COMMENTS
\nLABELS: BBC \/ CRUFTS \/ NATIONAL HEALTH \/ ISLAND RECORDS, CHRIS BLACKWELL, EDWARD HOPPER, EDWARD KASPER, RUMER – SEASONS OF MY SOUL, THE BAND
\nSATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2010
\nYou\u2019re Not Going Out Dressed Like That
\nIt really has been a long old journey. <\/p>\n

Ambling on stage is a five-piece band: first up is the boy-girl-boy bass player who sports short-cropped hair in a style that kd lang would ultimately confiscate as her own. <\/p>\n

The lanky, shaggy-haired, drummer steps up to his mark: he wears an un-ironed Hawaiian shirt that could well have begun life by being drenched in the rabid colour scheme much-admired by Axminster carpet designers in the Fifties. The shirt has clearly lived a life of its own and looks as if it was lifted from a Salvation Army thrift store; impatiently, he raps out paradiddles on his snare-drum, waiting for the twin-guitarists to tune up. <\/p>\n

The rangy axe-meister stage right \u2013 the one wearing the pencil thin tie, stands motionless; staring darkly into the middle distance, clutching the neck of his guitar so firmly that the veins on his stick-thin arms stand out. <\/p>\n

The other tremolo-bender is raw-boned and facially angular as if chipped from the same block that carved Ian Curtis; un-smiling, he stares down at the assembled as if sizing up the length of a dole queue on Giro-collection day. <\/p>\n

The singer who fronts this beat-combo is last to take his place. <\/p>\n

Be-spectacled, possessed of thinning hair, he is anything but angular and more resembles a genial bookmaker or someone from accounts that you only see at Christmas parties \u2013 being violently sick into a potted palm in the corner after three too many Babychams. <\/p>\n

It would not be unreasonable to say he looks entirely out of place in this place \u2013 he is sporting a slightly grubby, known-better-days, tartan dinner jacket above highly polished brogues and a quizzical grin. <\/p>\n

Dateline: May 17th, 1980. Outside the University of Newcastle, the moon waxed in a perfect crescent. <\/p>\n

If any of the History students attending to the bottom of their pints of Lager-top were thinking about it, they could well have been contemplating the 459th anniversary of the 3rd Duke Of Buckingham losing his head via a well-sharpened blow on Tower Hill. If that seemed unlikely, one couldn\u2019t help but wonder if they were transfixed to the side of the Students Union bar by discussion of that very day being the 180th anniversary of the Relief Of Mafeking.<\/p>\n

Maybe, however, their minds were further afield \u2013 contemplating the fact that martial law had, that very day, been imposed by General Chun Doo-hwan in South Korea in order to quell the student demonstrations that had broken out on the far side of their world. Maybe not.<\/p>\n

In any event, the atmosphere that night was as sterile as a vasectomy, the room as welcoming as an under warmed oven; the only sound being the shuffling of feet wrapped up in a puzzled collective gaze at this bunch of misfits taking the stage.<\/p>\n

Until\u2026<\/p>\n

The lights go down and the group\u2019s first tune chugs into motion as the singer begins to sing songs drawn deep from the well of pure pop; collectively, they’ve reached deep down into the urn of angst where the shimmering light of soul meets the touch-point of dance. Collective heads, as one, turn\u2026 <\/p>\n

Looking back, it was hardly a shock that uber-critics of the day (such as the NME\u2019s David Quantick, Paul Morley and Sounds\u2019 Dave McCullough) lauded this band from high in their marbled-towers as they did. The real bolt from the blue was that the great British public almost unanimously refused to catch on. The group were unceremoniously booted out by their record label and, after a period of time in the outer limits, fizzled out like a beautiful shooting star dropping over the far horizon. <\/p>\n

Fast-forward thirty years and a little bit. <\/p>\n

In the postbox are two card-sleeved CDs which, to be totally honest, I\u2019d entirely forgotten were being sent. Yes, I\u2019d been told that they were being mailed but, in this digital day and age, one is more used to \u2018I\u2019ll send them in the post\u2019 meaning having one\u2019s email in-box clogged with file-attachments that nestle up to solicitations suggesting I\u2019d benefit from penis-enlargement than actually getting hold of the actual, physical\u2026 real thing\u2026 itself. <\/p>\n

So\u2026 here they were, these two CDs \u2013 staring up at me from inside their dirt-brown Jiffy bag \u2013 that represented this group\u2019s first new recordings in\u2026 twenty-five years or so. I gazed at the two sleeves \u2013 perfect little works of art in themselves \u2013 suddenly realising that I\u2019d become just a little nervous for the music they contained. <\/p>\n

Yes, the seed of doubt had taken hold \u2013 would these match up? <\/p>\n

It\u2019s all very well to hope, to hark back to those original recordings that remain as fresh today as when first laid down. But\u2026 would this just be a case of the two key components of a band giving it one last forlorn shot when really, they shouldn\u2019t have bothered with booking the studio time? Only one way to find out\u2026 <\/p>\n

That first moment of jangling guitar should have told me\u2026 the first moment of that voice certainly did. It has matured \u2013 and is now a subtle mix of summer sunshine honeydew melon infused with rich molasses; perhaps (quite possibly) a smattering of Smokey Robinson by way of Darryl Hall in there too\u2026 embracing yet not overtaking the space within the chord progressions. Here it was: three chords and the truth \u2013 alchemy within a melody pool. <\/p>\n

But, above all\u2026 it\u2019s all about the songs; and there are tunes here that are absolute, stone-ground, classics. <\/p>\n

Yes, I know very well that that is a ridiculously over-used adjective, especially when used in a descriptive manner, nestled up alongside songs. But\u2026 you\u2019ll have to trust me here. Really… you will. <\/p>\n

Still unsure? OK\u2026 for the hard of accepting, lets put it this way: IF Jarvis Cocker had penned either Lost or Nicole, then the world of critics (swiftly followed by the public) would be all over \u2018em like a cheap suit, claiming they were two of the great \u2013 lost \u2013 British pop songs. <\/p>\n

Let us celebrate then: the globe\u2019s most unlikely pop stars are back and\u2026 within the all-pervasive X-Tractor climate, my iPod is thankful that Father Christmas has dropped down the chimney a little bit early. So\u2026 why don\u2019t you make yours a happy digital-download-device\u2026 put aside the mince pies for just a few moments and do the right thing\u2026 OK? <\/p>\n

Because\u2026 my Lords, Ladies, Gentlemen and other readers of this little Voltaire out on its windswept grassy knoll on the world-wide-Prairie \u2026 please charge your glasses and welcome back\u2026 The Distractions. <\/p>\n

POSTED BY NEIL STOREY AT 4:03 PM 1 COMMENTS
\nLABELS: DAVID QUANTICK, JARVIS COCKER, MIKE FINNEY, NICK HALLIWELL, NME, PAUL MORLEY, SOUNDS, STEVE PERRIN, THE DISTRACTIONS OCCULATION RECORDINGS, UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE
\nWEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010
\nThe Sound Of The Suburbs
\nThe other night, while watching a favourite TV programme, a new (well, to my eyes anyway) level of advertiser\u2019s intrusiveness was laid in front of us; the consumers curled up on the comfy sofa. <\/p>\n

The commercial break was, as usual, annoying enough since it \u2013 again, as usual \u2013 interrupted the programme\u2019s flow. But, it was what followed said commercial break that proved so aggravating because it appears that advertisers now feel we \u2013 the viewers \/ the consumers \u2013 can be devalued by a new treat from their bag of tricks. <\/p>\n

And this new indulgence of theirs is..?<\/p>\n

Well, the programme in question kicked off again\u2026 but\u2026 placed at the bottom left of the screen occupying (at a rough guess) approximately ten percent of the physical screen-space\u2026 was a run-on of one of the previous advertisements. <\/p>\n

And, this animated mini-ad remained in situ for the entire duration of that segment of the programme.<\/p>\n

With its\u2019 positioning, one\u2019s eye cannot help but be drawn to what is going on at the bottom left-hand-corner of the screen. Clever in one respect but exasperating and deeply annoying in another since this particular ad takes up just enough screen-room to intrude into what is actually going on in the programme one has tuned in to view.<\/p>\n

Did it work, did this advert communicate its message? Did it bollox. <\/p>\n

Lets take another quick example \u2013 which, according to Steve Purdham (CEO of an internet music streaming service in the UK called We7) is tied up in something he likes to call \u2018dwell-time\u2019. This (apparently \u2013 yeah, I know, it\u2019s a laughable phrase, isn\u2019t it) is the time one spends on site X or Y \u2018engaging\u2019 or \u2018interacting\u2019 with what they \u2013 the provider \u2013 have to offer. <\/p>\n

Bypassing the corporate bullshit speak, it links into how they \u2013 the advertisers \u2013 can specifically target their audience. This is done via all the \u2018bots\u2019 out there that track one\u2019s movements on the web (and there are more than anyone even imagines \u2013 hence new legislation in progress to combat big brother\u2019s snooping tactics). <\/p>\n

Clever\u2026 for sure it is. But\u2026 what actually happens is that one is continually being bombarded with advertisements that, because of their intrusive nature, are now having very little effect.<\/p>\n

The other day, I was prowling about on the wibbly-wobbly after information and eventually linked in to an instructional video for a particular PhotoShop CS5 element I was having trouble grasping. But, before my cyber-teacher and I could \u2018engage\u2019, I was subjected to a thirty second advert. <\/p>\n

The same goes for (herewith just another random example) tuning in to view a BBC video news feed off their site. Sorry chaps\u2026 I do NOT want to watch thirty or even fifteen seconds of advertising before I get to the news item in question. <\/p>\n

So, all you advertising wallahs out there\u2026 know what happens\u2026? I\u2019ll go and stick the kettle on while your beastly advert plays out. And, quite honestly, I don\u2019t think I\u2019m alone in this. <\/p>\n

Y\u2019see, this little Voltaire out there on its grassy knoll in the windswept prairie reckons this (new) level of intrusive advertising is completely counter-productive. And, it ain\u2019t the way forward for this medium. <\/p>\n

Advertising is and has \u2013 for as long as anyone who reads this can remember \u2013 been part of the daily function of our lives. No big deal\u2026 it\u2019s just a part of modern life. <\/p>\n

However\u2026 with the economic world still grappling with being part of the new Millennium, the advertising agencies are trawling the depths of the barrel marked \u2018new ideas\u2019 as to how to get their messages across. <\/p>\n

Some \u2013 indubitably \u2013 work brilliantly; lets take the Nike \u2018swoosh\u2019 logo as one example\u2026 its just an image, a graphic, an emblem and yet\u2026 gradually its seeped into the public consciousness and its now known the world over for what it is. No need for ramming the word Nike down anyone\u2019s throat; no need for copyrighters\u2019 silly tag-lines\u2026 just the graphic unobtrusively positioned. Very clever<\/p>\n

Rapha (purveyors of top-of-the-line cycling clothing) are another such. It\u2019s a brand created by Simon Mottram and he\u2019s very cleverly positioned his company as much by subliminal advertising as by generating high-quality apparel that is and yet doesn\u2019t appear to be branded (much like Nike). <\/p>\n

One\u2019d have thought that the market for cycling and accessories (clothing being a key component) would be limited. Not so. Mintel (as quoted in The Independent on November 4th) have stated it is worth 700 million (yes\u2026 million) squiddlys in the UK alone. And, in 2011 it\u2019ll be even higher. <\/p>\n

Among the (many) component factors that have clearly helped are the Manx Missile\u2019s exploits in the Tour making front page news to the Boris-bikes initiative; from Briton\u2019s winning a sack-full of medals at the last Olympics to people in general getting the message that getting out and about on your bike is a good step forward to being healthy. <\/p>\n

And Mottram and his Rapha brand are not just riding the crest of that wave but expanding step by step internationally. And doing so exceedingly cleverly; while the US is now their biggest market he\u2019s recently brought in a chap previously at Adidas to spearhead their forays into Europe. <\/p>\n

The other day, I was out and about in a bit of a shopping frame of mind \u2013 perusing the wares on offer in a sports emporium; a shop that offered (across its four floors) everything one\u2019d require if one was a real back-packer to gadgets designed to get the very best out of a snorkeling experience; from football strips in one\u2019s favourite team colours to hiking boots and biking gear; from tennis racquets to rugby balls. <\/p>\n

And\u2026 ploughing along the rails of replica cycling team-jerseys one stood out from the rest. It was off-white with the maker\u2019s (team) logo discreetly positioned over the left breast in a silvery-white. From a distance, it looked like a simple off-white cycling jersey. Close up, the cleverness of the design became apparent. <\/p>\n

How can white on white work..? Well\u2026 let me assure you, this did\u2026 it was exceedingly cool\u2026 and, not to put too fine a point on it, this Rapha jersey was the absolute puppy\u2019s privates. Had I the spare wherewithal, I\u2019d have had the plastic swiped and the item in a carrier bag with no hesitation. <\/p>\n

In design terms, retro-chic is, I believe, the adjectival expression. <\/p>\n

And, retro-chic that\u2019s classy as opposed to the shoddy stab at the same genre by the designers of Team Sky\u2019s dreadful 2010 outfit which, incidentally, hung alongside the Rapha jersey on the same clothing rail. <\/p>\n

In 1930, Jose Ortega was quoted saying, “We live at a time when man believes himself fabulously capable of creation but he does not know what to create.”<\/p>\n

The same rings true today. We\u2019re in the middle of a(nother) industrial revolution\u2026 and, just because there are different variants on advertising delivery \/ brand-awareness now available, it doesn\u2019t follow that the model of twenty or thirty years ago will work.<\/p>\n

While those that do embrace it will succeed, equally, its time that advertisers (in general) woke up and got smart to the fact that they\u2019re simply pissing off potential customers \u2013 otherwise and before too long, someone smart will set up a pay-wall behind which people who don\u2019t want to be intruded upon can retreat and not be subjected to what is, nowadays, advertising harassment.
\nPOSTED BY NEIL STOREY AT 6:26 PM 2 COMMENTS
\nLABELS: BBC NEWS, MARK CAVENDISH, NIKE, PHOTOSHOP CS5, RAPHA, SIMON MOTTRAM, STEVE PURDHAM, TEAM SKY, THE INDEPENDENT, WE7
\nMONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2010
\nRemake Remodel
\nSo\u2026 to use (loathsome) modern music-biz parlance, Michael Jackson\u2019s \u2018new single\u2019 Breaking News has\u2026 dropped.<\/p>\n

And, dear reader, I have to inform you that… to all intents and purposes, it\u2019s a bonafide turd. <\/p>\n

It opens with 35 seconds of, poorly cobbled-together, spoken \u2018news reporting headlines\u2019 (eg: More allegations against the King Of Pop; Another lawsuit against Michael Jackson etc etc) played through static as if the listener was twisting the dial on an old fashioned radio. <\/p>\n

Tellingly\u2026 the word unauthorised is used repeatedly. <\/p>\n

Then, Jackson himself \u2013 so we\u2019re led to believe \u2013 steps up the plate at 54 seconds in over a piss-poor breaking news (sic) shufflebeat accompanied by sampled violins with the opening line of: “Everybody wanting a piece of Michael Jackson; Every reporter stalking the moves of Michael Jackson; Just when you thought he was done; He comes to give it again,” And, in the next line the singer mentions his (own) obituary.<\/p>\n

And, it may well be \u2013 although probably not the one that he\u2019d have liked. <\/p>\n

Because\u2026 to the ears of this Voltaire out on its grassy knoll on the world-wide-windswept prairie, this doesn\u2019t much sound like Michael Jackson singing before he entered or from beyond the grave. <\/p>\n

It actually sounds like one of two things: either a very average MJ impersonator \u2013 you know the ones\u2026 young lads who appear of programmes like X-Factor and other rubbish TV like that. They\u2019re all dressed up, their hair is done just so, they\u2019ve practiced the moves, privately, in front of a bedroom mirror for months using a hairbrush as a microphone and someone, somewhere has said\u2026 \u2018hey son, for you\u2026 Opportunity Knocks\u2019. <\/p>\n

Generally speaking, they disappear into the oblivion from whence they came. <\/p>\n

Either that or this is conceivably a rough demo containing (probably) a guide vocal together with a ‘rough arrangement’ that a \u2018producer\u2019 has gotten a hold of and\u2026 \u2018produced\u2019.<\/p>\n

According to Michael Jackson dot com, the song was cut during 2007 by someone called Eddie Cascio at his home in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey; ma and pa Cascio are, apparently, restaurant owners who specialize in Italian cuisine and gave their son his start in music by funding his piano lessons. Beats beating out pizza dough. <\/p>\n

Graduating from Drew University, Cascio \u2013 via family connections \u2013 started writing for the New York based publishing company Sony \/ ATV Music before founding his own production company Angelikson Music and going on to work with the likes of Luther Vandross, Usher and NSYNC. And, apparently, Jacko tipped up in late \u201907 chez Cascio and\u2026 laid down a few tunes. <\/p>\n

However\u2026 and I confess to finding this pretty extraordinary, these \u2018tracks\u2019 that Cascio allegedly \u2018produced\u2019 of Jacko\u2019s lay dormant (undiscovered \/ un-talked of) when Jackson\u2019s estate recently concluded a deal with Sony \u2013 reportedly for 200 million dollars. <\/p>\n

Hmmm\u2026 the woodwork squeaks and out come the freaks.<\/p>\n

Sony have issued a press-statement that contains one or two interesting \u2018wordings\u2019 together with committing the cardinal sin within any media-release \u2013 that of using adjectival language. For example they state that this posthumous album (entitled Michael) is \u2018much anticipated\u2019. Is it\u2026? That should be down to the public to decide, should it not?<\/p>\n

Be that as it may, they also state that the album will be released by Epic in conjunction with the Estate Of Michael Jackson. Frankly as it should be but\u2026 how do they now quantify Jackson\u2019s mother (Katherine) using the word fake (according to news sources) when discussing this posthumous album project (from which this track is culled) with\u2026 yes, you guessed \u2013 and who else but\u2026 Oprah Winfrey.<\/p>\n

Indeed, TMZ are also reporting Prince and Paris (two of Jackson\u2019s children) stating that they do not believe the vocals on parts of the album are their father\u2019s. <\/p>\n

Reading a bit further into Sony \/ Epic\u2019s mdia-release we learn that: \u201cBreaking News,\u201d a never heard before song by Michael that appears on the new album was recorded in New Jersey in 2007 and recently brought to completion (my italics).<\/p>\n

Aha\u2026 and therein lies the rub, the nub of the whole matter.<\/p>\n

Clearly, even Sony \/ Epic are admitting that a producer has gotten a hold of this and\u2026 produced it. <\/p>\n

Poorly at that.<\/p>\n

IF it had the kudos of (say) someone with credentials such as Quincy Jones or even Will.I.Am then I should imagine people would take this posthumous offering a lot more seriously. <\/p>\n

Do I have any authority to offer that as an opinion? Actually, yes I do. <\/p>\n

Over the past year or so, I\u2019ve been working on a number of tracks exactly as that \u2013 the only difference being that the artist with whom I\u2019ve been working is very much alive. <\/p>\n

Nevertheless, his view \u2013 to which I heartily subscribe \u2013 is as follows: while previously unheard track X or Y has value to the consumer within the context of an artist\u2019s full body of work and therefore should be cleaned up and brought to the sonic standards people expect to hear in 2010; demos and especially those with guide vocals are best left as they were actually recorded. They are snapshots in time \u2013 and therefore should be left as exactly that. <\/p>\n

Plus \u2013 although this was many years ago, I did have the singular pleasure of meeting the King Of Pop. We stood side by side in the gentleman\u2019s urinals at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London when the annual BRIT Awards were hosted there. As his Giant Haystacks-sized minder guarded the door, we acknowledged the other\u2019s presence by a simple nod of the head and got on the with business in hand (sic), staring at the white marble straight ahead, as gentlemen are won\u2019t to do in such circumstances. <\/p>\n

IF it began life as that, Breaking News probably sounded pretty interesting as a work-in-progress demo but now its been produced (with or without his own vocals) it sounds like extraneous matter within the largely formidable cannon of Jacko\u2019s main body of work. <\/p>\n

As it has been presented, “Breaking News” is the audio equivalent of a badly photoshopped picture. <\/p>\n

And the thing is with turds\u2026 no matter how hard one tries, they cannot be polished.
\nPOSTED BY NEIL STOREY AT 6:29 PM 0 COMMENTS
\nLABELS: BREAKING NEWS, BRIT AWARDS, EDDIE CASCIO, EPIC \/ SONY, GROSVENOR HOUSE HOTEL, MICHAEL JACKSON, OPRAH WINFREY
\nWEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2010
\nDon\u2019t Bang The Drum
\nA few days ago, dear old Auntie BBC broadcast the first in their series of Electric Proms performances \u2013 the mighty Leon Russell musically re-united with Sir Reg of Pinner – live and direct from The Roundhouse.<\/p>\n

Not only was one able to view Sir Reg\u2019s hair-extensions as well as LR\u2019s monumental white beard in High Definition but, one could \u2013 if one chose to \u2013 listen along in equally HD sound via the BBC’s I-Player. <\/p>\n

And I most certainly did. Not once but quite a few times \u2013 perfect music-while-you-work fodder. A few bits, frankly, didn\u2019t bear repeated listens but\u2026 most certainly some of the stuff that featured more LR than EJ did. <\/p>\n

And\u2026 it got me thinking\u2026 wouldn\u2019t it be great to have an audio souvenir of that evening at The Roundhouse. Not least, as I know that stuff up on the old I-Player gadget is only available for a while, ie its time specific. <\/p>\n

So\u2026 how would I listen to my favourite bits in, say, a couple of months time?<\/p>\n

One phone call to the audio-equivalent of Dr Watson, located a couple of parishes away, three emails later and a bit more Holmes-like investigation on the wibbly-wobbly, and\u2026 a rather splendid solution presented itself.<\/p>\n

Its a gadget called Audio Hijack. <\/p>\n

And, while its perfectly legal, its one of the scariest things I\u2019ve seen on the web.<\/p>\n

In brief, no audio recording out there available to listen to via wibbly-wobbly land is safe. <\/p>\n

Audio Hijack takes but a few moments to download\u2026 Since I was in pure research mode I went for the freebie variant but, if you want all the bells and whistles, it comes at a price (about 20 squiddlys).<\/p>\n

Installation is a doddle\u2026 a simple case of dragging the App into one\u2019s App folder and the regulation double-click and bingo\u2026 you\u2019re ready to go. Obviously I didn\u2019t read the help-file or on-line manual\u2026 that\u2019s a bit like reading the instructions on an Ikea shelving unit\u2026 hardly manly, is it? Plus, that\u2019s why hammers were invented. <\/p>\n

Anyway\u2026 I figured I\u2019d try it out\u2026 <\/p>\n

I called up Sir Reg and Mister White Beard via the BBC\u2019s I-Player thingie, set the slide-control to a particular track I like and\u2026 pressed the button marked record. Music, maestro please\u2026 but, to be honest, I wasn\u2019t quite sure if I was listening (again) to the tune I\u2019d chosen or if I was listening to it as being recorded by this gadget. <\/p>\n

Pressed stop at the end as gales of applause from The Roundhouse hit the headphones and\u2026 drat, nope, must have fucked up somewhere as no MP3 file was in sight. Hmmm\u2026 maybe I should have squinted (however briefly) at the manual. Thirty seconds later, I\u2019d found the object in question, did the old double-click fandango and\u2026 bloody hell, there it was playing away perfectly out of I-Tunes.<\/p>\n

Eeeek\u2026 I\u2019ve hacked the BBC.<\/p>\n

But\u2026 and, I promise you, this is quite serious\u2026 over the past few weeks while I\u2019ve been re-designing Website X, I\u2019ve also been planning on integrating music into said re-design. <\/p>\n

And so, I have been studying the whole SoundCloud scenario which, on the face of it, was starting to look like the way to go. <\/p>\n

Because, from what I had worked out, SC gave out great quality (ie you can stream .FLAC files \u2013 ie, lossless quality). Plus, various friends of mine from a variety of (name) bands had started to use it as a way of streaming their music\u2026 so, if it was good enough for them, then certainly good enough for my purposes. And, most importantly, from what I could work out, it didn\u2019t appear hackable\u2026 <\/p>\n

Wrong.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve hacked SoundCloud as well.<\/p>\n

Which basically means, if I can, then anyone can.<\/p>\n

After a bit of a prowl around the wibbly wobbly again, I selected a juicy nugget posted on SoundCloud and\u2026 oh, shit, within five minutes I\u2019ve acquired a track that was bonafide posted there as one of two things: (a) for anyone\u2019s listening pleasure or\u2026 (b)if you paid X, then you were able to download it. <\/p>\n

(a) is a great method of letting one’s ‘fans’ listen to (say) early demos or otherwise unreleased tracks, perhaps rough mixes from an album in progress or finished tracks… all manner of things really. But, most importantly, since the internal SoundCloud gadget is set to non-download… thats the way it is – the listener can listen only and the creative isn’t ripped off… Splendid… IF it works. <\/p>\n

(b) is equally perfect since it means that creative person Y is PAID for their creativity on tunes that they are quite comfy to have downloaded. <\/p>\n

Only problem is – as I proved earlier… it doesn’t work. <\/p>\n

So.. the solution to my own web-streaming-of-music conundrum?\u2026 Well, I guess it\u2019’ll have to be a case of just doing what Apple are about to do on I-Tunes\u2026 and that\u2019s plonk up only 90seconds of music. <\/p>\n

And\u2026 streaming music as being the \u2018solution\u2019 via \u2018sound clouds\u2019 for creatives being paid as they should be\u2026 errr\u2026 nope\u2026 I wish it was, but today\u2019s little exercise proves worryingly otherwise.
\nPOSTED BY NEIL STOREY AT 9:16 PM 2 COMMENTS
\nLABELS: AUDIO HIJACK, LEON RUSSELL, MUSIC PIRACY, SOUNDCLOUD, THE BBC, THE ROUNDHOUSE
\nTUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010
\nTake The Cash (K.A.S.H.)
\nIt\u00b4s a secret operation, don\u00b4t want this getting out,
\nSo watch it, watch it, watch it, if the payment doesn\u00b4t bounce,
\nIt\u00b4s the sweetness of the readies, makes the bell ring on the till,
\nAnd if they say they\u2019ll pay next week, you know they never will.<\/p>\n

Take the cash, don\u00b4t let them pay you in kind,
\nTake the cash, before they change their minds,
\nAnd let\u00b4s see the colour of their money \u2013 take the cash<\/p>\n

(words and music \/ E. Goulden)<\/p>\n

Ladies and Gentlemen, please be upstanding for the downright brilliant songs of Mr. and Mrs Goulden\u2019s lad, Eric \u2013 better known throughout the whole wide world (sic) as Wreckless Eric \u2013 whose songwriting, according to this little Voltaire out there on its grassy knoll on the windswept prairie, deserves far wider acknowledgement than it presently has or, indeed, has accumulated over the years. <\/p>\n

Nevertheless, in this relative world, its probable that young Eric doesn\u2019t do all that badly out of his songwriting royalties\u2026 even despite the fact that he (probably) signed a piss-poor publishing deal back in the day with his pay-meister\u2019s at Stiff; the World’s most flexible record label that was started up by Jake Riviera and Dave Robinson (Robbo) via a four-hundred quid loan from Dr. Feelgood\u2019s Lee Brilleaux and which offered for our delectation some of the very finest (and also some of the most horrible) records issued in the Seventies and Eighties. <\/p>\n

Amongst which, (the former that is), any discerning individual would list a high quantity of W. Eric\u2019s tunes \u2013 lyrically as astute as it gets with a fine turn for a belter of a melody; consider the rhyming couplet delights within his second Stiff single (and, sadly, it was a stiff), Reconnez Cherie \u2013 On a convenient seat by the lavatories in the sodium glare; We used to wait for the bus in a passionate clutch and go as far as we dared; Do you remember when I passed my driving test; Took you to the pictures, forget the rest; Do you remember all those nights in my Zodiac; Playing with your dress underneath your Pac-a-Mac. And, on it goes into an entirely memorable chorus. I mean \u2013 c\u2019mon\u2026 Cole Porter, eat your heart out. <\/p>\n

And Eric\u2026 well, he\u2019s been plodding along, ploughing his own, entirely unique, furrow these many years and, in an unlikely twist of circumstance, has returned to (some would say) his spiritual home by licensing his new record (with his wife, Amy Rigby) to the label \u2013 Stiff having risen once again, phoenix-like from its own ashes. <\/p>\n

Aha\u2026 the key word here is licensed\u2026 as it looks as if our hero has his act together. And, is nowadays a lot more in control of his own work than (maybe) once he was. <\/p>\n

Back in 1977, when his first record \u2013 Whole Wide World \u2013 hit the stores, young Eric was (quite possibly) relieved to have found an outlet for his music and (probably) never once thought about the long-term\u2026 At 32 Alexander St (Stiff HQ) it was all about madcap schemes hatched in any one of numerous nearby pubs with (probably) no real thought to how the label\u2019s output would be considered (say) a quarter of a century later. At that point, the powers that be at Stiff were more concerned with what might happen next week. <\/p>\n

Nevertheless, a true gem such as that (aforementioned) record was listed not so very long ago in Mojo Magazine\u2019s \u2018best punk singles of all time\u2019 while also being acclaimed as one of the top-40 \u2018alternative era\u2019 singles between 1975 \/ 2000. <\/p>\n

And, while written in its entirety by E. Goulden, the copyright would be shared (possibly at something of a disadvantageous rate) with his publishers. And, given the copyright laws in existence at that point, that\u2019d be the case until the year of our Lord, 2033. Meaning \u2013 if my arithmetic is on song \u2013 that Eric wouldn\u2019t have full control of his own song until he was 79 years old. <\/p>\n

Quite a sobering thought that. <\/p>\n

But, of course, more or less the same situation that any songwriter (unless they\u2019ve either had exceedingly clever management or have been exceptionally astute themselves) will find themselves in for works (songs) registered before 1978. After that, the situation changes \u2013 and will do so radically \u2013 in 2013 when the 35-year-law comes into force\u2026 in other words, a fore-shortening of the length of time before copyright reverts. Yes, I realize this is all a bit publishing 101 but it\u2019s for illustrative purposes. <\/p>\n

This ownership and being able to work and properly earn from your own copyrights point being vividly brought home by a snippet spotted in today\u2019s Guardian. <\/p>\n

In which, we learn that Producers working at Channel 5 TV have been asked to \u2018avoid\u2019 using commercial music in their programmes as a method to bring down royalty ‘payments’. <\/p>\n

And, those ‘payments’ are songwriting Royalties which are collected by the PRS and then distributed to the Publishing Companies and then, eventually, paid \u2013 on a percentage rate \u2013 to the actual writer(s) are accrued from any public performance of said music be that on-stage, recorded, on the radio, on the telly, within a movie or\u2026 online. <\/p>\n

Apparently this is all part of a cost-cutting drive to make C5TV more profitable.<\/p>\n

But, what is not mentioned is the heinous manner in which they (and, it should be noted, most other TV as well as Film Production Companies) actually deal with the creatives \u2013 in this instance, those who write music which may or may not be included within said TV Programmes or Films and so forth.<\/p>\n

The C5TV spokeswoman is quoted in today’s Guardian saying “Channel 5 plan to commission more original music as they have excellent contacts in the creative industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well\u2026 on the face of it, that\u2019s great \u2013 more opportunities for creative folk. <\/p>\n

But, here\u2019s the rub\u2026 C5TV (as above) are clearly wanting to pay as little as they can by way of Royalties but, at the same time, they\u2019re also demanding their cut as a Publisher because, as the source said (and this was also quoted in The Guardian) \u201cAll publishing rights have to be assigned to Channel 5.”<\/p>\n

In other words, they not only want to cough up little as they can get away with or grab just a little slice of that nice (lucrative) publishing steak and kidney… oh no, they want the entire bloody pie, crust and all. <\/p>\n

And, if you \u2013 writer X \u2013 do not kow-tow to their demands\u2026 then, like as not your music will not be used. Same applies if you\u2019re already signed to a Publishing Company. If your Publisher doesn\u2019t (or won\u2019t) play ball then\u2026 that\u2019s it, your music won\u2019t be used.<\/p>\n

And, either which way, you’ll not earn as much as you should. <\/p>\n

Double-edged sword or what?
\nPOSTED BY NEIL STOREY AT 7:14 PM 0 COMMENTS
\nLABELS: C5TV, MUSIC PUBLISHING, STIFF RECORDS, THE GUARDIAN, WRECKLESS ERIC
\nWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2010
\nAll The Boys Love Carrie
\nAnd so\u2026 and finally\u2026 a little cause for celebration \u2013 LimeWire is no more. Or, to put that into its proper context, the illegal part of LimeWire\u2019s file-sharing activities has been closed down. At last, a little bit of action that will (hopefully) see the copyright holders reap their just rewards\u2026 as they should. <\/p>\n

Mind you, its taken four years of legal wrangling for the RIAA to bring about this injunction that \u2018compels the Lime Group to disable its searching, downloading, uploading and file trading features.\u2019<\/p>\n

If you link across to the LimeWire site, you\u2019ll find a notice posted that says \u2018This is an official notice that LimeWire is under a court ordered injunction to stop distributing and supporting its file-sharing software.\u2019 Scroll on a bit and you\u2019ll discover this nugget, \u2018downloading or sharing copyrighted content without authorisation is illegal.\u2019<\/p>\n

Well well well\u2026 that\u2019s big of them, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, LimeWire don\u2019t \u2013 yet \u2013 appear to have been hit with the colossal fine that they so richly deserve; a fine that once imposed \u2013 and paid \u2013 should be plonked into the RIAA coffers and re-distributed amongst all those artists and writers (the creatives) who LimeWire have knowingly ripped off. <\/p>\n

Meantime and besides striking (something the French are particularly adept at), their ISP\u2019s are acting on that Government\u2019s \u2018three-strikes\u2019 legislation. They are sending out an average of 25,000 letters a day to suspected illegal filesharers. Now, the French love paperwork and compiling what they call le dossier \u2013 I know this first hand since I used to live there. <\/p>\n

But\u2026 sorry fellas\u2026 it won\u2019t work\u2026 because you\u2019re targeting the wrong people. <\/p>\n

And, if I still lived there I\u2019m wondering if I\u2019d be on their radar for illegally sharing a (music) file?<\/p>\n

Lets take a very recent example. A pal of mine (a highly respected musician for what its worth) recently got in touch asking if I had a copy of album X by artist Y. Frankly, while reading his email, I couldn\u2019t remember \u2013 this being a pretty obscure record that I knew had never been digitally released. <\/p>\n

Anyhow, a quick fizz through my bulging I-Tunes folder and\u2026 lo and behold\u2026 there it was; way back when I did live in France, I must\u2019ve digitised this album myself by transferring the vinyl version across to my computer. Actually, it\u2019s a fairly easy process to do that using gadgets (programs) like Audacity\u2026 and, even easier nowadays \u2018cos one simply buys a turntable that connects to one\u2019s computer via a USB cable. <\/p>\n

So\u2026 I loaded it all up and, via a file-sharing program I subscribe to (regularly sending large graphics images and so forth) I fizzed the individual music files that comprised the full album over to my buddy in Ireland. Next again day, he writes back saying thanks (like you do) and\u2026 he\u2019s happy that he can listen to something he\u2019d been trying to find for some time and I\u2019m happy \u2018cos I helped an old friend out. <\/p>\n

Does anyone have a problem with that..? <\/p>\n

I should hope not \u2013 after all, the album in question was purchased \u2013 albeit many moons ago \u2013 legally.<\/p>\n

In fact, now that I come to think about it, I probably paid 32 and 6 for it (which, in old money \/ pre-decimalisation equates to one pound sixty or so) thereby demonstrating just how elderly a recording it was. <\/p>\n

However\u2026 IF I still lived in the semi-remote region of France that I once did, then chances are the cyber-authorities would have me ear-marked as a criminal. Indeed, how soon would the knock on the front door come\u2026 and would I face the prospect of being collared by the local Gendarmerie? Very probably. <\/p>\n

And\u2026 this is why it (this three-strikes initiative) won\u2019t work. <\/p>\n

Because, while I freely admit (guilty as charged m’lud) that I sent a music file \u2013 files plural to be precise \u2013 to my pal, I\u2019d have contravened legislation that says what I did wasn\u2019t legal (based on the fact that the recipient didn\u2019t pay for said files). <\/p>\n

And, this is where it is going to go horribly wrong for the French. They get many things right \u2013 such as Confit du Canard in amongst some very fine wines indeed as well as more spectacular cheeses than there are days in the year \u2013 but\u2026 this clamp-down isn\u2019t one of \u2018em.<\/p>\n

As with LimeWire, it\u2019s the upload and download companies that have to be targeted \u2013 MegaUpload, Rapidshare, HotFile and all of those companies (there are dozens). These are the people who distribute the goods; these are the people who\u2019re making zillions via subscription charges that allow ordinary folk to post links to albums \/ singles \/ 12\u201d mixes (whatever you want) for others to download. <\/p>\n

The other day, Q Magazine awarded its album of the year to The National \u2013 pretty sound choice in my view; it\u2019s a cracking record but I\u2019d hazard a guess that it wouldn\u2019t take more than five minutes of searching to find it as an illegal download via either Rapidshare or MegaUpload. <\/p>\n

This little Voltaire out there on its grassy knoll of the windswept www prairie reckons that\u2019s serious food for thought.
\nPOSTED BY NEIL STOREY AT 5:28 PM 1 COMMENTS
\nLABELS: GENDARMES, LIMEWIRE, MEGAUPLOAD, Q MAGAZINE, RAPIDSHARE, THE NATIONAL
\nTHURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2010
\nReasons To Be Cheerful (Part 3)
\nNo, I don\u2019t have a hangover tho\u2019 by all accounts, I probably should \u2013 having enjoyed a bit of a stonking evening at the Liberal Arse last night. Mellow Johnny was in charge of slapping the Martini\u2019s down, Mother Mary having taken an early bath from her usual duties. <\/p>\n

In any event, by the time I\u2019m awash with the third cup of coffee (meaning some sense of order had replaced that merest hint of morning fuzziness \u2013 brought about by the fellas wielding a large hammer and cordless drill in diabolical harmony upstairs at the hour designated as \u2018how best to really annoy anyone within earshot\u2019) \u2013 a small news item posted on the Music Week site via CNet had grabbed the weary eye. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a leaked letter from a chap called James Pond\u2026 and Master Pond, so it appears, is one of the top dogs at Google\u2026 Splendid, we do love leaks don\u2019t we?<\/p>\n

And\u2026 a quick \u2018Google\u2019 of Master Pond \u2013 there\u2019s no hiding place on the wibbly wobbly web, is there \u2013 reveals his \u2018job title\u2019 at Google is Product Counsel\u2026 no idea what that actually means but that\u2019s how he has listed himself on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n

And, after a bit more Google-fed prowling, its quite easy to discover he was previously a media lawyer at Osborne Clarke, a paralegal at both Freehill and Freshfields\u2026 having been \u2018educated\u2019 at both Oxford and Cambridge as well as at the Inns Of Court Law School\u2026 Marvelous \u2013 that\u2019ll mean he\u2019s one of their legal eagles. <\/p>\n

So, doubtless he\u2019ll be a bit cross that a letter of his has been leaked but\u2026 hey, its out there now. Besides, given that what he\u2019s had leaked is \u2013 or should be \u2013 really important, equals… so much the better.<\/p>\n

Because, it appears that Google might just be about to step up to the plate and\u2026 just might\u2026 get involved in stemming online piracy as well as helping copyright holders track down material that\u2019s being put up and out there as \u2018free\u2019. <\/p>\n

And this little grassy knoll out there on the windswept world wide praire says\u2026 about fuckin\u2019 time too. <\/p>\n

Google have a moral obligation to do this \u2013 not least, because theirs is the biggest search-engine this side of Mars. <\/p>\n

CNet reports that Google will charge a fee for this service\u2026 yeah and they should \u2018cos, after all, they\u2019ll be offering a service\u2026 they have a \u2018product\u2019 (hateful word as it is) and\u2026 \u2018products\u2019 should be charged for in order that the person \/ people who have created said \u2018product\u2019 earn a living.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t think anyone\u2019s got an issue with that\u2026 have they?<\/p>\n

I mean\u2026 c\u2019mon\u2026 we all have to make a living\u2026 you go to work, do whatever it is you do\u2026 and, at the end of the week or month, you get paid\u2026 from that wodge of dosh, you pay your bills, put food on the table and\u2026 so on and so forth\u2026 <\/p>\n

And, if you\u2019re a creative kind of cove who\u2026 lets say\u2026 writes songs from which you make a living\u2026 then, you\u2019d expect to be paid for that\u2026 wouldn\u2019t you? <\/p>\n

But, of course, the vast majority \u2013 and, especially those who\u2019s careers are in their twilight years \u2013 most often do not get paid. <\/p>\n

For why?<\/p>\n

Ahh\u2026 and here\u2019s the rub\u2026 and this is a critical aspect of all of this file-sharing that\u2019s going on \u2013 and a part that doesn\u2019t affect the successful artists out there at all (they have their own issues).<\/p>\n

Lets take artist X who, in his (or her) career, has recorded \u2013 lets say ten albums. <\/p>\n

Those records, in their time, gathered a certain degree of cach\u00e9 and sold pretty well on vinyl but have lain dormant for the last however many years. And, now that we\u2019re well into digital middle age, most of those recordings in our example aren\u2019t available via the modern medium. Why is that then? <\/p>\n

It is because the Record Companies don\u2019t consider the cost-effective equation viable.<\/p>\n

Cost-effective means them (the Record Companies \u2013 who are the copyright holders) not making a decent return on the cost of actually digitizing and re-mastering those old recordings because they reckon they\u2019ll only sell a handful. <\/p>\n

Which, essentially, is food on the table for the companies that host the files \u2013 that the fans and collectors want \u2013 that, in turn, are put up by fans of the music in the first place. They \u2013 the fans \/ music bloggers \u2013 aren\u2019t making any money out of this\u2026 if anything, they\u2019re paying to put records up on the internet (\u2018cos, to upload X amount of music files via MegaUpLoad or RapidShare or any other Upload service you care to name costs). <\/p>\n

They (the fans and bloggers) like the records and feel like sharing what they like. <\/p>\n

Any examples? Hell yeah, as many as you like actually\u2026 but just one should suffice. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s one particular album I like rather a lot from the Seventies (ok, so it proves I\u2019m quite old \u2013 get used to it) that I spotted the other day freely available to download. <\/p>\n

And this came with a really interesting statistic attached to said download\u2026 it had one of those counter thingies attached\u2026 which showed that particular full album download had been accessed a smidge more than 29THOUSAND times. <\/p>\n

And that was on one site among dozens offering the same full album download of an album that has (I know for a fact) never been digitized. <\/p>\n

Oh \u2013 and do I have a copy? Sure I do \u2013 quite some time ago and when the technology first became available, I digitized my own vinyl copy\u2026 its not great quality but, it suffices. <\/p>\n

By and large \u2013 and if one really wanted to \u2013 I reckon old fogies like me could not only replace their old vinyl collection for nothing other than an internet connection charge but also top up on all those old vinyl recordings that one never quite got around to purchasing. <\/p>\n

In a sense, the fans who post these recordings are offering a service of their own yet it is highly probable that they\u2019re the people who are going to get their teeth kicked in when the outraged might of Google comes a-knockin\u2019 <\/p>\n

When in actual fact, its is Companies such as those named above who should be taken to the cleaners\u2026 <\/p>\n

And, by that I mean, they should have the bejaysus audited out of \u2018em \u2013 and yeah, I know it\u2019ll take a long long time \u2013 and the money they have earned from those who have paid to upload files should be re-distributed to those who have lost out who are… the creatives. <\/p>\n

Google helping out with the file-sharing issue \u2013 yeah, I\u2019ll go for that BUT ONLY if they deal with the companies who are making millions out of it and feed that cash back to where it should, rightfully, be. <\/p>\n

The other solution would be to bring in some form of legislation that would mean that the companies (as above but there are loads of \u2018em) have to pay a royalty \/ percentage of their income to a central fund from which the creatives who are missing out would be paid. <\/p>\n

File-sharing is a bit like prostitution, it\u2019ll never go away. But, it can be harnessed and, if done correctly, then those whose work is being prostituted can, rightfully, earn.
\nPOSTED BY NEIL STOREY AT 8:12 PM 3 COMMENTS
\nLABELS: CNET, FILE-SHARING, GOOGLE, JAMES POND, LINKEDIN, MEGAUPLOAD, MUSIC WEEK
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NEIL STOREY
\nRandom thoughts during the in-between moments of various web-creations fueled by a few opinions and views on the ever changing world of music, cycle-sport and other things that excite and torment.
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jess-roden-neil-storey-storeys-neil-storey2TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2011 Jess Roden : Song 3 The room to the back of the anonymous back-street building in which I\u2019ve been placed is, at best, serviceable; it is approximately fifteen feet square with walls painted a uniform, hint of a tint (but now-fading), Magnolia. Truth to tell, the colour scheme is actually more […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gigs","category-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.rabbitwho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.rabbitwho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.rabbitwho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.rabbitwho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.rabbitwho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1387"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.rabbitwho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1387\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.rabbitwho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.rabbitwho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.rabbitwho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}