General Music Chat

David Byrne of Talking Heads wrote a very interesting article for Wired Magazine. Here is an excerpt...

Full disclosure: I used to own a record label. That label, Luaka Bop, still exists, though I'm no longer involved in running it. My last record came out through Nonesuch, a subsidiary of the Warner Music Group empire. I have also released music through indie labels like Thrill Jockey, and I have pressed up CDs and sold them on tour. I tour every few years, and I don't see it as simply a loss leader for CD sales. So I have seen this business from both sides. I've made money, and I've been ripped off. I've had creative freedom, and I've been pressured to make hits. I have dealt with diva behavior from crazy musicians, and I have seen genius records by wonderful artists get completely ignored. I love music. I always will. It saved my life, and I bet I'm not the only one who can say that.


What is called the music business today, however, is not the business of producing music. At some point it became the business of selling CDs in plastic cases, and that business will soon be over. But that's not bad news for music, and it's certainly not bad news for musicians. Indeed, with all the ways to reach an audience, there have never been more opportunities for artists.


Full Article:

http://www.wired.com/entertainment/musi ... 1/ff_byrne

Good stuff. Unfortunately Byrne was one of those crazy divas; as he sought more and more control of the artistic process of the Talking Heads he strangled the life out of them. Tina and Chris both approached him about lucrative offers to reform the Heads and he refused and said the Talking Heads would never play again.

Craig
An insightful read indeed.Thanks for that, and seasons greetings to you and yours.

Oh come now. The Talking heads were always a manifestation of David Byrne. Without him, they would have been an unknown New York sub-cult that never got out of CBGB's.

Byrne is brilliant on many levels and what he wrote about new artist opportunites was spot on. I hope many of us think hard about it, and find a way to profit from it.

Craig
An insightful read indeed.Thanks for that, and seasons greetings to you and yours.

Much appreciated brother. Same to you!

David Byrne is no idiot, and when I read this article, I thought it could be helpful to many here, and it seemed a natural follow-up to the thread Irminsul started awhile back, dealing with the same basic issues.

Hard to believe it is Christmas Eve already!

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Excellent article.

Thanks for posting it Craig.

That's why I just signed up for another paid year. Keep up the good work as always. Later...

I don't think he's asking for anyone to feel sorry for him. He is one of a handfull of well known artists who are recognizing which way the wind is blowing, and wants to assist the change. He is to be congratulated.

He has some excellent points. I've been feeling for some time now that cd's are becoming more and more the advertisement for the product. The product being the live performance. I think that is great. It weeds out the studio cut and paste craftsmen leaving the real artists to make money from performing. The way it used to be before records (vinyl). That is the way it should be in my opinion.

At some point it became the business of selling CDs in plastic cases, and that business will soon be over.

I don't know why but I just don't feel sorry for him.

Damn, Wish I lived in New Jersey!

Damn, Wish I lived in New Jersey!

I don't know why, but I just don't feel sorry for you that you don't!

LMAO!!!