Music Industry Discussion

Aw Crap, here we go again!
PaulBritt: Check our Myspace, I am a Godrocker.
Id like to have a conversation with you on this subject "off the boards".
If you have time or are interested in sharing some thoughts on this subject, you can mail me at my Bandmix site.

There was a lot of content in my first post to this forum. In the interest of public discourse, what specifically are you "aw crapping" about? We can discuss this in private if you wish, but perhaps others are wondering what you're referring to as well. Thanks for the response, though.

Peace,
Britt


Jesus was a dissident
so they hung him out to die.
But they couldn't kill the seed of truth
no matter how they try.

Pain and dissonance,
we pay to use our voice.
So listen close, don't hide your head
we all have made a choice.

(c) 1998 - Paul Britt

Dude, read back about five pages and you will know what I'm aw crappin.
I take every chance I can get to tell folk about the good news I have, but Yo it gets a bit teadeous when Ive been over it with some of these guys like 50 times.
Shout it till your lungs bleed!

I believe I understand both your frustration and your drive to spread the good news. Sometimes the seed doesn't fall on fertile ground. I fully support those who bring the Christian message into places where rejection is the norm. This is "carrying your cross". I'm definitely not saying you should change the style of music you're playing! I personally can't stand CCM even though I've often been called to play it while sitting in. It just doesn't get me goin. Lately, Ive been in the Pillar / P.O.D. vein. There's something I find quite appealing about zealously screaming for Christ! But as far as trying to reach an unreceptive audience (whether through music or on the forums), we have to choose our battles and strategies. I don't think going over it another 50 times will reach anyone if the same technique is used over and over. Most of the actual breakthroughs I've experienced with people involved the slow building of relationships over time. Then when all hell broke loose, they were ready for the message. I do appreciate your Passion and there are times we're called to shout it till our lungs bleed! But I find that if we're not careful, we do more harm than spreading of good news. I have done it plenty of times myself and have alienated close friends all because I was shouting at them and not loving them. They will know us by our love.

Anyway, as you suggested, I will take this off line to email to discuss. Thanks again for the response. And now back to our regularly scheduled banter...

Britt

LOL

Here are some wise words from a youngster:

"Unity despite differences."

I'm not a christian...I don't want to be...I make no bones about it.

But...I dearly love Leonard Cohen's "Halleluiah." What a beautiful piece of music.

I worked & worked on it, & have been told that I play it very well. When I've played it in bars, however, I got those blank stares that told me this wasn't the place for it.

After deliberating on it, I quit playing it at ll. Not just for the fact that it didn't work for me, but that some ppl probably thought I was preaching to them, which is a ridiculous assumption, considering my own beliefs.

I will not try to convert anyone to my beliefs, & I CERTAINLY won't try to convert anyone using someone else's beliefs.

Those blank stares told me all I needed to know about using christian (or any other religious) music in a bar setting.

I would most likely have given the same response to anyone else who played it. It's just the wrong place for it all, even when you slip it into your usual secular routine.

It's rude, for one thing. Nothing ruins the mood of laughter & banter & trying to hook up with someone or just hang out with friends to forget the daily strife better than dumping religion into the mix. It's too serious a subject to push into what should be a light-hearted, FUN atmosphere.

While you may certainly apply your religious beliefs into every single area of your life, please don't do it to others. It could bring up nasty differences in ppl sometimes, esp when there is alcohol involved. Keep it in its proper place for the sake of us all. Not everyone wants or needs your take on salvation. Save it for festivals, churches, & the like.

You may be right but even Christians like to pick up chicks. Just as long as my wife dont find out. (just kidding aout the wife part Ive learned my lesson on all that)

I tell you what? The tightest band I have ever heard here in the OC was a Christian Rock band. I would play with them in a heart beat In reality, it is the skill and joy of the art that comes first, affiliation is secondary.

Damn, thats pretty deep. I'm going to have to think on that statement some. Though I can be a vulgar guy at times, I've come to a point in my life I can no longer listen to vulgar lyrics in music. Just turns me totally off. A lot of what I have written is dark or angry stuff, that has a found my guidence type theam. Yet Ray usually edits out some of the more offensive language and tones down my politically incorrect rants.
Yet despite my Christian Music environment I could see myself writing and playing some pretty ugly revolution music. How long do you think you can hide in your gated community, from the swords of the children you starve in diplomatic imunity. Rise up walk on the masters bones from sea to shinning sea, rebuild with your bloody hands an honest community.

Personally, sans, I think it's way past time for some "new revolution" music. Protest songs that would show our ppl's overall disgust with the way our prez has stolen his seat in gov't, how corporations have stolen the gov't out of the ppl's hands, how the gov't sticks its icky lil fingers into everyone's pie, McMansions springing up like mushrooms & ruining our areas, etc.

Yeah, lotsa ppl are doing it. But there aren't any real catchy unifying themes anymore that ppl can latch onto & run with.

That guy I used to work with was trying with his "We the People" that's on my profile, & it was often requested when we played out.

But where is the "Give Peace a Chance" of today, that everyone hears to death?

Eh, the "music industry" won't allow it anymore, I suppose. Damned shame, that.

We need a new venue to blow off steam, to gather the ppl together to fight the powers that be for the good of this country. Music may have gotten too overloaded or too stale for anyone to take it seriously as a message medium. Or perhaps it was just done to death back in the day.

I'm thinking of starting up my own lil pamphlet press like Thomas Paine.

I agree, there needs to be some major awakening in this country! One difference between now and 40 years ago is this : no draft = total apathy. The same brave souls are asked to fight over and over again. I admire their courage, sacrifice and duty. I just wish it was responsibly directed in a manner that actually made us and the world more safe.

As far as protest songs go, here's some lyrics I wrote while watching the disgusting aftermath of our invasion of Iraq. The image of a dead Iraqi laying in the street was burning in my brain and I began to write:


I Love Peace
So they say I'm not a Patriot.
They love War
So they're out to Settle the Score.

I wanna bring the troops back Home
Because that's where they Belong.
They wanna to send 'em out Again
A Sword and not a Pen.

Negotiation Failed
Because they Tipped the Scale
And now they're gonna do
Just what they wanted to:

Kill.... Kill... Kill....


We say Give Peace a Chance
They call it a Criminal Stance.
We want Hope and Love and Trust
So they Curse and Threaten Us.

But we are not Blind
To what goes on in the Mind
Of those who Love to Hate
Their Anger won't Abate.

So tell us where it Stops
As we see the Bodies Drop.
Are you Here to set me Free
As you Point that Gun at Me?

Free... Free... Free...

"Peace" (c) 2003 - Paul Britt


(Chorus : "War! What the hell's it good for?") (c) Whitfield/Strong 1969 & Starr 1970


Ahhh... 1970 was a good year to be born! My formative years were saturated with the best music ever made!


But there's some good protest songs being written today. If you like Christian Rock, check out P.O.D. 's latest album : "When Angels and Serpents Dance". They have a really cool song called "Tell Me Why". Great lyrics there. Much better than anything I've written... But I don't know if it has a hook as catchy as "Give Peace a Chance" or "War!"

If you can find an "indie" release called "Rock Against Bush", there's some great punk protest songs there. But again, nothing as catchy as the "classics".

I'm hopeful that many are starting to wake up and smell the corruption! I do believe we may be approaching some sort of critical mass where people just rise up and say ENOUGH! But then again, I've hoped that before. As philbymon pointed out, the problem is bigger than the President; corporations that are running things now. And what do most people want? More entertainment! "Please tell me why..."

Dang Hippie,
Paul Britt


p.s. Guess who I'm NOT voting for ?!?!! That's right : John McCandidate!

Gosh, I just hate being on the otherside of the fence all the time.
I do not believe in Peace. It won't happen. I'm not going to waste energy crying about it. It is a pipe dream. Man will always subjugate his brother. Only the second comming of Christ will set us free. As for now, Liberty and Justice. It is worth fighting for.
I am a sinner but I strive to live a just life. Take my sh*t or f**k with my family and I'll kill your ass. Ask my help, while really trying to help yourself. I'll do all I can to help. Stand up for what is right people not just what would be easy. There are no free rides. Help row the boat or drown.
All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.

Gee, sans...not the most christian of views that I've heard, but I quite agree in spite of myself, except for the christian stuff you've thrown in.

Still, there are lots of things in this country that need changing. In the past, music was used to try to make those changes.

I wasn't only speaking of peace oriented protest stuff. There was also the ecologically responsible song like "They took paradise & put up a parking lot." Or Dylan's "Hurricaine." You know, just socially responsible songs that brought things to ppl's minds that required true change.

Most of what I hear now that could only be slightly construed as "protest music" is just whining & bitching. There are no solutions offered other than "love your brother" & "make peace not war." There are so few true issues addressed.

We need to do something that will help to put the power of our gov't back into the ppl's hands. We need to do lots of stuff that we as a country are ignoring. It's tough to admit it, but I haven't yet found that melody, those words, or that forum to actually do my part to help or contribute, & it frustrates me.

I had thought that we had stopped the billboards on America's highways back in the '70's, until in my neck of the woods they started erecting them all over the place about 4 yrs ago. Omg, they've ruined my entire county with this crap! Makes me wanna go out with molotov cocktails to address it, ya know?

It seems like everything the young hippies thought that they had accomplished that was worthwhile has been reversed by the grown-up hippies, all in the endless search for the almighty dollar. The new wars. The environmental issues. The search for the perfect technology to entertain us. Etc etc etc.

Gosh, I just hate being on the otherside of the fence all the time.
I do not believe in Peace. It won't happen. I'm not going to waste energy crying about it. It is a pipe dream. Man will always subjugate his brother. Only the second comming of Christ will set us free. As for now, Liberty and Justice. It is worth fighting for.
I am a sinner but I strive to live a just life. Take my sh*t or f**k with my family and I'll kill your ass. Ask my help, while really trying to help yourself. I'll do all I can to help. Stand up for what is right people not just what would be easy. There are no free rides. Help row the boat or drown.
All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.

Can I get a hallelujah?!?!