Today as I was driving home, a car went screaming past me into the left-turn lane. It then proceeded to blow through a red light at top speed. Unfortunately for them, a police car was first in line at the opposite side of the light. It took the cop all of two seconds to flip his lights on and go tearing after the reckless driver.
As I sat there waiting for the light to change, I started wondering what was so urgent that this person would risk not only getting a ticket, but also getting in an accident and potentially killing somebody.
Here's what I came up with...
That last one got me wondering... how long will it be before musical artists tell record labels to go fuck themselves and take control over their own property?
I only ask, because I am sick and tired of music labels having a choke-hold on who gets to buy an artist's work. When I can't buy a song because a record label is too stupid, lazy, cheap, or unmotivated to make it available to me, something is wrong. In this day and age of digital music distribution, I should be able to buy any piece of music I want. I shouldn't be denied because the artist doesn't have a distributor in my country for the song. I shouldn't be denied because the song is old and out of print. I shouldn't be denied because the artist's label has decided there's no audience for the song where I live.
And yet, that's where we're at.
Still.
And it makes zero sense.
Sure musical artists need an investment to promote their work... but that should come in the form of a partner, not a music label overlord who takes ownership and control. The business model has got to change.
Because when you make it so that I can't BUY your music, I'm going to find another way. Hopefully legally, but you know...
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Totally…TOTALLY…agree with you about the music. If it’s ever been in print, it should be available. I hear songs I like on Pandora all the time, only to find out they’re not available, ANYWHERE. What does the record company have to lose by putting up songs from an out-of-print disc on iTunes? More to your point, though, why is the record company even still involved at that point? If they don’t want to promote the artist, they should turn the rights to their work back to the artist instead of holding them hostage.
You should listen to BNL and Guster. They’ve both tried to change their countries copyright laws to be more fan-friendly.
I had that happen to me the other day. A black van with the windows tinted blew by me in the left-hand turn lane, ran the red light, and flew down the street at about 90 mph. It was very bizarre.
It’s my understanding that Bruce Springsteen’s new album is available only at Wal-Mart. It’s a greatest hits collection and I already have all the songs from the original albums ripped to my iPod so I’m unlikely to buy it.
However, I’m just a bit put off by the fact it’s available from only one source. And I’m not even sure why. I think it’s because I don’t want The Man to force me to go to Wal-Mart (Or Target, or Best Buy, etc. This isn’t about any one retailer.) to get what I want in their hopes I might also buy Toilet Paper.
Now that I think about it, it isn’t about my needs at all. I live in Columbus, Ohio … I have a Wal-Mart (Target, Best Buy, K-Mart, etc.) but what about the Bruce fans in smaller towns in the lesser states? If their Piggly Wiggly wants to carry this album, they should have that option.
I don’t blame Bruce at all for this. I’m blaming, right or wrong, his record company. I’m pretty sure Bruce would like Santa to deliver his music to the masses for free. He’s that kind of dude.
The Boss, I’m thinking (possibly delusionaly), is just as unhappy with The Man as I am.
One other option:
Were they driving some kind of VW, preferably a hatchback? My experience non-scientifically proves that 99% of them are just plain asshole drivers. (Ah, no offense anyone. I’m sure you’re the 1%).
Oooh, another would be they’re a WOW addict and need to get home in time to do their little WOW stuff with their friends. I have plenty of experience sitting in a car while someone drove bordeline maniacly just for that reason!
OK, I own up, it was me. I was late for pilates.
Not really. I don’t even know what pilates is.
About the music though – I couldn’t agree more. I costs nothing to make music digitally available – and yet there’s so much out of print music we just can’t get our ears around. Stupid record companies. The future has to involve the artists taking control of their own work – and getting a better return for doing so.
Well, cold burritos ARE gross.
Don’t get me started on record labels. They’re old, greedy and set in their ways..which will (hopefully) ultimately lead to their demise..or at least a drastic change in the way they handle ‘their’ music. I have very little guilt stealing music from them. I *buy* music from independent artists.
I had a friend drive over 100mph once… got pulled over. Turns out he’d just had Taco Bell for lunch… got the runs.. was trying to get to a bathroom before .. umm.. you know.
Anyways, he gets pulled over, tells the cop his dilema.. as he’s telling him… he shits himself. The cop was not at all sympathetic. He made him sit in his excrement while writing the ticket. ha.
I’m sure it wasn’t that funny at the time. But it’s freaken HILARIOUS now.
I hate it when I’m looking to buy a piece of music and can’t find it anywhere.
Also import prices are nuts when you should just be able to download it.
Whoa. My brain just exploded.
That next-to-last bullet sounds personal. Did that happen to you? Bitter much? 🙂
Not to be picky – but don’t Vampires hate sunlight? So really he should just be thinking about getting up.
And I agree about music too! Why don’t the record companies get some of their staff to star converting their old music to digital – might mean a few less job cuts and a few happier consumers!
Sweet that the cop was right there. Many times I’ve lamented that there’s never one when you need one.
About the music- agree with you 100%. The internet is the great leveler- having the same effect with realestate and other industries that once had an unfair chokehold on both buyer and seller.
I just spent the last hour and a half stuck on the freeway. I would have loved the chance to go 90 mph. I might have made to class on time today instead of missing it completely.
LimeWire….you’ve got to go to LimeWire…you’ll get your music there!!!
I totally agree. There’s no excuse for an album to be out of print. Physically out of print? Yes. But there is no reason for the songs not to be available on iTunes or some other legal mp3 service.
The last time I was pulled over was because my son left the pizza he had made on his preschool field trip at school and I had to get back to the day care place before it closed. The cop let me off with a warning.
I once got pulled over for speeding and although it was true that we were on our way to chemo for my daughter, it had nothing to do with why I was speeding (as I do every day) but just saying the words got me out of the ticket.
Am I going to hell now?
Once again, you are spot on. The music industry needs a change. Or maybe the artists need to change… leave the record labels they are with and just sign up directly with iTunes. Not sure if that’s possible, but it should be. Let Apple (and Amazon) manage their music. I think the exposure would be incredible, especially if news of their leaving the record labels got down to the mainstream buying public.
Part of the problem is that the musicians don’t have power individually (well, I suppose successful ones do, but they don’t have much motivation).
Then again, browsing through the American Federation of Musicians web site (http://www.afm.org/), I did not see any mention of this issue or anything even close to it, really. I’m not sure if that is an indictment of the union or if this just isn’t as big an issue to professional musicians as we think it is?
Change “musical artists” to “martial artists” and I’m with ya.