boycott-riaa.com - Article: Musicians still holding back

Musicians still holding back

Posted by George D. Ziemann on October 24, 2003 at 2:13 PM (printer friendly)

by George Ziemann

We interrupt our regular programming to discuss something that far too often gets completely overlooked in the discussion of copyrights, the RIAA and woodworking -- music.

Let's not get into genres, styles, definitions or any of that. Instead, I'd like to talk about music's power and why, when it's all said and done, the current situation will ultimately be resolved by the artists themselves.

For one thing, they are the only ones that can do it.

No matter what happens to the law, a great musician possesses the power to harness the emotions of thousands of people simultaneously. It's called a concert. Bear in mind that not all concerts provide this unique experience because not all performers are truly great. Neither are all audiences.

Music taps into a region of your brain that is strictly off limits to the details of Chapter 17 of the US Code or the most recent RIAA statistics. It's that mystical thing that Todd Rundgren talked about in his article earlier this week. Carlos Santana mentions it on the liner notes of "Supernatural".

Santana's music alone is, for me, a mental photo album of almost my entire life, as each song takes me to a time and a place from my past. For many of us, especially old dogs such as myself, music links itself inextricably with actual events, momentarily time-shifting us as we listen.

This is why artists find themselves involved in causes, movements and politics. In most cases, they are sought out; for others it is of their own choosing, often the driving influence of their music. Obviously, these are the artists most effective at initiating change, just because people will listen to them.

Paul McCartney didn't spend time with Vladimir Putin because the Russian leader really wanted introspective advice on what to do with Russia. Putin just likes the Beatles.

Each one of us has artists who have touched us with their songs, whether that touch required a ballad or a death metal thrashing. And so people listen to what they have to say just to see what they have to say. Todd Rundgren's letter this week certainly made more sense to more people than anything the entire media has collectively reported for a year.

It is beyond time for the artists to step forward and discuss this issue rationally. It is, after all, their well-being, their futures and that of those who would follow, that is being argued over as the reason for suing children.

It is the greatest voice missing from this debate. The silence is deafening.

User Comments (These do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of this site)


compmore	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 2:24 PM that's so true George. we've been emailing artists and those like you have been talking with your friends in the industry. tell me this George, does any of your musicain friends agree with you but are afraid to come out in the open? or do you have connections with Industry musicians? I know many indies like yourself has, not being in the business this may be stupid questions I just don't know how it works. thanks

Cantido	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 2:30 PM If you asked me what music I liked 5 years ago, I'd say I don't like any music. My family only listens to the local pop station and to this day, even before I got involved here, it's "music" still noise to me. Not trash, NOISE! My favorite band is the pillows. they are a Japanese rock band that has been playing for 14 years. If it weren't for P2P, I would have never discovered them. I downloaded an anime called Fooly Cooly (FLCL) and they do the soundtrack. the pillows blew me away. They're music is cheerful and uplifting, unlike the garbage on the radio. Every band on the radio want to kill themselves/blow up the White House. Its no loger rebellious and different becuase every band does the same thing. I've started learning guitar becuase I want to have that same feel here in America. Its seems like America needs it, too. Maybe there will be less suicide. FLCL was such a great anime that I bought the series on DVD. But there is no way to buy the pillows music. That's why I download music. When my friend opens up an anime store in December, he's gonna find their music for me so I can buy it. I wonder if the pillows have a stance in this....

compmore	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 2:32 PM basicly what I'm getting at is what is the unofficial feel from inside the industry, musicians viewpoint.

gdZiemann	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 2:53 PM From what I've heard so far -- and I have to say up front that my contact with "Industry musicians" is fairly limited -- the truth is that most major artists firmly believe that you must sell millions of albums. To do this requires the machinery of a record label, end of story. And every one of them has a tale about how the labels operate, none of them good. Some artists will just shake their head, putting their hand up as if to say, "Stop." They've got stories, too. They just won't tell them. To put it bluntly, every artist in the business knows the business sucks, with the possible exception of the newly arrived. One interesting phrase I heard was that the artists all know the current system is broken, but they aren't going to step off the platform until a stable bridge is built to the new model. This is why you can't buy Beatles music on iTunes. Still kind of rickety, really. Here's my most promising story. I recently handed a CD to someone who promised to get it into the hands of "someone who could do something with it." Being me, I immediately asked that he not do that, explaining that it was just for him to listen to: if he liked it, great; if not, oh, well. But please don't give it to anyone at a record label. His response was a chuckle, followed by, "Not THOSE people." He went on to assure me that there is a portion of the recording industry that is not exactly a part of the recording industry, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more. And Todd Rundgren's name immediately came up.

compmore	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 2:58 PM George, very encouraging. perhaps there's more going on behind the scenes than we think.

woodhead	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 3:02 PM The silence is so deafening, where are they and why do they not speak up?

Zuckuss	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 3:06 PM Sweet news with Todd's name coming up, George. "each song takes me to a time and a place from my past" This is so true. Last week my I played a bunch of 80s tunes for a friend. She was telling me about certain times and things she had done that were associated with each song. Music is a true wonder.

CodeWarrior	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 3:06 PM The research has demonstrated that when people are listening to their favorite music, there is a release of beta-endorphins, the body's own morpine like pain killer. Levels of beta-endorphin in spinal fluid (I can't imagine who let them to do a spinal tap to get that result(increase, so that people get that "tingling up the spine" feeling. I agree with George one hundred percent about the work of Carlos Santana. His solo riffs from Black Magic Woman, Europa, Samba Pa Ti (my fave to play when trying out a guitar) are magic! As for the pressure to sell to stay "alive", probably one of the best examples of that , was what the cat from Trick Pony said on Music Wars/Live Mike. He made it sound like it was a horrible pressure, and that his big opposition was he couldn't stay in business and keep selling enough to make the record company happy if people were downloading his music for free. PS George, as a Monty Python fan...love the nudge nudge wink wink say no more reference. "Your record label, is it a goer" :) ~Code

dgtzr	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 3:22 PM Some things cannot be said with words. Famous words from someone I'm sure, but whom I cannot say.

rexholmes	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 3:55 PM As always, no offense, but I don't really care what a rock star has to say about anything. If a Joe Schmo says something about human rights abuses or starving children, nobody pays attention, but when John Rock Star says something, everybody jumps about & makes lots of noise. Our collective celebrity infatuation makes me sick... Why does truth carry more weight from a multimillionaire than from a schmo?? Frankly, the rock stars are just as much pawns in all this as the rest of us are. You say the silence is deafening, but I see Janis Ian's essays, Chuck D at the Coleman hearings, EFF has a list of "Artists and labels are already making money from the Net without suing their fans" (http://www.eff.org/share/), Tom Petty's "The Last DJ", Travis (amongst others) supporting P2P, stars from the Cranberries to Joni Mitchell to Ozzy Osbourne leaving major labels, Courtney Love's salon piece, the Recording Artists Coalition, etc etc It may not be a utopia yet, but it isn't exactly "silent" either...

rexholmes	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 3:56 PM More: Todd Rundgren here: http://www.boycott-riaa.com/article/8584

Emeraude	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 3:58 PM It seems as if artists (whether they are true artists, or just industry creations) are under some kind of "mafia" like control. I wonder how many of them would cease to exist (literally) if they helped expose the evil control of, and took a stand against the RIAA...

compmore	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 4:13 PM That's exactly why they don't stand up. like george said, they truely (and falsely) believe that they have to sell millions of records. they like the money and celebrity status and have sold their souls to the industry. in order to maintain that physocological drug they've been on (I know my spellings off) they have to keep quiet otherwise risk destroying the lies they call their lives

boobuttonboo	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 4:26 PM in riaa and the big record companies eyes, the big one pays for the nine little acts. so, many of the smaller groups can stand up but a) they get sued by label, b) lose distribution chains, c) lose their name and creations. it is getting the big ones to stand up together, all at once, that would change riaa and big company minds. if they(riaa and co.) lose all their brittany's and madonna's, they lose their paycheck. but if regular, not big acts stand up, they (riaa and co.) lose nothing by taking them to court. i don't think it the little bands psychology, i think it's more that riaa and co. are basically blackmailing them. oops. sorry. i'll continue now: The tide of yesterday the vibration jingle of the house the place where you blaze bobcats. the side of the squid of the smoke where the sand of lumbering of lumbering of lumbering is old.

pwnage	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 4:44 PM @ Cantido way up there-- FLCL is beautiful... although certainly not for everyone 'cause its so weird. But to me, its good weird. Anyway to get back on topic here: I think the main problem in this battle against corporations, lies etc. are the people in general. One must realize that in comparison, those who follow and deeply resent what is going on in today's government and industry are a minority compared to those wo don't. I go to school everyday, and people are so caught up in their own lives, or care about smothing that wil; never affect them like pro-football. There are more riots and protests when a favorite team loses than when the RIAA sues children, Congress and the FBI and The Patriot Act waive our privacy rights, and corporations with CEO's looking to give themselves yet another raise manhandle how the country is being directed. It seems to me like we would rather just debate on the internet than choose to fight for a cause. I want to fight for a cause, but I have nobody I know to join with me. They would all rather care about sports, videogames, their favorite band (how ironic) etc etc. It makes me feel like my voice will be insignififcant, and then I become tolerant, not resistant. Like someone said before, the shit has piled way to high and the only way for it to end is for the pile to fall over.

CodeWarrior	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 4:46 PM boobuttonboo...what was that nonsense before the "now:" ? It looked like a bunch of crazy words strung together...glad you got back to making sense at the end. was worried bout you :P

compmore	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 4:52 PM pwnage you're right. I think however they will care when it hits home. Like having your set shut off in the middle of the football game because of the new electronics chip they're trying to have installed in tv's or when they're kids get sued. by then though it'll be too late other than mass protests that haven't been seen since the 60's

In-Flames	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 4:58 PM artists that are on RIAA-member labels - especially those in the mainstream that are in one the big 5 - are afraid to speak out how they _truly_ feel about the RIAA and p2p. they know the RIAA/labels won't be too happy when spoken agains --- which can result in dropping the artist from the label, and/or possibly suing them for bullshit reasons. to briefly summarize what i just said above: it seems like the only musicians who do it for the music (and not the money) are on independent labels. shitty, corporate creations just want to be rich. when they're on the studio, stage, wherever... they can't help but to decide on what 6-figure-priced sports car they'll buy next.

boobuttonboo	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 5:01 PM bainwol bungboy blimp bump. glazier gimp goober gump. jack valenti with hair nose gromit, sees to do little bush of big wolf pocket. boobuttonboo smackdown put on rump! valenti thingie benty, valenti dingie aldente, valenti valenti boobuttonboo beat a plenty!

INeedAlover	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 5:10 PM While rexholmes makes some very valid points I completely agree with, namely that celebrity fascination is sickening, and the artistS haven't exactly been silent, what is missing is someone with a big following and a big contract to speak up with a big mouth. It's very sickening that people give so much credit to celebrities. But, think about it; who is in a better position to say something about what's going on with music today? Obviously, a musician caught in the middle of this suing your customer mess! Quite frankly, what a musician thinks about world affairs doesn't mean diddly squat to me. But have that musician say something about file sharing, and having their record labels sue their fans, THAT would be OUTSTANDING! I think that is what George Z meant here when he says "the silence is deafening". The whole sign-your-copyright-over-for-life-while-we-sue-your-fans situation in music today should SUCK, as far as a musician is concerned. Yet, not many say as much. I know if MY record label were to do this with my music, I'd be in court in a heartbeat suing to get my music BACK.

gdZiemann	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 5:40 PM from destin leblanc I haven't had time to be checking at boycot-riaa, but I just stopped by (it is lunchtime) & saw this one: http://www.boycott-riaa.com/article/8616 "Musicians still holding back" The reason I've been busy is I've been MP3 ripping all the CDs my self-run label has released & adding this statement into all the id3 "Comments" tags: "Copyright statement: The proprietors of zenflesh records & the owner of this recording's copyright aggressively encourage the owner of this copy to fully exercise all "fair/personal use" privileges of copyright law, which include: using technology to shift content in time, space, format, and/or platform; creating archival backups; and sampling, quoting and recycling artistic ideas in the creation of new art. Although the following are arguably not "fair use", explicit permission is granted to make noncommercial copies for friends & family, and to share this recording on P2P networks. For commercial use of this recording, please contact licensing AT zenflesh DOT com. Modifying or removing this statement or the copyright designation is expressly prohibited." [This text is available separately at http://www.zenflesh.com/license.txt.] I've also got a newsitem about this at: http://zenflesh.com/Article19.html So far, I've done this to all of my own recordings & those of my main labelmate (ie friend). We've put out 3 compilations also & I'll shortly be contacting all the contributors for their OK to do the same to their songs. Note, I've only got two CDs worth up so far, this is 'an experiment' and I don't want use all my bandwidth up overnight, so the CDs are slowly being "reissued" in MP3 format. [It would've been easier to just use EFF's Open Audio License, but this is too similar to the GPL license, and I've got issues with the GPL that make me hesitant about the OAL. All that will discussed in a future rant, though.] I was going to do this 2 years ago & set up a "server" connected fulltime to Napster. Napster got sued. I couldn't find anything else I like until AudioGalaxy, and as soon as I started setting up a server to connected AG, they got sued. No other good alternative has presented itself since then, but now bandwidth is getting cheap enough that I can just do it via the web. It is very sad that a group claiming to "represent" between 2% and 10% of recording artists can call the shots (via lawsuits and lobbying) for the other 90-98%. That is not what I thought either "democracy" or a "free market" was about. I know I'm not the rock star you were looking for, just a guy making music for himself and hoping maybe somebody else might like it, and trying to help his friends get some exposure also. I knew what I wanted to do with my life, and arranged my life so I could make music (and "run a label") without having to worry about if anybody cared or not. Your comment is right: "To put it bluntly, every artist in the business knows the business sucks", and everybody knows it is broken, but won't get off until something else exists. That is analogous to staying on the Titanic and not getting on the lifeboat because it isn't as big as the Titanic. While I still like it with you holding the rock stars' feet to the fire, I think people need to start listening to what the little guys are saying, as they are building the lifeboats to where ever we are going.

pepe512000	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 5:53 PM One thing we are forgetting is that musicians DO have the option to sign or not to sign with the riaa. The people who sign keep the riaa fed. Some get a big name, some don't. For the ones who do, maybe the big name is more important than their music. People are all different and everyone has their own reasoning.pepe

compmore	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 6:10 PM Just because it's their choice to sign doesn't give the industry a moral right to treat them like crap. If that was the case none of us should have a right to complain about anything. From employment to credit cards to social orginazations they all involve contracts. we could live like hermits in the woods or fight for our rights

churchkey	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 7:09 PM Great article, George!

pepe512000	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 7:29 PM compmore Date: October 24, 2003 @ 6:10 PM Just because it's their choice to sign doesn't give the industry a moral right to treat them like crap Of course not, and thats why I'm here. They are evil (the riaa) and it's great that now artists are discovering a whole new world to get their music out. pepe

gdZiemann	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 7:33 PM "Quite frankly, what a musician thinks about world affairs doesn't mean diddly squat to me." It depends on the musician and the world affairs. Don't know about you, but celebrities see a lot more of the world than I do. That doesn't mean they know anything, in and of itself, but I'm sure that Bono has a much clearer grasp of the difference between US, British and European intellectual property rights than I do.

CodeWarrior	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 8:41 PM I agree with George, that it depends on the musician. Some musicians are VERY intelligent, and some are, average. For example, I used to think that Johnny Rotten was a self absorbed idiot, and couldn't stand him. Now, I think he is pretty darn sharp, and would certainly enjoy sitting down and sharing a cup of java with him. I've seen him on a few shows, and he's got a quick wit and some interesting views, showing he's done his research. Kris Kristofferson for example. is the son of a general who pushed his son toward a military career. Kris is a Rhodes scholar , so, he knows a thing or two. George is a musician, and I care a lot about what he says. Seeing a lot of the world I agree broadens one, but sometimes, the difference between the ordinary man, and the extraordinary man, is that the extraordinary man not only sees, he notices, and sometimes, notices connections and trends. And, some of these rock stars get unique chances to meet and talk with the "movers and shakers" because of their celebrity status, and occasionally become privy to things the rest of the population may not know. Being a musician means you play music, and that, in and of itself, doesn't mean you are smart or not. Being a president CERTAINLY doesn't mean you are smart either though. And, how about Rumsfeld's statements... "The United States Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, has baffled journalists in Brussels by explaining the greatest threat to Western civilisation may lurk in what he has termed "unknown unknowns". Mr Rumsfeld says he told a meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) defence ministers that even US intelligence agencies can often only see the tip of the iceberg when looking for terrorist threats. But this is how he explained it at a media conference. There are no knowns," Mr Rumsfeld. "There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns - that is to say, there are things that we now know we don't know but there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don't know," Mr Rumsfeld said. "So when we do the best we can and we pull all this information together, and we then say well that's basically what we see as the situation, that is really only the known knowns and the known unknowns. "And each year we discover a few more of those unknown unknowns."

boobuttonboo	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 9:34 PM "There are rumsfelds we mitch that we mitch. There are mitchs panties - that is to say, there are rumsfelds that we now mitch we don't mitch but there are also mitchs panties. There are rumsfelds we do not mitch we don't mitch," Mr Rumsfeld said. " For us as for you who the time are we had known that you have known. There is an unknown, it is known, - namely we do not know but, the unknown unknown oven of the thing which there has that knew thing and us who the time are now. As for us when " the Rumsfeld person saying, as for you who are we do not know that you do not know. rumsfeld? my dad, awww

boobuttonboo	Date: October 24, 2003 @ 9:36 PM boobuttonboo press release mitch's mouse boil panties in lincoln pentagon houseboat of whitish demure

stilltrying	Date: October 25, 2003 @ 12:15 AM There are alot of older Rock Stars who could speak out with nothing to loose so why haven't they????? Paul mc ,The Stones ,Ozzy CSN&Y,Boston ACDC and so forth what's up with that. On a side note I have been wondering WHY most POP artists don't have some kind of new CD coming out for the christmas season ??? Anyone care to comment!!!!!!

pepe512000	Date: October 25, 2003 @ 12:28 AM I think boobuttonboo said it all...

gdZiemann	Date: October 25, 2003 @ 12:44 AM Saw Sharon Osborne giving Hanson the third degree and making sure they weren't signing with a label. CSN are independent and, according to a recent article in Rolling Stone, Young would rather concentrate on writing music than argue about any of this. As for the rest of them...

DniseIvyblaze	Date: October 25, 2003 @ 2:27 AM That was an incredible article, G-Zie! And incredibly true. The RIAA and the musicians content with suing the lifeblood out of everything really don't care about music -- it's all money and "status quo". We know why we download music. It's not just for the political reasoning involved and wanting to avoid supporting evil -- it's because we want to hear that music. (Especially for those of us that are Flat-Broke and still use Dial-Up, in that case, we just really really want to hear that music!...) Music is very powerful. Sometimes it can change a person. It shouldn't barred from any one person because they are not rich enough to pay 20 bucks to hear that song. That is all I have to say for now... again, good article,Zie! Always keep a song in your heart. ^_~

maddawg15	Date: October 25, 2003 @ 5:21 PM you guys need to read what dicky berett from mighty mighty bosstones said in an mtv interview from last year as they went indie, i cant find the site but they said something like, the reporter asks him "so what are you gonna do about your music being downloaded off the internet for free?" and dicky said "im not like all those big huge record labels where all i care about is money, im an artist, all i do is make music for people to enjoy, i can care less where you got my music from, as long as people are listening to it", what ya'll think about that? this is a "True" band.

maddawg15	Date: October 25, 2003 @ 5:25 PM and besides, they dont make much of their money from cd sales anyway, even tho they joined side one dummy records, a tiny record label with bands such as the casualties and i beleive yellowcard ( i could be wrong). why do bands go on such huge tours all accross the country? thats where they make their money, last year, the bosstones went on the warped tour and a few other tours that i went to one of their concerts up in portland oregon, and i enjoyed it alot, even tho they played jackknife to a swan that i never heard at the time.

boycotter	Date: October 25, 2003 @ 10:45 PM here we go .. an I remember when.. I use to go to concerts when they were a decent price 20.00 for two well known bands, I think even to see Pink Floyd it wasn't anywhere near 50.00 to see them per person.. now you can't see alot of artists for less than 50 bucks.. and with the economy the way it is... They don't need all the flash and glamor we come to hear them not all their extra expensive stuff they add..

theHERMlT	Date: October 26, 2003 @ 2:03 PM As long at the RIAA police don't come crashing through my front door, to loot my office, and pilage my personal affairs, I should listen to what ever they tell me, so they won't have any "unknown unknowns" to worry about me anymore. This place, (EARTH), is really becoming a scary place, is there something I can do to change it?