Would Dark Side Of The Moon make it today?

[ggalen]

Matto,Well, we just disagree on a fundamental level. So be it.Reading between the lines, you seem to be suggesting that I am looking for an excuse for unsuccessful songs rather than just learning to write "better" songs. Not true at all. I am just calling it as the evidence appears to me after a lot of years observing this. And frankly, you don't know how successful my songs have been, or not, in the areas where I have performed regularly.BTW, I'd be more impressed if you could predict hits before they become hits, rather than easily explain them after they become hits. Now, as far as I have read, you specialize in film and TV tracks, and have been quite successful at it.And wouldn't you agree that film/TV seems to be an area not so dependent on publicity, glamor, dancing ability, live performance, looks, and the whims of the public buyer? It's an area where being great at producing the proper feel and mood for a specific purpose is critical. And you work with a relatively small number of professional music supervisors who know what they want, and why.Contrast that with the popular song, and the commercial buyer.

[ernstinen]

Apr 22, 2009, 6:43pm, lyle wrote:Steely Dan did what a lot of us wish we could. They were unknown, they were good, they were innovative. They somehow managed to finagle a record contract, and their records sold. They were successful despite not being pretty, not being friendly, not being public...heck, they abandoned tours almost right away. But those were different times.I always wondered WHO paid for Steely Dan's session players and how much they got for playing on their records.And, yes, they abandoned touring pretty early on. But a few years back when they decided to tour again, I had the privilege of seeing them at a great outdoor venue E. of Los Angeles.It was obvious to me that Fagen is a full-blown genius, and a perfectionist. They were SO amazing! The PA sounded like the best stereo system you've ever heard, and they even had delay towers for the people in back. You could hear EVERY part perfectly, even down to subtle percussion parts. Quite an experience!Now, back to our regularly scheduled Pink Floyd program --- Ern

[Mark Kaufman]

Apr 22, 2009, 4:59pm, flood wrote:Mark,Steely Dan is almost too perfect of an example.For all the breakthroughs they made-and there were many-they never quite made it to the status of legend in enough minds.I was a DJ at a radio station when they kicked off a reunion tour. This would have been about 1997 or so. May be off by a year or five In any case, the fans seemed to have forgotten who they were.The little city of Omaha Nebraska was set to be their first date on a massive world tour to bring the Steely gang back together. They were booked at the largest venue in the city, a laughably small 6,000 seat convention center. I say small because, though we would all love to sell out something that size, Steely's itinerary for the remainder of the tour consisted of mostly STADIUM shows. I'm talking Rock in Rio size venues, for a hundred thousand or more.Show day arrived in Omaha, and the station received a call from the promoter, Cellar Door, if I remember right. One of the band members was ill.Show cancelled. Rescheduled for Des Moines, IA the next week. (Brilliant move, right?).Being a small town, we called the convention center and discovered:After 5k in advertising money spent for the ONE show, Steely Dan had sold 120 tickets or so, for this miniscule arena (by expectations).An amazing band who came at the right moment, and tried to come BACK at the exact worse moment.None of this is to take away from their accomplishments, only to point out how fickle and unfathomable the music audience is.I sure hope, for all our sakes, that the next Dark Side or Sgt. Pepper, or whatever, isn't stuffed in a hard drive or pile of CD's somewhere, going unheard.Best wishes,flood Ouch, what a lousy way to restart their careers! Well, that bad luck didn't last. They do very well these days. I know the #10 top grossing concert of 2006 was a Steely Dan show, so things must have changed in a big way.

[flood]

Mark,Yea, they got it turned around. I think the initial lack of sales had much to do with the timing. We were smack in the middle of the grunge scene and Steely's prime audience was young enough to be looking into new things, but not (usually) old enough to yet be sentimental about such things.In any case, it's great to see them doing well now.

[heinsite]

hey billy, intersting you mention van morrison--you know, he has never been even a top 20 fav of mine, but my bro loves him, but says his shows are either on, or he's WAY WAY "off"....just talked to my sis yesterday, and she's going to the greek theater in SF in May to see him live--she loves him too.now, neither of them have displayed the musical genius their big bro has--LOL, BIG LOL...but i know he's done some very good stuff--but i've always hated moondance one of his "greatest" tunes--and i know that's sacriligious, as it's got a cult following almost, and i recognize it as a bit of genius, but man, just never liked the vibe (maybe in the minor key, more jazz than rock?) nor anything about it except the lyric...weird i know....rather listen to Mr. Jaded...really!ok, back to the regular discussion....talk somebody,....wh

[ernstinen]

Apr 23, 2009, 7:00pm, heinsite wrote: his shows are either on, or he's WAY WAY "off"....Yea, Van is highly erratic. He's got a fantastic voice --- usually! Also his songwriting can be great, or be like "Domino." Plus, he uses the same 4 chords over and over. At least his songs sound like Van Morrison! Same with his live stuff. I bought a live recording back in college, and some of it was great, where some songs were out of tune with lousy horn playing and weak strings. And it was a double LP, so why didn't he just cut the bad stuff? He's an enigma, that's for sure!But songs like "Warm Love" are so quirky and weird, how can you not like the guy? A very unique, if strange, artist ---I'd like to hear Van and his band do a version of "Dark Side Of The Moon!" Now, THAT would be something! Ern

[elser]

To me that question is about as relevant as asking "would Glen Miller make it today?". At the time they both were groundbreaking, creative and uncompromising, yet still popular.I think today Radiohead is filling that niche a lot like Pink Floyd did in the 70's. It's really well written and unusual with a great sense of atmosphere and creative use of pure sound, apart from melody and harmony and rhythm.I'll never forget hearing those doors open on "Welcome to the Machine" with the headphones on.

[ernstinen]

Apr 23, 2009, 10:49pm, fretnoise wrote:I think today Radiohead is filling that niche a lot like Pink Floyd did in the 70's. It's really well written and unusual with a great sense of atmosphere and creative use of pure sound, apart from melody and harmony and rhythm.There ya go, Elser: Radiohead is THE band to fill the void so far. When I first heard "Kid A" I thought WOW! This is analog heaven with so much low end going on. --- But soon it moves into something completely different and exciting. Digital tricks, wild panning, instrumentation, unusual surprises! --- I think that Radiohead is the best parallel to Pink Floyd right now that I've heard, and is something new and exciting (at least for me! ).Ern

[mojobone]

In terms of the market niche they occupy and their demographics, I'd say the closer parallel is with Led Zeppelin; U2 is sort of in the position the Stones once held. UK bands have a rather oddly different status here in the States, though. Perceptions across the pond can be very different.

[cmrmurray]

I don't think the kind of label support mentioned would occur, but I do think it could work today if a band 'pulled a Radiohead' - made a few huge records, had a fan base and their own budget, then ditched the label and its expectations to put out whatever record they liked. But they'd need to be a household name with a promotional budget.