Multi-tours & An oldie but a goodie discussion

["Mark R. Leaman" <mleaman@sccoast.net>]

>As a (small time) collector of The Who, I'm really only interested in one
>show per tour precisely because of the redundant set lists.

CT:

I feel the same way, although I end up with several shows in the end just
searching for the best sound quality. Especially in the case of the `69/70
TOMMY tour, although I must admit that I see special value in three of the
shows I ended up with. Each has something I like. The Leeds version is the
best sound quality, and is the most complete.
The largest "gap" in my collection is the 1971-72 tour, and I am willing to
trade CDr's for some good sounding material from this period...I have Young
Vic, so I'd like no less (although on that show, the WN material is still
coming together).

>Ultimately, of course, this approach helped kill the band since, except for
>their albums, they stopped taking chances.  Believe it or not, The Who are
often
>a very insecure band.

Brian:

I believe it, but there was no reason for it. My guess would be Townshend's
own feeling that he must progress is at the heart of it, and I for one am
not particularly unhappy they did break up. I'd rather have no Who than
years and years of declining Who, like some major British act I could
mention.

>Definitely a major change in the music industry, which has been
>rolling right along since the sixties.

Keets:

It could still roll along, just not with Rock music.

>It's interesting that the usual youth demographic has failed.  I'll
>bet that scares the pants off the big companies.

Sure...they want everything nice and neat and able to be put on a graph.
However, in another way it's very positive...being much like the early `60s.
Just because THEY don't understand it...

>That would mean that new music isn't selling--just the tried and true.

Partly, because for $18 you don't want one or two good songs and a bunch of
garbage. Another reason is Rock music has been done to death. There's
nothing new. "It's over, Johnny."

>Anybody see Tom Petty on TV last night?  He said he'd been told
>singles were just for promotion and he didn't make any money from
>them, so he tried to do one as a free MP3.  His record company made
>him take it down.

I didn't see but heard about this. Petty's new album is very good, BTW. IMHO
the title track is the best. Hey, he's trying to buck the system. The
system's going to fight back. The solution: he gets out of his contract and
markets the music himself.

>No surprise, as that's established as the stardard.  Hopefully aritsts
>would get more of it, though.

I doubt it.

>That's expected to be the replacement tech for cds, isn't it?

It could be, but my reasoning is that DVDs are as yet uncopyable (is this a
word?) and IMHO the potential for trade is even more likely than with
music...how many times do you watch a movie as opposed to listen to a CD?
And Mall prices being what they are, the CDs and DVDs are very close to the
same price. And people DO trade CDs, every day.
Oh, and the fact that I have a DVD player might be a factor...it just
might...

>you like.  Most people just give up and buy something they're sure of.
> Fragmentation of the market?

There's a definite fragmention of the market. Then again, sometimes people
buy Rap and New Rock at the same time.
At the same time, we get this very short-lived trends...like Swing, or
Grunge. Once they're gone, they're GONE! In the beginning, a band would put
out a couple of albums a year and we could see the changes as they occurred.
Now we get an album every three years or so (if we're lucky) and by that
time the loyal fans have moved on to the next big thing. Hey Rock musicians!
Get the message! Am I talking to myself here?

>have less discretionary income, but according to the survey (and
>Mark's gut feeling), that's the group that's now buying the most
>music.

It's not my gut feeling, it's who comes into my store and buys.

>So what have they got that other bands don't?  Any ideas?

In the case of Pearl Jam and Widespread Panic, just because they're that
damned good! I couldn't say about the other Rock bands, because I see little
of what *I* look for (but that's the "old fogey factor," maybe). As for
Manson, Zombie and NIN, it's because they are the leaders (at the moment);
the most popular artists.

>Disposable music is no surprise--isn't the standard life span for a
>pop group about two years max?  But six months is noticibly short.

Tell me about it! It makes it hard for me to have it in my store, but I
must. So it's a loser section. I make more money on Jazz, probably because I
have more than most Mall stores even carry (it not being very commercial).

>Moral:  Don't depend on the record company to help you out.

DEFINITELY! They'll use you and then lose you. They make money, and you
don't.

>I'm surprised that the Internet didn't show up better.  Seems like
>most of what I've bought in the last year is obscure special order
>stuff that's not on the shelf locally at all.

I think despite the growing number of people online, it's still a small
percentage of the market. Too, people like to see and handle something they
buy, not wait. I'd bet if they could have a CD right away, the majority
would be willing to pay up to $2 more for it.

>This was predicted as a big influence on the industry when cds came
>out, but you're right they seem to have forgotten it here.  I'd guess
>the survey was to find out why the new music wasn't selling well.

I suppose this is just their short-sightedness. In my store there is more
New Rock than any other type of music, even though I sell more Classic Rock.
I often have a CD within a week of its release, and very often before the
band hits. Marcy Playground and Matchbox 20 were both in my store months
before anyone touched them.

>  I
>mean, you're supposed to want the latest thing, right?  Rush right out
>and buy it.

You're right. Then again, I find the idea of a Mall store rather
boring...except for the new releases, they have the same old stuff all of
the time. My store changes a bit every day. It's a new store every week.
Support your local used CD store. End of commercial.


                           Cheers
ML


Sorry I missed in the last note, but here are some extremely stupid lyrics
to make up for it, from a legitimate hit single. Remember, these lyrics are
for entertainment use only:

"My friend Jack eats sugar lumps/Sugar man hasn't got a care/He's been
traveling everywhere..."

The Smoke
(I'm not making this stuff up, folks, and they sounded like The Who, too)