TILLMAN B FRANKS JR
NEWS UPDATE
Composers
Eddie Ray-Ben-John Franks with Bo Gerbig
_Of Two Brand new Songs
"You Don't Know What you Got"
"Howl At The Moon"Check out the 'Audio Mp3' Page
and
Listen to them
SHREVEPORT, LA 71047
bfranks3
REAL COUNTRY MUSIC_CONTINUED
Spotlight: Chris Davis
CHRIS DAVIS
[click to go to his site]
New Cd
"Patience is a Virtue"
Buy at ITunes and CD BABY
THE MACHINE
PART ONE
As an independent artist, my eyes have been opened over the years to how 'the machine' really works. And it can be downright heartbreaking at times. And not just because it is harder for me to get my music out there, when I think it is just as good as a lot of 'chart toppers,' but because I can't help but wonder how many bands or artists are out there sitting on the next "Bohemian Rhapsody" or the next "He Stopped Loving Her Today." The problem is "The Machine" doesn't seem to care too much for that type of quality, that 'something special' that makes music history. "The Machine" is only worried about selling records today, making a buck TODAY ! And part of me can understand that. I mean it is, after all, a business. And all business' want to be successful.
But "The Machine" has put us in a place in music history where I cannot tell the difference between one artist and another. We have gotten to a point where, 'so and so' had a HUGE hit with this song, so now we need this new artist (who probably has a clear vision of what he wants to do on his own musically) and make him sound JUST LIKE THAT !!!
We are CLONING our musical talent ! And it is sad.
Where is the excitement in that? Where is the old school method of developing an artist? Now days, if it ain't a hit out of the box, then you are on the chopping block. If you don't deliver next time, you are gone. Or worse yet, you didn't deliver the first time so out the door you go. "We no longer believe in you, because you were not able to make this song we shoved down your throat and turn it into millions of dollars." Millions of dollars, by the way, that the artist doesn't see much of anyway.
Well, what if an artist has his own body of work that stands above all the material they are making him or her record? What if he/she IS sitting on the next "Bohemian Rhapsody" or "He Stopped Loving Her Today" ? What if someone hadn't given Tom Petty the time to develope his art?
I read A LOT of music biographies. In fact it is pretty much all I read. For example, I am now reading a book on KISS. Here is a band that had an idea. An idea that has never been topped visually. They got a record deal right away, surprisingly enough, NOT based on their look (Neil Bogart, their record company president actually asked them to remove the makeup before the first record came out- they refused-they had a vision), but the records flopped, at least by "The Machine" standards. But Bogart stood behind the band, he believed that if THEY believed that much in what they were doing, it was honest, it was real.. and in the end THAT would make his company lots of money. He didn't agree with their vision in the beginning, but he stood by 'em and supported them, helped them find their audience and borrowed every penny he had to to keep them going, waiting for that KISS ship to come rollin' in. They released 3 studio albums that did poorly. Neil was going broke, and Kiss' manager Bill Acoin was wearing a borrowed suit and had holes in the soles of his shoes. It wasn't until their '75 release "Alive" that Kiss' ship did finally come rollin' in. And when it did roll in, it left one hell of a big wave in it's wake. One they rode for years, living their dream, and being financially stable. Wealthy beyond their wildest dreams actually. Well, maybe not beyond Gene Simmons wildest dreams, but.....
PART 2 NEXT COLUMN
PART 2 - CHRIS DAVIS
THE MACHINE
I guess my point is... what happened to that???? Where are the Niel Bogarts of the world today?? Where is the guy that is courageous enough to believe in something so outrageous (at the time) as KISS? Why have we gotten to a time where "The Machine" finds something safe and just sticks with it? Why are they afraid to take a chance on artists that have something different to say?
And this is not sour grapes. I really like my new record, I am proud of it, and I hope you buy it and I hope you like it as much as I do. But that is not the point. It is not about me as an artist. It is about me as a music fan. And as a fan of music, I feel like I am getting a little ripped off.
I grew up on (what is now) classic rock radio. Back then I could turn on the radio and within an hour I would hear, "I'm Not In Love," by 10CC, followed by "The Devil Went Down To Georgia," by The Charlie Daniels Band, followed by "Alright Now," by Free, followed by "Easy (like sunday morning)" by the Commodores... and so on and so on... different sounding stuff. And all great stuff.
"The Machine" has grown into this massive monster that has taken over every aspect of the music world so much over the years that we only get to hear what he wants us to hear. He is boss, and that is the way it is.
But when he was younger "The Machine" was a lot more giving to us. He shared a lot more with us, he took chances AND he let us decide for ourselves what music he shared with us that we liked best.
He got greedy over the years. He saw some music was making more money than others, and he decided that it was in OUR own best interest that we be force fed ONLY the music that it seemed the MAJORITY of people wanted to hear. He cast away all the bands that were trying to honeslty change music history, that BELIEVED in what they were doing. It might take too long to make a buck off of them, so they were gone.
And he also decided that music needed a SOUND. A unified sound where EVERY record sounds the same, like they were all made at the same time. same drum sound, same guitar sound...
The time spent devoloping a GREAT record was no longer an issue. Time spent getting unsual and new and exciting sounds the way the Beatles and George Martin did, the way Brian Wilson had done with "Pet Sounds" or the way Fleetwood Mac had done with "Rumours" was also no longer an issue. He would only put the big bucks behind those who knew how to play the game, those who followed his rules. And his rules were simple, "Do what I say, do it my way, make me lots of money NOW, or you are gone."
But there is hope out there. Those records that actually contian an artists true spirit and passion are still being made, one listen to Bettye LaVette's new album "Scene of the Crime" proves that. We just do not get the chance to hear them the way we used to. We have to seek it out, and myspace is a beautiful place to do just that. We need to MAKE "The Machine" listen to us. Because in the end, as big and scary as "The Machine" is... he can be tamed easily. Just stop paying him money for the music he thinks YOU need to hear, and seek out artists with true passion, who believe in what they are doing. If what is being played on the radio now truly inspires you and makes you happy, then by all means buy it. Music means different things to different people, and if it makes you happy that is all that matters. But I hear it too often: "I bought this CD because I liked that one song on the radio, but the rest of it sucks." or, "I am so tired of listening to the radio, it all sounds the same." You're money is what makes those decisions. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you spend your money on the music "The Machine" Thinks you need to hear, he is just going to keep shoving it down your throat.
CHRIS DAVIS
And this is not sour grapes. I really like my new record, I am proud of it, and I hope you buy it and I hope you like it as much as I do. But that is not the point. It is not about me as an artist. It is about me as a music fan. And as a fan of music, I feel like I am getting a little ripped off.
I grew up on (what is now) classic rock radio. Back then I could turn on the radio and within an hour I would hear, "I'm Not In Love," by 10CC, followed by "The Devil Went Down To Georgia," by The Charlie Daniels Band, followed by "Alright Now," by Free, followed by "Easy (like sunday morning)" by the Commodores... and so on and so on... different sounding stuff. And all great stuff.
"The Machine" has grown into this massive monster that has taken over every aspect of the music world so much over the years that we only get to hear what he wants us to hear. He is boss, and that is the way it is.
But when he was younger "The Machine" was a lot more giving to us. He shared a lot more with us, he took chances AND he let us decide for ourselves what music he shared with us that we liked best.
He got greedy over the years. He saw some music was making more money than others, and he decided that it was in OUR own best interest that we be force fed ONLY the music that it seemed the MAJORITY of people wanted to hear. He cast away all the bands that were trying to honeslty change music history, that BELIEVED in what they were doing. It might take too long to make a buck off of them, so they were gone.
And he also decided that music needed a SOUND. A unified sound where EVERY record sounds the same, like they were all made at the same time. same drum sound, same guitar sound...
The time spent devoloping a GREAT record was no longer an issue. Time spent getting unsual and new and exciting sounds the way the Beatles and George Martin did, the way Brian Wilson had done with "Pet Sounds" or the way Fleetwood Mac had done with "Rumours" was also no longer an issue. He would only put the big bucks behind those who knew how to play the game, those who followed his rules. And his rules were simple, "Do what I say, do it my way, make me lots of money NOW, or you are gone."
But there is hope out there. Those records that actually contian an artists true spirit and passion are still being made, one listen to Bettye LaVette's new album "Scene of the Crime" proves that. We just do not get the chance to hear them the way we used to. We have to seek it out, and myspace is a beautiful place to do just that. We need to MAKE "The Machine" listen to us. Because in the end, as big and scary as "The Machine" is... he can be tamed easily. Just stop paying him money for the music he thinks YOU need to hear, and seek out artists with true passion, who believe in what they are doing. If what is being played on the radio now truly inspires you and makes you happy, then by all means buy it. Music means different things to different people, and if it makes you happy that is all that matters. But I hear it too often: "I bought this CD because I liked that one song on the radio, but the rest of it sucks." or, "I am so tired of listening to the radio, it all sounds the same." You're money is what makes those decisions. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you spend your money on the music "The Machine" Thinks you need to hear, he is just going to keep shoving it down your throat.
CHRIS DAVIS
SHREVEPORT, LA 71047
bfranks3
