Paul Simon's Lyrics & The Case Of The Vanishing Compact Disc
Slumming at Borders this past week was a pretty rewarding experience for those of us who wandered around the music aisle. There under "S" appeared a new Random House-published book by singer-songwriter and vintage pop icon, Paul Simon, simply titled Lyrics. It is an assembly of just that, ranging from his Simon & Garfunkel days to his latest solo album, Surprise. What is refreshing about this book is that it not only documents every Paul Simon song you could think of (such as "Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover," a song he wrote for his son Harper to teach him about rhyme), but also rarities such as "Shelter Of Your Arms" that was written during his Hearts And Bones period, as well as the Graceland-era composition, "Changing Opinion," that appeared on Phillip Glass' Songs From Liquid Days album. Even Simon's Capeman musical is thoroughly represented, complete with all the lyrics to that production's final set list as it appeared on Broadway. Comparable to Joni Mitchell's 1997 book The Complete Poems And Lyrics, Simon's collection one-ups Mitchell's by supplying a forward by artist Chuck Close, an introduction by journalist David Remnick, and a few original handwritten pages of classics such as "Kodachrome," "Graceland" and his ever-relevant "American Tune." The book invites both fan and novice to catch all the double entendres, urban imagery, collegiate poetry, inside jokes, and general genius that can elude the most dedicated listener since Simon's recordings engage on more levels than their brilliant lyrics. And weaving through many of his songs' words is the idea that we are all interconnected, whether through romantic entanglements or global concerns. In "Citizen Of The Planet," a song left off of Simon's version of Hearts And Bones when it originally was recorded and mixed as the Simon & Garfunkel album Think Too Much, the author writes, "We are the citizens of the planet, we were born here, we're going to die here come what may." He doesn't mean this exactly as it reads since its verses are peppered with sarcasm, but that's the point. After reading the lyrics as prose, you get yet another kick out of what Simon says.
Now, let's pretend that while you were at Borders or Barnes & Noble with Lyrics tucked under one arm, you also wanted to buy the double or triple compact disc/DVD configuration of The Essential Paul Simon. Good luck. The problem of compact discs disappearing from the marketplace is worse than it was only a year ago. CD inventories, beyond Borders (traditionally, a strong music outlet), are way down. Store buyers just ain't a-buyin' from the labels, and it's looking grim all over. Circuit City's downsizing and filing for bankruptcy plus record label EMI's 1.2 billion dollar loss are giant signposts that the music industry's physical goods dilemma is reaching critical mass with an impending domino effect fast approaching. With download revenues not yet replacing the loss of physical sales, DVDs now claiming CD territory in Best Buy (coinciding with the chain's significant elimination of music endcaps), Borders and Barnes & Noble virtually hiding their music sections, and Starbuck's intense reduction of counter-promoted compact discs, it's easy to see that record companies are facing the worst marketplace ever that will result in a brutal fourth quarter. And contrary to the hype, the resuscitation of vinyl isn't even a band aid despite one-way sales, considering the manpower, time and expense involved. No matter how cool LPs are, vinyl absolutely, positively will not be the industry's savior, though tilting at that windmill reveals much about the music business' continued short-sightedness.
So how are these former music titans facing the impending battle for our entertainment dollar? In a reality where that dollar has more perceived value when spent on a Steve Martin or Michael J. Fox multi-movie box set or even a Superman or Matrix fourpack, what magic can record companies conjure to keep a 45 to 80 minute CD of merely music competitive? Theoretically, a strong release schedule could do the trick. But looking at recently shipped projects and near future releases, it's another yawn of a year's end with one big exception: Guns N' Roses' apocrypha, Chinese Democracy, that finally will be issued in a little over a week. However, this really, really long-awaited release had better turn out to be bigger than any November surprise Obama or McCain could have dropped since the weight of the music industry's future just might be resting on the shoulders of Axl Rose. Why so gloomy? Check out what else is coming down the pike by our pop standard bearers: Britney Spear's appropriately-named Circus, Taylor Swift's Fearless, David Archuleta's and David Cook's self-titled albums, Maroon 5's remix project, Beyoncé's I Am...Sasha Fierce and Ricky Martin's 17. Can you detect any life-changing records in this batch? See anything other than GNR's CD herding fans to stores by the hundreds of thousands?
Trying its best to pick-up the slack, the catalog world of reissues and compilations--once reliable income generators--unfortunately has had to cut back on releases significantly. Future highlights include UMe's deluxe edition of R.E.M.'s Murmur, Rhino's Led Zepplin box revisit, Genesis' Peter Gabriel years box, Legacy's Philly International repackaging campaign and whatever Shout! Factory has up its sleeve. Still, if that's the most adventurous the industry can get during a holiday season that used to support about ten Grammy®-worthy box sets, expanded reissues by the boatload, and significant, high profile, desirable hits collections, people are just not thinking hard enough. Yes, it's the economy, stupid. But no, it shouldn't mean roll over and play dead. As much as this article has downplayed it, there is one cue to take from the release of vinyl--find any existing demand and fill the pipeline. A synergy of niche releases combined with a guerilla-style marketing approach to more local outlets--we're talking Obama-like ground troops here--could begin the outreach process that traditionally has been limited to Special Markets or Special Products departments. Despite the angst-ridden strains from sales departments that can't quite figure out exactly how to do it, CDs, just as they are right now, should be proliferating everywhere since music potentially has a correlate to every product that is being marketed. The simple fact is when Singer Sowing Centers used to sell 45s in the very old days, no sales department resisted, they just sold music every place they could.
There is an even bigger issue than a more challenging consumer landscape. Look at that list of original artists with new releases again. See the problem? See why we should ban American Idol from the airwaves for about ten years? Take Clive Davis' apparently endless parade of mediocrity, add-in boy and girl band graduates, One Tree Hill-taylored emo and Britney clones by the half-dozen and there is, basically, the state of pop music today. It's also the reason why no one is rushing out to buy new CDs regardless of there being fewer places to buy them. This is all casual music, it's all pretty disposable and adds very little to the culture other than being tuneful wallpaper. Sadly, there are so few contemporary acts beyond The Black Eyed Peas, Joss Stone, Coldplay, Radiohead, etc. that don't appear as fabricated as High School Musicals 1-3. Artists of depth such as John Mayer and John Legend are currently such a minority that similarly talented singer-songwriters are always the last signings for labels (Verve and Concord the exceptions) despite the bigger picture. Following this template, there will never be another Paul Simon or Joni Mitchell, and probably not even a Neil Young or Bob Dylan. A&R departments have devoted much energy on signing and promoting kid stuff but have no clue what to do with artists that have multi-generational appeal or consciousness-raising ideas. And as labels abandoned every generation beyond the youngest to snag profits, we practically lost whole genres of music such as classical and true jazz. Sure, labels can complain about stores going away, marketing dollars shrinking, and iTunes being the only future. They could also reminisce about mean ol' Napster and unregulated file sharing that initially contributed to the music business' messy downward spiral. But if what record companies sold wasn't so disposable, maybe one little compact disc would have a greater perceived value than four boxed Tom Hanks '80s movies. Wait, that is still pretty hard to beat. But as we're waiting for the record business to reinvent itself, is it too much to ask for stores that sell Paul Simon's new book Lyrics to at least try and keep his Essential collection in stock?
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Forgot to mention this in my earlier post.
As an independent musician, the downfall of the CD is a great thing. It means that people are really considering the music they are listening to and finding music in new ways. It means the internet has become a more effective marketing tool than radio, and the internet is a free and open community as opposed to the mainly corporate radio stations. Sure, we can't all be Arcade Fire. However, we do have the opportunity to reach a wide audience judging us on the merit of the music alone.
I think the vision seems to be a bit bigger and more inclusive. Not everyone is happy with the download experience (yet), so they're going to need some education and physical product in the interim.
The problem is the majors are stuck on a dead model of selling music. Dumping a million dollars into promotion of an album just doesn't work anymore most of the time, so the labels are losing tons of money on nearly every release.
Here's the solution: dump the entire business model. Stop spending half a mil on every video. Stop paying for $500/hour studios that are indistinguishable from $50/hour ones. Drop all of the obsolete staff. Refuse to pay the insane radio promotion costs.
I'm not saying the majors need to suddenly become Merge Records, but they should consider it.
Merge Records....love it!!
If you have to look to Border's, Wal-Mart (cringe) and Best Buy for music, the business really has taken a giant step back to the 1950's, when most pop music was sold in department stores such as Woolworth's and Korvette's. I bought my first albums in the late 1960's at Sears.. Now that Tower Records, Peaches, Licorice Pizza and other hip record chains are gone, youth music culture has lost its humanity and been swallowed up by impersonal behemoths with know nothing minimum wage employees.
I haven't bought a cd in years. That is because of all the copy control crap they use now as well as the outrageous prices for new releases. When my favorite band sold a cd that worked in my cd player but not in my laptop, I was done. I have a huge music collection, so somebody like me dropping out of the market really hurts the industry. But they don't care.
PPlaylists are the most constricted in history (largely thanks to Bush's friends Lowery Mayes and Tom Hicks at Clear Channel), which, when coupled with sky high prices, makes consumers hesitant to take a chance on a hitherto unknown artist.
It sucks to be a kid now. The current music is horrible, the record companies have no clue, American Idol and Guitar Hero have cheapened what it means to be a musician and the club scenes have dried up.
That sound you hear is the death rattle of the music industry.
Generally good comment, BUT Korvette's was a department store that prided itself in having "best in the business" individual departments. Many of their flagship stores had music departments that were unmatched by even the best stores in the biggest cities. Also, the 1950's was still a time when most cities had "deep catalogue" stores that tried to stock virtually every title in the catalogue....and if the record didn't sell, it stayed on the shelf, rather than being returned to the distributor. You could find long out-of-print records in most stores, still brand new.
"Once upon a time there was a tavern..." ! Even into the '70s, stores mostly kept inventory, even those records that didn't sell, until they were cut out. Then they shifted to cut out bins. Those were the days my friends, we thought they'd never end....
Beautiful comment, Robin. For me, it's the dumbing down of the artists, the sound, the marketing, etc. that's the most frustrating. Can you imagine being a conscious artist these days looking for a public platform, going to the major labels and them not even remotely understanding what you're about since the A&R teams are merely trying to stay competitive with the genericness of the market? No education is going on, no frame of reference other than "because we think it's cool" is utilized, and there is no new aggressive outreach beyond, as you mentioned, Guitar Hero and American Idol. Yeah, it's an incredible challenge, and yet the music industry can pull it together if it gets honest about its problems and not just blame downloading.
Years ago I remember listening to James Taylor's ONE MAN DOG album and hearing a phenomenal new voice -- Linda Ronstadt -- and wondering why she wasn't front and center. Soon she was, but apparently not without discord with execs on choice of material. Many musicians imbued with incredible talent wouldn't go near Am Idol just to end up signed to sing schlock. I always wondered how the majority of music industry mgmt folks could sleep at night passing on talented singers and musicians who don't fit any mold.
I have advice for confused music corp profiteers: Proft as the single motive will never fulfill itself.
Linda Ronstadt was a successful recording artist long before James Taylor was even known or published
....though some people don't get turned on to artists without the massive hit until they discover them in alternate ways.
Nice. You know, there'll always be a motive of profit since it is a business. But it seems that since the focus has been on increasing profits quarterly, market research, etc. as opposed to getting a real feel for simple basics such as the genuine talent an artist has, the industry lost the essentials of the heart value and art of music. I believe that's where the industry should begin its self-examination.
Nicely put.
I was ten years old playing in my back yard in 1964, when the wildest song came on the radio. It wasn't Bobby Darin, Dean Martin or Frankie Avalon. It sounded so fresh and different and had a beat, so I surmised it must be a new Motown group.
Imagine my shock when I found out that, not only were they not black artists, they were four funny looking young white boys from Liverpool England. I imagine it's pretty hard today for anyone to mistake "I Want To Hold Your Hand" as a Motown record, but that's what it sounded like to that white kids ears in 1964.
If you didn't grow up with them, it's difficult to explain how each new release by The Beatles was such an anticipated event, and when they split in 1970, creativity was exploding on all fronts. I could only imagine the heights music would soar to by 2008. I don't quite remember when it started dying. Was it disco? MTV?
Maybe it has all been done, but I suspect too many artists and record companies are more interested in making it by relying on proven formulas. There still are some great artists out there, but you shouldn't have to dig for them. Is it the consumers fault for accepting mediocrity? Maybe, but The Beatles rocked our world in 1964, and their sales indicate they're still rockin' it today. I believe consumers will always respond to quality - if it's offered to them.
with all the crap being over promoted its easy to miss the good stuff...
So true. I've spent the last 20 years having, for the most part, to really work at finding the artists with real talent.
In some ways that's kinda cool. Like having your own special beach where just you and your friends hang out. But I also like seeing deserving artists get the rewards they've earned, and it's sickening to watch the parade of mediocre pop millionaires that fill our culture, while the true artists barely get by if at all.
Playing it safe doesn't seem to be working for the failing music industry, so maybe they'll eventually get it. When one company finally takes that chance, and finds the next truly artistic phenomena, it will explode like in '64. The pop tarts of today will become the has-been teen crooners of my early years. I'm dying to see it happen. I may be an oldie myself, but I love new and innovative music. The Beatles taught me that. :)
Absolutely RepugsOuto8!!! We need a rush of musical adrenaline in the culture exactly now. Can you get it to us by like 9am tomorrow? We would REALLY appreciate it!!! ;)
You know what? The Kennedy years kind of set the stage for the 60s revolution in music. Maybe Obamamania will do the same.
I know quality is out there desperately fighting to be recognized. We just need some executives that aren't fishing for the same sound over and over. After all, even The Beatles were rejected by the first company they went to, and told that "guitar groups are on the way out." Things are certainly different today, but quality never goes out of style.
Keep fighting for your voice, new artists, and show a little courage, music industry!
anybody ever hear of the Supersuckers? they have a brand new album coming out next week that could easily be the best rock and roll record of the year... no bubblegum or b.s....but i bet no one buys it. no one seems to want actual Quality anymore and most people these days seem to think that music is free via the internet... doesn't matter who it is, just go buy something by your favorite artist - everybody needs to make a living.
Save your money. They have been around a long while and I haven't heard anything even mildly interesting out of them.
I hadn't heard of them, but I'll check them out. This is the way we find good music these days. Word of mouth. Thanks!
Nicely done sir!
Since the age of theiternet - the music industry has and will continue to suffer. When the Ipod came out it did what the comercial said it would: revolutionize the way we listen to music. How do really great musicians compete when we have Rhapsody, Limewire, Itunes? Yes we pay for these tunes- although some of us know how to download illegally. That's one of the reasons the Eagles Cd was only available through Walmart. As for mediocrity - all we do is Champion medicoraty. Way bakc when it used to be a big deal to get a CD outthere. Now anyone can do it. Their are studios everywhare that charge anywhere from $75.00 and up to record a CD. I can record a CD and I'm not a musician. Their are machines that people can use from their home to make a CD. After they do- they take it to a nite club
and get it played and from there- A star is born! Warren Beatty said it years ago on Phil Donohue"Our
technology is far outdoing our ability to use it" How prophetic. We're now counting on vinyl to give us a boost.
That's not true. It has always been true that 90% of the records that came out in any given year were a waste of time. During the 1980's (and I am sure it was true of the 1970's, too), there were over 2800 releases a year (when you combine both major label and small labels). So it wasn't THAT hard to get a record made.
It's a lot easier now with all the cheap technology and software available. But there are pitfalls with that, too.
Well, having been one of those who constantly was trying to get a record made, even in the 80s (had three), I don't remember it ever being that easy! ;) But I get what you mean, though this seems to be the longest time we've gone without something creatively causing a buzz in the biz...not counting American Idol and Guitar Hero.