Is It Your Job to End Deceit?
Dreams Are Remixed Memories
Mark Rushton’s Perseverance in the Arts is a weekly email on Substack where I talk about my ongoing work as a recording artist and visual artist.
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This week’s topics:
Dreams Are Remixed Memories
A Short Video About Old Electronics
David Gilmour’s Memory Hole
Bud Powell - “Some Soul”
Dreams Are Remixed Memories
Is it your job to end deceit? I don't think so. There will always be scams. It's your job to recognize you've been had, and to restructure your life in accordance with your new understanding.
On Friday evening (October 11), I stopped by Valley Junction since supposedly the Art Walk was going on. I didn't go last year because my dad had just died. Impossibly nice weather. When did Five Monkeys move again? She was not open. Did they tear down the old AK O'Connor's? There wasn't much art, and I didn't see a lot of people. It's the greatest economy ever. Olson-Larsen Gallery moved way north to the corner of 5th and Vine, a distance too far for most people to walk. I did a drive-by but couldn't find an easy parking space, so I continued on to the Waterbury Fareway where they had rotisserie chicken breasts for Peeps but then I forgot about going back.
I did get some cheap gas at the "Ghetto Sinclair". While I was at the pump, some four door car drove by with a loud stereo but both passenger windows were wrapped in plastic like Laura Palmer or one of those Christo islands. I drove by that space I was momentarily interested in at 4th and Maple, but it was dead. Like Laura Palmer. Or Christo.
The dead do not come back, except in dreams, which are remixed memories.
A Short Video About Old Electronics
Also in Valley Junction is the Skylabs Audio store, but they closed at 5pm, before the Art Walk started.
Isn't it odd that I started watching his YouTube videos before I visited the store? That's how things are done these days.
A couple months ago, I bought my Grado SR325X headphones and the special cups in the store. Eventually I'll buy a new, basic turntable at Skylabs.
I don't care all that much about "vintage audio", but I'm glad this store exists. He makes good videos.
David Gilmour’s Memory Hole
People keep quoting David Gilmour from a fairly recent Guardian clickbait propaganda piece. Old Dave put on his rose-colored glasses and talked about how musicians earned money from their records back-in-the-day, unlike streaming today. As if whatever comes out of his mouth is the gospel and isn’t worthy of fact-checking or doing some basic math.
I realize Dave’s earned a lot from those Dark Side of the Wall albums, but that money has to be split a few ways after the label gets their 85% cut or whatever. Dave’s real money was made touring without Waters. That’s how he became a centimillionaire. PF live sold well after Dark Side, but a lot of those tickets were cheap in the 70s. Lasers and flying pigs cost a bit to produce and transport back then. You don’t want Stonehenge being crushed by a dwarf. And good for him. I liked most of Dave’s latest album. But what he said was complete BS.
All you have to do is read a few artist biographies from the 60s, 70s, 80, 90s, 00s, or 10s, follow a few lawsuits, and look at the old contracts. It also helps to have read Steve Albini’s “The Problem With Music”.
What books would I recommend? Start with the Tommy James biography. Find any biography of David Bowie talking about the Tony DeFries era and why Bowie floated those “Bowie Bonds”. Billy Joel and Artie Ripp. Badfinger. Jason Slichter, the drummer for Semisonic, had a book. The story of what wrecked XTC is a complex one, other than Andy Partridge withdrawing from valium, but the stories of band members working ordinary jobs in the mid 80s are real. Bill Nelson during his Be Bop Deluxe years. I could keep going.
Did The Guardian ever pick up the torch for recording artist contract reform over the decades? I don’t remember seeing anything when I read it. Why would they use their bully pulpit to help artists? It’s much easier for The Guardian to publish clickbait manufactured controversy and keep the war going on about how artists should get paid.
While I have no more love for Botify, how are they or any other DSP supposed to pay out “more” to artists? Most of that money is paid out to Rights Holders and Mechanical license societies. And then it gets filtered through various contracts we don’t see.
That’s why I remain a 100% independent artist.
Bud Powell - “Some Soul”
This week’s music recommendation is “Some Soul” by Bud Powell, from the album Bud!, which I have had on CD for over 30 years, but can be heard in much higher quality on Qobuz with the remaster.
Wear good headphones. I like Grados.
Something about Powell’s music has always connected with me. That right hand. Him talking it through in the background.
If people aren’t into jazz, but are open minded to trying, I always say start with Bud Powell. Start with the piano.
Any recording is good, as far as I’m concerned. Some people compare this era to that era. I can’t really tell the difference. It’s all good to me.
You could make a case for Thelonious Monk. Dave Brubeck.
Miles Davis is great but he’s a deep dive. Somebody might like Kind of Blue but then not understand In a Silent Way and would be totally confused by On the Corner. I get it all, but it took a while.
Some people try to start with John Coltrane. You’ve got to work up to that.
Great summary of your notes this week. In praise, I may copy you.