Tuesday, October 30, 2007
IT JUST SEEMS WRONG
The Eagles have just released their first album of all new material in 28 years.But there are only two places you can purchase “Long Road Out of Eden.”
Their website, or Wal-Mart.
It seems peculiar that Don Henley (first among Eagle equals), who spent a lot of time and energy saving Walden Pond, has partnered up with the nation’s biggest big box retailer.
But these rockers are no longer rebels. They’re businessmen who play music.
As Henley told the Boston Globe, “This just makes business sense. Wal-Mart is now the largest CD retailer in the world.”
Of course, Wal-Mart is also the retailer that banned sales of the rap group “2 Live Crew” because it didn’t like the lyrics.
Wal-Mart is paying the Eagles a royalty much higher than the old record industry standard. And charging only $11.88 for the 20-song CD.
Smart business. For the Eagles, and for Wal-Mart. Walk in to buy the album, and who knows what you’ll walk out with besides the album? Maybe light bulbs and a couple of tubes of BenGay, because, after all, you’re the Eagles demographic.
Hey, Joni Mitchell’s hooked up with Starbucks (many of which are located in parking lots in paradise), and Paul McCartney has too. (But he gets a pass because he’s the cute Beatle, and if I mess with him, 2 of my favorite girls will hurt me.)
And the Spice Girls (still “new music” to me) have reunited and struck a deal to sell their new album only at Victoria’s Secret. Honest to God.
Maybe somewhere Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin are spinning in their graves.
Or maybe they’re looking down (or up, I suppose), and thinking, “Damn, if only I put down the bottle of Jack and kicked the smack, I could be hooked up with Lexus right now.”
As Henley puts it, “These are strange and precarious times.”
Not really, Don. You made it simple.
It’s a Wal-Mart world.
Posted at 10:12 PM by Gerry
3 Comments:
I was one who went to Walmart and bought the CD. It's ok, maybe 3 or 4 songs that are good. Henley and Frey let Joe Walsh and Tim Schmitt put on a couple of songs. Sort of like when Lennon and McCartney did with Harrison and Starr.
Music has become a business for sure. They newer bands are taking to the web to have fans download CD's for a fee of course.
It not only cuts out the Record company's but it also cuts out the band becoming a servant to the record companies like Meatloaf and Kenny Rogers did.
How they got out of the contract was to file for bankruptcy.
It boils down to Love of the Green
And I know Henley and Frey do love their big old piece of the pie.
I know if they come to Chevy Dodge theater for a show, I will not be one shelling out hundreds of dollars to see their greedy selves
But hey that is my opinion
Wow, on Jim's mug shot was the date of my 15th birthday, and that was just a few days after the Doors played the Bushnell Memorial. My Dad drove me, because I had no license to drive. But I loved that band. So much! They started with Ray, Robby and John jamming for three or four minutes, and then the one and only, and probably drunk, Jim Morrison sauntered onto the stage with his leather pants on, stage left. My Dad was loving the jazzy grooves (did I say that?), and then he whispered, right in my ear, exactly this. "Hey Pete, this band is good, but who's the goon in the leather pants?" I miss my Dad so much. And that's a night I will never forget. Thanks Gerry.
Excellent points, Mark.
And you had a very cool Dad, Peter.
Post a Comment
<< Home