Record industry gadfly Bob Lefsetz puts out a bimonthly insiders newsletter, the Lefsetz Letter, that purports to track trends in the music business. It really is little more than his own crusty opinions, handed out at no small expense to an elite readership of record biz bigwigs.
He didn't really expect to raise such a ruckus with his latest issue, but his list of Top 10's has been drawing insults and accolades from the top quarters of industry. Again, it is vintage Lefsetz, an opinionated smart-mouth with a mailing list, but if he didn't have some kind of special insight, would anybody care? Here's some of the things that has the moguls mumbling:
Top 10 Most Respected Artists: 1) John Lennon, 2) Peter Gabriel, 3) Joni Mitchell, 4) Van Morrison, 5) Prince, 6) Neil Young, 7) Bob Dylan, 8) Jeff Beck, 9) Bob Marley, 10) Steve Winwood.
Top 10 Least Respected Artists: 1) Milli Vanilli, 2) Samantha Fox, 3) Tiffany, 4) New Kids on the Block, 5) Poison, 6) MC Hammer, 7) Starship, 8) Martika, 9) Vixen, 10) Madonna.
Top 10 Grudgingly Respected, But Hated Artists: 1) Richard Marx, 2) Phil Collins, 3) Bad English, 4) Crosby, Stills and Nash, 5) Billy Joel, 6) Kenn y G, 7) Terence Trent D'Arby, 8) Chicago, 9) Asia, 10) Madonna.
Top 10 Albums Artists Will Probably Never Equal: 1) "Back in Black" by AC/DC, 2) "Blood on the Tracks" by Bob Dylan, 3) "Crosby, Stills and Nash" by Crosby, Stills and Nash, 4) "Colour by Numbers" by Culture Club, 5) ' 'Thriller" by Michael Jackson, 6) "Back In the High Life" by Winwood, 7) ' 'Band on the Run" by Paul McCartney, 8) "Pet Sounds" by the Beach Boys, 9) ' 'Layla" by Eric Clapton, 10) "Late for the Sky" by Jackson Browne.
Top 10 Reasons Why Most Artists Never Come Back: 1) They never had any talent to begin with. 2) They're burned out. 3) Nobody believes in them. 4) The artist has lost his desire. 5) The artist has lost his confidence. 6) Everyone tells the artist he's a has-been. 7) Everyone believes musical styles have changed. 8) Record companies believe Americans are only interested in new artists (and it's easier to break new acts rather than has-beens). 9) Record companies believe recording artists have to be young. 10) Everyone believes if the artist hasn't had a hit in years, he's not capable of having another one.
Top 10 Problems With Album Radio: 1) There aren't enough stations. 2) Refusal to play new music. 3) Insistence on playing old music. 4) Refusal to take risks. 5) Listening to consultants. 6) Research. 7) Pompous, slimy deejays. 8) Not respecting the audience. 9) Refusal to program more than one great track from a new album. 10) Programming with a national attitude instead of a local attitude.
For a free sample copy of the Lefsetz Letter, write him at 2128 Oak Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405.
BALANCED BLUES
With the talent ranging from the country blues of 80-year-old Yank Rachell to the uptown sass of Ruth Brown, the 18th annual San Francisco Blues Festival Saturday and next Sunday at the Fort Mason Great Meadow promises to be one of the most balanced and varied programs in the history of fest. Look for the Rebirth Jazz band on Saturday. The band's "Do What You Wanna Do" is turning into a regional hit back home in New Orleans and super producer Quincy Jones is hot to handle the band's next album. Longtime local bluesman Charlie Musselwhite returns Saturday for his first Blues Fest gig in more than a decade, on the heels of a brisk-selling new album and guest appearance on the new INXS LP. Also on Saturday is a jam session with Albert Collins and Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers. Headlining Sunday afternoon will be street singer Big Bones with his sidekick, Paul Pena, a blind guitarist, missing in action for at least the past 10 years, who wrote "Jet Airliner" for Steve Miller.
UPCOMING
Appearing at noon tomorrow in a free concert at Justin Herman Plaza to bring attention to the skip-a-lunch AIDS fund-raising program for Project Open Hand will be Paula Poundstone, Val Diamond, Will Durst, Bob Sarlatte and the Dick Bright Orchestra . . . A guitar double-bill of the John McLaughlin Trio and Steve Morse of the Dixie Dregs will play October 6 at the Omni and October 7 at the Stone . . . Headed for a European tour before the release of the band's finished debut album is the Limbomaniacs.
Printed from the official Joni Mitchell website. Permanent link: https://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=1113
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