Death By A Thousand Cuts

“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench... a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.” - Hunter S. Thompson

WARNING: This blog site contains InDepth material that could be intellectually challenging and potentially alarming to individuals without ears or creative imaginations. Viewer discretion is advised.

When Dollars And Cents Meet Heart And Soul
The Cost Of Dedication In The Music Industry

“Your Money or Your Loyalty”
The music industry, in decline and disgrace, like many others today, faces almost certain implosion if it continues on its path to self-destruction. Global music sales decline consecutively, year after year. Record labels point to illegal file sharing as a reason for falling revenue. Other possible factors for the deterioration include decreased disposable household income and a rise in video music and games sales. Simply put, the post-recession financial rewards that many businesses now reap aren’t being realized in the music business. Therefore, the leaders in this industry must examine their driving corporate values. [Read the Music Dish article]

The monolithic music industry and vapid terrestrial radio are dead

Meanwhile...he not busy being born is busy dying...

I recall something my friend JGP once said about my songs

Now how did that go again...?

He said they’re ..."from the heart...of the mind...and for the soul"

So...without further ado...FRANKtalk proudly presents

Theatre-Of-The-Mind

www.xmradio.com/bobdylan/

You can read all about how Bob Dylan was inspired to create this historic and totally cool new show by checking out Lee Abrams Blog

Lee Abrams is the XM Radio Exec who pitched the show to Dylan

Something is happening here Mr. Jones so for more perspective on the ultra hip cool factor aka Bob Dylan dig these SF Gate photos

Here at FRANKtalk it is highly recommended that everyone ought to subscribe to great songs, true artists and authentic radio

The only kind of radio worth listening to these days

Talking Points: A truly historic Bob Dylan album was released on Sept.11/01 called Love And Theft. It quickly became an instant classic taking its place among the very best of Bob’s records. Of course, its release was completely overshadowed on that fateful date in American history, but it received rave reviews everywhere. The final song on that CD is called Sugar Baby and it is surely fitting as a dénouement on that album. But it is also fitting in this context as Bob now brings his personal music library to his XM Radio Show.

Spotlight: Right Wing Bob has a scoop on early reports from the new Bob Dylan Show so check it out as part of your Bob as radio host discovery. Here's the permalink for easy future reference. Right Wing Bob is featured in my Scribes & Illuminators sidebar scroll section at the right side of this page...as RWB should be.

The Blindness of Modern Man

The Church: "Dying, We Live" (2 Cor 2:9)
This is the final fact, and it is the most extraordinary of all. The faith has not only often died but it has often died of old age. It has not only been often killed but it has often died a natural death; in the sense of coming to a natural and necessary end.

It is obvious that it has survived the most savage and the most universal persecutions from the shock of the Diocletian fury to the shock of the French Revolution. But it has a more strange and even a more weird tenacity; it has survived not only war but peace. It has not only died often but degenerated often and decayed often; it has survived its own weakness and even its own surrender…read more.

The Mind Of Modern Man
The mind of modern man is a curious mixture of decayed Calvinism and diluted Buddhism; and he expresses his philosophy without knowing that he holds it. We [i.e. Catholics] say what it is natural for us to say; but we know what we are saying; therefore it is assumed that we are saying it for effect. He says what it is natural for him to say; but he does not know what he is saying, still less why he is saying it. He is just as partisan; . . . just as much depending on one doctrinal system as distinct from another. But he has taken it for granted so often that he has forgotten what it is. So his literature does not seem to him partisan, even when it is.

But our literature seems to him propagandist, even when it isn't.

- G.K. Chesterton


Two important items this Easter weekend include Pope Bendict XVI who has delivered a blistering attack on the “satanic” mores of modern society today, warning against an “inane apologia of evil” that is in danger of destroying humanity. Read the article here.

Equally important and newsworthy reading this Easter weekend is Mark Steyn's brilliant and much lauded City Journal article called Facing Down Iran …our lives depend upon it. This is absolutely essential reading if you are concerned at all for the future of our foundational culture within the atrophying structures of our rapidly decaying, disgustingly debased, superficial, western civilization.

Mark Steyn is indispensable to the journalistic culture of the free world. One the finest & most prolific writers in the English language.

Talking Points: I wish to thank Stephen Hand for his kind mention and linkage recently in his musings section at his TCR website. It's always nice to be appreciated by others who also happen to be ardent admirers of Bob Dylan. As a true philosophical conservative however I'm about 180 degrees apart from Stephen's own personal and religious politics but as Catholics we can certainly share in the spirit of our late beloved Pope John XXIII who reminded us all years ago as God's children to seek that which unites rather than what divides.

Spotlight: I've been meaning to spotlight a wonderful Catholic site for some time now called Pro Ecclesia which happens to be one of my reciprocal sidebar links. Jay Anderson’s Pro Ecclesia site has always impressed me with it's very high caliber content and writing and I recommend it highly as a beautiful and well organized Catholic site that I'm sure you will enjoy reading and coming back to often.

James Gang Rides Again

In my previous post I noted that Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard have hooked up once again for several dates together this season and it reminded me of my very first FRANKtalk blog post of June 22, 2005. That initial post Icons and Legends was about a TV special from LA that I happened to catch around that time featuring Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard along with a host of other performers.

Bob and Merle had just wrapped up their first time ever co-billed tour together while Willie & Bob were just newly embarked on their 2nd consecutive season of touring minor league ball parks. In my debut blog piece, I related my enthusiasm for another of the performers on that TV special. The Eagles guitarist, Joe Walsh who happens to be one of my favorite rock musicians. As Kris Kristofferson would say, Joe Walsh finally beat the devil and still drank his beer for nothin'. Well, believe it or not, sober Joe's former group The James Gang are about to get BACK TOGETHER to tour again after 35 years.

Check this out jamesgangridesagain.com.

Here's the permalink for The James Gang item from Rock Philes.

Rock Philes is a cool new site run by an experienced music business publicist who also happens to be a singer/songwriter.

The James Gang was our collective introduction to Joe Walsh and his unique character as a rock guitarist. Remember "Walk Away"...?

Joe Walsh expresses his soul as a rock guitarist in a unique style that is not dissimilar in its overall effect to the bold distinctions created by players such as Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck. Joe Walsh is as a solid and creative a guitar player as anyone who has ever wielded an axe.

You always know its Joe Walsh when you hear him play. There's no mistaking his individual stamp on a particular lick or phrase voicing.

I've heard Joe play with The Eagles back in the mid 70's when he was still new to that band and although he always filled his space within The Eagles California folk/rock/country sound, his sonic rock spirit eventually took much deeper root within the group to create his own "niche" in The Eagles music. After all, this is the same Joe Walsh of The Smoker You Drink The Player You Get and Rocky Mountain Way. Joe's been with The Eagles for 30 years and always worked especially well with those guys. Don Felder is no longer with The Eagles but Don and Joe played the great "double lead parts" on Hotel California.

Dual lead guitar magic did not originate with The Eagles of course as The Allman Brothers, Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers all made significant marks in that department long ago, but Felder and Walsh were really tight and dynamic together as lead guitarists in tandem.

Speaking of Haggard & Dylan, RWB features an item this week called Haggard On Dylan. It seems even the great Merle Haggard is completely mystified by the enigmatic nature of his tour co-star.

Seems that Dylan is a bit of a loner on the road and not very sociable with Merle or anybody else apparently. A stranger to himself and not at all like Frankie Lee and Judas Priest who were the best of friends.

Speaking of Judas, as many in the world are as a result of the recent Gnostic Gospel of Judas revelations, Right Wing Bob has all the bases solidly covered in his post today. Read it. The truth will set you free.

Bob Dylan however is preoccupied beyond the tour stage.

With what..? Nobody knows. Not even Merle Haggard.

It’s a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma!

But Hag should understand that's just how it is with Bob Dylan.

Bob is Cold Irons Bound and its Not Dark Yet...but its gettin there.

He's just tryin’ to get to heaven before they close the door.

After all, he not busy being born is busy dying.

And though the rules of the road have been lodged
It's only peoples games that you got to dodge

It's alright Merle...he can make it.

Talking Points: Another new site to recommend: The Spirit Of Man features a 30 minute mp3 interview with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. I've been a Jethro Tull fan since the days of Stand Up and Benefit.

Finally, here’s an illuminating mp3 overview on Canadian copyright with intellectual property maverick Michael Geist who is upsetting more than a few copyright monopoly applecarts these days with his radical "creative commons" views and alternative copyright ideas.

As Bob Dylan the mysterious enigmatic loner once riddled…name me someone who's not a parasite and I'll go out and say a prayer for him.

I'll say a prayer for Michael Geist.

Down The Highway

So, I'm a-walkin' down your highway
Just as far as my poor eyes can see.
Yes, I'm a-walkin' down your highway
Just as far as my eyes can see
From the Golden Gate Bridge
All the way to the Statue of Liberty

"Down The Highway" written by Bob Dylan
From the Columbia album "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan"
Copyright © 1963; renewed 1991 Special Rider Music

Bob Dylan kicked off his Spring 06 tour this weekend in Reno Nevada. The schedule features Bob Dylan and his Band also hooking up for several shows with Merle Haggard and The Strangers at various points of intersection down the highway in a repeat of last years successful co-billing of Dylan and The Hag.

Bob Dylan turns 65 on May 24th.

He's younger than that now.

Check in daily with Right Wing Bob and Expecting Rain for tour notes, relevant links and of course the always interesting nightly set lists.

On a completely unrelated note, I'm thinking of linking many post items today. Not to cut myself too much slack, but I've really been juggling a lot lately...well it's true...just look here for yourself. As I’m sure you can appreciate, the "B" side of The Beatles Abbey Road [or as it's better known...Paul McCartney's first solo album] is a very long and winding road and seeing as how I've had to carry that weight without many golden slumbers this week, I figure it won't be the end to simply mail one in here just for a change of pace.

Birthday blessings for Emmylou Harris this week includes a touching Powerline piece recalling her Gram Parsons tribute Prayer In Open D.

TALKING POINTS: Who is Keyser Soze? He is supposed to be Turkish. Some say his father was German. Nobody believed he was real. Nobody ever saw him or knew anybody that ever worked directly for him, but to hear Kobayashi tell it, anybody could have worked for Soze. You never knew. That was his power. The greatest trick that the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.

And poof. Just like that, he's gone.- Verbal Kint