5) Fill in the blanks based on what you listen:
Well, you’ve seen a lot of changes. Let’s talk about what’s changed in the entertainment industry.
It’s sad and even pathetic that in this new age of technology, the laws of the land haven’t kept up with technology. So there’s not gonna be another Beatles. There’s not gonna be another Hendrix or Kiss or anybody else. Because there’s no structure. There is no record industry. There’s chaos. So what you do is you work hard at doing what you do. And I work hard at what I do. And I wanna get paid. I already put in more than 10,000 hours. There’s a 10,000 hour principle that if you spend enough time, you get good something. It’s a good idea. But the next 15 year old kid that plugs into his Marshall amplifier, or has the talent is not gonna be able to earn a living, because there isn’t a record company to pay advances, plus royalties, plus put up posters all over, plus tour support. It’s chaos out there. Because the freckle-faced kid next door believes he’s entitled. You have enough money. Why do you care? I wanna get-- take your creation. And I just wanna make as many copies as I want without paying you for it.
And they get it for free. Everything for free. Get on the internet, get it up, you get it for free.
And I know people are upset when I say things. All information to all people. You would
understand what that meant if you wrote a book and spent a year writing it and nobody paid you for it. They all just made copies, and everybody got one. Then you’d understand. “Hey, it’s my book.“ “Yeah, but you have enough money. Don’t worry about that.“
I take your point. But to those who would say, “Listen, if rock and roll is dead“, do you think rock and roll is dead?
It is finally, the nail has finally been put into the coffin, yes. And that’s because I’ll play a short game with you. From 1958, for 25 or 30 years after that - let’s give it 30 years. To 1958, for 30 years, makes it 1988. Okay? From then until 1988, oh, name 100 bands, even hundreds of bands that have become iconic. Well, let’s see. Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, you can-- on and on-- The list is long. Motown, The Supremes, and in blues, in country and western. It just amazing. From 1988, that includes, by the way, U2 and Madonna, Michael Jackson and all that pop stuff. From 1988 until today, give me ten or one iconic superstar that’s gonna stand the test of time. Nirvana. Because they recorded two records. Okay. So maybe I’ll give you Nirvana. So that’s one. Can’t think of another. How about that.
But I was unprepared for this test. But nobody is. Because they’ll go, “Oh, one of the pop girls,“ but they’re terrific. I love Brittany Spears and Rihanna. They’re all terrific. Stand the test of time? I say no. Iconic? Not a chance. On the on par with Beatles, Elvis, Motown, all that stuff? No. And that’s because there used to be a process and structure is everything. If there’s a structure, it’s logic and then it’s competition just like mother nature. And who decides who reaches the top? The people. Of the people, for the people, by the people--
So when they were buying records, buying albums.
The people voted with with their dollar. That’s right.
Well, as I understand it, you’re basically saying that not just rock and roll, but the music
business, and in many ways, the entertainment business has been murdered? Is that too strong a word?
Oh, it’s been murdered all right. Not by-- not by outside forces, foreign powers. We killed rock
and roll.