THE LEFSETZ LETTER: Then/Now

THEN

People had car trouble.

NOW

If someone tells you they’re not coming because their car won’t start, you don’t believe them.

THEN

Your computer crashed, you feared the Blue Screen Of Death.

NOW

Your computer goes months without ever crashing, and you barely turn it on anyway, only for work, because you’re addicted to your tablet and smartphone.

THEN

Superstars took a year to make an album and it sold for three years.

NOW

Superstars take a year to make an album, and they’re essentially dead on arrival. The faithful buy them and THEN

they’re done. And everybody complains the business sucks and it ain’t what it used to be when the truth is there are five hundred TV channels and YouTube and nothing gets the mindshare it did before.

THEN

	Bob Lefsetz, Santa Monica-based industry legend, is the author of the e-mail newsletter, "The Lefsetz Letter". Famous for being beholden to no one, and speaking the truth, Lefsetz addresses the issues that are at the core of the music business: downloading, copy protection, pricing and the music itself. His intense brilliance captivates readers from Steven Tyler to Rick Nielsen to Bryan Adams to Quincy Jones to music business honchos like Michael Rapino, Randy Phillips, Don Ienner, Cliff Burnstein, Irving Azoff and Tom Freston. Never boring, always entertaining, Mr. Lefsetz's insights are fueled by his stint as an entertainment business attorney, majordomo of Sanctuary Music's American division and consultancies to major labels. Bob has been a weekly contributor to CelebrityAccess and Encore since 2001, and we plan many more years of partnership with him. While we here at CelebrityAccess and Encore do not necessarily agree with all of Bob's opinions, we are proud to help share them with you.

Concert tickets were three, four and five dollars. The bands drove in station wagons and getting high and getting laid were the goal.

NOW

Concert tickets cost triple digits, the bands want to fly private and your money goes to buying houses and cars and other assets as the band tries to keep up with the truly rich, which they no longer are.

THEN

The goal was to work at a record label.

NOW

The goal is to work at Apple.

THEN

You bugged your parents for your own Princess phone in your bedroom.

NOW

You can’t remember the last time you spoke on the phone.

THEN

Gas was pumped for you and you went inside to get maps.

NOW

You pump your own gas and maps are on your phone.

THEN

You went to the record store and plotted what albums you were going to buy in the future.

NOW

You can listen to everything for free online and the thrill of new is gone, Now

it’s solely about what is great. The concept of buying something and finding out it sucks is passe.

THEN

You were constantly returning records to the store for scratches, skips and warps.

NOW

There are no stores and there is no returning.

THEN

The deejay was the most trusted person in the music universe.

NOW

The deejay is a joke, sold out to the man with no personality, playing drivel that only ten year olds would sit through.

THEN

It was all about record sales.

NOW

It’s all about tickets.

THEN

You could only buy the t-shirt at the gig, so you did, to appear special.

NOW

T-shirts are everywhere and not quite meaningless, but far from meaningful.

THEN

You sat down and listened to the music, in aural bliss, you only stood during the encore.

NOW

You stand throughout the gig, get jostled by your neighbors and get beer spilled upon you, all in the name of feeling the music.

THEN

You woke up early to wait in line to buy tickets.

NOW

You go on StubHub weeks after the on-sale to overpay for good seats.

THEN

You went to a show every month.

NOW

You go to a show once or twice a year.

THEN

There was live music in bars.

NOW

You listen to deejays in bars.

THEN

Mainstream media was clueless as to music.

NOW

Every publication covers the scene and tries to look hip.

THEN

Acts were unreachable

NOW

If your favorite act isn’t on Twitter and you don’t think you have access, you’re angry.

THEN

There was upward mobility in the music industry.

NOW

The baby boomers don’t want to let you take their jobs.

THEN

The Beatles were the biggest act in the business.

NOW

Paul McCartney is the biggest act in the business.

THEN

The Rolling Stones couldn’t sell a record.

NOW

The Rolling Stones can’t sell a record.

THEN

Clive Davis was telling us how powerful he was.

NOW

Clive Davis is telling us how powerful he was.

THEN

The labels screwed the artists.

NOW

The labels screw the artists.

THEN

Acts were unsophisticated.

NOW

Everybody’s an expert, they read Passman’s book, they’re savvy.

THEN

Security at the gig was like us, just beefier.

NOW

Security is the enemy.

THEN

You went to make the scene.

NOW

You go to make the scene at the electronic music show, it’s too expensive to go to any other gig on a lark.

THEN

Arenas eclipsed theatres, the acts were just too big, demand was just too great.

NOW

Most acts can’t sell out arenas, other than classic rock acts and the occasional superstar, acts play theatres.

THEN

You wanted to sleep with Stevie Nicks.

NOW

You don’t want to sleep with Taylor Swift, she’ll write a song about you.

THEN

We paid a fortune for hi-def sound systems.

NOW

We pay a middling sum to hear compressed versions of our favorites via earbuds.

THEN

Top Forty radio played the best of everything.

NOW

Top Forty radio…who listens to Top Forty radio, isn’t that just a subset of urban with the occasional Mumford & Sons or Lumineers track?

THEN

FM was hip.

NOW

We don’t even listen to AM, certainly not for music.

THEN

We learned computer dating didn’t work, the matches sucked.

NOW

People flock to Pandora, even though the matches suck.

THEN

Auto sound sucked and home sound was great.

NOW

Auto sound is great and most people don’t even own a home stereo.

THEN

You dreamed of being a rock star.

NOW

They call anybody rich a rock star. Whereas the rock stars of yore were about freedom, of both lifestyle and expression, we flocked to them. The only thing memorable about these new “rock stars” is their money.

THEN

You wore your street clothes on stage.

NOW

Fashion is a key element of show business, even though the richest people in America, the techies, wear hoodies and sneakers.

THEN

Acts took risks, artistic chances.

TODAY

Everybody plays it safe.

THEN

You wrote your own material, songs were straight from the heart of the writer/player/singer to the audience.

NOW

Every song is written by the same people, and personality is absent.

THEN

You had to be able to sing to make it.

NOW

You’ve got to be willing to whore yourself out to make it. And those with bad voices believe they’re entitled to success.

THEN

Our best acts were on weekly TV, on “Ed Sullivan” and “In Concert.”

NOW

Our worst acts are on TV, on “American Idol,” “The Voice” and “X Factor.”

THEN

Game shows were during the day.
NOW

Talent contests are at night.

THEN

You had to have talent to make it.

NOW

You have to have desire to make it.

THEN

You got your license at 16.

NOW

You can live without your driver’s license.

THEN

Your parents were the enemy.

NOW

Your parents are your best friends.

THEN

Republicans were about personal freedom.

NOW

Republicans want to tell you how to live your life.

THEN

Democrats were about erecting a Great Society.

NOW

Democrats are pussies who are afraid of alienating their donors.

THEN

You wanted to be President.

NOW

Who’d want to be President?
THEN

Sports stars were just like us.

NOW

Sports stars are nothing like us. Hell, they’re richer than musicians!

THEN

You rarely flew anywhere.

NOW

You’ll fly halfway across the country for a concert.

THEN

Winter was endless and miserable.

NOW

You wear your shorts in the winter.

THEN

If you screwed up in school, your parents chewed you out.

NOW

If you screw up in school, your parents chew out the administration.

THEN

You went to college to learn.

NOW

You go to college to earn.

THEN

We were all in it together.

NOW

It’s every man for himself.