Seven Days on Spotify or How I Almost Drowned in a Sea of Music

This was all part of an experiment I did that bloomed into something a whole lot more. I was apprehensive about starting Spotify as I thought it would cost money, after finding out it didn’t I promptly set up an account. When I was finally logged in a whole world of music awaited me.

The first thing I will say is the pros about Spotify. They had nearly every album I have been looking for in record shops for about a decade at a click of a button. The first test was the Caddy shack soundtrack, which to my delight they had. Out of my vast list of albums to find and own they didn’t have the following Neverland’s self-titled debut album from 1992, Psycho 2 and 3 soundtracks and the Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s song Set It Straight.

The entire stream of constant music was like a sensory overload; the only way I could cope with it all was to go with the flow. Through this I discovered many things; a remix of Bjork’s Human Behaviour that sounded better than the album version in my opinion, finally getting to hear the recorded version of Father’s Song by Prince from Purple Rain, William Shatner taking a ride on the Silver Machine and the 77 Halloween concerts of Frank Zappa. I was consumed by it, everything I wanted to hear was there awaiting me to click on it.

The main advantage of Spotify is the space it saves for a compulsive music lover. It was one of the reasons I finally considered getting Spotify, was the lack of space. To paint a picture, imagine a room that has the shadowy visage of the New York skyline made out of piles and piles of CD’s and you get the idea. I used to buy at least a few albums a day on my daily hunts in charity and record shops. I needed the space Spotify is the temporary answer.

Another redeeming feature is the fact you can take it anywhere on your phone, making I pods and possibly I Tunes seem like BBC Micro Computers by comparison. In addition, you can go premium for a fee and have no ads but I didn’t mind the ads.

Within the first few days, I figured this opens the playing field to new bands and artists then I looked at the streaming hits of the acts that have backing advertising etc to acts that barely have a thousand plays. In the constant stream of music, some bands I did enjoy listening to are barely a blip on the screen compared to the so-called hip and popular “Taylor Swift” & “Ed Sheeran” who have a ridiculous amount of streaming hits. However, having a closer microscopic look at the streaming side I discovered it doesn’t pay as well as you would think. BBC Radio One has £37.76 as the average payment per play. On Spotify’s payroll, it’s far worse; an extremist low-level pay. From January 2016, it is $0.00022288 per stream and that is just for the regular service. The premium numbers are $0.00066481per stream not much better.

 So if we use our maths skills it would take about 150,419 streams to earn $100. As Ed Sheeran is the most streamed artist on Spotify with around 3, 1 billion so far.  Working out his earnings on the regular streaming service, Ed earns $690,928, which is an insane amount of money for streaming, but it isn’t even in the ballpark for the money radio royalties has. So for the average band they will be earning a mere pittance off Spotify. They might be a vast torrent of music but there is a flaw. It seems only the popular radio artist’s benefit from the service; it’s an overgrown allowance for select artists on top of their airplay royalties.  It operates like a third world system of music; it only seems to benefit certain parties while  other less popular artists work barely makes them 50p. It should all be equal pay but then again screwing artists has never gone out of fashion.

Spotify makes its money from mainly advertising revenue and a paid subscription tier; advertisers pay money for exposure during songs of non-premium users for income. But ironically Spotify struggles to make money and many analysts have speculated the end of free streaming on not only on Spotify but YouTube as well, I don’t see this happening without a fight in the future.

The main thing Spotify can’t replace is actually owning the album, the joy of holding physical copy. With Spotify you can’t go over the liner notes soaking up the kernels of information contained in them; the instruments used, where and when it was recorded, the musicians involved, the personal thanks from the band, stories about the song, the lyrics to read while listening and the artwork. Spotify cannot give you the experience of that.

Despite the innovation of Spotify, it will take a lot of time for it to create a sustainable income that can help artists thrive and not just benefit the artists who have had millions in advertising to get them ahead of their “competition.” I noticed recently on buses Ads for Spotify, and I thought to myself. For a company that is supposedly losing money. Could they have not used the money to actually pay royalties to artists who needed it? Instead of plastering, All Saints & Phil Collins faces on the side of buses.

 For your cult, niche and new bands and solo artists the best way to support them is to buy the album physically, but most people sadly want it free. This musical sea may be vast, deep, and alluring but there is always a price to it.

Stuart Ritchie

Gerry Cinnamon Erratic Cinematic Review

Gerry Cinnamon is living proof real music isn’t dead. Battling against the twisted machinations of the record industry; he has a voice and isn’t afraid to speak his mind. “Erratic Cinematic” his debut album isn’t just a debut; it’s a statement. With its iconoclastic cover, it screams “classic”.  The opener “Sometimes” shows this is a songwriter that pulls no punches, in his words and his music. The clean guitar fills are reminiscent of The Cure’s “Just like Heaven”, a fantastic introduction. “Lullaby” begin with a scathing rant featured in the movie “Network” by Peter Finch’s character Howard Beale. Its set over a hypnotising western blues progression, it has the lonely whistle included. “What Have You Done” has great lyrics, its Gerry’s strength. “What have you done son Sold yer soul to a demon Dance like a dafty for a bag of snow.” Gerry doesn’t sugar coat anything. “Belter” is a future classic and standard for future songwriters. Youngsters want to learn this song on guitar; it reeks of charisma. “Fortune Favors the Bold” where he states he won’t sell out. “Now they tell me be solid make paper and do what you're told Guess I'd rather have holes in my shoes than be drowning in gold” Those are wonderful, wonderful lyrics and flow so easily. The title track “Erratic Cinematic” has shades of Bert Jansch and a little bit of Leo Kottke. Gerry is right “We’re not in Kansas anymore.” We are in new territory.  “Keysies” is a short but sweet folk song driven by childhood nostalgia. “Diamonds in the Mud” a gem literally; I think it’s one of Gerry’s best in terms of storytelling and lyrics. About characters, he knows like a shaman, a dour faced bastard with sarcastic eyeballs with a tongue that slashes like a lock knife. I love the line “The mayhem of Glasgow is buried deep in my blood.” Lyrics like that say so much about Gerry. It’s best to discover the song for yourself, be transported to the Southside.

“War TV” is where Gerry puts the boot in; steel toe capped boots I might add, into the deranged sycophants who lead us into wars we don’t want. “They're all quick to make war but they won't send their sons. Shout the odds like a gangster but they won't hold a gun.” With just those two lines, Gerry sums up the whole mess. Furthermore, he turns his venom on the silent majority who allow this to go on with their malicious silent consent or as he puts it “With your arse in the air and your head in the sand.” Overall “Erratic Cinematic” is one of the strongest records I have heard. Tracks like Sometimes, Lullaby, Belter, Diamonds in the Mud and War TV are fated to standards by aspiring songwriters in the future; I fully expect in a decade to be walking down Buchanan Street and hear some busker singing “Belter.” Gerry Cinnamon has created a record that if you want your mates to think you have taste in music you put “Erratic Cinematic” on top of your record pile.

Stuart Ritchie

Songs of the Decade 1950

The Fifties

Music in the fifties was like going from black and white into Technicolor. It was a explosion that created rock and roll, country legends, and a great soundtrack. It’s going to be tough to pick just ten songs.

10

How High the Moon

Les Paul and Mary Ford 1951

While Les and Mary never penned the song, Morgan Lewis and Nancy Hamilton wrote it. What Les and Mary did with the song with the use of double tracking was extremely innovative on both vocals and guitar. Les was influential on many of the guitar greats that would become prominent in the following decade.

9

I Walk the Line

Johnny Cash 1956

This song broke Johnny Cash through to the mainstream with his first number one after several moderate chart successes. Originally, a slow ballad, Sun studio producer Sam Phillips suggested a more up-tempo approach and thus the first of many of Johnny’s classics.

8

Be Bop a Lula

Gene Vincent 1956

This song just oozes sex appeal, with the bands laid back sultry groove with Gene’s near orgasmic crooning. Combine all of that and you have a classic rockabilly standard. However, no one can top that magic take Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps did.

7

Sleepwalk

Santo & Johnny 1959

Written in the small hours of the morning in their apartment, Santo & Johnny wrote “Sleepwalk.” The song is pure melody, a simple Hawaiian phrase over the progression I VI IV V created a wonderful dream like melody. Sleepwalk has been recorded by acts like The Shadows, Jeff Beck, Joe Satriani, and The Stray Cats. The song is still timeless.

6

What’d I Say?

Ray Charles 1959

Ray recorded this piano blues barnburner in one take. The song was written on the spot at a concert. Ray had 12 minutes to fill so he decided to improvise and asked the band to follow him. During the performance, he could feel the room shaking and bouncing and later people asked him where to get the record. After testing the song out some more, he recorded it and the rest is history.

5

Cold, Cold Heart

Hank Williams 1951

This is possibly William’s most personal heart breaking track; the story is the song. It is about Hank’s wife Audrey’s bitterness and resentment towards him. The song opened the door for pop acts to perform country songs.

4

That’ll be the Day

Buddy Holly & the Crickets 1957

The song that sums up the entire decade filled with optimism and wholesome feelings. Buddy wrote the song after watching “The Searchers” after John Wayne uttered the line “That’ll be the Day” Buddy and his band had a light bulb moment. His life might have ended at 22, but Buddy’s music still lives.

3

Great Balls of Fire

Jerry Lee Lewis 1957

The song with its maniacal piano and vocal set the charts on fire literally, as it sold one million copies in just ten days after release. Jerry just exploded on this song; it’s as if the lyrics and music wanted out all at once. It’s still a classic like burgers and green glass bottles of Coke.

2

Tutti Frutti

Little Richard 1957

With his crazy feminine, cry of “A-wop-bom-a-loo-mop-a-lomp-bom-bom!” Little Richard made juke joints, jump and jive with “Tutti Frutti.” The song scared the crap out of white America with its loud vibrant sound. They created a safe version of the song sung by Pat Boone. Little Richard once said, “They were in the same house but in different locations.” The teenagers would have hid Little Richards original. This record had an impact on the next generation of sixties musicians. It’s still boisterous and full of life.

1

Heartbreak Hotel

Elvis Presley 1956

The song heralded Elvis arrival and changed culture, as we know it. After this, nothing was the same. Although critics hated it, NME (New Musical Express) was one of them and the BBC put it on their restricted playlist. It didn’t stop the song from being his first UK hit. George Harrison, John Lennon, Robert Plant, and Keith Richards, they were all moved by the songs powerful presence. There something about the blues vocal, and silence that connects with primal emotions. Paraphrasing Billy Connolly Heartbreak Hotel saved us all.

Stuart Ritchie

Runes Revival Review

Revival is the second album from Runes. After his first album Orphic, can he produce another of its ilk?

“Innocence” The albums opening track is a piano instrumental. It is like the opening overture to a much bigger concept. He has good piano chops. The result is a bittersweet, nostalgic composition.

It blossoms into “The Start,” with its eastern inspired rhythm guitar and Celtic vocals creates a scenic outdoor muse with its hypnotic raga acoustic guitar. There is a subtle reference in the lyrics to “Perfect Story” in his previous album.

“Monster” begins with a neon bubble synth mixed with the established eastern feel. “Monster” could easily be the first single. Runes seems to be restraining the highness of his voice, as if he is waiting for the right moment to unleash.

“Eliza” with its unsettling nocturnal atmosphere. It is like Wagner meeting Angelo Badalamenti.

“Soldier” with its 80s tinged synth, with real drums, the electric piano that conjures 16 –bit memories combined with the processed distortion makes the song cook. Runes builds a polished and refined song and lets his voice of the leash for a bit, it’s not too much but enough for the now.

“Let it Out” with its classical opening which has shades of Debussy. This is what emotional songs sound like with real heart.

“Why” with its fat bass drum sound building to a John Carpenter styled motif, which transcends into a lighter section. Runes shows he doesn’t need words, just the feeling.

On the title, track “Revival” he can conjure mood and feel before a single instrument is playing. With its medieval styled vocal phrases, there is a merger of eastern and western musical philosophies engaging in symbiosis, thus creating a new tapestry of music.

“Bad Boy” is the result of mixing indie music with electronica. Adding urban beats gives it more oomph. It’s like the dark half of “Lovers Side” from Orphic.

The final track “I’m Free” he sounds so exhilarated and elevated as he sings with sheer bliss.

Overall, I would compare Revival to Post by Bjork. Although, they are not musically similar the progression from the debut to the second album is. The arrangements are meticulously thought out for optimum effect in the final product. Runes had momentum behind his first record. Revival relays the momentum of the previous album sustaining and expanding upon it.

Stuart Ritchie