Mojo - The Music Magazine

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• What a badly thought out & confused campaign this is, I don't understand - these artists are/were influential so don't dl illegally?
  Interesting "Blind" Willie Johnson is highlighted - he died broke, did Columbia Records think music mattered when they ripped off a poor, blind, black guy?

  Posted by Dr-Filth at 11:54 AM GMT 24/03/2010 Report Abuse

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• If record companies and artists didn't demand so much obscene wealth, there wouldn't be a problem. Cause and effect problem going on here and how dare you blame it on other people! Take responsibility!

  Posted by Mark at 12:28 PM GMT 24/03/2010 Report Abuse

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• What WOULD dissuade people from stealing music? The knowledge that 90% of musicians are just like the rest of us, struggling to get by, unencumbered by "obscene wealth"? The guy from Sweet Billy Pilgrim drives a van, makes deliveries, goes home, makes music. Maybe he’d make more if he could afford to do it full time.

  Granted, the old economic model of the record industry – ie. big record labels make money out of records, musicians don’t – was unfair and it took piracy to destabilize it. But must musicians now accept that they can no longer expect their consumers to pay for the records they put their heart and soul into?

  Is that fair?

  Posted by Danny Eccleston at 1:16 PM GMT 24/03/2010 Report Abuse

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• Personally I do not download material from labels like Ace or Soul Jazz, as I appreciate the time, intelligence & effort that is put into their product, and most importantly that these record labels go to the trouble of actually tracing the artists involved and paying them decent royalties.
  I am happy to support them as they produce an ethical, quality product (not that either of these labels receive much support of Mojo - reviews buried at the back of the magazine, normally just a sentence, presumably because of the lack of advertising revenue they contribute to the mag).

  As for Sweet Billy Pilgrim, if no one buys their records, whose fault is that? I can't imagine their sales are affected enomorously by people illegally downloading - perhaps people just aren't interested in them despite the hype.
  And as for the poor fella having to work for a living, that's life mate.
  

  Posted by Dr-Filth at 2:18 PM GMT 24/03/2010 Report Abuse

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• RE: Dr-Filth
  But isnt' the point that making music IS work? And there should be a way to make a living out of it, if you're good enough? You don't like SBP but lots of people do... I can sort of see what they're trying to do here. If you're getting tunes for free you get the benefit of someone else's hard work (their music) but you don't want to pay for it. Unless it's Soul Jazz. I'd be fairly vexed if I thought my wages depended on the caprices of people I'd never met. Called Dr Filth. Or Belisha Beacon. I dunno, it all seems very hard to unpick, but in general if I'm happy to pay for books and clothes and frothy coffee, why wouldn't I be happy to pay for music??

  Posted by Belisha Beacon at 3:23 PM GMT 24/03/2010 Report Abuse

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• RE: Dr-Filth

  What a mean-spirited little prune of a man you are. Odd isn't it, that before the internet, such opinions were only seen on toilet walls, such voices only heard barked from the foul toothless maws of the angry drunk in the park. Not everything is marvy about the internet, is it.

  Posted by Dr. Karen T. Johnson at 3:38 PM GMT 24/03/2010 Report Abuse

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• Dr-Filth – How else should we "support" Ace and Soul Jazz, beyond reviewing their records, which we do, irrespective of the advertising they do or do not take in the magazine? No, really - tell us. We’d like to know what you think.

  I mention Sweet Billy Pilgrim to illustrate the way that relatively high-profile acts (in this case, Mercury Prize-nominated) live and earn – in response to “Mark”, who thinks that musicians are fair game for theft because of their “demand” for “obscene wealth”.

  Sweet Billy Pilgrim are not complaining; I’m taking their part, unbidded. But are you really saying they don’t sell enough records to play a role in this debate? That the little that they would have earned from recordings under fairer circumstances should be denied them?

  You’re obviously a music fan. You rate Ace and Soul Jazz, with good reason. But I repeat my question: how would you dissuade people from stealing music? Or do you think – except in the cases of Ace or Soul Jazz – there’s no point bothering?

  Posted by Danny Eccleston at 3:40 PM GMT 24/03/2010 Report Abuse

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• RE: Belisha Beacon

  I have no opinion on SPB, I've never knowingly heard his music & have no real interest in doing so - he's the guy with the horrible ginger beard right? ; )

  If a lot of people do like him as you say then it's their case to answer, but no musician in this day & age can expect that the world owes them a living - if people aren't buying their music, buying tickets for their gigs etc then unfortunately its back to the real world with you. And no, I don't consider sitting at home all day writing songs real work.

  But the whole SPB turn in this conversation is a red herring anyway, this is campaign by the music industry, not by artists - check the video - no mention of dealing with the artist directly, my-space isn't mentioned etc just buy our product or you're stealing. If you really want to support an artist go to their gig & buy a t-shirt & cd directly.

  Posted by Dr-Filth at 3:57 PM GMT 24/03/2010 Report Abuse

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• RE: Danny Eccleston

  Danny, it seems to me the majority of Ace/soul jazz etc reviews are 30 words or less & stuck in the two pages of reissue extra. Hardly reviews. But then that's the stuff I'm interested in so I'm always disappointed when a great new CD is not given much space.

  How would I stop people 'stealing' (that word again) music? I think the music industry should embrace streaming albums - in this day & age no youngster is going to buy blind. Better to let them be able to hear the product first rather than them illegally downloading it and no following it up with a purchase because they already have it.

  And as for you Dr. Karen T. Johnson, I'd argue that your contribution, as it was, makes you guilty of the very thing you accuse me of. Very rude! ; p

  Posted by Dr-Filth at 4:32 PM GMT 24/03/2010 Report Abuse

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