Low Rider

CD's: from yesterday's innovation to tomorrow's scrap heap?

Some of us opinionated pundits will forever bring up our pet conspiracy theories regarding the foisting of overpriced CD's onto the music market of the 1980's and 90's as a way for the music industry to contain expenses and maximize profit margins; usually involving the forced obsolescence of vinyl. To be fair, it was a time when consumers were so dazzled by these shiny new discs that we were willing to dig deep and pay exorbitant prices just to have the latest and possibly greatest thing to occur in music reproduction since the advent of the Victrola. With no small measure of cynicism, I will say that the industry saw a gouge opportunity and we were more than willing to buy into it. I'm one of those consumers, and I accept personal responsibility for playing my part in the swindle. It resembled being sold a bill of goods by a suspect politician and replying, "I know you're an ethically bankrupt swine with ulterior motives, but I'm voting for you anyway because I like your presentation." And so it went for the next couple of decades or so. I also have doubts that musicians saw any increase in their compensation as a result of the high CD prices during that time. That's not how the machine works.

Ultimately, as things have worked out, that business model of the music industry has been proven unsustainable, as the very same technology that once generated obscene levels of profit for entertainment corporations, has kicked open the doors for the average musician; permitting them to produce and sell their own music without being vetted by less musically inclined corporate employees. This new reality is both a good and bad thing, depending on your own perspective. To many musicians, I'm sure it's wonderful, and we listeners are often glad to be able to hear their work that likely would not have been seen as financially viable by some bean counter. But sometimes, the work is the musical equivalent of having handed whiskey and car keys to a teenager. So maybe having a benevolent gatekeeper of sorts wasn't such a terrible thing after all? That query is still being debated.

For all the industry-driven push toward permanent doom for vinyl record albums, especially during the 90's, I'm pleased to say that the format has rebounded rather nicely. They're now being manufactured to standards of quality that were previously unachievable. Records never really went away. They just went into storage for a decade or two. The fact that vinyl has been in hibernation for so long has made us older music buyers miss pawing through the bins like we miss those dusty old hardware stores with the creaky wood floors. It's nostalgia for sure, but with a reborn edge of an older technology that's been improved upon.

When shopping for vinyl records these days, I prefer to buy new pressings when possible, because they're made so well now and they sound better than ever before. The first and most important factor that I evaluate is "Will this music sound good on vinyl?", because not everything does. I have found that certain genres of music sound better, to my ears anyway, than others. Acoustic music of any genre, Soul, Jazz, and Classic Rock seem to fare best. I'd much rather listen to some John Coltrane on vinyl than say, Kraftwerk.  However, as it is with CD's, it largely depends on the master recording that's used. I have purchased beautifully made vinyl editions that were sourced from a substandard master; such as the first Crosby Stills & Nash album. Very disappointing. But then you have recordings like Van Morrison's "Moondance" album, or "American Beauty" from The Grateful Dead that sound for all the world like they were recorded just last week! So yes, there's a bit of the old 'caveat emptor' involved, but trusting one's own instincts regarding any addition to our sagging vinyl shelves is often the best course.

I am often surprised by what is available on vinyl, and what isn't, but certainly should be. A prime example is the music of the band War, who had a series of powerfully funky hits during their run of popularity in the 70's. Their music was made for vinyl and by any reasonable speculation, should sound fantastic on a freshly remastered 180 gram pressing. But their music is not in print on vinyl. Not yet anyway. I did find an old, used copy of their "Greatest Hits" album recently, but it sounds rather flat. I am certain that this music could be made to sound so much better, as evidenced by the CD version. One more for the wishlist, I suppose.

Here's one of War's best songs, "Low Rider", that adapted it's imagery from the Latino car culture of urban Los Angeles and personified it. This is a classic street groove that just won't quit. Crank it up!

As a bassist myself, I not only love this song, but I also really enjoy any opportunity to attend a musician's clinic when it's being presented by a musician of some accomplishment. It's a rare chance to have a little one-on-one time with musicians of note, and get some specific technical questions addressed that have nothing to do with the various celebrities they've worked with. These clinics don't happen near as often as I'd like, so I make every effort to attend them whenever possible, even if the person doing the clinic isn't a bassist. I believe that you can learn something from any good teacher, which makes for a more complete musical education.

Gary Hoey

Back in the mid-90's, I went to a clinic given by guitarist Gary Hoey. The event was sponsored by Fender, and part of Hoey's mission was to hawk the latest Fender gear of the day. That said, he was also there to promote his own recorded work and instructional media. The 90's were a peak era for players like Hoey, his guitar wizard compatriots like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, and the dozens of also-rans who tried so hard to sound like those who inspired them while failing to establish their own unique voice on the instrument.

In 1994, Hoey provided one song to filmmaker Bruce Brown, who was making a sequel to his classic surf movie, "The Endless Summer". On the strength of that one song, and some subsequent demos, Brown hired Hoey to score the entire film. Hoey recorded 13 more tracks, start to finish, in 12 days. Here's Gary Hoey's update on War's "Low Rider", which is perfect music for some crazy surf footage. Again, loud is the only way to play this.

Both the DVD and Gary Hoey's soundtrack CD are still in print and available at The Big A. Both are recommended for your enjoyment, as is the original 1966 movie, "The Endless Summer", now freshly remastered for Blu-Ray. Watching the original film now, it does appear dated, but no less authentic than when it was first shown in theaters. It's an engrossing time capsule of a much simpler era, which makes it a must-see. If you find that surf documentaries trip your trigger, then I must encourage you to check out the Hi-Def showpiece "Step Into Liquid" from 2008. Cowabunga, Mofo's!

The rest of Gary Hoey's musical catalog seems to be available without much difficulty. There's more info on his music, tour schedule, and other stuff at his website.

The music of War is just as essential to any collection of Funk/Soul music as Sly & The Family Stone. If you don't have any of War's music on your CD shelf, then head thee to Amazon, or your favorite local music emporium. I will recommend the career-spanning and very affordable "Icon 2" collection as a good starting point.

War has just released their first album of new material in over 20 years! The new album, "Evolutionary", also contains a bonus reissue CD of the long out of print "Greatest Hits" album pictured above. Better yet, if you get it at Best Buy, you also get a 2nd bonus of a live concert DVD! I cannot find any new reissues of War's music on vinyl, which is a shame. I'm sure there's plenty of old used copies out there, but wouldn't you much rather have a fresh one?

For more insight on the recent comeback of vinyl records, check out this excellent article on Pitchfork.