We were at the KISS show on Wednesday night and my friend remarked "those guys are nothing but product." I suppose it's true, but they've always been; they had KISS dolls in the 70s, KISS movies, etc. So it got me thinking about sell-outs.
I remember discovering Metallica in the 80s, not discovering them like Dr. Dre discovered Eminem, but hearing them for the first time. I had no idea they even existed. You have to understand living in a small village in New Brunswick does not lend itself to discovering music that isn't on the country or classic rock radio stations or MuchMusic (ah, the Pepsi Power Hour and the New Music). So when I met some headbangers listening to Master of Puppets, I was immediately hooked.
I bought And Justice For All the first day it was released and wore that cassette out. Then Metallica released a video for One (a video?!). I recall my friends at the time immediately calling them sell-outs. "Metallica doesn't need a video" they'd say. I think they feared the mainstream music fans (though Metallica was arguably mainstream for the metal genre at the time) would jump on the band wagon. Not long after Metallica hired Bob Rock (Bob Rock, the guy from the Payollas?!?!) to produce the follow up to And Justice For All, the Black Album (actually, it was untitled, but it was all black save for a bit of lighter black in the shape of a snake). If you were a Metallica fan and didn't believe they sold out with the video for One, you almost certainly believed they did with the release of the Black Album.
Fast forward to today and selling out is de rigeur. Bands sell out all the time. Look at U2, selling ads for not only Apple (the original black Ipod), but now for one of Apple's major competitors Research in Motion (the Blackberry). Kings of Leon sold their song "Molly's Chamber" to Volkswagen. Feist practically made her career selling her song to Apple.
Not only do artists sell themselves for advertising, you get guys like Flavor Flav, Vince Neil, Bret Michaels, Gene Simmons (though he arguably never sold-out since they've always been all about the marketing), Snoop Dogg, and countless others starring in reality shows. The list goes on and on and on and nobody even bats an eye. What the hell happened?
Some may say that bands started selling out when we started stealing music. They stopped making money selling records and were forced to find new revenue streams. So you might think it's our fault at least in part. Screw that, I'm not taking responsibility for some cheesy 80s hair metal singer signing his name to star in "I'm a Celebrity and You Want to Sleep With Me".
The most common definition of selling out is to do something that makes you more successful and more money that you wouldn't ordinarily do. Like Metallica making a video or hiring Bob Rock, like U2 and Feist pimping Ipods, like KISS putting their name on anything that doesn't move. But wait, isn't that the point? Don't bands want to become successful and make money? Aren't bands sell outs the second they decide make a living as a band. It continues on to the point they sign with a major label and it never ends (see KISS and 2, U). While they may be considered "artists", they're still in it for success and money; that's the whole point isn't it?
Even Kurt Cobain, the man who many think killed himself to avoid being the record company's pawn and selling out, was a sell-out from the start. He claims his first concert was a Melvins show when it was Sammy Haggar. He claims he used to live under a bridge, which he didn't. He privately complained about MTV not playing Smells Like Teen Spirit enough while publicly complaining about being a rock star. He carefully cultivated his image, but, from the start, he always wanted to be a rock star. Check out Heavier Than Heaven if you don't believe me. Don't read Come As You Are as fact, Cobain had a hand in writing it. It was used as a vehicle to cultivate his image.
Don't get me wrong, I love Cobain and think the music was great. But he was the same as every other guy or gal in a band; he wanted to succeed and to be a star.
Bands always have been and always will be sell-outs. It's all about the benjamins and at least Puff Daddy had the guts to tell you so.
7 comments:
I think the issue with "selling out" is that it has the potential to compromise the art itself. Where the artist ends up putting out material they aren't happy with, even if it makes them money. (Which, of course, has in many cases, but not all.)
And I think the "illegal download" age actual works against this potential sell-out. Sure, SOME artists may seek other outlets to make their money...but I think most realize that the best way to make money is by touring. (Like back in the "old days".) So, you end up catering to the more devout fans (the ones willing to pay to see your show), as opposed to the masses. Thus any changes that the bands make as they go on and grow are predominantly their own, and not the changes imposed by the label. Mind you, this also risks stunting growth or experimentation, as bands may not want to vary from the formula that has granted them the most success. (AC/DC anyone? Bless their 4/4 time signatures...)
Anyway, that's my nonsensical pre-coffee jibber-jabber. Happy Freitag!
I get you James, but don't believe in "sell-outs". You are what you are. You are either in it to be an artist and make some money along the way while not compromising (Radiohead)or you want to be rich and famous and make boat loads of cash anyway you can (KISS). Sometimes your goals may change (U2), but that's not selling out. It's capitalism baby.
Maynard from Tool wrote a song describing exactly what you just posted about 15 years ago in the song Hooker With A Penis. As soon as you sign a record contract, you relinquish at least a little of your artistic control and direction.
Wow. Just read the lyrics. I agree. FYI, I didn't steal the idea from Maynard (though I'm not about stealing ideas).
I just wanted to point out someone who might agree with you. You are a fountain of original ideas my friend.
That shit about Kurt Cobain is interesting. I'll check out the book.
I saw KISS on Saturday night. They rocked my ass off yo. They certainly catered to the older generation, the newest song they played was "lick it up" and they did most tunes from ALIVE. Honestly was expecting to be disappointed, but walked away feeling o.k. about spending the cash.
It was refreshing to go to a rock show just to see people who didn't mind falling into the role of "rock star". The tortured artist is boring to me. I think that if the BSS-syndicate-artistic-power-chord-too-much-guitar-not-enough-talent bands got pyrotech folks, I might go see them.
I saw a bit of KISS on Wednesday night, but it was raining so we didn't stick around. I would have been up for it if it wasn't and if there weren't 30,000 people ahead of me. We could barely hear them and couldn't see anything.
Anyway, they are what people would think of as the classic "sell-outs". I don't think that really applies to them. They haven't ever changed, even without the makeup. It's WYSIWIG with KISS.
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