Oh, the rich people want what the poor people got
And the poor people want what the rich people got
And the skinny people want what the fat people got
And the fat people want what the skinny people got
    --The Shaggs, "Philosophy of the World"
 
 

Got something to say? Then say it:
 

"Check out Amy's ultrasound, it's pretty amazing how clear these things are getting, ain't it?" -- expectant father Joe Dean, 4/28/01

RHINO RECORDS = TIME WARNER = CORPORATE SCUM
THE STOOGES DO NOT GET PAID!
 

I sent this message to the Slippy list in February 2000:

How many out there besides me bit at the Rhino Records COMPLETE FUN HOUSE SESSIONS box set? You know, the one that costs $140 (with shipping) for seven CDs, and the seventh CD only has two songs. Priced just like the CORPORATE BOOTLEG it is. I pre-ordered it and waited patiently for it to arrive in early January. Funny thing, though, I was just notified today (February 17) that my order has just been shipped and charged to my credit card! Again? What?! Not only are they rip-off artists, they are incompetent. Needless to say, I wrote them and informed them that I would not pay for this again.

If all this bullshit isn't enough, I was told by somebody who knows that THE STOOGES ARE NOT BEING PAID FOR THIS PROJECT! Supposedly, they still
"owe" Elektra Records money from thirty years ago . . . ha-ha-ha!

Enough of this: DO NOT BUY RHINO RECORDS PRODUCT! RHINO RECORDS IS OWNED BY TIME WARNER! And Time Warner would like to own your soul. Are you as sick of this as I am? I won't buy any more corporate music, unless it's used and I know they won't get my money; you know in most cases THE ARTISTS DO NOT GET PAID!

Rant over . . .

--Eddie Flowers, righteously fed-up corporate-smashing motherfucker
 

It's good to know I'm not the only person who feels this way; check these responses (names and specific locations withheld because I don't know how many of these folks may unfortunately be employed by or otherwise beholden to corporate entities):

"right fucking on!" --Massachusetts

"i hear you there! let the iggster know!!!! fuck corporate music!!!!!" --unknown location

"I wanna buy this fucking thing Eddie, but I'm concerned about Rhino's reliability too. You'd think they would have thrown those two tracks in for free... And not paying those fab Ann Arbor moptops is a goddamn crime. Pretty slick on the double credit card charge, non?" --Florida

"You think that's bad. Try working in a record store where you spend 10+ yrs. of your life trying to promote independent/interesting music only to have the music community fuck it all over & yr boss tellin' ya t'cut it down (soon out). Most independent labels're sellin' shares to th' majors & becoming more corporate & putting out duller'n'more homogenized versions of the musics we grew up'n'loved (punk/space/soul/etc.). 'N all I can do is order this crap'n'hope what little weirdo shit I order lands somewhere (& often still does--even tho' my clienetle of such things is down to less than a handful.) Death to Phish, Korn/jock/rap/metal, 'n' any Disney-sponsored teen-whores (ya believe grown people buy this shit??). Aw, fuck now I'm really depressed. 'N I was gonna order that fuckin' box too--SCREW EVERYTHING!!" --New Jersey

"at first i thought this was a falling james rant! if you did in fact get the cd's you should download it & give it to any one who wants it for free! or burn cd's & sell'em for a buck! fuck 'em they can kiss our & everyone else's butt!" --Indiana

"Thanks for this info--I wanted to get that box set, but can't fucking believe it's $140 (bet its even more here)--could you maybe tape me some bits of it (the best bits)--promise to get dubs of it done for people here who are interested! (bypassing the corporate monolith!)" --UK

"What? You expect musicians to get paid? Are you from some galaxy where this sort of thing happens? Repeat after me... 'Money is for the Man, music is for musicians.' Very tidy that way--no muss, no fuss. That'll be fifty dollars. Mastercard or Visa? Hope all is well otherwise." --San Francisco

"Right on, Eddie! I completely agree." --Los Angeles

"The Stooges box set is lame. Sounds like crap. Total waste of time and $'s. Everyone around here hates it." --Michigan

"the fact you state about Rhino is horrible. i have never dealt with em but they seem to be so big so i just don't get it why they have to rip off." --Germany
<<The REASON these companies are so big is BECAUSE they find ways to rip off everybody...legally! --Eddie>>

"i yi yi. i'm glad you said this, because i was giving thought to coughing up the cash for it... one CD has only two songs? eeeeew. o yah, they signed a hideous contract. i'm not even sure anybody in the Stooges has *ever* seen any royalties from any of the Stooges albums. the MC5 signed a contract just as horrible and the only reason Wayne Kramer is seeing any $$$ 25 years after the fact is because the former head banana of Elektra took it personally and stepped in to straighten it out. guess the Igster and the Asheton bros. don't have a guardian angel...." --Texas

2/17/00 -- 2/20/00

"I'll tell you what pisses me off more than the Stooges debacle is [Rhino] putting out a very nifty box of hot-rod music that has a Doobie fuckin' Bros. track on it. It really bugs me to know there's actually a Doobie Bros. track residing in my house. WEA pressure or just plain bad taste, it's hard to tell with those guys." --Oregon

3/11/00

<<The following is from a John Mellencamp discussion group, forwarded by a friend with a sick sense of humor. Think of this in context of Mr. Mellencamp's music and the Stooges' music, the rewards showered or not upon these artists, and Iggy Pop's post-Stooges slop. Then consider Rhino Records founders Harold Bronson and Richard Foos, full of Time Warner bucks, rich kids who grew up to buy the Monkees and then decided they were tired of their toys.  And all the while Darcey (below), is saving her K-Mart wet dreams for the former Johnny Cougar.>>

hello Mellenheads,

thought I'd take a moment to jot my thought on who would sound awesome in a duet with Mr. Mellencamp. How about Bonnie Raitt? She's gotta be the best female singer out there, and while she's a little bit country (and a little bit rock & roll), isn't Mr. M too?

just another day,
darcey

2/17/00

I opened Jack Kerouac's BOOK OF DREAMS randomly, put my finger down, and this is what I got:
"I lose her in the big house though she told me what room she'd be in--I go a floor below, miss her, find her finally much later after ship-like events and loneliness in a maze of corridors of the dark mind's house--She's in the sack but a kid is playing in the room and we gotta get him out--She smiles like an angel with radiance from her dark heaven--I wake up realizing all is a dream, especially the Morning Waking--"

KENNE HIGHLAND AT KEROUAC'S GRAVE, CIRCA 1984 (photo by Willie "Loco" Alexander)

<<So what are the GOOD Barefoot Jerry LPs? was the question from Slippy Town to Barefoot fan and Big Whiskey guitar-mangler Don Rettman.>>
First coupla Bfoot Jerry LPs 're cool (Southern Delight& S/T). LPs available as 2fer CD from See For Miles. Even tho' i've got a later one w/ coupla bent prog-C&W trax onnit. Also the pre-Bfoot group Area Code 615 put out a coupla great bluegrass/soul crossover (hate that word) instro LPs (2nd of which is high on my need list). Should also mention new Twink LP o'unreleased tapes from '69-'70 on Get Back label. Totally FUCKED jams recorded when Twink was in hashish blur & forgot tapes existed until recently...called Lost Experimental Recordings.HIGHly recommended.
  --Don Rettman, NJ
    1/10/00