I Believe in Rick

I'm sure by now you've read the NYT article on Rick Rubin taking over Columbia records. In case you haven't stop what you are doing and go there:

Can Rick Rubin Save The Music Business?

I read the article today, and it has me a little spooked. Rick Rubin could save the Majors. I really think he could. He will definitely put out some amazing music over the coming years, and his explanation of how he determines whether something is good or bad is beyond cool. I guess letting a (record-selling) Barbarian like Rubin into the inner circle means the Majors are realizing just how lost they are. I really think Rubin could lead the charge and turn it around for them. Maybe with quality content the subscription model will be viable.


I must say that I didn't really think that the majors needed saving. They have bullied the tastes of the people and catered to the lowest common denominator for a long time. Maybe since the Monkees. There has been an inordinate amount of music manufacturing and design, and all too little honest creation. They are greedy. The business model of the Majors seems to prevent artists from really making any money on album sales. I remember hearing way back in '94 - '95 that Q-Tip was still living with his moms despite ATCQs success, and I knew something was up. In the article the English dude who is working opposite Rubin at Columbia mentions that he wants his artists to start paying a higher percentage back to the label on touring/merchandising profit...the place most artists make their money. Yikes.

Then you have the reactionary hubris of the Major label response to the mp3 revolution of the late 90's. Instead of embracing technology, they ignored until it was too late, and then lashed out. The RIAA scouring your hard drive for shared music has not slowed illegal file sharing one bit. I thought when Napster was really going off that it was the window for the whole industry to launch into the future, and secure their position. I waited for something to come along and change the game up. Who knew it would come from Apple? You can see from NBCs reaction to Apple's flat pricing that the companies giving Apple content want more. They just seem inable to get it on their own.

So I say let them die. Bring on a phase of chaos. Let new rules be written by the indipendants. Let new technologies drive new revenue models, and put the artists first. Burn, baby, burn.

But what if Rubin really activates his $5/month subscription model across the industry and it takes off. What if they manage to keep the Indies locked out? I doubt even the good intentions of Rick Motherf*ckin Rubin could keep the business focused on artists if it really took off.

I for one hope it doesn't.

But I still love you anyway Rick. Thanks for T La Rock.