Ralph! You are driving me nuts at present! Grrrrrrrrr! OoooH! Grrrrrrrr! ;0)
I'm not 'ordering' musicians to go and get a page. If people have such closed down minds, well...there is nothing I can do about that. Each to their own. But just as much as YOU think I'm bossing you and others around...I think you're doing exactly the same, by constantly advocating the people should NOT go into Myspace.
There are TWO sides of this coin.
Over 80 million people are in there now. And the people whom I have been talking to, are not the sort who'd buy a Rupie Compilation Album! I've had e mails from some people which say that THEIR lawyers HAVE looked into all the details and they are entirely satisfied! I know that Richard is saying the opposite, but as Jed said earlier....do you really think that the big stars, who can afford the best lawyers in the WORLD would be in there, if there were such major problems??????
AND....even if Rupie tried something on....do you seriously think that he'd get away with it, with an army of music lawyers in there? These guys are used to dealing with music contracts, they do it every day of their lives for the mega stars. I truly cannot believe that they've ALL overlooked something which Richard apparently has not.
I'm just saying that to dissuade people is wrong. Tell people to read the small print and get it checked....fair enough...everyone should do that anyway. But to say people shouldn't use it purely because Rupie owns it now..well..that way lies madness, in my opinion.
I am totally, 100% with Ian Anderson on this one (shock! horror!) ;0) Ian has said many a time something along the lines that this is a very valuable site. He can see the positives, just as I can. Do you honestly think that Ian would have his music playing on there if he was worried? LOOK!:
I can understand Billy's reaction, but whilst I appreciate what he's doing, in trying to get the legalities made clear to everyone, even those without highly over-paid lawyers...I think it has been an over-reaction.
The amount of music that I have discovered Ralph, from right around the world is mind-boggling! The places that site is taking me to cannot be over-enthused about! It does not just open up music, it opens up people and it opens up minds. It is uniting the world in a way that has never happened before. The other day I 'fell' into the songs of Vinnie James, such wonderful songs about what is happening in this troubled world of ours!
Oh, his words are so wise! We immediately got his 'All American Boy' CD and every single song just took me to yet more places that I want to be. Yet, I'd never have found Vinnie had it not been for Myspace! Music like his can make such a difference to this world and our children. And NOW, through his page...Vinnie has 'a voice'...He CAN let his music be heard right around the world and we are all switching in and listening to him, believe you me!
He is part African, part Native American and the wisdom he has...well, it gives you hope for the future. Through Vinnie's page I have found many Native American sites. And Oh...you can literally feel the pain of the Native American people coming off their pages! And when you read what they say, realise their wisdom and how we should all be adopting their outlook, not only for ourselves but for the sake of this incredible planet..well, it makes you rage inside that they have been so overlooked for so long!
And the anger of the Hawaiian people too. And as you move from country to country you begin to see that so many of us are feeling the same....sick of the way the world is at present, wanting desperately to change it, knowing that we HAVE to!
Yes, it's ironic that one of the world's richest corporate businessmen is now in charge of this wondrous site, but maybe...just MAYBE..he was 'meant' to buy Myspace for a purpose that even he never dreamt of. Perhaps even Rupert Murdoch is having his eyes opened in a way he never has before! MAYBE...even HE is tuning in and watching...watching as the Native Americans begin to link with others around the world, taking their wisdom with them, as the indigenous peoples of the planet begin to stand up and say "ENOUGH!"....as we all begin to realise that actually, we are all ONE PEOPLE!
And it is happening through their music Ralph!
There have been three phrases I've seen recently in Myspace which won't leave my head:
"Turning one voice into millions" "We are all in this together"
And....
"Nothing changes if nothing changes"
I'm afraid that I have come to realise that there is a certain element within the English Traditional world which *wants* nothing to change, in any way whatsoever. But it IS changing...and you cannot stop it. BUT...it is changing for the better! British music should be known about on the other side of the world, just as people's music over there, should be known about, discussed and played over here. Myspace gives the world that opportunity! AND...it is a golden opportunity, not just for Rupert to make more money from advertising, but for millions of others, in a very different way.
If you don't want to know, fair enough. But I'd say it is unfair to do all in your power to put people off. Tell them the anxieties you have by all means, but then let people make up their own minds and explore deeper. The legal advice on this page comes from just one person, I believe. There is no way that we know that it is correct, any more than we know that it is not. These are all just opinions.
With great respect Richard, I'm sure there are thousands of lawyers who have perused Rupert Murdoch's contracts with a magnifying glass, month after month, before advising their clients to put their music up on site.
I'm with Jed Marum on this one. See his posts above.
Oh....and TALKING of Jed....I found his music yesterday and it is wonderful!! Yesterday afternoon Jed was in my living room...hour after hour....and he lives in Texas! But we were playing his music over and over. Take a listen to 'Soul Of A Wanderer'...it will bring tears to your eyes, the way that Jed sings it...such tenderness!
...and all I know Ralph, is that my world would be that little bit less bright if I'd not found Jed's music, and way darker if I had not found Vinnie's. And each time this happens, another star is lit, another light comes on in my life....and I pass those lights on to my children too.
Would I ever want to lose the sheer *beauty* of the section of the human race that I have found, which lies within Myspace?