Jambands.com - Need We Say More?

Coyote September 20, 2012, 23:41:46

The priceless thing about JP 76 is the incredible irony of a douche bag that just doesn’t get it… yeah there was a part two to that story and three but I figured why waste it on assholes who don’t even know how to listen… and hear only what they want to hear because they have an agenda… let’s see while I was at Laguna Seca you were maybe at Flock of seagulls or haircut 100? To each his own, here is a roadmap: the people with the Kmart peace signs around their necks and hostility towards nonconformists (no tiedye) we’re supposed to be the cool ones….. and the cops turned out to be cooler than them ….. I have never picked a fight with anybody in my life but you choose to believe what you choose to believe and you believe Johnny’s bullshit story about me attacking David and him putting his hands on me and me hurting some girl ——what a fucking crock!!!!! I made friends that particular weekend at Laguna Seca that are my best friends to this day because we all have something in common —-we love music and we have mutual respect. so ,be John’s little sycophant and ignore his puzzling behavior-it’s easier that way…. you never want to watch how the sausage is made….. oh hey ask your little buddy John after I supposedly assaulted David and injured some small girl was I arrested? if not well then why not? because he’s a desperate person taking desperate measures to cover his desperate ass… oh what’s that I heard the five-minute a timer go off… really cool that Johnny featured a picture of those Cuisinarts out in the desert that chop up the fucking Eagles and Redtail’s, all in the name of saving the planet! a picture of those diced up birds would’ve been much better if you want to really change something… occupy a library! oh yeah before I go forever I was just wondering does Nick danger wear a caution tape bowtie?

Coyote September 20, 2012, 22:09:45

Yes I did make one mistake I said slander when I meant to say libel-yeah but who cares ..we all know what the truth is, those who do not care about the truth are content to just be sycophantic pawns in an ever growing web of lies and deceit…. you still don’t get it or are still pretending not to get it because you refuse to acknowledge that the issue is your fucking fans (EX !) being lied to ,lied about ,insulted and repeatedly being dismissed as unimportant in this equation …..very nice touch Mr. peace and love. Very typical behavior of a serial abuser—-poke someone in the eye and then tell them it’s their fault for walking into your finger….. Here is how it works KooK…: when a deranged bully makes a move for you, you blast him as hard as you can in the beak… and then go back to your peaceful life away from his lower life form energy….. too bad —you had a chance to be a real dude but instead ,Took the opportunity to double ,triple ,and quadruple down on being disingenuous and abrasive to those who have done nothing more than be the ones who make it possible for you to even play a goddamn instrument and be a ‘hundredaire’living on Haterade and bowls of Bitchflakes. Your apology reads like the guy that hits you in the eye and says hey I’m sorry thatyour eye hurt my hand ! Oh ,glad to see that on your record you feature a picture of those gigantic turbines that you think are saving the planet while they make eagles and Redtails look like they’ve been through a Cuisinart ,once again so completely out of touch … Word on the street is that you lost a hell of a lot of fans bro and they were willing to give you a chance to pull it together but now it’s too late.. Well this visit with the leader of Absurdistan hasn’t been very fruitful … and very fucking tedious…. if you ever pull it together ,well you know where to find me since you know who I Am… The five-minute egg timer just went off…. hey have you sold many of those F.U.N.Y. wife beaters yet? See how helpful I can be with creative ideas? You’re welcome…. pS isn’t relax a Frankie goes to Hollywood song?

me September 20, 2012, 16:37:07

@ smile… meds not working i guess, huh? First you’re not sure of their name, then you “know them well”, now they’re a one hit wonder… geez, I’ve seen them once and I know Low and Cornflake Girl… (think both tunes are great)... then I listened to the show I mentioned and thought it was good… after all of this, should they make it back to the Rochester, NY area… I’ll probably go see them just for the sake of it (missed them playing in Canandaigua this past summer… 5 minutes from my house… thanks to Phish…). But, you are right they are certainly not Neil Young… and I believe that is what started this whole dialog… but, because you see Neil as someone much better, how does that play into the simple fact that Johnny has a polar opposite view from Neil when it comes to music piracy… and to be clear, my original argument wasn’t to defend Johnny’s point, or rant… in fact, it was to point out what I saw as his being wrong.

toby e. September 20, 2012, 16:21:13

Cavalier: Showing a lack of proper concern; offhand.

toby e. September 20, 2012, 16:37:25

Cavalier: Showing a lack of proper concern; offhand. Once again, a back-handed rant. The only one who has been CAVALIER is you. You cant find it in yourself to give a PROPER apology. Are you worried you are going to somehow sully your rock n’ roll posturing.
You act as though you’re some kind of salt-of-the-earth PIED PIPER visionary who is a spokesman the new youth paradigm. Wake up. They don’t need a hot-headed megalomaniac to show them the way… “They’re quite aware of what they’re going through”...
Good luck to you and your fans…

JP76 September 20, 2012, 15:30:26

@Coyote, somehow I don’t quite believe your Laguna Seca story. Based on your earlier posts I would say it’s far more likely that you’re the one who initiated any confrontation. Why would such an angry person even go to a Dead show anyway?

Bab's Uvula September 18, 2012, 15:41:56

Neil Young should apologize to anyone that’s ever been subjected to his crappy music. I’ve heard better guitar manglers on a Thursday night at the local gulp and blow, and his “singing” sounds like a cat getting strangled.

smile September 18, 2012, 15:55:37

umm ya what are you 12 years old Bab’s uvula
you dont know shit .
cracker sucks i wouldnt download that crap for free . Neil young is a legand that David Lowery will never be

Satchmo September 18, 2012, 16:35:42

I saw Cracker open for another band once and they sucked so badly I felt bad for them. Pure and simple jealousy – Crazy Horse is just great rock-n-roll. You know – after those nasty comments I no longer feel bad for Cracker as they truly suck.

DrasticJasper September 18, 2012, 16:50:28

Well I like both bands but Neil is sort of right they don’t play modern rock on the radio it’s all crap like green day and black eyed peas…even the classic rock stations just play freebird and money over and over and over…then again less succesful working bands do need the income from sales…David lowery is a class act though nice guy I see both sides to this one

dk70 September 18, 2012, 16:57:25

They should change their name to “Crapper”.

Cloudy Knight September 18, 2012, 17:34:55

I have lost all respect for Bab’s Uvula. That someone who actually reads Jambands.com thinks like that is beyond understanding to me. I don’t know, Babs, but I do know this. Neil Young’s career would be the envy of nearly every musician on the planet.

awg September 18, 2012, 17:44:00

I like Cracker and love Neil. Let’s just say Neil isn’t the most consistent voice on the subject (or any subject). You can find plenty of conflicting statements from Neil about tapers and tape trading. A decade ago he was whining that he couldn’t play unreleased songs anymore in concert because of tapers. He’s clearly changed his tune there since he played several tracks this summer from Psychedelic Pill, which won’t be out until October.

Sinbad September 18, 2012, 19:13:57

Neil is right; the old paradigm does not work. The acts with the largest revenue take are those who play live. The “new CD” is simply a required loss leader. Pretty simple Cracker front man.

Nick Danger September 18, 2012, 21:18:14

Anybody that knows a shite about the radio business knows Neil is 100% right….do you think any corporate conglomerate radio station or station group in the USA will play the likes of a new Neil Young or a new Cracker tune? Not likely as stations (alas very very few) break any new music of any kind….so perhaps “piracy” is not the best term to define the new normal, but it is nonetheless the right concept….and btw, Neil knows a thing or two about getting his numerous varieties of album styles heard around the globe….why does Paul McCartney come on stage during Neils show to sing “Day in a Life” with him?.....because he sucks??? No, because he’s a musical force, just like McCartney. So Cracker, apology accepted. Now go sell some records…...

Shaun September 18, 2012, 22:35:33

Apparently, this idiot from Cracker doesn’t know about Neil’s driving fuel efficient, more environmentally safe cars? It’s not his best album, but maybe this guy should listen to Neil’s recent Fork In the Road album, which is all about that. He certainly doesn’t half the talent Neil does… The day goddamned Cracker makes an album that’s half as good as any of Neil’s, maybe then he can judge the guy. Sure, Neil’s had some duds. He’s been in the business for five decades. But he’s also had more stellar efforts than Cracker will ever see. Neil Young’s a legend. David Lowery’s a nobody.

Johnny Hickman September 19, 2012, 01:45:51

Hey, read a little more carefully folks. ( I am a huge Neil Young fan by the way). David did not say anything about Neil’s stance on piracy, I did so quit harshing him about it. I was perhaps a little too hot headed in my post it but still stand by my opinion that a man with a net worth of $65,000,000 that he made SELLING music should not be pontificating about music piracy being a good thing. It hurts every indie band out there. It’s actually okay to disagree with your heroes people.

Johnny Hickman September 19, 2012, 02:05:17

And for the record (pay attention now) I completely agree with Mr. Lowery when he states: “I’m not against casual non-profit sharing of files among fans. I draw the line when it becomes a for-profit business. for example in the case of ‘file lockers’ or ‘cyber lockers’ which are for profit businesses that make their money from advertising and ‘premium’ faster downloads. These companies make millions a year and share nothing with the artists.”

Nick Danger September 19, 2012, 08:37:38

Neils a smart guy besides being a great musical talent, and has always been smart with whatever $$ he has made…he also did didnt piss away a fortune like so many others on booze, drugs, and babes….he invested the money he made and also spent a few million of his own $$ buying back an entire album release that he felt the record company released with sub-par sound….. Factor in the founding of the Bridge School and its continued ongoing growth and funding, and I think Neil earns a spot on the smart person list. His comments on the “death” of radio are, if anything, a decade or more overdue…..“piracy” and “in-elegant” term as Mitt Romney might say….is in fact, organically true…..if you have no organized free commercial outlets anymore, then how does music proliferate and grow….well, like it or not, its by people sharing it in digital form, or by your band getting up on stage and touring like the old days when avcts made money on the road, and not in the studio….and oh yeah, you had better be able to play live and rock the house too…...

Bab's Uvula September 19, 2012, 08:42:38

Did I ever say I liked Cracker? Did I even mention them? Or David Lowery? I don’t even know who they are. Or who he is. I merely voiced my opinion about Neil Young. Stop hyperventilating and calm the fuck down, will ya? Sheesh…

Joe Shooner September 19, 2012, 09:51:31

Hi Johnny – Just wanted to say that the I love the guitar intro to St. Cajetan. THAT’s music worth paying for. For what it’s worth, Neil is an old man and probably doesn’t give much of a damn anymore about being misunderstood – but what I take from his statement is that “piracy” is the only way people these days become aware of new music because radio is pretty well done for. This isn’t really any different than when we used to make mix tapes, or dub somebody’s copy of an album – but it is a lot faster and, as you pointed out, it opens the door for people who have no right to the revenue.

Mike Sausser September 19, 2012, 10:02:40

Cracker like 99% of other bands needs to work hard to make a little money. The mere mention of Neil’s name will sell out a large concert hall. Just because you are legend and your best music was made in the 70’s, does NOT make you correct. (I’m a fan of both)

DANERKATOR September 19, 2012, 10:11:30

O.K. Cracker is not the greatest band but lowery has his american rights to speak what he wants etc. That is why this is such a great country. (i mean look at pussy riot for instance). Anyhow my issue with neil young is his fuckn ticket prices wtfuck u suck i will not pay over 35 dollars to see u and crazyhorse. Our economy is fucked lower your ticket prices u rich hippie fuck!!!! Any your new album sucks btway!!

Johnny Hickman September 19, 2012, 12:50:27

Hey Shaun, I applaud Neil for both his philanthropy AND his music, always have. The difference here is that I actually BOUGHT his music. Every item. So did millions of other people because HIS heyday was back in the days when that was the norm. Most people actually had a moral compass back then and supported musicians. He’s a vastly wealthy individual who backed Ronald Reagan and now charges ridiculously high ticket prices for his shows AND his box sets in an abysmal economy. Do your homework. By the way, Cracker allow tapers at our shows…always have. We give some of our music away when WE see fit which is how it should be for all artists. I’m good friends with members of some of the biggest Jam bands on the planet and trust me, they agree. I’ll always love Neil’s music but I disagree with his stance on piracy. It’s the “I got mine so screw you” model. Hmmm…...sounds a lot like one of the men running for office doesn’t it? So before you go bashing my band that you have probably never even heard put the bong down and actually read what’s written. Peace and love, Johnny Hickman

me September 19, 2012, 13:02:00

Wow… I think there a some closed-minded folks out there… I’ll start with you Johnny Hickman… while I get your point about Neil being rich, you seem to decide the line in the sand is the hey-day of music released on album/cd/whatever media, when there was a lot of money to be made… why not choose the line from PRIOR to that time (when an artist starved), just as Young is choosing a line that is AFTER that time. I don’t know exactly what Neil said, nor was I in his mind to confirm that he meant to sound the way in which you understood him… perhaps the thoughts and words didn’t match exactly what was meant? I don’t see Neil as someone without a concern for others, including musicians working hard every day just to make ends meet. Personally, if I were following my dreams in the manner that you are, then I might want to hear what Neil is saying, which to me seems more about the state of getting music out, than about stealing it… because, if you can’t get it out to an audience, how are you going to make money selling CDs? To me, it seems the music industry is in a state of flux, of which you could be on the forefront of new solutions, rather than arguing things that are not going to change (my apologies for such a slap of reality but you must know that to be true, even if you don’t like it). There were many musicians robbed blind prior to the 1970’s when the record industry made everyone rich… that issue was solved by perseverance… place your ambition, rage and hard work in that direction and you may find it was worth it…. I don’t mean to sound demeaning, I truly love music, from giants in the industry to the most local of musician… and I realize I can’t enjoy it if you can’t eat, or pay for gas… I wish you and all struggling artists the best… and I’m sure Neil would say the same!

Joe Shooner September 19, 2012, 13:10:04

It’s also entirely possible that the key point of his statement was the “let them hear the 95% of it.” Neil has been a strong proponent of high definition digital music, so perhaps what he was saying is, “people are getting their music digitally now, and that’s super, but we need to work it so that they aren’t just getting mp3s.” Just a thought.

Shawn C. September 19, 2012, 13:19:04

I love both Cracker and Neil Young. But, I have to side with Cracker on this one. I understand what Neil was getting at, but I strongly disagree with the concept that artists no longer should retain the right to sell their music and make money of it. Copying music and uploading it to file sharing networks is NOT radio. It’s theft by devaluation. As far as radio goes, yes, commercial FM radio is done. Stick a fork in it. You’re not going to hear any new music there. But there are thousands of Internet radio stations that do stream new music all the time. Some of them even pay royalties to SoundExchange like they are supposed to. Look, many of us have no problem paying for the concerts, tee shirts, Internet access, iPods, whatever. Why can’t we throw the artist a few extra bucks by paying for their recordings? Isn’t that music in your car worth anything to you? I know it saves my sanity on most days. And this idea that artists can make a bank from just playing live is largely a fallacy. The reality is that very few, if any artists will ever have the chance to make the kind of money Neil Young has made. The least we can do is help them try to make a living at what they do for us.

Nico Bjornson September 19, 2012, 13:33:25

First off, let’s consider the messages and not take positions based on “their music sucks” or “he’s a rock legend.” Fuck that, and fuck the music “industry” that has created and profited greedily from the sweat and hard work of all musicians — Neil Young, Cracker, Johnny Hickman, David Lowery, etc., not to forget ALL blues artists and Little Richard. Fuck also all those that have the belief that art and music should be free or “I’m too poor to buy it, so I’ll take it.” You pay for water, you pay for food, you pay rent and, in fact, you even pay for air. Pay for your art and music. Young’s statements, which he is free to make, are reckless and uninformed as to their impact on the public — especially from a “legend” in his own time. Yes, the music business model doesn’t work. Yes, there needs to be a fair and reasonable method for songwriters and artists to be compensated AND to be heard. No, we don’t need generations of entitled persons taking from those that create without giving back. Young, as well as Tom Petty (both artists whose work I enjoy immensely) have lost sight of their principles as they’ve risen to the top of the music food chain. Petty, I refused to pay $200 more dollars to see your last tour. You’ve gotten enough of my money. Young, this Bud’s for you. Hickmand and Lowery, I can live on Cracker(s) and you both get my hard earned money and respect.

Johnny Hickman September 19, 2012, 14:07:54

@ “me” Trust me I am fully aware of the new paradigm and challenges of getting music to the people. I’ve been doing this for 30+ years and making a living at it for 21 so please don’t call me “closed minded” simply because I oppose blatant thievery. The idealist in me believes that there is a way for artists to receive compensation for their work. There is no reason other than corporate greed to go backward to a time when that did not happen. None of us (that I know anyway) are expecting to be millionaires. We just want to make enough to pay our bills and keep making music. I am fortunate enough to have lots of wonderful, honest fans that are more than happy to pay the reasonable fees we charge for our music and tickets to our shows. I am more than encouraged by companies like Kickstarter and Stage-it that are becoming the new models for helping artists get their music made and their performances seen with an overhead cost that is within their budget. The old model is gone and of course, a new design is forming as we write these words. This bodes well for the many VERY talented young bands and musicians I know and frequently work with. I firmly believe that art in all of it’s forms should only be free when the artists decides to give it away….which we do often. There is most certainly a way for that to happen, it’s just a matter of putting the nuts and bolts together to form the new machinery. Thanks for your input. Johnny Hickman

smile September 19, 2012, 14:36:47

free music is not just a new thing it use to happen with tape trading all the way back in the late 60’s .bands that let you tape the shows or music use to make it up by band exposure . the more people that get to listen to your music for free the more people will like your music. if it is good then they will spend money on the band one way or another .
all neil young is saying (it does not matter if you like him or not)that the internet is the new way to get exposure for your music .so if cracker or whatever this crappy band is named had any good music they could use the internet as a tool not as a handicap.
so all of you that think this is blatant thievery you really dont have a clue how bussiness really works .
good day

me September 19, 2012, 16:10:11

@Johnny… I say closed-minded only in that you came across as though you expect things to remain the same, when they clearly are not going to (and, it was even more directed at those who just wrote rude comments, without any real input… but I digress)... and after reading your reply, I think we were aiming in the same direction, just from different angles. I also want to be clear, I in no way support any music being stolen… I am a LONG time taper (since the 1980s) and have nothing but respect for the community of musicians who’ve allowed me to capture their art so I can enjoy and share it with others, with the only intent to get someone else to enjoy something… and maybe it ends up helping a struggling band make a few more bucks by turning on a new fan, or two (I was close friends with a national touring act through most of the 90s who never broke that glass ceiling to even be able to continue on, so I have some idea of the struggles you face). As for the piracy issue, while I don’t support it, the fact is that genie is out of the bottle and it’s not going back (from my viewpoint). It really has very little to do with music (just unfortunate that music is an easy target), it’s the fact of the digital age… reducing something to 0s and 1s and having a method of transferring that almost instantaneously to anywhere in the world is something I see no way of getting around… no matter how much I agree with you that it should be your choice to give it away. If that can be done, I’m all for it… but I truly don’t believe it can for the reasons I’ve stated. So, if you accept that (and maybe you don’t), then you have to step back and figure out how to get around that, yet still be compensated for your art. That is the tough issue though… while I don’t have the answers, I would say that that same digital technology that is taking away your art, must hold a promise for giving you back something… a simple example would be webcasting a night in the studio, $5 to watch a band you love working things out, yelling at each other, working a song out, etc… or sell the whole recording process where fans could pay $20, to tune in when they choose, and can catch glimpses of you going from ideas to completed songs… and then they get to download it. You’ve gotten paid, the fans have the music and maybe it turns into a reality series (just kidding… I hate reality shows)... these may be far fetched ideas, but hopefully it makes some type of point… Thanks for the reply and good conversation

me September 19, 2012, 16:29:19

@ smile… and all others who are ripping on a band that they obviously have no clue about… why not go to archive.org and listen to one of their shows… then, when you make some condescending comment about them, you will at least have had a listen first… They’ve allowed their shows there, so they obviously share and get the idea of sharing… there’s a 9/2/2012 show that sounds fantastic (aside from the monitor problem they were dealing with)... and, other than seeing them years ago at moe.down, I know very little about them… so, I’m not defending my favorite band… simply suggesting that you have some basis for comment (wouldn’t hurt to actually have a descent grip on what the point is too!) Ignorance is contagious!

JP76 September 19, 2012, 20:07:53

Now that the old music industry is rapidly nearing the end we can look back with the benefit of hindsight and see that the artists who first gained fame in the ’60s and ’70s, like Neil, were incredibly lucky to have started their music careers at just the right time. It looks like the era of musicians getting rich (or just making a living) primarily through sales of recorded music was just a 30-40 year aberration in the history of music. While Neil is certainly correct that free digital distribution, with or without permission, plays the same role as radio in decades past, it is a bit unseemly for someone who raked in fabulous wealth from the old system to speak about the new reality so cheerfully.

smile September 19, 2012, 20:16:20

@me….obviously you have no clue .i know this band they had a hit low .i know them very well i just dont think they are good sorry if you think that is condescending .
it’s just that Johnny Hickman is bitching about young when is not even on the same playing field as he is then this kid says the same thing on his comment here that neil young is saying .here is a quote from hicks from an above comment …We give some of our music away when WE see fit which is how it should be for all artists. ......isnt that what neil young said 95 % of his music he gives away .im sure you like licking this guys balls but please bottom line is produce good music put on a good show .people will show up

Steve Egelhoff September 19, 2012, 21:53:11

stealing is stealing. if someone gives their music away or allows it to be taped then great. but the bottom line is if you don’t pay for it you probably stole it. i am proud to say that i have paid for every single album, cd, or download i have. neil youngs after the gold rush was my second album purchased in about 1972 and crackers gentlemans blues was the last itunes purchase i made recently. neils going on tour and tickets are about $100.00 i saw cracker at campout east last may for $50 for 2 nights. i will be going to the next campout for my money. and paying for my music

Coyote September 20, 2012, 01:49:39

So Hickman ,in your wildest dreams what do you estimate your personal take would be in illegal downloads of your music…. let’s see at 2.35 cents per record—that’s $1.78! well …enough of this bogus topic —,which is just your version of corporate fluff, a transparent and obvious diversionary tactic designed to dispense a thick coat of shellac over a disgusting vile pile of crap which you formerly stood so proudly next to…... thanks for being the epitome of that guy you thought was cool from afar but after a brief encounter realize that he is the person you always tried to stay far away from. let’s recap: Neil Young doesn’t even know that you exist and states an obvious fact —about no music being on the radio and everybody is illegally downloading—-and you decide to go full nuclear option -with fighting words firing on all cylinders…. ageism-sexism -classism-racism even hurling some thinly veiled anti-gay insults at some of your former fans ,and then delete all of your disgusting rants -!!-and then try to reinvent yourself as the ‘cool’ guy that just wants to ‘chat ‘about how music is shared ….oh I get it , trying to stretch out that five minutes for all it’s worth , when you should have a set of headphones on and be practicing your vocals …yeah one can only imagine how much of that ‘Magical’ camp out money went to philanthropic endeavors,... but that’s right ,all of the other problems in the world have been solved and you’ve got this one crusade youre on: people who work hard ,pay their dues ,persevere and have boatloads of talent and anything else that you don’t have ,must be harassed…. If the guys in cracker had any sense they would take you out to Barstow and leave you at the Winchells where you could continue working on your low fiber diet….. self righteous nonsense!

Coyote September 20, 2012, 01:57:26

So Hickman ,in your wildest dreams what do you estimate your personal take would be in illegal downloads of your music..?.. let’s see at 2.35 cents per record—that’s $1.78! well …enough of this bogus topic —,which is just your version of corporate fluff, a transparent and obvious diversionary tactic designed to dispense a thick coat of shellac over a disgusting vile pile of crap which you formerly stood so proudly next to…... thanks for being the epitome of that guy you thought was cool from afar but after a brief encounter realize that he is the person you always tried to stay far away from. let’s recap: Neil Young doesn’t even know that you exist and states an obvious fact —about no music being on the radio and everybody is illegally downloading—-and you decide to go full nuclear option -with fighting words firing on all cylinders…. ageism-sexism -classism-racism even hurling some thinly veiled anti-gay insults at some of your former fans ,and then delete all of your disgusting rants -!!-and then try to reinvent yourself as the ‘cool’ guy that just wants to ‘chat ‘about how music is shared ….oh I get it , trying to stretch out that five minutes for all it’s worth , when you should have a set of headphones on and be practicing your vocals …yeah one can only imagine how much of that ‘Magical’ camp out money went to philanthropic endeavors,... but that’s right ,all of the other problems in the world have been solved and you’ve got this one crusade youre on: people who work hard ,pay their dues ,persevere and have boatloads of talent and anything else that you don’t have ,must be harassed…. If the guys in cracker had any sense they would take you out to Barstow and leave you at the Winchells where you could continue working on your low fiber diet….. self righteous nonsense!

Johnny Hickman September 20, 2012, 02:19:12

@ Smile. So you know only one song of ours and are completely unaware of the fact that we have performed and recorded with bands like Leftover Salmon and Widespread Panic to name just a few of our good friends in the business. You seem very negatively opinionated for someone who really has no concept of my band or what we are about. That’s perfectly fine with me as we have plenty of great fans that come to all of our shows and yes….actually pay the modest price we ask for our music. Why so mean spirited? Bad week at work? Relax and enjoy life brother. Peace and love, Johnny

Johnny Hickman September 20, 2012, 02:31:56

Hey “Coyote” hiding behind your anonymity here. What drug induced you to make up this rabid string of untrue crap? I had a gay brother who died in my arms and am the last person on earth to make any anti gay statements much less racist. You should be ashamed of yourself for blatantly lying on this thread. And by the way, the annual Cracker-Camper Van Beethoven Campout usually just breaks even with the overhead costs…it’s something we do for our fans. Relax dude.

Coyote September 20, 2012, 03:46:18

So John ,how weak ,sad ,and pathetic…. And completely unnecessary: the insinuations …the pro wrestling like posturing… the false premise that you continue to cling to… the blatant disregard for the facts of your own behavior… resorting once again to the schoolyard bully -like name calling…. the absurd accusations… the’ “I am the victim here ‘....act…. the pathological lying…. the duplicitous abuse of people…. the utter disregard for the interests of the other band members…. claiming that I am hiding or just dishonest in someway —when your disingenuousness can be so easily verified by the postings that you have now secreted away from public view.!!!... so you can continue on with your name calling and silly banter designed to change the narrative —-while this whole thing can just go away by simply owning what you have done ,and backing away from this authoritarian“you did not see what you saw”.....“David says this David says that”...”. call down calm down calm down”.... “I will get to decide who likes whos comments and who gets to exercise free will”.... all just pathetic diversions away from something that is so easily proven by showing all of your stupid pathetic postings…. insulting your goddamn fans nonetheless what a douche… so I realize time is ticking for you that five minutes is damn near up…. maybe you still have that big trench coat from ‘‘the unforgiven”, you’re going to need it soon because nobody wakes up in the morning and says hey I think I’ll go out and get some cancer today!! Post all the shit and prove that I am a liar !!fuck you

Coyote September 20, 2012, 03:49:08

Hey Sean you are so right bro right on

morst September 20, 2012, 03:58:47

gosh coyote, are you always this argumentative? What set you off here, JH’s attitude, his opinion, your opinion of his music, or something else? I don’t look forward to partying with you any time soon at this rate. ~morsty

Johnny Hickman September 20, 2012, 04:04:37

PS: I readily admit I was over reactive in my statement about Neil and apologize for my strong words but not for speaking my mind on the subject. A man worth 65 million that he made SELLING music should not be condoning thievery. As I said, I have always loved most of his music and certainly applaud his philanthropy. I just disagree strongly with his stance on piracy. So do many thousands of other musicians who unlike Neil, are just trying to get started. Do you work for free? Of course not….they should not have to either. I make a decent living playing music and try to help young bands get a start. They can’t afford to tour yet and selling their music is one of the only ways they can survive as bands. Are you really so mean spirited as to wish to deny them that opportunity? If that were the case back in Neil’s heyday we never would have been graced with his amazing body of work. Flaming me for something I said on my own band site is pretty out of line. It’s my site and I am entitled to speak my beliefs on my own turf wouldn’t you agree? I don’t hide behind a mask of anonymity to do so as you are here. Take that as a dare to reveal your identity or your words hold not a drop of water. Peace and love.

Johnny Hickman September 20, 2012, 04:28:25

Aha! Coyote (fits) you ARE the very drunk, abusive guy I had thrown out of that show last year for trying to pick a fight with David!!! I just reread your troll drool from the Cracker page and it proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Now we know who you are you vindictive coward. You actually knocked over a very small female friend of ours doing it too!! This explains a lot. Good luck pal. JH

Coyote September 20, 2012, 04:47:19

What, are you and morst sitting on each other’s laps…? once again back to the Same old tired act… are you listening to Sonny and Cher on a tape loop? the people I hang with take hatemongering very seriously and don’t tolerate it on any level….. I’m not going to play your sociopathic game with you that you’ve been getting away with your entire life , obviously, so once again poor little Johnnys a victim, and once again we just don’t get it because he’s all about peace and love, I especially liked the peace and love part on Facebook where you told one of your fans that because you didn’t like his opinion that he was a fucking shitty bass player wow how quaint! You are a classic manipulator… Again simple solution —just show the goddamn postings dick wad… never thought that I would wake up one day and take all the records that were my most prized and fly them off into a field… Yes you get it of course you get it but you are just going to stay the course and stick to your dumbed down narrative about hey it’s not what I said it’s what someone else’s saying.. of course most of us realize that you’re just doing the best that you can do… making the world a better place huh? Rowdy Roddy piper is way more entertaining!

Coyote September 20, 2012, 05:09:14

Very fresh! that’s the ticket get creative now John, so now you’ve demonstrated that you can take the false premise ,assign a time and place to it ,bring in some characters, create a dramatic action storyline, and bingo! You have created a soap opera!! congratulations now you’re getting the hang of it!! now isn’t that fun so much better than real life hate mongering… but wait in fictitious stories no characters resemble anyone that actually exists but uh oh… you just identified somebody in your story for committing a felony act, but wait this is getting confusing because a short while ago you said you had no idea who this person was, anyway looks like we’re going to have to see Mr. lawyer because you know how that slander can be a very sticky issue…. So glad to hear that your fantasies now include me….what a colossal load! better stick to practicing your vocals dumb fuck!

morst September 20, 2012, 05:16:10

>the people I hang with take hatemongering very seriously and don’t tolerate it on any level They must love you.

brentbest September 20, 2012, 05:38:07

I am a HUGE fan of both Neil and Cracker. Camper lead me to Cracker and Neil lead me to everyone! (well, no, just good shit like Camper and Cracker). But that doesn’t matter. I never took Neil saying “piracy is the new radio” as him condoning piracy. So why can’t we have a discussion? Ya’ll are fucking idiots like the rest of the world if we can’t talk about what all this means, which is what David and Johnny are trying to do. The one thing I’m absolutely sure of tonight is that ‘Coyote’ guy’s got issues…

Nick Danger September 20, 2012, 07:39:21

When all you dudes get tired of whipping each other here, lets get back to the core issue….no reasonable person condones “Piracy” ....its theft, ok, lets all agree on that. The concept Neil puts forth is that the end result (exposing the music) has moved from radio to file sharing. Radio is dead and has been for a while when you have a small handful of large companies (Clear Channel, Cumulus, etc) owning thousands of stations and controlling every minute they program….no room for innovation, breaking new music, free form / long form, etc…(find me a station that will play a 16 minute Crazy Horse jam…..?)
So enter the Internet and re-enter “Touring” / playing live / Bar / Club gigs etc…..most bands are miserable failures when it comes to using the web for their own benefit….some do it really well and can be used as examples for others….and really, it doesnt take much money anymore to put up a competent site that can get you and your music exposed…...
its like this, the market has changed…period, and its not going back….call it whatever you want, bands need to improvise, adapt, & overcome….not whine about the facts, take control of what you can control and use it for your bands benefit, get off your ass, and keep playing…...As my old pal Frank Zappa would tell them “Shut up and play yer guitar”......

GreggGAZ September 20, 2012, 08:13:11

Sorting out net piracy, or the recipe for gigglejuice, – it’s all possible,, but the rogue maladjusted malcontent with nothing to contribute other than hatred…that’s a viral disease without a cure.

Coyote September 20, 2012, 10:33:56

I remember being at a dead show at Laguna Seca, and at one point I was confronted by a group of Hacky- sackers, who told me that I had to turn my music off because it wasn’t Jerry, so I climbed back into the electric mayhem Muppet bus which we were traveling in and cranked up the Alpine tape deck to full volume, the Hacky-sackers grew ever more confrontational, at which point one of them attempted to jump on the bus and turn the music off himself, the thing that struck me about this is that I thought that everybody would like telephone free landslide victory at a fucking dead head show… but no other misinformed misguided hippies started to get physical, and then two Monterey County Sheriff deputies stepped in to calm down the fracas, as where the hell is Bill ?—blared in the background the two nice sheriff deputies asked me if everything was going to be okay from the seat of their car, I brought two gigantic avocados to each of them and thank them they asked me why was there a problem with that music I said that I didn’t know it’s just what I like to listen to -thought I was in America they motioned for me to come over to the car when I got there they asked me what the hell is wrong with people that they get so upset over music I said I didn’t get it I was just there to see the bands cook some grilled cheese sandwiches and have some fun…. Took the telephone free landslide victory tape out of the tape deck and put in black uhuru , same reaction….. oh well some people just don’t fucking get it and feel self-importance and self righteousness to the point that they don’t care about your personal space or personal rights, Glad that you have the Hakki sack set on your side Johnny, oh yeah and Nick nailed it it is true that some bands don’t know how to use their Facebook pages for their benefit ha ha, that’s why you won’t show what you put on there, oh and Sinbad had the most perfect message of all go back and read Sinbad… oh yeah in“Jeff Spicoli“voice peace and love dudes!!!

GreggGAZ September 20, 2012, 10:45:52

MotoGP at Laguna Seca > hackysack festival Music on the corkscrew, no less.

me September 20, 2012, 12:00:18

@ smile… look, now you’re just being a little douche bag… perhaps you can’t read… but here, try again… I’VE SEEN THE BAND ONCE, 10 YEARS AGO... I KNOW LITTLE ABOUT THEM... so ball licking ain’t exactly what I’m doing… and, IN YOUR OWN WORDS “so if cracker or whatever this crappy band is named had any good music they could use the internet as a tool not as a handicap” WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU DON’T KNOW WHO THEY ARE... but then again, maybe you just can’t write either…

me September 20, 2012, 12:13:09

Wow, Coyote… you ever hear the saying “the pot calling the kettle black?”... Yeah… you are the pot… From your rants, I would have thought that someone was addressing you with this quote “oh well some people just don’t fucking get it and feel self-importance and self righteousness to the point that they don’t care about your personal space or personal rights”... you are wound tighter than top… even if everything you say is 100% accurate, let it go, breath… save that hate for something that is reasonably matched to it…

john September 20, 2012, 14:31:58

I hear new music on FM radio everyday. Saying it’s “dead” just because of digital distribution is ignorant.

smile September 20, 2012, 14:51:22

@me ….really come on jack wagon . they have one hit one song thats half way decent that the radio beat to death .lets face it cracker is not even on the same planet as neil young.enough said

Johnny Hickman September 20, 2012, 15:03:52

Hey, I apologize to Neil AND all of his fans for my “uncharacteristic” outburst the other day. The truth is that I have just about every record he ever released and think he’s one of the best songwriters of his or any other generation. Live At Massey Hall is one of the most timelessly amazing records I have ever PURCHASED….yes, emphasis on PURCHASED. I feel I have a right to be upset with Neil’s cavalier attitude about a very serious subject but was clearly letting my anger cloud my judgement in the manner in which I expressed my opposition. Perhaps I should have simply put quill to parchment and written: “Dear Mr. Young, I unalterably oppose your viewpoint sir!” Then he could have slapped me with his glove and challenged me to a proper, gentlemanly dual at dawn and all of this unfortunate brouhaha could have been avoided. Once again, sorry to Neil and fans.

quantumarchivist September 21, 2012, 14:40:07

Lets get back to the real discussion on this thread. I have read all the posts. First off i have mixed feelings. Johnny has every right to speak his mind. Whether it be a post or a video that one condemns this is a country of free speech. Even coyotes ego filled wrath. Having recorded and worked with bands in both audio and video i understand this problem daily. As a videographer the only way to make even a dime at filming live shows is to post on youtube and monetize music that isn’t yours(ie its the artist) as google makes bank and send change for the effort. I have for years been struggling with getting music to places people watch it or don’t share as others make profit. I have yet at this point not monetized any. People, thanks to youtube ,no longer pay for video unless a live stream or webcast. Artists want video of any quality uploaded and recorded for free. They think of us as “super fans” with no life waiting for a big air high five. I totally get that they also do not profit from video so they kiss ass or accept lame video as any press or video posted is better then what they do not have. So its not just artists that are hurting because of piracy. that being said i agree with Neil more then John. The internet is the radio of this generation. This is where they go to listen to it and maybe sometimes purchase it. Lets remember that Neil didn’t create an average 45 minutes worth of music that at some point was $18. The price point of cd’s and ticket pricing in my mind added to why people then choose to download/steal. Here is my point though. In today’s music game the people that get paid don’t play instruments. Think about it. A label no longer puts up lets say $250,000 for a band when they can pay a producer the same money and get six potential top playing songs by different artists. Those type of artists mostly way young get paid even though people download their music just as much or more. So, friends the answer is (like Ive told older artists for years) is to play live. The days of touring with your recording and then kicking back for years are over. If you don’t play live often you and your music will be not heard. I constantly tell fans to buy merch at the shows as this money goes directly to artsit on the road !! I understand that touring a lot of times is not profitable. That is where social media creativity comes in. I also like a lot what Phish is doing with the download of the show being included in the ticket price. A great way to get people to go. Or the video “coach tour” was another great creative example. There is a ton of great music out there. Its up to the artists to know get creative. Didn’t Radioheads give what you want work?? They watched people downloaded,steal it, and then buy it. Brilliant

Peter September 26, 2012, 11:24:19

I think one thing that people overlook is that many Americans and others world wide have had their jobs affected or become obsolete due to technology. That doesn’t make technology bad but artists and the industry need to move with the times just like every other industry and worker.

Adam September 26, 2012, 13:56:03

Johnny is a bit of a hypocrite, and was way out of line, and the humble Lowry corrected him. Probably b/c Lowry is a part owner of a recording studio in Richmond, Va. Cracker has a full studio at their disposal as well, and they are not poor, out of line Hickman!

timmy September 28, 2012, 10:04:54

For a gutter trash band like Cracker to even be put in the same sentence as Neil, is a slap in the face to music, and humanity.

dk70 September 28, 2012, 13:31:37

Whoa coyote, did you eat the left over brown acid at Laguna Seca, too?

Rico September 29, 2012, 19:23:52

What is Cracker? A Kid Rock cover band?

Zia October 3, 2012, 01:00:12

Johnny. I agree with you fully. Only thing I disagree with is you trying to make your very valid and clear point HERE. As in here on the Internet, you can’t win. Here, where you’re more than able to have your own opinion, but here where you’ll NEVER be allowed to have it. IMHO, cracker is one of the best bands around and I don’t even mean musically. So get back to what you do best. Quit trying to be all rational on the Internet. You’ll never succeed.

Zia October 3, 2012, 01:00:15

Johnny. I agree with you fully. Only thing I disagree with is you trying to make your very valid and clear point HERE. As in here on the Internet, you can’t win. Here, where you’re more than able to have your own opinion, but here where you’ll NEVER be allowed to have it. IMHO, cracker is one of the best bands around and I don’t even mean musically. So get back to what you do best. Quit trying to be all rational on the Internet. You’ll never succeed.

Joe October 9, 2012, 17:51:04

Hey guys – I like both bands, but I’m going with Neil here. MP3 downloads do what radio did in the 60s and 70s. Radio no longer fills that role – Youtube does. People back in the day taped music off the radio. If you wanted good sound, you bought your music. If you want something better than MP3 sound, you buy a CD or better yet albums.

curtis November 9, 2012, 12:27:40

i have pirated every neil young album ever released and i have purchased every cracker and camper album ever released. no joke. ever since circa 1989. i like both a lot. lets call it a deal, right johnny?

Dexter Redland February 25, 2013, 07:10:42

ok, i know it is considered tool-ish to respond on what is essentially a dead thread. 5 months since the last comment may as well be an old-school decade in these digital times. but as their 1,114th fan … i gotta weigh in on a couple three things…will prob never be read, but it makes me feel better. ne one dissing Cracker’s music loses credibility with ne one else who knows nething about music in that – even if ur not down with their style – they have THEIR OWN style. ne artists capable of creating that deserve a measure of respect, regardless. so any post trashing Cracker is a waste of zeros and ones. what is worse, though, is reading a post from someone who appears to maybe “get it” but then suggests to JH to “shut up and play ur guitar” – worse yet – quoting FZ instead of speaking direct …...and i bet “nick danger” isn’t even ur real name! ;-) ... this speaks to a general lack of respect that guitar players in general receive. you’ll note – no one has EVER said “just shut up and play your drums”....there were words of reason, thank God…..but no mention of a quote that NY gave to RS magazine years and years ago….that’s really what i wanna share – older interview- before the change…in searching i came across NY twitter-view in RS Oct 2012…..after reading this i guessing there is no way in the world this fella doesn’t appreciate JH n vice versa – not that i can speak for either, but JH already said as much from his perspective, and i heard one time that NY is the Canadian BD so moving on…. in the realm of artistic brotherhood JH was venting about something which he is passionate and i am not really sure why there was even a need for an apology. certainly his comments were not communicated with the accustomed clarity and grammatical precision…maybe tired? maybe lit? maybe both? even if that was the case NY would be the first to understand that, i’m sure. i don’t know for sure if NY responded to JH, probably just defensive fans of NY and former “fans” of JH & DL that are bitter and feel slighted because DL didn’t have time to banter about their already jaded, boring, tired views. “fans” seizing a chance to trash talk artists of integrity with a work ethic that is unrivaled to my knowledge (even while on a WELL DESERVED “winterbreak” the co-founders of Cracker are still busy doing what it is that they do with other projects old and new)... with “fans” like that, who needs critics? lol…..unable to locate that 20 something year old quote of NY’s but i did learn of PONO, which sounds like it could be pretty cool for listeners….anyway- what he said was this (paraphrased, obviously) he compared listening to a compact disc to a vinyl record as follows: listening to a CD is like looking out on a beautiful scene on a bright summer day through a perfectly clear pane of glass – it is exactly as it is – while listening to pressed vinyl is like opening the window, pulling down the screen, pressing your nose up against it and looking out on the same scene, but having the sunlight create the little rainbows between each woven square of metal screen thread – distorting the scene in an organic and beautiful way….i read that so many beers ago but it def has stuck – maybe PONO will be like walking outside and actually feeling “the warmth of the sun”...one can hope.

Brent Black March 21, 2013, 12:15:14

online etiquette 10-15 years ago was to NOT post/share official releases. mods and online communities actually self policed this policy. file sharing sites, faster connections, and private trackers knocked that concept right out the door. it was game changing when nugs.net came online with mp3 auds (for listening, not sharing of course). also etree.org was the beginning of the end for b&p’s sent off to the guys with tape decks or much more expensive cd burners. if you were really high tech or knew a taper you could trade dat’s if you had a player