06 08 04 + 8 - 10 First response..

Some of you will have copies of the albums now ...

... I hope they live up to your expectations. We all realised the track numbering problem on NYPP was a bind but the other problems we had between re-mastering and manufacture meant we didn't have the time (or the technology) to fix so we went with the way it is. It also meant Someone to Talk To and Five Minutes (abridged) made it on to the second live set. Originally, they were going to be dropped, FM because of its truncated form on the tape we had and Someone to Talk To because it brought back painful recording memories for Mark and Ralph - maybe Mark can give you the full story on his blog sometime. Anyway, I think the heavy quality of the CD certainly reminds me of what it was like to see the Oppos live.

While its been so hot and difficult to work, I've been rediscovering books and I can heartily recommend "The Revolution Will Not be Televised" by Joe Trippi He was the campaign manager for Howard Dean in the US Democratic nomination race. It was the campaign that shook things up a bit by using the net to involve and organise ordinary people. Having worked for an organisation that used to be about individual involvement and action but moved to a more "professional" lobbying-based approach - part of the reason I left, that and the payoff of course - I really hope this approach catches on and politics returns to being about people and getting involved. I guess I'm too romantic about it all but talking about it with mates, we all feel totally disenfranchised by what Trippi terms transactional politics, what we still call sleaze I guess. I'm reduced to voting against things rather than for anything and, stealing a quote from the west wing, having to choose between the lesser of ..who cares! I'm sure I used to feel more connected, more involved, more like it was important.

Bloody hell, that was a bit serious wasn't it. Sorry, fell into rant mode a bit there. I guess what's more relevant here is the idea of using the net to create communities of interest. I hope that RBR can become about that - a community of people who like music, I guess. Here's to hoping!

No comments yet:


Name:  
Remember personal info?

Email:
Comment:Emoticons / Textile

  ( Register your username / Log in )

Notify: Yes, send me email when someone replies.  

Small print: All html tags except <b> and <i> will be removed from your comment. You can make links by just typing the url or mail-address.