Why is this man laughing?

[Joseph Brooks]

At 03:58 PM 4/4/96 EST, someone wrote:

>I guess there are two ways of looking at it.  Maybe it's good that
>Eric can at least keep up the pretense of humor over no new BOC
>album.  Better that than dwelling in melancholy.  On the other hand,
>one can also see it as a sardonic joke, that he's laughing at us for
>keeping our hopes up for so long.  Not a very pleasant prospect.

I may' ve mentioned this before but at the New Years show in San Juan
Capistrano, Ca., I spoke (in the dark!) to the guitar tech and he told me
that a new album had actually been recorded and was 'ready to go' but had
not been released yet due to (he didn't say.. label search? Your guess is as
good as mine..) I don't know how close the guy was to the band, I assumed he
was their regular guitar guy but who knows.. Maybe he was either feeding me
a line or was just plain full of sh*t.. You decide.


>reasons, I'm also afraid].  I've said it again and again:  they need
>to forget the possibility of radio airplay.  The few BOC songs that
>made it as popular hits, did so in spite of themselves.  Rather than
>lukewarm tunes that pander to radio-land, the BOC would be better off
>in releasing some real bone-crushing heavy stuff.  Roll the dice and
>take their chances on fan loyalty from the old guard.  There's still

Amen brother.. and if the new stuff was up to snuff, it would eventually
take off given half a chance. I believe the talent is still there.. The
creativity may be another story.


>enough of us out there, and they might even rope in a few young
>metalheads.  Forget my usual pessimism--BOC is still a formidable
>force to be reckoned with.  The playing skills and the art of
>presentation still exist.  BOC needs some truly dynamic songwriting.
>If they can't do it themselves anymore without Albert's input [I
>always seem to evoke Coleridge's imagery here] then find it
>elsewhere.  There are probably a few songwriters out there who would
>GIVE them a song or two [probably the only way EB would take a song
>anyway!] just to see them back on their feet.   The ironic thing is,
>if todays young headbangers could be transported bgack to the 70s to
>a BOC concert, they'd be instant lifelong converts.  Dudes, be true
>to your heritage.  Give US what we want, forsake the radio/MTV
>wasteland.  Play it, and they will come...

I don't think they should try to pander to the young metal crowd either. I
mean, their main audience has got to be over thirty.. Besides, I find the
though of 40+ year olds playing to a bunch of screaming teenagers rather
pathetic (witness one Ozzy Osbourn). I think the best bet would be for them
to make music that THEY like and that they enjoy playing (not forgetting
their roots of course). Any craft, be it music, fiction, stand up comedy..
is always best when its created by the artist FOR the artist and not with
dollar signs in mind.

If they did this and it turned out good, it would most likely be succesful,
if it wasn't good then maybe they've had it after all...
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