| 18th October 2006 10:27 PM |
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| Poison Dart |
Rod Stewart hit #1 again with his rock karaoke album. How does shit like this sell, while "A Bigger Bang" barely sold 500k in the US?
Rod Stewart was great at one time. But, the man has clearly lost his fastball.
The Stones should work with whatever marketing team is behind the sales of this piece of shit album. |
| 18th October 2006 10:48 PM |
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| Soldatti |
The Songbook series has sold 8 million copies in U.S while his latest album with Virgin (Human) went to #50 in 2000 with less than 200k sold so far, Rod was fired from Virgin in 2001.
Since then he got 4 top 3 albums including 2 at #1 with the new label. |
| 18th October 2006 10:51 PM |
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| gotdablouse |
I take it Human was his last real "new album" ?
The fact that shit like his karaoke stuff sells is pathetic, but then that's what makes our current world go around, people buying crap ! |
| 19th October 2006 08:37 AM |
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| Green Tea |
I heard some of that Rod Stewart album driving to work today. It is eleavator music if I have ever heard it.
This crap makes James Blunt annd Justin Timberlake look like Led Zeppelin.
I would be embarrassed if I were Stewart. I don't care how many copies he sells. |
| 19th October 2006 10:00 AM |
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| jb |
He has outsold us. |
| 19th October 2006 10:08 AM |
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| Gazza |
Maybe Virgin should have 'fired' the Stones a few years ago as well....
Their latest album would probably have sold about 5 million by now |
| 19th October 2006 10:16 AM |
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| jb |
quote:
Gazza wrote:
Maybe Virgin should have 'fired' the Stones a few years ago as well....
Their latest album would probably have sold about 5 million by now
Virgin has done nothing to help the sales at all..we are at an all time low both in album sales and concert attendance. People are actually saying it was great that 30k made it out to the show!!! What a joke-30k in a 50-70k seat venue(s), which Dave Mathews sold out just last month!!!!!!!! |
| 19th October 2006 10:40 AM |
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| Saint Sway |
I thought he was supposed to put out an album of "Rock Classics"?? Its all elevator music.... Day After Day??? The Best Of My Love?? I'll Stand By You????
which reminds me...
MY FAVORITE OXYMORONS:
soft rock
true lies
extensive briefing
jump seat
flat busted
personal business
travel stop
homeless shelter
Rod Stewart... "Great Rock Classics Of Our Time"
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| 19th October 2006 10:41 AM |
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| voodoopug |
quote:
jb wrote:
Virgin has done nothing to help the sales at all..we are at an all time low both in album sales and concert attendance. People are actually saying it was great that 30k made it out to the show!!! What a joke-30k in a 50-70k seat venue(s), which Dave Mathews sold out just last month!!!!!!!!
Sadly, we live in an "American Idol" ("Pop Idol" for Gazza) society, and while I don't like it......two things are necessary for success in the music business today: Follow the trends (see Kareoke album) and promote the hell out of the record using modern technology (see: U2's Ipod promotion, Willie Nelson's Pot arrest, Rappers stabbing each other, Podcasts, etc) |
| 19th October 2006 11:09 AM |
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| glencar |
Rod does his publicity much better than the Stones. Firing by Virgin might be key. |
| 19th October 2006 11:36 AM |
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| voodoopug |
quote:
glencar wrote:
Rod does his publicity much better than the Stones. Firing by Virgin might be key.
agreed. Like his career choices or not, Rod Stewart does a fine job of promoting himself, and has done so for a long time. At a time when there were several groups doing the MTV unplugged, only a few became memorable or commercially successful. (Nirvana and Rod seem to be the ones that come to mind). He then released that songbook crap.....and reached a new audience who was willing to buy a lot of records of his. And now this new project has the smell of a commercially successful endeavor.
My wife and my father in law went to Rod's concert a couple of years back in Chicago and told me that it was a very entertaining show...to both of them, who have very diverse musical tastes. Rod is keeping himself current with a different audience.
Sadly, though, it seems that Rod has not treated Ian Mac poorly (see missing Hammond) |
| 19th October 2006 11:38 AM |
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| glencar |
Clapton had the most successful "Unplugged" CD. But yes, Rod does do the best publicity as I stated earlier. |
| 19th October 2006 11:50 AM |
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| voodoopug |
quote:
glencar wrote:
Clapton had the most successful "Unplugged" CD. But yes, Rod does do the best publicity as I stated earlier.
Thank you, that was a terrible ommission on my part. |
| 19th October 2006 11:52 AM |
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| glencar |
Yes, I was ashamed for you. You're still off your game. What gives? |
| 19th October 2006 11:58 AM |
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| voodoopug |
quote:
glencar wrote:
Yes, I was ashamed for you. You're still off your game. What gives?
I have to go for a painful ocular topography exam today and am not looking forward to it. Also, the Mrs. is quite agitated with our 2 year old.....that means I must experience her wrath! |
| 19th October 2006 12:06 PM |
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| glencar |
What's wrong with you? |
| 19th October 2006 12:10 PM |
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| voodoopug |
quote:
glencar wrote:
What's wrong with you?
http://www.nkcf.org/
FAQs
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
These questions and answers have appeared in Dr. Arthur Epstein's "Ask the Doctor" column of the NKCF Newsletter. If you have questions, send them to: [email protected]
Q: Can I still wear soft lenses if I have keratoconus?
A: Soft contact lenses work well in early keratoconus. In more advanced disease they will do no harm but they may not provide adequate visual correction. Some clinicians feel that the comfort and the elimination of scaring with soft lenses may outweigh the visual benefits of rigid lenses.
Q: I am going on 58 and have worn glasses for near-sightedness most of my life, I was diagnosed with keratoconus. My doctor has recommended contact lenses but I've never worn them before and I'm worried that I may not be able to handle them at my age.
A: Give contact lenses a try. Handling lenses is far less difficult than you would imagine and the improvement in your vision is likely to be substantial. Make sure that you find a contact lens specialist who is patient and willing to take the time needed to properly train you to care for your lenses.
Q: I've had transplant surgery and I've been told to expect changes in my vision for many months. How long should it take before my eye to stabilize and is the astigmatism likely to get better or worse as my eye continues to heal? Also, will I need contact lenses after surgery?
A: Healing and refractive results vary tremendously from patient to patient making it difficult to predict results for any one patient. There is also no way to know if a contact lens will be necessary until your eye is stable. In addition to contact lenses and glasses several adjunctive surgical procedures can be performed to reduce post transplant astigmatism if needed.
Q: What is difference between keratoconus and "common" astigmatism and what do the numbers mean ?
A: Astigmatism is a common condition where the curvature of one or more of the optical surfaces of the eye (the cornea and lens surfaces) are more "round" in one direction than the other. In "regular" astigmatism the maximum and minimum powers are aligned at 90 degrees to each other while in "irregular" astigmatism they do not align. An egg is a good example of a surface with "regular astigmatism". Keratoconus is a degenerative condition where the cornea thins in affected areas. This can lead to astigmatism - often regular at first but becoming increasingly irregular as the disease progresses.
In simple terms the diopter (D) represents the reciprocal of the focal distance in meters. Astigmatism between 0.25 and 2.00 D of is not unusual. Between 2.25 and 3.75 is less common but still seen. Much above that in a "normal" person is unusual. Keratoconus and post-transplant patients can have 10 D or even more of astigmatism.
Q: Why is my vision sometimes more than "double"? I only have 2 eyes so where do the other images come from?
A: Multiple images can be caused by a disparity between the two eyes or from multiple refractive zones within the optical zone of just one eye. If you see double and it disappears when you close either eye it is most likely a binocular problem caused by the two eyes not working together. The causes of this are many and some are potentially serious. Multiple images in one eye occur more frequently in ocular surface diseases or in diseases affecting the lens or iris of the eye. In keratoconus, surface thinning can create multiple optical zones that individually focus the same image to different areas of the retina, thus creating the additional perceived images. Contact lenses will usually eliminate much of this distortion.
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS
The first indication of KC to the patient is generally a blurring and distortion of vision.
Keratoconus patients can also experience light sensitivity, disturbed night vision, headaches from eye strain and reading problems. KC may affect only one eye but more commonly occurs in both eyes. It affects people of all races and both sexes. Most patients develop keratoconus in their late teens to early twenties although it can begin at any age.
When diagnosed in the early stages, KC may be corrected with glasses which may require frequent changes in the astigmatism prescription. The continued thinning of the cornea usually progresses slowly for 5 to 10 years and then tends to stop. Occasionally, it is rapidly progressive. In the advanced stage, the patient may experience a sudden clouding of vision in one eye that clears over a period of weeks or months. This is called "acute hydrops" and is due to the sudden infusion of fluid into the stretched cornea. In advanced cases, superficial scars form at the apex of the corneal bulge resulting in more vision impairment.
WHAT CAUSES KERATOCONUS?
Keratoconus (KC) is characterized by a thinning and bulging of the normally rounded cornea, causing distorted vision. KC has been known for at least two centuries, although it was not adequately described and distinguished from other similar corneal problems until the middle of the last century.
The causes of keratoconus are still unknown despite our long experience with it. There has been no shortage of speculation or study and numerous theories have been proposed.
One scientific view is that keratoconus is developmental (i.e., genetic) in origin. This suggests that it is the consequence of an abnormality of growth, essentially a congenital defect. Another view is that KC represents a degenerative condition. Still a third view is that KC is secondary to some disease process. A less widely held hypothesis suggests that the endocrine system may be involved. This idea gained credence from the usual appearance of the disease because it is generally first detected at puberty.
Heredity influences in KC are suggested by studies that show that approximately 13% of patients have other family members with the disease |
| 19th October 2006 12:10 PM |
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| Saint Sway |
Virgin did an excellent job as far as publicity for the Stones goes. What they did for the Stones pales in comparison to what Rod's label is doing for him. Pales!!!
exactly how much more publicity did ABB need????
Virgin got them..
Cover of Rolling Stone
Full-length feature story in Newsweek
heavily publicized live press conference
2! extensive interviews on the Today show
iTunes exclusive promotion (with back catalog releases!!)
ABC/NFL/ESPN promos & live performance on the NFL Monday Night Football season premiere (RJ in all promos!)
Sprint commercials (RFD)
covers of virtualy every music mag (Rolling Stone, Mojo, Q, Classic Rock...)
THE SUPER BOWL HALF-TIME SHOW!!!
live performance on American Music Awards
they've been written up everywhere for outstanding tour #s. Practically every other week...
I dont know any rock band that has received as much coverage or prime publicity spots thab that. Name one??? YOU CANT!
A Bigger Bang didnt sell because of a lack of promotion.... ABB didnt sell well because it blows goats
Fact!
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| 19th October 2006 12:13 PM |
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| glencar |
I had Lasik Pug. I hated contacts. |
| 19th October 2006 12:15 PM |
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| voodoopug |
quote:
glencar wrote:
I had Lasik Pug. I hated contacts.
lasik is not an option for my disease. I am at the stage where I must wait until the eyes degenerate further to the point where I lose use of one or both of them. (As of last year, they told me I am about 5-7 years from that, and will have updated info today)
At that point, I will have corneas installed which will be removed from a corpse. It's really not that pleasant. |
| 19th October 2006 12:21 PM |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
I just saw Mac last week.
He HATES Rod. In fact, he went off on a 5 minute rant about the guy. It ended with the line..."So fuck Rod, ya know, just fuck 'im." It was classic stuff. Had me in stitches.
>A Bigger Bang didnt sell because of a lack of promotion.... ABB didnt sell well because it blows goats<
Nail on the head stuff right there.
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| 19th October 2006 12:24 PM |
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| Saint Sway |
Pug,
for the safety of your eyes.... it might be best if you stayed away from computer screens
just a thought... |
| 19th October 2006 12:32 PM |
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| glencar |
Help us out too? |
| 19th October 2006 12:32 PM |
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| Nellcote |
Rod has Clive Davis.
End of story. |
| 19th October 2006 12:34 PM |
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| glencar |
quote:
Nellcote wrote:
Rod has Clive Davis.
End of story.
Succinctly nails it down! The Stones even had that "controversy" about Sweet Neocon & even that failed to translate into better sales. And for those who think ABB sux, that has little impact on sales. |
| 19th October 2006 02:10 PM |
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| twicks1 |
quote:
Saint Sway wrote:
A Bigger Bang didnt sell because of a lack of promotion.... ABB didnt sell well because it blows goats
Fact!
That's not a fact at all...to quote The Dude, "That's like, your opinion, man."
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| 19th October 2006 03:48 PM |
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| Green Tea |
Virgin didn't get the Stones on the radio,VH 1 or MTV. And that's what counts. Their new music didn't get heard by enough people.
The other stuff (Rolling Stone,Newsweek, The Today program)are important. But, their music needs to get airplay.
A Bigger Bang was a good enough (not great)album to have sold better.
The Stones have a massive fanbase. The question is how to excite that fanbase into buying the new stuff? |
| 19th October 2006 06:02 PM |
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| Gazza |
quote:
Saint Sway wrote:
Virgin did an excellent job as far as publicity for the Stones goes. What they did for the Stones pales in comparison to what Rod's label is doing for him. Pales!!!
exactly how much more publicity did ABB need????
Virgin got them..
Cover of Rolling Stone
Full-length feature story in Newsweek
heavily publicized live press conference
2! extensive interviews on the Today show
iTunes exclusive promotion (with back catalog releases!!)
ABC/NFL/ESPN promos & live performance on the NFL Monday Night Football season premiere (RJ in all promos!)
Sprint commercials (RFD)
covers of virtualy every music mag (Rolling Stone, Mojo, Q, Classic Rock...)
THE SUPER BOWL HALF-TIME SHOW!!!
live performance on American Music Awards
they've been written up everywhere for outstanding tour #s. Practically every other week...
I dont know any rock band that has received as much coverage or prime publicity spots thab that. Name one??? YOU CANT!
A Bigger Bang didnt sell because of a lack of promotion.... ABB didnt sell well because it blows goats
Fact!
"Virgin" did all that? Bollocks. The name "Rolling Stones" was enough to do all that. Any of that shit could have been achieved regardless of what label they were on (and some of it previously had been when they were on other labels). Do you think the NFL wouldnt have been interested in having the Stones play their half time show had it not been for Virgin? Be serious.
The first album in 8 years by the biggest band in the world should be and is a major marketing event. Virgin's main job is to get the fucking thing to sell. Their inability to get the songs heard on the radio and seen on TV was beyond a joke. Within months they were putting more effort into promoting "40 Licks" on TV adverts and had all but ignored the fact that the Stones had a new record.
Being in Newsweek and "Today" and the like only lets people know youre active. Its insufficient in its own right though because most people need to hear the music before they choose to buy it
The Stones themselves didnt help matters by being too tentative in performing the songs live and tailoring their shows to an audience who were only there for the hits, but there is no excuse for the lousy performance of the album's sales when compared to the amount of tickets sold for concerts (which cost on average about ten times as much)
[Edited by Gazza] |
| 19th October 2006 09:03 PM |
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| Mel Belli |
quote:
Green Tea wrote:
The Stones have a massive fanbase. The question is how to excite that fanbase into buying the new stuff?
Can't be done, I'm afraid. Rod Stewart's recent successes are a great illustration of baby-boomer consumer trends: they want to stay in their comfortable, nostalgic little niche and frankly don't want to be bothered with new music from the Stones, Macca, or Whoever. There's no amount of label-driven publicity that will change this.
It's important to remember the Stones are hardly alone in this trend of high ticket-sales and low album sales. In fact, I remember reading that the only artists who see any kind of equality in the album and concert market are pop-country guys like Brad Paisley!
The Bob Dylan boomlet was, I think, a lagging realization by the mainstream that Dylan is in - or is at least seen by critics to be in - some kind of late-career renaissance. (And, let's be honest, "Modern Times" ain't exactly a silver-bullet kind of blockbuster.)
The Stones will never move huge amounts of CDs again. Never. I think the time has come for them to start thinking outside of the box about how they present themselves to the public. The new-album/18-months-of-touring juggernaut is clearly on its last legs. I don't know what this new model would look like - or even if the band is remotely interested in creating one. But it's high time to open the vaults, release old material along with new, like Tom Waits is about to do. Play smaller engagments. Something.
[Edited by Mel Belli] |
| 19th October 2006 09:19 PM |
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| Prodigal Son |
I'm afraid to sell several million copies and shoot to #1 ever again, the Stones must release a record full of their best songs remixed in house versions or a whole album covering their favourite songs from today's hip-hop artists. Seriously, that's what it takes to do what Rod is doing; whore yourself to the lowest common denominator. When Rod did covers before, he took on little known songs and made them classics. Now he's taking well known classics and turning them into karaoke soft schlock. People who buy Rod's recent albums are musically retarded anyway (which still constitutes 1/3 of the baby boomer audience and they happen to be the only 1/3 that take new albums by old horses to #1). |
