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The Lefsetz Letter

Gnarls Barkley

by Bob Lefsetz

Have you HEARD this record?

I was driving from an appointment on Wilshire listening to Sirius.

I had the Stones on till the roundabout at 26th. Then, I shifted to Marky Ramone on Faction. I'm working my way down the dial. It's so HARD to learn the Sirius system, since it takes SO LONG for the titles to come up. And I'm pushing the buttons, and then I hear this SONG!

Do you remember rock and roll radio?

Well, it wasn't really rock and roll radio. It was a melting pot. It was Top Forty radio back in the sixties. When you had a transistor glued to your ear, when you wouldn't leave home without it, like your iPod today.

But not only do they not make that kind of radio today, they don't make those kinds of RECORDS! Shit that you hear ONCE and say WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS? You need to hear it again and again and AGAIN!

So, go to: http://www.gnarlsbarkley.com/. You'll hear "Crazy" playing as the site loads.

Or go to Gnarls Barkley's MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/gnarlsbarkley.

"Crazy" sounds like a cross between Sly and the Family Stone and the Average White Band. You get it IMMEDIATELY!

I came home and fired up my computer. I went on Acquisition to look for the track. I went to the act's Website. I needed the record RIGHT NOW!

This is the way it used to be.

Oh, let the track play for a while. At first it won't blow your mind. But then, as it winds on, you'll find yourself tapping your toe, moving your upper body to the groove. It's the bass. Which is real, not synth, at least as far as I can hear. It's the tonality of the lead singer. Like a more controlled Sylvester Stewart in "If You Want Me To Stay". It's the OOHS!

We used to listen. Through the Beatles, the Stones, Herman's Hermits. And then they'd play some Motown track, something out of our purview that would drive us NUTS!

I'm on 20th Street, not far from my house, and all I can say to myself is THIS IS A HIT!

(Meanwhile, the version on MySpace SOUNDS better, but being MySpace, you might have a buffering problem.)

Bob Lefsetz, Santa Monica-based industry legend, is the author of the e-mail newsletter, "The Lefsetz Letter". Famous for being beholden to no one, and speaking the truth, Lefsetz addresses the issues that are at the core of the music business: downloading, copy protection, pricing and the music itself. His intense brilliance captivates readers from Steven Tyler to Rick Nielsen to Bryan Adams to Quincy Jones to EVERYBODY who's in the music business. Never boring, always entertaining, Mr. Lefsetz's insights are fueled by his stint as an entertainment business attorney, majordomo of Sanctuary Music's American division and consultancies to major labels.

While Rhino may occasionally disagree with some of Bob's opinions, we certainly agree with his right to state them. At the bottom of each column we give you, the reader, the opportunity to respond and we encourage you to do so. We will post select comments.


LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

A word about submissions: We post what you give us, so please don't include your email address or any personal info. Your comments reach Rhino, not necessarily the writer, so don't expect a reply from them (or us, see our help section for contact info). We gather and post your submissions in batches, so do expect a short delay. And don't get bent if we edit your comments. We probably won't, but we reserve that right.


Comments:

Bob

I get your podcasts, and I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoy them. Hope you're on a commission, as usually when you talk about a band, Alarm, Average White etc., I end up ordering it, on Amazon, sorry Rhino..

I love your taste and views in music. Im 58, used to work at EMI & CBS down here, and used to play drums, but still have a keen interest in new stuff, I too like Gnarls CD.

Anyway keep it up

Cheers
Kent Harrisson
Sydney Australia

He Bob,
Not only is this the single of the year sofar and indeed the live on top of the pops is great, but the album is awesome to. 'Crazy' is't even the best tune on the St Elsewhere album. Check 'Go Go Gadget', 'The Boogie Monster', 'Who Cares', 'The Last Time' (whoah dancing with my honey!), ..... This is our fave album o/t year 2006. Can't wait to see Ceelo and Dangermouse live this summer in Brugge, Belgium... Goosebumbs!!!

Bob,
Just wanted to let you know that I devour your podcasts like potato chips. I can't get enough. I like your feel for how we (used to)connect to the music in an emotional and psychological way when it seemed to mean more than it currently does. I'm gonna give Gnarls Barkely a listen when I would have passed on them except to notice their name.

Randy Craft
Richmond, VA




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