Monday, November 29, 2010

Selling your soul

Robert Johnson was one of the inventors of the modern blues. His songs have been covered by pretty much a who's who of bluesmen and rockers. Despite the fact that Robert Johnson died young and impoverished, the rumor that he sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for his talent still rumbles around the background of the blues scene.

In reality, those musicians who truly have sold their souls to the Devil sound like... uhm... Taylor Swift. Okay, probably unfair to poor little Taylor, but that's the reality -- those who've sold their souls for fame and fortune sound like, well, Milwaukee beer compared to a small brewery craft beer of genuine musicians who haven't sold their souls to the music industry demons.

Now, Gurf Morlix, he's the real deal -- the dude who has not sold his soul to anybody. He's at an age where he makes the music he wants to make and doesn't give a shit anymore. He has a day job for making his living -- he's a producer -- and then makes music like this as his entertainment and is pleased to sell a few thousand copies.

This is "Crossroads", off his brilliant album Last Exit to Happyland. Gurf ain't young and pretty no more, and in what remains of his life he ain't gonna sell as many albums as the pop tarts like Taylor Swift sell in an hour. And he's past the point where that makes any difference to him.

Badtux the Music Penguin

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