There is a scene in the Alan J. Pakula film "All The President's Men," where Woodward and Bernstein are discussing the current state of affairs with Ben Bradlee and a few of the higher-ups at the Washington Post. Woodward says, and I'm paraphrasing, "It's not just that no one is talking, it's the way they're not talking."
I've been thinking about that line for almost two weeks now, and I'll tell you why.
Things have been unusually quiet here. But it's not just here. Social media interaction is off as well. And don't get me started on business. Record sales have been down for months, but I have literally sold three records in the last ten days. That's not "slow." That's panic.
Looking at my blog stats, my readership/post views have dropped 75%. On social media, a post would normally get 40-50 friends engaging in some way, but in the last two weeks, maybe 5-10 friends would acknowledge the content. And even in a frightening economy, there are always two or three vinyl junkies looking to drop a few bucks on a new record. They need to.
The common denominator here is obviously me. Maybe Burning Wood has gone stale. Maybe my Instagram posts are dullsville. And maybe the bubble has burst regarding vinyl. But I don't truly believe that it is all on me.
There is something else going on and I need to figure it out.
Is it a universal malaise? That would make sense considering what is going on in the world around us. But I've always felt like Burning Wood was a respite. I know I cover all the bases. It's not all Rundgren and reggae. Last week alone I had written about free jazz, glam, a major vault release from a major artist, and posted a few mixes for your downloading needs.
Five comments on Miles Kane. Five comments on Neal Francis. Eight on the Squeeze mix. Five on Miles Davis. Even "Electric Nebraska" failed to fire people up the way a Bruce post once did. Even some of the comments seem to have a "who cares" quality to them.
The show must go on and it will. But it's not much fun playing to an empty house. Or making $22 a week.
If it is indeed a universal malaise, that is understandable. I'd like to be part of the distraction. But if y'all sick of my content, maybe it is time to either retire, or just write about Rundgren and reggae everyday. At least I'll be amused.
What say you?
12 comments:
I'm not sick of your content. I'm also bracing for another disappointing day-after-Election-Day while the country continues to go down the toilet. But I need something I can rely on, which is why I post to my blog twice a week. Hang in there. (My grandmother used to say hanging in was better than hanging on. And while she'd never use the words, she'd probably agree that it's better to be pissed off than to be pissed on.)
I think there's some larger cultural context we're all tip-toeing around. Speaking strictly personally, I gotta say I can't recall ever being as anxiety-ridden about the future of the country and the world as I am now, and I suspect I'm not alone.
read you nearly daily. sorry for not engaging. i do enjoy your blog and quite a few others. i have a routine of burning through 10 or 12 blogs every morning and only occasionally respond. i'll try to be a better friend. as to your record sales, maybe the shitty trump economy is making folks reluctant to part with their dough. records ain't cheap.
I think we’re all waiting for that Todd reggae album. I’ve also noticed a reduction in caring everywhere. Burning Wood is one of the few sites I check on anymore. Most times I don’t feel clever enough to add to discussion. But I read everything.
It's the state of the nation and our fears about where we're heading. I've been sleeping a lot to avoid being awake and hearing the news.
Captain Al
Continue to read and enjoy every day. I didn't comment on Springsteen because I didn't see the need to be negative. I think lots of people wish we still lived in America. It may well be putting a damper on everything.
Quilty as charged, I read your blog a lot but do not often respond, despite knowing how important replying is. The feeling that visitors share your passion and appreciate your posts! Please keep up the good work.
Read daily, value immensely & enjoy greatly. Like a lot of folx, I suspect, mine is a combo personal stuff (mostly health but also writing and moving) the exhaustion of trying to figure out how to resist the evil afoot and fighting it and changing it. But as others have said and no doubt will, this place and a few others I try to haunt each day are a respite and I am deeply grateful. And speaking of things Todd, I'm still looking for some purported live version of him & LX doing "Slut." If you ever run across it...
"it's better to be pissed off than to be pissed on."
Huzzah!
"I think lots of people wish we still lived in America."
Huzzah!
Sorry to hear about your dwindling record sales, mine it seems have been picking up. OK so I think I know what to do about the apathy concerning the blog. What we need here is some controversy, maybe not politics maybe something music related. Try this for your next header. "TAYLOR SWIFT IS BIGGER THAN JESUS" I know, I know it's been used before but with the attetion span of the people today no one's gonna know it's been used before.
Along with the mentality of the American populace you should be able to make at least a mention on Fox News. Hey, no need to thank me just trying to help out a brother.
Malaise, for sure. I'm still stopping by every day, but it just seems like there's a dark cloud over everything. I've feared a right-wing takeover for some time, but I didn't think that, when it came, it would be stupid, petty, and childish. It's harder, these days, to enjoy the things one normally enjoys, but perhaps doing so is part of fighting back. Or so I'm telling myself.
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