Rick Wakeman’s simple solution to save the music industry

The Yes keyboardist, who has also worked with several other music icons, believes the scene has lost its ‘sense of community’

The music industry is going through a curious time. Never has so much money been made from performances and so little from recorded music. While, Rick Wakemann believes he has a relatively simple solution to saving this part of the scene that generates so many complaints from artists.

The keyboardist and pianist, known for his years of involvement with the YEShe explained in an interview with Rick Beato (go Speaker) that the music world no longer has something it deems fundamental to selling products: the sense of a community experience. For him, the current focus is on the sale of physical (CD, LP, etc.) and digital (paid download or streaming) material via the Internet.

Wakeman acknowledges that, in the short term, the idea looked good. After all, entrepreneurs could maximize profits by laying off some related work. However, it had a negative effect by arousing public disinterest. And it all happened because, in his opinion, the current leaders differ from the old ones simply in that they are not interested in music.

“That [a falta de senso de comunidade no consumo de música] it took away the big record stores. Until 20 or 30 years ago you went into a record store [para ver] thousands of records. You’d walk past them, trying to find something, and someone next to you would say, “Oh, have you heard about the new album?” Jethro Tull?’. People were talking. You would go back to your friends and talk about the amazing music you had found. It was passed from person to person. But they took him away from me.”

Rick was adamant in stating this “there is no longer interaction between those who buy records”. The 75-year-old artist adds:

“What do you do when you go online? You buy what you’re looking for. But if you go into a record store, I guarantee you’ll walk out with what you’re looking for and then some… but they took that away.”

Rick Wakeman’s tips

Enthusiastically, Rick Wakeman recalled some situations from the past and proposed reviving them, in an updated version, for the present moment. All this, in his opinion, would contribute to encouraging the consumption of recorded music, “saving” the recording industry in particular.

“In a store there are vinyls and CDs, both new and old. You could do some swapping. And if you want to download, then you could have areas with computers. And also – please, God – bring back those booths where you could listen to songs before you buy them. Put a whole lunch area where people sit with people they don’t know.”

The idea, of course, is to resume the interaction process. The keyboardist concludes:

“That’s what music is about. I don’t think it would be that hard to do. You just need some record labels to say, ‘I can see that.’ That would help bring back the different ways of having music, because at the moment the music industry he’s only thinking about streaming. I think the industry right now is not a music industry, but it’s not too late to bring it back.”

Rick Wakeman came to Brazil for the last time, in April this year, for a series of four shows in Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Curitiba and Porto Alegre. The performances were part of his farewell tour from the stage. The progressive rock icon, with whom he also worked David Bowie, Black Sabbath, Lou Reed, Elton John, T. Rex AND stevens catamong others, he admits (via Igor Miranda’s website) who intended to retire from extensive touring at the age of 77, but had to bring his plans forward.

+++ READ MORE: “Ozzy Osbourne pretends to be out of control,” says Rick Wakeman

+++ READ MORE: The story behind David Bowie’s “Life on Mars”.

Source: Terra

Earl

Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.