With beer marketing controversy back in the news, and a bit of experience with big city advertising, it seems apropos to look back at two classic commercials featuring vintage rock ‘n’ roll icons.
Can't believe that a guy who performed "For what it's Worth", a song about a moral panic and authoritarian overreaction by moral busybodies, would not be able to see he was doing the same dang thing with the COVID scare. .
Neil Young also sold his entire book to Hipgnosis or at least a private equity firm...He made hundreds of millions of $$$. David Bowie did the same before he died. It's really a sad day when private equity and hedge funds own our memories.
I'm fine with using Youtube or Spotify to share music, but keep my collection secured like Fort Knox. As we've seen with E-Books getting silently altered or deleted, the same will inevitably happen with music and probably is already.
Putting aside Neil's COVID stance, you are being espcailly harsh on this video. I mean MJ really did light his hair on fire in a Pepsi Ad! Lots of great videos from MTV's heyday mocked other pop stars. I thought it was fun when they referenced each other.
Hoped to express that I really do appreciate Neil and the video on their own terms, and what such artifacts might have meant at the time, but also what the longer-term implications have been. The COVID context is kind of gravy after the fact...!
Before you crucify me, let me just say that I love most phases of Eric Clapton's career but his spell with Bonnie & Delaney generally leaves me cold--it's just a little too ramshackle hippie for me, almost like a parody of the late '60s. So other than "Let It Rain" I don't care for Clapton's self-titled solo debut very much, including the studio recording of "After Midnight." I like pretty much every performance of "After Midnight" better than the original, and the version from the commercial offers a sexy late night vibe that the original should have had more of.
I hear ya. Can’t say I disagree re B&D, but the original recording of After Midnight is just such a touchstone of my youth. Strong memories of beer-soaked summer nights around a fire in the woods of the American Midwest. Even if
It was only a few dozen acres of forest preserve, it was Eden. When that song came on, so did the chug-a-lugs and shouts.
Ah! Just a stone's throw up I-55 to the western suburbs of Chicago. Grew up in Glen Ellyn, which is a bordering/lesser cousin to Naperville, which everyone knows. When I was growing up in the 70s, Naperville was <40,000 people. Now it's >140,000.
Just had dinner last night with some St. Louisans. Know anyone in the Curlee family? (I know, but I had to ask.)
Neil Young abandoned the working class many years ago. About 10 years ago he was crapping all over the oil sands industry in Alberta, an industry that employs thousands of high paying jobs to working class Canadians. He used to sing about miners and ordinary Canadians. I have really struggled to forgive him for this betrayal.
It is a constant struggle! On one hand Neil's become a foppish elitist limousine liberal, on the other hand he really did record some astoundingly great music and in his own cranky out of touch celebrity way really does mean well. We can't quite throw out the baby with the bathwater, tempting as it may be.
I meant to add that I love it when you expose hubris. I really like Neil Young’s MUSIC. His sanctimony not so much. Clapton is in my all time fave top five. Had his music covered by a live piano at my wedding of all things
It's true that the situation for music now is very different and musicians should be excused for taking what exposure they can get.
But the concept of selling out then was valid. There is a big difference between making a video to promote your own music, and hawking a product.
It did come at a cost to many fans when music they loved, that often had deep meaning to them, was prostituted to sell crap. You hear the same 30 seconds of the song you used to love so many times you come to hate it. Maybe it be different if any of those artists Neil needled needed the money. But they were all obscenely rich already.
Regarding the more recent conduct of Young and Clapton, I completely agree. Very disappointed in Neil.
"What stands out decades later is how obnoxious the video is, how mean-spirited and self-righteous, and by today’s standards borderline racist." I watched the Neil Young video - thanks for linking to it - but now I think your analysis is post-modern wacky. It's a "a slick commercial about being anti-commercial" only if everything is a commercial.
You make an excellent point... spend enough time in post-modern advertising and everything does indeed start to feel like an ad! I do genuinely enjoy the video and the album that it's from, and only arrived at my cynical perspective on Neil after a lot of years, but in the wake of his moralizing self-promotion now tend to see him more as a product and means to an end than so pure of an artist, especially given his dazzling publicity. Have to tip my hat to a true master of the form, whatever my mixed feelings overall.
His comments are past but they’re not forgotten
Is this the story of Neil the Rotten?
Can't believe that a guy who performed "For what it's Worth", a song about a moral panic and authoritarian overreaction by moral busybodies, would not be able to see he was doing the same dang thing with the COVID scare. .
Neil Young also sold his entire book to Hipgnosis or at least a private equity firm...He made hundreds of millions of $$$. David Bowie did the same before he died. It's really a sad day when private equity and hedge funds own our memories.
I'm fine with using Youtube or Spotify to share music, but keep my collection secured like Fort Knox. As we've seen with E-Books getting silently altered or deleted, the same will inevitably happen with music and probably is already.
Putting aside Neil's COVID stance, you are being espcailly harsh on this video. I mean MJ really did light his hair on fire in a Pepsi Ad! Lots of great videos from MTV's heyday mocked other pop stars. I thought it was fun when they referenced each other.
Hoped to express that I really do appreciate Neil and the video on their own terms, and what such artifacts might have meant at the time, but also what the longer-term implications have been. The COVID context is kind of gravy after the fact...!
Jack White did a Coke commercial and took flack for it. It is a beautiful track and a great commercial.
Cool, never seen that before. Not sure how much Coca-Cola it actually sold but a very striking video!
My understanding is it was only shown the one time.
"[A] new version of “After Midnight” that I prefer to the original . . . "
How could you say such a thing? Guards, seize him!
Repent. Repent while there is still time, I beseech you. For the good of the land.
Before you crucify me, let me just say that I love most phases of Eric Clapton's career but his spell with Bonnie & Delaney generally leaves me cold--it's just a little too ramshackle hippie for me, almost like a parody of the late '60s. So other than "Let It Rain" I don't care for Clapton's self-titled solo debut very much, including the studio recording of "After Midnight." I like pretty much every performance of "After Midnight" better than the original, and the version from the commercial offers a sexy late night vibe that the original should have had more of.
I hear ya. Can’t say I disagree re B&D, but the original recording of After Midnight is just such a touchstone of my youth. Strong memories of beer-soaked summer nights around a fire in the woods of the American Midwest. Even if
It was only a few dozen acres of forest preserve, it was Eden. When that song came on, so did the chug-a-lugs and shouts.
I too am a midwesterner, originally from the St. Louis area. Whereabouts did you come from?
Ah! Just a stone's throw up I-55 to the western suburbs of Chicago. Grew up in Glen Ellyn, which is a bordering/lesser cousin to Naperville, which everyone knows. When I was growing up in the 70s, Naperville was <40,000 people. Now it's >140,000.
Just had dinner last night with some St. Louisans. Know anyone in the Curlee family? (I know, but I had to ask.)
Many fond memories of weekend road trips up to Chicago growing up, my Dad was a very cheap man so we tended to stay at the Motel 6 in Joliet.
Can't say I know any Curlees, but then again I am from Clayton rather than St. Louis proper, as some people are sticklers about.
Neil Young abandoned the working class many years ago. About 10 years ago he was crapping all over the oil sands industry in Alberta, an industry that employs thousands of high paying jobs to working class Canadians. He used to sing about miners and ordinary Canadians. I have really struggled to forgive him for this betrayal.
It is a constant struggle! On one hand Neil's become a foppish elitist limousine liberal, on the other hand he really did record some astoundingly great music and in his own cranky out of touch celebrity way really does mean well. We can't quite throw out the baby with the bathwater, tempting as it may be.
It’s a struggle for sure. My disenchantment with Young is a decade old.
Again, Nice! But WTF is Phil Collins “dreaded”?
Was being facetious about the attitude of classic rock purists, I love Phil! And, of course, Clapton's solo on "I Wish It Would Rain Down."
I meant to add that I love it when you expose hubris. I really like Neil Young’s MUSIC. His sanctimony not so much. Clapton is in my all time fave top five. Had his music covered by a live piano at my wedding of all things
It's true that the situation for music now is very different and musicians should be excused for taking what exposure they can get.
But the concept of selling out then was valid. There is a big difference between making a video to promote your own music, and hawking a product.
It did come at a cost to many fans when music they loved, that often had deep meaning to them, was prostituted to sell crap. You hear the same 30 seconds of the song you used to love so many times you come to hate it. Maybe it be different if any of those artists Neil needled needed the money. But they were all obscenely rich already.
Regarding the more recent conduct of Young and Clapton, I completely agree. Very disappointed in Neil.
"What stands out decades later is how obnoxious the video is, how mean-spirited and self-righteous, and by today’s standards borderline racist." I watched the Neil Young video - thanks for linking to it - but now I think your analysis is post-modern wacky. It's a "a slick commercial about being anti-commercial" only if everything is a commercial.
You make an excellent point... spend enough time in post-modern advertising and everything does indeed start to feel like an ad! I do genuinely enjoy the video and the album that it's from, and only arrived at my cynical perspective on Neil after a lot of years, but in the wake of his moralizing self-promotion now tend to see him more as a product and means to an end than so pure of an artist, especially given his dazzling publicity. Have to tip my hat to a true master of the form, whatever my mixed feelings overall.