While this documentary isn't an end all, tell-all scoop on the state of all things musical (as some petulant reviewers here seem obliged to note with disdain), it is a great primer for those unaware of the reasons for the decline of popular music in the US. Ever wonder why you're not hearing anything new or exciting on your radio? This film will shed some light for you.Now to answer a question posed by Long Rider:Making money being a musician does not run counter to the point of this documentary and don't know of one musician who would find that to be the case. The point that you so obviously missed was that the consolidation and corporatization of the music industry has rendered it on par with a fast food chain. You can get the same crap hamburger anywhere in the country and it will taste just the same as the store in your home town. This is what happens when corporations run radio stations en masse across the country, which would otherwise be marked by regionally distinct tastes and styles.The other problem is that corporation music conglomerates often don't pay the artists the royalties they are due. Why? Because record execs at major labels have this huge corporate structure to financially support and shareholders to appease. So the artist gets the shaft and barring expensive litigation with your former label, you have no recourse. I won't comment on Long Winded's character assassination of the various artists who appear in this film except to propose that maybe it is you who are the blowhard and one who harbors some racist tendencies at that.

Dude you are what's wrong with America. I guarantee you vote republican and own every Brittany spheres CD on the planet. Get a clue, a life , and some culture.

I LOVED this film! Never before have such truthful statements been made by such a representative collective of artists and record executives on the current issues surrounding a failing music industry. As a starving musician in today's economy, I've had to abandon many of my own original musical projects in favor of getting gigs wherever/whenever I can... Usually with cover bands, or more traditional ensembles/musical styles, or worse; work menial manual labor-type jobs to survive despite having a degree, chops, and a noteworthy performance history. This film accurately captures the condition that, Clear Channel -a formulaic, consumer-based, top-40-type, radio station franchise- and, MTV, has done to cripple an industry that was once committed to bringing audiences to artists, not, artists to audiences... Which is determined by research groups who study the "effects" certain musics have on groups of people. With the numbers are already in (by and large), producers of "Top 40" pop/crap have long since isolated a formula to tap into the biggest audience groups, thus; manufacturing artists whose sole purpose is to attract and keep the audience from adjusting the tuner, ultimately selling advertising space. As Questlove said, you can't have evolving artistic music if you're focus is commerce. Luckily, the boom in mp3 formats and websites like myspace, napster, and pandora (to name a few) are spelling the demise of big record labels, clear channel-type radio stations, and MTV-type programming by allowing audiences to connect with artists of their liking with more ease, while at the same time cutting the "middle-man." It's high time our rich American musical culture can again evolve and diversify in the name of art. Top 40 has been poisoning pop culture far too long with mind numbing hooks and predictable half-time-feel drum machine tracks and autotune enhanced diva/thug puppets, pushing masses of under-priveledged social groups to buy crapthat's never been cool. Let's turn the industry around for the sake of our music, starving musicians, and for our cultural enrichment! Turn off top-40, MTV, Alternative Country, and Hip-POP for starters!

This video presents simplistic answers to what has happened to the recording industry in the US. There is a lot of padding around the stories and the information. They open with a segment about "What is American Music?" I don't think you are checking out a documentary about the music recording industry without understanding what music is. (Oh thanks, it is that thing that comes out of the soul? Excellent. I always wondered what that was. Oh, black people are involved with music? Well, that's a fine howdy-do!) It goes on from there to point out things obvious to anyone over 12. Corporations are set up to make money, bland things are popular, people generally don't like change, artists are taken advantage of,.... etc. I didn't like it mainly for these reasons. The basic premise of blaming people who want to make money- hold up a mirror. Everybody wants to make money! Hypocrite number one is Eric Clapton. If they think that is someone to put forward as an "artist", then they better check his bank account. Also, they highlight the success of Dave Mathews- he told the record labels to screw, and he still piles up the cash in his basement. Doesn't that counter the point of the documentary?
The good parts are the artists. The makers of this film got access to several big-time artists and their thoughts are insightful. Branford Marsalis is a blowhard, but he is always intelligent and helped this film immensely.
One last criticism- to go to a Hanna Montana concert and ask the teen girls, "Do you know who Bob Dylan is?" is very cheap. Why don't you just trip someone with cerebral palsy and film that? Makes you look like an idiot, and not the subject.
Speaking of how great the '70's were- Does nobody remember the Bay City Rollers, Bobby Sherman, or David Cassidy? Were teen girls ever different?
Or how 'bout this one- Did the Beatles ever use media manipulation to jack up record sales?
But those were the good old days of music. Not like now.

Once upon a time, the top 40 was determined largely by sales of 45 singles (records) to 12-13 year old girls. Back then, teens grew up and didn't attempt to be cool into their 40s, but became adults, although they might hear the occasional pop song they enjoyed. To an extent, it's still that way, but "adults" are more likely to have another identity as a pretentious cool person. (Ask teens which they prefer: adults who act like adults or people in their 40s who want to hang out with teens and "fit right in." Especially if the adults are their parents! Guess what?)I could write a book, but I'll just confine myself to one more train of thought that could easily be extended: golden oldies. If you're 25 or younger, have you ever heard a song by the 60s band Free except "All Right Now"? I doubt it...at least, not on the radio. Classic bands that sold millions of records are reduced to their one or two (possibly 3 or 4 if you're talking about the Stones or the Beatles) biggest selling singles. If you get the chance, find someone who has the two-volume version of Free's biggest hits (the 1-volume version leaves off "I'll Be Creepin'," just as Aretha Franklin's "Golden Decade" suffers from the absence of "Chain of Fools"; go figger) and check out "I'll Be Creepin'" and "The Stealer." You may never have heard anything by Free except "All Right Now," but U2's The Edge has. It shows in his playing, especially when he frets up the neck on some strings, while playing open strings at the same time.Just as Led Zep was patterned after the original Jeff Beck Group (with singer Rod Stewart and wailin' bassist Ron Woods), Free was also vocal (Paul Rodgers, who went on to found Bad Co), guitar, bass, drums (also went to Bad Co). Okay, occasionally piano on records, but basically 4-man bands all.Judging by what "music" is coming out today, I think the 12-13 year old girls did a better job...and diversity has always had a place when it hit the spot. If you don't care for, say, "La Bamba," we probably wouldn't have a lot to talk about. Los Lobos was good, but Richie Valens (Valenzuela: we weren't THAT diverse!) nailed it.My thoughts only. You can have different thoughts; that's okay.

the example artists, the pop-alternatives, are themselves very conservative and retro in their own way... I don't think this video was able to dig into the dirt to get the blood, sweat & tears of real, raw, exciting & energetic musicians... and I don't think Dave Matthews or Doyle ever sweat (maybe they drools a little and make a few minor facial expressions)... but I don't think you have to have a full band and target the 30+ white-suburban-birkenstock rockers to be soulful or have heart and passion for the music. It's not just the division of the music industry but the bias of certain listeners and fans that create and maintain formulas and perceptions about music... it's clear what type of music the authors of this documentary appreciate... and it ain't for all of us, even though most of us agree that the teeny-bobber era of the music industry has to change in order for music and the business of music to survive.
your brand new / your retro - tricky.

Hey Steve Poltz is so creative. He signed the back of uke at Kink Fm Live performance lounge. Steve you are the Poetry Man! Kink FM is true to the Music!Where have all the voices gone, long time passing?Where have all the voices gone, long time passing?
Where have all the voices gone, long time ago?
Where have all the voices gone?
Gone the major throats for minor notes every one.
Oh when will we ever learn?
Oh when we’ll we ever learn?