Sonic Youth Retrospective, Part 2

Posted on May 8, 2013 by admin

In 1992, Dave Markey released the documentary film, 1991: The Year Punk Broke. It is a video chronicle of the Sonic Youth/Nirvana two-week European tour in August/September of that year. It is one of, if not the most authentic video documents in rock music history. In late 1991, the grunge movement broke through into mainstream radio when Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” rocketed to the top of the charts, and their album Nevermind went multi-platinum. Everyone in the industry scrambled to sign the next underground sensation, and bands like Soundgarden, Jane’s Addiction and Pearl Jam soon became huge superstar acts. The Year Punk Broke is live footage of the grunge wave that crashed through.

As a film, it exhibits many weaknesses. There is much inane banter throughout, mostly due to the fact that everyone is stoned the whole time. This makes it impossible for any of them to have any kind of real discussion with anyone who is straight. People try too hard to be funny, and end up coming across as childish. Nirvana is the extreme case. In one scene, Kurt Cobain greets Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon backstage after an enthusiastic Sonic Youth performance. He starts with a star-struck fan shtick, which comes off lame. Kim Gordon replies by pretending to stick her finger down her throat. Cobain then violently opens up and sprays the contents of a champagne bottle to clear the room, then hurls it at the nearest wall. His mental instability is a recurring theme.

There is a notable lack of hygiene in the film. Kim Gordon, ever in sunglasses, smiles for the camera to show her teeth, caked with food and plaque. Her gums are red and swollen, and she doesn’t seem to care as she looks around. Drummer Steve Shelley’s teeth appear to be in even worse condition. The film’s low point, has to be when Thurston Moore is filmed flushing his excrement. He exits the bathroom without washing up.

And yet, all those faults and limitations with many others such as the film’s technical aspects can mostly be overlooked, because the music presented in this film is simply amazing. This documentary captures the energy of the grunge revolution with remarkable accuracy and clarity. Besides the Sonic Youth/Nirvana headliners, the film features highlight live performances from Dinosaur Jr. (“Freak Scene”, where large audiences in Europe clearly know the song), Gumball (“Pre”), and Babes in Toyland (“Dustcake Boy”). The film clearly shows how much Nirvana relied on Sonic Youth’s touring experience and leadership. Sonic Youth are constantly helping the younger, less-experience bands, find their way. One example is during an MTV interview, Thurston Moore instead of promoting Sonic Youth, introduces Mark Arm from Mudhoney, a Seattle grunge outfit invited to play a few dates on their tour. Then he directs the camera to “the biggest star in the room” who turns out to be an unknown-at-the-time Courtney Love! Love ends up being interviewed by MTV, and afterwards she is blur-filmed with a priceless look into Markey’s camera as she pouts, “I want to thank (MTV host) Dave Kendall for making me a star today…Giving me my big break.” Three years later Courtney Love’s band Hole, would in fact break through to the mainstream.

The film’s first song is “Schizophrenia”, one of Sonic Youth’s most beautiful songs, from Sister (1987). On the record Kim Gordon sings the second half, but here live, it is Thurston Moore alone. Their Sister LP was deeply influenced by the novels of Phillip K. Dick, whose vision of the future was bleak, desolate, and burnt out. Sonic Youth still managed to find beauty in it, even if only in the eyes of another. The songwriting reaches a new level of pop accessibility, and is distinctly rock-oriented by today’s standards. In 1987, the mainstream rock standard was U2 (The Joshua Tree) and REM (Document).

The next scene is one of many featuring Thurston Moore spilling his thoughts into a Mr. Microphone. He is leaning out of an upper-story window and broadcasting his message to a woman and her child, stopped on a bicycle in the street below. “You are human!….. You are human!” he shouts, “Go forth and thrash.” The next scene is a close-up of the head and neck of a guitar being played left-handed, warming up into a grunge riff. It is, of course as the camera widens, Kurt Cobain leading Nirvana into beautifully restrained version of “Negative Creep”, a key track from their debut album, Bleach.

The next time Nirvana is shown on stage, it starts with Cobain repeatedly banging his head into an amplifier, at the beginning of “School”, also from Bleach; and the song ends with him jumping into David Grohl’s drum kit, while he is still playing. Pieces are scattered in all directions, as the crowd enthusiastically cheers. Nirvana will play in front of the largest crowds in the film.

Sonic Youth’s “Teenage Riot” is next, and the live performance is montage-clipped, similar to their official MTV video for the song. “Teenage Riot” is an ode to J. Mascis, the leader of Dinosaur, Jr., and the first song from Daydream Nation (1988). As briefly alluded to in Part 1 of this review, this double LP stands among the greatest rock records ever. Its CD running time is 70:49, and not a second is wasted; from it’s swirling intros, to the No Wave guitar-crunch ending of “Eliminator, Jr.” The cover/back art are sublime paintings of a burning candle and a flickering candle, by Gerhard Richter, titled Kerse 1983 & Kerse 1982. Its symbolism of a band that always fought and sacrificed to keep their artistic flame alive, cannot be lost on anyone who thinks. Lee Ranaldo flourishes here, with his best songs “Hey Joni”, “Eric’s Trip”, and “Rain King.” Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon are at their peak also, and Steve Shelley’s drumming is hyperactive and airtight. In total, Daydream Nation is a complete artistic statement released in September of 1988, as George H.W. Bush, the then two-time US vice-president, was about to be elected US president; continuing a trend of social conservatism, economic setbacks for the working class, and military aggression. The message of Daydream Nation is hopeful and defiant, symbolized in the quietly burning candle. From a revolutionary perspective, it is the most essential rock album of the 1980’s.

Later in the film the Riot Girl movement makes its appearance on stage with Minneapolis’ Babes in Toyland performing “Dustcake Boy” from their debut album Spanking Machine. Lee Ranaldo would later produce their follow-up, Fontanelle in 1993; and once again, Sonic Youth would be be at, or very near the center of yet another new genre. Before Sonic Youth, there were very few recognizable women in rock music. Janis Joplin (overdosed on heroin in 1970), Patti Smith, Joan Jett, and Chrissie Hynde were among the handful of women who were rock, as opposed to pop artists. Kim Gordon always had a strong enough presence in the band to be an influence for women’s liberation and girl power. Most Riot Girl bands took Sonic Youth as their starting point. Top riot girl artists, Bikini Kill re-did one of their best songs, “Tell Me So”, live and turned it into “Thurston Hearts the Who”. The early 1990’s was an explosion of talented women artists, crossing over into the mainstream. Sinead O’Connor, PJ Harvey, and Liz Phair just to name a few, were all influenced by the underground music of the 1980’s, led by Sonic Youth.

In the film, as Babes in Toyland are earning EVERYONE’S respect; a cutaway finds Kim Gordon disguised in a hat, watching in the front. As a rock band with few pretensions, Sonic Youth always supported the bands who played with them. More than any other band, Sonic Youth understood what an artist wants most is an attentive audience. It is the performer saying, then asking, “This is my best, right now. What do you think?” Sonic Youth always paid attention, until it was time to look away.

The author of this article can anecdotally verify this, if the reader will allow a self-quote to illustrate:

“In January 1991, it was a long bus ride across town, on a cold January night to see Sonic Youth on their Goo tour, at the UW-Milwaukee ballroom. They were being supported by Redd Kross and a forgotten Minneapolis hardcore/punk outfit called the Cows, who went on stage shortly after I arrived. The lead singer was dressed bizarrely, leering and taunting the crowd. He spent most of his time on the left side of the stage, which I thought was odd. I stood about 15 feet back, off to the far right, when all of a sudden I noticed Thurston Moore (who is 6’6″) walking through the oblivious crowd with a video camera in his hand. He slipped past me without acknowledgement, and kept going until he disappeared through an exit. I had turned to face him the whole time, and shook my head wondering if anyone else had seen this? I started gazing around the ballroom, until I finally met a pair of eyes from across the room, a bit further back. It was Kim Gordon, looking at me. I was stunned for a few seconds, and panned back and forth between her and the Cows, who were still playing. She was in the crowd, watching the opening band. After a few more seconds, I felt I’d been taught something really important, through action alone. After a approving nod, which she only half-received as her attention was already drifting back towards the stage, I turned away from her. She disappeared a few minutes later, after being recognized and approached by others. How many bands can you name, ever gave their fans experiences like that?”

Nirvana’s “Endless, Nameless” is shown in a short clip, which will allow a brief discussion on the battle that was fought between artists and the music industry over compact disc formatting and presentation. By the early 1990’s, vinyl LP’s and cassette tapes had virtually disappeared from record stores. The industry preferred the CD format, which eliminated expensive vinyl packaging, and sold at a higher price, around $12-13 at the time. LP’s and cassettes were in the $6-8 range. Along the way, there had been skirmishes between artists and the industry concerning creative control over CD track indexing. In 1988, Prince had released Lovesexy with no index markings to indicate track separation, meaning the only way to skip ahead or back was to manually fast-forward or rewind through the songs. While some fans complained about this inconvenience, it was an industry decision to wrest final control from the artists over CD track indexing, and in later editions of Lovesexy, the tracks are individually sequenced.

As an incentive to buy the pricier compact discs, bonus tracks were often added to entice fans. Originally (after the first 50,000 copies which had no bonus track), at the end the Nevermind CD, as “Something in the Way” faded into oblivion, unknowing fans thought the album over, but instead the CD paused for ten minutes. There was no way to fast-forward. If you wanted to hear the song, you had to wait. After ten minutes of silence, like a volcano that oozes lava before it bursts, Nirvana erupted into six minutes of molten grunge violence. “Endless, Nameless” is largely incomprehensible, as Kurt Cobain screams his vocal cords raw, amid a sea of ultra-loud rock noise. In many ways it perfectly captures the essential and flawed nature of Nirvana. Today the CD is programmed with ten minutes of dead space so the listener can manually fast-forward through.

Sonic Youth achieves their “Endless, Nameless” glory in this film, in a song that is not listed in the credits, and is only identified at its very end by Thurston Moore holding a newly purchased Germs bootleg CD in front of his face. The band is barely identified by visual cues as the song begins, and shortly into it, all figures become indistinguishable. Soon after, the lights flicker faster and brighter, until the viewer has to look away and shut their eyes, due to the extreme intensity. The best head position becomes facing down, eyes shut; perfect listening position. Now listen to their music.

The final two songs from the film deserve a brief mention. Nirvana’s “Polly”, from Nevermind is one of Kurt Cobain’s most affecting songs. This author has read many interpretations for this song, but none of them satisfy more than my initial one. Polly is about a real/imaginary friend, who happens to be a parrot. He notices and describes various things about this parrot. The reason he spends so much time with his imaginary friend, is because he can no longer relate to actual people.

Sonic Youth’s “Expressway to Yr. Skull”, the final track from EVOL (1986), and one of their greatest anthems, closes the film. Thurston Moore sings:

We’re gonna kill the California girls
We’re gonna fire the exploding load
Into the milkmaid maidenhead
We’re gonna find the meaning of feeling good
And we’re gonna stay there just as long as we think we should
Mystery Train
Three-way Plane
Expressway to Yr. Skull

The album title, EVOL is love spelled backwards. EVOL is also where drummer Steve Shelley enters, and Sonic Youth completes their sound. On the vinyl LP, “Expressway to Yr. Skull” (alternately titled, “Sean, Madonna, and Me”) skips into a lock groove at the end, repeating itself until the listener picks up the needle. It is Sonic Youth’s version of infinite love.

In 1990, Sonic Youth signed a major-label deal with Geffen Records, then released Goo (1990), Dirty (1992), and Experimental, Jet Set, Trash, and No Star (1994); all of which are now acknowledged post-punk classics. In 1994 they also released their authorized band biography, Confusion is Next: The Sonic Youth Story; an authentic insider account of their history, written by Alec Foege. After that it was Washing Machine (1995), and the beginning of what can be best described as Sonic Burnout. Their vitality and creative spirit had finally been exhausted, and anything after that must be considered as part of their dinosaur period, which continues through today. A band that once proclaimed: Kill Yr. Idols, would have wanted it that way.

Thurston Moore once said, “We’re the New Beatles, only no one knows it.” Unfortunately, he’s still right. The Beatles were an artistic and commercial success for a long period (1962-1970). Their’s was a era where the industry expected bands to crank out 2-3 record albums a year, not being too concerned with overall album quality. What mattered was having a few hits that could plugged for radio. When the Beatles got off a plane in New York, they brought more hits on one record than anyone before had ever imagined, thus re-defining their era. They did it again with Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), by re-defining once again, what an album was; from its artwork, to its presentation, to its message. Sonic Youth in its 14-year run from 1981-1994, managed to re-define rock music from an underground perspective in many similar ways. They were shut out because they were artists who refuse to compromise with the industry from the start, and that is really the only important objective difference between Sonic Youth and the Beatles.

In the end, we should judge artists for their triumphs, much more than their failures. It was their daring spirit and willingness to sacrifice personal gain for their art, that still draws people to Sonic Youth. This band, and the thousands of others from the 1980’s, that most people never got to hear, are the musical embodiment of revolution. The grunge movement that Sonic Youth helped carry through to the mainstream, was soon dissipated and demoralized because its energy was not harnessed by a revolutionary political force. As a result, today’s independent musical artists face many of the same challenges Sonic Youth met in the 1980’s. Now, college radio is completely monopolized by the major labels, through subsidiaries. Today, it is the Internet that is likely to be the new media form, that will allow a breakthrough of independent music. The artists who succeed in this will combine Sonic Youth’s hard-earned lessons, with their own revolutionary spirit.

PS: On October 14, 2011, Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore announced that they separated after 27 years of marriage.

Sonic Youth is no more.

Thank you forever to: Thurston, Kim, Lee, Steve, Bob & Richard for their timeless music. RS

Sonic Youth: A Retrospective

Posted on April 29, 2013 by tomputc

Part 1: The Early Years & Kill Yr. Idols

Rock bands come in all types and forms, and those that achieve artistic greatness can be thought of in several ways. There are those artists who have short but glorious peaks, such as the Velvet Underground (1965-70), Creedence Clearwater Revival (1967-70), and punk bands such as the Sex Pistols (1976-77), Wire (1977-79), and the Minutemen (1980-85); as compared those who last for many years or even a decade or more with a track record of sustained excellence, such as the Beatles (1962-70) and the Rolling Stones (1962-72). Another perspective is to recognize the objective differences between those bands who achieve commercial success and those that don’t, and know what those differences mean. Captain Beefheart (1965-82) is one example of a sustained artist that falls into the “commercial failure” category. Sonic Youth (1981-1994) is another.

These are only two sets of criteria, but they provide a good basis to examine artists of different genres more objectively. It needs to be understood that these four corners only give a framework for evaluation. Every artist occupies their own niche along these two axes, and it is up to the fans and critics to discuss and attempt to locate an artist’s rightful coordinate position. This retrospective, in two parts, is an attempt to comprehensively summarize, and give perspective to Sonic Youth’s correct place in rock history, with the understanding that the best artists are the ones who achieve sustained greatness, with brilliant peaks, commercially OR non-commercially. Up to this point in time, and mostly due to their lack of commercial success, Sonic Youth has been largely been ignored and not given their respect for being one of the greatest bands in rock music history.

The first question to be considered is, why is commercial success not important in an overall artist assessment? The answer is: if the band’s message is too far ahead of its time, and the band is not willing to compromise artistically, then it will not achieve commercial success. This is simply due to the corporate set-up of the music industry and institutionalized payola. Just because Sonic Youth never sold many records in their prime, doesn’t mean they weren’t significant; they simply were never given a chance at an audience on radio or anywhere else. Sonic Youth and thousands of other bands, who represented a 1980’s genre called underground/alternative/college, were systematically shut out of mainstream media, venues, and distribution. It wasn’t until the grunge movement of the early 1990’s, that industry gatekeepers allowed “Alternative” artists to break through. By that time, Sonic Youth was the unquestioned leader of this style among their peers, a style they had helped define for over a decade.

Sonic Youth formed in New York City, in 1981. The band is guitarist Thurston Moore, their leader; Kim Gordon, his wife by 1984, on bass; and Lee Ranaldo on guitar. They all take turns singing. Their early period runs through the albums discussed below, and ends with their transitional album, Bad Moon Rising (1985). After Bad Moon, drummer Bob Bert left the band for good, and Steve Shelley was brought in by Thurston Moore, thus leaving art noise behind to become a rock band. This began their classic period from 1986-1994; where Sonic Youth made some of the greatest rock albums, and likely the greatest double album, of the post-punk LP era.

The band’s early style is defined by a clanging cacophony of guitar tones with a creative use of noise and decibel volume. The drumming styles of Richard Edson and Bob Bert are a sparse mix of punk, primitive African beats, and art school. Edson drums on their debut Sonic Youth EP, released on art-noise guru Glenn Branca’s, Neutral label in 1982. To say that no one understands this record 30 years later, is sadly not much of an overstatement. It begins with two simultaneous bass pedal/cymbal hits from Edson, spaced five seconds apart. Then a clanging ringing noise fades in, and grows louder, as Edson’s primitive beat continues. Then a kick/snare beat signals a change to a de-tuned frenzy from guitarist Thurston Moore; he is beating the strings with a drumstick, while using another drumstick under the strings to create a floating bridge, thus dramatically changing their length. Bass player Kim Gordon establishes the 3-note riff that never varies, except in nuance. All of a sudden a violent-windstorm noise comes out of one speaker, as if the vinyl record had picked up too much dust on the stylus needle, and was causing distortion. It is Lee Ranaldo running a drill press through a guitar pedal. Thurston Moore wails:

I’m not afraid to say I’m scared
In my bed, I’m deep in prayer
I trust the speed, I love the fear
The music called
The Burning Spear

After this, the music suddenly collapses. The guitars change again, and everything is ringing between Moore and Ranaldo. Kim Gordon finally picks up the riff again, and the song thrashes upon itself to the end. For the uninitiated, Burning Spear is the legendary Jamaican reggae artist, whose 1970’s records are every bit as influential as Bob Marley’s best albums. He was famous for creating intensely hypnotic rhythms, then wailing charged political messages, such as; “Do you remember the days of slavery?!”, and “No one remember, old Marcus Garvey”, and “Don’t you know? Social Living is the best.” This is Sonic Youth’s starting point, lyrically.

The next song is “I Dreamed, I Dream”, in which Kim Gordon sings. It is always important with Sonic Youth to identify who is singing, because there are three vocalists, each with their own distinctive voice and style. The only other notable rock band with this distinction, is not coincidently the Beatles. Gordon often whisper-talks her singing, a technique used to create intimacy, in order to lure the listener into their sonic mayhem. Her bass is mixed into the background here, and the song builds with Moore and Ranaldo’s guitars, reaching its climax as Kim Gordon repeats, “Working Youth, Fucking Youth…” Lee Ranaldo, with his distinctive tenor voice, moans in the background. More than any other band, it becomes all-too-easy to lose the beat, even though the drummer is right on time. The rhythmic pounding on the guitar strings creates a hypnotic beat and overtones of its own.

“She is not Alone” is the last track on side one. Primitive drumming and bass riffing with guitar noise and minimalist vocals are reoccurring themes for Sonic Youth, and the influence of No Wave makes itself apparent. No Wave was a U.S. (primarily New York) punk off-shoot in the late 1970’s. It’s ethos disdained melodies, even notes from a guitar. The idea instead, was to mangle, mutilate, or randomly play the guitar; anything except falling into a riff or melody pattern, which was considered a corporate classic-rock tendency-trap.

These are the song’s lyrics, sung by Thurston Moore.

She is not alone
She is not alone today
She is not alone
She is not alone today
She is not alone
She is not alone today
She is not alone
She is not alone
To-day

Reading these lyrics in print would seem to beg the question, “Is this a joke?” Upon listening to every differently phrased line, certain ideas about words being able to express more than one idea, their ability to influence and deceive, and the medium being the message; start to come through to the careful listener. These ideas are revolutionary charged, and as much a challenge as the music itself.

In 1982, Edson left the band and he was replaced with Bob Bert. Sonic Youth incessantly toured in the tiniest and grimiest clubs across the US, and then released Confusion is Sex (1983). The guitar noise ante is upped even more on this record, with heavy feedback and guitar drones drifting around; out of which peek cryptic lyrics and explosive vocal violence. Kim Gordon howls her version of the Stooges “Now I Wanna be Your Dog.” Her bass alternates between riffs that tone, and riffs that heave. In “Shaking Hell”, she describes a sexual encounter:

She’s finally discovered she’s a…
He told her so
She’s finally discovered she’s a…
He told her so
She’s a…
She’s a…
She’s a…
Come closer and I’ll tell you
Come closer and I’ll tell you
Come closer and I’ll..
Take off your dress
Take off your dress
I’ll take off your dress
I’ll shake off your flesh
I’ll shake off your flesh
Turn around
Turn around…

Thurston’s “Inhuman” is as close to straight punk as the record gets. It is the desperate song of an outsider, discarded and forgotten by society; a complete inhuman. Many of the early electronica bands from the 1990’s would take their inspiration from early Sonic Youth records, particularly Confusion is Sex. Electronica music is in many ways doing electronically, what Sonic Youth first did with their musical instruments and minimalist lyrics. Moby and the Prodigy are good introductory examples of Sonic Youth’s influence on this genre.

Confusion is Sex has its flaws, and it makes no attempt to cover them up. On “Making the Nature Scene”, Kim Gordon sings. She is tense and chokes early at “…order in details”, then immediately relaxes and sings her best for the rest of the song. Any major-label producer would have demanded the vocals be re-recorded, or at least punched in, at the choke point. Sonic Youth looked at it as honesty in performance to keep her original singing, despite its obvious flaw. Such was the uncompromising nature of Sonic Youth, when it came to their art.

In 1988, Sonic Youth released on their Ecstatic Peace label, a CD-only album of their early live performances, titled Sonic Death-Early Sonic 1981-83. It covers the period discussed above. Early Sonic is a series of songs and experimental noise pieces that are among the most difficult live-recorded art-rock performances ever. The are only two tracks on the CD, side one and side two. The running time is over 68 minutes. There are locked in riffs that mesmerize, until an abrupt change in everything violently jars the listener back to normal senses, leading him or her to wonder, “What is this I’m listening to?” Experimental sounds from Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo fade in and out as songs are bled into and out of each other. On the few occasions where everything stops, very small audiences respond with different degrees of stunned silence, stunned applause, and finally a few loud claps with shouts of encouragement and appreciation.

At one point during Early Sonic, Moore and Ranaldo scream into their microphones while the guitars build to a crescendo; then twist and thrash. Sonic Youth then launches into “Kill Yr. Idols”, a key extra track from their early period, now available on the compact disc version of Confusion is Sex. The idea of killing your idols, is a core band value. Simply stated; don’t worship anything or anybody, because the moment you deify something, you are submitting to it. As far as the one who is being worshiped is concerned, Sonic Youth always made it a point to encourage and reward active listening, as opposed to rock-star hero-worship, and mindless fanatical applause.

Ric Size Candid Interview

Posted on February 5, 2013 by tomputc

September 24, 2012

Interviewer: “You’re toolin’ down a desert highway on your way to Las Vegas in a convertible Cadillac El Dorado. What would be the ultimate song playing in the background?

Ric Size: Is this a “Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas” question? Do I also have to be completely whacked out of my mind on drugs at the time, like Johnny Depp? Tom Pearce loaned me that movie once and I think I made it about one third through, before giving up.

Music for the desert Southwest would be Captain Beefheart “Trout Mask Replica”, which has an earthy quality to its music. It would fit the scenery nicely.

Boiling it down to one song is tough for me, as it is a long trip through the desert, and I would hate to be limited to deciding on one song. To me it would be like saying: what is your favorite part of sex?, and then limiting yourself to just that part. I love foreplay; I love penetration; I love playfulness; I love intimacy; I love the orgasm; I love whatever comes after. I wouldn’t want to have to make a choice, because the entire experience is what it is all about.

The same idea relates to music. I’m a complete artist. I like to think of songs as they relate to each other, and create an ongoing narrative where the whole album is greater than the sum of its songs. To me, it is what separates a great album from a good batch of songs. Do you understand what I mean?

One last request: Can I get a more reliable and fuel-efficient car, than a Cadillac El Dorado?

Interviewer: Oh my…I’m so very grateful this interview is of the cyber variety. Had it been in person you would have witnessed a confident, sophisticated woman revert back to a gawky 16-year old high school girl, with disproportionately long, lanky legs; giggling and stuttering through the rest of the interview. You would have heard me ask you for a glass of water, to dampen the heat radiating from my entire body, courtesy of the sunburn I just received, among other reasons. I’m quite certain I would have begun fanning myself with my notebook and giggling. Internal panic would hit a fever pitch as I tried to remember what the fuck my original question was; let alone if you answered it or not. Sexual conversation with rock-stars does that to me….apparently.

Do I have another question for you? Absolutely. First, however, this girl needs to take a deep breath, change her clothes, and get back to that confident, sophisticated woman….who, by the way, has grown nicely into those long legs of hers……

RS: Take all the time you need.

October 1, 2012

Int: When did Ric Size come to fruition?

RS: I guess it’s happening now. It still hasn’t really happened in a global sense, so that’s what I’m working on. It’s a grind, but I’m not going to stop until everyone respects the music and the message. That’s the goal every musician/artist should have for themselves when they go into this.

Everything I’m doing now is an expression of a lifetime’s hard work. There’s a lot of thought & maturity to the music, which only sweat & experience can bring. Listen to the songs.

As far as my style goes, I’m with the working class. I prefer to be comfortable and real. The delivery of the songs on Magnified is straightforward for a reason, which is: now is the time for clarity and honesty. The lyrics themselves range from playful to deadly serious. I try to make each song its own piece, while weaving it into an album that makes sense from start to finish.

Each song is not for everybody, but I have at least one song for everybody on that record. Understood? It really depends on how passionate you are about music. I remember the first time I heard rock & roll; and I always love that feeling of hearing a totally fresh, new sound. I remember the first I heard the Beatles, “She Loves You”, and just loving that energy.

So I say: Let it blow you away. Let it wash over you. It’s liberating, dangerous, and exciting. That’s how it’s supposed to feel.

I’ve noticed the women like it a lot; strong demographic appeal with women.

That is what great music does. And let’s be clear, we’re talking about all styles of music; world music, classical music, jazz, rock/pop, and anything else you can think of. Any music that is written & performed with passion can do that to you, if you engage it actively and honestly.

The biggest problem over the years, has been finding time to devote to this. It’s another full-time career, and another choice you make in life. Currently my biggest challenge is getting promotion. That will likely be the story of my career in music.

“It’s Pay to Play/ It’s always been that way…”

So I’m on a budget, which means I rely on the cheapest, most effective promotional tool ever invented; which of course, is the Internet. Website, essential. Social Media, essential. Free Downloads, essential. Cool Videos, essential. The music industry and the dinosaurs who populate it, have not truly realized the essential nature of the Internet. It’s how you connect with kids. Having conversations with these industry-types is mostly fruitless. It usually ends up being me, explaining basic concepts to them. It is frustrating being expected to put up with incompetence, simply because the industry is so degenerated. That’s the excuse they’ll give you, after you’ve paid them. Setting quick limits, so they don’t drain your reserves is the only way you can approach them. I honestly don’t think I will be able to work with the music industry, ever. It’s just too corrupt at this point.

What a Facebook Fan page is about is low-cost, high-quality, consistent promotion. When an artist can not find a suitable venue to perform, mostly due to that fact there are not many suitable venues anymore, with this permanently depressed economy; the artist still has to find a way to promote the art to the world. A serious artist can not quit. All obstacles must be successfully navigated.

Social media allows instant, and varying levels of contact. Today, it is the way to build a fan base for all DIY artists. The ones who are the best at doing everything I’m describing, will be the best artists. Like I said before, that should be everyone’s goal to start. In reality it isn’t. There’s a lot of mediocrity here, just like in everything else.

I’ve been told that true talent, always rises above mediocrity. I’m putting that theory to the test. There are days where I feel like I’m going up against the whole music industry, which I actually am. That’s the grind that wears an artist down, and I ask, “Is it necessary?” It seems ridiculous to me.

Why are we, as a society making it harder for artists to be heard? Or more generally, “Why are we making it so hard on ourselves?” It gets to the point where we have to ask basic questions, and then demand serious action until the issue is completely addressed to the vast majority’s satisfaction.

Here’s a simple, yet serious question: Are we going to globally disarm in the very near future, or are we going mutually annihilate the human race?

Do you ever see such a question even raised anymore? It’s an election year [2012]. It’s a pretty important question to everybody, and the answer is most definitely not clear, so we must discuss it rationally; and then decide in the best interests of everybody, how we are going to achieve a solution to which the vast majority of the human race can agree on. Then we must apply revolutionary action to carry it through.

These are revolutionary ideas, and therefore must be artificially suppressed by the minions of the ruling elite. The ruling class has not one good answer to any serious question today. Serious topics include: inequality, war, global warming, democratic rights, hunger, homelessness, education, health care, etc.

This music seeks to explode through all the rhetoric and nonsense, into the consciousness of 18-30 year olds everywhere. This is the most energetic & revolutionary element of humanity. They will be the ones to carry through an international socialist revolution in permanence. The alternative leads into an abyss of world war & barbarism.

That is the purpose of this art.

October 2, 2012

Int: What did you cook for dinner?

RS: I roasted a chicken with sweet potatoes & broccoli.

Int: Oh my god….you just squarely hit my g-spot.

RS: Is it possible for me to send you one message, without arousing you?

Int: Well, yes. Stop telling me your specific loves about sex, start warming food up in a can, make sure to leave your dirty dishes all over the place, and then tell me about it. That’ll do it.

I’m a woman with a lot of useful life experience behind her, who feels sexier at my age now than I did at 22….and I’m not ashamed to show it or admit it. And I’m part of your fan base. We empowered, sexy women are a strong force……

RS: I love my fan base. It consists of many women like the one you just described.

I’m pretty sexually liberated, also. I know exactly who I am; I try to keep it under control for the most part. It’s the nature of man to send signals to beautiful women. We just want to receive love back, in any way a woman chooses to love. Each woman has their own situation and code of ethics, that makes her unique. I enjoy turning women on just for the sake of them knowing they are being appreciated for their beauty & uniqueness.

Women make life worth living. Without them, I wouldn’t want to be around.

Ric Size “Talented” Music Video

Posted on December 7, 2012 by tomputc

Published on Aug 29, 2012

Script & Screenplay: Ric Size
Director/Camera/Editor: Bruce Marcho
Production: WildZebra Media / Susan Cameron
Lighting: Matt Sowers
Sound Op: Allan Marsh

Basketball scene shot on location at Pat Burke Hoops http://hoopspatburke.com in Mount Dora, FL – June 24, 2012.
Challenge Player: Corey Sutherland
Janitor: Pat Burke (Former NBA Legend)

Office party and outdoor scenes shot at Belton Bail Bonds in Tavares, FL – July 27, 2012.
Artist: Ric Size
Beautiful Woman#1: Angelica-Naia Gabor
Beautiful Woman#2: Jenay Nadine
Beautiful Woman#3: Amber Sym
Beautiful Woman#4: Amber English
Cop: Mitch Bromwell
Gay Guy: Sherwood Heineman
Straight Guy: Allan Marsh
Lady Justice: Ali Camp
Rich Businessman: Robby Camp
Secretary: Stephanie Sherman
Waiter: Tom Pearce
Young Kid #1: Ross Hackney
Young Kid #2: Jamison Moore
Young Kid #3: Katie Hohman
Young Kid #4: Victoria Strawbridge
Young Kid #5: Hunter
Young Kid #6: Jeffy

http://www.RicSize.com
Ric Size “Talented” from the 2012 album Magnified.
Copyright Infinitelink Records, LLC. Info@RicSize.com