I’m not at all so sure, with all due respect, being undisputed as a world class musician doesn’t necessarily substantiate a sound (pun intended) philosophical or accurate, articulate perspective… or does It?…
History suggests that the species who survive in the great struggle for life are not the biggest, strongest, fastest, most armour protected, etc…. but rather, those which have the best ability to adapt to the often violently changing environment. Those who stick to the memories of a past era, even great era’s as he alludes to, forfeit the opportunities to tackle the present challenges. Perhaps what we face today is the inability to adapt with new, dynamic and authentic strategies to the present commercial onslaught we face. Instead of adapting circumspectly and creatively perhaps we have been wittingly or unwittingly conned into clamoring over and competing with each other to survive by capitulating to the demands of the populist masses. These seem only to want the regurgitation of nostalgia, reflected in sounds and styles of bygone era’s where perceived prosperity and abundance is remembered? Mr McLaughlin suggests the state subsidizes and patrons of the arts, Hmm? At what cost to the arts, integrity and creativity?… Let’s face it, a bitch is a bitch is a bitch. In our present political climate can we reasonably be able to say that state involvement could ever achieve creative and artistic Integrity? To have politicians ‘patronize’ us with their megalomaniacal, greed driven agenda’s can never be a good thing… If we are ‘owned’ we have no freedom. …eternal slaves to the whims of our ‘sponsors.’
We have to find other ways. The record companies aggressively generate the argument against ‘piracy’ only because it hurts them in their pocket, but In reality they have been the main sodomising rapists of the arts and the artists. Good riddance I say.
There are some who are pioneering new paths. But they’re not in anyway near to the ‘main stream’ …and more often than not they’re far away from mindless populist adoration most artists these days seem to lust for. Its hard ,yes… but it’s always been hard, and it always will be.
I honour John McLaughlin without reservation, and I humbly acknowledge his huge contribution to the arts. However, I’m concerned the view posted by our most highly esteemed and legitimately significant master musician potentially misrepresents the real issue at hand.
the faithful skeptic 