[mplpost] Bad Publicity is Alive And Well

[Brian Gladstone]

Dear Folkies -

I have read the emails regarding reviews in the last few days, and can state
I agree with most of what is being reported.

Until recently I agreed with the statement 'There is no bad publicity' --
but now I have changed my mind, due to a review which is inaccurate.  Im not
quite sure how to react, and would appreciate any comments

Typically my reviews are good, a few bad ones to be expected - which is all
part of the game. We are judged on a massive world stage; we are compared
against our idols and the giants of the business; reviewers are human,
idealistic, opinionated, and many lack peripheral vision and depth.  But we
need them, and they need us.

That being said - in the last two months I have received about ten reviews,
everyting from . 'so bad it reduces one to hysterics' from Ian Anderson at
Folk Roots Magazine, to .. Five Stars and 'so hot you need gloves to hold
it' from- International Country Music Association. (ICMA in Europe) ..  to
'one of the best folk albums anywhere' at canehdian.com - so they are mixed
I accept and acknowledge them all. Opinions are reactions are mixed - I
accept that and it only helps spread my name around.

Until This .

Country Home Magazine in Germany recently printed a review of my new CD
'Psychedelic Pholk Psongs' - which is intended as a satire look on the 60s
generation and hippy culture where I grew up.  After getting the review
translated in English, I learned it stated 'Brian Gladstone is a junkie, and
uses music to finance his drug habit.' Although they liked the picking and
the music and called it 'The New Country (whatever?)', they 'could not
recommend the album for obvious reasons'.

Apparently there is no literal interpretation of the 60s scene in North
America into German - and the reviewer just doesn't understand where its
coming from - and translated liner notes literally and seriously. The review
is now  in print, and as well listed on at least six high profile Websites.
In addition, my name is popping up all over Europe in languages I don't
understand! This is a bad review. It hurts, and is damaging!

I laughed the Nancy White's reply and she noted that money is tight - in
that context,  how does this reviewer think a folk singer from Canada can
afford drugs?

Question:

Any opinions or suggestions as to how I should respond, or not respond -
would be very appreciated? Any one had a similar experience?

All comments are welcomed. Thanks for reading so far in this lengthy email.
German text Below.

Peace and Sunshine
Brian Gladstone
If ever the world needed Folk Music, the time is Now.
www.backtothedirt.com
brian@backtothedirt.com

------------------------


If anyone speaks German, this is the text: von: Country1 , 01.11.2001 Brian
Gladstone
Psychedelic Pholk Psongs
Eigenvertrieb? 2001
ASIN: BTTD002

Titel: 01. Asphalt Cowboy, 02. Finger Licking Picking, 03. Flashing Before
My Eyes, 05. Orange Juice Song, 06. Save The Wolverine, 07. A Father's
Lullaby, 08. Windy And Warm, 09. Mega City Mel, 10. Do You Think That You're
Dorothy?, 11. The Highway Man, 12. I Still Think About You Babe, 13. Uncle
John, 14. Black Mountain Rag, 15. Jamie Lynn, 16. Queen Oof The West, 17.
San Francisco Bay Blues, 18. Somebody Stole My Gal, 19. Norm's Living Room

Über Brian Gladstone ist mir selber nicht viel bekannt. Seine mitgeschickte
Bio ist so verwirrend geschrieben, daß nur eins herauszufinden war. Der Mann
ist ein Ex-Junkie und möchte mit seiner Art von Country-Music den Menschen
den Rausch vermitteln, die Drogen verursachen können. Meiner Meinung nach
eher eine sehr zweifelhafte Angelegenheit.
Die insgesamt 19 Songs auf der im September 2001 erschienenen CD sind
textlich gesehen ein kleiner Offenbarungseid des Künstlers. Die Stimme von
ihm dazu die reinste Ekstase (er klingt, als würde er nur durch die Nase
singen). Die musikalische Unterlegung der Texte ist dagegen wirklich gut.
Der Mann beherrscht sein Instrument. Die Stilrichtung der CD ist unter "New
Acoustic Country Music" lt. Brian Gladstone zu sehen. Selber würde ich
sagen: Es ist eine Art Mix aus traditioneller und New Country Music. Ein
Empfehlung für die CD möchte ich hier nicht aussprechen. Die Gründe hierfür
kann sich jeder, der zwischen den Zeilen liest, selber denken.
Diese CD suchen bei



----- Original Message -----
From: "Nancy White" <nancyw@sympatico.ca>
To: <maplepost@icomm.ca>
Sent: January 18, 2002 2:53 PM
Subject: Re: [mplpost] Reviews Blues


> Oh, Ms.O'Leum, you've opened up a bag of snakes here.
> I think for even deeper interest we could move it over to the sensation
you
> feel when you get slagged in the middle of someone else's review. I think
> that's the meanest thing of all.
>
> There's probably not a good way to cope with a bad review, although you
can
> look on it as a memory exercise. You know that when you're strapped into a
> chair in The Home you'll still remember every word of the bad ones.
>
> Sometimes we actually learn something useful from a review, believe it or
> not.
>
> Have you noticed that when people get to a certain level of success they
say
> "oh,I never read reviews". Do you think they're lying?  I think they must
be
> lying.
>
> What I do is put the good ones in the press kit and offer to send them the
> bad ones for a small fee. Although I once got one from a student out west
> that was so bad  ("this cd sucks," was one of the more gentle remarks)
that
> when I showed it to Rick Whitelaw he begged to have it to share with his
> fellow players in the pit of "The Lion King", where, I believe, it was
> immensely enjoyed.
>
> Do bad reviews make a difference? Sure they do. They affect sales. They
can
> close a show. On the other hand, the good ones help. What can you do?
There
> are so many performers and so many shows out there, and for most of us,
> money is tight. We don't want to get ripped off for either our cash or our
> time, so  we kind of need our critics.
>
> well that's enough from me. Luckily, I live in Toronto where the problem
is
> NOT getting reviewed!
>
>
>
>
>

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