ALADDIN 3032; AUGUST, 1949

 

No, no, no… NO! Not again!

Why are you you doing this to us, Amos? To yourself?

How can you seemingly think so little of our ability… our willingness… to take a chance on something new and untested? Where’s the confidence that should’ve been boosted by recent events which catapulted you to fame and by all rights should be manifesting itself in ever-more daring reaches of creativity?

You’re not alone in deserving criticism though, for Aladdin Records is just as complicit, if not more so, for this disturbing lack of foresight during this recent stretch of releases. Why aren’t they rejecting the opportunism of these potential short-term gains capitalizing on recent glory and instead looking to diversify their biggest star’s options going forward?

But most of all why does the responsibility fall to us, the record buying public, to have to sniff out such blatant reaches for our money and reject yet another warmed over retread of a previous smash hit? Why are WE the ones who have to forcibly insist on having record companies and their artists deliver something fresh each time out rather than the simply recycling the same old songs with new lyrics? If they aren’t going to uphold certain standards of originality because the record industry thinks so little of our collective intelligence then why should we continue to support them every time they attempt to repackage the same product endlessly in an attempt to fleece us of our hard earned dough?

Enough is enough already! We’re not going to stand for this any longer. I’m sorry Mr. Milburn, as much as we like you personally we’re not going to fall for this…

Wait a minute… what?

You’re saying that this release actually got REWARDED for breaking our trust? That it hit #1 on the national charts, just the twelfth rock song to have done so to date and that its popularity put even more distance between Amos Milburn and the rest of the rock pack?

And you’re saying that in spite of the shallow crassness of the entire affair that the song in question was actually good?!? Possibly even great?!!!

REALLY?!?! Are you sure?

Well then, I suppose this just goes to show that in rock ‘n’ roll there truly ARE no rules, no matter how well intended they may be, which can’t be broken after all.

Dammit.
 
Continue reading »