I just puked

Some great comments by all! Herman and Onhwy61, sorry but it's too late and you missed your calling...you both would have made great corporate officers at Enron!

I just saw that Journey-Ford commercial and it was bad - of course I never liked the song or Fords anyway. A friend and I were talking about this very thread subject after and he said well it depends on the song and presentation blah blah blah and then said what is the difference between these guys whoring themselves out for these products versus the same music selling high end overpriced equipment to listen to them on. The stuff you guys buy never comes ready you have to upgrade the cord, wiring, caps blah blah blah. These companies are also the whores here and they tempt you every chance they can. I told him I would pass it along. I thought is was funny coming from a non-audiophile who drives a Cadillac.

Mr Parrot, I fail to see the connection between the executives at Enron, who ripped off their stockholders by inflating corporate earnings, and my support of an individuals right to sell their music to whomever they please. Perhaps you could enlighten me.

What's the difference between, 1) a middle-aged ex-rocker swinging a deal so that his grand kids never have to worry about money and 2) an equally middle-aged someone with substantially less talent and accomplishments in their lives complaining about what the ex-rocker just did?

The answer: at the end of the day the ex-rocker has a seven figure check in their hands and the complainer still has no talent and still hasn't written a memorable tune. What's the problem Fatparrot? Couldn't juggle three chords and a catchy lyric like "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" at the same time? Where I come from the talented are supposed to get rewarded for the fruits of their labor.

shubertmaniac, interesting summary of the last few hundred years. I would be hard pressed to argue any of the points you made. I would only say that artists don't create for the money. Money is a byproduct of their occasional success. We could all name hundreds of 'artists' who were unsuccessful during their lifetime, only to be lauded for having the foresight to die.

Art isn't defined by who recognizes it, but there remains the idea that if it has to be explained to a person of above average intelligence, is it really art or self promoting fluff?

Some people create what is in the depths of their being while other produce what will turn a fast and profitable buck.

I don't begrudge the creative whore their dollar, but I won't call it art either.

I don't know how much of the music created and then heard in the last six thousand years was art though. Most of it is self promotion. The radio has been and still is full of this promotion. Most art probably goes unheard.

I think art is more motivation than execution. And a lot of the musicians around now should be executed!