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Post by smokeyvera on Jun 12, 2012 20:52:47 GMT -5
Okay, now this gonna be very dark. I am totally depressed.
I never like BTIKM as the first single. I really felt that RCA was messing with Adam's career. Well btikm didn't do well. Now comes NCOE (not one of my faves either). PD's are reluctant to play it because BTIKM did not do well. I think not reaching their target audience. So now gun shy.
Spins not happening, sales decreasing. Adam said this album was make or break.
Well in the US it is breaking. I am so fucking sad and depressed.
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Post by momtomany on Jun 12, 2012 21:46:59 GMT -5
Aw, Smokey. I am, logically, not the person to cheer you up or bring you down. Because I am clueless. I am just this 'older sister' who knows nothing about spins or votes or rankings or polls or any of that stuff. I am this ridiculous Adam fan who, three years ago, experienced a change. Now I do all the new and exciting things you do. Go to the forum every day. Listen to music again. Bite my tongue when someone asks about Adam - because, if I didn't, I'd be talking till Tuesday about the amazingness of Him. See him when I can. Which, has led me to overcome my fear of flying; break free of the need to 'be with' someone when I travel or even experience an evening out. It's okay to be alone - strongly alone. I love the freedom of being my personal lion. This album, this fabulous album, will not 'break' Adam. I don't care about fucking numbers. The album is a work of art. It will assume a place in Pop history; but maybe not right away. Such is art. Through time, so many masters; so many geniuses . . . were never to be recognized until they became part of the infinite mystery that confuses our minds and spirits. I don't presume to know what Adam thinks. I hope, though, that there will be a starry night when he is in the tiny observatory with Brian May - where they'll contemplate the Universe, and their places in the Infinite. Adam has already paid attention to this. He knows 'success' is not in numbers and charts and sales. He sings of it in 'Runnin' - how chasing the numbers brings him down, down, down. I won't let numbers bring me down, either. Nor will I allow numbers to lure me into happiness! I only care about Adam's presence, his gift, the sharing of his gift, the receiving of his gift, and the knowledge that 'nothing but gold can stay'. Adam is gold. No matter what we mere mortals listen to, or buy, or follow - Adam is here for the rest of my life - Yay! And his excellence will shine and be measured on a far grander scale than I can imagine. I never traveled - and I will be leaving for Moscow in two weeks. Adam Lambert is not my personal muse or catalyst, but he is an inspiration. In believing in myself and my life's journey and my personal quests, I have to acknowledge this path I'm taking - that I never, ever, in my most vivid dreams, would have thought I'd be forging through. I'm thrilled and afraid - for many conflicting reasons that tear at the 'me' I've been for over sixty years. I'm doing it for me. I'm doing it because I heard a voice one night that changed the makeup of me. I believe in that voice and that language of honesty, soul and sex and real and I'm not alone. Around the world there are voices like mine, like yours. Cries of exaltation in the dark! We have heard a voice that speaks our language! We may be in Serbia, Israel, South Africa, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Japan . . . but we are kindred spirits. This is only the beginning. Adam will sing for 350,000 in Kiev. He will sing in Moscow and London and I will be there! And beyond. One day we will meet with others who still search for a way to explain what's happened. I feel my only 'task' is to keep the flame alive in my heart. Adam, and I, and you, deserve this warmth.
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Post by theosgma on Jun 12, 2012 22:04:50 GMT -5
Aw, Smokey. I am, logically, not the person to cheer you up or bring you down. Because I am clueless. I am just this 'older sister' who knows nothing about spins or votes or rankings or polls or any of that stuff. I am this ridiculous Adam fan who, three years ago, experienced a change. Now I do all the new and exciting things you do. Go to the forum every day. Listen to music again. Bite my tongue when someone asks about Adam - because, if I didn't, I'd be talking till Tuesday about the amazingness of Him. See him when I can. Which, has led me to overcome my fear of flying; break free of the need to 'be with' someone when I travel or even experience an evening out. It's okay to be alone - strongly alone. I love the freedom of being my personal lion. This album, this fabulous album, will not 'break' Adam. I don't care about fucking numbers. The album is a work of art. It will assume a place in Pop history; but maybe not right away. Such is art. Through time, so many masters; so many geniuses . . . were never to be recognized until they became part of the infinite mystery that confuses our minds and spirits. I don't presume to know what Adam thinks. I hope, though, that there will be a starry night when he is in the tiny observatory with Brian May - where they'll contemplate the Universe, and their places in the Infinite. Adam has already paid attention to this. He knows 'success' is not in numbers and charts and sales. He sings of it in 'Runnin' - how chasing the numbers brings him down, down, down. I won't let numbers bring me down, either. Nor will I allow numbers to lure me into happiness! I only care about Adam's presence, his gift, the sharing of his gift, the receiving of his gift, and the knowledge that 'nothing but gold can stay'. Adam is gold. No matter what we mere mortals listen to, or buy, or follow - Adam is here for the rest of my life - Yay! And his excellence will shine and be measured on a far grander scale than I can imagine. I never traveled - and I will be leaving for Moscow in two weeks. Adam Lambert is not my personal muse or catalyst, but he is an inspiration. In believing in myself and my life's journey and my personal quests, I have to acknowledge this path I'm taking - that I never, ever, in my most vivid dreams, would have thought I'd be forging through. I'm thrilled and afraid - for many conflicting reasons that tear at the 'me' I've been for over sixty years. I'm doing it for me. I'm doing it because I heard a voice one night that changed the makeup of me. I believe in that voice and that language of honesty, soul and sex and real and I'm not alone. Around the world there are voices like mine, like yours. Cries of exaltation in the dark! We have heard a voice that speaks our language! We may be in Serbia, Israel, South Africa, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Japan . . . but we are kindred spirits. This is only the beginning. Adam will sing for 350,000 in Kiev. He will sing in Moscow and London and I will be there! And beyond. One day we will meet with others who still search for a way to explain what's happened. I feel my only 'task' is to keep the flame alive in my heart. Adam, and I, and you, deserve this warmth. Been feeling all day like I need to be over on this side and this amazing post just catapulted me back over to the light side. Thank you so much for this. It is just beautiful
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mika
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Post by mika on Jun 12, 2012 22:27:10 GMT -5
Okay, now this gonna be very dark. I am totally depressed. I never like BTIKM as the first single. I really felt that RCA was messing with Adam's career. Well btikm didn't do well. Now comes NCOE (not one of my faves either). PD's are reluctant to play it because BTIKM did not do well. I think not reaching their target audience. So now gun shy. Spins not happening, sales decreasing. Adam said this album was make or break. Well in the US it is breaking. I am so fucking sad and depressed. Ah, Smokeyvera. I think there are good reasons for you not to be so sad and depressed. (Frustrated and ticked off - I'm with you there girl~) No one knows why NCOE isn't getting more plays and that's maddening lack of info - hard to fight an enemy you can't identify. (I like the song much better than you do but that's subjective and neither here nor there - I do think based on what else I hear (of good pop music and based on opinions of pop reviewers) that it's radio friendly, very summer friendly.) But I honestly don't think BTIKM's performance is the reason it isn't getting more spins. There's no doubt that Adam, RCA, and everyone in the Adam menagerie wants NCOE to hit - it would push up sales of Trespassing, his profile and get us moving towards single 3. And ngl, I'm frustrated and sad that it hasn't done better. I'm definitely not calling it yet though because I've seen singles climb much slower than this. Not saying that means it's going to hit but we still have some time to push and watch. The real issue that I think is worrying you is the 'make or break' - trust me when I say even if (and I think it's way, way too early to make any calls on this album's commercial success) Trespassing doesn't break bigger - Adam has already secured the most important 'game pieces' to be won w/his second album -- and has escaped the fate that I'm sure cost him some peace of mind. His second album is a critical success in the eyes of key pop music taste makers and he's getting serious attention as a peer of top pop acts - this did a huge amount to erase Idol stigma. (I just downloaded Maura Johnston's (Village Voice) spotify list 'Awesome 2012 So Far' and Shady is on there). In all honesty, from a business perspective, if I were forced to choose between this scenario and one where critics had done what was more likely (given the general sophomore album jinx and lack of respect for idol in general) and trashed the album while one of the songs went on to become a top 20 hit. I would choose the current scenario. (I would of course prefer both critical success AND hit singles . The foundation Adam's laying with all this is making his career, I truly believe. A bad album - one that was dismissed or mocked by serious pop people, critics and musicians - that still came with a big top 40 hit would have made him more money and opened more commercial doors but the foundation he's trying to build would have been built upon sand. (I could list the bands/artists of the past who came and went just that way.) Best proof - look at Adam's face. We've both been around here a while, haven't we? Am I one for hyperbole or pollyanna views? (god, I hope you say no;)) Adam is excited, happy by outcome so far- not just in interviews - I was at WB - the guy was genuinely thrilled, glowing (yes more than normal - it's annoying actually). And Adam is far from dense or unrealistic - he's pimping the hell out of this album. I think he was worried with BTIKM before the album came out. Not now - now he's going to take it as far as he can but he nailed the things he wanted most professionally - credibility, cachet (not emotionally or spiritually - though I'm sure that was in there too ) - And industry respect, goodwill is something you can't get from any form of payola. Complete success (JMO) would be two top 40 hits - and, yeah, it's hellishly annoying we aren't there yet - but we aren't done by a long shot. Just to be clear - I don't get why PDs aren't playing it more either and it twists my innards w/anger and makes me want to add choice words to my requests (sigh - I don't ofc). But I've been listening to what they are playing and a lot of it's not recent - they're recycling a lot of dependable past hits. And of course 'Call Me Maybe' which every critic on my twitter list is trying to convince me is charming in its simplicity -when I think it's so idiotic it makes my brain start to melt. (And I'm no snob - I enjoy that Demi Lovato girl though will deny it if questioned.) PDs need to catch up and maybe Adam's mgmt will find away around radio if necessary. Anyway, my point is - be pissed, kick the radio, but maybe try not to be sad until Adam is. And he really isn't and in make it/break it terms - Trespassing is making it. (It would just be nice for it to also produce some hit singles - for Adam and for the peace of mind of those of us who want to see his commercial success soar . And, smokeyvera, it's cool if none of that helped - just my pov and I could be eighty kinds of wrong. This is the Dark Side - there are all sorts of words and shades of light. Visit, hang out, play with the eels. Whatever makes you feel a bit better. (Strangely tiny Taylor Swift sticking it to John Mayer for all to see with her songwriting skills makes me like Tay-Tay. I also try to think 'what would Pam on True Blood do' - unless of course it's a felony.)
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2012 22:28:50 GMT -5
Aw, Smokey. I am, logically, not the person to cheer you up or bring you down. Because I am clueless. I am just this 'older sister' who knows nothing about spins or votes or rankings or polls or any of that stuff. I am this ridiculous Adam fan who, three years ago, experienced a change. Now I do all the new and exciting things you do. Go to the forum every day. Listen to music again. Bite my tongue when someone asks about Adam - because, if I didn't, I'd be talking till Tuesday about the amazingness of Him. See him when I can. Which, has led me to overcome my fear of flying; break free of the need to 'be with' someone when I travel or even experience an evening out. It's okay to be alone - strongly alone. I love the freedom of being my personal lion. This album, this fabulous album, will not 'break' Adam. I don't care about fucking numbers. The album is a work of art. It will assume a place in Pop history; but maybe not right away. Such is art. Through time, so many masters; so many geniuses . . . were never to be recognized until they became part of the infinite mystery that confuses our minds and spirits. I don't presume to know what Adam thinks. I hope, though, that there will be a starry night when he is in the tiny observatory with Brian May - where they'll contemplate the Universe, and their places in the Infinite. Adam has already paid attention to this. He knows 'success' is not in numbers and charts and sales. He sings of it in 'Runnin' - how chasing the numbers brings him down, down, down. I won't let numbers bring me down, either. Nor will I allow numbers to lure me into happiness! I only care about Adam's presence, his gift, the sharing of his gift, the receiving of his gift, and the knowledge that 'nothing but gold can stay'. Adam is gold. No matter what we mere mortals listen to, or buy, or follow - Adam is here for the rest of my life - Yay! And his excellence will shine and be measured on a far grander scale than I can imagine. I never traveled - and I will be leaving for Moscow in two weeks. Adam Lambert is not my personal muse or catalyst, but he is an inspiration. In believing in myself and my life's journey and my personal quests, I have to acknowledge this path I'm taking - that I never, ever, in my most vivid dreams, would have thought I'd be forging through. I'm thrilled and afraid - for many conflicting reasons that tear at the 'me' I've been for over sixty years. I'm doing it for me. I'm doing it because I heard a voice one night that changed the makeup of me. I believe in that voice and that language of honesty, soul and sex and real and I'm not alone. Around the world there are voices like mine, like yours. Cries of exaltation in the dark! We have heard a voice that speaks our language! We may be in Serbia, Israel, South Africa, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Japan . . . but we are kindred spirits. This is only the beginning. Adam will sing for 350,000 in Kiev. He will sing in Moscow and London and I will be there! And beyond. One day we will meet with others who still search for a way to explain what's happened. I feel my only 'task' is to keep the flame alive in my heart. Adam, and I, and you, deserve this warmth. Momtomany, this post needs to be saved--maybe posted on the first page of this thread. It is just beautiful. The "dark thread" has truly been misnamed. Whether you are feeling battle-beaten or high on Adam-glory these kind of posts speak what is in all of our hearts. Smokey, when you hold something so special as Adam in your heart it is easy to get scared about loosing it. Or about him getting hurt. And I am so glad that you could share that with us. We've all been there , countless times and I doubt that will end soon. Top of the chart or not, Adam has surpassed all his dreams. He has touched so many who will never be the same, and he has changed the world for the better forever. I suggest you hunker down in the rabbit hole and watch some of his great moments, moments that even those of us who think his greatness is limitless, are still blown away by. Watch and you will know his flame will always burn! EMAs: www.muzu.tv/sonisphereuk/emas-directors-cut-queen-adam-lambert-medley-music-video/1301537/Reminder that things change. Don't forget to feel the power of his wardrobe!
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mirages
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Post by mirages on Jun 12, 2012 23:55:20 GMT -5
I have no problems with the word dark. Or with the color black. Or with night. Or with feelings that aren't full of rainbows and sunshine. This was created as a closet to contain doubt, concern, negativity - for us it is not ONLY those things - clearly - but those of us who frequent the place want people to feel free to express the range of opinions, thoughts, feelings. (Glad I built a maze sanctuary.) Mika, I've been meaning to thank you for the koi pond (while wondering what naughty ottery plans you have for the fish) and here you have already added a maze. Good for moments when we need to hide away, get quiet, get lost ... Is there also room for one of these, where we can get found, too? I love a walking meditation, with or without labyrinth. And since I seem to gravitate to the labyrinthine and loopy, it may be no surprise that a book that grabbed me in my youth was Catch-22 ... Read it every year for a few years, loving the way the language and reasoning looped back on itself ... There always seemed to be more of that going on in the real world than anybody would fess up to. Radio feels like that ...I don't know why they won't play the darn song ... I keep coming back to that Z100 dj taunting Toby Knapp about having "drunk the Kool-aid," and saying it wasn't yet sweet enough for them. What kind of sugar are they waiting for? But ... Momtomany is right, that Adam, bless his Oprah-ish pea-pickin' heart, has already changed the world and he has changed, or awoken us, which is another way of changing the world. And he has made a good album that is recognized as a good album, and his joy and relief in that is palpable. I will meditate on that and let DMG and RCA figure out the sugar ratio.
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mika
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Post by mika on Jun 13, 2012 1:32:39 GMT -5
I love a walking meditation, with or without labyrinth. And since I seem to gravitate to the labyrinthine and loopy, it may be no surprise that a book that grabbed me in my youth was Catch-22 ... Read it every year for a few years, loving the way the language and reasoning looped back on itself ... I love meditation labyrinths - can we add stones to the outline? Thumbs up on Catch-22. I also like Stoppard very much for his word love. Random: But I think some director should snag Adam's studio version of 'Feelin Good' for a movie. I was listening today and struck again by how extraordinary it is. It needs a wider audience. (And make that buble character slink away in shame.) Only Nina and Adam are allowed to sing that song as far as I'm concerned.
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Post by smokeyvera on Jun 13, 2012 9:38:22 GMT -5
Aww you guys!!!!!!!!!Thanx so much for the boost. Personally, I think I am responsible for the new rules. I have been veering so close to the edge and my occasional ramblings on the dark side in the regular thread have really made peeps uncomfortable.
I just need to focus on the positive, and hopefully the numbers will increase. I do believe strongly that the PD's think that Adam only has "old" fans and as a result, humor us occasionally with a few spins. They are catering to the young un's with One Direction, The Wanted, Fun, the ever inimitable Beebs, etc. It is so crazy with the Beebs...he sings off key and with the screaming masses, it doesn't matter because you can't hear him over the screams. It also pisses me off that JLo and the other Adam have used their position as judges to further their own career, and could care less about the contestants on their shows.
Going to the UK will be a big boost. I am now considering FS and Thackerville.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2012 9:45:12 GMT -5
momtomany, you are like that ad about the most interesting man in the world. You don't always post, but when you do, it's pure magic.
smokey, I saw your post last night and was too tired to respond then. Others have written wonderful responses. I wanted to let you know that I too have had some long dark nights of the soul about Adam and sales and numbers. Before Trespassing came out, I worried that RCA was monkeying with the album trying to dumb it down. I felt they were ruining Adam's career.
As mika says, I no longer think that is possible. RCA did not ruin the album and it is a terrific set of music, a near-masterpiece. (Will say near because Adam will be making so many albums in the future, his masterpiece is no doubt ahead of him).
I do feel angry and disgusted that Adam is not getting better radio support. My opinions about what would make a good radio song do not matter because I have no idea. I am one of those horrible people who request the song from my local station even though I don't listen to it. (Apparently somehow Mediabase forms have super-secret mind-reading software that knows this.)
Of course, as Adam says, opinions are like assholes and I've got one like everyone else. I feel that NCOE can stand forever as a monument to RCA's cowardice in the way they have marketed Adam. But that's JMO and worth nothing.
Since we don't know the reasons it is not catching on ... what role homophobia plays, for example ... we don't know whether one of the more "Adam-y" songs would have done better, or not. Perhaps Adam's music is simply too sophisticated and intelligent for radio, and he couldn't hide it even with NCOE. Maybe he's just too old and too sexy. Maybe he just doesn't make people numb out enough so that they are jolted awake to listen to the ads for weight-loss pills and mobile home parks.
Where I am starting to find peace is in realizing, as mika wrote, that we are getting there. Adam is an artist and the world is recognizing it. I mentioned this earlier, but I think it's significant that Adam signed with kd lang's management. If there were any justice in the world, kd would be the best-selling female artist in the world, not Celine Dion. Nonetheless ... she just put out her 13th album that has been hailed as stunningly beautiful and original ... she tours the world and sells out theaters everywhere ... and she has a terrific label that supports her work. She is widely acknowledged as the best female vocalist of our generation and just celebrated her 25th year as a major-label artist.
I recently noticed a much newer act I like, the innovative country-folk duo The Civil Wars, was thrilled and boasting of having sold 40,000 copies of their recent album worldwide in total. The legendary Irish band The Chieftans was here recently and I noticed in their ad that they were bragging that their recent album was their biggest seller ever at over 50,000 copies.
It is hard, very hard for me, because Adam took dead aim at US radio this time and is getting the stiff arm. But I'm trying to evolve my thinking, turn my face away from the idea of grubbing for position with the Minajs of this world, and realizing that Adam is building a career for the ages and it's just going to take time and be different, because he's different, like those other artists are different.
Maybe he's always going to be different, have different fans and a different career and a different path. Maybe that's better anyway. I dunno. It seems nothing is going to come easy for Adam but maybe that is OK. In the meantime -- I've given up numbers for my mental and emotional health!!!
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Post by durberville on Jun 13, 2012 10:16:37 GMT -5
*sighs, plunks herself down in the farthest corner of this little sanctuary and dejectedly fiddles with a blade of grass* I've got nothing deep to offer guys - but they certainly don't want me moping about upstairs. I'm sick of online polls...I'm sick of requesting....I'm sick of all the bullshit. sorry. (and you thought YOU were a grumpy goose, Smokey!.... )
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