The term "supergroup" has a certain committal ring to it. Usually used in the context of rock or pop music. The Highwaymen (see picture right) was a supergroup in the outlaw country subgenre between 1985-1995. Outlaw country or not, there are worse country genres and my interest lies within the broad "gothic country" genre. Is a supergroup within the "gothic country" genre inconceivable? In this blog entry I will investigate the prerequisites and the difficulties. Let's start with a definition. A supergroup usually refers to a music group whose members are already successful as solo artists or as part of other groups. The prefix "super" indicates that the members should be the cream of the genre. Supergroups are sometimes formed as a side projects and not intended to be permanent, while in other cases it will become the primary project of the members. The durability of a supergroup is rather short. I would also like to add another important aspect: if the decision to join the group is based on musical considerations or as part of a retirement plan. The term "supergroup" is widely misused and it takes very little, if nothing, for a group to be denoted "supergroup". Of course, in this blog entry I apply an orthodox interpretation of the term which means SUPERgroups like Cream, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Traveling Wilburys. So far, the closest to them in country music is the aforementioned The Highwaymen (Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings). I must admit it's hard not to like them when they play "The Highwayman" by Jimmy Webb: "I was a highwayman, Along the coach roads I did ride, With the sword and pistol by my side, And many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade, And many a soldier shed his life blood on my blade, They fin'lly hung me in the spring of '25, But I am still alive." You almost forgive them for being backed by no less than a smaller army of talented musicians standing in the unlit background at their live gigs. So many musicians on the payroll is really an overkill. The four of them would be quite sufficient. It's in its nature that a supergroup tends to become rather pretentious and pompous. The dynamics of a supergroup follow the rules of a zero-sum game within game theory. For every winner there is a loser and for every gain there is a loss. There are seldom any synergy effects like 1+1+1+1=5. Some supergroup members capitalize on the star quality of other members, while star quality members don't get much in return. I don't think Johnny Cash primarly will be remembered for his part in The Highwaymen. Personally, I will remember him for the six American Recordings albums and the 5 cd box "Unearthed".    

Enough said, who are The Highwaymen of the "gothic country" genre? Let's ignore the obvious contradiction in terms. There's never any "super" and quite seldom a "group" in the genre. However, many are called but few are chosen. The obvious choice would be Zebulon Whatley from Sons of Perdition, Lonesome Wyatt from Those Poor Bastards (and solo in Lonesome Wyatt & the Holy Spooks), Dad Horse (from The Dad Horse Experience) and Slackeye Slim (see picture left). This four-piece constellation is not entirely unrealistic. In fact, Zebulon Whatley and Lonesome Wyatt have collaborated in the song "Blood in the Valley" from Sons of Perditions album "The Kingdom is on Fire" and in the song "Born to Preach" on Those Poor Bastards latest album "Vicious Losers". Zebulon Whatley, Lonesome Wyatt and Dad Horse have also collaborated in the song “Psalm of Nod” from Sons of Perditions album “Psalms for the Spiritually Dead”. In theory and empirically, we already have a strong foundation in this trio. I would also like to add Slackeye Slim as a fourth member to this already renowned lineup. Lonesome Wyatt did the backing vocals in the ultra-catchy song "I Wanna Be Yer Zombie!” from the album "Texas Whore Pleaser", another example of earlier collaboration. That's it, no more and no less. A "supergroup" within the "gothic country" genre is hereby assembled by yours truly. However, there are of course some minor obstacles that must be overcome like the geographical distance (Texas, Wisconsin, Bremen Germany and Colorado respectively). This should not be an insurmountable problem for a "supergroup" worthy of its name. We also need a name of the group, perhaps "Whatley, Wyatt, Ottn & Slim" or something more gothic and spectacular. A second potential obstacle would the differences in their style: doom country, apocalyptic country, keller gospel and gothic western. My assessment is that the differences could be housed within the wide border posts of a "gothic country" supergroup. It's far more that unites them than divides them. A third potential obstacle is that they at the moment are in different phases, paths and lineage. Zebulon Whatley has recently moved forward and expanded Sons of Perdition into a full band in a new and unknown direction, Lonesome Wyatt is untiringly making music with Those Poor Bastards and in his solo-project. Dad Horse is steady rooted in his Keller Gospel genre and tour relentlessly. Slackeye Slim is currently working on his third full-length album with the tentative title "Giving My Bones to the Western Lands". Very likely, Slackeye Slim is moving in a new musical direction. They may be in different phases, paths and lineage, but I like to see this as four biorhytm lines. Sooner or later the lines will coincide. Maybe not as a permanent supergroup, but at least in a one-time-only collaboration on an album or a concert. I'm pretty confident that the law of nature of supergroups will be violated since the nature of law doesn't apply within the "gothic country" genre. In old age (or at least in older age) they would tour and play songs like "The Trickster", "I Wonder", "Kingdom it will Come" and "Vengeance Gonna Be My Name" among other songs. I also like to believe that the would pay homage and play cover songs like "Wayfaring Stranger", "Ramblin' Man" and maybe even "The Highwayman".

I don't care much for non-physical formats. I want something that is tangible and lasting. Not that the cd disc will last forever (only circa 100 years), but at least it will survive me. Music formats come and they go (and in the case of vinyl they come again). When the compact disc (cd) was introduced in 1979 it wasn't the technical frontline in sound quality, but only a new standard that was agreed by Sony and Philips. The grumpiest man in rock'n roll, Neil Young, hated the format intensely from the beginning. In fact, he hated it so much that he allegedly held six of his album as "hostage" (which are often called "the missing six", read more here. Four of the albums were eventually released on cd while two of the albums are still "missing"). However, the cd format quickly became a great success but cd sales peaked already in 2000. Since 2000 there has almost been a free fall in cd sales due to illegal and legal download followed by streamed music. Neil Young wasn't amused with this development either, since the sound quality went from bad to worse. The battle of streamed music is now raging in the music industry. Neil Young, is once again going against the tide and is now releasing a new player, the Ponoplayer, a high-resolution portable digital music player with up to 192kHz/24 bit resolution via Pono Music. Audio files can be bought and loaded onto the player using the Pono Music Center desktop application or sideloaded as a USB storage device. The player will be introduced in the beginning of 2015. The Pono concept have been criticized for the horibble design (non-flat Toblerone - on the other hand it contains a top of the line D/A converter), the not so revolutionary technology (studio master to FLAC format), the limited storage (128 GB) and last but not least the high prize (the player cost $400 and the individual albums cost $15-25). However, my main objection is that "gothic country" music will hardly be sold by Pono Music. It's even hard to release an album digitally today. The Pono Music was crowdfunded through Kickstarter and the goal of $800 000 was surpassed almost eight times (!). This is without any doubt audiophile stuff. Alas, I don't think the Pono business model will be a huge succcess, since the average audiophile owns 15 albums. As I stated in a blog entry recently, the statistical correlation between interest in audio and interest in music is very low. Some say vinyl is back. In my opinion, vinyl is no longer a format in its own right. It's only a nostalgic keepsake. Some buy vinyl without owning a turntable. The last time I changed format was in 1990 when I (literally) ditched all my vinyl and went for cd. I'm not going to change format again. One important reason is that it will cost me approximately $50 000 to replace my record collection (of which many albums never will be distributed by Pono Music). Is there not any chance of a friendly coexistence of formats? No, it's not an option. I'll stick to cd no matter what happens. I will keep on buying new cds as long its possible. When that's not possible anymore I will buy used cds. And when that's not possible anymore...I will continue to live in denial.

The world today is a depressing place. To dull the pain many people, with an adequate living standard, take refuge in everyday luxury like special coffee beans, 85 percent cocoa in their chocolate, sourdough and exclusive wines. Ordinary filter coffee, chocolate bars, a loaf of bread and wine with a castle on the label is not enough anymore. The overall demand for everyday sensations has undoubtedly increased. However, when it comes to sound quality the trend has gone in the opposite direction. More explicitly expressed, it has gone from bad to worse. People both demand and accept deficient sound from streamed music (like Spotify) or compressed physical files. Can people not here the difference or do they just don't care? I don't know which is worse. As in all areas, there exists deniers who question that there's any difference in sound between streamed/compressed and uncompressed music. I have acquaintances who seriously don’t understand that there’s a slight difference between streamed music on their smartphone and a high-end stereo. I'm not a audiophile, but I prefer to listen to music on my very old high-end Linn-system (see pictures above and below) in the way the artist intended when making the album.                   

My opinion of audiophiles is based on extensive observations and evaluation. The typical audiophile is a young male who has about 15 record albums and in addition terrible music taste. The statistical correlation between interest in audio and interest in music is very low. The audiophile spend a disproportionate share of his salary (or student loan) on high-end equipment. Moreover, the audiophile feel a need to continously upgrade his equipment (the trade-in value is relatively high). The audiophile is equally interested in the original carton and the supplied styrofoam. This behavior is close to the second and anal stage in Sigmund Freud's theory of psychosexual development, except this is lasting from 18 years and older (and not from age 18 months to three years). The audiophile spend a lot of time on audiophile forums practicing domination techniques on newcomers to the forum (sighing, groaning and reprimanding like read the FAQ:s, this question is in the wrong category, etc.). Where there are deniers, there are also believers. The audiophile high priests belief is so strong that they undertake non-professional and ridiculous measures in the name of their religion. Of course, only the audiophile can perceive a distinct improvement in sound. Sometimes they try to back up the evidence with a spectral plot analysis. Audiophiles are deservedly often called "audiophools".  

The music always comes first for me, but I also want a decent sound. My stereo (see pictures) of the scottish brand Linn is very old, but still well-functioning. The "Linn-people" pity me. However, the staff at "High Fidelity" (reputable high-end store in Stockholm) had some comforting words: "Your old equipment is better than the stuff most people have". It sounds crystal clear despite the age. It seems like the Mimik (cd) and Majik (integrated amplifier) where built to work together (Majik, the elegant and Mimik, the workhorse). They are connected by a Linn Black Interconnect signal cable. The Mimik-Majik interact perfectly with the Katan speakers (on stands with spikes and skeets). The speakers are connected with the amplifier by a Linn K20 speaker cable. The equipment is very affordable, especially if you buy it used. The "Linn-people" namely take care of their equipment. You won't find any marks of beer glass or ashtrays on their equipment. The trade-in value for my equipment has decreased the last couple of years, but the sentimental value is still very high. Of course, I realize that the day is approaching when the Mimik-Majik-Katan will not function anymore. The Mimik is more and more reluctant to accept cd-r discs, but hopefully it will struggle on a few more years. The audiophiles are sometimes poetic in their quest for vivid expressions. Here is some outstanding examples, see link. I just want decent sound, which is not to much to ask for.

The record store, as we know it, is dead. There are, of course, some pockets of resistance left here and there and some of them will even manage to survive. But the basic concept of a physical store dedicated to selling physical albums is dead as a doornail. Not even enthusiastic "Record Store Day" every year can't change this very brutal fact. A trip to London recently made me think and reflect over the structural changes that have occured over the last 10-15 years. Record stores comes in all shapes, forms and sizes. Some record store purists only acknowledges stores that are personal, small and with a very limited but exclusive stock. Indeed, that's charming, but I've never had any problems with a store that is unpersonal, big on the verge to gigantic and with almost unlimited stock. We buyers have been deprived the pleasure of browsing physical albums. The big, unpersonal stores with almost unlimited stock never went to any extremes due to its size. The staff (often music lovers of all kinds) were knowledgeable and helpful. The stores were often divided in different departments with a filing system based on artists and then subdivied into albums (!). I can't help feeling very nostalgic about this era. This was the Golden Age of plastic. The format cd was here to stay, at least we thought so at the time.

However, the signs were there for those who could read them in form of highly overpriced albums, unaware and unsensitive record companies, increasing rents and salaries, introduction of digital formats, internet explosion and illegal file sharing and copying. First to die was Virgin Megastore in 2007 (opened in 1979). The same year Tower Records located at Piccadilly Circus closed down (opened in 1985). His Masters Voice, HMV, held out to 2014 (opened in 1986) when the flagship at 150 Oxford Street was closed down. HMV have downsized to smaller premises at 363 Oxford Street. HMV today is a very pitiful sight. The stock of cds have decreased every year and the store have changed their profile. HMV tried to transform themselves into a multimedia store selling dvd's, t-shirts and mobile shells among other stuff. It's very painful to watch this decline close up. In my opinion, it's better to burn out than to fade away. The store closures are not limited to Europe. J&R Music at Park Row in New York (very well-stocked by any standards) was closed in 2014 (opened 1971) and you can see the same disturbing trend all over the United States.

Sweden has experienced the same trend. Mega Skivakademien (often called just Mega) located at Sergels Torg in the central of Stockholm opened in 1990 (the same year I literally ditched all my vinyl and went for cd). It was Northern Europe's largest record store at the time with its 3000 square meter. Larger than life and state of the art. The classical department in the store was located at the ground-level and was separated from rest of the store by birch wood and glass in classic Nordic interior style. In the classical department, discreet and knowledgeable staff gave personal advice to customers in low voices, while classic music on moderate volume was lingering in the background. At the much larger lower-level of the store different music genres coexisted in a friendly way. You could spend hours there. The staff at Mega had specialist knowledge in different music genres and was very helpful. However, on March 31 2009 it was all over. The store was closed down because of lack of profitability due to competition from increasing online purchases and illegal filesharing. Before that, the store languished slowly but surely.

The bottom fell out. This also affected the vivid second hand market for cds in Stockholm. From the beginning of the 1990s the "north by northeast trail" on S:t Eriksgatan and Odengatan (the purple line on the map) offered the most favorable climate for second hand record stores in Northern Europe. You can read a dated but valid article here (unfortunately only in swedish, but you can use Google Translate). In those days it was very stressful to strive to visit all record stores on Saturdays. After a while we changed trawling day to Fridays. My friends and I have been walking these streets for 25 years now and had the opportunity to watch the death-struggle at close range. About half of the record stores are now long gone. Among them are: "unknown” (S:t Eriksgatan 48), 55:an CD (S:t Eriksgatan 55), Record Palace (S:t Eriksgatan 56), Diamond Records (Atlasmuren 18), Freak Scene (S:t Eriksgatan 64), Trespass Records (Bråvallagatan 14), S:t Eriks skivbörs (S:t Eriksgatan 80) and Marquee Records (Odengatan 86). However, some stores have weathered the storm and have managed to survive. Among them are: The Beat Goes On (S:t Eriksgatan 67), Record Hunter (S:t Eriksgatan 70), Skivbörsen (S:t Eriksgatan 71), Atlas CD (S:t Eriksgatan 78), Runtrunt (Odengatan 90) and Wasa Skivbörs (Hälsingegatan 2). It may be appropriate to end this blog entry with a vulcan greeting to the owners: "live long and prosper". We can only hope for the best and prepare for the worst.  

I'm sick to death with artists and bands who are more concerned with social media than with their music. The "gothic country" genre is not spared from this disturbing trend, on the contrary. Don't get me wrong. Social media can be a cheap and effective tool for reaching out with music that you don't find in a rack at your local gas station. However, for some people things have got out of control and their priorities have been mixed up. There's a thin line between wrong or right use of social media. In the assessment it's not sufficient to study the number of social media channels and the use of them. You also have to look at the content. Some artists and bands spit out posts and updates in a frantic pace until it collapses under its own weight. But there are some encouraging examples of organic growth. The use of social media has previously been a neglected area for the highly overlooked band American Sinner from Washington D.C. In an e-mail they expressed a very relaxed attitude: "Also, social media ain't country, so posting too much could cramp our style...maybe we'll get an intern." But if you want to reach out with your music and score very high in obscurity according to the Obscurometer, see link here, then you're more or less coerced to use social media. American Sinner have since their e-mail revised and updated their website, opened Twitter and Instagram accounts as well as updated their Facebook-page with news, pictures and links. I haven't got enough data to statistically assess the causality, but their obscurity level according to the Obscurometer have dropped from 98,5 to 98,4 percent. However, I think the activities will be significant. I have the deepest respect for their ambition to reach out with their music. And, let me be absolutely clear: I don't believe for a nanosecond that American Sinner have confused the means with the end since, as they elegantly put it, "social media ain't country".