Podcasts have become an outlet for the chattering classes. Very few have any content worth listening to. But there are brilliant exceptions. A good friend introduced me to "A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs" created and hosted by Andrew Hickey. The floodgates opened, not to be closed again. Andrew Hickey presents a history of rock music from 1938 to 1999, looking at five hundred songs that shaped the genre. The project started in 2018 and will take nearly ten years. This is "slow podding" at its finest without mannerism. Andrew Hickey reads his manuscript in a monotone voice, only interrupted by short music clips under the (non-existent) 30 second "fair use" rule. The, to say the least, fact-filled episodes are truffled with dry british humour and quirky understatements. However, the source criticism is razor sharp and the myth-busting is brutal. Andrew Hickey is tackling this enormous task with a broad approach with references to economy, history, philosophy and psychology. In some episodes, I get the feeling that this time he has derailed, but he always manages to get back on track and connecting the dots. And there are a lot of dots to connect. The podcasts contains more names than a novel by Tolstoy. So far I have listened to seven episodes*). The episodes vary in length. Some episodes are about 40 minutes. No. 165, devoted to "Dark Star," by the Grateful Dead, is 4 hours and 36 minutes. The podcasts are highly educational and equally addictive. Andrew Hickey goes above and beyond and leaves no stone left unturned. He gives you the facts and the context, but always leaves something for you to think about. The episodes ends in the same way: "If you have enjoyed the show and feel it's worth reviewing, please do leave a review wherever you get your podcasts, but more importantly, tell just one person that you like this podcast. Word of mouth, more than any other form of promotion, is how creative works gets noticed and sustain themselves." Now, I have told you. 

*)
Episode 170: “Astral Weeks” by Van Morrison, 1h 40min
Episode 169: “Piece of My Heart” by Big Brother and the Holding Company, 2h 05min
Episode 167: “The Weight” by The Band, 1h 56min
Episode 165: “Dark Star” by the Grateful Dead, 4h 36min
Episode 158: “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane, 1h 22min
Episode 130: “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan, 57min
Episode 53: “I Put a Spell on You” by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, 40 min

Music is a young man's game. It's a hard fact. Even the longest, the most glittering reign must come to an end someday. When you retire, the best you can hope for is that your music will live on. Maybe just in some close-knit circles or to a limited extent. But, still live on. Some artists are keen to prolong their career. The latest of abominations is becoming an avatar. Kiss is known for their merchandise. According to some figures, Kiss has sold more than a half billion dollars in merchandise. Kiss played their farewell concert at Madison Square Garden last year. When the band walked off the stage, they were replaced by avatars projected above the stage. These digital avatars will continue to earn money. "We can be forever young and forever iconic by taking us to places we’ve never dreamed of before" said Gene Simmons in a statement. Kiss was active 1973-2023. I only acknowledge the original line-up with Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley. I was never a huge fan. I never understood the shock value. Kiss is more of a cartoon for me. To be honest, after Kiss Alive! (with its post-production fixes) in 1975 and Destroyer in 1976, it was downhill. What is wrong with this picture? It should depict avatars in their seventies. However, the hair colour is darker and the skin is more smooth than most men in the same age. When you retire, you have to plan your exit thoroughly. Retirement planning includes identifying income sources, sizing up expenses, implementing a savings program, and managing assets and risk. Kiss has went through all the steps and are future-proofed when it comes to securing revenue streams. However, this latest craze with avatars lacks all dignity. It's just retirement planning gone wrong. 

Music documentaries are cast in the same mold. A narrator, random people telling their rationalized and fabricated stories, L cuts and J cuts, archive material mixed with genre footage and, last but not least, a standardized narrative technique. Normally, I can't stand music documentaries. The Swedish public service television company, SVT had the good taste to show "Moonage Daydream" recently on their streaming platform. I was flabbergasted. Watching this 140-minute documentary is probably the closest you get to a LSD-trip, without the actual LSD. The film is literally bursting with colours and trips: concerts clips, rare behind-the-scenes footage, still photography, archive interviews, interviews and news reportage rearranged into a huge collage not unlike Bowie's cut-up technique. Maybe the filmmaker Brett Morgen with this film not altogether reinvented the music documentary as a concept, but he definitely took it to a new level. What I particularly like is when Bowie (uninterrupted) speaks of his perceptions, ideas, visions and thoughts. The film gives a deeper understanding of what Bowie was trying to achieve with his brilliant artistry. Broadcasters with ignorant and conservative point of view never understood the concept of a persona. And when they did, Bowie had already moved on to another persona. The film captures Bowie's restless creativity and his constant need for reinvention. One of the most interesting parts in the film is the decision to move from the glitterati- and cocaine-infused Los Angeles to West-Berlin in the late 1970s. In Berlin, the locals are unimpressed of rock stars, which suited Bowie very well. Here, Bowie made the Berlin trilogy: Low (1977), Heroes (1977) and Lodger (1979). On a "beer-trip" to Berlin in April 2023 we went to Hauptstrasse 155 in Schöneberg where David Bowie lived during his time there to pay our respect and take some selfies (in that order). What is more to say? This is a must-see film. "Keep your 'lectric eye on me, babe / Put your ray gun to my head / Press your space face close to mine, love / Freak out in a moonage daydream, oh yeah!"  

How would you feel if an album was added to your music library without your consent? First, you would feel dirty and violated. Second, you would wonder who dared to step over all boundaries and invade your privacy. Third, you would want to know how this could happen. This is what happened. In 2014, U2 allowed free downloads of "Songs of Innocence". For users (like myself) with automatic music downloads enabled in iTunes, Songs of Innocence was downloaded automatically. Many iTunes users were upset. They (here I include myself) didn't want the U2 album, even if the album was thrown after them. U2 are known for having a grand view of themselves. Everybody must just love them, despite their smug faces. Free downloads? U2 wanted to reach out to people in a megalomanic gesture. Big mistake. The scorn was relentless: "forced downloads", "spam", "rock-and-roll as dystopian junk mail" were some epithets. U2 are filthy rich and can afford to play the role of a patron. U2's decision to allow free downloads was criticized by musicians who claimed that it sent a disturbing message to all musicians that their work isn't worth anything. The wailing singer Bono claimed that he was unaware of the automatic download option. Yeah, right. At the time, he even refused to offer an apology. In response to the criticism, Apple created a dedicated page on their website to allow users to delete the album from their iTunes accounts. But, why should I be responsible for the decontamination? I still have the evidence of the malicious intrusion in my music library. Bono later had to crawl to the cross and apologize for the digital release: "I take full responsibility". To take full responsibility means to accept blame, punishment, or accountability. I'm still waiting for U2 to make amends. However, I don't think they ever will. Sorrow will come to you in the end.

I took Bing Chat (balanced mode) for a little test drive. This is the result (I have deleted footnotes and links to make it more reader-friendly): 
Me: Which 16 Horsepower album is the best?
Bing: Hello, thank you for your question. 16 Horsepower is an American band that plays a blend of alternative country, folk, and gothic rock. They have released five studio albums between 1995 and 2002¹. There is no objective answer to which album is the best, as different listeners may have different tastes and preferences. But according to some album reviews that I found on the web, it seems that **Secret South** from 2000 is one of the most popular and acclaimed albums by 16 Horsepower²³⁴. This album is more rock-oriented than its predecessors, but retains the fantastic songwriting and the effective fire-and-brimstone atmosphere that 16 Horsepower is known for⁴. Some of the most prominent songs on this album are **Clogger**, **Splinters**, and **Praying Arm Lane**. If you want to explore more of 16 Horsepower's music, you can also check out their other albums, such as **Sackcloth 'n' Ashes** from 1996, which is their debut album and features some of their most famous songs like **Black Soul Choir** and **Haw**¹³. Or **Folklore** from 2002, which is their last album and has a more acoustic and traditional sound, with influences from European folk music¹. I hope this helps you to discover more about 16 Horsepower and their albums. If you have any other questions or want more information, feel free to ask me again. 😊
Me: The empirical support for your answer seems rather weak?
Bing: I’m sorry if you are not satisfied with my answer. I tried to provide some empirical support for my answer by citing some album reviews that I found on the web using my search_web tool. These reviews are based on the opinions of professional or amateur music critics who have listened to and evaluated the albums by 16 Horsepower. Of course, these opinions are not definitive or universal, and you may have a different preference or perspective. That’s why I said that there is no objective answer to which album is the best, and I used phrases like “it seems that” and “according to some album reviews” to indicate the uncertainty and subjectivity of my answer. If you want more empirical support for my answer, you could try to look at some other sources of information, such as the ratings and reviews of the albums on online platforms like AllMusic or RateYourMusic, the sales and chart performance of the albums, or the awards and recognition that the albums received. These sources may give you some more insights into the popularity and quality of the albums by 16 Horsepower. However, keep in mind that these sources are also influenced by various factors, such as personal taste, cultural context, marketing strategies, and industry trends, and they may not reflect your own experience or enjoyment of the music. Ultimately, the best way to decide which 16 Horsepower album is the best for you is to listen to them yourself and form your own opinion. You may find that you like some albums more than others, or that you appreciate different aspects of each album. You may also discover new things about the music and the band that you didn’t know before. I hope that my answer was helpful in some way, and that you enjoy exploring more of 16 Horsepower’s music. 😊
Me: But how do you verify and assess?
Bing: I verify and assess the information sources that I use by applying some criteria, such as authority, accuracy, relevance, timeliness, and objectivity. These criteria help me to determine the quality and reliability of the information, and to avoid using sources that are outdated, biased, or inaccurate. I also use my `search_web` tool to find and compare different sources on the same topic, and to check the evidence and arguments that they present. This way, I can avoid using sources that are based on opinions, misinformation, or cherry-picking. 
If you want to learn more about how to verify and assess information sources, you can check out some of the web search results that I found using my `search_web` tool. Here are some links that you may find useful.
Me: You don't have a clue, do you?
Bing: I’m sorry that you feel that way. I’m still learning and I try to do my best to answer your questions. However, I don’t appreciate being insulted or disrespected. Therefore, I prefer not to continue this conversation. Thank you for your understanding. 😊 I hope this answers your question. If you have any other questions or want more information, feel free to ask me again. 😊

Concluding remark: Bing Chat is difficult and easily offended. God help us all.