THE BIG MACHINE, Does LB & The Band Need Reality Check?

[David A]

Hello All.

The basic question, Is FM still a big machine. It is very interesting, SYW was in 2003 ( I think ), and I think at peaked at #3 and then fell off after a few weeks, and basically didn’t have any “legs”. I think the SYW tour itself did very well and pretty much made it up for the album. Having said that, much has changed since 2003, the economic crisis, etc. I know that FM was offered some huge advance offer from Warners back THEN, and they took it, etc, and they are now free agents.

I love LB to death, and lately when he keeps saying “big machine”, I have been thinking maybe does LB need a reality check ? and maybe the band for that matter. Whether its 2012 or 2013, I have this sinking feeling that FM will be in for a real reality check. I have spent a week looking at all factors, etc. that would make me point to a reason where they can make it big again, in the sense of a new album, that does well and back it up with a tour. I looked at the Eagles Long Road Out Of Eden. That Eagles album did very well, and they followed it up with a good tour, all be it, maybe not as well as their Farewell I tour, but in any case, The Eagles had a nice come back with that, granted that was also many years ago. I don’t see how FM can do this again. I mean, what im saying, is factors. They are in their 70’s (or will be) and they haven’t released new album since 03, and the fact is that the Unleashed Tour may have had mixed financial results, and even that tour was long ago. From a strict financial/charts sense, they are going to be in for a real big surprise when their agents go into the board room and start demanding millions and millions in advances, and start to book large arenas, etc. I just find it hard to fathom how a label , now a days, is going to give them millions and millions in advance when in reality, their new album will be hard pressed to have legs, It should debut in top 10, but to have legs (Eagles last album had legs) and then to say that a tour where they will charge $135 a ticket is going to make any money.

I guess what im asking, is does the band and LB need a reality check? I mean, the BIG MACHINE may not be so big any more, and yet I have this feeling that the band doesn’t even know this, and kind of sad for them to find out down the road. Also, I would hate to think that LB and Mick and John are NEEDING the big machine to make them money again, when in reality it may not

I hope I am making sense. Lately, when Lindsey goes “this big machine” , I kind of think, “well, it isn’t big any more Lindsey, and I sure hope you aren’t banking on it for the future”

This is not a negative post, I just wondered if any of you have this feeling when LB says this

I wish I could have found some factors that would back up the big machine making it again in the future, but I can’t find any

David