Brooks “returns” to performing, with some odd comments

In case you haven’t heard, country superstar Garth Brooks is back, sort of.

He’s indicated that, contrary to his previous statements in 2000 that he’d be retired until his kids were off to college, he’ll be doing some future concert dates in Las Vegas. He’s done a few shows since he officially “retired”, for causes he felt were worthy and for awards shows, but this is a more serious and lasting return, we’re told. Unless he decides it isn’t.

No final word yet on whether Brooks will be recording or touring extensively (he’s said he won’t for five more years), but his “return” to music does beg the question – why? His youngest child is only 13, so either he’s reconsidered his original reasons for getting out of the business, or something else is pushing him back in. Word is that Steve Wynn, owner of the Vegas venue where Garth will stage his return, sprang for a private commuter jet so the star could keep the home fires burning while still letting the thunder roll for his fans.

Listen to some of the things Brooks said at a press conference October 15, as reported by USA Today, and decide for yourself if you think the mega-artist, who passed Elvis Presley in 2007 to become the biggest-selling solo artist in America’s history, has achieved a fine disconnect with reality.

Brooks doesn’t allow iTunes to sell his music, something that could greatly increase his reach, and further fill his pocketbook. Regarding iTunes, he told the press “They truly think that they're saving music. I looked at them right across the table with all the love in the world and told them they were killing it. Until we get variable pricing, until we get album-only (downloads), then they are not a true retailer for my stuff, and you won't see my stuff on there."

In other words, “Until I can charge an arm and a leg for downloading my music, forget it.” Which makes one wonder if Brooks has been paying attention the last nine years. That’s the exact same attitude the record labels had towards downloads initially, and you can see where that got them. The numbers say that music downloads on sites like iTunes may be reviving an interest in a moribund music industry, but Brooks obviously doesn’t think so.

But his answer to whether or not the music industry should be exempt from anti-trust laws was the real eye-opener. “Our government's not doing anything about piracy,” Brooks said. “Until we can hear what a day of radio is like with no music, until this place sits silent because the music creators and the artists and copyright (holders) are not happy because they're not being protected like everyone else is, then, yeah, I would like that power myself.”

Not protected? What in the name of the RIAA, BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC is Brooks talking about? Has he heard that the Performance Rights Act is out of committee and on its way to a vote in Congress, which has spared no effort to bend over backwards in the past to cater to the special interest lobbying of Big Content? Does he know how many times the copyright term has been extended? Has he heard of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act?

Still, Brooks envisions a world where all music artists everywhere hold hands and enforce “The Day the Music Died,” perhaps by unionizing, and force country music radio to go dark for a single day to draw attention to the poor artists’ plight. “I would like that power myself. It has to be placed in the right hands,” he said, “so it can't be one person, but a board that represents music, its creators and its content owners. I think that'd be more than fair to stand up and say, 'Look, you've ignored us, because there's 50,000 of us and 300 million voters. You've ignored us, and now to show you, we would like to just simply stop for a day,' and see how dry this world gets."

It’s hard to address such a statement when it seems so uninformed, and frankly downright silly. The “board” he refers to is already embodied in the alphabet-soup performers-and-writers groups mentioned above. He doesn’t seem to understand the irony in pointing out to politicians that when it’s 50,000 artists on one side and 300 million voters on the other, there better be some money exchanged, or the voters are going to win every time. (As an aside, where did these numbers come from? Surely 300 million voters is an enthusiastic stretch at best. And 50,000 artists, all rowing the boat in the same direction? You’d have better luck herding 50,000 Siamese cats.)

As for the charge of ignoring the artists, that really rankles when coming from one of the most recognized (and best-selling) solo artist in US history. What kind of bully pulpit do you think you’re being denied, when the world media is trumpeting your return for a few concerts in Las Vegas?

Garth, the world loves your music. Your concerts are legendary for their crowd-pleasing energy. But it’s time for a reality check. When you said “Athletics has it — anti-trust. That's the only way these guys get the attention of the leagues they work for. Until we can unionize, until we can bond together, we have no power," then you should know (if you’re any kind of sports fan at all) that the player’s unions’ collective bargaining agreements are one of the main factors in stratospherically-spiraling athletic salaries.

Then again, maybe you’re counting on it.

But one thing to bear in mind before you take a page out of that playbook: those agreements may have ended up pricing some sports tickets out of the means of the average sports fan, in order to cover those salaries.

Be careful, Garth, what you wish for. And do come visit us on Earth again soon. We miss you.