Can Neil Young Demand This?

[awjoe]

Here's a story fresh off CBC:

"Late Monday, Canadian singer and songwriter Neil Young posted an open letter to his personal website, demanding that music streamer Spotify remove his music from its service.

In the since-deleted letter, Young explained he wants his music gone since Spotify also hosts a podcast by comedian and actor Joe Rogan. Young stated since that podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, has shared misleading statements about the COVID-19 pandemic, his music has no place on the streaming service."

Okay, educate me. I thought it was up to the artist whether or not to use Spotify for streaming their stuff. And if, for whatever reason, it's not up to the artist, then is it true that Young isn't really in a position to demand anything?

I'm not criticizing Young, I'm just curious about the dynamics of this situation.

[Moroccomoose]

He sold the rights to half of his songs for $150M, so I guess he has no say over those!

I suspect there is quite a machine behind his music with vested interest in his music staying on Spotify.

But he is a bit of an anarchist, so I'm sure he'll rattle some cages for a while. If he does manage to pull his music, I guess I'll just have to dig out the CDs!

Stu.

[BigRedX]

IIRC he only sold his publishing, so he should still have a say in how his music is used/exploited.

I would say this is more about getting Joe Rogan removed from Spotify than Neil Young wanting the service to stop streaming his music.

[Arpangel]

Why are all these rich musicians selling the rights to their stuff? Do they need the money?

[Drew Stephenson]

Well, he can demand what he wants, but what the contracts say is another matter...

It's worth remembering as well that Mr Young has a bit of history with Spotify and he has previously tried to set up his own competing (high quality) service.
Not that I think that's what's actually driving this. But what I think doesn't matter either.

To Arpangel's question, I guess it gives them a solid financial basis to plan for their kids rather than having something as potentially transitory as royalties.

[MarkOne]

Why are all these rich musicians selling the rights to their stuff? Do they need the money?

Presumably they are looking at their financial legacy to loved ones. The maths become: How many more years of royalties in my lifetime vs. A big lump sum I can dispose of over the next few years in a tax efficient way to my nearest and dearest.

And at the moment the big labels are apparently willing to pay sums big enough to ensure the latter is a bigger number.

Also I suspect many are selling their mechanical rights and keeping the songwriter rights to always allow them to go back and revisit the songs in new recordings. Just guessing here.

Oops Drew beat me to the punch!

[OneWorld]

Why are all these rich musicians selling the rights to their stuff? Do they need the money?

I suppose with the laws of diminishing returns, not moving as many units as they once did, they are cashing in, possibly putting their £millions into a high interest pension fund which will pay the bills and help them get by. Need the money? I guess not, but money goes to money anyway, so I guess they might as well milk it for all it's worth

[ManFromGlass]

And he has to pay storage costs on all those unsold Pony or whatever units collecting dust in his back shed

[OneWorld]

And he has to pay storage costs on all those unsold Pony or whatever units collecting dust in his back shed

Neil Young was always a bit of a one tricker pony to me. His intention were/are good, but my ears sort of turned off when someone bunged one of his CDs into the deck, sort of like Leonerd Cohen with a whiny voice, I suppose Cohen and Young would have made for a good duo, but the opposite of Laurel & Hardy in that they are both a bit whiny

[Sam Spoons]

Not a fan of Leonard Cohen (and I'll never forgive him for inflicting "Hallelujah" on the world* ) but I like quite a lot of Neil Young's back catalogue, he has got a whiny voice I agree but I'm prepared to forgive that for sublime songs like Heart of Gold, Old Man, The Needle and the Damage Done, Harvest Moon and quite a few others.

* I did PA for a school choir contest, not sure if Hallejuah was a compulsory inclusion or just popular but every one of the junior choirs sang the bl00dy thing.... badly...

[Arpangel]

Neil Young? Essential.
Great guitarist, all over the place, on the edge.
Harvest is still in my top albums.

[awjoe]

'Tonight's the Night' is a twisted masterpiece. Just saying.

[Drew Stephenson]

"I'm The Ocean" - how a track that's so long, with so little variety, still works so well is a mystery.

[Wonks]

It's a mystery? No that's Toyah.

[rockydennis]

In any case, it's happening. Young's music is being removed from Spotify.

https://www.npr.org/2022/01/26/10759049 ... -joe-rogan

[Arpangel]

And he has to pay storage costs on all those unsold Pony or whatever units collecting dust in his back shed

Neil Young was always a bit of a one tricker pony to me. His intention were/are good, but my ears sort of turned off when someone bunged one of his CDs into the deck, sort of like Leonerd Cohen with a whiny voice, I suppose Cohen and Young would have made for a good duo, but the opposite of Laurel & Hardy in that they are both a bit whiny

Cohen was a great song writer, lyricist, one of the greatest, Young also.
Cohens "I’m Your Man" album is up there too, in my top albums.
I’ve seen him live a few times, always blew me away, with his honest, swaggering music, he could really nail life, sometimes.
"Chelsea Hotel" would be one of my desert island discs.

[Sam Spoons]

Not a fan of Leonard Cohen (and I'll never forgive him for inflicting "Hallelujah" on the world* )...

* I did PA for a school choir contest, not sure if Hallejuah was a compulsory inclusion or just popular but every one of the junior choirs sang the bl00dy thing.... badly...

Just remembered what did raise a smile to relieve the horror of it all, one of the choirs, clearly from a posh neighbourhood, the MD (probably the, ageing, headmistress) had made the kids enunciate the words in perfect BBC English leading to such anomalies as "to you" instead of "to yah" to rhyme with "Hallelujah"

[Aled Hughes]

Not a fan of Leonard Cohen (and I'll never forgive him for inflicting "Hallelujah" on the world* ) but I like quite a lot of Neil Young's back catalogue, he has got a whiny voice I agree but I'm prepared to forgive that for sublime songs like Heart of Gold, Old Man, The Needle and the Damage Done, Harvest Moon and quite a few others.

* I did PA for a school choir contest, not sure if Hallejuah was a compulsory inclusion or just popular but every one of the junior choirs sang the bl00dy thing.... badly...

It's not Leonard Cohen's fault that his (brilliant) song became so popular (and perhaps misconstrued)! And it became so hugely popular outside the pop/rock world too, as you point out, which is remarkable. I'm sure a great number of the population genuinely think it's an old hymn, aria or folk song.

It's also quite amusing on occasion - I always chuckle when the song is warbled in a classical style at weddings and such, seemingly oblivious that they're singing words such as "All I ever learned from love was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you" etc.!

[Sam Spoons]

In my defence, hearing it 10 times in one afternoon, sung with varying degrees of awfulness, does colour one's view slightly

[Aled Hughes]

In my defence, hearing it 10 times in one afternoon, sung with varying degrees of awfulness, does colour one's view slightly

Yes, I've approached that point many times... but then I hear decent version and think "Nope, this song is absolutely amazing. It transcends genres and generations and fully deserves to be as popular as it is". It's strong enough to withstand the relentless awful versions. Maybe Hallelujah stands alone in pop history!