Rockin’ in the free world
SCOTT JAGOW: Neil Young keeps on rockin’ in the free world. His latest CD goes on sale tomorrow. It’s a collection of protest songs. The album is being rushed into stores. Jeff Tyler explains why.
JEFF TYLER: Neil Young wrote, recorded and produced his new album within three weeks. Then the sexagenarian
[ Clip of new Neil Young song: “Let’s impeach the president for lying.” ]
Then the sexagenarian hippie started giving away his songs for free on the Internet.
DAVID FRICKE:“He doesn’t want to wait around for a suit to say, ‘Well, you know, we got to set up the marketing.”
That’s Rolling Stone senior editor David Fricke.
DAVID FRICKE:“He’s been willing to invest his time, certainly his money and energy, and willing to even possibly cannibalize album sales in order to put it on the Internet because he wants people to hear it.'”
KLOS in Los Angeles, one of the country’s largest rock stations played the entire album commercial free — twice. That put pressure on marketing execs at Warner Bros. They rushed the new CD to retailers in order to capitalize on the free publicity and profit off the protest.
I’m Jeff Tyler for Marketplace.
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