Fundamental honesty and Audio A

I’m going to leave the band name out of this story.  I’m 99% sure I remember it correctly, but since I can’t find the original source, I don’t want to risk the error.

Probably close to 20 years ago, I saw a story about some of the old vocal groups from the 50s and 60s who have had their names taken from them and given to other people.  The story focused on one band in particular who actually sued in order to be able to perform under the name that they had created decades before, and they lost.  See, at the time, copyrights and trademarks were owned by the management companies or record companies, and the bands themselves didn’t always (or even usually) own their own songs and name.  So when they broke up, the trademark was eventually sold to someone else, and that person put together a group of completely different people and toured them as though they were the original group.

My understanding is that things have improved for artists greatly since then, but then again, it wasn’t too long ago when Prince had to forgo using his birth name (his actual name is Prince – that’s not a stage name) and had to use a symbol because his record company “owned” the name his mother gave him.  So maybe we still have a little ways to go. 

“If I Die” by Stryper

Song: “If I Die”

Artist: Stryper

Album: Reborn (2001)

Track: 7

I cannot tell you how much confusion this review caused me.  Apparently, the tracks on my iPod are misnamed and numbered at this point, so when I thought I was listening to this song, I was listening to something else.  So in looking up the lyrics, they weren’t at all the same a

s what I was hearing, which made me think that dem internets had messed up.  But no, it was me.

That being said, I was rather looking forward to reviewing the other song, because I really like it, but I’ll get to that one next.

Reflections on Spock and Star Trek

When I was a teen, I went to the Star Trek Experience in Vegas with my family.  The greeter took our tickets, gave us a Vulcan salute, and said, “Live long and prosper.”  Without thinking, I returned the gesture and quoted the lesser known reply, “Peace, and long life.”

My family was staring at me.  I was a little self-conscience, and so explained, “It’s a proper reply.”

They looked at the greeter, who nodded and confirmed, “He’s right; it is.”