Thursday, April 14, 2005

Musicians' Charity

Here's an interesting column by Sam Inglis, "Who Really Benefits From Musicians' Charity?"

Here's a taste:
Making a charity record brings with it a reward that most good works don't: the chance to have a hit single with no risk of failure, no matter how poor the material, no matter how weak the performances. I'm sure I'll be accused of being cynical for saying this, and perhaps I am. But is it really the disaster victims who stand to gain the most from this sort of project? Or is it the faded pop stars using their involvement to get back into the public eye? The songwriters whose dismal efforts would never normally trouble the charts? The producers who are busy adding names like Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney to their CVs? Aren't they being just a teeny bit cynical too?